Some good advice here already. I only have to add 'Persevere'. Honestly, it really doesn't take long to get used to what you call 'blandness'. It took me about a week, and now I add salt to nothing at all. If salt is added, I really, really notice it! That blandness isn't bland at all - it's just not salty any more! Up until now, the only thing you've really tasted is the salt - your taste-buds are attuned to salt, and not much else. Give it time, and soon you'll be getting the REAL taste of food! Meantime, keep well away from processed and packaged foods, frozen meals, take-aways etc. Even make your own bread. I can't comment from my own experience, but I do know from people who have travelled to America find the bread 'over there' is incredibly salty compared with what we get over here - make your own instead, using an absolute minimum of salt, or none at all. Use unsalted butter. Keep away from soft-drinks (carbonated colas and such - they have a lot of salt in them). Start using more herbs. Fresh is best, but dried is better than nothing. Here's a couple of salt-substitute herb mixtures you could try. You don't need to follow the recipes exactly if you don't have all the ingredients: Herbal Salt Substitute (1) 1/4 cup dried parsley 1/4 cup dried savory 1/4 cup dried savory 1/4 cup dried thyme 2 tablespoons dried marjoram Grind all ingredients together. Herbal Salt Substitute (2) 3 tablespoons dried basil 3 tablespoons dried marjoram 3 tablespoons dried parsley 3 tablespoons dried thyme 4 1/2 teaspoons dried chives 2 1/2 teaspoons dried paprika 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary 2 1/2 teaspoons onion powder Grind all ingredients together. Meantime, check out this site:

Kandm I also don't think there's anything to substitute salt cod, which is sold here in every fish market as well as many fruit & veg shops and supermarkets. This recipe looks good and easy and I know I have also had these fillets when I lived up in Balearic Islands. I can say though that the desalting process is a really big nuisance. Can you imagine taking the cod out of the fridge four times a day to rinse it and change the water for two days? That's 8 times. I have done it and found the saltiness was still too much to bear. However it is a distinctive flavour and if you can find some you may want to try it. I would suggest you substitute it with fresh cod, although the taste won't be the same, but those fritters do look good don't they? I've had those fritters at special events and they don't last long at a buffet table. Especially when dipped in alioli (that's the Balearic spelling for garlic mayonaise). SharonCb

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.

Cookalong #47 ------- RICE Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Wed, May 9, 12 at 12:55 Time for a new Cookalong, are you ready? Jasdip has selected RICE this time. Thank you Sherry, I love to try new recipes for rice. Let's try to come up with a variety of rice recipes that not only use rice as a main component (such as stir fried rice) but also recipes that you traditionally spoon over or serve with rice. Don't forget about deserts! Rice really is used in many different ways. Ready? This Cookalong will run until May 20, 2012. Thank You Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #46-----POULTRY Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Wed, May 9, 12 at 13:00 Great choice Jasdip. ~Ann o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by chase (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 7:48 I'll be watching closely. I'm not big on rice but Clive loves it and I need to kick up my carb choices. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by stuartwanda (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 8:00 Ive been making a lot of rice pudding lately. Here's the recipe I use: Preheat oven to 325. Lighty greese a 9" glass baking dish. 1 cup of cooked rice Mix: 3 lg eggs 3/4 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 2 1/2 c milk Pour over cooked rice. Add 3/4 c raisins Place dish in a pan with water to a depth of 1 inch Bake for 1 1/2 hours. When done can sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 9:45 Yeah! I love rice. I don't have time to post any recipes now, but I'll be back to share some I've enjoyed. Sally o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by paprikash (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 9:55 We like this: Rice/Orzo Pilaf Serving Size : 4 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup orzo pasta 1/2 cup onion -- diced 2 cloves garlic -- minced 1/2 cup white rice -- uncooked 2 cups chicken broth Melt the butter in a covered skillet over medium-low heat. Cook and stir orzo until golden brown. Stir in onion and cook until onion becomes translucent, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Mix in the rice and chicken broth. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 11:11 First a recipe where rice is the main focus. A good dish for a light Sunday supper or even a brunch. Salmon Kedgeree English origin, this recipe was found in the Sunday Family Weekly magazine years ago. 1 7 oz. can salmon, or 1-2 foil packages of flaked salmon, or leftover cooked salmon 3 hard boiled eggs 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped 1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry powder 2 tablespoons butter 2 cups hot cooked rice 2 cups thawed frozen green peas 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley salt and pepper to taste Drain and flake the salmon if using canned, reserving liquid. Add water to drained liquid to make 1/3 cup. Slice eggs in half; chop the yolks and cut the whites in strips. (I just chop the whole eggs, largish dice.) Saute the onion and curry in the butter in a skillet. Add all the rest of the ingredients (except the separate yolks and 1 TB of the parsley) including the salmon liquid/water. Add salt and pepper. Heat well, taste to correct seasoning if needed, stir well. Mound on a platter. Sprinkle with the (yolks) and remaining 1 TB parsley. Serve hot. Serves 4-6 And, a recipe to serve over rice from my dear mother-in-law: Quick Chicken Chasseur serves 6 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken or turkey, cut into strips 1/3 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon each fresh tarragon and thyme 1/4 teaspoon pepper salt to taste 1 cup sliced scallions 1 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup sherry - dry not sweet 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 3 small tomatoes, quartered 3-4 cups hot cooked rice Dredge chicken strips in cornstarch. In a skillet, brown the chicken in the oil. Stir in the seasonings and scallions. Cook 2 minutes longer. Add the broth and sherry. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and tomatoes, cover, simmer 5 minutes. Serve over hot rice. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by olychick (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 11:49 this is one of my favorite recipes..it's beautiful and always a hit at a potluck. Forbidden Rice Salad Serves 8 to 10 2 cups forbidden rice (black rice) 3 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil - Recipe calls for Sesame oil; depending on how strong it is, I might use part mild olive oil or other oil - I start with 2 TBLS and add more if needed 1 pound sweet potatoes, roasted and diced 3/4 cup diced red bell peppers 3/4 cup diced yellow bell peppers 1/2 bunch sliced green onions (about 3 or 4) Sea salt, to taste Ground pepper, to taste Bring rice, water and a pinch of salt to a quick boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Turn heat off and let rice sit while you whisk together sesame oil and tamari. If necessary, drain any remaining liquid from bottom of saucepan. Add sesame oil and tamari mixture to saucepan and toss with rice while still warm. Let cool, then add sweet potatoes, red peppers, yellow peppers, green onions, salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temp or chilled. I think the rice usually takes longer than 30 min. but don't overcook. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by triciae (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 14:34 Here's the recipe I use for basic rice pilaf with a few variations (add-ins). It makes A LOT. I make the basic recipe, divide into smaller containers, toss in different add-ins for each container. It freezes beautifully & we've always got a nice variety of different rice dishes available. Some, depending on your add-ins, make a good base for a cold salad. RICE PILAF WITH VARIATIONS 8 tsp. butter 2 c. orzo 3 c. long grain rice (we use basmati) 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. ground black pepper 10 c. chicken broth Add-Ins (obviously not everything in one batch - lol): Golden Raisins Thyme, rosemary, sage, basil Onions Prepared Seasoning Mixes Spinach Mushrooms Pistachios Walnuts Pumpkin Seeds Large Slice of Orange Zest (add while warm) Mandarin Oranges Shallots Saffron threads soaked in 1/4 cup water Scallions sliced on the diagonal Dried Cranberries Parsley Sliced Almonds Melt butter over medium heat in large saucepan. Stir in the orzo & rice. Sautee until golden brown. Add the salt and pepper. Add chicken broth to rice mixture. Turn to high heat until rice comes to a boil, cover and turn heat to low, simmer 20 minutes or until rice is fluffy and all liquid is absorbed. Let the pilaf sit 10 minutes off the heat before serving. Fluff with a fork. /tricia o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ynnej (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 18:32 Great choice Jasdip. This is sure to be a fun one. This cookalong inspired me to finally use up these packages of ready-made brown and wild rice and quinoa DH picked up on a whim. I made an asparagus stir fry with them. Photobucket Photobucket 8 stalks asparagus, trimmed olive oil 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped 1/2 yellow onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and shredded dash sriracha 2 packages brown and wild rice with quinoa, cooked according to package 1 tbsp soy sauce 1/2 inch ginger, peeled and minced 1 clove garlic, minced salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400F. Massage a bit of olive oil into the asparagus, enough to make them shine. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper and roast for 8-10 minutes, until fork-tender. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1 inch pieces. Meanwhile, drizzle a little oil in a large frying pan and bring to medium high heat. Add peppers, onion, celery, and carrot, and cook until tender and onion is translucent. Add brown and wild rice with quinoa, sriracha and soy sauce and stir fry about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, let cook for 30 seconds, then add salt and pepper to taste and gently fold in asparagus. Reduce heat to low and cook for 4-5 minutes for flavors to marry. