Spicy Mushroom Dip

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh ginger, ground
1 tsp fresh lemon grass, ground or grated lemon peel
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp sesame oil
16 firm white mushrooms

Dipping Sauce

3 tbsp roasted peanuts
1 red chili pepper, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp mint, finely chopped
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
3 tbsp light soy sauce mixed with 1 tsp anchovy paste
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup skimmed milk

Method

1. Mix the garlic, ginger, lemon grass, cilantro, and sesame oil. Marinate the mushrooms in the mixture for 3-4 hours, turning frequently.
2. Make the dipping sauce by mixing and pounding all the dipping sauce ingredients together except for the skimmed milk. A rough paste should result. Stir in the skimmed milk.
3. Thread the mushrooms onto four skewers. Place on the barbecue or under a high broiler for about 3 minutes on either side, basting with the marinade.
4. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Healthy Vegetarian Cooking

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Eggs Connaught

Ingredients

6 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 slice of onion
blade of mace
6 peppercorns
3-1/2 oz butter
1 tablespoon plain flour
salt and pepper
2 tbsp soft cheese
1 teaspoon paprika pepper
4 oz cooked prawns (shelled)
1 bunch of watercress (to garnish)

Method

1. Scald the milk with the onion, mace and peppercorns, tip into a jug, cover and leave to infuse.
2. Rinse the pan with cold water, drop in 1/2 oz butter, heat gently and blend in the flour. Strain on the milk and add salt. Stir continuously, bring milk to the boil, cook 1 minute.
3. Turn on to a plate, cover with buttered paper to prevent a skin forming and leave sauce until cold.
4. Cream remaining butter until soft.
5. Split the hard-boiled eggs in two, scoop out the yolks and rub through a wire strainer. Keep the whites in a bowl of water as they soon get hard if exposed to air. Work the yolks with the butter, cheese, paprika and cold sauce.
6. Chop half the prawns finely, add to the mixture and season to taste.
7. Drain and dry the egg whites and have ready a round serving dish or use a cake platter.
8. Spoon a drop of filling on to the dish to hold each egg white in position, arrange them in a circle and then fill each with the mixture, or you can use a piping bag with a 1/2-inch plain nozzle. Scatter over the remaining prawns (split in half, if large) and dust with paprika. Place the watercress in the middle and serve brown bread and butter separately.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Cooking with Eggs

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Eggs Stuffed with Prosciutto

Ingredients

4 hard-boiled eggs
4 oz prosciutto, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped capers
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
salt

Garnish

capers, shrimps, anchovy fillets, desalted, mayonnaise

Method

1. Shell the hard-boiled eggs, remove the yolks carefully with a teaspoon and work them through a sieve.
2. Blend in the chopped prosciutto and capers, the mustard, butter or margarine, mayonnaise, and salt to taste.
3. Fill the egg whites with the mixture, using a pastry bag.
4. Garnish some eggs with capers, some with whole shrimps, and some with anchovy fillets rolled around dots of mayonnaise, on top of the eggs. Keep cool until serving.

Source: The Cook’s Book

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Warm Camembert with Wild Mushroom Fricassee

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 (8-ounce) wheel of ripe Camembert in its wooden box, at room temperature
1 tablespoon walnut oil
3/4 pound wild mushrooms, trimmed, caps thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large sage leaves, minced
sourdough toasts, for serving

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Spread the walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.
3. Remove the Camembert from the box and unwrap it. Put the cheese back in the bottom half of the box and set it on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until soft.
4. In a large skillet, heat the walnut oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 minutes longer.
5. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 2 minutes.
6. Stir in the parsley and sage; season with salt and pepper.
7. Invert the Camembert onto a platter. Stir the walnuts into the mushrooms and spoon over the cheese. Serve with the toasts.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Chef Daniel Boulud

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Hot-smoked Salmon Fishcakes with Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

300 g mashed potatoes
600 g hot-smoked or kiln-roasted salmon, flaked
2 green onions, chopped or sliced
juice of 1 lemon
freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
seasoned flour, for coating
butter, for frying
extra olive oil, for drizzling

Tomato Salsa

6 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into eighths
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 fresh red chilies, finely sliced (seeds and all)
4 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lime
4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh coriander

Method

1. Make the salsa. Mix all the ingredients together, cover and set aside while you make the fishcakes.
2. Put the mashed potatoes (hot or cold) into a large mixing bowl, then add the flaked salmon and green onions.
3. Squeeze the lemon juice into the mix. Fold together with a wooden spoon until the fish is well mixed through. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
4. Shape the mixture into eight fishcakes. Dip each one in seasoned flour.
5. Melt the butter in a frying pan and when it’s hot add the fishcakes and fry for 3-4 minutes until nicely golden in color. Turn over and repeat on the other side. Keep warm.
6. To serve, place a dollop of salsa in the center of each plate, place a fishcake on top and drizzle round a little olive oil.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Top 100 Salmon Recipes

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