Embellishing Spinach Mushroom Florentine

Substituting ingredients in recipes is something I enjoy doing. The original Spinach Mushroom Florentine is great, page 190 in Tastes & Treasures, but with added cooked and chopped bacon and low fat mozzarella cheese, it became a meal.

Spinach Mushroom Florentine pg 190 Tastes & Treasures

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen choppen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
Garlic powder to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Saute the mushrooms in a non stick skillet until tender. Cool slightly. Press the excess moisture from the spinach. Combine the spinach, onion, butter, 1/2 cup of the cheese and the salt in a bowl and mix well. Spoon half the spinach mixture into a buttered 9 X 13 inch baking dish and top with half the mushrooms. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Top with the remaining spinach mixture, remaining mushrooms and garlic powder. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 6 to 8.

Note: We used lots of fresh spinach and it was so-o-o yummy.
Did not need to butter the dish.
Sauteing mushrooms in Monterey Steak Seasoning makes them very tasty.

Celebrate St Patricks Day with Green Shake

Hungry Girl has a website with low calorie, reduced fat recipes and helpful hints for eating healthy. This is a great drink for St Patricks Day. Shamrock 'n' Roll Shake

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. Coffee-mate Sugar Free French Vanilla powdered creamer
3/4 cup light vanilla soymilk
1/2 cup Breyers Smooth & Dreamy Creamy Vanilla fat-free ice cream
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda)
1 1/2 cups crushed ice (8 - 12 ice cubes' worth)

Directions:
Combine Coffee-mate with 1 tbsp. hot water and stir to dissolve. Transfer mixture to a blender and add all other ingredients. Blend at high speed until mixed thoroughly. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

PER SERVING (1 shake, entire recipe): 176 calories, 4g fat, 142mg sodium, 29.5g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 16g sugars, 7.5g protein -- POINTS® value 3*

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Perfect for a party, these can be made a day ahead and refrigerated- ready to pop in the oven and serve warm and tasty.

Not owning a pastry bag, I used a plastic sandwich bag and cut out a corner. It worked well for these clumsy hands. The photos (thanks to my daughters artistic eye) show the mushrooms prior to a dusting of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and final baking.

How to make really fine breadcrumbs? Use your coffee bean grinder. It worked very well.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS pg 27 Tastes & Treasures cookbook

Ingredients
2 lbs large mushrooms
2 T butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
½ t dried dill weed
3 T grated Parmesan cheese
2 T breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
2 T breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel.

3. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and dice.

4. In a medium skillet, over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Sauté the chopped mushroom stems and the minced garlic for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool.

5. Add the cream cheese and mix thoroughly. Add the dill weed, Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe into the mushroom caps.

7. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 T Parmesan cheese and 2 T breadcrumbs.

8. Bake for 10 minutes or until nicely browned.

Cook’s Note: You may prepare the mushrooms a day ahead and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Serves 8-10

Old Ned's News March 2010

Check out our latest newsletter online now.

Frontdoors: AHS Historical Photographic Fair

FEBRUARY 23, 2010 ISSUE

Arizona Historical Society
Historical Photographic Fair

The Arizona Historical Society Museum (AHSM) at Papago Park is set to host its annual Historical Photographic Fair, featuring camera displays, historic photographs, book sales, children’s activities, speakers and refreshments. Arizonans are asked to enter the historical photograph contest, sharing their pictures of Arizona history in the categories of: People, Commercial establishments, Lifestyles, Arizona cities and towns and Events. Notable photograph advisors will judge entries on photographic merit as well as on the information that accompanies them. Reproductions of selected photographs will remain on exhibit at the museum from March 20 through
the summer of 2010.
To enter the photograph contest or inquire for more information, please contact Jeannine Moyle at 480-585-4872. Admission to this event is free and will take place on Saturday, March 20, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.azhs.gov for more information.

Amish Friendship Bread

Found this package on my doorstep last week and what a treat from my friend, Carol. I am working on my first batch, then will share with friends. Notice the ziploc bag is full of air - Lots of fermentation going on. Wonder how many people have done this?

Important: Do not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing. DO NOT refrigerate and do not bake in a convection oven.
If air gets into the bag, let it out. It is normal for the batter to rise & ferment.

