FOOD Add mushrooms instead for a delicious ‘BMT?’ HAVE YOU noticed that fresh mushrooms have been featured at several supermarkets in the past few weeks? I’ve seen them as low as $1.38 per pound, cheaper than they were in 1965' For a week or so, we had a lot of mushrooms! If your taste for mushrooms ex- tends only as far as fried with steak or Campbeli’s C of M, here are some ideas and recipes. You'll never eat an ordinary “BLT”? again if you try one BMT. Omit the lettuce and never add’ mayo. Crisp bacon, sauteed mushrooms and thick slices of tomato on toast, lots of pepper — Mmmmmm. When you saute mushrooms to serve with steak, add a teaspoon or two of soy sauce while cook- ing. It brings out extra flavor but no one wil! guess the secret. Raw mushrooms don’t freeze worth a damn. You can freeze sauteed mushrooms but they’re no screaming hell, either. Everyone knows about canned mushroom soup as a sauce but home-made mushroom soup (rec- ipe follows) is wonderful with steak, pork chops and chicken — just stir it into the pan drippings, don’t boil! If you are preparing stuffed Barbara McCreadic BUDGET BEATERS 3 tablespoens flour 2-cups chicken broth 1 bay leaf 2 cups 10% cream Salt and white pepper Cook the mushrooms and diced ‘hé Never waste the stems — chop Sine and add to any stuffed mushroom filling. $F mushrooms as a vegetable, look for huge ones (around two in- ches}. For an appetizer, keep them ' bite-sized. Never peel a mushroom. Rinse them quickly under cool water to remove any bits of soi! clinging. Pat dry on paper towels. _ Never waste the stems — chop fine and add to any stuffed mushroom filling. Mushrooms don’t store well. Never keep them in plastic wrap but even paper-bagged they dry out in a day or so. Discard any that go slippery, rubbery or de- velop soft spots. Dried mushrooms (1 buy in Chinatown) need soaking for half an hour -in boiling water. Discard the stems. Slice caps Ys’’. Superb flavor. Exotic mushrooms such as chanterelles are available but at ‘astronomic prices. Cream of Mushroom-Soup This serves four. Double it if you are planning chicken or chops in the next day or two. 4 tb. small mushrooms, sliced 1 medium onion, diced 3 tablespoons butter AllClal Cookcwate B The newest cookware for the § | “Best Caoks” We'll beat anybody’s price North Shore's largest selection 980-0797 1276 Marine Drive, N Van. Next to Save-On-Foods _ onion gently in butter until tender. Scoop out about a cupful of the mushrooms and set aside. Stir in flour and then chicken broth. Add bay leaf. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove bay leaf. Buzz the mixture in blender un- til coarsely pureed. Return to pot and stir in cream. Heat but do not boil. Return sliced mushrooms to soup and season to taste. Stuffed Mushrooms There are more excellent ways to stuff mushrooms than we'll ever discover. Restaurants routine- ly stuff them with escargot in herbed butter or with a seafood- cream cheese mixture. Here are a few of the better stuffings I've tried: All recipes will fill 24 — 1°? or 12 — 2” caps. Chop stems for filling. Sausage or Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms Y2 ib. mild Italian sausage, casing removed and sausage crumbled OR Yo tb. lean bacon, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled 1 small bunch green onions, chopped % cup butter 1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs Y2 teaspoon mixed, dry ftalian herbs MY cup grated Parmesan cheese Ys cup finely chopped walnuts Cook sausage gently in a dry frying pan, crumbling it as it cooks. Drain, discard fat. Add green onions and butter and cook gently until onions are limp. Add finely chopped mushroom stems and heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cool slightly and test by pin- ching a bit of the stuffing between your fingers. If it holds together, pack into prepared mushroom caps. If not, add a bit of hot water. Bake at 350°F about 20 minutes (25-30 for big caps). Crab Stuffed Mushrooms Mushroom czps (chop stems) 1 tin crab (flat), drained, picked over for shell and crumbled Ys cup grated stale bread M% cup grated onion 2 tablespoons real mayonnaise l egg, beaten 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided 3 tablespoons butter, melted Y cup fine, dry breadcrumbs Combine crab, grated bread, onion, mayo, egg and one table- spoon Parmesan cheese. Melt but- ter and gently cook chopped stems. Add breadcrumbs and one tablespoon Parmesan. Stuff the caps with the crab mixture. Top each cap with breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 350°F about 20 minutes (25-30 for big caps). Before serving, dust with chopped parsley, seasoned salt and cracked pepper. Ground Beef Bites Mushroom caps, chopped stems Y Ib. ground beef 2 tablespoons each: onion and green pepper, finely minced Y% cup breadcrumbs Dash Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon ketchup Y: teaspoon granulated garlic Salt and pepper t egg yoik, beaten Mix the ground beef and chop- ped stems with the remaining in- gredients. Fill caps. Bake at 350°F about 25 minutes — a bit longer for extra large caps. Also, try marinating the caps in soy sauce before filling or adding chopped parsiey to the meat. Spinach-Mushroom Salad Who needs a recipe? Combine a big bowlful of torn spinach with % a pound sliced button mushrooms, “% Ib. crisp bacon and hard-cooked egg wedges. Croutons, cracked pepper and your favorite dressing are added just before serving. 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