Mushroom Cobbler

Biscuit Ingredients

• 3 c flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 c milk
• 1 stick melted unsalted butter
• 2 c grated extra sharp cheddar cheese + 1 c reserved for later

Mushroom Filling Ingredients

• 1 pt cremini mushroom diced medium
• 1 pt whte button mushroom diced medium
• 1 pt shiitake mushroom diced medium
• 1 cup dried wild mush (I mixed morel, shitake, chanterelle and porchini)
• 1 large onion small diced
• 4 shallots diced
• 1/2 T dry thyme
• 4 c heavy cream
• 2 c water
• 4 T unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F

Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats

Biscuits

Blend dry ingredients well.

Warm the milk in microwave.

Add butter and milk together to the dry mix and combine just until the batter comes together.

Mix in grated cheese.

Spoon 3-4 diameter blobs onto baking sheets leaving about 1 to 1 1/2 inches between.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until done (brown on the bottom, browned areas on top.)

Set aside.

Mushroom Filling

Spread diced fresh mushrooms on a baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Break up dried mushrooms into a small saucepan. Add 2 c water.

Boil for 30 minutes.

When done, remove mushrooms and dice. SAVE the water.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a 2 qt saucepan over medium high heat.

Add shallots and onions.

Sweat onions for 5-10 minutes until transparent.

Add thyme.

Add baked fresh mushrooms and stir.

Add diced boiled dry mushrooms and stir.

Add boiled mushroom water.

Stir constantly for a few minutes.

Add cream and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Once thickened, remove from heat.

Butter 6-10 ramakins.

Spoon mushroom filling into each to within 1/2 inch of the top.

Cover with broken biscuit pieces.

Sprinkle with reserved shredded cheese.

Place ramakins on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until biscuits are browned and filling is bubbly.

Serve immediately.

This is my take on Mushroom Cobbler served at Brick & Fire Bistro by chef Jim Hughes

Sausage, Onion, Pepper & Bean Curry

Ingredients
2 c white beans (soaked for 24 hours)
4 c sliced green peppers & onions (3 c peppers to 1 c onions)
3 c chopped cooked sausage (I used smoked sausage)
1 qt chicken stock
5 t curry powder
1 T corn starch in 1/2 c cold water

4 c rice
8 c water

Instructions
1. Put beans, peppers & onions, sausage, chicken stock and curry in a crock pot and mix well. Turn on low and let cook for 4 hours. Stir again. Raise temperature on the crock pot to high and mix in corn starch and water. Allow to cook for 4 more hours.

2. Put rice and water in a large pot, put on stove set to high. When it boils, move the pot askew and reduce heat to low. Set a timer for 15 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE POT

3. When 15 minutes are up, remove the pan from heat and allow to sit for 20 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE POT.

4. To server, put rice in a bowl and spoon curry mixture over top. Serve with Naan or Pita bread.

Mini Cheese Cake with Caramel Topping

(I forgot to take a photo with the caramel on top.)

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
• ⅔ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (I couldn't get fat free Greek yogurt, so I used regular)
• 12 ounces ⅓-less-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• Caramel Sauce (here: http://www.foodiefunk.com/2014/10/caramel-sauce.html)

Instructions

Instead of the 12-cup muffin tin, I used a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin. There was still enough cracker crust mix and cheese cake mix to make about four more cakes. 

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the melted butter, 1 tbsp sugar and graham cracker crumbs until evenly wet.
3. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin well with cooking spray. Spoon about 1 packed tablespoon crumb mixture into each muffin cup; press crumbs firmly into bottom. Bake at 300° for 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; cool.
4. Place brown sugar, yogurt, and cream cheese in processor, mixer or blender; process until smooth. Add vanilla, table salt, and eggs; process until smooth.
5. Spoon about 3 tablespoons batter into each muffin cup.
6. Bake at 300° for 18 minutes or until centers of cheesecakes barely move when pan is touched. Remove pan from oven; cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Cover pan; refrigerate cheesecakes 3 hours or until well chilled.
7. Run a thin knife around outside edge of each cheesecake. Carefully remove cheesecakes from pan; place on a platter. Chill cheesecakes until ready to serve.
8. In a double boiler, melt the caramel squares and milk, stirring occasionally.
9. Spoon about 1 tablespoon caramel over each cheesecake.

Based on a recipe I found at http://www.mysanfranciscokitchen.com/mini-salted-caramel-cheesecakes/

Bacon wrapped, bleu cheese filled, pitted dates

Ingredients:
1 lb bacon
40 pitted dates
2/3 c crumbled blue cheese

Instructions.

Preheat oven to  400°

1. Cut bacon strips into halves (you may need more than a pound if its think cut - you need twenty full length bacon strips total.) In a large skillet, cook bacon in batches over medium heat until partially cooked but not crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; keep warm.

