Author Archives: Andy

MUSSELS WITH HERBS

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  • 3 # mussels

  • 2 T. salt

  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

  • 6 large shallots

  • 1 large garlic clove

  • 2 T. unsalted butter

  • 2 medium fresh tomatoes

  • 1 ½ t. dried basil

  • 2 T. cognac

  • 4 T. butter

Soak mussels in salt for ½ hour.  Scrub, removing beard and discarding any open
ones.  Melt 2 T. butter.  Sauté parsley, shallots and garlic for 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and basil.  Add cleaned mussels.  Cover and cook on low hear about 10 minutes.  Spoon mussels on platter.  Add cognac and 4 T. butter to juices in pan.  Wisk butter.  Pour juice over mussels.

MUSSEL PILAF (TERRI JOSWICK) 4 servins

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Mussels

  • 3 pounds mussels

  • 1 ½ cups Bloody Mary mix

  • ½ cup chopped onion

  • 1 t. Tabasco sauce

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • Salt to taste

Pilaf

  • 2 T. plus 1 t. olive oil

  • ¼ cup chopped onion

  • 1 cup long grain white rice

  • 2 cups water

  • ½ t. salt

  • 2 T. chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Wash mussels in sink with cold water and remove and discard any beards.  Drain them and put in a large sauce pan with the remaining  ingredients.  Cook, covered over high heat stirring occasionally until all mussels have opened ( about 8 minutes).  Drain mussels, reserving broth and remove them from their shells.  You should have about 1 ½ cups of mussel meat and about 1 ½ cups of broth.  Taste and add salt if necessary.  Set aside.

For the pilaf, heat 2 T. of oil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the rice and add the water and salt.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile oil four small ramekins each with about a 1 cup capacity with remaining 1 t. oil.

At serving time, reheat the mussels in the mussel broth. Spoon about ½ cup of rice into each of the oiled bowls and spread it onto the bottom and around the sides of each bowl to create a nest in the center.  Press one quarter of the
mussel  meat into the center of the rice in each ramekin.  Press more rice on top
of the mussels to enclose them, pressing well on the rice so the mixture holds
together.  Unmold the rice onto four warm plates and spoon the hot mussel broth around the rice.  Sprinkle the parsely on top and serve.

MUSHROOMS ON TOAST POINTS

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  • 2 T. butter melted

  • 2 T. flour

  • ½ cup milk (try cream or half & half)

  • ¾ t. curry

  • 1 egg slightly beaten

  • 1 to 1 ½ t. Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

  • ½ t. salt

  • 1/8 t. pepper

Mix flour and curry with melted butter over stove.  Gradually add milk and remove
from heat.  Add remainder of ingredients.  Spread over toast triangles and broil. 

MUSHROOM TURNOVERS

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Dough

  • 1 cup butter

  • 1 package of cream cheese (8 oz)

  • ½ t. salt

  • 2 cups flour

Mix butter, cheese and salt.  Add flour.  Form dough into an 8 x 6 rectangle on a piece of wax paper.  Wrap and chill overnight.  Remove 8-10 minutes before rolling.  Divide into half and roll each half into a 9”x 6” rectangle.  Fold over in
thirds.  Roll fold again.  Roll to 1/8” thickness and cut into 2 ½” rounds.  Fill and brush with wash of 1egg yolk and 2 T. cream.

Filling

  • 2 cans mushrooms (4 oz cans) chopped very finely

  • ½ cup onion chopped finely

  • 2 T. butter

  • ½ t. salt

  • 1/8 t. white pepper

  • 1 t. lemon juice

  • 2 T. flour

  • ½ cup light cream

  • 1 T. sherry or dry vermouth

Sauté onions and butter.  Add remainder of ingredients and stir well.

MUSHROOM SOUP

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  • 1 stick unsalted butter

  • 1 small onion diced

  • 1 small leek (white only) diced

  • 1 small celery stalk diced

  • 1 small potato peeled and diced

  • 2 # fresh mushrooms

  • 4 cups chicken stock

  • ½ cup heavy cream

  • Salt and pepper

Melt 6 T butter and sauté onion, leek, celery, and potato for 15 minutes.  Add
mushrooms.  Cook 10 minutes.  Add chicken stock, bring to boil, reduce heat
and simmer 30 minutes.  Using a strainer or slotted spoon, transfer all solid material to processor.  Puree.
Put pureed solids back into broth. Add remaining butter and cream just before serving.

