pesto stuffed mushrooms

[SamuelWilson]

I really like the pesto stuffed mushrooms even without dehydrating them for 5 to 6 hours. I just marinated the mushrooms in a ginger dressing and then I added the pesto mix (Alissa' recipe) and then I just tasted one as I was putting them in the dehydrator. I was like, "hey, this is pretty good" and I just ate them that way.

Does anyone else in here eat the pesto stuffed mushrooms without dehydrating them?

[saltywater]

I really like the pesto stuffed mushrooms even without dehydrating them for 5 to 6 hours. I just marinated the mushrooms in a ginger dressing and then I added the pesto mix (Alissa' recipe) and then I just tasted one as I was putting them in the dehydrator. I was like, "hey, this is pretty good" and I just ate them that way.

Does anyone else in here eat the pesto stuffed mushrooms without dehydrating them?
I do!!!!
and they are yummy!!!!
The recipe i use is from Renée Loux Underkoffler´s book "Living Cuisine"

You marinate the mushrooms in nama shoyu, apple cider vinegar,garlic and sun-dried salt for at least 30 min turning them over ocasionally (i let them marinate a couple of hours, and add some chopped rosemary).

[ReneeSC]

Aside from RawPriestess's and Dragggon's little happy lakeside retreat, how else does everyone else garner enough basil to make the pesto?

[Kris]

I buy basil for pesto in large bags from the farmer's market, but it's only available in the summer, of course. I have tried growing my own, but I seem to have a black thumb -- my basil plants are no more than a few inches tall.

[RAWSURRECTION]

I do and they are just fine. So if you find it hard to do, the dehydrating business and you enjoy them just marinated, keep on eating it them that way. By the way are yours filled with cashews and basil? Best rawgards, Rawsurrection

[Rawma]

Aside from RawPriestess's and Dragggon's little happy lakeside retreat, how else does everyone else garner enough basil to make the pesto?
Renee,
I live in NH and my friend gave me a pretty unhealthy looking Basil plant from her garden last year. It was in a fairly large pot but ia fairly scrawny plant. I watered it, kept it in a sunny slider window, cut off all of the bad stuff and it just took off. I didn't fertilize it at all. That was 2 summers ago and my basil plant is doing so well. It get so huge that I have to cut it back and freeze it. You have to keep nipping off the flowers religiously!
Good Luck,
Lisa

[SamuelWilson]

RAWSURRECTION, you asked if I make my pesto with with cashews and basil? Actually, I make it according to Alissa's recipe which calls for walnuts and pine nuts. I try to keep to the exact recipe because I notice then when I start getting away from the exact recipe, I start getting sloppy and things do not turn out right.

Someone asked where do you get enough basil to complete the recipe. That is a good question. Luckily, a local grower is providing my health food store with organic basil. However, sometimes I have to shop at a few stores just to get enough basil to have 2 cups. Most of the stores sell the little flat plastic containers with maybe 1/2 cup in them at the most, so it is difficult sometimes to get enough basil.

[jaurequi]

SamuelWilson,

Do you have "Trader Joe's" markets where you reside? If so, they sell organic basil in large containers -- about 3-4 cups, loosely packed.

:)

[rawwannabe]

Thanks, SamuelWilson! That is one of the recipes I have been wanting to try, but without a dehydrator I wasn't going to attempt it.

[calee]

I made Alissa's recipe of the pine nut/walnut pesto. How long will it keep in the fridge? I eat it very slowly because I don't eat very many nuts.

Thanks!
lee

[SamuelWilson]

calee, you asked how long will it keep in the fridge. This is a good question. I eat every last bit of it when I make it so I have never had to test the longevity of the pesto. I honestly think you should try to consume it the day you make it or the day after. I personally wouldn't want to store this long. If you must store it in the fridge, I would put it in a ziplock bag and remove as much air from the bag as you can, so it is vacuum sealed.

I guess I didn't really answer your question. I would just say learn how to make it in smaller batches. It tastes so much better fresh made anyway.

