Roasted Mushrooms

Here's another winner from the book All About Roasting by Molly Stevens. Quick-Roasted Mushrooms with Pine Nuts and Parmesan. Usually I stuff mushrooms or saute them but this time I roasted them, it gave plain old white button mushrooms a lot of flavor. A little something different. This was outstanding.

Of course the recipe called for something I didn't have on hand, cremini mushrooms. But white buttons worked out so well in this, I'd use them again. The whole dish took less than twenty minutes using the high heat method. Funny but high heat usually means burnt in my case. Not these, they came out perfectly fine, there were no leftovers, and the smoke alarm never went off. You can also serve on toasted baguette slices, just chop it a bit.  And it would be nice chopped on top of some whole wheat pasta.

Roasted Mushrooms with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Source: All About Roasting by Molly Stevens
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon pine nuts (I used a bit more)
1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or use less dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Toast the pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Watch them carefully, they tend to burn rather quickly. Transfer to a plate to cool. Chop them if you like. I left them whole.

Put the mushrooms in a mixing bowl and drizzle with melted butter and olive oil. Sprinkle with the chopped thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the mushrooms to coat. Spread the mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and roast for about 10 minutes. Turn them and then roast for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the mushrooms to a serving dish and toss with the pine nuts. Grate the cheese over and serve. 

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Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 

and

 Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter 

 

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Chopped Liver? Liver Pate? NOT! It's Mock.

Mock Chopped Liver, also known as Vegetarian Chopped Liver. Vegetarian Pate. Mock Pate. Call it what you want, I'm calling it delicious. Could have fooled me. Really. It was a great substitute. And there's no comparison when you see all the cholesterol in chopped liver. Heart attack on a plate. We were pleasantly surprised.

This is lighter, healthier and has a very similar taste and texture, which was very surprising. No kidding. I've heard of it made with lentils, string beans, eggplant, mushrooms, there's so many variations. I got this recipe from an old friend, her mother's recipe! This one is made with canned baby peas, chick peas, walnuts and hard boiled eggs. This mish mash of stuff was going to taste good? You have got to be kidding. I didn't believe her. But she was right, it was excellent. The entire bowl disappeared. OK, granted we were all starving, dying for dinner to be ready, and considering we thought UGHHH when we heard the ingredients, it really is so good. Comes together in a delicious way. So I had to try to make it myself. And we're glad I did. Good stuff. Go figure.

Serve with crackers as an appetizer, on a sandwich with rye bread. It's a nice change from the usual.

Vegetarian Chopped Liver

Source: Shelby

Printable Recipe

Yield: This recipe makes a lot, more than a quart

2 15-oz cans Le Sueur Very Young Early Peas 

1 15-oz can chick peas
2 large sweet onions, sliced or chopped

8 oz shelled walnuts
3 tablespoons olive oil or grapeseed oil
4 eggs, hard-cooked and shelled
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a skillet, saute the onions in the oil until they turn golden brown.

In a food processor or a blender, combine the chick peas, walnuts and baby peas and pulse it a bit, to a smooth consistency. Remove to a medium size bowl. Then blend the eggs and the onions together in the food processor (or blender) and pulse to a smooth consistency.

Add the eggs and onions to the chick pea, walnuts and peas in the bowl and mix it all together; add salt and pepper to taste. It should resemble chopped liver somewhat! Serve chilled.

Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

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Flashback Friday: Easy Dinner!

Been a very long week. Very long. We've done a lot of ordering in and eating out so we were looking for a good dinner at home! and I was looking to make it easy on myself. Baked Ziti seemed the easiest, until I saw the oven ready lasagna noodles in the pantry!  That was good. and mushrooms in the frig. So I made stuffed mushrooms again! We love them. Again and again! and a very easy, meatless lasagna!

And look at my cool new dish! Supposed to look like a disposable pie tin but it's porcelain! I love online shopping with gift cards!  I thought the stuffed mushrooms would be perfect to serve in this dish! With a nice crusty baguette to sop up the sauce!  It was a great start to dinner! 