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 18:58 I've found the only way I can cook brown rice is to bake it in the oven. I tried it once on top of the stove and threw it out. We like small chunks of onions, carrots and celery in the bottom of a casserole dish. Mix 1 1/2 cups brown rice into it and pour 2 1/2 cups chicken broth over top. I use either a pepper medley type seasoning or my all-purpose kind of a southwestern flavouring. (Has paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder etc etc). Bake in a 375 degree oven about an hour. This started out as Alton Brown's recipe I believe. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by seagrass (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 19:39 My go-to rice for most everything but risotto is brown basamati. I rinse it, and then cook according to package directions with the amount of water called for. Comes out great on the stovetop everytime. Takes a bit longer than white rice, but it's flavorful and can stand in for white rice in just about everything. I'll dig through my T&T recipes and post some later. Great topic!! seagrass o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 21:45 I cook brown basmati rice in my pressure cooker! Perfect every time and only takes 12 minutes - can't beat that! Teresa o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Thu, May 10, 12 at 23:56 Rice was my Cookalong choice back in '09! I'm linking to the page. I'm still working my way through it, lol! One can never have enough rice, in fact the story about the rice grain is one of my all time favorites. (See copied below). Lately I've been into black rice. Made some black rice and quinoa salad last weekend, very good, and I don't usually like quinoa! I'm trying to like it though, because it is so healthy. What can you do with rice flour? I bought some once for a shortbread recipe I think, and I lost the recipe. It's been sitting in my freezer for a LONG time! BF's son is on an anti-yeast diet. We're trying to support him by cooking wheat free, low sugar ourselves, and that means lots of brown rice. Well, actually not very large servings of it!! I still need my bread carb fix, but try to limit wheat to only one serving a day! One Grain of Rice a mathematical folktale by Demi Long ago in India, there lived a raja who believed he was wise and fair, as a raja should be. The people in his province were rice farmers. The raja decreed that everyone must give nearly all of their rice to him. "I will store the rice safely," the raja promised the people, "so that in time of famine, everyone will have rice to eat, and no one will go hungry." Each year, the raja's rice collectors gathered nearly all of the people's rice and carried it away to the royal storehouses. For many years, the rice grew well. The people gave nearly all of their rice to the raja, and the storehouses were always full. But the people were left with only enough rice to get by. Then one year the rice grew badly and there was famine and hunger. The people had no rice to give to the raja, and they had no rice to eat. The raja's ministers implored him, "Your highness, let us open the royal storehouses and give the rice to the people, as you promised." "No!" cried the raja. How do I know how long the famine will last? I must have the rice for myself. Promis or no promise, a raja must not go hungry!" Time went on, and the people grew more and more hungry. But the raja would not give out the rice. One day, the raja ordered a feast for himself and his court--as, it seemed to him, a raja should now and then, even when there is famine. A servant led an elephant from a royal storehouse to the palace, carrying two full baskets of rice. A village girl named Rani saw that a trickle of rice was falling from one of the baskets. Quickly she jumped up and walked along beside the elephant, catching the falling rice in her skirt. She was clever, and she began to make a plan. At the palace, a guard cried, "Halt, theif! Where are you going with that rice?" "I am not a thief," Rani replied. "This rice fell from one of the baskets, and I am returning it now to the raja." When the raja heard about Rani's good deed, he asked his ministers to bring her before him. "I wish to reward you for returning what belongs to me," the raja said to Rani. "Ask me for anything, and you shall have it." "Your highness," said Rani, "I do not deserve any reward at all. But if you wish, you may give me one grain of rice." "Only one grain of rice?" exclaimed the raja. "Surely you will allow me to reward you more plentifully, as a raja should." "Very well," said Rani. "If it pleased Your Highness, you may reward me in this way. Today, you will give me a single grain of rice. Then, each day for thirty days you will give me double the rice you gave me the day before. Thus, tomorrow you will give me two grains of rice, the next day four grains of rice, and so on for thirty day." "This seems to be a modest reward," said the raja. "But you shall have it." And Rani was presented with a single grain of rice. (Now, it's time to get out your calculators!) The next day, Rani was presented with two grains of