[Jo-anne]

i think and please correct me if I'm wrong, Rawpriestess actually freezes the pesto mushrooms, and when she feels like some, pops a few in the dehydrator for an hour or so and there ready to eat. I'm about to make a batch myself tonight, so there ready for lunch tomorrow....yummy can't wait :)

[calee]

Thanks for the responses.

[truthseeker]

There must be something going on with the mushroom pesto recipe....I just bought 3 packs of mushrooms yesterday to make this recipe today....Can't wait !!!!!

[ReneeSC]

Thank you guys for the basil suggestions!!

I've grown basil before, and it's a BREEZE if properly tended to ( which doesn't take much, honestly - yes.. pluck the flower heads ), but I can't plant any until next February. Rest assured: I WILL! RP and I will have a contest on who can grow the biggest ones. :) ( which reminds me... I'm coming to Washington to steal/glean amongst her Concord grape vines.. they are the MOST heavenly-tasting orbs I've ever had .. oh yeah? I can do that, too.. but first, I want some of your's! wahahaha )

Okay.. back to pesto. I WISH I had a Trader Joes! Nope. I might be able to order a case of basil from the organic grower coop, though. I've yet to try.
Why do they charge almost 3.00 for 1/8 th of a lb at the store? That's insanity! They MAKE you want to grow it yourself.

Once I learned that I can make a gourmet-tasting pesto sans the parmesian cheese, well.. blow me down.. I could eat that stuff with a fork!

Has anyone put the pest on a portabella and frozen?

[SamuelWilson]

ReneeSC, I put the pesto on portabellas and they are not as good. To me, the white button mushrooms really do the trick.

As far as freezing goes, I am not really into freezing. I mean, I just like to make what I make and eat it fresh right then. Most of the time I do not dehydrate things. However, this broccoli and cheese recipe from Alissa that I am working on does not look like it will achieve maximum taste potential without some dehydrating.

[truthseeker]

Oh, man ......we had these tonight and EVERYONE loved them! That says a lot, my kids are unbelievable critics. I used portabellas and button shrooms. No one liked the button mushroom ones. They were to thick and dry inside I think. And the pesto recipe was a mixture of Juliano's and Alissa's. Actually, I started with Juliano's recipe (I remember someone mentioning how he never measures much when he creates so that his recipes were a bit off) and when that was WWAAAYYYY to spicy and oily, I doctored it up with Alissa's ;)

We also had pumpkin soup, which I made sweet tasting

[calee]

Truthseeker, that looks so yummy. How did you make the soup? Can I find the recipe in Alissa's book?

[truthseeker]

I made the soup by just putting different things in it till I liked it :p

1 med to small pumpkin - peeled ( I used about 3/4 ths of it the rest I made cookies with)

2 peaches - just pitted

a palm of pumpkin pie spice

dash or two of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon

dash or 2 or 3 of salt

water - till I liked the texture

some vanilla extract

agava to taste

1 avocado


blend everything together till creamy and enjoy.

[SamuelWilson]

I like the pesto stuffed mushrooms so much, I decided to make a bigger batch of the pesto this time. Over 4 cups of fresh pesto with 100% organic ingredients. I modified the pesto this time, by adding 1/2 T dried basil per cup of finished pesto, so in this case, it was 2 T of dried basil. It really helped bring out the basil flavor by combining that with fresh basil leaves in the recipe.

[sport]

Samual
I am sorry to say this but that reminds me of the sort of slime that they use in horror movies. Bet it tastes great though. (Is that organic basil ???????). I had better add that is meant as a joke because sometimes things are taken the wrong way.

[SamuelWilson]

Yes, it is organic basil. I had a hard time finding the organic basil. Hopefully I will be able to continue to buy it. The pesto stuffing is very good, the green glossy color may not look appealing to some, but it does to me. I like the color, it is a color to indicate life and new growth.

[SamuelWilson]

I thought with all this talk about basil. I would show you a nice picture of a basil bouquet from my health food store. I took this picture with my SmartPhone 650.

[lady godiva]

1.99 for that huge basil plant!!!!!!!!!!
my goodness, you could send us all
some and still have plenty ;)

[SamuelWilson]

lady godiva, they are actually multiple bundles inside that metal bucket. They were large bundles though, it was a good deal. I like basil like that, where you just buy the whole plant.