Stuffed Mushrooms

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Stuffed mushrooms are one of my favorite hot appetizers. I've collected an impressive assortment of recipes for them and, over time, you'll probably get to see them all. However, today I'm only going to feature one. I chose this one to serve over the weekend because it's so easy to do, and, when you're into day four of a long weekend, easy assumes an importance it might otherwise not have. I think the original recipe, found here, was developed by Giada De Laurentis, but I found another that is similar in an online book, called Almost Italian, which is a compilation of recipes and stories from Italian immigrant communities across America. Those of you who love Italian food might find the book really interesting. I know I did. I've changed the recipe slightly to avoid waste. I've included finely chopped mushroom stems in my stuffing and changed the herb mix a bit. I think the mushrooms help keep the stuffing, which can be dry, moist and I replaced the mint, which I found to be off-putting, with additional parsley. Here's my version of the recipe.

Stuffed Mushrooms...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Giada De Laurentis

Ingredients:
28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
5 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
1) Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan. Add chopped mushroom stems and cook just until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds longer. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
3) Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste to mushroom mixture in skillet. Mix with a spoon to blend.
4) Coat bottom of a large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spoon filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over filling in each mushroom. Bake until mushrooms are tender and filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately. Yield: 7 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Caprese Skewers - Culinary Cory
Savory Herbed Glazed Nuts - Mz. Tasty Kitchen
Parmesan Crusted Baked Zucchini Strips with Marinara Sauce - Closet Cooking
Easy Olive Tapenade - Annie Bakes
Honey Walnut and Brie Tartletts - What's Cookin, Chicago?
Tiny Gougeres with Scallions Parsley and Lemon - She's in the Kitchen
Parmesan Cheese Sticks - Easy Appetizers

Dolmas - Stuffed Grape Leaves - Daring Cooks Challenge

Photo Courtesy of Budget Bytes - Creative Commons Attribution

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Isn't that a gorgeous picture? I must tell you up front that it's not my photo and I'm Dolma green with envy.

I found it while doing research for the current Daring Cook's Challenge and I must explain my envy. Lori, of Lori's Lipsmaking Goodness, hosted this month's challenge and she selected Dolmas, or stuffed grape leaves, as the dish she wanted us to make. Though she gave us two wonderful recipes, which can be found here, she also gave the nod for us to do our own thing if we wished. Her only real requirement was that we roll a leaf around a filling, and that was fine by me. As a matter of fact, that's my kind of challenge. I made the meat-filled version of the rolls for my entry and thought the sauce was spectacular. I'm a big fan of tamarind and it really appealed to me. I love Dolmas, but mine are a visual disaster, more appalling than appealing, and decidedly unappetizing. As luck would have it, the batch I made for the challenge looked especially bad and my photo, as you can see, would do nothing to improve my reputation as a photographer, much less entice guests to my table.

While searching for ways to visually save and plate my Dolmas I came across this feature at Budget Bytes. Beth's recipe was great, but her photos are what really caught my eye. They were stunning and her Dolmas really looked appealing. It was too late to salvage the ones I'd made, but I finally found a way to make the next batch look pretty. I suspect our guests will be seeing Dolmas in their futures. I really learned something from this challenge. Thank you, Lori. Thank you, Beth.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Moussaka - Surfing the World Cuisine
Avgolemono - The Mommy Porch
Greek Style Chicken - Living the Gourmet
Fasolada (Greek Navy Bean Soup) - Elly Says Opa
Cheese Saganaki - Five Star Foodie
Pastitsio - Teenie Cakes

