Stuffed Mushrooms Shelley Style

(Well darn...I can't seem to find that little piece of scrap paper I was keeping track of the recipes...)

Oh well...

Never have I made stuffed mushrooms. Why? They are so good. I've already made them twice again since the party.

This is my lack of adventure when it comes to food. When I travel I should be trying all kinds of wonderful dishes that are unique to the country...but what do I do? I look for English and try to find something I know...

The only way I ever cook mushrooms is fried in butter or oil as a side for steak. Sometimes in a stir fry, and maybe in spaghetti sauce but not often.

And such a healthy appetizer are mushrooms.

Not having made them before I had to wing it and select what I thought would be good.

I could have cheated, but I wanted these to be my very own. That's not saying that someone else hasn't made the very same thing...

When deciding on the ingredients, I starting by listing the stems...of course. No sense in wasting them. Amounts will vary each time, and I had to guess since each time the size of the mushrooms will be different.

Stuffed Mushrooms
Shallot, minced fine
stems, chopped (I used extra stems and mushrooms)
Garlic croutons, crushed
Asiago cheese
And fresh oregano....
salt
Olive oil
16 button mushroom, large enough to stuff

Prepare the mushrooms by removing the stem, and cleaning around the inside edge.

Chop the mushroom stems into a fine dice.

Heat a Tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat, and add the shallots.

Once these have started to soften, add the mushroom pieces, and sprinkle with a little salt.






When the shallots and mushroom pieces have cooked down and the liquid has evaporated, add a couple Tbsp of the crushed croutons. Save enough to sprinkle over the top of each mushroom.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chopped fresh oregano and the cheese.



Spoon a little mixture into each mushroom.

Sprinkle the remaining crushed croutons over the top of each.

Bake 400F for 30 minutes.

Serve immediately!
(Shelley)

Pepperoni -- Oh No!

My father and the rest of my family all love pepperoni.  Plus in Halifax, we have the best -- Brothers Pepperoni.  Obviously, a regular diet of pepperoni is not healthy, but as a treat, good pepperoni is awesome!

I tried a couple of ideas for these pepperoni bites, but found the best combination by far was a slice of hot pepperoni, a smear of pub cheese or a cheddar cheese spread, and topped with a tart grape.  Yum!
(Ross)

Lettuce Spears Me

The Halifax Version

Although I was the one who made these for Dad's birthday, the original idea was Shelley's -- and a great idea it is.  We wanted most of the food at the party to be easy to eat using fingers, but we wanted to keep it on the healthier side at the same time too.  Luckily, my cousin is a very smart cookie.

Although this might seem like it's kind of a fussy dish to prepare, it's actually pretty easy.  Since I've returned to Tampa, I've made this once or twice myself.  These are great for nibbling while watching TV -- much healthier than potato chips.

I've purposely not put amounts with most of these items as the combinations are really just suggestions.
(Ross)



Salad Spears
One or two heads of Romaine Lettuce
Asian Noodles
1 to 2 tsp Garlic Oil
Red Pepper
Parmesan or Romano Cheese

• Boil the noodles according to the package directions, then drain and rinse in cold water.  Let these cool.  When I made these spears in Halifax, I used Quick Boil Fried Noodles (something I found at Superstore), but here in Tampa, I've just been using Ramen noodles instead.  Lesson learned:  break the Ramen noodles into smaller pieces before boiling as they are very long and difficult to use after they are soft.
• Once the noodles are cool, add the garlic oil to the noodles and toss to make sure all is evenly coated.
• Dice the red pepper fairly finely and add it to noodles, tossing again to evenly distribute.
• Remove the outer leaves of the romaine and save for future use.  The picture on the right shows the leaves I used for the Salad Spears I made last night.  They should be small enough to be sturdy and easy to handle, but large enough to hold some of the noodle filling.
• Spread the lettuce spears out on a plate and then add some of the noodle mixture along the spine of the leaf.
• Grate the Parmesan or Romano over the top of each spear.
• Enjoy leisurely.

Using Ramen Noodles

Skinny Tortilla Rolls

Oh boy...where do I start with this one.

There are so many possible fillings. These are a staple appetizer at any party...at least here on the East Coast.

The filling I use most of the time was inspired by a little deli that was in Spring Garden Place Mall when I worked in the office tower there.

A cheese roll they made at Christmas, that I tried to replicate and eventually it became the filling for the tortilla rolls.

I change it a bit from time to time, but not by much, and I revert back to the original.

They are just so good!

Skinny Tortilla Rolls

filling
1 pkg light cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 - 1/2 cup old cheddar, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced fine
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1-2 Tbsp brandy (can substitute milk)
3-4 sprigs chives, chopped




Mix all ingredients together an keep in refrigerator.


Filling is best if made a day or two ahead.



When ready to make, spread filling thinly over tortilla, and roll up. Slice in rounds.









