Moroccan-style Couscous

Vegan, delicious, quick, easy.

2 tbsp of earth balance butter
1/2 onion, minced
1 pinch of cumin
1 pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic salt, or to taste
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 juicy tomato, diced
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup almonds,  unsalted

I cup couscous, cooked

Heat vegan butter and toss in onions.  Cook on medium heat in a saucepanabout 3-5 minutes.  Add spices and stir until fragrant.  Toss in carrots and peas, and cook until soft.  Add chickpeas, raisins, almonds and couscous, stir until well mixed and almonds are soft and chewy.  Add tomatoes and any juice from cutting them, and stir.  Serve hot.

Vegetarian "Unstuffed" Cabbage Soup with Fennel

This is a wonderful and easy go-to soup that is hearty and delicious.  Fennel and cabbage go so well together and below is my favorite variation of the classic stuffed cabbage soup. (photo forthcoming)

SIMPLE VERSION

INGREDIENTS
¼ c extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 fennel bulb, diced
1 package of your favorite veggie "ground beef" crumbles
6 cups julienned cabbage, cut into 2" lengths
28-oz can of organic crushed tomatoes (or a quart jar of any home-canned tomato product you love)
28 or so ounces of water
1-2 cups of fine egg noodles (optional)

EQUIPMENT NEEDED
mortar and pestle or spice grinder (optional)
chef knife
cutting board
stock/soup pot

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a large heavy-bottomed stock pot to medium.  While it is heating, peel and slice your garlic and, if you have one, crush the fennel with a mortar and pestle. If you don't have a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, just toss the fennel in whole. Also trim and dice the fennel bulb.  Once hot the pot is heated, pour in your olive oil.  Add the sliced garlic, fennel seed and crushed red pepper.  Stir frequently and when the garlic begins to brown, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chopped fennel bulb and your frozen veggie crumbles (or even lean ground beef or ground turkey).

Keep an eye on the pot and stir regularly, breaking up the veggie crumbles as they thaw. In the meantime, slice half of the cabbage into ½" slices then chop into 2" pieces.  Once the fennel is softened, add the tomatoes, water, then cabbage, increase your heat to medium high and bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and allow the soup to softly boil for 10 minutes. After about 10 minutes, add the noodles and continue to boil your soup for the time stated on the package.

VARIATIONS:
- If you don't have access to fennel bulb, you can omit it entirely.
- If you don't like the fennel flavor, eliminated it and replace fennel seed with 2 bay leaves and fennel bulb with white onion.
- Eliminate the noodles and serve over rice.
- Cook the beef with the fennel bulb.  Wrap the mixture in fresh cabbage leaves, and line a 9x13" glass baking dish.  Create sauce with garlic, fennel seed, crushed red pepper and tomato.  Add 1 c-ox can of tomato paste, about 28 oz of water and heat through.   Use as a sauce and pour over the stuffed cabbage.  Top with cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Hummus from Scratch

I have a ton of dried beans that I am learning to use... and with the ease of making homemade hummus on the fly and being able to season and flavor it on a whim, I developed this basic recipe.  The recipe is a "quick" boil rather than overnight prep or crockpot overnight.  You could also add the spices and cook the chick peas over night on low.

The volume of beans that I've used here produces an amount of hummus similar to what you get in a grocery store container.  Flavoring the beans during the cooking process is fabulous as you can eat them plain, add them to salad, rice or quinoa, dry roast them for a snack... and of course, grind them to a paste to make hummus.

CHICK PEA BOIL INGREDIENTS:
½ cup dried chickpeas

water

... later more water

2 bay leaves

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

½ teaspoon black pepper (I use telicherry pepper from a specialty store, but any will do)

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

⅛ teaspoon ground sumac

small pinch of cinnamon (maybe 1/16 teaspoon)

pinch of salt (start with ½ teaspoon)

optional: ½ t baking soda to further soften the beans (it will effect the taste, but in a fine way)

HUMMUS INGREDIENTS
the cooked beans (about 2 cups)

reserved seasoned water from your chickpea boil

juice  and zest of 1 lemon; maybe 2

½ cup of tahini

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (go to a restaurant supply store and buy it in a large container, for making dressings, sauces, etc.)

