Recipes

[DiAnne]

<h1> SHIITAKE MUSHROOM SPREAD</h1>

4 T unsalted butter
2 large clove garlic, minced
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and diced
2 T tamari or soy sauce
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 T chopped chives
Hot red-pepper sauce to taste

Melt butter in large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots. Saute stirring 2-3 minutes. Add shiitakes and saute stirring often until tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in tamari or soy sauce and cook until evaporated (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and cool.

Scrape shiitakes into bowl. Add the cream cheese and mix until evenly distributed (wooden spoon works well). Mix in chives. Season with hot sauce if desired. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed. Return to room temperature and serve with crackers.

[forrestwolf]

This is one of my most requested items to bring to a nibble along.............. Let 8 oz of cream cheese come to room temp, and then how I do it is with the dough hooks on my Kitchen Aid hand mixer, and put in the cream cheese, 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, and 1 large can of drained chicken (13 oz) in a bowl, and mix with the dough hooks until well blended, and then I take a spatula, and scrape it into a ball, and put on the lid of a loc n loc bowl, and then I stick whole almonds on it all around in rows, so that it looks like a pine cone, then just place the bowl on it to cover and then lock it...Less than 10 minuts from start to finish........ You can also roll in toasted pecans, or a shredded cheese blend of your choice..........