Spring, MO The cooking/recipie thread

Rice would be better and if you used brown rice, it would be a tad bit healthier. LOL!

 

hey, any good lo mein recipies?

 

I'm not a big cook of Chinese food (although I love it). However, lo mein is very similar in preparation to another extremely simple Japanese recipe called yakisoba. Both use similar kinds of noodles as well as incorporating many of the same "extras" (eg, chopped carrots, beef, celery, green onions...). The main difference is the sauce. So I'll post a recipe for the yakisoba and add a few tips on how to modify it for lo mein. And if anyone wants to try really good yakisoba, I highly recommend The Drunken Fish in StL. It's my favouite Japanese resturaunt I've been too and not outrageously priced.

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[image=http://www.sakezuki.net/blog/archives/s-sauce-yakisoba.jpg]

[b]Name[/b]: Yakisoba
[b]Region[/b]:Japanese
[b]History[/b]: Yakisoba is believed to be derived from Chinese lo mein and/or chow mein. It is generally served as a main dish or a side dish. It is served daily at the US Marine Corps base in Okinawa Japan (Camp Hanson) and is a favoruite there and has subsequently been served at other military bases in the US which has given it a rapidly growing fan base in the US.
[b]Difficulty[/b]: *
[b]Cooking Time[/b]: ~20 minutes

[b]Ingredients[/b]:
- approx 20 oz yakisoba noodles (NOTE: NOT soba noodles which are made from buckwheat. Yakisoba noodles are made from egg and flour. Available at most asian supermarkets. If you can't find, substitute spaghetti.)
- 1/2 lb steak, pork, chicken, or other meat
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce

[b]Instructions[/b]:
1. Mix worcesterchire sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, and oyster sauce in a small bowl until well blended to form sauce.
2. Heat oil in a small pan.
3. Add steak, cooking until brown.
4. Cook yakisoba noodles according to package directions.
5. Mix browned steak, noodles and sauce.

[b]Notes[/b]:
Rarely if ever is yakisoba ever served with just steak. It can be prepared with any sort of meat as the main filler, but generally has chopped green onions, peppers, carrots, ****ake mushrooms, cabbage... Any of these can be added according to taste.

[hr]
[b]Lo Mein Sauce[/b]
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1/2-1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce

Mix well and pour over noodles and other extras.

 

It's spring time so let's start getting out the tasty spring recipes!

[image=http://www.brooklyncheesecake.com/images/cheesecake_strawberry.jpg]

Name: Cheesecake
Difficulty: ****

Ingredients:
Crust
- 3/2 cups Graham Cracker Crubms
- 3 tbsp butter (melted)
- 3 tbsp sugar

Filling
- 20 oz cream cheese (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp grated lemon peel
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 eggs

Strawberry Glaze
- 1 cup strawberries
- Sugar (to taste, ~1 cup)
- Cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water

Instructions
Crust
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine sugar and graham cracker crumbs until well mixed.
3. Mix in butter and then pack by hand into bottom of greased springform pan.
4. Place in oven for ~10 minutes or until hardened.

Filling
5. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, until soft.
6. Add lemon peel and vanilla.
7. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
8. Add strawberry juice until batter is slightly pink.
9. Bake in oven for ~1 hour or until center is firm.

Glaze
10. Blend sugar and cornstarch.
11. Stir in water and strawberries.
12. Stir in a small saucepan while cooking until it thickens and boils.
13. Continue stirring for ~1 minute and then remove from heat.

14. When the cake has finished cooking, add to top (wait till glaze has fully cooled).
15. Refridgerate over night.

 

I was feeling rather Italian tonight, so here's a recipe for baked ziti:

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/Baked_Ziti.jpg]

Name: Baked Ziti
Region: Italian
Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
- 1 lb ziti pasta
- 1 28oz can peeled tomatoes.
- 3 cloves garlic (diced)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1/2 pound of sweet sausage
- 1/2 pound of hot sausage
- 1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Basil (fresh if possible)
- Thyme (fresh if possible)
- Crushed red pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375º
2. Brown sausage (both sweet and hot) in olive oil.
3. Add onions and garlic, cooking until soft.
4. Add basil, thyme, and pepper.
5. Add tomatoes, crushing with hands upon adding.
6. Cook ziti according to package directions & add to mix.
7. Divide mozerella into two halves. Cut one of the halves into 1" cubes and the other into thin strips.
8. Add cubes to mixture and set strips aside for now.
9. Pour mixture into a large casserole dish. Top with grated parmesan and mozerella slices.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

Next up is a recipe for a versatile alfredo sauce. For the most part, it can stand on its own over some fettuchini, but I greatly prefer to add something extra. I made some tonight with blackened jerk chicken and it went over extremely well. It also goes great with italian sausage, or, for those of us that prefer to have some redeeming nutritional value, peas work well too.

[image=http://www.barstowhouse.com/alfrado.jpg]

Name: Fettuchini Alfredo
Region: Italian
Difficulty: **

Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup grated parmesan romano or reggiano (get fresh)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- Dried Italian seasoning (I prefer the Emeril brand)
- Fettuchini noodles

Instructions:
1. Sautee garlic in butter over low heat until tender.
2. Add whipping cream, sour cream, and cheese (to taste). Stir until smooth.
3. Add lemon juice & spices, stirring continuously.
4. When bubbles begin to form, remove from heat.
5. Cook fettuchini according to package directions.
6. Serve sauce over noodles and top with additional grated parmesan.

Notes:
As I mentioned earlier, this recipe is extremely versatile. It can stand alone to make a good side to a main dish, or you can add something more to make it a main course by itself.

Blackened Jerk Chicken is one option. "Jerk" is a spicy Jamacian seasoning that can be found in a dried form in most major grocery stores (although these brands are not nearly as spicy as fresh Jerk seasoning). The blackened refers to chicken that has been thickly coated in this seasoning and then broiled, or grilled until the outside is crispy and blackened, while the interior is left moist and tender. Since the chicken is spicy, it is offset by the richness of the alfredo.

Another possibility is to use italian sausage (which is what I started with when I first created this recipe). I find it's best to cook the sausage in a large skillet, then remove it, and then drain the grease. Then make the alfredo in the skillet so it absorbs the last little bits of drippings from the sausage. This substitutes for the garlic and butter (since italian sausage has a lot of garlic in it already). Once the sauce is smooth, add the sausage back to the skillet to allow the alfredo to absorb the flavor.

Various vegetables work well too. I prefer peas, but many people I know don't like peas for some reason, so I've also used bags of cooked mixed vegetables with excellent results.

And in case anyone cares, white sauces are supposedly best with red wines.

Lastly, because of the creams used in this recipe, it will seperate if not continuously mixed. Additionaly, it becomes extremely hard to reheat. Reheating it on the stove will only dry it out. Microwaves will generally curdle the cream if on an higher setting. Thus, reheat slowly on 40% power or less.

 

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cheeseyrolls.jpg]

Name: Cheesey Bacon bites
Region: American
Difficulty: *
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
- 3 oz. softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup bacon bits
- 2 Tbsp diced onion
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 8 oz package crecent rolls

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix cream cheese, bacon, onion, and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Instead of seperating crecent rolls into triangles, pinch together in pairs of two to make squares.
4. Spread cheese mixture along longest edge and roll.
5. Cut each roll into one inch pieces.
6. Place each piece cut side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes: This is a very quick and easy appetizer that takes almost no prep work and requires little cleaning up. I'm using it for a potluck tonight. The last time I went to a potluck, I made an entree and no one touched it, going instead for the finger foods, so I figured I'd give those a try this time!

 

These sound yummy and they are easy! Will have to try it.

 

Almost all of these recipes have been easy.

I haven't posted my one for Swedish Meatballs yet.

 

Not really appropriate

 

Since its the Holiday time, I figured I would share my Fudge recipe...


(Sorry, no picture. You do know what fudge looks like though, right?)


Name: Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge
Region: American
Difficulty: ***
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 5 Hours

Ingredients:
- 7 ounces jar marshmallow fluff
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla


Instructions:

Prep:
1) Lightly butter an 8" square bake pan. (I use an 11"x8" rectangle for thinner fudge pieces.)
2) Cut a piece of wax paper 2" larger then each side of the pan. (An 8" square pan would have a piece of wax paper 12"x12") Cut the wax paper from the corner of the pan to the corner of the wax paper. Repeat for all 4 corners.
3) Place the wax paper in the pan. The butter in the pan will allow you to pull out the wax paper with no fuss. The cuts made will allow the wax paper to sit on the bottom of the pan with overlap on the edges. After the fudge cools, you can just pull the wax paper out to get to the fudge.

Cook:
4) Combine marshmallow fluff, sugar, milk, butter, and salt in a 3 qt. saucepan.
5) Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. (Its very important to continue to stir the entire time, or the fudge will burn and be very gritty.)
6) After a full boil is reached, continue to boil for another 5 minutes over medium heat. Again, stir constantly.
7) Remove from heat.
8) Add chocolate chips and stir until melted.
9) Stir in nuts and vanilla. (If you do add nuts, I would recommend roasting them in the oven at 400° for one hour first. I don't eat nuts so I can't say what will happen or how they will taste if you do not do this...)

Post:
10) Pour fudge into the pan you prepared above.
11) Let sit until cool, about 5 hours. (Do not cool in the fridge.)

Notes: This is actually one of the easiest fudge recipes I have seen. It is also one of the few that does not require a candy thermometer to make. Fudge will absorb moisture from the air, which will keep it from becoming very solid. This is why you should not cool the fudge in the fridge, it is very humid in there. Also, do all your preparation and gather all your equipment before beginning; once you start making fudge, you can't stop in the middle without the risk of ruining the batch.

Enjoy...


EDIT: Sorry, forgot to spell check.....

 

yummm, Fudge. One of my favorite things about Christmas time...

 

I was waiting for it to get cold before posting this, but it seems that that might not happen this Winter, so I'll go ahead and post it now anyway. No picture this time.

Name: Beef Vegetable Soup
Difficulty: *

Ingredients:
- 8 cups water
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 package short ribs
- 1 bag mixed vegetables
- 1/2 head cabbage (shredded)

Instructions:
1. Simmer short ribs in water for 1 hour. This will form the stock.
2. Remove ribs from water. Seperate from bone and chop into cubes. Return cubes to stock.
3. Add vegetables, cabbage, and salt to stock. Continue simmering.
4. In a small saucepan, sautee onions and tomatoes. Add to stock when onions begin to become clear.

Notes: Overall, it's a very simple recipe. It will generally make about 8-10 servings as a side dish and reheats extremely well in a microwave. I haven't tried it, but I suspect it would also be good with cubed potatoes added at the time the vegetables are o they're tender, but not mush. If you're a fan of broccoli, that might also work well too.

 

I found a new cheesecake recipe I felt like trying tonight. It's still cooling so I haven't actually tasted it yet, but boy does it look good. Oh, and this recipe makes 2 9" cheesecakes. I only have one springform pan, so I'm saving the rest of the batter till tomorrow and make the other. I need to get more sugar to make the strawberry glaze in my previous cheesecake recipe and I'm also thinking about getting some caramel and chocolate for the second. Credit for the recipe has to go to ceejamon on genmay.net's forums. Oh, and I took pictures of the whole process, so I'll toss those in as well.

Name: Cheesecake
Difficulty: ***

Ingredients:
[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/cheesecake/1.jpg]
- 1 box Famous Amos cookies
- 2 sticks of butter
- 2 1/2 pounds (5 packages) cream cheese, softened
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 5 whole eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 12 squares Baker's white baking chocolate (2 packages)

Instructions:
Crust
[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/cheesecake/2.jpg] [image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/cheesecake/3.jpg]
1. Open bag of cookies slightly and press out air. Crush cookies into a fine powder using a rolling pin, wine bottle, or by hand if nothing else is handy.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/cheesecake/4.jpg] [image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/cheesecake/5.jpg]
2. Melt 1 1/2 sticks butter in microwave and combine with cookie crumbs in bowl. Mix well.

3. Press half of the buttered cookie crumbs into the bottom of a springform pan.

Filling
4. Soften cream cheese in microwave on LOW for a few minutes, being careful not to burn.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/cheesecake/6.jpg]
5. Beat well and add (one at a time): sugar, flour, salt, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and chocolate.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/cheesecake/7.jpg]
6. Use remaining butter to butter the sides of the springform pan to keep it from sticking. Then pour batter into springform pan on top of crust.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/cheesecake/8.jpg]
7. Bake in oven at 200º F for ~3 hours or until cake is reasonably firm to the touch (it should still jiggle as it is removed from oven).

8. Turn off oven but leave cake in for up to an hour to allow it to cool. This will prevent cracking.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/cheesecake/9.jpg]
9. Refridgerate overnight.

