Fork and Cork Divine

Here is the recipe for Linda’ s baked beans served on Friday, January 14, 2010 to several of our “wine and dine” friends.

GOURMET BAKED BEANS

Ingredients:

1 can B & M baked beans -Original

1 can regular baked beans  (used Bush’s brown sugar)

1 can butter beans, drained

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

6 slices bacon

1 green pepper

1 medium onion

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

4 whole cloves

ketchup (about 1/2 cup)

yellow mustard (about 1/4 cup)

maple type syrup (about 1/2 cup)

Method:

1. Cut bacon into bite size pieces and put into a large pan.  Start bacon cooking over medium high heat.

2. Trim pepper and cut into approx 1/2 inch wide slices.

3. Peel and thinly slice onion.

4. Add green pepper, onion and sliced mushrooms to pan with bacon and continue cooking until onion starts to glaze and bacon is cooked but not crisp.

5. Add beans and seasonings. You may prefer less or more mustard, ketchup and syrup so add gradually. Cook beans until preferred taste and consistency.

Here is the recipe for Chuck’s “Mushroom Bacon Pate” served at our latest “wine and dine” group dinner event of Sunday, January 17.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb mushrooms

1 lb bacon

2/3 cup onions

2/3 cup celery

1/2 cup parsley

8 oz cream cheese at room temp

4 eggs

2 cups dried bread crumbs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cook bacon til crisp; reserve some of bacon fat for use later.

3. In a food processor combine the following:

            celery and onions – chop fine and saute in bacon fat.

            mushrooms – chop fine – DO NOT SAUTE.

            parsley – chop fine

            bacon – chop fine

4. Blend eggs and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth.

5. Add all of the other ingredients to egg and cream cheese mixture and blend until smooth.

6. Grease a loaf pan and insert aluminum foil.  Grease foil also.

7. Fill foil lined pan with mixture; loosely cover with remaining foil.

8. Bake approximately 1 1/2 hours at 400 degrees.

9. Cool and then refrigerate.   Serve with crackers or bread.