I put them in a lot of soups, (like a soup I make with acini de pepe, peas, bacon and a few other things), casseroles like baked spaghetti, enchiladas (those are the two I make the most), chili, roasted eggplant dip, I'll bet you could even use them to make sour cream onion dip. I don't make that though, it's too sinful. Oh, as for a couple more onion things, I'd like to put in a good word for chives!! Chives are about the only onion things I knew as a child, since my dad is very intolerant of onions in most dishes, but he seemed to be OK with chives. Here's my mom's famous cucumber salad (famous because she's the only one I know who makes it this way and it always got raves when she'd bring it to a picnic.) Cucumbers in Sour Cream salad (from Phyllis Pinkmountain!) 1 cup sour cream (Lpink uses "lite" sour cream) 2 TBLSP lemon juice 3 TBLSP minced chives or green onions 3 thinly sliced and pared cucumbers (Lpink leaves a few strips of green skin on for color) 1 1/2 tsp. of salt (Lpink may use a bit less) 1/8 tsp. pepper Mix all together and marinate for at least an hour. Adjust seasonings afterwards. Note, this doesn't taste like much of anything when you first mix it up, it needs to marinate for the flavors to come out, particularly the chives. Garnish with some chive blossom bits before serving if you want to get fancy. If I think of it and have time, I like to salt the cukes and let them sit for a good while to sweat them and then rinse them and pat them dry before adding them to the salad. This makes the salad dressing stay thicker longer. Otherwise the cukes give up their juices and the dressing gets a bit runny. Still good but then when you serve it it leaks all over everything else on your plate with its cucumber sour cream yumminess. Also, if your cukes have a lot of big seeds, scrape those out with a spoon before you slice them. My other favorite summer salad featuring scallions, is tabouleh. I don't use a recipe, but here's an approximation of how I make it. Mix a cup of bulghur wheat with a cup of boiling hot water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Let it sit until it is cool and until the water is all absorbed. If you are a no wheat person, try using one cup cooked red rice and one cup cooked red quinoa. To the cooked and cooled bulghur, add: 1 bunch fresh parsley, rinsed and stemmed and diced fine about 1/2 cup fresh mint, or use about 2 heaping tsp. dried. Can add more to taste later. 1 bunch of scallions, finely diced the juice of about 2 lemons 1/2 cup of EVOO or more (use Extra virgin!!) a liberal sprinkling of salt. At this point it is ready to serve. It goes fantastic with the cucumber salad, BTW!! You can add chopped red or green pepper and chopped celery if you want more crunch and color, which I almost always do. It's great with tomatoes but best to add right before serving since the tomatoes go kinda soggy when left in the salad overnight, for example. Adjust the lemon, onion, EVOO and mint flavors to suit your taste. I like my tabouleh on the "piquante" side! I have also added cooked garbanzo beans, some feta, and some cumin for something more substantial.

Here's a couple of great recipes for those cans of tuna fish that may be in your pantry. I think I may have posted them before but they are definitely worth consideration. Mediterranean Tuna Casserole Recipe By : Cooking Enthusiast Catalog Serving Size : 4 Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 6 ounces egg noodles -- cooked al dente 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 red pepper -- diced 1 clove garlic -- peeled and minced 4 ounces baby portobella mushrooms -- sliced 1 7 oz can artichoke hearts -- drained and chopped 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 2 4 oz cans bonito del norte tuna -- drained 3/4 cup parmesan cheese -- shredded 3 scallions -- thinly sliced 1/2 cup crispy onions 1/4 cup Italian style panko breadcrumbs Melt butter in large saucepot over medium heat. Add red peppers and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook until soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in artichoke hearts and flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and heavy cream and cook until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 12-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. In large bowl, combine the egg noodles, tuna, scallions, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and sauce mixture. Grease a 10" round casserole, add noodle mixture and top with crispy onions, remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs. Bake in a 400* oven for 20 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. MY NOTES : I probably used closer to 8 oz of baby portobellas and I used regular panko crumbs. I used the canned French's onion rings (Cooking Enthusiast sells their "crispy onions" but I've never bought them). The French's onion rings were starting to burn after 15 minutes so don't top with them until the last 8 to 10 minutes or leave them off. I do buy my tuna fish from Cooking Enthusiast -- it's packed in olive oil and wonderful but I am sure regular tuna fish packed in olive oil will work fine, too. ---------------------------- This is a Marcella Hazan recipe which is one of our favorites: Pasta with Tuna and Tomato Sauce 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic -- finely chopped 14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes 6 ounces Italian tuna fish in olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons fresh parsley -- chopped salt and pepper 8 ounces penne pasta (boiled for about 10 minutes) Saute the garlic in the olive oil until it turns pale gold. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, stir, and simmer steadily for around 20 minutes. Drain the tuna and flake it into the tomatoes, stirring to distribute it evenly. No need to cook it - just warm it through. Taste for seasoning and correct for salt if necessary. Add a little freshly ground black pepper, the butter and the parsley, and mix again. Toss with the pasta in the skillet. Makes 2 servings. (My only change is the diced tomatoes -- I buy them with garlic, basil and oregano already added. Also, DH is a big eater but this serves 3 not 2)

Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 8:27 Compumom has chosen BASIL for this Cookalong. Let's put our thinking caps on and come up with a wide variety of ideas for using it. Our virtual dinner featuring basil will be on Saturday, March 14. For those that may have missed the first Cookalong..... the idea here is to post hints, recipes and discuss the focus ingredient over the next two weeks. Recipes can use any form of the ingredient. Please mention the recipe source and whether it is one that you have already made (T+T) or one that you might be trying for the first time. I'm going to make an attempt to link all the cookalongs together. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #3 -- Carrots Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 9:41 As a segue, here's what I'm planning to make next, another recipe from Orangette's blog. I have acini de pepe to use up. It combines carrots and basil. I can't afford the fresh stuff though. There is a chance that I still have some pesto cubes in the freezer. So I will have to make some adjustments. I also don't have fresh thyme. I can't afford to buy fresh herbs. But I do have dried herbs from my own garden from last summer. I'm also going to use canned tomatoes. But I know some of you lucky southern climate folks can get fresh ones! Provenl Tomato Soup with Orange, Saffron, and Tiny Pasta Adapted from Gourmet, September 2006 This business of blanching, peeling, and seeding the tomatoes may be a little fussy, yes, but it makes for a lovely, soft tomato flavor. Plus, theres nothing quite so satisfying for the fingers as slipping the skins from a few tomatoes, or scooping out their seeds and juicy slop. And aside from that mild labor, this soup is pretty straightforward. With a stir every now and then, it mainly cooks itself. And it makes for easy eating on the front stoop a table for two with a view! on an early fall evening. With a hunk of bread and some cheese alongside, its dinner. 2 lb good-tasting tomatoes 2 medium onions, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced (~2 cups) 1 medium carrot, finely chopped or cut into very thin rounds 1 celery stalk, finely chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 (3- by 1-inch) ribbon of fresh orange zest, minced 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme Scant ¼ tsp dried hot red pepper flakes ¼ tsp fennel seeds 1 Turkish bay leaf 3 Tbs good-tasting olive oil 2 Tbs tomato paste 4 ¾ cups water ¾ tsp salt, or to taste Pinch crumbled saffron threads 1 to 2 tsp granulated sugar ¼ cup small soup pasta, such as acini di pepe 2 Tbs finely chopped fresh Italian parsley ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil Bring a 5- to 6-quart saucepan of water to a boil. Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp knife, and blanch them, 2 or 3 at a time, in the boiling water for about 15 seconds, until the skin around the X starts to curl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them, core them, and halve them crosswise. Set a sieve over a medium bowl, and squeeze the tomato halves gently over it, cut sides down, to extract the seeds and pulp. You may have to use your fingers to coax them out. Press on the seeds in the sieve to push through any juice; then discard them. Reserve the juice and the tomatoes. Pour the water out of the saucepan, and wipe it dry. Pour in the oil, and warm it over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, celery, garlic, orange zest, thyme, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft but not brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their reserved juice and the tomato paste, water, salt, saffron, and 1 tsp sugar. Simmer, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon occasionally, about 25-30 minutes. Add the pasta, stir to mix, and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf, and stir in the parsley and basil. Taste, and adjust sugar and salt as needed. Serve. Yield: 4-6 servings, depending on what else youre eating Here is a link that might be useful: On stewing, and soup o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by woodie2 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 10:33 This is a tried and true favorite of mine - Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Basil-Parsley Sauce Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 18 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings 2 pounds chicken cutlets Salt and pepper 3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup Italian bread crumbs 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano, a couple of handfuls 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1 clove garlic 1 (3-ounce) jar pine nuts (pignoli) 1 lemon, zested 2 eggs, beaten Olive oil, for shallow frying Basil- Parsley Sauce: 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves 1/2 lemon, juiced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it 1 Roma or plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped, for garnish Season the cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides turn lightly in flour. Combine next 7 ingredients in food processor and pulse-process the crumbs to chop the spices, garlic and nuts and evenly distribute the flavors throughout the crumb and cheese mixture. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Beat eggs in a separate shallow dish. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, over medium to medium high heat. Coat the cutlets in eggs then breading and add to the hot oil. Cook cutlets in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until cutlets' juices run clear and breading is evenly browned. Return food processor bowl to base and add basil, parsley and lemon juice. Add a little salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in oil until a loose paste forms. Serve chicken cutlets with a generous amount of basil and parsley sauce poured over the cutlets. Garnish the chicken with finely chopped Roma tomato. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by marlingardener (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 11:44 I'm not in the gourmet chef league as many of the posters are, but I do have a unique and tasty appetizer featuring basil. Dip cherry tomatoes in hot water just long enough to slip their skins. Take young basil leaves and stick them in the stem end of the tomatoes. Serve on a platter laying on a bed of crushed ice. If you can get yellow and red tomatoes, it looks prettier. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lindac (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 11:45 There was a show on the food network this past 2 weeks that was a challenge using basil. They cooked basil ice cream and a basil scented cornmeal cake.....and only one person did the traditional basil pesto over pasta.... I use lots of basil in the summer when I have it growing and fresh, but rarely use it in the winter but for the pesto in the freezer. I add a cube of pesto to lots of things like soups, sauces and as a bread dip. Linda c o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 11:51 Nancy, you are playing my song! Love, love, love basil and I can't wait to see all the recipes posted. I'll be back with one or more. jude o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 19:26 Time to drag this one out of my cobwsebbed magazine collection. I mde this quite a few times then forgot about it. Actually the recipe calls for pork chops..... I used Trader Joe's frozen or jarred mango when I couldn't find fresh to my liking. Grilled Chicken with Mango-Basil Sauce Bon Appétit : June 1997 Ingredients 1 small mango, peeled, pitted 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 jalapeño chili, seeded, minced 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves 3/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth 1 1/2 tablespoons golden brown sugar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 4 6- to 8-ounce flattened chicken breasts, boneless/skinless Preparation Puree mango in processor. Set aside 1/2 cup puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeño, then basil; sauté just until basil wilts, about 1 minute. Add broth, brown sugar and soy sauce. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cup mango puree. Simmer until sauce thickens and coats spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Prepare barbecue or preheat broiler. Brush chicken with 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or broil until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Rewarm sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over chicken. Here is a link that might be useful: Original recipe, Bon Apetite o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil -basil -- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 19:39 Who posted the Pho recipe. Was it RachelEllen or Natalie ntt_hou). I can't find it. I think it would be a good addition. I admit that I can't make it better than I can get elsewhere around Los Angeles, but someone ele might want to make it. It calls for lots of basil at the end. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 19:53 This is a T & T in my files from Ina Garten. David Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Copyright, 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All rights reserved Show: Barefoot Contessa Episode: Feel Good Food Recipe Summary Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes Yield: 6 to 8 servings 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions) 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 quart chicken stock or water Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold. Note: I don't have a food mill. I just use a stick blender. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 6:28 Since we both love any kind of pasta with pesto, I might be making this or perhaps I'll try to find a local Spanish recipe using basil for a change. I make this often and it's delicious: PESTO - from Italian TV demo 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups basil leaves 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 teasp salt 1/2 teasp f.g. pepper 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated 1/2 cup pine nuts (2 small jars) teasp water Process in food processor, adding oil slowly until all is creamy. SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 9:36 I'm hoping basil plants will be at the nursery in time for this challenge, but it might be a week or 2 early for that. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I hate to go out and buy basil at the grocery store when it's so close to time to plant it. Here's a recipe by Giada De Laurentis I've posted before, but it pertains to this challenge, and we really like it. To make it vegetarian, I substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. I've made it with regular couscous, with orzo, and with the Israeli couscous. All worked, but the regular couscous was the least successful. The slightly larger texture of the Israeli couscous or the orzo works the best. Mediterranean Salad Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentis 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (1-pound) box Israeli couscous (or any small pasta) 3 cups chicken stock 2 lemons, juiced 1 lemon, zested 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted In a medium saucepan, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous and cook until toasted and lightly browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Carefully add the stock, and the juice of 1 lemon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the couscous is tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the couscous. In a large bowl, toss the cooked couscous with the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper and let cool. Once the couscous is room temperature, add the fresh herbs, dried cranberries, and almonds. Toss to combine and serve. Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 20 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 6 servings Episode#: EI0819 Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved There's also a Brown Rice and Basil Salad recipe by Ina Garten I've made before that's really good. I don't have it on my computer, and don't have time now to type it out, so I'll try to do that tonight, or at least before the deadline. Linda, I saw that episode of Iron Chef where basil was the secret ingredient. I thought a lot of what they made sounded good, and some sounded odd. It looked, though, that the judges were pretty tough on both contestants, and didn't rave about any of the food. I was a little surprised they were so blase about what they were served. Sally o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by shaun (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 10:35 marlingardener I'd really love to see a picture of the recipe you posted for the cherry tomatoes. Do you happen to have one? o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lisazone6_ma (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 12:31 I make a dipping oil for bread using pesto in the winter, and fresh basil in the summer. I don't measure, I simply add things to taste, but I'll put in approximate amounts - you can change amounts to increase/decrease the total. The basic ingredients are as follows, but you can add other things or leave what you don't like out and it'll still work. 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar Sea salt or kosher salt Fresh cracked black pepper 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 hot dried red pepper crushed or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 2-3 tbsp pesto or 6-8 large fresh basil leaves chopped 2 tbsp Garlic paste made from roasted garlic, or couple cloves chopped (even if using the pesto, and I like a lot of garlic - you can reduce the amount if you prefer it less intense) I roll the fresh basil leaves together then cut them with a scissors to make strips or chiffonades (sp?) Mix all ingredients and let sit for a bit for flavors to combine. You can just refrigerate any leftovers and bring to room temp to use again. The cheese, and especially if you use the pesto, makes it on the thick side, but that's the way we like it! Lisa o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 12:43 Think I might make this dish. Haven't had it for a long time. Cherry Tomato, Onion, Basil Sauce 2 Tbl olive oil 1/2 sweet vidalia onion sliced thin few drops best balsamic vinegar 2 garlic cloves minced 1 Lb cherry tomatoes halved 8-10 Basil leaves chopped salt and pepper 4 Oz Small Mozzarella Balls (Boccacini) Or Fresh Moz Cut In 1/2 Inch Squares Place oil in saute pan, add sliced onions and saute on medium heat until limp. Do not let brown or crisp. Add a few drops balsamic. Cook a few more minutes.Add garlic and continue to cook until onions are caramelized. Add cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium low heat until the tomatoes loose their shape and give up their juices. Add basil and simmer until basil is limp and sauce is fragrant. Add the moz and toss with fresh cooked pasta such as linguine. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Here is another favourite dish of mine. Very special. Pork With Herb Crust I usually only do one 5 rib roast but I keep the same measurements for the herbs! Serve with Garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes and green beans 2 (3- to 4-pound) racks of pork 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 Tsp salt 7 garlic cloves minced 1/3 Cup fresh basil Chopped 1/3 Cup fresh thyme Chopped 1/3 Cup fresh parsley Chopped 2 Tbl pepper Coarsely Ground 1 1/4 Cup butter (or margarine)cut up 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 Can chicken broth 1 Tbl tomato paste 2 Tbl fresh sage Chopped 1/4 Tsp pepper Rub pork with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Stir together garlic and next 4 ingredients; press onto pork. Place pork on a rack in a lightly greased broiler pan; cover bone tips with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 150max, I prefer 140-145 ! Transfer pork to a serving tray.Cover and let rest while making sauce (even if you don't make the sauce let the pork rest for at least 10 minutes to redistribute juices and let the internal temp climb a bit more) Pour pan drippings into a skillet. Add butter to drippings; cook over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until caramel colored. Gradually whisk. in broth and next 3 ingredients; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Serve with 'pork. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 8 servings.~ o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 12:59 Franco and Margaret Romagnoli had a cooking show on PBS years ago. One of my favorite pasta dishes comes from their cookbook, The Romagnolis' Table. It's a rich, butter-based sauce that couldn't be easier. The recipe intro says the sauce is classic with mostaccioli, ziti, and rigatoni, "and rather more special and delicate with homemade fettucine." I usually make it with our favorite thin spaghetti, DeCecco fedelini. Pasta with Tomato and Basil Sauce 8 tablesooons unsalted butter 12 fresh plum tomatoes, or 3 cups canned (I often use more than 12) 6 fresh basil leaves (or more) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I use less) 6 Tablesoons Parmesan cheese, sprinkled on the sauced pasta 1 1/4 pounds of pasta (I use less), or a 5-egg batch of home-made fettucine. Melt the butter in a big frying pan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add the tomatoes. If you use fresh plum tomatoes: peel them, and cut them into chunks before adding to the butter. If you use canned tomatoes: crush them gently with a wooden spoon as you stir them in. Break the basil leaves into the pan, add the salt, raise the heat, and when the whole combination starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Let it bubble along about 20 minutes, or until the juice has cooked away a bit,and the color darkened. Stir occasionally during the simmering process. If the sauce hasn't simmerd enough, it will sink to the bottom of the dish instead of coating the pasta when mixed. Cook and drain the pasta, and turn it out on a deep platter or a wide, shallow bowl, cover with the sauce, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Turn the pasta with a serving fork and spoon to get the saude to coat it. Serve immediately. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Thu, Mar 5, 09 at 7:38 Basil is a tough ingredient for me at this time of the year. I like fresh basil with tomatoes, corn, etc. and I rarely buy those ingredients except in the summertime. I have been making this recipe with dried basil since my college days and it's as economical now as it was then. Even though it doesn't use much basil, it definitely is the standout flavoring. CHICKEN LIVERS AND RICE - 2 to 3 servings 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch slices 1 lb. chicken livers, trimmed and quartered 1/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup uncooked rice 1 envelope instant chicken broth 1/2 tsp. dried basil, crumbled 1 whole bay leaf 1 1/4 cup water 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley (do not omit) Cook bacon until crisp in large skillet. Combine flour, salt and pepper and dredge chicken livers in it. Remove bacon and reserve. Brown livers in bacon grease. Remove and reserve. Saute onion over medium heat in same skillet (add 1 Tbs. olive oil of needed.) Stir in rice, broth pack, basil, bay leaf and water. Heat to boiling; then turn heat to low. Stir mixture thoroughly, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Cover. Simmer 20 minutes without lifting lid. Spoon reserved livers over rice but dont stir. Put lid back on and simmer for another 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove bay leaf. Sprinkle with bacon and chopped parsley. Note: You can substitute 1 1/4 cups of chicken broth for the water and omit the instant chicken broth packet. Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by theresafic (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 13:49 For various reasons I was unable to participate in the first two cookalongs but I plan to on basil. My husband bought me an aerogarden for Valentines day and I have basil growing. Not enough for a whole recipe but enough for garnish or to enhance the flavor of the dried basil I will use. I am not sure of what I will make but I want something different than pesto or using it on pasta. I'll think about it and post back later. I hope that people are still interested in the cookalong for this weekend. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 14:58 I often make a salad with basil to pack for lunch - great northern beans, tuna, chopped red onion, tomato, parsley, basil, sprinkle of garlic powder and sliced black olives with an olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing. I mix all the ingredients ahead of time except the tuna and then add it the morning I'm going to eat it. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 15:34 I'm still in....hoping to see lots of basil ideas. David's soup is calling me but I'm not settled on a main dish but Woodies Crispy Chicken sure is sounding good! o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by joanm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 20:03 The only recipe I make often that has basil leaves is Rachael's chicken meatballs. Chicken Sausage Meatballs Rachael Ray 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken 1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick) 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/3 palm full 1/4 cup tender sun dried tomatoes (available in pouches or tubs in produce section) 10 leaves fresh basil extra-virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken in a medium bowl with grill seasoning and add the fennel seeds. Pile sun-dried tomatoes on top of each other in small stacks then slice into thin strips. Coarsely chop the thin strips and add to bowl. Stack 10 basil leaves together then roll them up into a log. Shred the basil by thinly slicing the log. Add basil to the bowl. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil over the chicken, mix meat together and roll into mini balls, 1 1/2 inches across, and arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degree F for 10 to 12 minutes or until firm and lightly golden. Remove meatballs from oven, add to sauce and serve with pasta. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by gardenguru1950 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 20:51 I'm not sure if I can participate in the Cookalong (is that like a billabong?) but I invented this last Friday night and it came out pretty dang good: Three recipes [to assemble] ... CREAMY BASIL PESTO WITH ROASTED GARLIC For 2 pizzas Ingredients 2- 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup fresh fennel leaf 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup pine nuts, dry toasted (stovetop pan) 1 head garlic, roasted, peeled 2 oz cream cheese (or mascarpone or "Better Than Cream Cheese") 1/2 cup packaged mixed Italian cheeses, shredded 1 tsp lemon juice (about ¼ lemon) 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly finely grated Directions Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more olive oil if its too thick to spread. ----- ROASTED VEGETABLES For 2 pizzas Ingredients 2 medium yellow onions, cut into thin wedges 1 large fennel bulb, cored, cut into wedges 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 1 small green bell pepper, chopped 1 medium whole head garlic, a little bit of the tops chopped off 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp fennel seed 1/2 tsp fresh milled black pepper pinch of salt (optional) 4 + 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 6 medium white mushrooms, sliced 1 small Japanese eggplant, peeled and sliced crosswise 1 small zucchini, sliced crosswise Directions Place onion, fennel and bell pepper pieces on a deep cookie sheet and sprinkle with the herbs and pepper (and, if you wish, salt). [Save a teeny bit of the basil and oregano for the garlic.] Drizzle the veggies with 4 Tbs of olive oil and tossed well to coat. Place the garlic head on a piece of foil and sprinkle with a bit of the herbs and drizzle it with a bit of oil. Wrap the foil into a closed tent and place on the cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet with veggies and garlic into a 280°F oven and roast for one and one-half hour, turning the veggies every half hour. After one and a half hours, toss the mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini with 2 Tbs of olive oil and then mix it with the onion mixture. Roast/bake for an addition hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Use the garlic for the pesto. ----- DLS PESTO AND ROASTED VEGETABLE PIZZA Serves 4+ Ingredients 2 packages Trader Joes plain pizza dough 4 Tbs olive oil creamy pesto per recipe roasted vegetables per recipe 8 oz mozzarella, sliced thin 1/2 pound provolone, sliced thin Directions Follow directions on pizza dough package with these exceptions: have a pizza stone warming in the 450°F oven. When the pizza has set its 20 minutes, place it on the pizza stone and "blind bake" for 6 minutes. If it puffs up too much in the middle, punch it with a few fork holes. Remove it from the oven and brush the edges and about 1 inch from the edge on the top with olive oil. Spread half of the pesto onto each pizza crust, making sure not to take it to the very edge. Spread half of the roasted vegetables on each pizza crust. Lay half of the mozzarella on each crust. Top with half of the provolone per crust. Bake at 450°F for 8 minutes. Best dang pizza I've ever eatin'! Joe o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 2:07 Caught this on page 2. Joe, that pizza sounds great. I like both cheeses on my pizza too. The provolone is great. The one I made for myself last week had hunks of ricotta on it too. I'm going to be making one of my favorite uses for basil. Ratatouille. I got very nice eggplant, and the squash looks very good too. I get groceries delivered and had ordered 2 lbs of white mushrooms, which they refer to as large bulk mushrooms. The person who filled the order sent me almost 2 lbs of portobello mushrooms for the price of loose white mushrooms. Well, they are large. So... the rat stew will benefit from that nice mistake. The store is very nice when they make mistakes and naturally don't charge you extra. Smiles. I remember the recent discussion about keeping herbs/basil so I thought I'd share my method. I use a lot of basil. I make big batches of pasta sauce so that I can eat it for breakfast and lunch for most of a week. I rarely go two weeks without having it. Right now I have four, gallon size freezer bags stuffed full of basil. Many have said they make pesto and freeze it or put it in ice cubes with water. I just wash big bunches well, shake the excess water off and stuff it into the bags. The bit of water that clings seems to protect the leaves. If the basil came from the garden and the stems are long I cut them back, wash them and bag them seperately. The stems are great in sauce for long cooking and easy to fish out. My favorite is to let the basil go to flower at the end of the season and pull the whole plants up. I then cut off the flower heads and bag them seperately. I love the flavor of the flowers in sauce. Very tender. Seperate the heavy stems and rest of the plant and wash and freeze. I have heard people say that when you freeze the leaves they then turn black. Well, you don't thaw when you go to use them or they would turn black/dark. You just use them right from the frozen state and they cook up very much like fresh. When I have the big bags frozen, as I go to use each bag I crush the frozen leaves up in the bag. If there are big blocks [from leaving them too wet], I just hit them with a rolling pin or hammer. After the leaves are crushed it's ready to use. It's best to use a soup spoon to scoop the leaves out when you use them because otherwise they will stick to your hands. Smiles. The pieces of stem that were attatched are now loose and I take those pieces and put them in the sauce first. Many soften enough to be eaten, or they can be fished out if they're too big. I've done this for a number of years and it keeps me and my basil addiction going through the winter and until fresh is ready to pluck again. If you like your basil fine, you can put some in a measuring cup with some water and give it the hand blender. I might make some gnocchi with a basil and sour cream sauce for an appetizer for the ratatouille dinner. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 12:50 Wow, I'd forgotten all about this. I'm leaning toward Ruthanna's chicken livers! Annie o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cabogirl (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 17:43 My daughter loves this dip and makes it every time we have a get together. I believe she found it on Allrecipes Sun-Dried Tomato Dip INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 cloves garlic, minced hot pepper sauce to taste 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup fresh basil DIRECTIONS: In a food processor, mix the sun-dried tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Process until well-blended. Add basil, and continue processing until smooth. Chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 19:56 I did break down and buy some fresh basil today. I could have bought 13 pounds of cabbage this week for the same price. LOL So I'll have to see what I can come up with for tomorrow night. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 9:46 I'm not going to be doing anything with basil tonight, because we have a wedding to go to. I might do something tomorrow, but I don't know what, yet. We've been so busy the last couple of weeks that I just haven't had time to think it out. Plus, I was hoping we'd get some basil plants into the nursery, but that didn't happen yet. Hmmm, I'll have to figure out what to cook, if anything, and do it tomorrow instead of tonight. Sally o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by compumom (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 10:16 I think I may try Cabogirl's dip! I've been MIA this week more or less and today I'm cooking a big pan of Mac& Cheese for DGS's birthday party. Since I'm going off to the market(s) this morning, I'll p/u the ingredients for this too. Coconut, thanks for the tips on how to keep fresh basil around longer! o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 10:19 Well I've bought my basil but still need some more pine nuts, for tomorrow's pesto dinner. I would have liked to try something new but sometimes other obligations get in the way and suddenly it's the 'Basil Weekend' LOL. So it will be a Sunday dinner for us. Looking forward to seeing what you all are cooking up today and tomorrow! SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 10:34 I woke up to a never before seen sight this morning - my DH browsing through a pile of my cookbooks. Except for this week when we were out of town most of the week for a death in the family, I've tried making the Cookalong ingredient in different ways and DH enjoyed the anticipation of which would be next. So he announced that he had found a perfect (?) recipe using fresh basil and I have all the ingredients for it so we'll see how it turns out. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 12:34 I'm making Jessy's mango chicken tomorrow, except I'll modify the recipe to make it in the crockpot--I'm taking dinner over to a friend's house. I'm making CloudyChristine's gingerbread for dessert from the last thread, with lemon curd sauce. And that morrocan salad with carrots. Now I just need one more vegetable. A modified ratatouille might actually be good, I have some canned tomatoes in the fridge to use up. Today I'm making the tomato soup with basil and saffron for lunch. I'll report back. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by malna (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 17:43 I hate it when life/work gets in the way of "cooking along". It was late last night by the time we got off the phone with clients, and the meat was defrosting...so stew tonight. Not something I could figure out how to get basil into - LOL. This is what I was PLANNING on making for tonight: Pesto Chicken Roll Up from Chef Bonnie Mair of The Hub Cafe 1 package of puff pastry (2 sheets) 1 (7oz) container of Pesto (or 1 cup of your own) 2 cups of baby spinach 2 cups of chicken cut into bite sized pieces 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided 1 tsp garlic salt 1 egg, lightly beaten Cook chicken in a little bit of oil and season with pepper and garlic salt. Drain and set aside. Or you can use precooked chicken, but I think this way gives it more flavor. Roll out pastry sheets onto a cookie sheet. Divide all ingredients into two and evenly use on both sheets. Spread Pesto over both sheets. Top with mozzarella, 1/2 of the parmesan cheese, spinach and chicken. Roll the pastry sheet into itself until it is into the desired shape. Place the seam on the bottom and adjust it on the cookie sheet. Do this with both rolls. Brush each roll with the egg and then sprinkle it with the rest of the parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Make several slits in the top of the roll to vent. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into individual servings. With a cup of minestrone soup to start, and this for dessert: Mini Cheesecakes (from All-Recipes) with Blueberry-Basil Topping INGREDIENTS: 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 tablespoon margarine, melted 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,softened 1/4 cup white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 6 cup muffin pan. 2. In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and margarine with a fork until combined. Measure a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing firmly. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes, then remove to cool. Keep the oven on. 3. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until fluffy. Mix in the egg. 4. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the muffin cups, filling each until 3/4 full. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan before removing. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Blueberry-Basil Topping from an idea borrowed from Bakerella's recipe for Blueberry-Basil cupcakes: Purée 1 can of blueberry pie filling and 1 T. ground basil in a food processor. Sigh...I knew I should have cheated and made this a couple of days ago. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 18:24 I've had the "day off" cooking all day. My corned beef is out of the oven, my barm brack is baked. I have chicken stock simmering on the stove and chicken enchiladas ready to cook tomorrow after the farm. So what about the basil? I made that green pasta with all the basil, and had some for dinnr with a sprinkle of grated asiago because I'm out of parmesan. I figured leftovers will make a great St. Patrick's Day lunch, they're so nice and green, LOL. Photobucket Annie o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 22:01 We had pureed spinach soup with garlic, fresh basil and dill, potato rolls and a chef salad. Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by theresafic (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 22:49 DH and I made Rachel Ray's chicken meatballs except about the only ingredient we used from HER recipie was basil. Basically we made Turkey Meatloaf: 1.25 lb ground turkey 1 egg 1 cup oatmeal 1/2 roasted red pepper Handfull chopped walnuts shredded romano cheese fresh basil oregano garlic Mix together and place in loaf pan, cook @ 375f for 45 minutes. We both loved it, a keeper! From Desktop From Desktop o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 2:10 Malna, you'll make it when you get a chance. You could have made it the other day, I don't think we are that strict about when we cookalong, eh? Smiles. Anne, you pasta looks great. I can almost taste it. That spinach soup has me wanting that too. Nice RuthAnna. I spy some basil on that salad too, eh? I love meatloaf Theresa and that looks like one we both would like. Well, I did make the gnocchi for a first course. After I saw Annies pasta I zapped some of my frozen basil with the egg and added it to the gnocchi as well as making a basil sour cream sauce for them. They were great. We got kind of full on them so we waited a while then had a nice bowl of the ratatouille a bit later. We were running late all day so it was nice to just slow down and enjoy our basil feast. I made the ratatouille with eggplant, basil, spanish onions, green and red peppers, portobello mushrooms, yellow summer squash and zucchini. We had it over some rice. It really hit the spot since I hadn't made it in a while. I used a ton of basil, including a bunch of my basil flowers, just how I like it and lots of garlic too. Our camera is still acting up. For some reason the battery will only last for one or two pics and if you leave the batteries in they go dead when you turn it on again. Odd. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 15:25 I'm home from vacation and cooking something for dinner tonight with basil..... ????? Just a reminder, those that posted on Cookalong #4, please check this thread tomorrow. I'll draw a name tomorrow morning...it might be you and we will be anxious to see what the next Cookalong ingredient is. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 17:07 Oh there are some really good sounding recipes here. I must try your meatballs Joan. I even have sundried tomatoes that a friend brought down from England and gave to me just this week, and I bring Montreal Steak seasoning back from Canada every year, so this is one of the rare instances when I have all ingredients. But today was our basil day and since we have a hot desert wind from the east this weekend, the temps have been around a balmy 28�C (82.4�F) and I didn't feel like doing rolled chicken breasts in the oven, so went for the pesto and noodles with a salad. We sat outside on the patio for lunch for the first time in ages. My hubby set the table and did a pretty good job.....despite that he put the tablecloth on face down (JIM TEX I'm still using the one you sent me in the swap years ago). The blackbirds and doves kept us entertained with a songfest and flying acrobatics back and forth across the garden. It's been a lovely day. I was recently asked to write restaurant reviews for a new golfing website in the south of Tenerife. I'm one of the few members of a local forum who lives in the north of the island so I accepted to test and write about restaurants here where we live, adding photos of the food and surroundings. I sent in my first draft yesterday and was pleased to see it published this morning without so much as a word changed. This is going to be very enjoyable as once I showed the writeup to the restaurant owner she invited Wolf and I to our next meal. This is a perfect hobby for foodies isn't it! Link to my writeup. SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 21:49 SharonCb, I don't know what to say other than awesome! Great column and wonderful pictures. There are some really good recipes here. I guess that's already been said but I wanted to say it again. Good job CF'ers! I made the recipe that Sharon (Chase) posted, Cherry Tomato, Onion and Basil Sauce. We enjoyed it! Sauce simmering in the pan... Photobucket Finished and ready for me to dig into... Photobucket After a week of dining out and having some pretty rich foods, this was a refreshing dish. Great way to use Cherry Tomatoes too! Nancy o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 22:20 Well the best laid plans . . . I did end up cooking and I did end up using some basil, and it was definitely a CF inspired meal, but it wasn't quite the dinner I was planning. I found out that instead of a quiet working dinner with just my friend/colleague, one of our friends and her husband was in town visiting and she just got back from deployment in Iraq. So it was dinner for five and I did most of the cooking but I brought it over to my friend's house. The dinner was in the new kitchen addition my friend is building. Sorry no pics, it just wasn't that kind of a night even though my friend has a camera. There was too much catching up to do. Our friend is from PA but now she and her husband live in Colorado so it was a treat to see them. I made curried chicken thighs and I was going to use Jessy's mango basil recipe, but while searching for mango chutney at the grocery, I found a jarred mango chutney sauce that had all the ingredients except basil, so I bought it. With that hot chicken curry I made Thai fried rice with dried mint and basil from the garden and fresh cilantro. That plus garlic, soy sauce and lime juice. The veggies were from a frozen mix plus fresh purple cabbage. It was very good with the chicken curry. Salad was plain romaine lettuce and spring mix with blue cheese dressing. Dessert was CloudyChristine's gingerbread from the last ginger thread, plus lemon curd sauce. Yes, I made lemon curd for the first time and it was yummy! Never got around to making the soup, but I finally got the ingredients for it. I just didn't feel like going out yesterday to the grocery store. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 23:18 Everyone's food looks and sounds so good! Alas, I just didn't have it in me this weekend to participate. We've been so busy the last couple of weeks, and had a lot going on, that by the time today rolled around I was doing good to open a can of soup for lunch, and I won't admit to what I ate for supper. Now that I've looked at and read about what everyone else did, I'm sorry I didn't put forth a little effort. Sally o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 23:46 I agree, lots of good looking food here for this cookalong. I went with Sharon's rack of pork recipe but used a short hunk of loin I had in the feezer. Here it is after resting a bit.... Image Hosting by I had it with some steamed cauliflower and little roasted reds....homemade rolls too...forgot to include them in the pic. Image Hosting by Taking the leftovers to work tomorrow for lunch. Yum!! David o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by compumom (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 1:38 Wow David, it looks great! I'm back to report that Cabogirl's SUNDRIED TOMATO BASIL DIP was a big success! I subbed 2% Greek Fage Yogurt for the sour cream and it worked perfectly and cut a bit of fat, nevertheless everyone raved and DH asked me to make it again, soon! It took about an hour + for the basil favor to come through. I served it with Pita Crackers from Trader Joe's, they worked well or as a fresh veggie dip. It did set up firmer than this photo shows as it was taken right after it came out of the food processor. I'm also trying Cocoanut's idea of freezing the washed basil leaves to see how they come out. No report yet! Thanks!! Here is a link that might be useful: Sundried Tomato Basil Dip o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jojoco (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:04 These all look great! My favorite way to use basil is to eat it on a sandwich with tomato, mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. S&P, too. Preferably, use fresh mozz, and go pick the tomatoes just before making the sandwich. Use great bread. If you can get Judy's peasant bread from New Haven, Ct, all the better. Truly, my favorite sandwich and one of my favorite meals. Jo o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:30 Our next Cookalong topic will be picked by Lakeguy35 David please pick an ingredient and I'll start the thread. Sweet? Savory? Baking? Cooking? It's up to you! Nancy o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:36 I still have a bunch of cilantro left so I'm going to try to whip up a batch of this Thai curry paste and freeze it in cubes like I do pesto. I know cilantro looses its punch in the freezer, but adding corriander helps. This recipe is from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites. Thai Curry Paste 1/4 cup chopped scallions 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, basil or Thai basil (I'll use cilantro mixed with dried basil, which I need to use up) 2 TBLSP garlic cloves 2 TBLSP ginger root, fresh grated 1 TBLSP fresh grated lemon or lime peel, or minced inner stalk of fresh lemongrass 1 TBLSP brown sugar 1-2 fresh red or green chilis (I'll use dried) 3 TBLSP fresh lemon or lime juice 1 TBLSP dried ground corriander 1 tsp. tumeric 1/2 tsp. salt Combine in blender or food processor and puree until quite smooth. Keeps a week in the fridge, longer in th freezer. Thai basil and fresh lemongrass gives the most authentic taste. Good with jasmine or basmati rice. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:52 Yummy dinner last night - grilled chicken with mango basil sauce, garnished with basil (of course). Guests were slopping up the sauce off their plates with bread. Also making an appearance was grilled sparagus and orzo pilaf. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 14:34 Okay, I wanted to pick something that would be good for both sweet and savory. Y'all know I love my desserts. I pick LEMON! I'm thinking you can make dinner, desserts, or both.. : ) David o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by dixiedog_2007 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 15:13 I've just run through real quick but there is a lot of good sounding recipes and pictures. I need to go back and really look through everything more closely. I wish I could have contributed but too much going on right now. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 15:55 Here's the link for Cookalong #5 -- Lemon Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #5 -- LEMON o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Thu, Mar 19, 09 at 21:51 Last night I made the Provençal Tomato Soup with Orange, Saffron, and Tiny Pasta from Orangette's blog. This is some of the BEST tomato soup I have ever had! The pinch of saffron really makes it! I used dried lemon peel and a dash of orange juice instead of orange peel, dried parsley and basil and canned tomatoes, still yum! o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rob333 (My Page) on Fri, Oct 23, 09 at 8:50 still need 1 and 2......

Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 14:34 Doucanoe has chosen MUSHROOMS for our next Cookalong. Nice pick Linda! Please post your favorite mushroom recipes to this thread This will run until Jan 9 2010. Anyone interested in actually doing a dinner around mushrooms on Jan. 10? Could be fun..... Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #17----------Walnuts Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by caliloo (My Page) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 15:56 Oh great ingredient! I love mushrooms! In keeping with the season, I am posting one of my fav holiday sides...... Alexa ****************************************************** Brandied Steakside Mushrooms Recipe courtesy Paula Deen Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 people User Rating: 3 pounds fresh mushrooms, sliced lengthwise 8 tablespoons butter Seasoning salt ) 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup brandy In a large skillet, saute the sliced mushrooms in the butter until brown. Sprinkle liberally with seasoning salt. Add Worcestershire sauce and simmer until almost all sauce is absorbed by the mushrooms. Add the brandy and continue to simmer until mushrooms are tender. Serve with steak or roast beef. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by booberry85 (becky@leadsafe.us) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 17:11 Psari Sto Filo This is my knock off of Symeons recipe. Symeons is a great Greek restaurant in Utica, NY. This serves 2-4. 2 boneless fillets of Tilapia, haddock, or other mild white fish 4 sheets of filo dough 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or equivalent) 1 cup milk 1 package of raw spinach 1 package or can of sliced mushrooms (fresh or canned) 2 cups cooked rice Take two sheets of filo dough and lay them on a clean surface. Place several spinach leaves on the filo dough (enough spinach so that the bottom of the fish will be covered). Place one fish fillet on top of the spinach. Cover the top of the fish with more spinach leaves. Top that with sliced mushrooms. Wrap in the filo dough. Repeat the procedure for the second fish. Grease a 9x9 baking dish. Place the rice in the baking dish. If there is leftover spinach, layer the spinach on top of the rice. Place the wrapped fish on top of the rice and spinach. In a sauce pan, heat cream of mushroom soup with 1 cup milk until warm and smooth. Pour over the fish. Cover the baking pan with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until fish is cooked through. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by aliceinmd (My Page) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 21:21 As you can see, this is an older recipe, one we have used several times over the years. Hough Caterers in Cleveland frequently served it as a side dish at large buffet dinners. Unfortunately, they are now out of business, but some of their recipes live on. MUSHROOM PIE From Menu Planning for Every Occasion, by Robert S. Pile, President of Hough Caterers, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio (1968) 2 cups sautéed mushrooms (measured after cooking) 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons flour Liquid from mushrooms and enough milk and cream to make 2 cups ½ teaspoon salt Dash white pepper 1 Tablespoon sautéed onion 1 8-inch unbaked pie shell and dough for top Drain mushrooms and save liquid. Make a cream sauce of the butter, flour, liquid, and milk or cream. Add salt, pepper, and onion. Add mushrooms to cream sauce and put into pie shell. Cover with pie dough. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-50 minutes. Serves 6. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 21:45 I love, love, love fungus! LOL Some of my favorites.... This one makes a really nice light lunch or is great for breakfast, too! Croutes Aux Champignons 4 slices bread 1/2 c butter, divided 12oz fresh mushrooms, sliced 1 small onion, chopped 1T flour 1/2c stock (I use beef) 1/2c dry white wine 1/4c heavy cream parsley Saute onion in half the butter until tender. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has evaporated. Stir in flour, gradually add stock and wine. Stir in cream and simmer until thickened. Meanwhile, butter both sides of bread, and toast on griddle until golden brown on both sides. Spoon mushroom sauce over bread slices, serve warm sprinkled with chopped parsley. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sherried Brie and Mushroom Soup Makes 8 cups 1 lb. Brie cheese 2 cups dry sherry 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup minced shallots 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons flour 4 cups low-sodium beef broth 1 3/4 cups half and half 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh chives, for garnish Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Trim the rind from the brie and then roughly tear it into 2-inch pieces. (It is easy to trim if you first place the cheese in the freezer for 30 minutes or until it is sufficiently hard.) Set aside. In a small saucepan, reduce the sherry over medium-high heat to 1 cup. Set aside. in a medium stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms, shallots, and lemon juice and cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, add the flour, and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Return the mixture to heat and add the beef broth and reserved sherry. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the trimmed Brie, stirring until the cheese has melted. Add the half and half and pepper and continue to simmer without boiling for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into separate bowls and garnish each with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the chives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crockpot Beef Stroganoff 1-1/2 lb stew meat cut into cubes 1T cooking oil 1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/4c minced onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp dried thyme, crushed 1 bay leaf 1-1/2c beef broth 1/3c dry red wine 1 c sour cream 1/2c flour 1/4c water 4c hot cooked noodles or rice In large skillet brown the beef in hot oil, drain. In crockpot combine beef, mushrooms, onions, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper thyme and bay leaf. Pour in broth and wine. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours. Discard bay leaf, and turn crockpot to high heat. Mix together sour cream, flour and water. Stir about 1 cup of the hot liquid into the sour cream mixture, return all to crockpot and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Serve over noodles or rice. Serves 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INA GARTENS PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM LASAGNA Kosher salt Good olive oil 3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles 4 cups whole milk 12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms 1 cup freshly ground Parmesan Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside. For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat. Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside. To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And a super simple appetizer... Balsamic Mushrooms 1/4 c olive oil 12 oz button mushrooms 3 T balsamic vinegar 1 tsp coarse salt 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes fresh ground pepper Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes, season with pepper. Cook one minute more. Transfer to serving dish, serve hot or at room temperature. Linda o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by beanthere_dunthat (My Page) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 22:23 DH makes those sherried mushrooms fairly often, and they are soooo addictive I don't have a recipe, but I do have a request. I'd love a nice mushroom soup that does not contain cream/milk or cheese and will freeze well. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rachelellen (My Page) on Tue, Dec 29, 09 at 9:32 Sorry, this one has cream, but it is our very, very favorite soup. Rachel the Mushroom Fiends Cream o Shroom Soup Ingredients: 1 lg. Onion, chopped 2 lg celery stalks, chopped 1 c minced mushrooms 2 c sliced mushrooms ½ t dried savory 4 c rich chicken stock 3 lg cloves garlic ¾ t black pepper 1 t salt 1 pt heavy cream 1 pt milk 9 T butter 3 T white flour ¼ c dry white wine (or dry sherryNOT cooking wine or cooking sherry) ½ c Secret Ingredientshhhh!* In a dutch oven, saute half the onion and celery, all the garlic & 1 c minced mushrooms in 3 T butter until onions are translucent. Add savory, pepper & salt and saute until you smell the savory. Add the Secret Ingredientshhh! and saute until the Secret Ingredientshhh! absorbs enough liquid to turn dark and unappetizing looking, while smelling very mushroomy. Add the rich chicken stock and simmer until the vegetables are quite soft. Using an immersion blender (stick blender), or a traditional blender, puree the stock and veggies until smooth. Add the cream and milk and bring to a slow simmer. In the meantime, make a blonde roux from 3 T butter and the white flour. When your roux is ready and the soup simmering, whisk the roux into the soup briskly. Saute the rest of the onion, celery and the sliced mushrooms in 3 T of butter until onions are translucent. Add the white wine and simmer for a few minutes to intensify the flavors. Stir mixture into the soup and simmer until the veggies are tender. If youve planned far enough ahead, and the aroma hasnt driven you crazy with mushroom lust, set the soup off the heat to completely cool. If it can sit in the fridge overnight, so much the better. The flavors "moogle" together as those of so many soups do with time, and the soup becomes even tastier upon reheating. *Secret Ingredient.shhhh! Using a coffee/spice grinder, make a powder of equal parts dehydrated button mushrooms and dehydrated shiitake mushrooms. It should be as fine as talcum powder. This is the secret! It imparts a wonderfully rich mushroom flavor and helps to thicken the soup at the same time. I also use this in stews that include mushrooms. Make these in the morning, so they can chill in the fridge all day and let the flavors "moogle". Marinated Mushroom Salad Mince a small onion and several cloves of garlic. Saute them in a couple of T of olive oil until they soften and the room smells wonderfully of garlic & onion. Then sizzle a half a cup of white wine (not sweet) for half a minute or so and add a T of tomato paste, 1/2 c of water (or, if you've got some really, really good garden tomatoes, sub a small minced tomato sans seeds and reduce the water to 1/4 c), a pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg, and if you're feeling wealthy, a pinch of saffron strands. Cover, and simmer the mixture for half an hour or so. If the mixture gets too dry, you can add a bit more water, but what you're shooting for is a pasty sort of sauce, and remember that the mushrooms will add water when you cook them. Clean, trim & dry about 1/2 pound of button mushrooms. I like to use bite sized. Add these to the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes, until cooked through. Remember though, that the residual heat will keep cooking them once you take them off the stove, and you don't want them squishy. Salt & Pepper the sauce to taste, cool to room temp and put into the fridge. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, or other fairly mild herb like chives, marjoram or tarragon. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by dishesdone (My Page) on Tue, Dec 29, 09 at 10:32 Renee, this has no cream and it's a fabulous soup. Delicious. It has butter, but I suppose you can use a nice olive oil! Mushroom Soup (posted SusanQ at GB's ~ I found this on Epicurious and posted some of the reader's comments as well. One comment suggests making parmesan croutons which I used and were a wonderful addition) Makes 4 servings. By Anthony Bourdain with Jose de Meirelles and Philippe Lajaunie Bloomsbury 6 tablespoons butter 1 small onion, thinly sliced 12 ounces button mushrooms 4 cups light chicken stock or broth 1 sprig of flat parsley Salt and pepper 2 ounces high-quality sherry (don't use the cheap grocery-store variety; it's salty and unappetizing and will ruin your soup) Equipment Medium saucepan Wooden spoon Blender (I used an immersion blender) In the medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms and the remaining butter. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 minutes, taking care that the onion doesn't take on any brown color. Stir in the chicken stock and the parsley and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour. After an hour, remove the parsley and discard. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then transfer to the blender and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do I have to remind you to do this in stages, with the blender's lid firmly held down, and with the weight of your body keeping that thing from flying off and allowing boiling hot mushroom purée to erupt all over your kitchen? When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. Add the sherry, mix well, and serve immediately. To astound your guests with a Wild Mushroom Soup, simply replace some of those button mushrooms with a few dried cèpes or morels, which have been soaked until soft, drained, and squeezed. Not too many; the dried mushrooms will have a much stronger taste, and you don't want to overwhelm the soup. Pan sear, on high heat, a single small, pretty, fresh chanterelle or morel for each portion, and then slice into a cute fan and float on top in each bowl. And if you really want to ratchet your soup into pretentious (but delicious), drizzle a few tiny drops of truffle oil over the surface just before serving. Why the hell not? Everybody else is doing it. reviews cookykamp on 12/06/06 This soup was an awesome surprise. Imagine, a mushroom soup with no cream that is absolutely to die for! And so easy too. I topped mine with home-made garlic roasted croutons and fresh grated parmesan. Can't wait to try this with Portobellas and beef broth. YUM-O! akalish from New York, NY on 10/30/06 This recipe is amazing, but a few changes are imperative. I used portobello mushrooms because I had them on hand, and I allowed the onions to brown to deepen the flavor (and because I knew the portobellos would darken the soup anyway). I did not bother with the sherry since I didn't have any on hand, nor the parsley because my chicken broth was already quite flavorful. I used a hand blender to make the process a bit easier, and allow it to cool so I could de-fat it the next day since my guests prefer lighter foods. Most importantly(!!!), I finished the soup with a few drops of black truffle oil, which was pungently delicious. I also took a baguette, sliced it and topped each slice with some freshly grated parmesean. I melted them in the oven, inevitably making frico alongside the croutons, until the bread was nice and crusty. I put a crouton in each soup (serving as a garnish) and served a plate of extra croutons and frico on the table alongside the soup. The black truffle oil and the parmesean-croutons MADE this soup. It was phenomenal. This is at the top of my list for my next dinner party. Delicious! And FYI: when I say crouton, I do mean baguette slices, not cubes--more like crostini but without brushing them with oil and baking them first. A Cook from Palo Alto, CA on 10/27/06 wonderful flavor! I doubled the recipe and added one half ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked and added the strained mushroom liquid to the broth. I was very glad I doubled the recipe! malby from NYC on 01/16/06 Made this for my second Christmas in a row--guests actually requested it before RSVPing! We loved it again, and I played with it this year by picking up a dried wild mushroom stir-fry mix. Re-moistened the mushrooms as the package instructed and used the reserved water in addition to the chicken stock. Wow! Adina A from Philadelphia, PA on 11/13/05 A very simple yet elegant and complex soup. One way to make it even easier to make is to put the mushrooms and onions in the cuisinart before you fry them. That way you don't have to whiz them after the soup is hot. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by angelaid (My Page) on Tue, Dec 29, 09 at 11:05 Ranch Mushrooms 1 stick butter 1 lb mushrooms 1 envelope ranch dressing mix put all in crockpot, cook on low for 4 hrs. I add some thinly sliced onions, sometimes green, sometimes white or yellow, sometimes both!!! o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by beanthere_dunthat (My Page) on Tue, Dec 29, 09 at 15:23 Thanks, Carol! Butter's fine, I like some cream soups, but the leftovers don't freeze well. This is a timely thread. We bought a bunch of mushrooms, thinking we'd use them for Christams dinner and changed our minds. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by suzyqtexas (My Page) on Wed, Dec 30, 09 at 12:57 Myra's Marinated Mushrooms 1 pound butter 4 pounds extra large whole fresh mushrooms 1 quart burgundy or other red wine 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon dill weed 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon flavor enhancer (Accent) can leave out 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 cups boiling water 4 beef bouillon cubes 4 chicken bouillon cubes Combine all ingredients in large pot Bring to a slow boil on medium heat Reduce to simmer and cook 5-6 hours with the pot covered Remove top and cook another 3-5 hours until liquid reduces to barely cover mushrooms Serve hot o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sherrmann (My Page) on Wed, Dec 30, 09 at 14:23 My youngest is a vegetarian. She (and all the rest of us, too) love these. She eats them as her main course. STUFFED MUSHROOMS 2 large portobello mushroom caps, stems removed and saved bread crumbs, seasoned with salt pepper garlic powder 1/2 tsp minced garlic chopped parsley red pepper flakes Put a bit of extra virgin olive oil in a pan with a lid. Add the mushroom caps, gills down, cover and steam a few minutes until softened but not mushy. Turn them over, lightly salt the gills, finish cooking the mushrooms without a lid. Meanwhile, finely chop the stems and saute with the other ingredients in evoo. When finished, this should be fairly dry, yet with a little bit of stick-to--it-ness remaining. Pile this into the cooked mushroom caps, bake at 350 for a few minutes to brown and crisp the crumbs. Absolutely delish! We have also used this recipe to stuff small mushroom caps to serve as appetizers, but I'm lazy, and it's "putzier" to do little caps. Sherry o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by denise8101214 (My Page) on Wed, Dec 30, 09 at 20:43 Link to the other cookalongs below. Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong Links o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Mon, Jan 4, 10 at 14:19 Woo Hoo now that the "season" is behind us I actuallthink I can play this time. Here is my recipe for Stuffed Mushrooms. Simple but tasty. Stuffed Mushrooms 20 large white mushrooms 1/3 Cup butter (maybe a bit more) 4 or 5 green onions chopped fine 2 1/2 cups grated cheddar 1/3 Cups bread crumbs more or less if needed salt Clean mushrooms and carefully remove stems. Chop stems and onions finely (I use the food processor). Melt butter in a saute pan. Saute mushroom stems and onions over medium heat until soft but not browned and the stems have given up their juices. Mixture should be quite moist. Add the bread crumbs, only enough to absorb the liquid. Add the grated cheese and stir just until it has melted. Don't worry if the oil separates from the cheese.