Broiled Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe is from the original New York Times Cookbook.  Craig Claiborne should have been declared a national treasure.  I still make so many recipes from this book.

Broiled Stuffed Mushrooms

12 hors d’oeuvres

12 large mushrooms                                                    2 T. sherry

3 T. butter                                                                   salt and pepper to taste

1 small onion, chopped                                               marjoram, rosemary or oregano

1 cup fine soft bread crumbs

½ cup chopped cooked chicken

Ham or shrimp or ½ cup chopped nuts

or cooked bacon

1. Preheat broiler.  Remove and chop mushroom stems
2. In a skillet, heat 1 T. of the butter, add the onion and chopped mushroom  stems and cook about 2 minutes.  Add bread crumbs, meat or nuts, and enough sherry to moisten the mixture and seasonings.
3. Place the mushroom caps on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining butter, melted.  Broil, cap side down,  about 2 minutes.  Invert and stuff.  Brush with melted butter and broil 3 minutes longer. 

Yesterday I made them with  bacon, and used my own dried oregano as the spice.  You will notice that the ingredients are all common items from the pantry,  When the big mushrooms are on sale, this is about as cheap as an hors d'oeuvre can get.  It is not high cal either, compared to some.  

Always  tastes good.  Not so filling that guests don't want their dinner.  

Viva New York Times Cookbook.  Try the chili con carne.  One of the best.  The roast pork with  thyme is another all time winner.  My favorite frittata is also in the old edition.  When the revised book came out, they booted some of the recipes, including my frittata, but I cut out all the recipes that were excluded that were faves.  The muffin recipe always delivered great (small) muffins with little fat and sugar.  What has become of the humble muffin is a prime exhibit for why we are all fatter than formerly.  

Try the mushrooms;  you'll like them.  I had  really dry bread crumbs and used some extra sherry.  

Onward, 

Grapeshot 

Yet Another Summer Menu

It's cold in the Boston area this week and rainy today.  Yesterday I was a weeding fool, because the ground was so wet from Friday's rain and the weeds surrendered their roots with ease.  The wildflower garden looked so much better.  Damned chipmunks are digging everywhere, and something is eating the leaves of the marigolds, which I planted to DETER the bugs.  Mysterious.

We're have a friend for dinner tomorrow, and the menu is thus:

Broiled stuffed mushrooms

Barbecued Brisket

Sweet Corn and Basmati Rice Salad

Green Salad

Bread

Orange Mascarpone Tart with Pistachios

 Stuffed Mushrooms are almost a cliché but they're so tasty.  And easy.  And cheap!  The brisket is huge.  It is mostly cooked indoors then put on the grill to brown.  Good idea, due to the weather forecast.   The sweet corn and basmati rice salad is one of my summer faves.  The dessert is so tasty AND pretty and can be made with a dairy case pie crust.  

Yes!  

Off to cook up a storm.  I'll provide photos tomorrow.  


Links to recipes:  Mascarpone tart with honey, oranges and pistachios 

Sweet Corn and Basmatic Rice Salad  

The mushroom recipe does not appear to be on the Web, nor does the brisket.  There are plenty of recipes for oven cooked brisket (finished on the grill), but I'll have to (grrrr!)  key in the mushrooms.  The thing about them is that they have absolutely 100% ordinary, i.e. cheap ingredients, and offer some choices.  They're delicious, too.  All you need is mushrooms and stuff from your pantry. 

Grapeshot