It was one of those easy dinners, that just comes together, spur of the moment, and it was so good. Lasagna, roasted Brussels sprouts and a nice salad with lots of stuff in it! How easy are no-boil lasagna noodles? Really easy! I used the "oven ready" ones from Barilla. I've used a different brand before, the wavy kind and didn't care much for them, but I had these and might as well try! They were really good! and too easy. Dinner was a big, unanimous thumbs up! and so easy!

Just put some sauce (homemade or jarred!) in the bottom of the dish, add a layer of the flat, oven ready noodles, spread some ricotta, a little shredded mozzarella.  More sauce, more layers, more sauce, cheese, cover and bake until browned and bubbly! Nonstick foil works well with this, so you don't lose any cheese to the foil!

Really Easy Lasagna
Printable Recipe

1 box oven ready lasagna noodles
1 32-ounce jar of marinara sauce (or homemade)
1 15-ounce container of ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Pour a cup of sauce in the baking dish and then spread it on bottom of baking pan. Then layer the lasagna sheets on top of the sauce, overlapping them a bit, and spread 1/3 of the ricotta on the noodles, sprinkle a cup of mozzarella and spread another cup of sauce top.

Add another layer of noodles, make sure to overlap, and spread more ricotta, mozzarella and sauce. Repeat the layers and then spread remaining sauce on top of last noodle layer and then sprinkle Parmesan on top of sauce, then the last if the mozzarella!

Cover pan with foil, nonstick foil works well here, and bake for about 45 minutes! Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes, until browned and bubbly! Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into it.

Easy Stuffed Mushrooms
Printable Recipe

1 lb (about 20) white or cremini mushrooms, stemmed (save stems for stuffing)
2 shallots, finely chopped by hand or food processor
2 cloves fresh garlic
salt and pepper
3 slices bread - white, whole grain, whatever kind you like
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
optional - a little white wine for the pan

Preheat oven to 375°. Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Whiz the bread slices in a food processor, then add the garlic, a tablespoon of butter, a little drizzle of olive oil, the shallots and some salt and pepper. Whiz it all together!

Stuff the filling into the mushroom caps. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top. Put the mushrooms in a baking dish and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top of the mushrooms and some in the pan, add a little bit of butter to the dish, too, and some white wine and bake for 20 -30 minutes. Garnish with a bit of fresh chopped Italian Parsley.

For more Flashback Fridays, visit Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet.

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Mosaic Monday: Feast for Superbowl Sunday!

Trying out a few new recipes today! I thought we wouldn't be grilling, I figured the Griller needed a break, and as sweet as he is to brave the cold for us, it is sort of freezing out! So I said I'd do everything in the oven and my trusty grill pan! Nope, he was all for grilling! Probably because hot dogs were involved. I opted to hang outside, between my hot flashes and his idea of high heat charring, I mean grilling, it wasn't bad at all! Kind of funny, the Griller first thought I was calling him a Gorilla. Must be the New Yawk accent! Nice to know he pays attention somewhat when I tell him about the posts!

The big kid definitely wanted wings today, and I tried something new. My friend, Woodie, posted or mentioned, can't remember which, it's not like I pay complete attention all the time. or even some of the time :) Sorry Woodie! but I did remember your great reviews and I did get the recipe right! We loved them! I didn't use Scotch Bonnets though, not even one, that would probably have killed my 80 year old mother! and don't ever say that I mentioned her age either! I used a couple jalapeno's. We're all ok with that! I remembered to pick up scallions, but of course forgot to put them in.We grilled the scallions and had them with the wings, instead of on the wings. Good save!

and a first for us...Michigan Chili Dogs! I'm lover of sauerkraut and mustard with my hot dog. No deviation! but this was mentioned and I just had to try. BURP! Excuse me, but this was definitely worth the indigestion! It really, really was! Loved this. Topped with raw, sweet onion.

