Kimchi Chige, veganized

When I taught in Seoul, I lived in a neighborhood known as Munjeong-dong. The school where I taught was probably about a mile away. Every day, I hoofed it there and back. Just down the road from our apartment was a little restaurant. It was a Kimbap Iagi. This was a chain, and I suspect it was also a franchise operation. Anyway, a lady ran it with her husband.

I didn't speak much Korean (hello, please give me beer, where's the bathroom, thank you, no meat. . . the important stuff). Still, I went into this restaurant at least a few days a week for lunch or dinner. The food was cheap and delicious.

In Korean, the respectful way of addressing an older woman is "ajuma." (Think ma'am.) Anyway, my former roommate, Hallie, once noticed that this woman didn't particularly enjoy being called "ma'am," as the term does specifically refer to older women. So Hallie substituted "uma," or "Mom." After that, she and I both referred to her as "Mom." "Mom was a beautiful, wonderful lady who knew that we were all far away from home. She took us under her wing. Some days, it was an extra bowl of kimchi. Other days, she'd bring out a fried egg. Occasionally, I'd bring her a bouquet of flowers just because they were so pretty in the florist's shop and I didn't have anyone else to give them to. On my last day in Korea, she gave me my dinner for free. I ordered kimchi chige.

Kimchi chige is a spicy stew based on kimchi. It's served boiling hot (it's literally still bubbling when it arrives at the table). Traditionally, it contains a bunch of pork and perhaps little mussels. Mom figured out that I didn't eat them, so she stopped putting them in. The results were delicious. Mom (and Pop, her husband) both figured out that I could handle spice better than most of the waygooks they knew. In all honesty, I could handle it better than a number of Koreans who I knew.

During a time period in which I ate kimchi chige about four times a week, I noticed that it seemed to be getting spicier and spicier. I thought it was my imagination until one day, I glanced up as I was taking my first bite. Mom and Pop were both peeking around the kitchen door to watch me eat. I could read their thoughts. . . "Is it going to be too hot for her?" Nope, it wasn't.

If you don't like fire, this probably isn't the dish for you. It's also a bit smelly (not quite as smelly as doenjang chige, though, which is full of Korean soybean paste), so turn your fan on.

This recipe is based on a few that I've looked at, plus my memory of the dish. I tried it for the first time with chrysanthemum leaves and enjoyed it, but if you can't find them, don't sweat it.

You'll need the following:
2 T. canola oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or more)
a jar of kimchi, drained and cut into bite-sized chunks (read the label to make sure it's fish-free!)
1 T. of Korean chili powder (cayenne might work if you can't find it)
2-4 c. water or veggie broth
a handful of shiitake mushrooms (fresh or fully reconstituted, whole or sliced)
a packet of firm tofu, cubed
a small bunch of baby leeks, sliced (use scallions if you can't find them)
a bunch of chrysanthemum leaves
salt and pepper
kochu jang if you happen to have it lying around

Begin by draining the kimchi. Reserve the juice. Put the scoop of chili powder in with the kimchi. 

 Heat the oil over medium in a soup pot. Heavy-bottomed is best, but I didn't have one. Add the garlic, and stir until fragrant. (Did you remember to put the fan on?)

When it's starting to get soft, dump in the kimchi and chili powder. Stir well until it starts to get sticky.

Add the reserved kimchi juices and the broth. 

Let that bubble for awhile while you take a handful of chrysanthemum leaves and wash them. Pull off the tough stems.

Put the chrysanthemum leaves, baby leeks, mushroom, and tofu into the pot. 

Taste to check for seasoning (add more water if you need it). You might need salt or pepper, you might want more chili powder or a blob of kochu jang. 

Best enjoyed with a bowl of rice and some yummy yellow turnip pickles if you can find them. 

Salad and omelet

And again with the pigginess! I ate the evidence before I could post it. No matter. I had a very simple supper tonight, just an omelet and a salad. Sorry, vegans, it's won't work for you. Non-vegans, enjoy. Try filling the omelet with 2 T. of thinly sliced onion, 3 leaves of de-stemmed and chiffonaded Lacinato kale, 1 or 2 sliced mushrooms, and a couple of T. of crumbled feta.

