Egyptian Rice

500 g beef mince
1 small onion, chopped
2 C beef stock
2 – 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 C mushrooms, sliced
1 C rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown mince and onion. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until rice is done. To serve, put on top a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds.

Stuffed Mushrooms

8 large field mushrooms, stems removed
Cooking spray
1 ½ Cups cooked white rice
2 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
8 green onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
4 Tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves
5 tomatoes, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place mushrooms, stem-side up, in a single layer in roasting pan.

Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spray with oil. Add rice, curry powder, turmeric, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until heated through.

Chop half the parsley. Add to frying pan with tomato. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.

Spoon rice mixture into mushrooms. Spray tops with oil. Roast for 25 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

Transfer mushrooms to a serving plate. Sprinkle with remaining parsley leaves.

Haloumi Kebabs

24 cherry tomatoes
2 large brown onion, cut into thin wedges
500 g haloumi cheese, cut into 24 pieces
2 red capsicum, cut into 24 pieces
4 zucchini, cut into twelve 2cm-thick rounds
24 button mushrooms
2 large lemon, juiced
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
2 small red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

Thread tomatoes, onion, haloumi, capsicum, zucchini and mushrooms alternately onto skewers. Place kebabs, in a single layer, on a large plate.

Whisk 1/4 cup lemon juice, oil, thyme, chilli and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush kebabs with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for up to 30 minutes, if time permits.

Cook kebabs on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning often, or until vegetables are tender and cheese starts to melt. Serve kebabs warm.

Boscaiola

350 g mushrooms
2 shallots
350 g canned tomatoes, drained
A small bunch of parsley
A clove of garlic
The leaves of a sprig of rosemary
A few leaves of sage
Olive oil
Chicken stock
Salt & pepper
Freshly grated parmesan

Clean the mushrooms, brushing the dirt away from the stems, and separate the caps from the stems; dice the stems and cube the caps, keeping them separate. Mince the shallots and the herbs and sauté them for a few minutes in 4 tablespoons of oil in a casserole. Add the diced stems, cook another minute, and then add a half cup of chicken stock and the tomatoes. Season with a little pepper and simmer the mixture for a half hour. Add a little more stock and a drop of water, and the cubed caps.

Rustic Steamed Beef

350 g beef, trimmed
1 packet Chinese mushrooms, reconstituted
1 ½ teaspoons thick soy sauce
3 Tablespoons peanut oil
3 – 4 spring onions, cut into 5 cm sections, shredded lengthwise

For the marinade:
1 cm piece fresh ginger peeled and finely grated
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoons thick soy sauce
6 turns pepper mill
2 teaspoons chicken stock
2 teaspoons cornflour
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon peanut oil

Slice the beef into pieces about 2.5 cm x 4 cm and 6 mm thick. Put into a bowl.

Prepare the marinade: add the ginger, salt, sugar, soy sauce, pepper, chicken stock and cornflour to the beef. Add the water 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir in the same direction to coat the meat. Leave to marinate for 20 – 30 minutes, Blend in the oil just before ready to steam.

Drain the mushrooms and squeeze out excess water but leave the mushrooms damp. Slice into thin strips. Mix in the soy sauce and 1 Tablespoon oil. Mix the mushrooms into the beef. Spread out on a heatproof dish with sloping edges.

Steam the beef in a wok or steamer over high heat for 10 minutes for medium-done beef or 13 – 15 minutes for well done, remove from heat. Add the spring onion on top of the dish.

Heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil in small saucepan until just smoking, Pour over the spring onion to cook partially.

Remove the dish from the wok or steamer and serve immediately.

Mushroom and Walnut Scrolls

2 x 375g packets filo pastry
5 Tablespoons butter, melted

Mushroom and walnut filling
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
750g mushrooms, diced
2 oranges, rind finely grated
3 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
1 1/3 cups walnuts, chopped

Make filling: Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add mushrooms. Increase heat to high. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and juices evaporated. Add orange rind. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease 2 baking trays. Transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl. Add breadcrumbs, walnuts and salt and pepper. Mix well.

Place 1 pastry sheet on a workbench, long side facing you. Lightly brush with butter. Top with another pastry sheet. Spoon 1/2 cup mushroom mixture in a 1cm-thick line along pastry, leaving a 1cm border at both short ends. Starting from long end closest to you, roll up pastry to enclose filling. Shape into a flat scroll (see note). Place on prepared tray. Repeat with remaining pastry, butter and filling.

Brush tops with butter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

Notes Don't roll pastry too tightly, as this can cause it to split. Before shaping the scroll, brush with melted butter and allow to stand a few minutes for butter to firm. This acts as a glue to hold the scroll's shape.