last weekend, jordan and i visited the kennett square mushroom festival, whose volunteers and mushroom experts reminded us of this (but just substitute "shrimp" with "mushroom"). we left with an armload of different varieties of mushrooms: shiitakes, crimini (or baby bellas...i had no idea they were the same thing!), portobello caps, even porcini mushroom pasta.
so with the cold weather that came upon us this week, we thought we would try our hand at using the mushrooms for a soup. i have been trying to avoid dairy lately, so the standard, cream-based mushroom soup was not an option. instead, we adapted a recipe we found from vegetarian times. find the original recipe here.
we substituted quinoa for the wheat berries (as i am trying to avoid wheat as well, and we didn't have wheat berries in the pantry, just quinoa). also, next time we make it i would add scallions to bring a little more green to the soup.
ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
1 cup quinoa
10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
1 medium bunch kale, washed, stems removed, and sliced on the bias
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 cups low-sodium, MSG free vegetable broth (we use this to make our own broth; much more economical and eco-friendly than buying the cardboard quarts that end up going to waste!)
method:
cook quinoa according to package directions. set aside.
heat olive oil in a saucepan. saute the mushrooms for 10 minutes. add the garlic and continue to saute an additional 2 minutes. carefully add vinegar (the pan will be hot, so don't get splashed!) and continue to stir gently, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
add broth to the saucepan, bring to a boil and then allow to simmer for 20 minutes. stir in kale and allow to wilt.
to serve, ladle the soup into bowls and add the desired amount of quinoa to each bowl (this prevents the quinoa from getting soggy in the broth).
so simple! enjoy!
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fall. Show all posts
11/5/10
autumn earth dinner
when life gives you sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic, onions, apples, raisins, quinoa, goat cheese and broccoli...
make this!
preheat oven to 450.
wash all veggies. peel potatoes and carrots. roughly chop all veggies and apples.
in a roasting pan, put carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and onion. coat with a light layer of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 10-15 minutes.
while veggies are roasting, cook 2 cups quinoa according to the method you prefer. during the last 3 minutes of cooking, toss in some raisins so they get plump.
after the veggies have roasted 10-15 minutes, remove the pan and add the roughly chopped garlic. roast for another 10 minutes.
remove pan from oven, mix in the raw apples, quinoa and raisins in the same pan, and season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
plate and add a little smathering of goat cheese*, if you feel so inclined. drizzle with a little lemon juice, and enjoy autumn's bounty.
*optional.
make this!
preheat oven to 450.
wash all veggies. peel potatoes and carrots. roughly chop all veggies and apples.
in a roasting pan, put carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and onion. coat with a light layer of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 10-15 minutes.
while veggies are roasting, cook 2 cups quinoa according to the method you prefer. during the last 3 minutes of cooking, toss in some raisins so they get plump.
after the veggies have roasted 10-15 minutes, remove the pan and add the roughly chopped garlic. roast for another 10 minutes.
remove pan from oven, mix in the raw apples, quinoa and raisins in the same pan, and season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
plate and add a little smathering of goat cheese*, if you feel so inclined. drizzle with a little lemon juice, and enjoy autumn's bounty.
*optional.
10/17/10
weekend debriefing...
what a beautiful, perfectly autumn weekend we had! the sky was blue and crisp and the leaves around here are just starting to turn firey colors. i just love fall.
however, with the combination of being a grad student with approaching deadlines, and having a sick roommate/boyfriend with a mutant strep infection, i was left with little time to actually go outside and enjoy the weather. but i got the chance to do the next best thing...cook! a lot!
here is a glimpse of the adventures i had in our little purple kitchen this weekend:
get-well-soon soup.
i made this on friday. we ate it for dinner that night, lunch on saturday, dinner on sunday, and lunch today. needless to say, i made a lot. and it was delicious.
the best part of this soup was that it was all organic. most of the vegetables i used came from this week's CSA box. perfection!