For your salad, start with a blend (I used TJ's herb blend), and top with 1 minced mini bell pepper, 2 T. diced fennel, a few cherry tomatoes, 1 sliced scallion, some microgreens, some chopped mixed nuts, and whatever dressing you like.

"Chicken" Stroganoff

Drat, I did it again. Ate it before I could photograph it, that is.

You'll need:
1 t. canola oil
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 shallot, sliced
5 small mushrooms, sliced
1/4-1/2 c. champagne
1/2 c. water
1/2 t. Better Than Bouillon
1 "chicken" breast (I used my last Quorn cutlet)
2 T. Better Than Sour Cream
pasta or something

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the garlic, shallots, and mushrooms. Stir over medium heat until they begin to soften, then add the champagne, water, and BTB. Stir to dissolve the BTB.

Add the "chicken" breast, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it bubble, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft and the "chicken" is heated through. Add additional champagne if needed to keep enough liquid in the pan. Season with salt and pepper (I used white pepper).

Scoop out some of the cooking liquid and put it in the measuring cup. Add the Better Than Sour Cream and stir to dissolve. Using a fork helps. Pour it into the pot and stir to distribute. Check the seasoning.

Serve over pasta.

Herbed Roasted "Chicken," Potatoes, and Leeks with Creamy Champagne Sauce

First of all, OMG this is good.

Secondly, the inspiration: I'm trying to make sure that I get enough protein, especially since I'm kicking up my weight training regimen. For starters, I'm going to look for the best veggie chicken. I really love Gardein, but they don't seem to have "naked" chicken. :-( I picked up Quorn's plain cutlets for this exercise. I decided to go this particular direction because of a poem I recently workshopped. No photos, alas. I snarfed it down pretty fast.

Here's what you need for the roast:
2 Quorn chicken "cutlets"
1 medium leek, trimmed
1 fist-sized Yukon Gold potato
A few sprigs of thyme
One sprig of rosemary
Salt
Black pepper
Olive oil
Champagne (or sparkling white. . . nothing too sweet, though)

Here's what you do:
Preheat oven to 375.
Lightly oil a non-stick loaf pan. (I don't have a small enough roasting pan.)
Slice and quarter the potato.
Slice the leek (use as much as you can).
Toss the veggies in the oiled pan, then lightly salt and pepper. Toss on some minced fresh rosemary and  thyme.
Open the champagne and sample some.
Lightly oil the cutlets on one side, then season as you did the veggies.
Pour in enough champagne to cover the bottom by about 1/4 inch. Place in oven.
Double check the champagne and start the sauce*.
After ten minutes, flip the cutlets and lightly oil and season the other side. Put back in the oven, pouring in more champagne if it's gone dry. Cook for ten minutes.

* The sauce

1 T. butter
1 T. flour
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
About 2/3-3/4 c. milk
About 1/3 c. champagne
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary and thyme

Melt the butter with the garlic in a cute little saucepan over medium heat. When the garlic starts to smell nice and get a little bit soft, you're reading to move on.
Whisk in the flour. Let it bubble and thicken a bit.
Whisk in the milk. Let it bubble and thicken a bit, adding more milk if it gets too thick.
Turn the heat down to medium low.
Add the herbs, champagne, and salt and pepper. Whisk again. Let bubble to cook off some of the alcohol.
Cook until desired texture, tasting as you go.
You might need to add a pinch of sugar if the alcohol hasn't all burned off.

Makes 2 servings. I put the veggies on a plate, topped them with the Quorn, then spooned sauce over everything. I'm not ashamed to say that I literally licked my plate. I'd totally serve this to a guy. . . three aphrodisiacs!

Curried Butternut Squash soup

Step One:
1 butternut squash, cut into large chunks
1 large cipollini onion, outer papery skin removed
six or so cloves of garlic, unpeeled

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prepare the veggies and put on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Brush with a mild oil, like canola, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Put about 1 cup of hot water into the pan (enough to cover the bottom). Roast the veggies until very tender, adding a bit more water if needed to keep it from going completely dry.

Step Two:
Roasted veggies
Water or veggie broth as needed

Scoop the cooked squash from its skin into a large soup pot. Squirt the garlic from its skins into the pot. Remove the outer layer from the onion, cut it into large chunks, and add to the pot. Add water or vegetable broth to nearly cover, then bring to a simmer. When the squash begins to fall apart, transfer the mixture to a blender (in batches if necessary). Puree until smooth, adding more liquid as needed to get it to turn over.