2 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons cumin (paprika and za'tar are also great)

salt, ground pepper if needed

OPTIONAL GARNISHES
extra virgin olive oil

kalamata or similar olives

parsley

EQUIPMENT NEEDED
colander
4qt or larger pot
chef's knife
zester (a microplane is a great tool to have)
cutting board
measuring spoons/cups
large bowl
ladle
stick blender, blender or food processor

INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse the chickpeas well in a standard colander, making sure to remove any debris.  Put the chickpeas in a 4 qt saucepan and cover with 3" of water.  On an appropriate sized burner, bring contents of the pot to a rolling boil.  Turn off the heat and let the chickpeas sit in the pot for an hour.  They will double in size.

Drain and rinse the cooled chick peas in the colander.

Cover with water 4-5" above the beans.  They will double in size again during this cooking phase. Add all of the ingredients listed under "Chickpea Boil Ingredients" aside from the salt (you will add this in the last 15 minutes of cooking).

Bring the contents to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Be sure to check the pot to ensure you haven't boiled all of the water off.  You can certainly add water, need be.  At this point, add your salt.  Boil for another 15-30 minutes to desired tenderness.

For softer beans, you can add ½ teaspoon of baking soda and/or leave the lid partially covering the pot during the boil.  Experiment with that to see what you prefer.

Turn off the heat on your pot. Put the colander in the large bowl and drain your beans, keeping the boiling liquid in reserve.  Remove the bay leaves from your beans.  Either transfer the beans to a blender or food processor or a bowl in which you can grind them with a stick blender.

Add the zest and juice of one lemon, fresh garlic, cumin, olive oil and tahini.  Blend until it starts to get smooth.  Taste the paste.  Add some more lemon juice or even a bit of tahini if you want the flavor to change.  Blend. If the hummus is too thick, little by little add some of your reserved liquid until you are satisfied with the thickness.  If you forget to reserve liquid, water will do.  Keep blending.  When it is your desired thickness, taste and add a little salt or pepper if you want to.  Blend again.

Serve in a beautiful bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of fresh parsley.  I love adding olives, too!  Serve with pita, sliced veggies or even feta cheese!

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A note on tahini:  It keeps quite well in the refrigerator.  Two things I love doing with it:

Make a vegan dressing: tahini, lime juice and zest, rice wine vinegar, mirin (optional), sea salt, freshly ground black pepper.  I use this to make a vegan cole slaw... here is my recipe: Vegan Cole Slaw

Make a sandwich: baked tofu on a toasted crusty whole-grain bread, thinly sliced cucumber, mung bean sprouts. Mix equal parts of tahini and peanut butter.  Thin with a little rice wine vinegar and add a drop or two of liquid smoke.  Spread some on the bread and enjoy!!

Buffalo Cauliflower

This very simple, delicious dish is a wonderful addition to any Thanksgiving table or special occasion.  I also love to pour a hot bowl of Manhattan clam chowder over a few florets of cauliflower cooked this way.

Make no mistake, it is not light or calorie-free.  At the same time, this cauliflower is not breaded and can be vegan and gluten-free.  

Finally, if you do not have quality heavy-bottomed pots, try this in a large ramekin or heat-proof deep glass dish, cover with parchment paper and then foil and cook in the oven at 350F.

INGREDIENTS

1 head of cauliflower that is the approximate diameter of a saucepan you wish to use.  (This is VERY important for the dish to work

2-3 Yukon gold potatoes (or sections of zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage)

8 oz butter or vegan butter (I use Smart Balance, but use your favorite)

*** Chef's note: this is delicious without adding the below additions*** these are optional ***

1T finely minced hot pepper (I use habanero) WARNING: YOU MUST WEAR GLOVED OR WASH YOUR HANDS VERY WELL AFTER MINCING HOT PEPPER. 