rice. And the following day, Rani was presented with four grains of rice. On the ninth day, Rani was presented with two hundred fifty-six grains of rice. She had received in all five hundred and eleven grains of rice, enough for only a small handful. "This girl is honest, but not very clever," thought the raja. "She would have gained more rice by keeping what fell into her skirt!" On the twelfth day, Rani received two thousand and forty-eight grains of rice, about four handfuls. On the thirteenth day, she received four thousand and ninety-six grains of rice, enough to fill a bowl. On the sixteenth day, Rani was presented with a bag containing thirty-two thousand, seven hundred and sixty-eight grains of rice. All together she had enough rice for two bags. "This doubling up adds up to more rice than I expected" thought the raja. "But surely her reward won't amount to much more." On the twentieth day, Rani was presented with sixteen more bags filled with rice. On the twenty-first day, she received one million, forty-eight thousand, five hundred and seventy-six grains of rice, enough to fill a basket. On the twenty-fourth day, Rani was presented with eight million, three hundred and eighty-eight thousand, six hundred and eight grains of rice--enough to fill eight baskets, which were carried to her by eight royal deer. On the twenty-seventh day, thirty-two brahma bulls were needed to deliver sixty-four baskets of rice. The raja was deeply troubled. "One grain of rice has grown very great indeed," he thought. "But I shall fulfill the reward to the end, as a raja should." On the twenty-ninth day, Rani was presented with the contents of two royal storehouses. On the thirtieth and final day, two hundred and fifty-six elephants crossed the province, carrying the contents of the last four royal storehouses--Five hundred and thirty-six million, eight hundred and seventy thousand, nine hundred and twelve grains of rice. All together, Rani had received more than one billion grains of rice. The raja had no more rice to give. "And what will you do with this rice," said the raja with a sigh, "now that I have none?" "I shall give it to all the hungry people," said Rani, "and I shall leave a basket of rice for you, too, if you promise from now on to take only as much rice as you need." "I promise," said the raja. And for the rest of his days, the raja was truly wise and fair, as a raja should be. Here is a link that might be useful: Rice Cookalong #9 o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ynnej (My Page) on Fri, May 11, 12 at 1:10 Love that, LPink o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Fri, May 11, 12 at 7:14 I figured you'd like my choice LPink! I didn't know that you had done it back then, and I'm not surprised. This is a recipe that I used to make decades ago. I started making it again recently and we really enjoy it. The sausages are the little breakfast, link sausages, etc. Some are sold here frozen, under the name Mini-Sizzlers made by Schneiders. There used to be 16 sausages in the package, now there are 12!! Mushrooms can be added as well, if you like. I don't buy mushrooms all that often as hubby doesn't like them, but he does pick them out if I use them. Polynesian Sausages 1 lb little breakfast sausages, fresh or frozen 1 medium green pepper, sliced 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced 1 small onion, diced 14-oz can pineapple tidbits sliced mushrooms 1/4 cup vinegar 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp cornstarch 14 cup brown sugar In a lightly greased skillet, brown sausages over medium-low heat. Remove from pan and drain all but 2 tbsp fat. Add green pepper, celery, onion and mushrooms. Saute until lightly browned. Drain pineapple chunks, reserving juice. Add pineapple to vegetable mixture. Combine juice, vinegar and soy sauce and mix with combined cornstarch and brown sugar. Slowly add to skillet and stir until thickened. Add sausages to heat through and serve over beds of hot, fluffy rice. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Fri, May 11, 12 at 10:43 I love rice. We have it quite often as a side and occasionally as a main course. Chicken Fried Rice ================== This is my version of my favourite style of fried rice. Does not contain soy sauce. Before cooking, the chicken is marinated in a little Shao Hsing, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Optional: egg white . 2 to 3 boneless chicken breasts thinnly sliced 1 cup peanut oil Cooked Rice 1 large onion cut in half and then sliced lengthwise. 2 stalks celery sliced 1 garlic clove 1 inch piece ginger 1 bunch green onions 2 to 3 cups fresh bean sprouts 2 eggs beaten and seasoned with salt. Cook two or three thin omelettes - crepe style. Slice. Handful frozen peas Sesame Oil Cook chicken first. Velveting: Heat 1 cup of peanut oil in large wok. When oil is really hot add half the chicken. Chicken cooks quickly in the hot oil. Stir so chicken doesn't stick together. Chicken will turn white and be cooked in about 60 to 90 seconds. Remove chicken to a colander to drain and cook second batch. Set chicken aside. Wipe wok clean, heat over high heat, add a little peanut oil. Add onions and stir until onions start to colour. Add the celery, cook for a minute or so, add the garlic, and ginger. Add the chicken back into the pan along with the rice, toss continuously until rice is hot. Season with a little more sesame oil. Stir in the egg, green onion and bean sprouts. Serve immediately. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lalitha (My Page) on Fri, May 11, 12 at 23:27 Loved the story! Here is a recipe for a savory risotto from southern India. Kedgeree that Theresa posted originated during the British colonial times in Indian sub continent. "Kichiri" as it is known in man parts of India is basically a cooked dish of rice and lentils with vegetables etc. Pongal is a south Indian version. PONGAL (this is the savory version. There is also a sweet dessert version that is made with palm sugar) Ingredients 1 cup white rice. Short grain rice that is more sticky works well. 1/2 cup yellow mung dal (split and skinned dal) 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida 1 teaspoon whole pepper corns 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon black pepper powder 4-5 curry chopped leaves (when chopped releases essential oils) 2 tablespoons halved cashew nuts 2 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter (climber 3 tbps of unsalted butter until it is the color of pale honey. 2 tablespoons oil Salt to taste Heat a pan on medium heat and roast the yellow mung dal until a lightly roasted aroma is released. Don't let it turn brown or burn. Wash rice and mix with the roasted dal. Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste. Cook using the pressure cookeror in a pot. This will cook soft like almost a thick oatmeal. Place a small heavy bottomed pan on medium heat; add the oil and roast the peppercorns for a few seconds. Add cumin seeds, ginger, curry leaves, pepper powder, asafoetida and saute for a few more seconds. Turn off heat and set aside. Now heat 1/2 teaspoon of ghee in a small pan and roast the cashew nuts until pale golden and crisp. Once the rice-dal mixture is cooked; add the roasted spices and the cashew nuts to the rice-dal mixture. Add the remaining ghee and mix till the spices have blended well into the rice. Ghee enhances the flavor of this dish. Serve hot. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on Sat, May 12, 12 at 10:05 I think this was originally posted by Annova, but I haven't seen her here in a long while. It is amazing and I make it often! Wild Rice Salad Ina Garten 1 cup long-grain wild rice 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt 2 navel oranges 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp fresh orange juice 2 tbsp raspberry vinegar 1/2 cup green grapes, cut in half 1/2 cup pecans, toasted 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1 scallion, white and green parts chopped 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1. In a medium saucepan over high heat combine rice, 4 cups water, and 2 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Drain and return rice to the pan. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. 2. While rice is still warm, place it in a mixing bowl. Peel oranges with a sharp knife, removing all the white pith. Cut between the membranes and add the orange sections to the bowl with the rice. Add the olive oil, orange juice, raspberry vinegar, grapes, pecans, cranberries, scallions, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper. Allow to sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature. Serves 4 to 6. Linda o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, May 13, 12 at 10:12 LPink, I loved your story, too! Here's a rice salad recipe from Food and Wine magazine, published in their August, 2003 issue. I had forgotten about it, but when I made it for company, including my picky sister, it got raves. I need to resurrect it. Cilantro Rice Salad with Olives Makes 8 servings Salt 2 cups basmati rice 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup white wine vinegar Freshly ground pepper 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 medium red onion, minced 1 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup Calamata olives, pitted and finely copped 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Stir in the rice and boil over moderately high heat until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the rice thoroughly and transfer to a large bowl. Toss the rice with a rubber spatula from time to time to cool it to room temperature. 2. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Gently fold the tomatoes, onion, cilantro and olives into the rice. Add the vinaigrette and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Make ahead: The rice salad can stand at room temperature for up to 1 hour. On an off topic note, this cook-along helped me to remember that I have a whole stack of cooking magazines that I keep forgetting about. Thumbing through this old magazine, I've noticed some other recipes I want to try, that I passed over the first time I read it. Thanks for the trip down magazine lane, lol. Sally o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by teresa_mn (My Page) on Sun, May 13, 12 at 14:04 Technically wild rice is not rice but aquatic grass seed. But most people treat it like rice. For the newer forum members, I am fortunate in that one of my brothers owns a piece of property where wild rice grows freely. The property has been in my family for more than 120 years. When my great great grandparents moved to Minnesota from South Dakota, my GG grandmother selected