1 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup diced carrots

½ cup dried tart cherries

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 clove garlic, diced

1 tsp dried oregano

½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

3 cups cooked rice

Melt butter in a non-stick skillet. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until vegetables are tender. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Stir in cherries, nuts, oregano and basil. Stir until heated. Add mixture to cooked rice.

Yield 8 servings.

In my last blog I mentioned I had a few morel mushroom recipes. Below is
another that I enjoy. I made this one evening and combined it with a
fabulous orzo salad. The salad is super served either hot or cold.
Enjoy!!!

This recipe for flank steak I adapted from a recipe in the cookbook
“Hollyhocks & Radishes” by Bonnie Stewart Mickelson. I found this cookbook
in of all places San Angelo, Texas. I say “of all places” because the
cookbook contains recipes from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is more
than a cookbook, it is an almanac and contains letters from a woman, Mrs.
Chard, who operated a produce stand in the UP. It is a wonderful read as
well as a great cookbook.

Morel Mushroom Stuffed Flank Steak

1 1/2 lb flank steak
1 med onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
2-3 cups morel mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
2-3 leaves fresh basil (1/2 tsp dried)
2 thin slices of bread, cubed

Butter-Wine Marinade and Sauce

2 cups chopped green onions
2 cup dry red wine
2-3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

In a large, non-stick skillet saute the green onions, transfer to a large
mixing bowl and add red wine and remaining ingredients. Use half of the
wine sauce and marinade the flank steak for one-hour. Set-aside remaining
sauce.

Preheat oven broiler to 375 degrees
Place marinated flank steak on a cutting board and make a pocket with a
sharp knife. Start in the center and work parallel to the board about
mid-thickness. Work the knife through without cutting through the opposite
sides or ends.

In a large non-stick skillet, on med heat, melt the butter, saute the onion
and garlic until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until they have just begun to
soften. Stir in seasoning and bread, stirring for 1 minute. Fill the flank
steak pocket with the stuffing. Secure with toothpicks.

Fill the bottom of a broiler pan with 1/2 inches of water. Put top of
broiler pan over the bottom and place the steak on the broiler pan. Broil the
flank steak for approx 7-8 minutes. Turn and broil an additional 7-8
minutes for medium to medium rare. Do not overcook. Salt and pepper to
taste.

Remove and place on carving board. Carefully remove the toothpicks. Cover
loosely with foil and let sit for 5 minutes. Carve diagonally across the
grain.

Return the remaining wine sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil Serve
warm over steak.

A hike in the Woodland searching for the elusive morel mushroom was on the
agenda this past weekend. When I was a young girl my father would love this
time of year. With five small pair of eyes and two pair of adult eyes, he
was sure to fill his grocery bags with many of these elusive delicacies.

Mushroom hunting has become a spring ritual in my family, as it has for so
many families. So with our special mushroom bag in hand off to the woods
we went hoping to find enough mushrooms for at least one meal. Walking
through the woods, watching and smelling the forest come alive, munching a
Cherryflex FruitFast Supplement Bar, ah, life doesn’t get any better than
this. Even if we found nothing, what a great way to spend the day. As luck
would have it, we did find just enough for a meal. I have found over the
years, a few fantastic recipes that incorporate the morel mushroom. One of
these recipes pairs the morel with another rite of spring “white asparagus”.

The Germans were the innovators of the much revered “white asparagus”, also
known as “Spargel”. It is grown with all sunlight shut out preventing
photosynthesis, hence the lack of color. As a result the asparagus tends to
be milder, sweeter and more tender in taste than its green counterpart. In
Germany, the asparagus is sold at roadside stands and in open air markets in
every town. An annual “Spargelfest” is held in Schwetzingen, Germany, where
one lucky person is crowned “Spargel Queen”. White asparagus can be
difficult to find in US supermarkets, but I found that combining the morel
with fresh green asparagus works equally well.

So while the mushroom season is in full swing, head for your favorite
“secret” mushroom haven. Don’t forget to take along your favorite FruitFast
Supplement Bar. They are, nutritious, all natural fruit and just the pick
me up you will need to keep you up and running.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe found in the Spring 2006 issue of Bon
Appetit.

Asparagus and Morel Saute

1 1/2 lbs white or green asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3-inch lengths
2-3 Tbsp butter
6 ounces fresh morels, cleaned, and halved
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced; or 3/4 cups thinly sliced leeks (white
and pale green parts only)
1 clove garlic minced (optional)
2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley

Steam the asparagus, or cook in large saucepan in boiling water until just
tender. Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet on medium heat and saute
onions and garlic for approx 1 minute. Add the thyme and morel mushrooms
and continue to saute for about 6 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.
Add asparagus, toss to coat and continue to saute approx 2 minutes. Stir in
parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.