1T finely minced garlic

¼ cup Tabasco sauce (you can use any vinegar-based hot sauce, just increase the volume if you choose one less hot, such as Crystal)

1 teaspoon chili powder

GARNISHES (optional)

chopped fresh parsley

sweet paprika

EQUIPMENT

Chef's knife

Cutting Board

4 qt saucepan with tightly fitting lid 

INSTRUCTIONS

Remove the leaves from the bottom of your cauliflower.  Put the cauliflower head down in your saucepan.  Trim the cauliflower so that it fits as snugly (diameter-wise) as possible in the pot, but the lid fits tightly on the pot.  It is alright if the cauliflower is too short.  Typically, they are so large, I cut off about ½ from the bottom and then make a few shaves in the pot. Check that the lid easily fits all the way down. 

Remove the cauliflower from the pot and over very low heat add your butter or butter substitute.  Once the butter begins to melt, add the hot pepper and garlic. Watch carefully so your butter doesn't burn.  It will be melted in a short time. When it is fully melted add the chili powder and tabasco and stir. Remove from heat. 

Place the cauliflower head down in the pan. Cut wedges of potato (or zucchini, squash or cabbage) that will fill the gaps between the flat side of the cauliflower and the pan.  You want to ensure as little steam as possible escapes, so you want everything wedged in tightly.  When finished, check your lid tightness again and trim everything that might be blocking the lid from sitting all the way down. 

Place back on very low heat and allow to simmer for 1.5 hours.  Do not lift the lid at any time during the cooking process.  

Once finished remove the cauliflower and other veggies carefully with tongs and a spatula and then pour any remaining butter sauce on top.  If for some reason your cauliflower is not done enough for your taste, put it back in the pot and continue simmering.  It should be falling apart on the plate. 

Top with your favorite garnishes and serve on a platter.  

Roasted Veggies

Delicious and super nutritious.

Idaho Potatoes, sliced
Carrots, sliced
Onions, diced
Parsnips, sliced
2 tbsp Oil
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
Italian herbs, dried
Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 tbsp cumin
Jasmine rice
Broth, vegetable

Begin by cooking the rice in broth.  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice veggies, and then throw into a bowl.  Cover the veggies with oil, salt and pepper, plus spices.  In another bowl, toss chickpeas with cumin, oil and salt.  Spread vegetables and chickpeas evenly on baking sheet and place in oven.  Cook for 22 minutes, flipping vegetables half way through.  Vegetables should be lightly brown, and chickpeas crunchy (some should have split already).  Lay rice on plate, and cover with chickpea and vegetable mixture.

Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup

Warming, fragrant, comforting soup .... Is anything better on a cold winter day?

Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin and coriander, mixed
Salt to taste
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1 can vegetable broth
1/2 cup lentils

Heat onions in oil until fragrant.  Add carrots and celery, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add minced garlic, cumin and coriander, salt, and stir.  Stir in tomatoes and broth, bring to s boil.  Add in lentils.  Bring to a boil again, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 45 minutes.

Veggie Korma

Vegetable Korma

2 tbsp oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp garam masala
1tbsp coriander
1tbsp turmeric
i can tomato sauce
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup cashews
salt, to taste

Heat oil in large sauce, cook onions until translucent.  Add garlic and ginger until fragrant, then add spices and stir.  Add tomato sauce.  Bring to a boil, then simmer and add vegetables, raisins and coconut milk.  Simmer for 20-25 minutes on stovetop, and add cashews.  Serve over rice.

Cincinnati-Style Chili for Vegetarians and Vegans

I just LOVE Cincinnati chili. Skyline is the most well known, but Chili Time, Gold Star and even some taco shops made wonderful versions of this chili reminiscent of the Greek dish called pastitsio which features cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cocoa. I've tried a few recipes to develop a and this is the version I regularly make.  All ingredients come together in less than 15 minutes with very little slicing and dicing.  

Of course it would be delicious with  ground beef or ground turkey.  So, if you don't have a recipe and want a to give it a try, this is a good start. 

Here's a bit on the ground veggie protein or grain options.  My preferred choice is Yves' ground soy product which can be found in the refrigerator section of your grocery.  Boca's frozen product is another fine choice.  Dried TVP works decently, but isn't quite as pretty.  Finally if you prefer not to use soy-based products, you can use bulgar wheat instead.  