Step Three:
Pureed veggies
1 can of coconut milk
Curry powder or paste (additional spices as needed)
Salt and pepper
Garam masala if you want it

Add the coconut milk to the mixture, stirring well. If you need more liquid, add it. (Use broth or water.) Season with curry powder or paste, salt, and pepper. If you want a stronger flavor of cumin, coriander, or cayenne, add it now. Dish into bowls and sprinkle with a bit of garam masala if you want it.

The Way to a Man’s Heart (Seduction Bread)

 The following recipe is based very closely upon Josceline Dimbelby’s Tomato, Herb, Parmesan, and Garlic Bread with Olive Oil from her book Practically Vegetarian. I’ve made the recipe vegan by eliminating the Parmesan cheese. I also upped the quantity of herbs and tomatoes. It's basically a focaccia. 

This recipe contains three aphrodisiacs: basil, rosemary, and garlic. According to The Intercourses, by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge, basil has been used to prevent infidelity. Historically, rosemary’s scent was used to attract men. As for garlic, it is forbidden to some Buddhist monks as it is too “stimulating.” 

As for me, a delicious meal can give me goosebumps, curl my toes, and drive me to distraction. This bread is excellent with red wine. I can't say whether or not this "works," as my intended recipient was too late to get a taste. However, everyone else seemed to like it, and many people in particular were extra-cuddly with me. Mission accomplished? Well, sort of. 

3 c. all-purpose flour (unbleached is better)

2 T. coarse sea salt (I used Sel de Bretagne)

3 sprigs of rosemary

15 basil leaves

15 sage leaves (more if they are large or bland)

15 sundried tomatoes, sliced thinly

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

about 1/3 c. olive oil

1 packet of yeast

water

Get your yummy stuff prepared and set it out.

Prepare the baking pan. A cookie sheet is fine, or you can use a pizza pan. The loaf will be about ten inches in diameter, so keep that in mind.  Grease it lightly with olive oil.

Measure the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 T. and 1 t. of the salt and stir. If your salt is very coarse, you might want to add an extra pinch or two. Chop 2 of the sprigs of rosemary. Cut all of the basil and all but two or three leaves of sage into chiffonade and put it in with the flour. Add the tomato and the garlic. Stir well. 

Drizzle in 3 T. of olive oil, then add the yeast and stir well. Add enough water to form a soft dough (I used about 1 ¼ c., which wound up being a hair too much, so start with 1 c.). 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. (Depending on your kneading style, this will take between 3 and 7 minutes.) 

Shape the dough into an imperfect circle about ten inches in diameter, and put it on the baking sheet. Use the handle of a wooden mixing spoon (or a wooden salad fork, if you have one) to poke holes all over the loaf. 

Put the loaf into a plastic bag and curl the edges of the bag under the pan. Let rise for about two hours, or until it has doubled. Drizzle on the rest of the olive oil, spreading it with your fingers. Sprinkle on the remaining salt, sage, and rosemary. (Pull the large sprig apart into smaller bits, but you don’t need to chop it or make individual “needles.”) Bake in a preheated oven at 425 for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Pickles

This is how to make Dill Pickles using the Short Method. The recipe is from Ball's Blue Book.

Start with 30-40 pickling cucumbers. Wash them well. 

While the cukes are soaking (or the tub of water is filling), sterilize clean lids and rings. I did it the lazy way by covering them with boiling water. Remember, you can only use the lids once. Once you open a sealed lid, the seal is broken forevermore. Rings and jars can be reused until they get broken, chipped, rusted, bent out of shape, or lost to the garbage disposal.

Fill the clean jars with boiling water. Leave the boiling water in there. (It helps preheat the jars.)

Cutting the cucumbers into spears that will fit in the jars. The recipe suggests halves, but I prefer spears. 

The pickling spice. I didn't have cheesecloth, but I did have unfilled teabags, which worked great. Put 3 T. of pickling spice into one of them. I picked out as much cinnamon as I could, as I don't like cinnamon in my pickles. 

Make the brine. Put 3/4 c. of sugar, 1/2 c. salt (I used kosher), 1 quart water, and 1 quart vinegar (I used white, but apple cider is also good). Bring the brine to a boil, then remove the spice packet. Stir so the sugar and salt dissolves, and keep at a low boil.

Use your biggest pot for the processing. Make sure you have a rack that fits inside of it. Put an inch or two of water into the pot and bring it to a boil. Empty the sterilized jars into the pot and put the hot jars in as well. Try to fit them in snugly so they don't rattle too much (or flip over because they are empty and floating). 

While the broth is coming to a boil, put a head of dill into each jar. If you want some spicy garlic dills, add a clove of peeled garlic, a piece of dried red chili, a bay leaf, and half a teaspoon of mustard seed into those jars as well. Pack in the cucumbers on top of that. Then, pour in the hot brine, leaving a quarter inch of head room. Put the lids on top, then screw on the rings gently. (You can tighten them later. . . you just want them on enough that you can lift the jars by holding the rings.) 

The filled jars in their water bath. Add more water. Jars are better now, so you don't need to totally immerse them. Make sure the boiling water goes about halfway up, cover them, and let boil for fifteen minutes. Take them out of the water and set on a cooling rack. I topped mine with a towel to catch the drips. 

Gently tighten any rings that are loose. Let cool. You'll probably hear some loud pops as some of them self-seal. After a couple of hours, test the seals by gently pressing down in the middle of each jar lid. They should all be "down," but if one is up, push it down harder. If it stays down, good. If it pops back up, you didn't get the lid on straight and it isn't going to seal. Store that jar in the fridge. 

That's it! Pickles will be ready to eat in a few weeks. 

Belated Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho

A couple of weeks ago, it was too hot to cook. I hit up my local produce market (Yakima Fruit Stand on 522. . . you all should go there!) for provisions.

I bought a cucumber, a watermelon, a chili pepper, a red bell pepper, some garlic, a couple of shallots, some parsley, some basil, and a few scallions.

Before you start in on the gazpacho, you should pickle your shallots. Peel one of the shallots and slice thinly. You can divide it into rings now or later. Cover with cider vinegar and agave nectar. Add some salt and dill if you’d like. You can leave it at room temperature for now, or pop it in the fridge.

After testing the watermelon to make sure it was okay (it was), I did my prep. Quarter four tomatoes, reserving one for garnish. Peel half of the cucumber and cut it into chunks. Cut a thick slice of watermelon, remove the rind and any black seeds, and cut it into chunks. Remove the roots, outer papery layer, and green part of four scallions, then cut into 2-inch lengths. Remove the root, tip, and papery layer from one small shallot. Take the skin and end off two cloves of garlic. Cut both peppers in half and remove the seeds, membrane, and stem. 

Reserve two halves for later (pop ‘em in the fridge with the extra tomato, cucumber, etc). Put it all into the blender until it’s mostly smooth, season with salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil, then whir again. It should taste refreshing: a little tart, a little sweet, and with a bit of heat. Put it into the fridge.

Now it’s time for the pretty garnish. Cut a few slices of cucumber, leaving the peel on. You’ll want about 2 T. of finely diced cucumber. Dice up some of the bell pepper and chili pepper as well. (You’ll probably want about a teaspoon of the bell pepper and half a teaspoon of the chili.) Mince up a bit of parsley as well. Toss that all together.

Cut a thin slice of tomato and julienne two basil leaves.

Get your shallot pickles out of the fridge. 

Put a tomato slice in the bottom of the bowl and top with a  few of the pickled shallot rings.

Top with a scoop of the cucumber mixture, then arrange some basil on top. Gently pour in the soup around the edges.

(Obviously, if you don’t need it to be pretty, you can just cut the garnishes into chunks and stir into the soup.)

TGIF: French-Indian Fusion!

I totally rocked dinner tonight. I don't mind saying so.

I made: French-Indian lentil stew on coconut-cardamom rice with carrot-ginger sauce.

It's a bit involved, but it's totally worth it and it makes a ton.

Start by taking one cup of shredded coconut (the sweetened kind in a bag is fine) and cover with boiling water. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes while you chop all of the veggies. (See below.) Then, put it into a blender and pulse a few times. It's fine if it doesn't fully incorporate; you want milky stuff and pulp. Put it into a strainer and press down on the pulp with a spoon to extract most of the liquid. Save the liquid and the pulp. Set them aside.