Always eat the ends!












I added a little pineapple to one of the rolls.

Chop the pineapple very small, and squeeze out juice through a paper towel.

Sprinkle over top of the filling before rolling.
(Shelley)

White Bean Hummus

When planning the food for our party we knew that we would have a dip or two. This would be something that could be prepared ahead and served at the start.

So I had these beans in the panty...one of those things I bought with good intentions...and I did make a small batch of homemade baked beans. But the bag was large, and I needed to find something a little healthier.

I thought to myself...hummus? Why not? If you make hummus from chick peas, why not beans.

Where do I start? I always buy my hummus at Costco. So I soaked the beans all day, and cooked them in the crockpot overnight.


After they cooled I added 2 cups to the food processor.

Now what? Garlic? Five or six cloves should do it.

I couldn't find tahini, so I added peanut butter. (I heard that somewhere...)

Add lemon and lime juice...a few pinches of salt...a handful of greens...whizz it all up...and oh my...too much garlic.




Good thing I hadn't used all the beans.

One of the good things about making something that's not cooked (except the beans), there is room for trial and error.

I love testing, but I have thrown out my share of experiments.

A little more salt...a little more lemon juice...and...







White Bean Hummus

4 cups cooked beans (I used Navy beans)
5 or 6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp peanut butter
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
juice of 2 limes
salt to taste
handful of spinach

Whizz together all the ingredients except the spinach in a food processor.

Add the spinach at the end, and whizz just until the spinach is mixed but not fine.
This makes a huge batch and is rather filling. I'm eating the leftovers on toasted English muffins. Yum! (Shelley)

Curry Pancakes

For as long as I can remember, I have loved pancakes.  We make the Scottish version which means they are good eaten hot, but even better eaten cold.  It's like regular pancakes met up with bread and had a child.  Over the years, we've tried every topping imaginable from the standards maple syrup and molasses to peanut butter or cottage cheese.  I'm positive my brother has eaten them with mustard, and I wouldn't be surprised if my father has put a fried egg on his.

For Dad's birthday, I wanted to make something that's a bit of a twist on the original, and immediately thought about curry.  Curry is good with something sweet, so I figured it would be a good match.  I was right!  Boy, oh boy!  Yum!
(Ross)


Curry Pancakes
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 cup While Sugar
2 Eggs (beaten)
About 7/8 cup of Milk
Curry Powder

• Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and sugar in a bowl and mix together.  I use a whisk to make sure everything is evenly combined.
• Add the eggs to the dry mixture.
• Add enough milk to make the batter the consistency of heavy cream.
• Add the curry powder.  The amount will depend on personal taste and the strength of the curry powder mix being used.  For my first batch, I spooned some of the mixture into a smaller bowl then added curry powder until I had the flavour I wanted.  Then I added enough curry to the larger bowl to make the batter the same colour as the smaller batch.  For me, it was about a quarter of a cup of curry powder.
•  Heat a frying pan or electric griddle to about 375 of 400 degrees.  I prefer the electric griddle as it gives me more control over the temperature, plus I can adjust the temperature easily as I go if I find it too hot or not hot enough.
• Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the hot griddle.  When small bubbles start to appear, flip to cook the other side.  The pancakes are done when they feel soft but spongy to the touch.

Ready to flip over.

 Variations 

• I added shredded sharp cheddar cheese to a couple of the pancakes and it was awesome.
• The first batch I made today, I used cumin by mistake and it made a nice subtle, spicy version.  It was also good when I used cumin and hot ground red pepper.
• I think the possible combinations are only limited by your imagination and your taste buds.
• A bad choice (very bad) was hot habanero peppers chopped fine.  I can't remember eating anything hotter.  Ever! Ouch.

Curry pancake with cheddar

Our First Catering Gig!

Cooking with Cousins Catering 

Last week Ross and I had an opportunity to plan, shop, and execute a tapas party!

Ross was home on vacation for a week, and it just happened to be his father's birthday.

We don't get many chances to cook together so this was the perfect event.

Plans had been in place for a few weeks, and last Monday we were able to finalize the menu and decide on the order of the items we were making.

We had a few things prepared ahead, and these were on the table as guests started arriving.

We didn't have too much time at first to mingle with guests, but we were able to keep up with the beverage partaking and had a few shots of tequila while waiting for the oven timer.

Both hot and cold appetizers were on the list, and recipes will be posted this week.

We had so much fun and a lot of laughs...we are planning another! This means that one of us will be travelling...or maybe we'll have to plan two.

Comments on the food were very favourable, and there weren't too many leftovers! Below are just a few pictures of recipes to follow...
(Shelley and Ross)

White Bean Hummus and Tortilla Chips

Pepperoni Stacks

Cream Cheese Twirls

Chicken and Thai Dip

Stuffed Mushrooms

Starters...