Recipe OTM

Recipe of the Month

Question of the month:
Many of my readers have asked: What should I do with the last few mushrooms in the bag or carton?

Answer:
Mushrooms can dry out quickly or spoil, so it’s best to use them up as soon as possible. Mushrooms are very versatile.
You can add them to soups, rice, vegetable dishes and sauces. But it you want a unique mushroom filling that you can
use in many different ways, try this month’s recipe for Mushroom Ripieno. The word “ripieno” means stuffing in Italian.
This recipe is a modified version of the classic French mixture called “Duxelles”, which is usually made with minced
mushrooms, shallots, and butter. I developed this recipe with olive oil instead, and added some garlic and oregano for
more of an Italian flavor. Below the recipe, I have listed several ways to use this savory mushroom filling to add
excitement to poultry, fish, pasta, rice and sandwiches.

Note: The recipe below calls for shallots. Some people confuse them with “scallions”. Shallots are small brown dried
onions about one inch in diameter; they are very mild onions. Scallions are green onions, with a tiny white bulb and a tall
green stalk. The two types of onions are usually not interchangeable in recipes, so make sure you use the right type.

Mushroom Ripieno
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups minced mushrooms, including stems
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon white or black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the shallots and garlic in the olive oil for one to 2 minutes until shallots start to
turn golden brown. Add mushrooms and continue to sauté until mushrooms lose their moisture, about 4 minutes. Stir in
oregano and pepper and cook one minute more. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Makes 1 cup of ripieno. Can
refrigerate until ready to use.

USES FOR RIPIENO:

--Fill omelets with 2 or 3 tablespoons of ripieno.
--Stir into hot cooked rice and add 1/2 cup of cooked peas for a festive side dish.
--Use as a filling for thin fish fillets such as sole. Roll up and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until
fish is cooked through.
--Spread onto spinach or wheat tortillas and add thin slices of tomato, turkey, or ham for a tasty “wrap” sandwich.
--Add a few tablespoons of ripieno to ground beef or ground turkey; shape into burgers and grill them.
--Stuffed chicken breasts: Make a horizontal slit in boneless chicken breasts and add 1 or 2 tablespoons of ripieno. Brown
the filled chicken breasts in olive oil in a skillet for 2 minutes on each side, then roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25
minutes. The mixture seasons the chicken from the inside out!
--Pasta sauce: In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown 1/4 cup of chopped Roma tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Add 1 tablespoon chopped black olives and 1/2 cup of ripieno. Stir to blend flavors. When tomato pieces are slightly soft,
add 1 tablespoon of white wine to the pan. Cook for one minute, and then toss with hot pasta. This is a vegetarian
version of this sauce, but you can also add 1/4 cup of canned tuna or smoked salmon, or some slices of cooked Italian
sausage.

Additional mushroom recipes can be found in “The Use-It-Up Cookbook” on the following pages: 39,51, 52,
60, 61, 119, 134, 135, 156, 165, 166, 183, 196, 197

Catherine Kitcho
Author and Frugal Cook

Last Month's Recipe:

Question of the month:
Chris from Seattle asks: “What should I do with that little jar of capers hanging around in my refrigerator?”

Answer:
Where do I begin? I use capers in lots of dishes, from sauces to seafood and poultry, to rice and pasta. Capers can be
used to add a tart flavor and a little crunch to other ingredients that might otherwise be bland. As packaged in a jar,
capers are “pickled”, so you can keep them a very long time. Here is my all-time favorite recipe for using up capers:

Caper Fish Almondine

1 pound fish fillets, such as red snapper, tilapia or cod
1/2 cup of almond meal (see note)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
grated peel of one lemon
1 egg white
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice from one lemon
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Cut fish fillets in serving-size pieces. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine ground almonds, paprika and lemon peel
and mix thoroughly with a fork. In a second shallow bowl, whip egg white slightly. Dip fish pieces in egg white, then in
breading mixture and set on a sheet of waxed paper to dry for 5 minutes. In large braising pan with cover, place olive oil
and heat to medium high. Brown fish fillets for one minute on each side, taking care that they don’t brown too quickly.
Add lemon juice and wine to pan, then cover pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Add capers to pan, then cover once
more and cook for one more minute. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve. Makes 3 to 4 servings, depending on
portion size.

Note: you might be able to find ground almond meal in some specialty stores. If not, you can make your own. Use
roasted unsalted almonds or blanched almonds. Place in food processor or blender and grind until they are the
consistency of corn meal. Don’t over-process or you will end up with almond butter! To make a half-cup of almond meal
for this recipe, use about three-fourths of a cup of whole or blanched almonds.

Additional caper recipes can be found in “The Use-It-Up Cookbook” on the following pages: 44, 107, 110, 159,
167 and 197.

Catherine Kitcho
Author and Frugal Cook

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