2. Carefully cut a slit in the center of each date; fill with blue cheese. Wrap a bacon piece around each stuffed date; secure with wooden toothpicks.

3. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bacon is crisp. 

Yield: 40 pieces

I had these first at a local restaurant, the Federal Taphouse. They call them, "Devil on Horseback". I call them better than sex.

Moroccan Style Sausage Rolls & Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

• 3 puff pastry sheets
• 1½ lb ground beef (use lamb if you can afford it)
• 2½T sundried cranberries
• 1½t ground coriander
• 1½t ground cumin
• 1T of lemon juice
• 1/4lb fresh spinach leaves, chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 egg lightly beaten with 2T cold water (separate from above)

Instructions.

1. Remove the pastry from the freezer to defrost
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F
3. Put the chopped herbs and spinach, and spices in a bowl and blend well.
4. Put the ground meat into the bowl and mix by band until well blended
5. Add 2 beaten eggs and mix through
6. Split the mixture into three parts
7. One by one, layout each sheet of pastry on a lightly floured surface, rolling slightly to fix any splits and to make the pastry even.
8. Dab some of the egg/water mixture for about 1" along one edge.
9. Lay out 1/3 of the meat mixture along the opposit edge of the pastry and then roll the pastry up and over into a log, sealing with the egg dabbed edge.
10. Cut into 1" pieces
11. Put the pieces onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and brush with the egg/water mixture to glaze
12. Bake for 30 minutes
13. Remove from the oven and cool
14. Serve with Red Pepper Hummus

Savory corn pancakes with refried beans & salsa

Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 c corn flour
1 c corn meal
1/2 c rice flour
2 t baking powder
2 t cumin
2 t chili powder
1 t sugar
1 1/2 c skim milk
2 eggs

Refried Beans
Ingredients:
1/2 lb black beans
1/2 lb navy beans
1 lg yellow onion sliced thinly
1 green pepper chopped into 1/4" dice
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1/2 c red wine
4 beef bullion cubes
1 1/2 c boiling water

Instructions.
Preparing beans:
Soak beans in water for 24 hours rinsing every 8 hours. Keep covered with water.

Cook beans in a crock pot with water for 4-6 hours. Drain excess water and put beans in a food processor and process into a coarse paste (do this in batches).

Heat a large skillet add olive oil and saute onions until translucent. Add peppers and continue cooking. Add cumin and chili powder. Deglaze with red wine a reduce heat. Add beans and fold in onions & peppers.

Dissolve bullion in water. Add to bean mixture as needed to smooth it out. Set aside.

To serve put beans in a dish, coat top with grated cheese and microwave for a couple minutes to melt cheese.

Preparing pancakes:
Put dry ingredients in a large bowl and blend thoroughly.

In a separate bowl whisk milk and eggs. Add milk and eggs to dry ingredients and whisk.

Heat a griddle or skillet. Spray with oil. Pour 1/8-1/4 c of pancake mixture onto skillet. Allow to cook. Check edges and flip when brown. When cooked remove and repeat for the rest of the batter.

How to serve:
Place pancake on a plate. Top with several tablespoons of bean mixture. Top with salsa.

Cremini with Hummus and Feta

24 oz Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed (save stems)
4 oz Feta
1 lg Yellow onion Caramelized
1 c  red pepper or onion Hummus
Olive oil

Preheat oven on broil. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Chop mushroom stems, saute and cool then blend into hummus.

Coat each mushroom lightly with Olive oil and place on baking sheet.

Spoon 1 t of hummus mixture into each mushroom. Place a small amount of caramelized onion on top. Place a few pieces of Feta cheese on top.

Place baking sheet in the oven to broil for about 5 minutes until cheese browns. Reduce heat and to 375 and bakecfor another 10 minutes until mushrooms are heated through.

Remove and serve.

Bacon Bleu Cheeseburger Potato Skins

10 lb medium Russet potatoes
1 lb ground beef
1 lb bacon slices
1 c chopped onion
1 c chopped green pepper
1 c Chambourcin or other rich red wine
8 oz bleu cheese
8 oz gouda or other melting cheese

Wash and pierce the potatoes.  Place on a cooking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

While the potatoes bake,  saute onions and peppers in olive oil until soft deglaze with Merlot and cook until the wine is reduced.  Set aside mixture in a bowl and add ground beef to the pan.  Brown beef. When done, add onion & peppers to the mixture.  Set aside to cool.

Crumble bleu cheese into small pieces.  Dice Gouda into small pieces.

Bake or fry bacon until done.  Cool & crumble or chop into pieces.

When potatoes are cool, slice each into thirds lengthwise.  Set aside the middle third - it will not be used for this recipe.  Scoop out all but 1/4" of the potato center from each of the other thirds making a cavity for filling.