the land because of the stands of rice and the abundant wild life. As a Native American she knew how important the rice would be in years when the farm's harvest was poor. This recipe is for hand harvested marsh/river rice. Commercially cultivated wild rice takes longer to cook. The drying/toasting process of commercial rice causes it to be a much harder grain. One cup raw marsh/river rice will make 4 to 4.5 cups of cooked rice. Cultivated wild rice works just as well in this soup. And if you make a large batch and freeze the soup the cultivated rice holds its texture better. My favorite way to cook the wild rice: Heat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a covered casserole or pot (a 2 quart size is good). I use a glass casserole. Place in casserole: 1 cup raw rice 2.5 cups of boiling water or stock Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Test rice for doneness. Cook another 15 minutes if you want it more tender. Use excess water in wild rice soup. Wild Rice Soup 6 tablespoons margarine or butter 2-3 tablespoons minced onion 1/2 cup flour 3 cups chicken broth 2 cups cooked wild rice 1/2 cup finely grated carrots (I use more) 1 cup minced ham or leftover cooked chicken 3 tablespoons chopped slivered almonds (you can put them in the soup OR toast and top as a garnish) Salt to taste if you want 1 cup half and half (see note below) 2 tablespoons dry sherry Directions In large saucepan, melt margarine; saute onion until tender. Blend in flour; gradually add broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in rice, carrots, ham, almonds and salt; simmer about 5 minutes. Blend in half and half and sherry; heat to serving temperature. Garnish with snipped parsley or chives. Sauteed sliced portabella mushrooms are a nice addition to this recipe. If half n half is to rich or caloric for you feel free to sub in some milk or low fat cream. This recipe is very forgiving and there aren't many substitutions that can ruin it. Amount: 6 to 7 cups. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Wed, May 16, 12 at 6:36 Since there was a recipe for baked rice pudding, I'll share my recipe for the creamy style. Creamy Rice Pudding 3/4 cup short grain rice 1 cup boiling water 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp cornstarch pinch salt 4 cups milk 1 cup table cream nutmeg to taste 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 2 egg yolks 1 tsp vanilla 1 tbsp cinnamon Combine rice and boiling water in medium saucepan. Cover and simmer 15 minutes until rice is absorbed. Combine sugar and cornstarch and salt. Whisk in 1 cup of the milk. Stir until smooth. Add remaining milk and cream to rice, combine well. Add nutmeg and raisins, if using. Stirring steadily, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to barest simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is creamy. You don't want it to thicken too much, it thickens a lot when cold. Beat egg yolks. Remove pudding from heat. Whisk a little pudding into yolk then add to the rest of the pudding. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat and add vanilla. Transfer to individual bowls and top with cinnamon. **My notes: Instead of using 1 cup of cream, I use 1/2 cup of half and half, and 1/2 cup milk. I omit the egg yolks. This is very creamy on its own without it. I also don't put the raisins in. My DH adds them to his own serving. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sherrmann (My Page) on Sun, May 20, 12 at 11:09 Loved the story, too. My dtr volunteers at a school - orphanage in Cambodia called "ABC'S and Rice." The school pays the local poor families the equivalent of a month's supply of rice in advance to allow their children to attend the school when they are five yrs old, rather than work for pennies a day or panhandle. The people are so poor they cannot afford to let their kids go to school because they lose the pittance the child brings in. This way, the family eats, and the kids get to learn to read, something their parents can't do. It is all volunteer, all donations, serving about 75 kids now, I think. Sorry for the ramble. A bug knocked me out this week. I love rice and make a wonderful paiella, but just wore myself out. Maybe later. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Sun, May 20, 12 at 11:35 Oh; Sherry, when you're feeling better, please post your paella recipe!!! o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sherrmann (My Page) on Sun, May 20, 12 at 12:31 Loved the story, too. My dtr volunteers at a school - orphanage in Cambodia called "ABC'S and Rice." The school pays the local poor families the equivalent of a month's supply of rice in advance to allow their children to attend the school when they are five yrs old, rather than work for pennies a day or panhandle. The people are so poor they cannot afford to let their kids go to school because they lose the pittance the child brings in. This way, the family eats, and the kids get to learn to read, something their parents can't do. It is all volunteer, all donations, serving about 75 kids now, I think. Sorry for the ramble. A bug knocked me out this week. I love rice and make a wonderful paiella, but just wore myself out. Maybe later. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by publickman (My Page) on Sun, May 20, 12 at 22:11 I make rice many different ways, but here is what I am making tonight: Shari Rice (for sushi) Half Recipe: 1 cup Japanese Pearl rice 2 tsp dried kelp 1 cup plus 2-1/2 Tbsp water Seasoning 2 tbsp rice vinegar 1-1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp salt Wash the rice and drain it in a colander. Place the rice in a heavy covered saucepan and allow it to sit for 1/2 to 1 hour. Add the water to the pan, along with the kelp in a teaball. Place the pan on medium heat, and when the water begins to boil, remove the teaball. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice cool for 10 minutes without removing the lid. Heat the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until everything dissolves. Allow to cool. Place the rice in a large bowl, add the seasoning liquid, and stir with large wooden spoon, fanning all the time - I use a stand fan, but a ceiling fan works also, although not as well. Keep rice covered until ready to use. --------------- Today I am using Seasoned Seaweed Paste with Perilla instead of the kelp in a tea ball. I think it will be easier and make a nice variation. I bought sashimi yesterday at the 99 Ranch Market, and so I wanted to make sushi rice for it today. The sashimi was partially frozen, and I kept it in that state until tonight. Frequently I cook rice with vegetables so that I get a dish that is both a vegetable and a starch. I do this mainly because the rice keeps the vegetables hot, and I like the flavor of the rice better. I reduce the amount of water used for the rice according to the vegetable added, and I add the vegetables at the point in the cooking process when there is the right amount of time left for the vegetables to be cooked properly, and not overcooked. I do this mostly with asparagus and broccoli, but also with peas and corn. Lars o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 9:06 I've been experimenting with black rice. (Thank you Annie for sending me a bag!) It seems to work for me with cold rice salads, which I don't normally like with long grain brown rice. I think it is the smaller shorter grain I like with the black rice. We've been experimenting with grain alternatives to wheat. Luckily I love all whole grains. I've made two rice salads so far, and the results have been just so so. The first was one with quinoa, cilantro, cumin and parsely, the second featuring a grapefruit vinagrette. The first was better than the second. I have two more recipes to try. But I've used up all my black rice so have to get some more! I'm posting the first recipe, but the photos are from the second, which wasn't as good. But they LOOKED very similar. I'll link to the other one, but I don't recommend it. Orange juice and grapefruit juice don't go together for a dressing, and grapefruit is too yummy to get lost in a black rice salad. This comes from a wonderful blog called A Farm Girl's Dabbles. Some great looking recipes on there! Quinoa & Black Rice Salad with Cumin & Avocado Yield: 6 to 8 servings Ingredients 1/2 c. short-grain black rice (or substitute another color of short-grain rice) 1 c. red quinoa, rinsed well (or substitue another color of quinoa) 1 bay leaf 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 4 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 small onion, finely chopped 3 large garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp. cumin seeds (I just used ground cumin, 1 heaping tsp.) 3 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 T. 1" pieces chives salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced into wedges 1 lemon, sliced into wedges Preparation Note: black rice and red quinoa are available at better supermarkets and at natural foods and specialty foods stores. I found mine at Whole Foods. Bring rice and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. While the rice is cooking, combine the quinoa, bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the quinoa and let it sit in the hot saucepan, covered, for 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Fluff quinoa with a fork. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add this to quinoa. Then add the rice to the quinoa mixture and stir well. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, fresh lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lpink's notes: This needs to be kicked up a notch. More salt, more dressing, more seasonings, more veggies. I added chopped grape tomatoes and green pepper. (That's why it probably needed more salt, lol!) Serve salad with avocado and lemon wedges. Source Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit magazine, November 2011 I'm throwing in another one for fun, once of my favorite rice dishes, "Risi e Bisi." This was some kind of packaged rice mix, plus maybe some scallions too. Served with some kick butt chicken picatta with mushroom sauce. We splurged on shitake! Plus apple fennel slaw with a lemon and oil dressing, my new ab fab! And if you've been following my coleslaw quest, it was odd that this version was the one BF liked best (he who swears he prefers the creamy-type coleslaw). Here is a link that might be useful: Black rice salad with avocado and grapefruit o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 9:50 For a change, try Nasi Goreng, Indonesian fried rice. I learned to enjoy it for breakfast when I went to the Island of Borneo in 1999. Nasi Goreng Cooked and cubed chicken, shrimp, diced ham or sausage can be added if desired. 