Red Peppers Stuffed with Orzo and Feta Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our weather continues to be uncharacteristically warm and Bob has been uncharacteristically hungry. Despite the heat, he's been felling trees and that kind of work demands calories to stoke the fire. I decided to do a mini Mediterranean feast for his supper tonight. I pan grilled double cut lamb chops and served them with an Israeli salad and orzo stuffed peppers that are reminiscent of those served in the Greek isles. The peppers are lovely and add great color to the table. While they take time to cook, they are really easy to do and they are a relative bargain at this time of year. I can't help but add they would also be wonderful entree for Meatless Monday. Sweet peppers are slowly making their way to our green markets and in another month we'll be able to buy them four to the dollar. Even now they are a bargain when compared to their winter prices. I had six gorgeous bright red bell peppers that needed attention and this dish was a perfect way to enjoy their luscious summer flavor. The recipe on which the peppers are based was developed by Gordon Hamersley for Fine Cooking Magazine over a decade ago. I keep very few recipes for that length of time, so you know in my book it's a keeper. This is one of those recipes I play with. I suspect you will to. There are times I add pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes to the mix, and others where green olives, raisins and orange zest best suit my fancy of the day. Now, I don't mean to shock you, but I've even been known to follow the recipe exactly as it's was written. If you don't have or like kale, substitute spinach or arugula. If you can't use wine, use water or vegetable stock. I use a white French vermouth to make mine, hearkening back to the days when Julia Child suggested using a good vermouth in place of a mediocre white wine for cooking. I really hope you'll try the peppers. You really can't go wrong. Here's the recipe.

Red Peppers Stuffed with Orzo and Feta Cheese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Gordon Hamersley

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 medium red onion, cut into large dice
2-1/2 ounces kale, washed and torn into bite-size pieces (2 cups lightly packed)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2/3 cups cooked orzo, cooled (from 3/4 cup raw orzo)
Grated zest from 1/2 lemon
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
1/4 pound feta cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
6 medium red bell peppers
1-1/2 cups dry white wine or water

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until moderately hot. Add red onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes.. Add kale and cook, stirring often, until wilted and tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2) Combine onion and kale with the orzo, lemon zest, lemon juice, feta cheese, oregano, thyme, parsley, and olives in a large bowl. Toss gently until combined and season with salt and pepper.
3) Slice off top 1/2 inch of each pepper and reserve. With a paring knife, cut away ribs and discard. Turn pepper upside down and pat it to get all the seeds to fall out. Divide orzo filling among peppers. Replace top of each pepper.
4) Place peppers in a medium baking dish and sprinkle them with reserved 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season again with salt and pepper. Pour wine in pan. Bake until peppers are very tender and slightly blackened on top, about 1-1/2 hours. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Stuffed Green Peppers: Healthy and Delicious - Zesty Flavors
Stuffed Peppers - I Eat Trees
Classic Stuffed Peppers - What's Cookin Chicago
Indian Stuffed Bell Peppers - Sugar Pies
Mediterranean Style Stuffed Peppers - Elle's New England Kitchen
Blast of Color Mexican Stuffed Peppers - Mother Rimmy's Cooking Light Done Right

Stuffed Flank Steak Spirals - Pink Saturday

Grandma's coming.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made and froze these steak spirals several days ago in order to make tonight's meal really simple. While I stuffed these with spinach and goat cheese, anything that appeals to you could be used. I've had great success using sun-dried tomatoes with arugula and feta cheese as an alternate filling. Winter weather in Oregon allows those of us who wish to do so, to grill outdoors. It's also possible to prepare these steaks in a griddle pan on top of the stove. When grilled, I suggest they be cooked for six minutes on each side. Flank steak can become tough if cooked too long. However you cook these, be sure to let them rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. The spirals are wonderful to have on hand for busy days. I think you'll like their simplicity. Here's the recipe.

Stuffed Flank Steak Spirals...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 1-1/2 to 2 lb. butterflied flank steak
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
6 ounces fresh baby spinach or chard
3 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Optionsl Garnish: chopped parsley or dill

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Season flank steak with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2) Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic. Cook 1 minute, being careful not to burn. Add spinach and cook just until wilted, a minute or two. Remove from heat and let cool.
3) Lay flank steak out on a cutting board with long end parallel to you. Spread spinach in a thin strip horizontally down middle of the steak. Top with the crumbled goat cheese. Tuck short ends in on sides, then roll long side away from you. Place kitchen twine around steak at 1/2-inch intervals. Wrap in plastic warp and chill for several hours or overnight.
4) Adjust a rack to upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
5) Cut steak crosswise into 6 pieces. Heat a saute pan with an oven-proof handle over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, spray steak with olive oil cooking spray and place in hot pan. Sear both sides of flank steak until just browned, about 2 minutes per side.
6) Transfer pan to upper third of oven and bake until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees, about 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley or dill if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound