We're still celebrating the holidays and the joyous world of mushrooming!
This month we're picking the last of the chanterelles and the early hedgehogs. Good fortunate smiled on us recently with the discovery of a cauliflower that we turned into a savory creation which we've named Cauliflower & Beef Filo Roll. Served with a wild greens and mandarin salad and topped off with the last lovely slices of our creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake from Bo's Desserts, it was a great way to start off the New Year! Oh, you're right. The dessert was a little too rich but, after all, we are still celebrating the holidays!
Cauliflower & Beef Filo Roll
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon oil
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
3/4 cup fresh cauliflower mushrooms, chopped,
or 1-2 ounces of dried cauliflower reconstituted
2 pounds lean ground beef
salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
10-12 sheets filo pastry
6-8 tablespoons butter, melted
- Saute onion in the oil until softened. Add garlic, cauliflower mushrooms and ground beef. Saute until meat has browned. Drain off fat. Season to taste with salt, cayenne, curry and Worcestershire sauce.
- In a bowl combine eggs and sour cream. Stir into meat, mixing thoroughly.
- Spread a towel over the work surface. Place a sheet of filo pastry in the middle of the towel. Brush with melted butter. Place remaining sheets on top of this, brushing with melted butter between the sheets, until all sheets have been used.
- Mound the filling along the long side of the pastry, leaving a 1 inch border on all sides. Using the towel as an aid, roll the pastry over the filling, folding the sides over and rolling to close.
- Brush the bottom of the roll with the melted butter. Invert on an ungreased baking sheet. Baste the top of the roll with butter. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until top of roll is browned and crisp.
- Slice at an angle with a serrated knife and serve on warmed plates.
Bo's Desserts Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup ground toasted hazelnuts
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
Filling
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 cup flour
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
To prepare the crust:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 10 inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line sides of the pans with parchment or wax paper.
- In a small bowl, combine crumbs, hazelnuts, sugar and butter. Mix well and press firmly over the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan.
To prepare the filling:
- In a large bowl, use a heavy duty mixer to combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add sour cream and whipping cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue beating. Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and flour. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake 20 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 200 degrees for another hour or until the cheesecake is firm to the touch. Turn oven off and let cheescake cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar, about 1 hour. This should prevent cracking. Cool, cover and refrigerate.
- Cheesecake can also be frozen, then thawed overnight in refrigerator or at room temperature for several hours.
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