Yuletide Ring
Ingredients
—FOR THE OUTER LAYER—
2 oz butter, or vegan margarine
1 each onion, chopped
3 1/2 oz button mushrooms
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
2 each tomatoes, fresh or canned
5 oz soft wholewheat breadcrumbs
5 oz cashew nuts, grated
5 oz walnuts, grated
1 tablespoon marmite
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 salt
1 pepper, freshly ground
—FOR THE ALMOND & LEMON LAYER—
2 oz butter or vegan margarine
1 each onion, chopped
8 oz blanched almonds
4 oz soft white breadcrumbs
2 each lemons
—FOR THE MUSHROOM pate—
1 pound button mushrooms
1 oz butter
3 oz soft breadcrumbs
1 butter; for greasing tin
—GARNISH—
1 lemon and tomato slices
1 parsley sprigs
Directions:
First thoroughly grease a 22-23 cm (9 to 9-1/2 inch) ring mould, 1.2 liter (2 pint) capacity with butter.
Since the basis of both nut mixtures is fried onion, you can melt the butter for both of them in a large saucepan, add both the onions and fry for 10 minutes until tender but not browned. Put half the mixture into a bowl on one side. To complete the dark/outer mixture, add the mushrooms and mixed herbs to the pan. Skin the tomatoes, if you’re using fresh ones, chop and add to the saucepan, or just mash in the canned ones, without any juice. Let this mixture cook until all the liquid has gone, then remove from the heat and stir in all the remaining ingredients, and 50 ml (2 fl oz) of the water, to make a medium-soft mixture.
To complete the almond and lemon layer, grind the almonds and add to the other lot of fried onion, along with the crumbs and 200 ml (7 fl oz) water, and flavour with lemon rind and juice. If you like a really lemony mixture use the grated rind and juice of 1-1/2 lemons; if that is too much for your taste, adjust the amount accordingly, and perhaps add a tablespoonful or two more water. The mixture should be quite soft but not sloppy.
To make the mushroom pate, wash the mushrooms and chop the roughly. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the mushrooms and fry them, without a lid on the pan - they will soon make a great deal of liquid. Continue to cook them, uncovered, until all the liquid has gone - this may take as long as 30 minutes. Then liquidize with the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.
Set the oven to 375 F.
To assemble the ring, first press the dark nut mixture into the tin, to cover the base and all the way up the sides to within about 5 mm (1/4 inch) of the top (leave this clear to allow the mixture to rise a bit as it cooks). Next, put in the white mixture, over the dark one, to cover it. Add the mushroom pate to fill the ring. When it is all in, gently press the top so that it is level, about 5 mm (1/4 inch) below the top. Cover with a piece of greased foil.
When you are ready to bake the ring, put it into the oven and bake for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, or until the ring feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let it stand for 2-3 minutes, then loosen the edges, put a large round plate on top of it, and turn it upside down; hopefully it will come out in one piece. Fill the centre with stuffing balls, decorate the top with slices of tomato, lemon and parsley, and serve immediately.
Mushroom Individuals
1 pound button mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove — crushed
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry
1 cup sour cream
Wash and dry mushrooms. Melt butter and add the crushed garlic. Add the mushrooms to the butter, at the same time adding dill weed, salt, pepper, lemon juice and sherry. Cook for 20 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through. Pour small amount of mushroom liquid into sour cream and blend. Then pour sour cream over mushrooms and mix to thoroughly coat mushrooms. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight to permit marinating process. When ready to serve, place in chafing dish and heat. Stick toothpick, plain or decorated into each mushroom for individual appetizer serving.
Asparagus and sesame chicken soup
2 lbs Chicken
2 c Warm water
3 tbsp Sesame oil
1 tsp Sugar
6 Slices ginger root
1/2 c Button mushrooms, canned
1/2 c Medium sherry
8 Fresh asparagus spears
1/2 tsp Salt
Wash chicken, remove fat pockets, pat dry, and chop into bite-size pieces. NOTE: if tempted to use breast Meat without bones, please don’t; bones add to body and flavor of Soup.
Peel and slice ginger root. Wash and cut asparagus into 2″ sections. Braising: Heat wok to medium Hot. Add sesame oil. Start braising chicken a few pieces at a time when oil begins to smell. Sesame oil will burn at lower temperature than other cooking oils, so avoid Hot wok. After browning lightly, return chicken pieces to wok; add ginger slices, sherry and salt.
When sherry boils, add water and Sugar. Turn up heat, bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add mushrooms and asparagus, simmer for another 15 minutes. Transfer to covered Soup tureen (or put plate on top of Soup bowl), place in steamer on low, and hold until ready to serve. You can make this Soup in large Sauce pan, if wok is needed for something else.
Yuletide Ring
Ingredients
—FOR THE OUTER LAYER—
2 oz butter, or vegan margarine
1 each onion, chopped
3 1/2 oz button mushrooms
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
2 each tomatoes, fresh or canned
5 oz soft wholewheat breadcrumbs
5 oz cashew nuts, grated
5 oz walnuts, grated
1 tablespoon marmite
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 salt
1 pepper, freshly ground
—FOR THE ALMOND & LEMON LAYER—
2 oz butter or vegan margarine
1 each onion, chopped
8 oz blanched almonds
4 oz soft white breadcrumbs
2 each lemons
—FOR THE MUSHROOM pate—
1 pound button mushrooms
1 oz butter
3 oz soft breadcrumbs
1 butter; for greasing tin
—GARNISH—
1 lemon and tomato slices
1 parsley sprigs
Directions:
First thoroughly grease a 22-23 cm (9 to 9-1/2 inch) ring mould, 1.2 liter (2 pint) capacity with butter.
Since the basis of both nut mixtures is fried onion, you can melt the butter for both of them in a large saucepan, add both the onions and fry for 10 minutes until tender but not browned. Put half the mixture into a bowl on one side. To complete the dark/outer mixture, add the mushrooms and mixed herbs to the pan. Skin the tomatoes, if you’re using fresh ones, chop and add to the saucepan, or just mash in the canned ones, without any juice. Let this mixture cook until all the liquid has gone, then remove from the heat and stir in all the remaining ingredients, and 50 ml (2 fl oz) of the water, to make a medium-soft mixture.
To complete the almond and lemon layer, grind the almonds and add to the other lot of fried onion, along with the crumbs and 200 ml (7 fl oz) water, and flavour with lemon rind and juice. If you like a really lemony mixture use the grated rind and juice of 1-1/2 lemons; if that is too much for your taste, adjust the amount accordingly, and perhaps add a tablespoonful or two more water. The mixture should be quite soft but not sloppy.
To make the mushroom pate, wash the mushrooms and chop the roughly. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the mushrooms and fry them, without a lid on the pan - they will soon make a great deal of liquid. Continue to cook them, uncovered, until all the liquid has gone - this may take as long as 30 minutes. Then liquidize with the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.
Set the oven to 375 F.
To assemble the ring, first press the dark nut mixture into the tin, to cover the base and all the way up the sides to within about 5 mm (1/4 inch) of the top (leave this clear to allow the mixture to rise a bit as it cooks). Next, put in the white mixture, over the dark one, to cover it. Add the mushroom pate to fill the ring. When it is all in, gently press the top so that it is level, about 5 mm (1/4 inch) below the top. Cover with a piece of greased foil.
When you are ready to bake the ring, put it into the oven and bake for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, or until the ring feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let it stand for 2-3 minutes, then loosen the edges, put a large round plate on top of it, and turn it upside down; hopefully it will come out in one piece. Fill the centre with stuffing balls, decorate the top with slices of tomato, lemon and parsley, and serve immediately.