Time to catch up with all those odd things I have been doing and forgetting to post about!
So what to do when you have some lovely portobello mushrooms and don't want the vegetarian mock burgers you can make with them? Create a healthy version of that faithful side: fries.
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| The assembly line: be sure to use the left hand for the egg wash and the right to toss the mushrooms in the cornmeal mixture or you will end up with ugly globs of egg wash/cornmeal on the ends of your fingers! |
Wipe down your mushrooms and give the stems to the spotted wagging dog who shadows your kitchen adventures. Slice them into french fry-like size, drop them in an egg wash (in this case, pour out some Egg Beaters), and then lift them over to a cornmeal/salt/pepper/sweet paprika coating before dropping them on a stone. 20 minutes or so in a 400F oven and check the mushrooms for doneness. You may like them moist or you may find you want them a little drier. Don't forget to salt them again while they are hot! I eyeball the seasonings, knowing what I tend to use when cooking. A little experimenting, and you will realize you know this as well!
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| Before they went into the oven...sorry, they didn't last long enough to get a photo after cooking! |
A couple going-going-not-quite-gone apples and some dried diced plums (yes, prunes! It's all about the marketing!) resulted in a spontaneous dessert. I cored and sliced but did not peel apples until the baker was full (smaller, 6 cup capacity covered stone baker - perfect for family of 4 to 6 dessert portions). Then I mixed together: 1/4 cup of brown sugar, a splash of maple syrup, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 2 tbsp of lemon juice. This mixture went over the apples. On top, the standard crumble topping of 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, some cinnamon and optional nuts to your preference. Cut 4 tbsp butter into the dry ingredients. Bake for 45 minutes or so in a 350F oven.
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| before oven |
I promise I will get better at taking the "after" photos!