Makes 4 servings with 1 lb of spaghetti

Here are the amounts for your ground product: 

• 12 oz package veggie crumbles (I like Gardein the best)
• 1.5 cup of dry TVP mixed thoroughly with 1.25 cups of boiling water
• 3/4 cup of bulgar wheat; pour over 3/4 cup of boiling water, stir and allow to sit for 1 hr

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large sweet yellow onion, finely chopped (Vidalia or spanish is fine)

ground soy product or bulgar wheat (as above); or 12 oz ground beef or ground turkey

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1Tbsp chili powder

28-oz can of crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes or tomato sauce

1tsp allspice ** (or a mixture in equal parts of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg, which I prefer)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder (you can use Dutch processed if that's what you have)

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce (regular which has anchovy in it, Amy's vegan, or pick-a-peppa all are great options…you can even make your own and for a veggie version substitute Maggi sauce for fish sauce).

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1/2-1 1/2 cups water

RECIPE

Heat a stock pot over medium high flame to temperature.  Once hot, add the oil, onion, ground soy product or bulgar wheat (hydrate that ahead of time), chili powder and garlic.  Stir to mix thoroughly and allow to cook until the "meat" is slightly browned which will take about 7-8 minutes.  You'll need to stir frequently to ensure  it doesn't burn. 

Now, add the tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of water, being certain to scrape the bottom of the pot to remove anything that might have stuck to the bottom.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir thoroughly.  Once the chili comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes and adding a bit of water if needed 1/2 cup at a time. 

Serve over piping hot spaghetti and allow everyone to top their chili with finely grated mild cheddar cheese, diced onion and/or kidney beans.  Traditional accompaniments of oyster crackers and tabasco sauce are great fun, too!  

________……..________

Here's a quick note about the allspice…  I don't use allspice, since I really don't bake and it would get

old before its time.  Instead, I mimic the taste with an equal amount of whole clove, freshly ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon. 

Measure out a teaspoon of cloves. Grind it up with a mortar and pestle or smash it between two sturdy spoons. Once the clove is ground, the volume will be somewhat less than 1/2 teaspoon, but that's okay. You'll have enough.

Pull out your microplane and a nutmeg seed. Grind out an amount of nutmeg equal to that of the ground cloves.  Please don't use old pre-ground nutmeg. That's no better than using tired old allspice.  

Now, eyeball measure out a similar amount of ground cinnamon or use the microplane and grate out the correct amount.  I go through cinnamon quickly, so keep both ground and stick on hand. 

Clockwise from 12:00 - nutmeg, clove, cinnamon

Mix the ground clove, cinnamon and nutmeg together and measure out a teaspoon for your chili.  

The leftover spice mix doesn't need to go to waste -- toss it on cereal, oatmeal, fruit and yogurt, or use to spice tea or coffee.  

Pomodoro Puttanesca Pasta with Peas

Last night I made a delicious light pasta last night inspired by the quart of pea pods I got at my CSA.  The sauce is a hybrid between a pomodoro and a puttanesca sauce.  I found it to be creamy and delicious with all of the flavors complementing the tuna so much that you hardly notice it.  For a vegetarian option, you could leave out the tuna entirely or replace the tuna with seitan. I also think this would be fabulous with high quality chicken.

This would also be great with freshly grilled tuna, in which case I would slice the tuna and serve it on top of the pasta.

SAUCE
• 4-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 quart cherry tomatoes (fresh or frozen-fresh)
• 1/2 cup sliced green olives
• 1/4 cup chopped capers
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 4 oz canned tuna (in water well-drained) or high qualityItalian tuna in olive oil***always use chunk light due to the mercury content of albacore
• up to 1/2 cup of water to thin sauce if needed
• freshly ground black pepper

PASTA
• 1 lb of a short cut pasta like fusilli or oriccheti
• large pinch of sea salt
• 1 quart of peas in pod (trimmed and halved) or shucked peas

GARNISH -- ALL OPTIONAL
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped parsley (Italian or curly is fine)
• 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese (optional)

Chop and mince all of your ingredients before you start the heat.  This one cooks fairly quickly.

Start a large saucepan over medium heat.  Once hot, add the olive oil.  When the olive begins to shimmer add the garlic, stirring frequently and watching them carefully.  Cook the garlic until the slices are all beginning to brown. Add the rest of your sauce ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer the sauce partially covered while you cook the pasta. Keep an eye heck to make sure it doesn't need a bit of water added.

Bring a stock pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling add a large pinch of salt to the water.  Stir briefly, allow the water to return to a boil and then cook your pasta according to the package directions until it is el dente. As the pasta is reaching el dente, dump in your peas.  Bring to a boil or until the peas turn bright green (which ever comes first) and drain.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta and peas with the sauce, adding up to another tablespoon of olive oil if needed.  Allow everything to cool for 5 minutes or so and then toss in the parsley and asiago cheese.

Enjoy!

Chana Gobi - Chick Peas and Cauliflower in a Tomato Curry Sauce

Cauliflower has been one of my favorite vegetables for decades and I adore Indian flavors, so it is no wonder that this is a go-to dish for me.  While it isn't your typical yellow curry, it is delicious.  Hats off to Madhur Jaffrey whose cookbooks taught me to soak the cauliflower in cold water prior to cooking it.  Her cookbooks are lovely and packed with recipes you can make to.  I suspect her influence is found in these recipes as well as those of the Moosewood Restaurant, my friend Rahul Kulkarni and so many others that taught me the essentials of great curries.

INGREDIENTS

1 T extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil or ghee

1 T black mustard seeds

1 T fennel seeds

½ onion, finely diced (I prefer about a 3mm dice here, but make it fairly fine)

1T ginger, minced

6 cloves garlic minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

¼ t tumeric

1/3 t cayenne pepper

½ t salt

1 medium cauliflower, cored, sliced into ¾ to ½ inch slices and then broken into bite sized pieces

1 can garbonzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 T water

1 28 oz can diced or whole tomatoes and juice

¼ t curry powder

¼ t garam masala

zest of 1 lemon (optional)

RECIPE

Soak cauliflower in a bowl of cold water for at least ½ hour.  Drain. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans to remove any residual liquid that was in the can.  While the cauliflower is soaking, chop the onion and mince the ginger, garlic and pepper.  Then, get your spices ready.  The turmeric, cayenne and salt can go into one small dish and the curry powder and garam masala should go into a separate dish as the two groups will be added at different times.  

Heat a very large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Once, hot, add the olive oil, cumin and fennel.  Allow the seeds to fry for a few seconds then toss in the onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeno pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the onion begins to brown.  Add the first spice mixture (turmeric, cayenne and salt) to your pot and stir fry for another minute or two.  Once those spices are well incorporated into your aromatics, add the cauliflower, garbonzos and water to the pot.  Mix thoroughly and then add the tomatoes.  If the tomatoes you have on hand are whole, hand crush them into the pot, removing any remaining skin or tomato cores as you find them.  Add the tomato liquid as well.

Allow the mixture to simmer for 7 or 8 minutes, or until the liquid is mostly evaporated and the cauliflower is done, but still rather firm.  Now, add in the curry powder, garam masala and lemon zest and stir it thoroughly through the dish and allow to cook for another minute.  (Note that if you are using a pan that is too small, you may want to cover the pot for 5 minutes of the cook time to ensure the cauliflower is done).

Turn off the heat.  Garnish with cilantro or chopped almond.  Serve over your favorite grain if you like.  This spice portfolio is also great with another traditional combo -- mushrooms and black-eyed peas.

Earthy Spinach and Lentils

I had a huge craving for spinach and lentils last night.  I created this recipe, and it was delicious!

1/2 cup diced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry rice
1/2 box of frozen spinach, thawed
1/4 cup brown lentils, dry
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1 cup water
Salt, to taste
6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced
Parmesan, to taste

Cook rice in small pot.  Over medium heat, sauté onions in olive oil until golden, about ten minutes.  Add garlic, cook about 5 more minutes.  Add water, toss in lentils.  Simmer until tender; about 20 minutes.  Add thawed spinach, cumin and salt, and cook until water is absorbed.  Add rice to mixture, stir and serve immediately.  I like to top it with tomatoes and Parmesan to add earthy flavor.

