Just for starters - vegetarian hors d'oeuvres - Recipe

Vegetarian Times, Nov, 2000 by Richard Pierce

Olive-Stuffed Mushrooms

MAKES 36 EGG- & DAIRY-FREE

Usually when I make stuffed mushrooms, I opt for a cornbread or grain-based filling, but those can be time-consuming. This recipe, which features a robust olive mixture (tapenade), is less traditional and faster to prepare.

2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. finely chopped shallots
1/2 tsp. dried thyme or 2 tsp. minced
    fresh
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and
  chopped
2 Tbs. drained capers
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
36 small to medium cremini or button
   mushrooms, stemmed
Garnishes: pimiento strips, chopped
   scallions, grated radish (optional)

1. In small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper, garlic, shallots and thyme and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in olives and capers; season with pepper. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 [degrees] F Remove olive mixture (tapenade) from heat; stir in parsley. Transfer to food processor and pulse about 12 times until tapenade is very lightly pureed. Spoon tapenade into each mushroom. Arrange on baking sheet and bake 20 minutes.

3. Arrange stuffed mushrooms on platter, garnish if desired and serve hot.

PER MUSHROOM: 19 CAL.; 0 PROT.; 1G TOTAL FAT (0 SAT. FAT); 1G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 56MG SOD.; 0 FIBER

DO AHEAD: Tapenade can be made several days ahead; cover and refrigerate. The mushrooms can be filled several hours in advance and held at room temperature.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

wouldn't ya like to be a pepper too?

The pepper family is huge--from sweet banana peppers to hot habaneros and many in between. (Though not the ubiquitous peppercorn. The pepper we use to season our food comes from another family entirely.) Red peppers contain three times as much vitamin C as citrus fruits and almost 11 times more beta-carotene than their green cousins. Couple that with the fact that they're low in calories (27 per 3 1/2 ounce serving) and you've got a whole bunch of great reasons to throw them into salads, stir-fries and sautes.

--C.M.

success with sushi rolls

* Have a bowl of clean water next to you.

* Use water to moisten hands and knife.

* Cut the rolls with a serrated knife.

* When cutting, use a light sawing action; don't press.

* Clean knife and mat after every use.

OTHER FILLINGS:

Carrots
Cucumbers
Celery
Scallions
Marinated tempeh from Tempeh
  Kabobs (see recipe, p. 58)
Blanched asparagus
Blanched green beans
Roasted portobello mushrooms

RICHARD PIERCE is the founder and executive director of the Whole Foods Project in New York City, a nonprofit organization that provides nutritional services for people with HIV, AIDS, cancer and heart disease. For more information, call (718) 832-6628.