Place parchment paper on two baking sheets.  Brush surface with olive oil.  Place potato sections open side down on the paper.  Brush or spray the back sides with olive oil.  Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until edges begin to brown.  Cool.

To assemble, place a tablespoon of ground meat in the potato cavity.  Sprinkle some of the bleu cheese and gouda pieces on top. Then add some of the bacon pieces.  Repeat for all of the potato skins.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until cheese melts and potatoes heated through.

Chicken, Cremini & Asparagus Alfredo Dip

Ingredients
1 c chopped onions
1 c chopped sweet green pepper
2 T + 2 T olive oil
1/2 t dry rosemary
1 t oregano
2 x 1 c Chamborcin or Merlot
1/2 lb Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into 1/8" slices

1/2 large chicken breast cut into 1/2" strips.

4 T unsalted butter
4 T flour
1/2 T dry rosemary
1/2 T oregano
1 1/2 c skim milk
1 c heavy cream
1 1/2 c grated Parmesan (plus more to coat the top of the casserole dish)

Preheat oven to 375.  Butter bottom and sides of a large casserole dish.

Place an oven-safe saute pan on high heat and add olive oil.  Add onions and peppers.  Saute until onions are clear.  Add rosemary and oregano and continue to stir.  Add Chamborcin to deglaze.  Simmer until liquid is evaporated.  Put mixture in a bowl and return saute pan to heat.  Add chicken strips browning on both sides.  Add second cup of Chamborcin, sprinkle with a bit more rosemary and oregano and put the pan in the oven to braise for 30 minutes.

Place a large sauce pan on medium heat. Add 4 T butter and 4 T flour.  Heat and mix to make a rue. Continue to heat until the rue is a pale tan color.  Add skim milk, cream, oregano and rosemary.  Stir with a whisk to blend well.  Continue to whisk and heat until bubbles form on the edges and sauce begins to thicken. Add Parmesan and whisk well heating and whisking until the sauce is creamy and thick.  Remove from heat.

Remove chicken from the oven and remove chicken pieces to a cutting board to cook. (Leave the oven on - we still need it!) Put saute pan back on the stove on high heat and add bowl of onion & pepper mixture.  Reduce liquid until gone again.  Push the vegetable mixture to the side and add the sliced mushrooms.  Suate until mushrooms lose their liquid. Continue to heat and reduce the liquid to a minimum.  Put the vegetable and mushroom mixture into a large bowl and set aside.

On the cutting board, shred all of the cooled chicken into small pieces.  Add this to the large bowl with the vegetables and mushrooms.  Add the Alfredo sauce as well and fold the mixture together.  Now place the mixture in the casserole dish, leveling with the back of a spoon.  Coat the top of the mixture liberally with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes at 375.

Double Dark Chocolate Brownies

3/4 c Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1/2 t baking soda
2/3 c melted butter, divided into two 1/3 c containers
1/2 c boiling water
2 eggs
1 1/3 c flour
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
12 oz Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease/butter a 9x13 glass baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk cocoa and baking soda.  Add 1/3 c melted butter and blend well.  Add boiling water and stir until well mixed.

Stir in sugar, eggs and remaining melted butter.  Add flour, vanilla and salt and mix.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into 9x13 dish spreading evenly.

Bake 35-40 minutes until edges pull away from dish.


Cool completely before cutting.

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients
12 oz dark chocolate chips
1 c heavy cream
pinch of salt
1/2 t vanilla extract

Pieces of fresh fruit (Apples, Strawberries, Raspberries, Bananas, Oranges) and/or dried fruit (Apricots, Apples, candied Ginger)

Heat cream over medium heat until steaming (do not boil).  Mix in chocolate and whisk until melted and blended.  Remove from heat and mix in salt and vanilla.

Pour directly into warm fondue pot.

Serve with trays of fruit.

If fondue begins to thicken, add cream one tablespoon at a time to keep soft.

Venison Roast braised in Merlot

4 lb lean Venison roast
2 c Merlot (un-oaked if you can get it)
2 c water
2 lb onions sliced
1 head garlic separated into cloves
3 lb carrots cut into sticks
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms sliced
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp sage
6-8 sprigs fresh rosemary

With a sharp knife puncture holes in the roast and insert garlic cloves evenly into the center of the meat. Spread onions on the bottom of the crock pot. Set the roast on top. Add wine and water to nearly cover the meat. Set crock pot on low and let cook for 6 hours.

Turn up to high and add bay leaves, sage, rosemary, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook three more hours.

Remove roast and set aside to rest 15 minutes. Meanwhile put other contents into a large pan and simmer to reduce and ensure carrots are cooked through.

Slice the roast thinly and place on serving dish.

Serve with veggies au jous.

Best eaten with a glass of good Merlot.