Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms

Once in a while, I would think about the stuffed mushrooms that was served at a get together that I had attended a few years ago.  I love mushrooms and were still thinking about them the next day.  The hostess recited the simple recipe when I asked what was in those delectable morsels.  Unfortunately, I never wrote it down.  So I put together a recipe based on what I think were the list of ingredients.  I think it came pretty close to the original.

Stuffed Mushrooms
12 large white button mushrooms
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
3 tbsp parley leaves, finely minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp olive oil
zest from 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Wipe mushrooms clean with a wet paper towel.  Remove stems*.
If you have a Misto, lightly spray the bottom and sides of the mushroom caps with olive oil.  If not, toss the mushroom caps and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large bowl until coated.
In a mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley and 3 tbsp olive oil.
Arrange mushroom caps on a baking sheet so that they hollow end up and are not touching.  With a spoon, fill the mushroom caps with the breadcrumb mixture.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until top of fillings are golden brown.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with lemon zest.

*Roasted mushroom stems add umami flavor to homemade vegetable stock.

Spatchcock Roasted Cornish Hen

Spatchcocked Roasted Cornish Game Hen

I love making roast chicken.  But when cooking for one, a whole chicken is just too much sometimes.  Cornish game hens are the perfect size.  They take less time to cook, are elegant and have a great flavor.  Half the bird is the perfect serving size, I can save the other half for lunch the next day and I don't end up eating chicken for the next 3 days!  I also feel like a giant when I am eating my little chicken.
Even though cornish game hens cook faster, I still like the slow and low approach to keep the meat tender and skin crispy.  Spatchcocking the chicken reduces cooking time and promotes even cooking.  Dinner is ready in under an hour.
I like to vary the seasonings.  Sometimes it's with paprika, salt and pepper for a little (literally) paprikash chicken.  The paprika gives the skin a nice color and delicious drippings for the paprikash gravy.
My aunt gave me a box of Knorr Chicken Seasoning once.  It is sodium ladened, so I only had to use a few tablespoons from one package.
This time, I went for a simple thyme and sage rub with some fresh marjoram sprigs from my garden.

Spatchcocked Roasted Cornish Hen
1 cornish game hen
1/2 tbsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp dried sage
5 sprigs fresh marjoram sprigs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp avocado oil

Preheat oven to 325 fahrenheit.  Using a pair of good kitchen shears, take the cornish game hen and cut alongside the backbone (from tail to neck).  In a small bowl, mix together the thyme, sage, salt and pepper.  Rub the avocado oil all over the hen (I used my beloved Misto).  Rub the herb mixture all over the hen.  Scatter the marjoram sprigs all over the bottom of a baking dish.  Place the seasoned hen, skin up, on top of the marjoram sprigs.  Wrap foil around the wingtips.  Roast for about 45 minutes or until the leg bone feels loose when you wiggle/tug on it.

Bone Marrow Endive Scoops and Roasted King Oyster Mushrooms

Bone Marrow Endive Scoops

This is a meal from a few months ago.  I picked up some nice looking Belgian endives from North Park Produce when I stopped to get fresh parsely for my decadent roasted bone marrow dinner.  They must not stock this often because the check out girl didn't know what they were.  She said that they looked different from the regulary endives that they usually sell.  Perhaps she was referring to curly endives?
I decided that this special item would make the perfect vessel for bone marrow.  The slight bitterness of these endives countered the rich bone marrow nicely.  At the last minute, I also opted for arugala that added a peppery bite.

Bone Marrow Endive Scoops
1 lbs beef bone marrow, roasted
1 Belgian endive
1 clove garlic, roasted
Arugala
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup cooked rice
salt & pepper to taste

Separate, wash and pat dry endive leaves.  Arrange the leaves on a platter.Slice the clove of roasted garlic. Layer a small portion of the following ingredients onto each leaf: rice, marrow, and a few small leaves of arugula. Squeeze lemon juice all over. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

I also roasted some king oyster mushrooms alongside the bone marrow for the last 5-8 minutes. The mushrooms soaked up the drippings and since they were so meaty, the outside carmelized beautifully without drying up.

Roasted King Oyster Mushrooms