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 simple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simple. Show all posts
7/10/11
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.
4/25/09
learning to love martha
i have had it out for martha stewart since i was about nine years old. she just rubs me the wrong way for some reason. maybe it is her overarching, crippling strive for perfection. her arrogant tone of voice. her ability to go to prison for money embezzling and come out even more popular and adored than before she did hard time.
whatever the reason, i made it a lifelong goal to do everything anti-martha. that is, until i stumbled upon this recipe from her "Food" magazine. after re-creating this delightful quiche, i am slowly embracing my inner martha (that is my birth name, after all.)
leek, asparagus, and gruyere quiche
ingredients
one pie crust (store bought is fine...maaaartha suggests you make it yourself, but, psssh...)
1 tbsp butter
1 lb. asparagus, sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 leek, rinsed well, halved, and sliced thin
1 c. shredded gruyere
1 1/4 c. half and half
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste (a couple of teaspoons each, i guess...)
pinch nutmeg
method
preheat oven to 350. line a 9" pie plate with the crust, crimping it along the edges. fill the pie crust with the shredded gruyere.
melt butter in a large skillet. add the sliced asparagus and leeks, and saute for 6-8 minutes.
in another bowl, combine half and half, beaten eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. whisk together.
to assemble the quiche, pour the asparagus and leek mixture over the shredded quiche, then pour the half and half mixture overtop. bake for 50-60 minutes, until quiche is firm and crust is browned around the edges.
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