Stuffed mushrooms

Picture to come

I use these mushrooms as an easy starter, or a side dish to go with steak.  Even cook them on the barbeque in summer.

• A selection of large flat mushrooms (if really big 1 per person, if for a starter and smaller, 2 per person)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic chopped or put through a press
• 1 ring chorizo chopped into small pieces (at least quarters or smaller)
• Smoked paprika
• half glass white wine
• 1 pack boursin or other garlic cheese 
• grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Gently remove the stalks from the mushrooms to leave the caps in tact.

Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave, take each mushroom cap and dip upside down in the butter (be careful not to burn your fingers) so that the mushroom looks like a bowl with the outside coated in butter.  Put the mushrooms upside down like this on a baking tray or dish with sides so that they can be filled.

Saute the onions with the garlic until soft.  Add the chorizo and continue to fry off.  Add the smoked paprika and ensure all is coated.

Put in the white wine and turn the heat up to full so it boils.

Add the boursin and keep stirring until it melts.  Put the heat on low and let it simmer for a little while until the sauce thickens a little.

Divide the mixture up between all the mushrooms so each one is filled.

Cover the baking dish with tinfoil and cook for 20 mins.  

Uncover and put a little grated cheese onto the top of each mushroom, put back into the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

(To cook on a barbeque, wrap the mushrooms in 4s in tinfoil parcels)

Spicy Squash Tortelloni

Another fantasic Jamie recipe starts this one off. Spicy Roasted Squash

• 1 medium/large squash
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 small dried red chillis or small amount chopped chillis
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 batch pasta dough (see other recipe)
• 150g Boursin cheese
• Chopped fresh basil

Cut squash in half, remove the seeds with a spoon and then cut the squash into wedges or segments. Place in a bowl or bag.

Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan until you can smell the spices, then add to a pestle and mortar or flavour shaker with the dried herbs and pound. Then add the salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil. Add the paste to the squash and mix it round until coated thoroughly.

Place the squash pieces in a casserole or on a baking tray skin side down and roast in oven at 200 degress for about 30 minutes.

Once cooked scoop the squash flesh away from the skins into a bowl. Add chopped basil and the boursin cheese and mash until combined.

Using a pasta machine or rolling pin roll the pasta dough out into sheets then use a cicular cookie cutter (about 4-5cm diameter) to cut circles out of the dough.

Place about a third of a teaspoon of mixture in the centre of a circle. Brush water round the outside edge and fold the circle in half, sticking the dough together at the edges. With this semicircle, bring the two corner points together in the middle and squeeze to make a slight barrel shape. Put onto kitchen roll (drying them out makes them easier to handle) and carry on making the rest!

Once all are made, boil a pan of water and add to pan for just 3-4 minutes. Place in bowl and drizzle on melted butter mixed with pesto as seasoning. Serve with fresh parmesan cheese.