~ Stuff the mixture into the caps and sprinkle with a bit of salt (or you can salt after they come out of the oven...which is what I usually do). Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until the caps are nice and soft. The Stuffed Mushrooms are in the forefront of this pic. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 4, 10 at 15:06 I'm glad this thread came up, because I lost track of it over the holidays. Was it supposed to have been this past weekend? I totally forgot. As I mentioned in the thread about fennel, I made Alice Water's Shaved Fennel with Mushroom salad for part of Christmas dinner (Actually, I delegated that to my son, and he did it beautifully.) I'll post a link to that thread rather than repeating the recipe here. I want to try one of the mushroom soup recipes. I'm eager to try a cream of mushroom soup, as I usually used canned. I'd love to try the real thing. The only thing wrong with doing that is I'll be spoiled, I'm sure, and never want to use canned again. But then, what's wrong with that? lol Sally Here is a link that might be useful: The fennel thread o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by kathleenca (My Page) on Mon, Jan 4, 10 at 19:28 Asparagus with Creamy Mushroom Dressing 8 servings 3 lb asparagus, bottoms trimmed 1/2 lb mushrooms, very thinly sliced 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/2 c. whipping cream 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1/3 c. olive oil 1 tsp. packed chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried Cook asparagus until just crip-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain; pat dry. (Can be prepared a day ahead. Wrap in paper towels & plastic bags & refrigerate.) Toss mushrooms with lemon juice in medium bowl; season with salt & pepper. Whisk cream & mustard in small bowl to blend; gradually whisk in oil. Let mushroom mixture & cream mixture stand 30 minutes, or cover & refrigerate up to 2 hours. Arrange asparagus on platter. Whisk tarragon into cream dressing. Add salt & pepper to taste. Drain mushrooms well & return to bowl. Mix cream dressing with mushrooms. Spoon dressing over asparagus & serve. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by bob_cville (My Page) on Tue, Jan 5, 10 at 11:48 The first ever recipe that I call my own is for stuffed mushroom caps. About 18 years ago, I had to make a hot appetizer dish for a company Christmas potluck and remembered an appetizer I had had a few weeks earlier at a restaurant, and tried my best to recreate it for the party. It was such a smashing success that for a couple of years after that I was automatically assigned to bring the mushrooms. 2 8oz packages of White Mushrooms. about 10 oz cream cheese (softened) 3 tbsp butter (melted) 1-2 cloves garlic (crushed) 1-2 green onions (chopped) 2-3 slices provolone cheese Remove stems and lower fringe of mushroom. Mix green onion into softened cream cheese. Mix crushed garlic into melted butter. Spoon cream cheese mixture into each mushroom cap, then dip the top of the mushroom into butter/garlic mixture, and place in glass baking pan. Cover cream cheese in each mushroom with pieces of provolone cheese. Bake in oven at 375 deg F for 10-12 minutes, until provolone is melted, and mushroom is slightly softened. I made these a few days ago for a New Year's Eve party, and once again they were a big smash. Although since there was so much food, and since several people couldn't make it to the party, there were some left at the end of the party. I discovered that they also really work well the next day sliced up to use as omlette filling. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Tue, Jan 5, 10 at 11:52 Last night I made Anthony Bourdain's mushroom soup that Dishesdone posted. As was suggested, I made cheese croutons to top it off. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe. (If Bourdain was the one to write that recipe, I'm convinced to read his book now.) Sally o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by beanthere_dunthat (My Page) on Tue, Jan 5, 10 at 15:18 Sally (and Carol), I made it, too, and it was really good. The only book I read of his was Kitchen Confidential, and I nearly sprained muscles laughing at it. He's very rough around the edges, but, man, he really told it like it is. I immediately bought copies for several of the people I used to work with, and they were all saying, "Yeah, that's what it's like." o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by dirtgirl07 (My Page) on Tue, Jan 5, 10 at 17:43 Here's a simple mushroom spread. Note, I'm not a mushroom eater so I can't tell if it's good or not. Saute a couple of minced garlic cloves with a minced shallot in olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute a couple more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a little chicken stock and simmer down. Then add a couple of tablespoons (till you get a consistency you like) of cream cheese. Mix well and serve with crackers. Makes a good appetizer to serve along with the spinach/artichoke spread. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by trixietx (My Page) on Tue, Jan 5, 10 at 18:38 Oh, all of your mushroom recipes sound so good. We love mushrooms. I saute mushrooms and chopped garlic in butter to serve with grilled steaks. Next time I am going to try the brandied mushrooms. This is another good recipe for stuffed mushrooms. 20 large mushrooms (white button mushrooms) 8 ounces cream cheese (chopped into small cubes) 1 lb pork breakfast sausage 1 bunch green onion (chopped) parmesan cheese Brown pork sausage and crumble well. Drain sausage from skillet leaving a little grease from sausage and sauté chopped onions until limp. Return sausage to pan with onions and add cream cheese. Over low heat stir sausage, onions, and cream cheese until well blended. Remove stems from mushrooms and stuff each mushroom cap with the mixture. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until heated through and the mushrooms are beginning to wilt. Top with parmesan. I usually have enough filling left to stuff a few more mushrooms! o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by mikes100acdreamfarm (My Page) on Wed, Jan 6, 10 at 0:49 Here you go BTDT ! This is a favorite of ours. Ive canned it before. But I leave the pasta out and add it when we get ready to eat it. Ive also frozen it with and without the pasta. Both were good. Shitake Mushroom and Leek Soup 2 oz Shitake Mushroom (rehydrate and sliced, remove tough stems) (or about 1-½ to 2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms) 1 c. finely chopped leeks (White and light green parts only) 2 Tbsp butter ¼ c. dry sherry 2 - 10 ¾ oz. cans double strength beef broth with 2 cans water added (6 c. home made beef broth) ½ tsp fresh ground pepper ½ c. orzo pasta Cook and stir mushrooms and leeks in butter until leeks are tender. Add sherry and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add broth and water (or stock) and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and boil for 10 min. * Note you can use any type of mushrooms but its very good with Shitake --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can substitute these mushrooms for the eggplant in your favorite Eggplant Parmesan Recipe. *Very meaty tasting. They grow wild here and we collect them for this dish in Oct. Nothing else looks like them so there isnt a chance of getting a lethal wild fungus on this one. Puff Ball Mushroom Parmesan 1 large Puff Ball Mushroom Or perhaps a few large Portabellas ? Italian Seasoned Bread crumbs Egg and water wash EVOO Your favorite Marinara Sauce Mozzarella and or Provolone Cheese Slice the mushroom s ¾" thick. Dip in egg and water wash then in bread crumbs. Brown in EVOO. Remove to a lightly greased baking dish. Pour Marinara Sauce over. Top with Cheese. Bake in 350* oven for 30-35 minutes until tender and sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Or simply use Portabella Mushrooms Marinate in your favorite Italian Dressing. Grill over a low fire turning several times until tender. Slice and serve with Grilled, chicken, steaks or burgers. Mike o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Jan 9, 10 at 16:03 As usual I am behind. Only cook on weekends. Hopefully I will be making this over the weekend. Dried Mushroom Barly Soup from "Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites" 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms (you can go fancy here like shitake, morels, porcini, chantrelles). Apparently that's about 2/3 cup. 6 cups boiling water 1 tsp. olive oil or canola oil 2 cups chopped onions (that's a lot for my taste!) 1 cup finely chopped carrot 1 cup finely chopped celery 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or put through a garlic press 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari pinch dried thyme and dill 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 cup raw barley 1/4 cup dry sherry or 2 tsp. honey (I'll use white wine, I don't have sherry) salt to taste Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and let sit for another 15 min. at least. Meanwhile, saute the chopped veggies in the olive oil in the bottom of a large heavy bottomed soup pot. Frankly I think you'll need at least 1 TBLSP EVOO but this is from a lowfat cookbook so do your best to skimp I guess. Saute until everything is translucent. Drain the dried mushrooms, reserving the broth. Chop off the tough stem ends. Dice and add to the fresh veggie mixture. Strain the mushroom broth through a coffee filter or some layers of cheesecloth in a lined strainer. Pour the mushroom broth into the soup pot along with the sauteed veggies. Add the seasonings and the barley. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. I would taste to see if it needed a pick me up and then add some veggie broth paste or powder if needed. Soup should be brothy so add more if the barley hogs it all up. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Sat, Jan 9, 10 at 16:04 Yikes I forgot it was this weekend...I'm on it! o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by katiec (My Page) on Sat, Jan 9, 10 at 16:12 Here's one more stuffed mushroom and a different kind of quiche: * Exported from MasterCook * Mushroom Crusted Quiche Recipe By :Katie (adapted from a recipe found in a magazine, 1975) Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 3/4 pound mushrooms -- finely chopped 2 tablespoons butter crushed saltine crackers -- 1/2-2/3 cup 3/4 cup sauteed onion -- or green onion 2 c monterey jack cheese -- shredded (approx) 3 eggs 1 pint cottage cheese 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Saute mushrooms in butter. Add enough crushed saltines to absorb juice. Press into pie pan. Sprinkle crust with onion. Heap jack cheese over onion; don't pack down. Whirl eggs, cottage cheese and cayenne in blender. Pour into crust. Bake at 350°F 45 minutes, until a knife comes out clean. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Exported from MasterCook * Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe By : Katie, adapted from the Joy of Cooking Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 12 large mushroom caps 1 tablespoon butter 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs 1/2 cup pecans or other nuts -- finely chopped 2 cloves garlic -- minced 1 1/2 tablespoons basil, chives, or tarragon -- chopped 2 tablespoons dry white wine salt and paprika grated fresh Parmesan cheese Brush mushroom caps with butter or olive oil. Chop mushroom stems and saute in butter. Add bread crumbs, nuts, garlic, and herbs. Season with salt and paprika and bind with wine, using more wine if necessary. Fill mushroom caps and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little paprika. Broil about 5 minutes. They can also be baked. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by beanthere_dunthat (My Page) on Sat, Jan 9, 10 at 16:51 Thanks, Mike. Glad I checked this thread again. :) I remembered one more we like, Mique's turnovers. Haven't made these in a while because I just haven't had the people around to help eat them. Must remedy that soon and make a batch. I warn you, they are addictive. MUSHROOM TURNOVERS Makes about 2 dozen turnovers To Make Mushroom filling: 3 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, finely chopped 1/2 pound mushrooms finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons flour 1/4 cup sweet or sour cream 1. In a skillet, heat the butter, add the onion and brown lightly. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, about three minutes. 2. Add the thyme, salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour. Stir in the cream and cook gently until thickened. To Make Dough: 3 three-ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature 1/2 cup butter at room temperature 1 1/2 cups flour 1. Mix the cream cheese and the butter thoroughly. Add the flour and work with the fingers or pastry blender until smooth. Chill well, for at least thirty minutes. 2. Preheat oven to hot (450° F.). 3. Roll the dough to one-eighth-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds with a three-inch biscuit cutter. Place a teaspoon of mushroom filling on each and fold the dough over the filling. Press the edges together with a fork. Prick top crusts to allow for the escape of steam. 4. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about fifteen minutes. Source: MQ on CF o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by moosemac (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 8:32 Here's a favorite. I apologize for the lack of measurements but I tend to cook by the seat of my pants a lot when I'm not baking. I'm a taster not a measurer. :-) Caprese Stuffed Mushrooms Fresh Mozzarella, ¼" dice Plum Tomatoes, seeded, ¼" dice Prosciutto, ¼" dice Fresh Basil, ¼" dice Roasted Garlic, mashed Ciabatta Bread, ¼" dice (This is optional just be sure not to use too much bread.) Balsamic Vinaigrette (I used Newmans Own) Mushroom Caps (I usually uses baby portabellas/criminis.) Mix cheese, tomatoes, prosciutto, basil, garlic and bread together. Dry mushroom caps and place on cookie sheet. Put a tiny splash of vinaigrette in each mushroom cap. Top with a ball of stuffing. Bake at 400 until the filling is melted and just starting to brown on the top. Or you can par cook mushroom caps by microwaving for about 1-2 minutes. Do not over cook the mushrooms. You want them still firm not soft and juicy. Preheat broiler. Broil mushrooms until cheese is just melted. These can be prepared ahead, then brought to room temperature and broiled just before serving. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by bizzo (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 9:23 I think I'll have one of my favorite simple lunches... sauteed mushrooms and onions on toast :-) Thanks everyone for all the GREAT mushroom recipes! Several I want to try... o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 14:17 Decisions, decisions, decisions! I'm wanting stuffed mushrooms, and I'm wanting to make the fancy pasta that my co-worker gave me for Christmas, and I'm wanting to make those turnovers that Beanthere_dunthat posted. Here's what I have on hand that I thought I could incorporate into stuffed mushrooms: Goat cheese that I bought on sale, shallots, and a quarter loaf of home made bread that's a little stale. I think I have a package of cream cheese, too. I think I can combine or use some of the recipes y'all have posted for stuffed mushrooms. Sally o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 15:42 Love 'shrooms! I've gotten some good "must tries" from this thread-thanks. Here is my late entry: Creamy Mushroom Sauce For Steak # 2 tablespoons butter # ½ onion, minced # 1 clove garlic, finely minced # 2-3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms # ¾ teaspoon kosher or sea salt # Ground black pepper # 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional) # 3 tablespoons whiskey # 1 tablespoon balsamic # ½ cup heavy cream # 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh herb of your choice (chives, parsley, tarragon, basil) Heat butter in sauce pan over medium heat. When butter starts bubbling, add onions and sauté until onions are just, translucent, and just slightly golden; about 3 minutes. add garlic and sauté for an additional minute until the garlic is fragrant. Turn heat to high and add mushrooms all at once. Immediately start tossing so the onion garlic butter mixture is evenly distributed among the mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms until they are browned and softened, about 3- minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour in whiskey and balsamic and let mixture bubble a bit to burn off some of the alcohol. Turn heat down just a bit and add in heavy cream. Let bubble for another 30 seconds and then taste to adjust the salt. Stir in the freshly minced herbs and pout over just grilled steak. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 17:18 I have Wild Mushroom Flan in the oven right now, to go with Sue's Roadhaouse Ribs which are almost ready to go on the grill. I'll let you know if the flan is a keeper recipe in a bit... Linda o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 22:37 Guess what....Times up!!!!!! You are welcome though, to make comments and add any new recipes at any time. I just drew a name from those that posted to this thread. ************* Chase ****************** Please pick the next Cookalong ingredient. Just post it here and then I'll set up the next thread. Can't wait to see what you pick! Nancy o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 9:31 TTT....waiting for Chase o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 9:32 I got ambitious and decided to make a stuffed pasta dish called Mushroom and Goat Cheese Fagottini. (Really, that's what it's called - I didn't make it up!) I found a recipe on line that used mushrooms, goat cheese and shallots, all of which I had on hand, plus I could use my pasta maker that DH gave me a year ago Christmas, but I haven't used much because the knob that holds it on was cracked and wouldn't hold. I got a replacement knob, so I decided to try my hand at making pasta. I definitely need more practice. It always looks so easy when they do it on TV. One problem was that the recipe didn't indicate how large to make the squares of dough. Then I realized that I didn't roll the dough thin enough, as I had way more stuffing than dough. Finally, when I got all the little, uh, fagottinis ready to go into the water, they were stuck to the plate I had put them on. I couldn't get them off without tearing them. Well, I was able to fix them up and get enough of them cooked to make a meal for DH and I. We had a nice salad of mixed greens, sliced pear and dried cranberries with a lemon-tangerine vinaigrette. The pasta was way too thick and tough, but it was passable and edible, and tasted pretty good, but certainly could have been better. I need to practice more. I'm determined to learn how to make home made pasta, and to make things like ravioli and other stuffed pastas. It was fun trying, in spite of the frustrations. I love playing with dough! Here's the recipe from a blog I found in my search. Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Fagottini by Joseph Erdos from blog July 2009 For the pasta dough: 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1 large egg yolk For the filling: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 large shallot, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced 8 ounces shitake mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced 1 8-ounce log goat cheese 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese coarse sea salt freshly ground black pepper 1 large egg white To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center and add the eggs and egg yolk. Using a fork, beat the eggs while mixing in the flour a little at a time. Once the dough has come together, if it is too dry and crumbly, a little water can be added. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Form into a ball and knead until the dough takes on a smooth surface, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let it rest for about 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. To make the filling, heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot; cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, until all moisture is lost, about 5 to 10 minutes. Once slightly cooled, add the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Turn out into a medium bowl. Add goat cheese and Pecorino; season with salt and pepper. Add egg white and stir to combine. To make the pasta, cut the disk into about 4 to 6 pieces. Work with only one piece at a time and keep the remaining pieces wrapped in plastic wrap. Form the piece into a flat disk, lightly flour, and feed it into the machine starting with the largest setting. Fold the dough in half and roll it through again. Now start moving onto the next setting and so on until the next-to-last setting is reached. The pasta should be silky smooth and less than 1/16-inch in thickness. Lay the long sheet of pasta on a lightly floured work surface. Cut off the rounded ends. Using a decorative pastry cutter or a sharp knife, cut the sheet into small squares of equal size. Using a teaspoon, drop balls of filling onto each square. Brush around the filling with a bit of water. Take the square in hand and bring all the corners together, firmly pressing the edges to seal the dough while removing as much air as possible. Place onto a lightly floured tray or towel. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Scraps of dough can also be reformed and rerolled on the machine. Bring a large pot of liberally salted water to a rapid boil. Add the fagottini in small batches and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Stir now and then to prevent sticking. Serve drizzled with olive oil and grated Pecorino. Yield: 4 to 6 servings. Here is a link that might be useful: Gastronomer's Guide by Joseph Erdos - Mushroom and Goat Cheese Fagottini o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 9:57 I actually did play a long last night. I made Cathy's creamy mushroom sauce for steak and served it over filet mignon. Thanks Cathy it was lip smacking good. I'm trying to find new ways of incorporating veggies in our meals so I think I'll pick spinach as my ingredient. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 10:28 Link to the next Cookalong Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #19-----SPINACH o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 10:42 Well, the best laid plans . . . . I didn't make the mushroom soup because before I could do the soup I needed to go grocery shopping to get the the 'shrooms, and I have a rule that I can't go grocery shopping until I have cleaned out the fridge for the week. Upon doing that I found that one of the tomatoes I bought for tomato jelly had gotten smooshed and was rotting and causing the others to rot, so I had to quick make the jelly. It was not so good actually, but I ended up with a fresh tomato/dried tomato balsamic basil slurry that I didn't want to throw out, so I made cream of tomato soup. Also used up what I could salvage of my rotting celery on that. So the mushroom soup is definately out since I am now missing two of the ingredients and I have a ton of tomato soup to eat. Ah the trials of being a single foodie. I guess I'll have to move on to spinach and save the dried mushrooms for another day. Actually, the dish I want to make for spinach has mushrooms! o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 10:49 Sharon, Thanks for the "feed"back; I'm glad that you liked it.