Stuffed Mushrooms

 

 

I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is here already!  Shocking how time flies; one minute you are applying sunscreen, then next you are planning Thanksgiving dinner.  Sort of.  Anyway, I’ve got myself a new favorite side dish, one that would be perfect on any Thanksgiving table.  Stuffed mushrooms!

One word sufficiently describes these babies.  Superb.  Truly, they are delicious.  My fiance actually rolled his eyes back into his head during his first bite.  They are that good. 

I saw Ina make these the other day and just had to try them.  She never disappoints!  I made a few slight changes to her recipe (added thyme, decreased amount of mascarpone).  Very yummy and very hearty.  A few big stuffed mushrooms can hold their own for a light lunch, for sure. 

One of my favorite things about these mushrooms is that you can make them ahead.  Stuff them, put them in a baking dish, cover and keep in the fridge until ready to bake.  Or, store the filling in the fridge and just stuff the mushrooms as needed and pop in the oven.  Works really well during the week when you are short on time and energy and need just a little something to go with that piece of chicken or steak. 

If you think your turkey can stand not being the center of attention this Thanksgiving, go ahead and give these mushrooms a try.  You won’t be disappointed.

Here’s what you will need to make approximately 25 medium/large stuffed mushrooms…

 

25 medium/large white mushrooms, cleaned

3/4 pound sausage (remove from casing)

4-5 scallions, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup panko (bread crumbs)

3 oz mascarpone (roughly 1/3 of a container)

1/3 cup parmigiano reggiano

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped thyme

2.5 tbsp marsala

3 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Remove stems from mushrooms and reserve.  Clean mushroom caps with a damp paper towel, put in a large bowl.  Add marsala and 3 tbsp olive oil and mix to coat all mushrooms.  Put aside.

In a large skillet add a few tablespoons of olive oil, when hot add sausage and cook until just browned, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon.  Meanwhile, chop mushroom stems and then add to the sausage.  Add scallions, garlic and panko and thyme.  Mix to combine and cook for about 5-7 minutes.  Turn off the heat, add mascarpone, parmigiano cheese, parsley and salt & pepper to taste.  Mix well until the mascarpone has fully melted into the sausage mixture.  Allow to cool slightly.

Now comes the time to stuff these guys.  Be careful, the mushrooms will be somewhat slippery to handle due to the marsala and olive oil.  Just take your time.  Stuff each mushroom well, mounding the tops with the delicious filling.  Pack the filling down slightly.  Place each stuffed mushroom in the baking dish.  Pop in the oven, uncovered, and bake for approximately 40 minutes.  As an added touch, I sometimes like to turn the broiler on for a minute or two towards the end of the cooking time.  This helps to brown the tops nicely, creating a bit of a an extra crunch on top.  If you do this, do not leave the stove, watch it carefully.  One or two minutes is enough, you don’t want to burn them!

Have I mentioned how delicious these are?

 

Taco Lettuce Cups

 

We’ve been trying to cut back on our carb intake lately (brief stint on South Beach).  Just to be completely clear, it has not been fun.  Not fun at all.  I really like carbs!!   Eliminating them from meals is….difficult.  Take something as simple as a taco.  Can’t have the taco.  Now what?!  Lettuce leaves have never played such an important role in cooking.

I did some searching around on the web for carb free meals and phase one South Beach meals.  I came across some interesting ideas.  One of which was this taco, using lettuce as a vessel to hold the taco filling.  Genius.  I love using Boston lettuce for this, the leaves act as perfect little cups.  I serve the tacos with salsa and guacamole.  You can certainly use any toppings you like!

I have to say, I really like this meal.  Even in the lettuce cup!  But I’ll tell you what I love most… the leftovers!  (Yes, again with the leftovers.)  I use the taco filling in an omelette for breakfast.  Super genius.  It’s SO delicious.  I spread guacamole over the top and I swear it’s almost as if I’m eating a burrito, but in an egg! 

So, if you are trying to cut back (or cut out) carbs give this recipe a try and be sure to make an omelette with the leftovers, if there are any. 

Here’s what you will need to serve 4 people…

 

2 pounds ground pork (or turkey, or sirloin)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large jalapeno, minced very fine

2-3 large plum tomatoes, diced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1-2 tbsp chili powder (start off with one and add to suit your taste)

1.5 tsp ground cumin

1.5 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp paprika

1/3 cup (plus 2 tbsp) fresh cilantro, chopped

1-2 tbsp lime juice

boston lettuce (one head)

 

In a large skillet saute the onion and red pepper flakes in some olive oil for about 3 minutes.  Add jalapeno and diced tomatoes, saute for another 3 minutes.  Slide the onion mixture to the side of the skillet and add the chop meat, breaking up the meat.  If you are using sirloin you will probably need to drain out some of the fat in the skillet.  Using turkey and/or lean pork doesn’t yield as much fat.

To the meat mixture add the fresh cilantro, cumin, coriander, cayenne and paprika.  Mix around and cook until slightly browned and cooked through.  Once cooked, turn off flame and add remaining 2 tbsp of fresh cilantro and lime juice.

Meanwhile, remove any outer/damaged leaves from the head of lettuce and discard.  Carefully break inner leaves away from the head and rinse and pat dry.  Personally, I prefer using the inner leaves that are smaller, they are more sturdy and therefore much less messy. 

Arrange lettuce cups on a platter and fill with taco mixture.  Give a good dollop of salsa and guacamole to each one and serve.

My inspiration for this meal came from Kayln’s Kitchen http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/04/turkey-lettuce-wrap-tacos-with-chiles.html