The Wizard of Oz Cookbook Themed Dinners - Sunday

This week we are going to be starting our theme week using a cookbook that I have had for years and have only ever made a couple of things from, The Wizard of Oz Cookbook:  Breakfast in Kansas, Dessert in Oz.  We will be enjoying several of the recipes from Oz while watching different Wizard of Oz movies.  

The book features recipes for breakfast foods, treats for a children's party, appetizers, cocktails, and desserts are accompanied by stills and trivia from the film.  Because a lot of the recipes are only breakfast or appetizers I have had to adapt a lot of the appetizer recipes in order to make them an entree for dinner.

This is what I did for tonight's dinner.  I am taking one of the appetizers and am doubling the recipe in order for it to work as a dinner.  The Spellbound Snow Crab Mushrooms are an appetizer for stuffed mushrooms.  I am going to make the filling and then stuff portobello mushroom caps and serve it with a side of rice and salad.

SPELLBOUND SNOW CRAB MUSHROOMS

SCARECROW:  (trying to lift DOROTHY) Uh! Oh, this is terrible!  Can't budge her an inch!  This is a spell, this is!

TIN MAN:  It's the Wicked Witch!  What'll we do?  HELP!  HELP!

SCARECROW:  It's no use creaming at a time like this!  Nobody will hear you!... HELP!  HELP!  HELP! (now looking up in wonder). It's snowing!

LION:  Ah - ah.  Unusual weather we're having', ain't we?

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp olive oil 

1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

6 oz crabmeat, cleaned (fresh, frozen or canned)

1 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (or other shellfish seasoning)

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

juice of 1/2 lemon 

dash Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

12 oz mushrooms (about 15 medium to large), stemmed and cleaned

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet.  Add the red pepper, onion, and garlic and sauce over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes.  Set aside to coll.  In a medium bowl, combine crabmeat, dry mustard, Old Bay Seasoning, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley.  Add onion mixture.  Toss mushroom caps with remaining tablespoon of olive oil.  Stuff each cap with crab mixture, mounding it slighly.  Place mushrooms on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned on top.  Serve hot.  This recipe can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake.

Makes 15 mushrooms.

These were super easy to make.  I made the filling as the recipe directed only I doubled it.

I cleaned the portobello mushrooms and scraped out the stems and scales.  I oiled the inside and sprinkled some salt and pepper and baked in the oven for 10 minutes.  Then I took them out soaked up the liquid and topped them with the stuffing and baked for another 10 minutes.

When they were all done I plated them and sprinkled some shredded parmesan on top.  They were really yummy!

Tonight we will be watching Oz The Great and Powerful.  I thought we would start with this film since it takes place before the Dorothy arrives in Oz.  

This 2013 film by Disney is the story of a frustrated circus magician (James Franco) from Kansas who is transported to a magical land called Oz, where he will have to fulfill a prophecy to become the king, and release the land from the Wicked Witches using his great (but fake) powers. 

Make sure to join us all week for different Wizard of Oz themed meals and movies.