stuffed tomatoes, twice baked potatoes, fresh berry shortcakes
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
4 large portobello mushrooms, tops washed, stems removed and reserved, gills scraped clean
Sprinkle of salt pepper for each mushroom cap
½ cup short grain rice such as Arborio
2 cup water
¼ tsp salt
4 strips bacon, cut into thin strips
½ small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Reserved mushroom stems, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped
1 cup finely shaved parmesan cheese
Cook the rice in the salted water for until cooked to desired degree of doneness. Set aside.
Sauté the bacon just until the fat is mostly rendered out. Remove the bacon from the pan but keep the fat. Add the onion, mushroom stems and garlic to the fat and sauté over medium heat just until the onion is translucent. Do not let it brown.
Add the bacon, rice, chives and cheese to the onion mixture and mix together well.
Fill the mushroom caps with the rice mixture and place them in an oven proof dish as close as possible to each other. Cover with a lid and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for just until mushrooms are just softening, approximately 10 minutes.
If you don’t like mushrooms, here is an alternative for you:
Stuffed tomatoes – serves 4
4 large tomatoes
Sprinkle of salt for each tomato
Cut a ½ inch slice off the top of the tomatoes. Using a sharp knife and a melon ball, scoop out the insides being as careful as possible not to cut through to the bottom of the tomatoes. Season the inside with a small amount of salt and leave them upside down on a tray to allow some of the liquid to drain from the tomatoes.
Use the top and the reserved tomatoes to make the fresh sauce. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes and then put through either a food mill or a sieve until smooth.
½ cup short grain rice such as Arborio
1 cup water
¼ tsp salt
Cook the rice in the salted water for 15 minutes only. Drain and set aside.
4 strips bacon, cut into thin strips
½ small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Sauté the bacon just until the fat is mostly rendered out. Remove the bacon from the pan but keep the fat. Add the onion and garlic to the fat and sauté over medium heat just until the onion is translucent. Do not let it brown.
1 cup fresh tomato sauce
1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 cup finely shaved parmesan style cheese
Add the bacon, tomato sauce, rice and oregano and cheese to the onion mixture and mix together well.
4 generous grinds of fresh pepper
⅛ tsp balsamic vinegar per tomato
4 large basil leaves
Season the insides of the tomatoes with pepper and drizzle with a small amount of balsamic vinegar. Press a basil leaf into the bottom of the tomato shells and gently fill the tomatoes with the filling.
Place the tomato in an oven proof dish as close as possible to each other. Cover with a lid and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for just until the rice is cooked and the tomatoes are just softening, approximately 20 minutes.
Twice baked potatoes
4 large baking potatoes
Bake the potatoes in a 350°F oven just until they are fork tender. Cool the potatoes just until you can handle them comfortably but they are still warm enough to mash properly.
Cut a ½ inch slice off the top of the potatoes and scoop out the flesh. Discard the tops.
Cut inside the potatoes approximately ½ inch from the edge being careful not to damage the skins. Remove the flesh from the potatoes leaving just the shell of the potatoes. Rice the potatoes while still warm.
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup cream cheese
2 Tablespoons chives, chopped – you can use green onion instead
½ tsp salt
4 rashers bacon, cooked and diced
1 Tablespoon butter
Mix the above together and add to the warm potatoes so the butter and cream cheese can melt into the potatoes. This can be done several days in advance. Store the filling and shells separately refrigerated until ready to finish.
1 Tablespoon butter
Earlier in the day, stuff the potato mixture into the shells. Melt the butter and brush the top of the potatoes. Store refrigerated until required.
Place the potatoes in a preheated 400°F oven and bake until the potatoes are steaming hot and golden brown on the tops, approximately 40 minutes.
Coleslaw
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp yellow mustard
Whisk the above in a bowl large enough to hold all of the coleslaw ingredients.
Add the following to the bowl. Do not toss until ready to serve.
2 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup red cabbage finely shredded
1 large carrot peeled and julienne sliced
1 red pepper, julienne sliced
2 tablespoons good quality mayo
Just before serving add the mayo and toss together well. If so desired some toasted sunflower seeds or toasted pumpkin seeds can be added to the coleslaw to give even more texture.
Fresh Berry Shortcakes
Biscuits
Blend together in a bowl:
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1 lime
Mix well together. Cut ¼ cup of ice cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Cut in until the butter looks like small peas.
Add ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream and to the flour/butter mix. Mix together until just combined. Do not over mix or the biscuits will be tough. Gently roll out the dough until it is ½” thick. Cut the dough into 2½ inch circles.
Place the dough onto a baking sheet, being sure there is at least 2 inches between each biscuit. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake in a preheated 450°F oven just the biscuits are golden brown and puffed up, approximately 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool. Biscuits came be made a couple of days in advance and frozen as soon as they are cooled.
Fresh berry topping
4 cups berries – choose what is in season or substitute frozen if no berries are in season.
¼ cup sugar
Juice of half a lime
Wash and prep the berries and cover with sugar and lemon juice. Allow the berries to sit for 1 hour. Separate 1/3rd of the berries and process them in the food processor. Add the processed berries back in with the whole berries.
Chantilly cream
Whip 1 cup of cream until it is almost stiff. Add sugar and vanilla to taste. Beat until stiff peaks form.
To serve, slice each biscuit in half horizontally. Lay the bottom half on a plate and top with the berries and sauce allowing some of the sauce to drop onto the plate. Add a dollop of whipped cream to the side of the biscuit and then rest the top of the biscuit just at an angle against the bottom. Serve immediately.
To get this meal to the table easily:
- The day before:
- Bake off the potatoes
- Prep the filling and the shells and store refrigerated
- Make the biscuits and store well sealed at room temperature
- Earlier in day:
- Make the stuffing for the mushrooms/tomatoes and store refrigerated
- Prep the mushrooms/tomatoes
- Prep the coleslaw and store either in water or well covered, refrigerated
- Make the coleslaw dressing but without the mayo. Store at room temperature well covered
- Prep the potatoes
- Make the berry topping
Cathie Hamilton
Certified Culinary Scientist
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