Ingredients vary for stuffed mushroom caps

With our world situation as it is, I have to tell you about what I witnessed at the Senior Center last week. On the first day of fighting in Iraq, many of our senior adults were waiting for lunch. I moved the American flag out in full view as Pat Fleurdelys made her way to our old upright piano. She started to play the national anthem, and all in the room immediately came to their feet to sing along with her playing. At the end, a thunderous applause filled the room, and so did many teary eyes, including mine. I looked at all of the American veterans who were in that room who had fought for our freedom years ago, and I simply could not hold back my emotions. I do not think I had ever been so thankful to a group of people before then, and this gave me a whole new appreciation for our freedom that my children now enjoy. I thank all American veterans who have given so much for so many.

Recently, while eating at the annual Pancake Day event in Cape Girardeau, Norm and Janet Robert came to sit with us. Janet asked me if I had a recipe for caramel icing she could use on her baked cakes. This recipe is one I have used and I have borrowed it from "The Joy of Cooking."

Caramel Icing

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup cream

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chopped nuts (optional)

Turn on stove burner. As it heats, stir the brown sugar and cream in a heavy pan until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and cook about 3 minutes or until the steam has washed down any crystals that may have formed on the sides of the pan. Uncover and cook without stirring to 238 degrees to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Toss in the 3 tablespoons butter and remove from heat. Cool to 110 degrees. Then add the vanilla and beat until thick and creamy. Thin with a little cream to spreading consistency if required. Ice cake. Top with nuts, optional.

Recently Lori McGuire from Jackson made a request for stuffed mushroom caps. I have received several from Jodi Thompson also from Jackson, and have chosen a couple to share with Lori today.

Lobster and Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound fresh mushrooms (35-40 mushrooms)

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 pound crab claw meat

2 cups oyster crackers, crushed

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup water

6 white cheddar cheese slices

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sauté celery, onion and pepper in butter for 2 minutes, transfer to a plate and cool in the refrigerator. While vegetables cool, wash mushrooms and remove stems. Set caps to the side and finely chop half of the stems. Discard the other half of the stems or use elsewhere. Combine the sautéed vegetables, chopped mushroom stems and all other ingredients, except cheese slices, and mix well. Place mushroom caps in individual buttered casseroles or baking dishes (about 6 caps each). Spoon 1 teaspoon of stuffing into each mushroom. Cover with sliced cheese. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, one turn of the pan

24 large gourmet stuffing mushroom caps, stems removed and reserved brushed with damp towel

Salt and pepper

Stuffing:

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, half a turn of the pan

3/4 pound sweet bulk Italian sausage

4 cloves garlic, chopped

20 stems mushrooms, finely chopped

1 rib of celery and green, leafy top from the heart of the stalk, chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 (10-ounce) box chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

3 slices white bread, toasted and buttered, chopped into small dice

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano cheese, 2 handfuls

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and mushroom caps and season caps with salt and pepper. Sauté caps 5 to 7 minutes, until they are lightly browned and tender on edges. Turn caps up and let juices drain away. Transfer caps to a small nonstick baking sheet. Wipe out skillet and return to heat. Add a touch of oil and the sausage to the hot skillet. Brown and crumble sausage for 3 minutes. In a food processor, pulse to chop the garlic, add mushroom stems and pulse to chop the mushroom stems. Add celery, onion and red bell pepper to the mushrooms and pulse to chop. Remove mixture from the processor and sauté veggies and mushrooms over medium high heat another 3 to 5 minutes. Add dry, defrosted spinach and stir into stuffing. Add chopped bread and cheese to the pan and toss stuffing until bread is moist and stuffing is combined, 2 or 3 minutes. Fill caps with stuffing using a small scoop or large spoon. Place caps in hot oven and reduce heat to 450 degrees. Bake 6 to 8 minutes to crisp edges of stuffing and set stuffing in mushrooms. Transfer stuffed mushrooms to a serving plate. Yields 24 large stuffed mushrooms.

Cheddar-Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound mushrooms

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

1 onion

1 cup coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (about 4 ounces)

1/2 cup fine fresh bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove stems from mushrooms and chop stems. Melt butter. With a pastry brush gently brush mushroom caps all over with some melted butter. Arrange caps, stemmed sides up, on a large baking sheet. Lightly toast walnuts and finely chop. Finely chop parsley. Finely chop onion and in a large heavy skillet sauté with chopped stems in remaining butter over moderately high heat until mixture is softened. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Divide mixture among mushroom caps, mounding it slightly. Mushrooms may be stuffed 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bake mushrooms in middle of oven 20 minutes. Serve mushrooms warm.

One of my senior adult friends from work asked me recently if I could find her a recipe for vegetarian chili. Although I did not look for one as of yet, I have received several from readers for her to start trying.

Pinto Bean and Vegetable Chili

1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) dried pinto beans, picked over and rinsed; soaked overnight

2 large onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/3 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

6 cups water

3 cups chicken broth

28 ounce can tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped fine

10 ounce package frozen corn

3/4 cup bulgur

2 medium zucchini, scrubbed well and cut into 3/4 inch pieces

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, or to taste

3/4 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives if desired, pitted and chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander, if desired

In a large bowl let the pinto beans soak in enough water to cover them by 2 inches overnight and drain them, or quick-soak them and drain them. In a large heavy kettle cook the onions and four of the garlic cloves, minced, in the oil over moderate heat, stirring until the onions are softened. Add the chili powder, cumin and cayenne and cook the mixture, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the beans and the water and simmer the mixture, uncovered, adding more water if necessary to keep the beans barely covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the beans are tender. Add the broth, the tomatoes, bell pepper and corn and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Add the bulgur and the zucchini and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the zucchini is just tender. Stir in the remaining two garlic cloves, minced, the Worcestershire sauce, olives, and salt and pepper to taste, simmer the chili for 5 minutes, and stir in the coriander. The chili may be frozen or made four days in advance, cooled uncovered, and kept covered and chilled. Yields 6 to 8 servings (12 cups).

Rob Weeks of Cape Girardeau was looking for a new way to serve hearts of palm. I don't remember if the request was for himself personally, or for a friend. But regardless, this recipe was sent in by Jodi Thompson for your enjoyment.

Hearts of Palm Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

1 (11-ounce) can hearts of palm

1 bunch watercress or chervil

2 shallots, peeled and chopped

4 tablespoons vinaigrette, store bought or homemade

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, rinsed

Remove hearts of palm from can, rinse, drain and pat dry. Set aside. Rinse watercress or chervil thoroughly and pat dry. Blend together shallots with vinaigrette. Place 1 cup watercress loosely on each plate. Cut hearts of palm at a diagonal in bite-size pieces and arrange on two plates. Place half the cherry tomatoes on each plate. Spoon 2 tablespoons vinaigrette on each plate, then add a couple more sprigs of watercress on top for garnish. Serve within 30 minutes. Serves 2.

Note: You may add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the hearts of palms after patting them dry. Salt and pepper to taste makes this better. If the tomatoes are large, slice them in half and gently squeeze them to remove excess juice and seeds. Choose a simple, high quality vinaigrette. This recipe doubles easily. White asparagus may be substituted for the hearts of palms. Simply blanch the spears; remove the ends and chill. Grape tomatoes may be substituted for cherry tomatoes.

I have gone way over my allotted space so will need to continue recipe requests and replies next week.

Please continue to keep our American troops and their families in your thoughts and prayers. And, until next week, may God continue to bless America.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.