These little chick pea snacks are thoroughly addicting. The big kid didn't love them at first, but by the second handful was totally addicted! Miss Picky already wants another batch for tomorrow! Go heavy with the spices and add a little cayenne pepper for kick, you'll need to make a bigger batch!

 

 

Crispy Chickpeas
Source: recipe by Jason Travi - Food and Wine, February 2010
Printable Recipe

3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Three 15-ounce cans chickpeas—drained, rinsed and patted dry
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin (I used more like 2 tablespoons and added a little cayenne pepper)
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt

In a large saucepan, heat the oil to 350°. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with the coriander and cumin. Add the flour and toss until the chickpeas are coated; transfer to a sieve and tap off the excess flour.

Add one-third of the chickpeas at a time to the hot oil and fry, stirring occasionally, until they are browned and crispy, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chickpeas to the paper towels to drain and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let the vegetable oil return to 350° between batches. Let the chickpeas cool, then transfer them to a bowl and serve.

The fried chickpeas can kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

Mikey's Jamaican Jerk Wings
Source: AnnieWoodie
Printable Recipe

4 Scotch Bonnet chilies (or any hot pepper, amount depending upon your taste - we use much less than called for!)
1 bunch scallions (both white & green parts, trimmed and coarsely chopped
2 shallots - halved
1 small onion - quartered
2 cloves of peeled garlic
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chopped thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons ground allspice
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup of water

This is enough to marinate 4 pounds of meat

Combine chiles, scallions, shallots, onion, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, oil, soy, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and water. Blend in a blender until smooth,
Marinate from a few hours to several days and grill until done.

Mike's quick tip, sprinkle extra thyme while grilling.


Michigan Sauce (for hot dogs)
Source: Woodie's Ticonderoga Bicentennial Cookbook via Cindy
Printable Recipe

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup ketchup
1/2 pound hamburger meat

Cook onions until soft, add remaining ingredients. Cook until meat is completely cooked and is the desired consistency you like!


Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges with Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce
Source: Internet search, adapted recipes
Printable Recipe

4 or 5 sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
Serve with Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce

Toss sweet potato wedges with oil in a ziploc bag. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Shake the bag (remember to zip it closed! Been there, done that!)
Place on baking sheet in single layer. Bake at 375 degrees F, 40 - 50 minutes, until tender and lightly browned on edges.

Chipotle Mayo Dipping Sauce

1 -2 chipotle in adobo sauce, plus a teaspoon or more of adobo sauce to taste
1 cup mayonnaise
squeeze of fresh lime (optional)

Mix 1 or 2 chipotle in adobo sauce, and a little bit of the adobo sauce (to taste, use more or less!) with 1 cup mayonnaise. You can also add a squeeze of fresh lime juice!

Serve hot wedges with dipping sauce.



Joining Mary at the Little Red House for Mosaic Monday! Check out the other fabulous Mosaics over at the Little Red House.

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Mushrooms! It's worth repeating ...

Nothing more delicious than taking fresh garlic bread, and using it to sop up all the juices from the dish of Stuffed Mushrooms. So I made it again! The store had the huge stuffing mushrooms, we could have made a meal on just the mushrooms alone, but why stop there? So we went with the theme, we had some Chicken Parmigiana along with it. Spaghetti Marinara and some string beans with garlic and oil! and a huge salad!

Garlic Bread is really easy. Just get a fresh baguette or an Italian bread, slice it lengthwise. In a food processor throw in about 5 or 6 cloves of garlic or more if you want it really garlicky. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper to taste, and then about a 1/2 cup or so extra virgin olive oil. Whiz it until it emulsifies, and then using a pastry brush, slather the garlic mix on both halves if the bread. Close the bread, and seal it in aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Then open it up, sprinkle with a bit of grated Parmesan if you like, and broil the open halves until the top is golden brown or the smoke alarm goes off. Whatever comes first!

                               Serve with Stuffed Mushrooms to sop up the sauce.

