Mediterranean Mushrooms

This is a favorite hors d'oeuvre of ours, as it's easy to make and can be prepared well in advance of the dinner.  It's good warm or cold, and could be served as a vegetable side dish instead, if you prefer.

MEDITERRANEAN MUSHROOMS

from Jane Brody Good Food Gourmet

6 servings

1 T. olive oil

1-2 shallots, peeled and minced (can substitute 2 T. minced onions)

4-6 cloves garlic, minced, divided in half

2 lbs. mushrooms, halved (or if large, quartered)

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 t. thyme

1/2 t. rosemary

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided in half

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat, and add the shallots/onion and 1/2 of the garlic. Sauté, stirring, until onions and garlic are tender, about 4 minutes.

Add the rest of the garlic and the mushrooms. Sauté over medium-high heat until the mushrooms start to release their liquid. (This looks like a LOT of mushrooms, but they shrink down a lot as they cook.)

Add the wine, thyme, rosemary, pepper, and 1/2 of the parsley. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring often, for 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Adjust the seasonings (add salt if desired). Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley before serving.

Tuna patties

I was in the mood for something a little different for lunch the other day, and David mixed up these very simple tuna patties. A few years ago, I posted a recipe for tuna burgers made from fresh tuna, and those are certainly good, but this recipe can be made with things you are likely to have at hand, and they are delicious! My stomach was a little queasy that day, so we left out the onions and hot sauce, and even so they were great.

Tuna Patties

adapted from: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/tuna_patties/

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Yield: Makes 4 patties (1 per serving)

2 cans tuna (5 to 6 ounce cans)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup bread (white or whole wheat) torn into small pieces

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives, green onions, or shallots (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A couple squirts of hot sauce or tabasco (optional)

2 egg whites or 1 raw egg

2 Tbsp olive oil (plus 1 t. if using tuna packed in water)

1/2 teaspoon butter

1 Drain the liquid from the tuna cans.  Put a piece of wax or parchment paper on a flat cookie sheet.

2 In a medium bowl, mix together the tuna, mustard, torn bread, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, chives, hot sauce, and—if using tuna packed in water—1 t. olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste the mixture before adding the egg to see if it needs more seasoning to your taste. Mix in the egg.

3 Divide the mixture into 4 parts. With each part, form into a ball and then flatten into a patty. Place onto a wax paper lined tray. You can chill the patties for an hour (to help them stay together in cooking), or just proceed to cooking—works fine either way.

4 Heat the 2 T. olive oil in stick-free skillet on medium high (or heat up an electric grill pan). Gently place the patties in the pan, and cook until nicely browned, 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serve on their own, or serve on a bun for a tuna burger.