Stuffed Mushrooms

I made these for a Memorial Day appetizer... it was a first time recipe, and it was a hit! They're pretty easy to make and are very tasty!

Ingredients:

24 ounces, White Button Mushrooms (or whatever small fresh mushrooms you can find)
⅓ pounds Hot Pork Sausage

½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced

4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced

8 ounces, Cream Cheese

1 whole Egg Yolk

¾ cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated

⅓ cups Dry White Wine

Salt And Pepper (to Taste)

Directions: 

De-stem the mushrooms, making a cavity.

Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool.

Add onions and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat. Pour in wine to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate. Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.

In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir together with Parmesan cheese.

Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together and refrigerate for a short time to firm up.

Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not extremely hot. Garnish with minced parsley if you're feeling fancy.

Boca Nuts

Boca Nuts (a great snack to just have in a bowl by the couch)

This is a good-tasting snack offered at the exceptional Santa Barbara bed and breakfast, Simpson House Inn. Thanks Maureen and Papa Jim for contacting them for the recipe! 

Ingredients:

4 pounds raw mixed nuts

2 egg whites

2 cups granulated sugar (I used 1c. of sugar and 1c. of splenda)

2 Tablespoons salt (I omitted this because the mixed nuts I bought already had some salt in them, although they weren't labeled "salted," it was included in the ingredients)

2 Tablespoons Curry powder

2 Teaspoons ground black pepper

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I couldn't find unsweetened, but sweetened tasted just as good) 

Directions:

In a large bowl wisk egg whites with two tablespoons water.  Once frothy add nuts to bowl.  Toss to coat nuts evenly.  In another bowl combine rest of ingredients.  Mix well.  Add sugar mixture to nuts stirring to coat nuts evenly.  Bake 325 on cookie sheets turning and stirring nuts every 5-10 min until lightly browned and dry.  Cool nuts 10 min.  Once the nuts are cool enough to handle gently break apart.  Keeps in an air tight container up to two months.

Brie Bread Bowl

Ingredients:
1 sourdough bread bowl
1 Brie cheese round (pick a sourdough round that will fit the Brie)
4 granny smith apples

Directions:
Cut and clear out part of the bread round, to make a bowl. "Unskin" the Brie and place it in the bread bowl. Place bread bowl lid on top of Brie. Save extra bread from inside to dip in the Brie.Wrap bowl in foil. Bake for approximately 45 min at 375 degrees. Don't over bake. Check every 20 minutes to see if the Brie is melting, and make sure the bread doesn't burn. Cut the apples, to dip.

Enjoy! This is a great appetizer and serves well with wine (or so I'm told)!

Beef Dip - A Random Recipe from "Bethany's Best - 2001"

This bread bowl dip is always a favorite appetizer of mine when at a party... you'll absolutely love it too! Thank you Marcia and Dixie for submitting it into Bethany's cookbook!

ingredients:

1 loaf round bread or sourdough

1 (8oz.) cream cheese
3/4 c. grated cheddar cheese
3-5 diced green onions
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 small jar chipped beef
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

directions:
Mix all ingredients except bread. Cut round opening in top of bread and remove the interior of the bread and save round topping. Put mixture in bread, replace round opening, wrap in foil and bake at 300 degrees for 1-1/2 hours. Use interior of bread & cut vegetables (&/or another loaf of bread) for dipping. 

This picture is actually of a different kind of dip, but I didn't have a picture & you get the idea :) plus, I can't compete with Marcia's beautiful arrangement when she makes it :)

ENJOY!