Notes: The person I stole this from recommends using about 1 1/4 boxes to completely cover the bottom of 2 pans, but I think it's possible to do it in 1 (given that's all I bought). Additionally, it might seem like a lot of butter in the crust, and, while that's true, a fair amount of it will seep out as you bake. Thus, it's a good idea to put a cookie sheet underneath the pan (preferably on the rack below) to catch the drippings.

Additionally, while mixing initially, be very cautious of using a hand mixer. Unless your cream cheese is very warm it will be very thick and can potentially burn out hand mixers. The originator of this recipe recommends a standing mixer, but I did everything by hand since I have neither.

Overall, this recipe is more time consuming than it is difficult.

 

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/garliccheese.jpg]

Name: Garlic Cheese Bread
Region: Italian-ish
Difficlty: *
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
- 1 loaf french bread
- Spreadable butter (or margerine)
- Garlic salt
- Cheddar cheese
- Swiss cheese
- Provellone cheese
- Paprika

Instructions:
1. Slice french bread lengthwise.
2. Spread generously with butter.
3. Sprinkle with garlic salt and paprika (to taste).
4. Add cheeses in equal proportions.
5. Bake at 400ºF until cheese begins to turn golden brown.

Notes: My grocery sells half cooked loaves of french bread. Just pop them in the oven for 5-10 minutes and they'll be finished off. If possible, go this route as it will keep the bread from being as dry and crunchy. If you prefer it that way, then you can always precook it before putting the cheeses on.

The blend of cheeses I use might be considered strange. I'd actually much prefer to use a different kind: Provel. Unfortunately, it's impossible to get provel outside of St Louis. Thus, I use the three cheeses that provel is comprised of. It's not quite the same, but it's definately good.

This makes for a great side piece to many other italian dishes, such as the baked ziti or alfredo I posted last May, or next to some simple spaghetti and canned tomato sauces.

Additionally, adding sliced deli ham to this turns it into the renowned Gerber sandwich; A St Louis specialty.

 

I tried a new recipe tonight. It's a bit off of the beaten path from my heavy cream sauces with no redeeming nutritional value. It wasn't bad, but I think there are a few improvements to make. Anyway...

Name: Chicken with creamy apple-mushroom sauce
Difficlty: **
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
- 1 package (3-4) chicken breasts
- olive oil
- 1 package fresh mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic (diced)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 large apples (peeled and diced)
- 1 cup half & half
- salt
- pepper

Instructions:
[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/ccams/1.jpg]
1. Cook chicken in oil.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/ccams/2.jpg]
2. Remove chicken from skillet and drain. Set aside and keep warm. Sautee mushrooms, garlic, and onion.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/ccams/3.jpg]
3. Add broth, apples, and spices. Simmer until apples become soft.

4. When apples are soft, mash and add half & half. Simmer until sauce thickens (~5 minutes).

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/ccams/4.jpg]
5. Return chicken to sauce and allow it to simmer for ~5 minutes (this also allows it to absorb some of the flavour).

Notes: Again, this recipe isn't terribly hard, but it does take awhile.

When I found this recipe, I was a bit leery to try something that mixed apples and cream, but it wasn't bad. One mistake I made was not to peel the apples (since I don't have an apple peeler and didn't want to do it with a knife). I also ran out of garlic in making garlic mashed potatoes, so I replaced the fresh garlic with garlic powder. Not sure that helped too much. I also diced the chicken as opposed to having a whole breast, but there's no real difference. I think this would work well over a bed of rice.

Overall, I think this recipe is something I'd try again. White wine would also go well with this if making it a special dinner.

 

Name: Vanilla Fruit Salad
Difficlty: *
Cooking time: < 10 minutes

Ingredients:
[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/fruitsalad/1.jpg]
- 11 oz can Mandarin Oranges
- ~16 oz can peaches
- ~16 oz can pears
- ~15 oz strawberries
- ~15 oz pineapples
- 1 large apple
- ~1 tsp vanilla pudding mix

Instructions:
[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/fruitsalad/2.jpg]
1. Open each can slightly to allow juices to drain.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/fruitsalad/3.jpg]
2. Pour a small amount of juices from each into a measuring cup to have about 1/3 cup of mixed juices.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/fruitsalad/4.jpg]
3. Add ~1 tsp vanilla pudding mix.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/fruitsalad/5.jpg]
4. Mix well.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/fruitsalad/6.jpg]
5. Drain juices from remaining fruits in a strainer, shaking to remove as much juice as possible.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/fruitsalad/7.jpg]
6. Pour into large tupperware container and add reserved juices.

