mushroom crostini
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” ~Luciano Pavarotti
This is a nice appetizer to make for company…
Baby Bella Crostini (serves 4)
1 lb baby bella mushrooms, washed and sliced
4 slices good quality, crusty Italian bread (sliced thick)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup real butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine
In a skillet, melt olive oil and butter until bubbling, over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until slightly golden. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned and the butter and mushroom liquid have become dark and sticky. Add wine and cook until mushrooms have absorbed the liquid and the sauce has begun to thicken. Set aside. Spread butter on the 4 slices of Italian bread. Cook in a separate skillet until golden. Place 1 slice of toast on each plate. Pile high with the mushrooms.
Enjoy!
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Kitchen Tip– Are you ever frustrated with the many different instructions there are out there concerning cleaning a cast iron pan? Worry no more. I’m not sure if I invented this technique or not (probably not) but it works like a charm! If wiping the inside of your cast iron cookware with a paper towel or brown bag just isn’t working….simply pour a half inch of white vinegar in the bottom of the pan and turn on the burner underneath it. Allow the vinegar to come to a boil. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pan with a spatula or a large spoon until the undesired food matter is loose. Pour the vinegar out. Now try rubbing that pan with a paper towel! Pretty slick huh? 😉 Don’t forget to rub the clean pan with vegetable or canola oil to season properly.
~Melissa
Thanks for the tip for cleaning cast iron pans. I have had my large skillet for about 20+ years and I just pour warm water into the pan when done to loosen up any food that may have stuck to the pan. I wash the pan in warm sudsy detergent like Dawn. I let it air dry and before I put it away I rub a little vegetable or canola oil to the pan and ready to go for the next time.
You’re welcome 🙂 The only reason I don’t use Dawn on the cast iron is because everything I’ve read about cleaning it says to not use soap. Sometimes (say after you make fried fish) you have to do more than just rub the inside of the pan with a paper towel. This always frustrated me, until I thought of ‘deglazing’ with vinegar.