WARM MUSHROOM SALAD

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  • 1 pound of cremini mushrooms

  • 2 T. unsalted butter

  • 4 T. olive oil divided

  • 1 t. kosher salt

  • ½ t. freshly ground pepper

  • 4 bunches of fresh arugula, washed and spun dry

  • 8 slices good Italian prosciutto

  • 2 T. sherry wine vinegar

  • Chunk of Parmesan cheese

  • 8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and julienned

  • Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Clean the mushrooms.  Remove and discard stems and slice the caps.  In a large sauté pan, heat the butter and 2 T. of the olive oil until bubbly.  Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes over medium heat, tossing frequently.  Reduce the heat to low and sauté for another 2-3 minutes, until cooked thoroughly.
Meanwhile, arrange the arugula on four plates and cover each portion
with 2 slices of prosciutto.  When the mushrooms are cooked, add the sherry vinegar and the remaining 2 T. of live oil to the hot pan.  Spoon the mushrooms and sauce on top of the prosciutto.  With a vegetable peeler, make large shavings of cheese on top of the hot mushrooms.
Sprinkle with the sun-dried tomatoes, parsley leaves, salt and pepper
and serve warm. Serves 4

TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA SUB SANDWICH

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  • 1# fresh mozzarella

  • 4-6 T garlic vinaigrette

  • 1 loaf of baguette bread, sliced lengthwise and bread removed

  • 1-2 firm ripe Roma tomatoes

  • Shredded lettuce

Vinaigrette

  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar

  • 1-2 large garlic cloves

  • 1 T. shallots chopped

  • ½ t. dried oregano or marjoram

  • 2 T chopped parsley

  • ¾ cup olive oil

Brush insides of baguette with vinaigrette.  Slice tomatoes and cheese and layer in bottom cavity.  Sprinkle with vinaigrette.  Cover with shredded lettuce.  Close lid and wrap in foil for an hour or so.

MOJITOS

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  • 2 cups water

  • 2 cups superfine sugar

  • 2 cups packed fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish

  • Ice cubes

  • 2 ½ cups light rum

  • ½ cup fresh lime juice

  • 2 liters club soda

Combine water and sugar in 2 qt. saucepan and bring to boil stirring until sugar dissolves.  Add mint leaves and let steep for 1 hour.  Strain syrup and discard the
mint.  Cover and cool for up to 4 days.  When ready to serve, fill each glass with
ice, add ¼ cup rum, ¼ cup syrup, 2 t. lime juice  and enough club soda to fill glass.  Garnish with mint sprigs and serve.

VEGETABLE SOUP FROM MARTY

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  • 3 quarts of water

  • 2 cups each of diced carrots, diced potatoes, diced onions

  • 1 T salt

  • 1 package of frozen green beans cut up

  • 2 cups cooked canned white navy beans

  • 1/3 cup broken spaghetti

  • 1 slice stale bread crumbled

  • 1/8 t pepper

Boil water and vegetables slowly for 40 minutes.  Add beans, spaghetti and bread crumbs.  Cook for 15 more minutes.  Keep adjusting for salt.  Make a pistou:

  • 4 T tomato paste

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 1 ½ T dried basil

  • ½ cup parmesan cheese

  • ¼ -1/3 cup of olive oil

Blend paste, garlic, basil and cheese in processor.  Stream oil in through
chute.  Mix with 2 cups of hot vegetable broth.  Dump mixture back in pot with rest of vegetables and broth.

MINESTRONE SOUP FROM LELLI’S

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  • 1 large chopped onion

  • 1 clove garlic chopped

  • ½ stick butter

  • 2 cans (each 16 oz) “Veg-All” with liquid

  • 2 cans (each 14 oz) chicken broth

  • 20 oz. northern white kidney beans with liquid

  • 1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes

  • 2 T tomato paste

  • 2 T garlic powder

  • 2 T. chopped parsley

  • 1 t. salt

  • ¼ t. pepper

  • ½  t basil

  • 1/2 package frozen spinach chopped

  • ½ cup parmesan cheese

  • 1/3  cup macaroni

  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

  • Optional:  small amount of chick peas

Sauté onion and garlic in butter.  Add all ingredients except macaroni, cream
and parmesan.  Cook for 1 and 1/2 hours.  Take out ½ of solids and process.  Return to pot and add macaroni and parmesan.  Add ½ and ½ to taste (probably
about ½ cup)