so baaaasically, i sauteed an onion, some garlic, carrots and celery with some olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. i added peeled diced potatoes, a generous amount of black pepper and herbs de provence, and continued to cook until the onions were soft.
then i poured in 2 quarts of vegetable stock and a large can of diced tomatoes. brought everything to a boil, then added some frozen corn, salt, red pepper, more black pepper and herbs de provence and let it simmer until the potatoes were soft. also i added just about a tablespoon of butter to the soup, just 'cause.
finally, i brought another pot of water to a boil and added half a package of egg noodles. they cooked for about 3 1/2 minutes, then i strained them and added them to the soup. served up with some saltine crackers with a little bit of butter (a favorite comfort food of mine introduced to me by my grandmother), this was the perfect remedy to a fever and a sore throat.
amaretto chocolate chip cookies.
i made them this afternoon using semi-sweet chocolate chips this time instead of milk chocolate like i did here. also, i omitted the hazelnuts, but i added amaretto again for two reasons: 1) we don't have vanilla in the house and i needed a substitution 2) i used amaretto before and it was DELICIOUS. if it ain't broke...
i needed to halve the recipe, as we only had one egg left (when the recipe calls for 2). additionally, i broke both my legs and couldn't walk to the store to get more eggs. (the preceding statement is a lie...but in all honesty, i just didn't feel like going allllll thhhheee waayyyyyyy to the store. plus, i didn't want to make a recipe that yielded 4 dozen cookies, because then i would have ended up eating all 4 dozen cookies mostly by myself. not ok.)
results: the cookies were really really good! and math is hard because i had to not only halve the recipe, but i had to figure out how to measure out 3/8 cup of sugar when i only had a 1/3 measuring cup.
puff pancake (FAIL. miserable fail. sad.)
i tried to re-create a breakfast dish i had made once before. here, actually. unfortunately, i think it might have been too long since the last time i made it, because i ended up dumping the entire greasy, burned mess into the garbage can.
it was upsetting. i don't want to talk about it right now.
all was not lost, however, with the invention of tonight's dinner...
pan-seared rockfish with red pepper coulis and coconut rice.
this afternoon jordan was voluntarily ambulatory for the first time in almost a week! to celebrate, we went to a local orchard to get pumpkins and apple cider, then the fish market to pick up something for dinner because he had an appetite!
we got about a pound of rockfish (filet, not whole). using some really beautiful purple, green and red peppers we had in our CSA box, jordan made a coulis with them, adding plenty of garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar and sugar. we added some halved grape tomatoes, some corn and a little bit of water to make the sauce less chunky and more, well, saucy.
in a pot i combined 4 cups of coconut milk with 2 cups of jasmine rice. then i cooked it how i would withe regular rice. i was not disappointed with the results.
next, i rinsed the filet then dredged it in some flour mixed with salt, pepper and paprika. jordan heated up some oil in the cast iron skillet and seared the filet until the outside was crispy and the inside was flaky.
i served my filet on a bed of the coconut rice with the coulis spread over the top of the fish. it was absolutely delightful!
boy oh boy. after all this cooking and eating, it is going to be a chore to drag myself to classes next week. why do anything else when there is always food to be prepared and enjoyed?
however, with the combination of being a grad student with approaching deadlines, and having a sick roommate/boyfriend with a mutant strep infection, i was left with little time to actually go outside and enjoy the weather. but i got the chance to do the next best thing...cook! a lot!
here is a glimpse of the adventures i had in our little purple kitchen this weekend:
get-well-soon soup.
i made this on friday. we ate it for dinner that night, lunch on saturday, dinner on sunday, and lunch today. needless to say, i made a lot. and it was delicious.
the best part of this soup was that it was all organic. most of the vegetables i used came from this week's CSA box. perfection!
so baaaasically, i sauteed an onion, some garlic, carrots and celery with some olive oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. i added peeled diced potatoes, a generous amount of black pepper and herbs de provence, and continued to cook until the onions were soft.
then i poured in 2 quarts of vegetable stock and a large can of diced tomatoes. brought everything to a boil, then added some frozen corn, salt, red pepper, more black pepper and herbs de provence and let it simmer until the potatoes were soft. also i added just about a tablespoon of butter to the soup, just 'cause.
finally, i brought another pot of water to a boil and added half a package of egg noodles. they cooked for about 3 1/2 minutes, then i strained them and added them to the soup. served up with some saltine crackers with a little bit of butter (a favorite comfort food of mine introduced to me by my grandmother), this was the perfect remedy to a fever and a sore throat.
amaretto chocolate chip cookies.
i made them this afternoon using semi-sweet chocolate chips this time instead of milk chocolate like i did here. also, i omitted the hazelnuts, but i added amaretto again for two reasons: 1) we don't have vanilla in the house and i needed a substitution 2) i used amaretto before and it was DELICIOUS. if it ain't broke...
i needed to halve the recipe, as we only had one egg left (when the recipe calls for 2). additionally, i broke both my legs and couldn't walk to the store to get more eggs. (the preceding statement is a lie...but in all honesty, i just didn't feel like going allllll thhhheee waayyyyyyy to the store. plus, i didn't want to make a recipe that yielded 4 dozen cookies, because then i would have ended up eating all 4 dozen cookies mostly by myself. not ok.)
results: the cookies were really really good! and math is hard because i had to not only halve the recipe, but i had to figure out how to measure out 3/8 cup of sugar when i only had a 1/3 measuring cup.
puff pancake (FAIL. miserable fail. sad.)
i tried to re-create a breakfast dish i had made once before. here, actually. unfortunately, i think it might have been too long since the last time i made it, because i ended up dumping the entire greasy, burned mess into the garbage can.
it was upsetting. i don't want to talk about it right now.
all was not lost, however, with the invention of tonight's dinner...
pan-seared rockfish with red pepper coulis and coconut rice.
 |
| yougetinmymouthrightnow |
this afternoon jordan was voluntarily ambulatory for the first time in almost a week! to celebrate, we went to a local orchard to get pumpkins and apple cider, then the fish market to pick up something for dinner because he had an appetite!
we got about a pound of rockfish (filet, not whole). using some really beautiful purple, green and red peppers we had in our CSA box, jordan made a coulis with them, adding plenty of garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar and sugar. we added some halved grape tomatoes, some corn and a little bit of water to make the sauce less chunky and more, well, saucy.
in a pot i combined 4 cups of coconut milk with 2 cups of jasmine rice. then i cooked it how i would withe regular rice. i was not disappointed with the results.
next, i rinsed the filet then dredged it in some flour mixed with salt, pepper and paprika. jordan heated up some oil in the cast iron skillet and seared the filet until the outside was crispy and the inside was flaky.
i served my filet on a bed of the coconut rice with the coulis spread over the top of the fish. it was absolutely delightful!
boy oh boy. after all this cooking and eating, it is going to be a chore to drag myself to classes next week. why do anything else when there is always food to be prepared and enjoyed?
10/14/10
soup-stitute
remember this soup?
last week, as the weather had turned colder and the tips of the leaves began to brown, i craved this soup. but i was sad to think of potentially sacrificing this, one of my most favorite things to eat, in pursuit of my own personal moral enlightenment (read: not eating aminals). and i knew that the guilt that would consume me for cheating and making the soup with sausage wouldn't justify its deliciousness.
THANKFULLY, jordan with his keen, ninja eyes spotted soy italian sausage during our last trip to trader joe's! naturally, we bought a couple of packets, made the soup with soy instead of pork, and consequently devoured two entire batches of the soup like crazy people.
personally, i think it tastes BETTER with the veggie sausage! hooray for better-than-original substitutions!
last week, as the weather had turned colder and the tips of the leaves began to brown, i craved this soup. but i was sad to think of potentially sacrificing this, one of my most favorite things to eat, in pursuit of my own personal moral enlightenment (read: not eating aminals). and i knew that the guilt that would consume me for cheating and making the soup with sausage wouldn't justify its deliciousness.