A Vegan's Stroganoff…Hearty Noodles with Mushroom Sauce

This recipe is hearty, warm and forgiving, so measurements are approximate.  Chop and use what you have – no need to pieces and parts to go to waste.  I’ve adapted it from a recipe I read on the Facebook page for Cleveland Vegans and Vegetarians.  I’m not inclined to put sour cream, yogurt or creamed tofu into this dish.  I would suggest instead having them as separate condiments and letting your dinnermates customize each to their taste. 

EQUIPMENT

(Nothing special is needed here)

I would suggest using two stockpots if you have them available.

[sharpen your] chef’s knife

cutting board

zester

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp olive oil

crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
1 1/2 cups onion, diced finely (a medium sized onion is perfect)

2 bay leaves

pinch ( ~1/8 tsp) sea salt

3-4 garlic cloves, minced (about a tablespoon)

¾ cup chopped celery (2 large stalks celery, leaves included if available)

¾ cup chopped carrot (1 large or two medium is perfect)

1 heaping Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme, dried or fresh (stems removed)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp black bean paste (optional -- purchased in a Thai or other Asian grocer)

1 Tbsp juice and all of the zest from 1 lemon (optional, but gives nice brightness to the dish)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (Amy’s vegan or Pick-A-Pepper sauce are great substitutes, but you can make your own)

1 rounded Tbsp cornstarch in 1/2 cup warm water

1 lb fresh mushrooms of your choice, cleaned and cubed (I do half and half white button and portobello) – about 4-5 cups when chopped

4 cups water 

1/3 red wine (optional)

1 Tbsp black pepper

1 12-oz package of egg noodles (or any type of ridged noodle; rice noodles would work, too, if you are so inclined… you could even use a julienned cabbage that you blanch or simmer with garlic and white wine)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Add the cornstarch to 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside. 

Bring a stock pot, dutch oven or large sauce pan to heat over medium-low flame.  Once warm add the olive oil and allow it to warm until it begins to shimmer.  Add the bay leaf and onions.  Stir and allow them to cook for a couple of minutes before adding the celery and carrot.  Once you add them, continue sautéing the mixture until onions are soft and translucent – about 8 or 9 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and allow to sauté for another minute.

While the garlic is sautéing, add the soy sauce, black bean paste, Worcestershire, lemon zest, juice and tomato paste and combine thoroughly with the cooking vegetables. Finally, once everything is blended, add 3 cups of the water (or homemade broth) and stir again. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir the cornstarch-water mixture and add to the broth.

While your broth is simmering, clean and chop the mushrooms.  Remove the stem of the button mushrooms (not only do these negatively impact the texture of the mushroom sauce, the stems can be frozen for use in a future broth.  Moreover, my dogs love them, so I enjoy giving them as treats while I cook). Quarter the button mushrooms by cutting in an “x” pattern through the top and cut the portobellos to a similar size.  Add the mushrooms to the simmering sauce and, finally, the red wine. Lace with freshly ground black pepper – up to a tablespoon.  

Make sure that there is enough liquid in the pot that the mushrooms are fully submerged but not much more than that.  If needed, you can add a bit more water as the sauce is simmering ¼ cup at a time.

Turn up the heat to medium high and bring the dish to a simmer until mushrooms are tender, approximately 20 minutes.  Turn the heat off when the mushrooms are cooked and the sauce is reduced sufficiently to nicely coat the noodles.  If you are waiting for the noodles to finish cooking, don’t forget to put your lid on your pot to keep the sauce warm.

While you are simmering your sauce, bring a stockpot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions.  When tender, strain the noodles and then pour the hot noodles into your mushroom sauce mixing thoroughly.

Top with chopped parsley, chopped tomatoes, red pepper flakes, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt or even a fresh gremolata (parsley, garlic and lemon zest minced together).

Serve hot and enjoy!

