Stuffed Baby Bellas

 

Ingredients

· 16 baby portabella mushrooms

· 1 pound ground chicken or turkey breast

· 1 teaspoon fennel seed, 1/3 palmful

· 1 small onion, finely chopped

· 3 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped

· 1 lemon

· 1 cup shredded asiago cheese

· 1/2 cup bread crumbs, a couple handfuls

· 1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry in a clean kitchen towel

· Salt and pepper

· 2 tablespoons EVOO (Extra-virgin olive oil)

· 1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped almonds

 

Steps

1) Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Remove the stems and finely shop them.

2) Preheat the oven to 400°F.

3) In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, fennel seed, onions, garlic, lemon zest, half of the cheese, the chopped mushroom stems, bread crumbs, and spinach, and season with salt and pepper. Season the mushroom caps as well with salt and pepper. Brush lightly with EVOO and stuff the mixture into the caps.

4) Arrange the caps on a rimmed baking sheet or in a baking dish. Leave some room around each mushroom to prevent the caps from getting steamy. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and the nuts on the caps and transfer to the oven. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

5) Serve warm.

 

From: Rachael Ray’s Look + Cook: 100 can’t-miss main courses in pictures.

 

S’mores Cookies

 

Ingredients

· 1/2 cup (45 g) old-fashioned oats

· 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour

· 1 cup (113 g) whole wheat flour

· 1/2 teaspoon (1.3 g) ground cinnamon (optional)

· 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda

· 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt

· 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks, 16 tablespoons)

· 3/4 cup (214 g) light brown sugar

· 1 large egg

· 8 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 30 squares

· 15 large marshmallows, cut in half lengthwise

 

Steps

1) Begin by preheating the oven to 350° F (~177° C).

2) Using a food processor, grind the oats until fine. They will still be slightly coarse.

3) Add the all purpose and whole wheat flours, cinnamon if using, the baking soda, and salt, then pulse to blend.

4) With an electric or stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. On low, beat in the egg.

5) With mixer still on low, stir in the dry ingredient mix until just combined. The batter will be chunky.

6) Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out dough and quickly shape into balls, flatten them lightly, then indent the middle with a slight thumbprint. You may have more than 30 cookies worth of dough so have some extra chocolate on hand.

7) Set the dough at least one inch apart on two cookie sheets and top each cookie with chocolate. Do not let the chocolate overhang the dough; stack as necessary.

8) Bake cookies for 11 to 13 minutes until lightly golden brown on the edges. Recommended: bake one sheet at a time for best results though both sheets can be baked together. Be sure to rotate the sheets halfway through if you are baking two at a time.

9) Remove the cookies when ready and top each with half of a marshmallow.

10) Move an oven rack to the second level below the top and turn on the broiler. Slide a cookie sheet all the way to one side, brown the marshmallow tops then slide the sheet to the other side, browning the other half of the sheet.

11) Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

 

From: Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection: 100+ Recipes to Take Your Sweet Treats to the Next Level

By: Martha Stewart

Note: The recipe featured above was an adaption from The Bake Dept. created to make the instructions more clear

 

National Bao Day

If you’re a fan of Fujian cuisine, you’ll be very excited to hear that National Bao Day falls on August 22nd this year. Baos, otherwise known as pork belly buns, are a popular Chinese sandwich that can be crafted in a variation of ways, commonly stuffed with pork and a selection of vegetables. These beloved delicacies have become an art form to many, and were even the star of a short film that came out in 2018 titled Bao. Whether you’re a long-time fan of these, or are interested in trying them for the first time, BPL has just the thing for you! Check out these three cookbooks for some delicious recipes and unique ways to indulge in baos.

• Double Awesome Chinese Food: Irresistible and Totally Achievable Recipes from our Chinese-American Kitchen by Margaret Li

• The Everything Chinese Cookbook by Manyee Elaine Mar

• Betty Crocker's New Chinese Cookbook by Leeann Chin

If you’re interested in any of these titles, they can be found in the Nonfiction section of BPL’s in-house, Adult collection. However, there’s far more options on our Hoopla and Overdrive, if you prefer reading digitally. Let us know if you try any of these recipes and how you’re planning to celebrate National Bao Day!

Spinach & Jack Cheese Bread Pudding

 

Ingredients

· 6 large eggs

· 2 cups low-fat milk

· 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

· 1/4 teaspoon. salt

· 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

· 1 pinch ground nutmeg

· 1 package frozen chopped spinach

· 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

· 8 slice firm white bread

 

Steps

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat eggs, milk, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until blended. With rubber spatula, stir in spinach, Monterey Jack, and bread.

2) Pour mixture into 13-inch by 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Bake bread pudding 20 to 25 minutes or until browned and puffed and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

3) Remove bread pudding from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 

From: Casseroles: 60 Fabulous One-Dish Recipes

By: Good Housekeeping

 

Alice in Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a popular children’s novel written by Lewis Carroll in 1865. Since the release of the book, hundreds of spin-offs, adaptations, movies, songs, merchandise, and more have been inspired by the literary workings of Carroll. One of the many inspired works that BPL has in its collection is Drink Me!: Curious Cocktails from Wonderland, by Nick Perry and Paul Rosser, which I thought would be a great choice for August’s quirky cookbook selection. This book has twenty recipes with fun titles such as Bread and Butterfly Pudding, and the Unbirthday Cake Martini; plus, the graphics that accompany each recipe are reminiscent of Carroll’s bestseller. Whether you’re planning a relaxing night in with friends, or preparing for a busy night on the town, these drinks are sure to be a hit at your next party. If you’re interested in this title, you can find it under the call number, “641.874 Coc” in the adult Non-Fiction section.

Chechebsa (Ethiopian Spiced Honey Flatbread)

 

Ingredients

· 1 oz. clarified butter or ghee

· 1/2 tbsp. berbere spice

· 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

· 3 1/2 fluffy flatbread, torn into bite-sized pieces

· 1/8 tsp. + a pinch of salt, divided

· 2 large eggs

· 1 tbsp. neutral cooking oil

 

To Serve

· 3 tbsp. plain Greek yogurt

· 2 green chilies (optional), sliced, to garnish

· 2 sprigs fresh cilantro (optional), leaves only, roughly chopped

· Pinch of smoked paprika

· 2 tbsp. honey

 

Steps

1) In a small pan over medium-low heat, warm the clarified butter until it is completely melted. Add the berbere spice and smoked paprika, and gently heat for 5 seconds or until fragrant.

2) To a medium bowl, add the flatbread and pour the spiced butter over it. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Toss until all of the surfaces are coated, and set aside.

3) In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. In a work, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the eggs and cook undisturbed until big bubbles form. Roughly scramble into medium-sized curds. Set aside.

4) To the same work, add the seasoned flatbread and cook until slightly crispy but still chewy and tender on the inside. Return the scrambled eggs to the pan and toss to mix.

5) Transfer to a serving plate. Top with yogurt, sliced chilies and cilantro (if using), smoked paprika, and honey. (Be generous with the honey drizzle!)

 

 

From: Kitchen Passport: Feed Your Wanderlust with 85 Recipes From a Traveling Foodie

By: Arseny Knaifel