6 servings : Active Time: 30 minutes : Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients 3 large eggs, beaten 4 small shallots, peeled (or diced onion) 3 cloves garlic, peeled 2 tablespoons whole almonds (I like peanuts) 2 small chile peppers, seeded and diced 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil, divided 2 cups finely chopped or shredded vegetables, such as yellow bell pepper, cabbage and broccoli 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons kecap manis, (see Ingredient Note) 4 cups cooked and cooled brown rice 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 medium tomato, sliced 1 small cucumber, sliced Preparation 1.Generously coat a wok or large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Pour in eggs, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, lifting the edges so uncooked egg flows underneath, until mostly set, 1 to 2 minutes. Slide out of the pan onto a clean cutting board. When cool enough to handle, cut into thin strips. 2.Place shallots, garlic, almonds and chiles in a food processor. Process to a thick paste. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok (or pan) over medium-high heat. Add the paste and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. 3.Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the shallot paste, soy sauce, kecap manis and rice and stir until combined and heated through, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the Nasi Goreng to a platter. Top with the strips of egg and scallions. Arrange tomato and cucumber slices around the edges. Ingredient note: Kecap manis is a thick, palm sugar-sweetened soy sauce. It's used as a flavoring, marinade or condiment in Indonesian cooking. Find it in Asian food markets or online at importfood.com. To substitute for kecap manis, whisk 1 part molasses with 1 part reduced-sodium soy sauce. Teresa o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 10:15 Oh, I forgot to add "Bisi" is peas in Italian. Can also sprinkle with parmesean cheese (but our meal already had a creamy mushroom sauce so no guilding the lily). And you can add ham or pancetta for something more substantial. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 14:29 Great rice recipes, thanks to all who took a minute to post their favorite. I think I made fried rice twice over the last two weeks just because I had rice on the brain. Time for a new Cookalong..... pulling a name..... ********* Teresa nc7 *************** I'll email Teresa and start the new thread asap. BTW..... you can add more rice recipes to this thread at any time. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 16:49 Teresa has made the decision...Onions will be the next Cookalong focus ingredient. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #48 ----- ONIONS o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 19:04 Yum, I love onions Teresa! I'm glad we can still add to this thread, and I'm hoping some people will. If anyone, Sherrman or anyone else, makes paella, can you add it here, please? o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by debrak_2008 (My Page) on Wed, May 23, 12 at 18:28 Since this is about rice....maybe someone can help me. I can't cook rice without it boiling over, sticking to the bottom, etc. It just happened again. I have no problem with zatarans or some other "boxed" rice. Plain white or brown rice is a disaster. Every time, for over 25 years. What am I doing wrong? o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Wed, May 23, 12 at 18:50 I'm having the same problem since I got my smooth-top stove. I don't know if it cooks hotter, or it's because of my cookware. It doesn't get low enough to just simmer without it boiling over. I now cook it with half of my pot off the burner. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by debrak_2008 (My Page) on Wed, May 23, 12 at 20:20 I have an electric smooth top too! Yeah, can't seem to simmer rice on it. Someday I want an induction but don't know if that would make a difference. o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Thu, May 31, 12 at 7:21 Well I'm late to the party as usual. I finally got around to making Teresa NC's Nasi Goreng! It was YUM, thanks for posting it. I used Asian style marinated tofu instead of eggs, just because I had it and it was easier to add at the last minute. Served up with garnishes o RE: Cookalong #47 ------- RICE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by mamalou (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 12 at 10:28 Lemon and Celery Pilaf (Portugal) I cannot remember where I found this recipe on the web, but it is fantastic. Goes great with lamb, chicken, and fish and seafood! Ingredients: 1 small onion, chopped 1/4 cup butter or margarine 2 cups water 1 cup uncooked regular rice 2 stalks celery, sliced 2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard 1/8 teaspoon red pepper sauce 2 tablespoons snipped parsley Cook and stir onion and garlic in butter in saucepan until onion is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except parsley. Heat to boiling, stirring once or twice; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 14 minutes without lifting cover or stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley lightly with fork; cover and let steam 5 to 10 minutes. Yields 7 servings.