Serves 4 to 6
Prep time: 1 hr
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 medium onion, diced
6 oz. Shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
3 tablespoons cooking sherry or white wine
1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
8 green olives, halved
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon soy sauce (or worcestershire)
2 tablespoons cilantro
1 egg, beaten
1 small Edam wheel or 3" end of Gouda loaf
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large frying pan melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and shitake mushrooms and saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the sherry and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom and reducing the liquid. Add the bell pepper, diced tomato, dried cranberries, green olives, chili powder, cumin, tomato paste, garlic, soy sauce, and cilantro. Simmer until the mushrooms are cooked throughly, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat to cool.
Beat the egg in a small bowl and add about 3/4 of it to the cooled mixture. Prepare the cheese by slicing off the top, coring out the center, and removing the wax, leaving about a 1/2-inch shell. Grease a baking dish with remaining butter and place the cheese loaf or wheel in the center.
Fill the cheese with your mixture and place the cap on top. Brush the top with the remaining beaten egg. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and it's bubbling hot.
Serves 4-6
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