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/fruitsalad/8.jpg]
7. Shake to distribute juice and fruits evenly.

8. Refridgerate for a few hours before serving.

Notes: This recipe works fantastically for dinner parties and is highly customizeable on what fruits to add, how much of each's juice to add to the mix, etc. The vanilla pudding adds a very nice little kick that ordinary fruit salads don't have.

Banannas are also very good in this, but they get all brown and icky very quickly. Thus, if you want to add them, it's best to do so right before serving, keeping them on top, so that they will be eaten first and none will be left to go bad if there are any leftovers.

 

Jon, that all looks really good, especially the garlic cheese bread. Yum!!!

 

Please keep the pics to a minimum ie. one per dish for those of us that use dial-up. It is getting to the point that this thread is taking several minutes to load.

 

Last week, I looked up a bunch of new recipies and put the ingredients for a few on my shopping list. When I got home, I discovered there was one item that I'd purchased that wasn't in any of the recipies I'd bookmarked. It was a portobello mushroom.

So I spent some time looking up all sorts of recipies involving them, seeing if any sounded familiar, but they didn't. Thus, I decided to just go with a stuffed mushroom. The recipie I used (and will be passing along minus the modifications I made) is for 8 stuffed mushrooms. One is all anyone really needs, so this is more for appetizers at a party than something you'd make for yourself (although I did after cutting things down).

Anyway... recipe:

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[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/stuffed-mushroom.jpg]
[b]Name[/b]: Sausage Stuffed Porotbello mushrooms
[b]Difficulty[/b]: *
[b]Cooking time[/b]: 30-45 minutes

[b]Ingredients[/b]:
- 8 Portobello mushrooms (stems removed)
- Olive oil
- Salt
- 2 lb ground italian sausage (removed from casings)
- 1 bundle green onions (diced)
- 3 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
- 1-2 cups bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup milk or half & half
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan romano
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- generic italian seasoning
- mozerella cheese (any amount desired)

[b]Instructions[/b]:
1. Brush mushrooms lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
2. Brown sausage in skillet with green onions.
3. Mix garlic, bread crumbs, milk, eggs, grated parmesan and spices in a small bowl.
4. Add sausage and onions, mixing well.
5. Spoon evenly into mushrooms and top with mozerella.
6. Cook on lightly greased baking sheet at 350º for 15-20 minutes.

[b]Notes[/b]: The original recipe is intended to be spicier than I expect I'd like (I hate spicy foods). Thus, I left out the hot spices. If you like spicy foods and want to put them back in, use cayenne pepper, Tobasco sauce, or crushed red pepper.

 

Mmmmmmmmm.....stuffed mushrooms.....

 

Hey Jon, I have another request. If you run across any easy and fast vegetarian recipes, let me know. My teenage son, decided a few month ago, he was no longer going to eat meat. (got stir fries, spinch stuffed shells, mexican beans down pat.) Its comming up with new things that are fast and easy to make while I am making the main dish for the rest of the family.
Thanks

 

Looks good as always Jon! Now I need to find the time to prepare one of these.

 

I've actually been looking at some vegetarian recipies as well recently for a friend of mine. Unfortunately, very little vegetarian food looks appetizing.

I've got a few things bookmarked that I suppose I'll have to try. If they're edible I'll pass them on.

 

It's not vegetarian, but tasty:

[image=http://s94958815.onlinehome.us/hosting/cooking/cheesesteak.jpg]

Name: Philly Cheese Steak
Region: American
Difficulty: *
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
- Sirloin steak (sliced into thin strips)
- french bread (sliced lengthwise)
- butter
- garlic salt
- green pepper (diced)
- Provellone cheese

Instructions:
1. Spread a small amount of butter on french bread and sprinkle with garlic salt.
2. Brown steak until nearly cooked all the way through.
3. Top bread with steak, cheese, and peppers.
4. Bake at 400ºF until cheese is melted. Steak will cook the rest of the way at this time.

Notes: This is a meal that I generally cook for myself without leftovers. I take a large steak, slice the whole thing up, and save the rest for later (if I'm using it soon, just refridgerate, if not, freeze). If you're into them, mushrooms are also good on here, as are different kinds of cheeses and onion.