French-Indian Lentils

Make the lentils:

1. Make a mirepoix of 2/3 c. each of chopped celery, onion, and carrot. Heat 1 T. canola oil over medium heat in a large soup pot and add the mirepoix. Stir.

2. While that's heating up, mince about five cloves of garlic and grate 1-2 inches of ginger (no need to peel, but cut off any woody or shriveled bits). Put the garlic and the ginger in with the mirepoix, and stir well.

3. Add 1 1/2 T. cumin seeds (more if you're a fan of cumin), half a teaspoon of grated coriander, 1/4 t. cayenne, 1/4 t. turmeric, a few mustard seeds, and some black pepper. Stir well. It's going to stick. This is okay. Add a bay leaf. Cover with boiling water. Put on the lid and turn the heat up so the stew boils. Keep an eye on it. You might need to add more water as this cooks. You'll want the lentils to keep some bite, but be cooked through. It'll take around forty minutes.

4. Once the lentils are mostly cooked, add 1/4 c. of mild tandoori sauce (or more, if that's your desire). Remove the cover and let cook until nearly dry.

Coconut-Cardamom Rice

1 t. canola oil
1 pinch salt
1 cup jasmine rice
1 1/2 c. water
seeds from 5 cardamom pods

1.) Put everything into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down, and let simmer until the rice is done.

2.) Fold in the coconut pulp. Keep warm.

Carrot-Ginger Sauce


1/8 c. onion, chopped
1 T. ginger, peeled and minced
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and peeled
1 c. carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (chop smaller to cook faster)
1 t. canola oil
1-2 T. Major Gray's chutney
boiling water

1.) Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, and carrot. Stir until fragrant, but don't allow to brown. Cover generously with boiling water. Turn the heat up to boiling and cover.

2. Keep an eye on this and don't let it boil dry. When everything is mushy and there are only a few tablespoons of liquid left, put it into the blender and puree until soft. Pour in the liquid from your coconut and blend again.

Plating:

Dampen the inside of a ramekin and fill with rice. Pack firmly. Put a plate on top, then flip over carefully. You'll have a nice, neat little mound of coconut rice. Surround the rice with the carrot sauce. The sauce will be thick, so gently shake the plate to get it to spread out. Add a large scoop of the lentils.

Chia Tapioca

I found a few recipes for raw tapioca with chia, but I didn't have large quantities of raw cashews on hand, so I was foiled. I had to work with what I had. Here's how:

2 T. chia
1 T. agave nectar
1 c. and 3 T. almond milk (I used vanilla)
1 t. vanilla extract

Put the chia into a bowl. Put the agave nectar into a glass measuring cup. Add almond milk to measure 1 1/4 c. Stir in the vanilla extract. Put in the fridge overnight. It's no dead ringer, but it does have the creamy-vanilla-globby thing going on.

My Neatballs

We had some odds and bobs lying around, so I decided to make minestrone. While I was at it, I figured I could make Italian wedding soup. Sort of. I decided to make some faux meatballs.

You'll need:
1 T. olive oil
2 T. minced onion
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 T. plain tomato sauce
2 T. dry white wine (I used dry vermouth)
4 T. water (1/4 c.)
dried oregano, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper
fresh parsley
2 vegan Boca burgers, thawed and crumbled
a bit of whole wheat flour

canola oil

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, along with the dried herbs. Once it starts to sizzle, add the wine and tomato sauce. When it becomes thick, add the water. Stir until incorporated and reduced. (No longer runny.) Taste and add a bit of salt if needed. (The Bocas have some salt, so use less than you think you need.)

Put the parsley and crumbled Bocas into a small bowl. Add the sauce. Mix well. Add a sprinkle of whole wheat flour if it's too soggy.

Wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Cover the bottom of it with canola oil, about 1/8 inch deep. Heat over medium until a cube of bread turns brown within a few seconds. While the oil is heating, roll your mixture into small balls. Each ball should be about the size of a cherry tomato.

(At this point, I rolled them all in whole wheat flour. However, I could see the grains on the final product, so I suggest you skip this part. If you used enough flour in your meatballs, it should brown nicely and not stick or fall apart.)