I cheat sometimes with the Stuffed Mushrooms, I whizz the mushroom stems, a shallot and some salt and pepper in the food processor until it's really finely chopped, and then saute the finely chopped bit in a pan with some olive oil for a few minutes. I whiz up fresh bread crumbs from a baguette in the processor and saute that with the stem mixture for a few minutes more. Then stuff the mushroom caps with that mixture, and sprinkle a little olive oil in the baking dish. Mixed with the juices from the mushrooms while it bakes, makes a great sauce! The fresh crumbs make a lighter stuffing than the dried. and I don't pack it in, I just use about a teaspoon of stuffing in each large mushroom!

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Flashback Friday - Cocktail Party

Flashback Friday! I'm joining Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet for another flashback! A while back I took a couple of cooking classes with some friends. Girls night out. So much fun. These were from the Cocktail Party class. Even better than a cooking class with cocktails is a cooking class with cocktails and a pregnant lady who can't drink so you can have her cocktail, too! I nodded out for dessert but these are so worth repeating...

Spicy Vanilla Pecans
source: Viking Cooking School - Cocktail Party 2006
Printable Recipe
Makes 1 pound

1 (4-inch) vanilla bean
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more!)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 quarts water
1 pound pecan halves
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (grapeseed or canola)

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

For the seasoning mixture: Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds into a small bowl. Add the salt, cayenne, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, stirring to combine. Set aside until needed.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the pecans and boil for 1 minute. Drain the nuts well; immediately place them in a bowl and toss with the sugar and oil. Let the sugar-coated nuts stand for 10 minutes.

Arrange the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning every 5 to 10 minutes until the nuts are light brown and very crisp. Remove from the oven.

While the pecans are still very hot, place them in a clean bowl and toss with the seasoning mixture. Spread in a single layer to cool.

Serving Suggestion: These nuts are delicious served by themselves as a snack or served over ice cream with caramel sauce. Great for gift-giving!

Make It Ahead: The pecans may be prepared up to one week in advance and stored in an airtight container.

Variation: Substitute walnut halves for the pecans.


Cobb Salad in Endive Spears
source: Viking Cooking School - Cocktail Party 2006
Printable Recipe

1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
3 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, cooled, and crumbled
2 ounces chicken or turkey breast, finely diced
1/2 small avocado, peeled and finely chopped
1 small ripe, red tomato, seeded and finely diced, divided
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 2 heads endive, separated into spears

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

For the Salad: In a medium mixing bowl, gently toss together the blue cheese, bacon, chicken, avocado, and half of the diced tomatoes. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream and mayonnaise.

Gently fold the mayonnaise mixture into the chicken mixture, then season to taste with salt and pepper; chill at least 1 hour before serving.

To Assemble: Arrange the endive spears on a platter. Spoon a small amount of salad into each spear, then sprinkle with the remaining tomatoes and the chopped parsley; serve immediately.

Note: Have your deli cut a thick, 2-ounce slice of turkey or chicken breast for you; when you are ready to make the recipe, simply dice that slice.


Pomegranate Martini
source: Viking Cooking School - Cocktail Party 2006
Printable Recipe
4-6 servings

1 wedge of lime, for moistening rims of glasses
sanding sugar for garnishing rims of the martini glasses
pomegranate seeds for garnish
2 cups cracked ice
8 ounces (1 cup) chilled vodka
4 ounces (1/2 cup) Triple Sec (or Cointreau)
3 ounces Pomegranate syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
orange twists, for garnish

Moisten the rim of each chilled glass with a wedge of lime; gently press the rim of the glass into the sanding sugar. Drop a few pomegranate seeds into the bottom of each glass.

Fill a metal cocktail shaker with cracked ice; place the top back on the shaker and shake for about 15 seconds. Add the vodka, Triple Sec, pomegranate syrup and lime juice and shake for 15 seconds. Strain the drink into the prepared glasses, garnish with an orange twist and serve immediately.

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