Stuffed mushrooms disappear as quickly as we put them out

Another really simple dish, but I made these stuffed mushrooms last weekend and everyone loved them, so here they are. You will need a bag of spinach, half pound box of medium to large size mushrooms, three or four rashers of bacon, breadcrumbs mixed with a spoonful of parmesan (parmesan optional for Brit purists), a spring onion or two, a few tablespoons of cream, a few drops of lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil.

After washing and drying the mushrooms, carefully remove the stalks and chop them up. Combine with chopped spring onions (or a shallot, or half a small onion). Put in a pan with the rashers of bacon. The bacon should render enough fat to cook the onions and mushroom bits. Cook for five minutes, Remove the bacon and mushrooms and onions to a paper tower to remove excess fat. Wipe the pan with another paper towel, then tip in the spinach, wilt it down, then remove ands squeeze as dry as you can. And chop finely. (By the way, if you find those pre-washed bags of spinach, you can cook directly in the microwave if you prefer.) While you are in this mode, finely chop up the bacon rashers. Now combine all the ingredients into the pan, add a squeeze of lemon juice and a few tablespoons of cream. Now stuff the mushrooms with this concoction, resisting the temptation to overstuff.

In a small bowl combine a handful or two of breadcrumbs with two tablespoons of parmesan, then dampen with a few drizzles of olive oil. Now dunk each mushroom into the mixture. More than enough topping will adhere. Of course, if you find your stuffing is falling out, just use a spoon to deposit the crumbs atop your shrooms, but I found the stuffing stayed put quite nicely. Now place your mushrooms on a cookie sheet (I line mine with foil, as I want to stay in the good graces of the Prodigal Wife, who is very particular about her baking pans).

Now bake the mushrooms for 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated, 375 F oven. If you end up in a flurry of guest greeting, they will hold for another 15 minutes without ill effect. This is a surprisingly simple nibble but watch them go!

If you have some leftover stuffing, you can freeze it-it makes a great filling for a omelet or you could use it as follows.

Baked Cornish Hens

Just loosen the breast skin of the birds and slide the spinach-mushroom stuffing in with your fingers; bake for 45-60 minutes at 375 F.

If you have quite a bit of mushroom-spinach mixture left, try deboning the Cornish hens and stuff them with the dressing. Re-form or reshape the birds (use toothpicks to hold everything together) then cook the hens in a medium oven for an hour or so. During cooking time, splash the dish with vermouth or white wine.

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