THANKFULLY, jordan with his keen, ninja eyes spotted soy italian sausage during our last trip to trader joe's! naturally, we bought a couple of packets, made the soup with soy instead of pork, and consequently devoured two entire batches of the soup like crazy people.
personally, i think it tastes BETTER with the veggie sausage! hooray for better-than-original substitutions!
9/26/10
what to make when the cupboard is bare, part II
i spent the weekend at my parents' house in maryland. i enjoyed a much needed break from thinking about, talking about, and being around all things grad school related.
when i came home late this afternoon, i was so high on my wave of weekend serenity that i dreaded the thought of having to go shopping for dinner ingredients. feeling the frugal fairy on my shoulder, i suggested that rather than spend 25 bucks on takeout to first assess the items already in the pantry and fridge to see if we couldn't invent something ourselves. here's what we came up with:
ingredients:
2 cups quinoa
1 can chick peas
raisins
1 apple
1 red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper
cinnamon
method:
combine quinoa and water and cook according to method you're using (we use the rice cooker, so it's just 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa.)
while quinoa cooks, mince 3 cloves garlic. set aside. core and dice one medium apple and red pepper and set aside. drain and rinse chick peas and put in serving bowl. add handful raisins, apple, and garlic to bowl.
rinse cooked quinoa quickly, drain and add to bowl. stir to combine all ingredients. season with juice from one lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste.
the addition of cinnamon was a very last minute idea. i was searching through the spice rack for something "green", but i knew basil, oregano or dill might taste weird. the cinnamon kind of spoke to me, and it was a delicious decision, albeit one that was unexpected.
next time, if we have a little more green-age in the crisper, i would think of adding sprouts, arugula, or even some sauteed kale or spinach. i'm starting to really love using quinoa, and i'm sad that we ended up devouring all of this dish, so now there is none left over to have for lunches this week!
p.s.
for part one, go here.
when i came home late this afternoon, i was so high on my wave of weekend serenity that i dreaded the thought of having to go shopping for dinner ingredients. feeling the frugal fairy on my shoulder, i suggested that rather than spend 25 bucks on takeout to first assess the items already in the pantry and fridge to see if we couldn't invent something ourselves. here's what we came up with:
ingredients:
2 cups quinoa
1 can chick peas
raisins
1 apple
1 red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper
cinnamon
method:
combine quinoa and water and cook according to method you're using (we use the rice cooker, so it's just 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa.)
while quinoa cooks, mince 3 cloves garlic. set aside. core and dice one medium apple and red pepper and set aside. drain and rinse chick peas and put in serving bowl. add handful raisins, apple, and garlic to bowl.
rinse cooked quinoa quickly, drain and add to bowl. stir to combine all ingredients. season with juice from one lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste.
the addition of cinnamon was a very last minute idea. i was searching through the spice rack for something "green", but i knew basil, oregano or dill might taste weird. the cinnamon kind of spoke to me, and it was a delicious decision, albeit one that was unexpected.
next time, if we have a little more green-age in the crisper, i would think of adding sprouts, arugula, or even some sauteed kale or spinach. i'm starting to really love using quinoa, and i'm sad that we ended up devouring all of this dish, so now there is none left over to have for lunches this week!
p.s.
for part one, go here.
9/20/10
new issue of vegetarian times!
i was excited to receive the latest edition of "vegetarian times" magazine (one of my most favorite and most useful x-mas presents i received last year...thanks, jbl!)this month's issue is the best yet since i've started receiving the monthly collection of delicious and innovative recipes for myriad vegetarian chefs. here, the first flavors of fall are presented, and i can't wait until the temperature drops a few more degrees to try out the veg spin on comfort foods like chicken pot pie and hearty soups and stews!
we stopped by the sunday farmer's market and the natural foods co-op to stock our fridge and pantry with everything we need to make some of the meals suggested in the magazine.
in case i don't get around to blogging about them, go pick up the latest issue and see for yourself how delicious and satisfying a meal without meat can be! your body and the earth will thank you.