Day 1: Do nothing, this is the day you received the batter.
Day 2: Mush the bag
Day 3: Mush the bag
Day 4: Mush the bag
Day 5: Mush the bag
Day 6: Add to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk, Mush the bag.
Day 7: Mush the bag
Day 8: Mush the bag
Day 9: Mush the bag
Day 10: Follow the directions below:
1. Pour the entire contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl.
2. add 1 ½ cup flour, 1 ½ cup sugar, 1 ½ cup milk
3. Measure out separate batter of 1 cup each into 4 Ziploc 1 gallon size bags. Keep a starter bag for yourself and give 3 to friends with a copy of the recipe. Mark all bags with the date you put together in case it is not being passed on the 1st day.
4. Preheat oven 325 degrees.
5. To the remaining batter in the bowl add (mix dry ingredients together first):
3 eggs
1 cup of oil (or ½ cup of oil and ½ cup applesauce)
½ cup milk
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. each of vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt
2 cups of flour
1 large box of Vanilla Instant pudding mix
Optional: ½ cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips
6. Grease 2 large loaf pans or 1 Bundt pan and mix additional ½ cup sugar and 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon. Dust the greased pan with the mixture.
7. Pour batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture over the top.
8. Bake 1 hour. Cool until bread loosens from pan evenly (about 10 minutes). Serve warm or cold.


Note: if you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking every 10 days. The bread is very good and makes a great gift. If you give all the starters away, you will have to wait until someone gives one back to you.

How to get all that good batter out of a ziploc bag? I rubber banded it to my cupboard knob and let it drip.

Chocolate Variation- omit the cinnamon, replace the vanilla pudding with sugar-free chocolate fudge pudding, add 3 oz. of chopped bittersweet chocolate, and 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
Lemon Variation - omit the cinnamon, use sugar-free lemon pudding, add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract, and 1 cup of frozen wild blueberries, thawed and drained.

Julie Tribbey's dinner party

The Tribbey family enjoyed Garlands Apple Tart at a recent dinner party in Fountain Hills.

Julie Tribbey writes, "Here is the picture the dinner party I went to Saturday night at the Hatch's. Sorry the picture was cut off. In the picture is Jim Hatch (the cook), his wife Peggy and new member Jan Jensen (seated). Jim also made Roast Pork Tenderloin (p 44) and Mixed Greens with Pears (p 43). The meal was topped-off with Garland's Apple Tart (p 48). All guests raved about these delightful choices from Tastes and Treasures."

Garland's Apple Tart

1 Tart Pastry
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into cubes
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
4 large or 5 medium Rome, MacIntosh, Jonathon or Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll the pastry 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Trim the edge into a large circle. Fold the circle in half gently and place over half of a 10 inch shallow fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Unfold the dough and press over the bottom and up the side of the pan. Trim the excess dough around the edge, leaving 1/3 inch of the dough above the rim of the pan. Fold the edge down slightly so that it sits on the edge of the pan. Place the pan in the freezer for 5 minutes. Remove the tart shell from the freezer. Line with baking parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown, removing the baking parchment paper and pie weights a few minutes before the baking time is over.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Pulse 3/4 cup flour and the brown sugar in a food processor to blend. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Whisk the sour cream, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, the salt, vanilla, cinnamon and egg in a bowl until very smooth. Add the apple slices and mix gently to coat. Fill the cooled tart crust with the apple mixture just to the rim, spreading the apples evenly. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or just until the filling begins to set. Remove from the oven and spread the flour mixture evenly and completely over the top. Reduce the oven temperature to 35o degrees. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the tart is a deep golden brown. Cool on a wirre rack for 30 to 60 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Note: This tart is also good using pears or peaches.

Tart Pastry
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Whisk the flour, salt and sugar lightly in a medium bowl to blend. Add the butter and shortening and toss lightly to coat. Cut with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles a very coarse cornmeal. Mix the water and vinegar together. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of the vinegar mixture over the flour mixture and toss to blend. Continue adding the vinegar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing to form a cohesive ball that will hold together when pressed. Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each portion into a disk. Wrap and chill for at least 2 hours before using or store in the freezer. Makes 2 pastry disks.