Fry in batches. Use a spatter guard to keep from getting burned and messing up the top of your stove. Shake the pan gently and use a spatula to brown the meatballs on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon, fork, or spatula, and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Ta-da!

Strawberry-Guava-Pisco Sorbet

This was my first try at making sorbet. It turned out fairly well.

You'll need:
1 pint strawberries, washed and hulled
about 1 cup of guava nectar
2 c. sugar
2 c. water
1 shot pisco

Mash the strawberries and put them into a 2-c. measuring cup. Add enough guava nectar to bring the level to 2 c. Puree in a blender, then strain into a small bowl. Add the pisco and stir. Chill.

Heat the sugar and water over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a simmer. Let bubble for 5 minutes (no need to stir). Pour into a measuring cup and cool completely.

Add the syrup to the puree and stir well. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's directions.

I decorated each serving with a strawberry that I'd dipped in pisco and then rolled in sugar.

Let Them Eat Cake

Sunday was my mom's sixtieth birthday. She decided to have a little party. Because two of her friends also have birthdays around this time, she opted for a joint celebration. That meant that I got to make three cakes. I made the vegan chocolate cupcakes in the cake form (it turned out delicious but a bit difficult to handle), Rachael Ray's Tequila Lime Cupcakes in the cake form (also delicious, but you'll need a double recipe of the frosting and should double the tequila and add extra lime juice), and the show-stopping White Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Mousse Filling and Light White Chocolate Buttercream.

Make the cake first. I used the recipe from White Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Layer Cake in The Encyclopedia of Chocolate, by Christine McFadden and Christine France.

As it's cooling, make the buttercream. (http://comfortablydomestic.com/2011/06/28/white-chocolate-buttercream/) Set it aside and make the mousse.

I based my recipe on one from the Cook from the Hip blog. I did make a few changes, so the recipe is here:

1 12-oz bag of frozen raspberries, completely thawed (leave it in the fridge overnight)
about 3/4 c. sugar (you can use more if the berries aren't sweetened or less if they are)
1 1/2 c. whipping cream
1 packet unflavored vegetarian gelatin substitute (I used Natural Desserts Jel Dessert Unflavored)

Start by pushing the raspberries through a food mill or strainer to get rid of the seeds and extract the flesh. Put the juice and flesh from the berries into a small saucepan with sugar to taste. Heat until bubbling. Let cool a bit. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Whisk the jel into the warm raspberry mixture. (Whisky fast or it will clump.) Gently fold the raspberry mixture into the cream a bit at a time. (Maybe four additions total.)

Frost each layer of the cake with a bit of the buttercream. Frost three layers with the raspberry cream. Refrigerate until the mousse is fairly solid. Stack the layers one on top of the other. Pipe remaining buttercream around the top edge of the cake, then decorate with raspberries.

Souffle Stuffed Mushrooms (et al)

Souffle Stuffed Mushrooms

I decided to give this a try. I'm glad I did.

You'll need:
10-12 large cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and with the stems removed, but keep them whole
a bit of olive oil
1 T. butter
1 T. minced spring onion
1 T. flour
2 T. minced green herbs and leaves (I used a bit of chives, some thyme, some parsley, and a good bit of arugula)
salt and pepper
1/4 c. milk
1-2 T. Parmesan
1 egg, separated
breadcrumbs

Start by heating the oil over medium-low (I used 3). Add the mushrooms, face down.

Move them around so they don't stick, but be gentle so they don't break. Flip them after they start to get soft and release their liquid. Continue cooking. You want them to be about 1/3 of the way cooked. When you get there, lift them onto a paper towel-lined plate and let them drain their liquid.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 F. Mince your herbs and onion.

Melt the butter in the pan (you can use the same one, no problem, or switch to a small saucepan). Add the onions and cook until they're becoming soft. Sprinkle in the flour and the greens. Stir until smooth. Add the milk and stir until incorporated. Let bubble for awhile. Season with salt, pepper, and the Parmesan.
Separate the egg. Beat the yolk slightly. Whisk it into the sauce mixture.

Let it bubble and thicken while you beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Fold the sauce into the egg white. Be gentle!

Dry out the mushrooms if they're still damp, then add a heaped teaspoon of sauce to each one. Don't go too crazy. That stuff will rise. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and place on a cookie sheet. Put in the oven on a middle rack, close the door, and no peeking! It will probably take about 15-20 minutes for these to cook (possibly more, depending on your oven).