10/27/09
oh, beans!
around the end of october when the leaves are blazing vibrantly against a crisp blue autumn sky, there always seems to be a good week's worth of wind and rain that strips the trees bare and makes you wish you were taking a nap in front of a fireplace.
when this happens (and it inevitably does), i know it's time to make chili. it's easy, it's foolproof, it's easy to experiment with, and it makes so much that you don't have to worry about dinner for the rest of the week when it's too nasty outside to go to the store.
my recipe varies each time i make it, but here are the basics that go into mine.
recipe-less chili.
ingredients
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 granny smith apple, cored and diced
1 large onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (although i always end up using about half...use more if you like heat)
1 bag frozen sweet corn
olive oil
1/2 c. red wine
cumin
chili powder
salt and pepper
method
dice the onions and garlic. in a large pot heat olive oil and add onions on a medium heat. sweat onions for 5 minutes until tender. add garlic and saute 5 minutes more.
add peppers and apple and saute while adding spices (to taste). then add red wine, tomatoes, and beans. bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until ready to serve. (keep adding spices to taste).
five minutes before serving, add corn. (if using frozen, the chili will cool slightly. wait until it is hot all the way through before serving.)
serve with whatever sides you like. shredded cheddar, warm bread, tortilla chips, rice. perect.
when this happens (and it inevitably does), i know it's time to make chili. it's easy, it's foolproof, it's easy to experiment with, and it makes so much that you don't have to worry about dinner for the rest of the week when it's too nasty outside to go to the store.
my recipe varies each time i make it, but here are the basics that go into mine.
recipe-less chili.
ingredients
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 granny smith apple, cored and diced
1 large onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (although i always end up using about half...use more if you like heat)
1 bag frozen sweet corn
olive oil
1/2 c. red wine
cumin
chili powder
salt and pepper
method
dice the onions and garlic. in a large pot heat olive oil and add onions on a medium heat. sweat onions for 5 minutes until tender. add garlic and saute 5 minutes more.
add peppers and apple and saute while adding spices (to taste). then add red wine, tomatoes, and beans. bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until ready to serve. (keep adding spices to taste).
five minutes before serving, add corn. (if using frozen, the chili will cool slightly. wait until it is hot all the way through before serving.)
serve with whatever sides you like. shredded cheddar, warm bread, tortilla chips, rice. perect.
10/12/09
breaking the rules
only on very rare occasions do i break my no-pork-products-of-any-kind rule.
one is for north carolina pulled pork sandwiches from em-ing's, my favorite hometown spot.
the other is for the following recipe.
tuscan bean soup
ingredients
1 large yellow onion, diced
2-3 large cloves garlic, minced
4-5 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. sweet italian sausage
2 quarts chicken broth (i use the low-sodium, msg-free kind)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3-4 handfuls spinach
oregano
rosemary
fennel seeds
salt and pepper
thyme
(all seasonings to taste)
method
bring a large pot of water to boil. add sausage links, cook for 10 minutes.
as water boils, in a large soup pot, heat olive oil. add onions and sweat for about 5-7 minutes.
remove sausage links from water, slice into pieces, and add to the onions and oil along with the garlic cloves.
continue to saute, stirring regularly, until sausage is cooked through. add broth and stir over a medium heat. add drained tomatoes and seasonings. bring to a boil.
add beans, then reduce heat to low. let simmer about 10 minutes. after 5 minutes of simmering, add spinach. serve hot once spinach has wilted.
ladle into soup bowls and grate parmesan cheese over the soup. serve with fresh bread.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)