Ring in the New Year With Rosemont Street Stuffed Mushrooms

Editor's Note: "Cooking With Sheila" is a new weekly column that will be featured on Westwood Patch each Wednesday.

"If only one could tell true love from false love as one can tell mushrooms from toadstools." ~Katherine Mansfield

One of my best girls, Miss T, came for a visit the other day and offered to make stuffed mushrooms. I was thrilled, since that is one of my favorite appetizers (that I very seldom make since my boys hate 'em.)

As she unloaded the arsenal of supplies from her Market Basket bag I took pause. Crabmeat, shrimp, celery...these are not the makings for typical stuffed 'shrooms.

As she sauteed, stuffed and baked she told me the story of how this great recipe came to be. It was handed down through generations of women in her family, tweaked by each along the way. A lovely story, delicious stuffed mushrooms and time spent with a good friend...I couldn't ask for more.

Miss T left me the recipe which I will now share with you. These would make a great appetizer for New Years.

Rosemont Street Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 24 oz whole mushrooms (cleaned, stems removed and reserved)
• 1 med sweet onion (diced)
• 1 stalk celery (diced)
• 4 cloves garlic (diced)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 4.25 oz cans white crabmeat (drained, juice reserved)
• 1 4 oz can shrimp (drained, juice reserved)
• 1 sleeve crushed Saltine crackers
• Paprika
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper

Directions:

• Heat butter in saute pan over medium heat.
• Add onions, celery and garlic and cook until soft.
• Dice half the stems and add to pan.
• Add crab and shrimp to pan and heat through until warm.
• Add reserved juice, turn up heat and heat to a boil.
• Once boiling, remove pan from heat.
• Add saltine crackers and stir until you get an oatmeal-like consistency.
• Let sit until the mixture is cool enough to touch.
• Line a cookie sheet with foil and place mushrooms on it.
• Stuff each mushroom with stuffing.
• Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
• Bake @ 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

I wish you and yours a very healthy happy 2012!