MINI girl

Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms

No matter what the event or who the audience is, Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms are always appreciated.

Yields: 20 mushrooms (4 to 6 servings)

Ingredients:
20 medium mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped shallots, scallions or onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup Yogurt Cheese
Salt
Pepper

Method:

1. Wash the mushrooms and carefully remove the stems without breaking the caps. Chop the stems until they are quite fine.
2. Combine the shallots, garlic and vinegar in a small skillet or saucepan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped mushroom stems and soy sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mushrooms soften and release their juices.
3. Add the spinach and cook, continuing to stir, until it is wilted and the liquid in the pan is absorbed. Remove from the heat, let cool for a few minutes, then stir in the Yogurt Cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Stuff the spinach filling into the mushroom caps. The mushrooms can baked at once or the recipe can be prepared to this point and refrigerated for baking later.
5. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. If the mushrooms were stuffed ahead and refrigerated, bring them back to room temperature while the oven reheats.
6. Place the mushrooms in a baking pan and bake for 20 minutes, until tender. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes for the filling to set before serving.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
Nutrition per mushroom: 11 calories, <1gm. fat, <1gm. saturated fat, 1gm. protein, 2gm. carbohydrate, 15mg. calcium

Recipe from Stonyfield Farm

Salmon Spread and Celery Chips

I can not remember where I found this recipe so I can not give proper credit to the author. But it sounds really yummy so I thought I would post it on my blog for others to enjoy.

Yield: 1 ½ cups

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. (6oz) smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
4 ribs celery, sliced in thin diagonal chips

Method:
Combine cream cheese, salmon and lemon juice in food processor.  Puree until smooth.  Add salt and pepper. Serve salmon dip in bowl, surrounded by sliced celery.

Mom's Tapioca Pudding

My mom made this delicious pudding for me after I had surgery on my throat. It is soothing comfort food and felt great on my throat!

Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1/3 cup small pearl tapioca (Bob’s Red Mill)
3/4 cup water
2 1/4 cup milk – 2%
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Method:

1. Soak tapioca pearls in water for 30 minutes in a 1 1/2 quart saucepan.
2. Add milk, salt and lightly beaten egg yolks to tapioca and stir over medium heat until boiling. Simmer uncovered over very low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.
3. Beat egg whites with sugar until soft peaks form. Fold about 3/4 cup of hot tapioca mixture into the egg whites, then gently fold mixture back into saucepan. Stir over low heat for about 3 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, and then add vanilla.
4. Serve warm or chilled, plain or with nutmeg or coconut mixed in.

Recipe from Bob's Red Mill

Risotto with Chicken

This classic rice dish may be served on its own, with or without the chicken. You could even stir in cooked, diced butternut squash at the end. The variations are endless!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, small dice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 to 3 cups diced roast chicken
1 Tbsp butter
2 oz freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Method:

1. Place chicken stock in a medium saucepan and heat to a simmer; keep hot, but not boiling. Have a ladle ready.
2. Warm the olive oil and gently cook the onion until golden-brown.
3. Add rice and stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat for a few minutes. Rice grains should be opaque and very hot, but not brown.
4. Add wine and stir until liquid has been absorbed and the fumes evaporated.
5. Add the first ladleful of hot chicken stock, stir, and wait for it to be absorbed. Add more stock and repeat. Continue in this way, always waiting for the rice to swell with the stock it has absorbed before adding more. You should keep a constant ripple going in the pot, never too wet and never dried out for more than a few seconds.
6. When the risotto is velvety and creamy, but with each grain still firm to the bite in the middle, take it off the heat and stir in the chicken, butter and cheese.
7. Adjust seasonings and cover. Let rest for 3 minutes, then transfer to a warm serving platter and serve at once.

© Susanne Leighton 2008

Roast Chicken with Herbs

This flavorful roast chicken may be served as a main course and/or carved into pieces for other dishes like pasta or potpie. Simply delicious.

Do not worry if you don't have any lemon on hand; just make it without and maybe add more herbs.

Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken (5 to 7 pounds), without giblets/neck
4 thin slices of lemon
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 lemon, cut in half
a handful of fresh thyme sprigs (reserve some of the leaves for sprinkling on top)
a handful of fresh sage sprigs
paprika

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375^oF.
2. Carefully push your fingers under the skin of the chicken, gently separating the skin from the meat. Slip the lemon slices and a few fresh sage leaves under the skin.Place garlic, lemon halves, and herb sprigs inside cavity of chicken. Sprinkle outside of chicken with reserved thyme leaves and paprika.
3. If chicken has not already been trussed (tied up), do so now.
4. Place chicken, breast side up, on rack in medium roasting pan. If you have an oven-proof meat thermometer place the probe into the thickest part of the thigh, next to body, being careful that the probe is not touching bone.
5. Roast chicken in 375^oF oven, basting occasionally with pan drippings, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours (see chart below). When chicken turns golden, cover loosely with a tent of aluminum foil. Start checking for doneness after an hour or so. Chicken is done when thigh temperature reaches 175^o-180^oF and juices run clear then thickest part of thigh is pierced with tip of knife.
6. When chicken is done, place on large warm platter. Let stand 15 minutes. Keep warm. If desired, use pan drippings for making gravy.

Roasting Times for Chicken (350^oF oven)

Weight of Chicken	Cooking Time*
2 1/2 to 3 lbs	1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hrs
3 to 4 lbs	1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hrs
4 to 6 lbs	1 3/4 to 2 hrs

*Chicken is done when thigh temperature reaches 175^o-180^oF and juices run clear then thickest part of thigh is pierced with tip of knife.

© Susanne Leighton 2008

Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/8-inch dice
3/4 lb cremini mushrooms, trimmed and very finely chopped in a food processor
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices firm white sandwich bread)
1/3 cup 1% milk
1 whole large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/4 lb ground turkey (mix of dark and light meat)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cook onion and garlic in oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Add carrot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and they are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, parsley, and 3 tablespoons ketchup, then transfer vegetables to a large bowl and cool.
3. Stir together bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in egg and egg white, then add to vegetables. Add turkey and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to vegetable mixture and mix well with your hands. (Mixture will be very moist.)
4. Form into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf in a lightly oiled 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan and brush meatloaf evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup. Bake in middle of oven until thermometer inserted into meatloaf registers 170°F, 50 to 55 minutes.
5. Let meatloaf stand 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Gourmet Magazine