No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Mushroom Stuffed Mushrooms
- 16 OZ Baby Bella Mushrooms
- 3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
- Sprinkle of Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 3 TB Cilantro, minced
- 3 TB Green Onions (both green & white parts), minced
- ½ Cup Water Chestnuts, chopped
- ¼ Cup Panko Bread Crumbs (Whole Wheat if available)
- 4 OZ Neufchatel or Cream Cheese, softened
- Dash Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp Five Spice Powder
- ¼ tsp EACH Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Garlic Cloves, grated
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- *Green Onion Curls
Step One
Preheat oven to 425F. Remove stems from mushrooms. Spray or toss mushroom caps with 1 TB of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cap side up on sheet pan and roast for 15 minutes or until liquid releases. Remove from oven and drain liquid out of caps.
Step Two
While mushrooms are roasting, mince and sauté stems in pan using 1 TB oil until their juices release, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Step Three
Combine cilantro, green onions, water chestnuts, panko, cheese, cayenne, five spice powder, salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice together in bowl along with sautéed mushroom stems. Mix well. Stuff caps with mixture and brush (or spray) tops with remaining oil. Roast for 10 minutes or until filling has browned and mushrooms are hot.
No. 2 : Kitchen Scoop
Always cook mushrooms before filling them. They become soft and more meaty tasting when you concentrate their flavor with a short time in the oven before stuffing. You can do this step several days ahead of time. (The stuffing, too! Then all you will have to do when you want to serve them up is to stuff the caps, and brush or spray tops with remaining oil and roast.
No. 3 : Clever Idea
Green onion curls for garnish are easy to make. Trim the bulb and white part off the end of each green onion, about 2 – 3 inches up from the roots. Slice the stems into 4 inch pieces, and then slice each piece into very thin strips. Place the onions into a bowl of iced water and refrigerate until they curl, about 30 minutes.
No. 4 : Wine FIND of the Week
Michael David Ancient Vines Cinsault (Sa- Soh)
Lodi California
About $16.00
Cinsault is a grape often traditionally used in the beautiful rose wines of Provence. Leave it to the innovative winemakers of Lodi California to shake it up by making it into a juicy, fruit-forward red wine. This wine’s medium body and crisp clean flavor make it a good pair for the meaty-tasty mushrooms and the Asian inspired flavors of the stuffing.