NOTES AND VARIATIONS

Here’s a note about store-bought broth: if you don’t have to use it, don’t.  It’s loaded with salt and you cannot really control the quality of ingredients or taste. This recipe is perfect made with water.  The onion, celery, and carrot together form a “mirepiox” that when combined with a bay leaf is the basis for a vegetarian broth.  If you need to make a quick broth for another dish, roughly chop a large onion, 2 medium carrots, 2-3 stalks of celery and toss in a pot with a tablespoon or so of olive oil, a pinch of salt and a couple of bay leaves over medium heat. The goal is the volume of carrot and celery together should be equivalent to the volume of onion. Once the onion begins to cook and brown, add 12 cups of water, raise the heat to med-high and allow it to simmer for 45 minutes or more.  Cooking the onion at high enough heat to allow it to brown slightly (without burning) will improve the taste of the broth.  Strain the broth through a colander and use as needed. For creole dishes, use “the [holy] trinity” (onion, green pepper and celery) rather than a mirepoix.

This mushroom sauce would make a great base for lasagna with ricotta and béchamel (veggie or dairy).  It would also be great served with roasted beets and a zesty vinaigrette-tossed spinach salad.  For a one-pot dish, consider tossing a cup of frozen chopped spinach or fresh well-cleaned spinach cut in a nice chiffonade at the end of cooking.  Mix the spinach through the sauce through cover, allowing the spinach to simmer for the last couple of minutes of cooking.  If you would like a spicier dish, add crushed red pepper flakes at the very beginning with the onion and bay leaf.  Start with a teaspoon and learn to adjust for your taste.

Eggs in a Veggie Basket

Fried Eggs in a Pattypan Squash

Sitting around my house considering brunch, I looked at that single patty pan squash just that has been gathering dust for sometime on my kitchen counter.  Beautiful though it was, I decided to try something new.  Pattypan squash are light and cook well.  They are the small, broad flying saucer shaped squash that you see primarily used for decoration, which is a shame because they actually are quite good.

I stood looking at the squash and thinking about a fried egg and thought, hmmm… eggs in the hole (but more healthy for you).  So, I scooped it out and threw it in a sauté pan with olive oil and a touch of butter and began mincing.  This is a photo of the finished dish, and it was delicious was delicious.

The entire dish took under 10 minutes to make and each pattypan will serve one or two people depending on its size and how good you are with a knife.



EQUIPMENT
Sharp knife, with a minimum 6" blade
Tablespoon
Cutting Board
Straight sided saute pan with lid (the pan isn't too important, but the lid is).
A small bowl
Metal spatula

INGREDIENTS
olive oil, butter or fat of your choice
1 pattypan squash
1 Tbsp each of minced onion, garlic and red bell pepper
1/2 minced jalapeño pepper
Fresh grated pepper
2 organic, free-range eggs (yes, buy the best you can.  Even at $4.50 per dozen, it's less than a buck per serving)

Optional: crushed red pepper, oregano, grated cheese, parsley… anything that sparks your imagination.

METHOD
Using a very sharp knife, slice a thin layer off the bottom of the pattypan squash then use a sturdy tablespoon to scoop out the seeds from the center all the way through the squash.  Very carefully so as not to cut yourself and to cut evenly through the squash, slice the squash in 1/2-3/4" slices with the knife moving perpendicularly through the hole, so that the resulting slices are rings. You will safely get 2-4 rings depending on the size of the pattypan and your ability to cut straight.  You can use the remainder in soups, chili, or any stuffed squash dish.  Dice it and put it in the freezer until you are ready.

Now, heat your pan over medium-low (my settings go lo-6 and I had the flame on about 3).  When the pan is warm, add the olive oil and a touch of butter if you like.  When the oil begins to shimmer, add the squash slices and grind a little fresh pepper over the top to your taste.

While the squash is gently cooking, go ahead and mince your vegetables.  In about 4-5 minutes of sautéing, your squash should be slightly browned.  Toss the minced veggies into the pan and then turn over the squash carefully.  One by one, crack your egg into your small bowl, inspect for shells and then pour into the center of the patty pan until you have filled each.  Hey -- here's a tip -- crack your egg on a flat surface as opposed to on the side of your bowl to minimize the opportunity for shell to break off into the egg.

Sprinkle the top with your optional ingredients, cover the pan and allow to cook.  In 2-3 minutes, the egg will be cooked and the yolk will still run.  Allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes if you prefer a firm yolk.  Remove from the heat onto your serving plate using a metal spatula.

Enjoy!