Easy Garlic Ramps

I learned from experience that you should probably make this one in a non-stick pan.

You need:
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. soy sauce
1 bunch of garlic ramps
salt, pepper, sugar
1/4 c. water

Heat the liquids together in a skillet over medium heat. Turn the pan to coat. Toss in the garlic ramps, give the pan a shake, then cover it, leaving a gap for steam to escape. Work on something else for awhile. Open the pan and give it a stir when you need to. This stuff will start to stick pretty quickly. When that happens, add the salt and pepper, then a pinch of sugar. Pour on the water and stir quickly. Turn the heat down a bit. Put the lid back on, again leaving a gap. Stir when you think of it. You want these to cook to the texture of green beans. Warning: the buds can be kind of fibrous, so remove them or warn your guests.

Steamed Beets and Greens

Steam some baby beets until firm but cooked through. Cook them and chop them into bite-sized pieces if needed.
Trim the leaves (the stems go to yard waste) and slice. Steam them.
Toss the beets and greens together with balsamic vinegar and pepper.

Mashed Purple Potatoes
Steam or boil 1.5 lbs of peeled purple potatoes.
Mash with butter (or margarine), milk (dairy or alternative, but please not chocolate or vanilla). Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of cayenne and cumin, if you're into it.

To serve (I really need to work on plating):
Put a blob of potato in the middle of a plate.
Put ramps in front of it, spreading around the potatoes.
Add a pile of beets and greens opposite the ramps.
Top with the mushrooms.
Drizzle with herbed butter sauce if you like gilding the lily.

Apricot Souffle

This soufflé is served warm. While it takes awhile to get the apricot syrup made, the soufflé itself cooks pretty quickly. It also rises rather impressively, so I'm going to go ahead and guess that you don't really need the four egg whites that I initially used. (It actually rose so fast and so high that it spilled over the edge of the pan. Therefore, I'm going to suggest using only the three egg whites.) 

Apricot syrup:

1 lb apricots (leave them whole)

about 1/2 c. water

about 1/4 - 1/2 c. brown sugar, lightly packed

2 mint leaves, optional

rum, optional

Put the water, 1/4 c. brown sugar, and apricots into a medium saucepan. Cover and put on a medium to medium low burner. Leave until the apricots are meltingly soft, then push through a strainer or food mill into a bowl. Discard the pits and skins. Put the puree back into the saucepan and let simmer and reduce for awhile. You want to wind up with about a cup and a half of syrupy deliciousness. Add more sugar if needed. Put in a bit of rum if you'd like. If you enjoy mint and fruit, bruise the two mint leaves and put them into the mixture for a minute or so. My mint was quite potent and left quite a bit of flavor after less than a minute, so be careful. Let it cool for at least a few minutes. 

Souffle: 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter an 8*8 inch square Pyrex dish (or an 8 inch soufflé dish. . . whatever). Beat 3 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Pour in the apricot mixture, then fold it in using a rubber spatula or metal spoon. Be gentle. Pour this into the prepared pan, then put in the middle rack of your oven. Set the timer for 15 minutes. When it comes out, you can eat it as is. It makes enough for 4-6, depending. 

Bonus: Caramel Sauce

So I watch too much Chopped! and I decided that I was going to use the last 5 minutes of cooking to gild the lily. If you feel like doing so, here's how: 

Melt 1 T. of butter with 1/8 c. of packed brown sugar in a small saucepan. Add 1 T. of rum, and crank the heat up so it bubbles and all of the sugar dissolves. (This will probably take about 3 minutes if you started with a cold burner.) Dribble in about 2 T. of milk, stir well for a minute or two, and remove from heat. Make a puddle of this mixture on each dessert plate. When the soufflé comes out of the oven, put a scoop of it on the puddle. 

Thrifty Thursday: Cheesy Quinoa Broccoli Bake

1 head broccoli, florets and stems (peel the stems if skin is tough)
3/4 bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced (steam briefly if you'd like)
2 c. cooked quinoa

Steam the broccoli and cook the quinoa (you'll need 1 c. of dry quinoa). You want both slightly al dente. Chop the pepper and put it into a casserole. Put the broccoli and quinoa on top and toss.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Melt 2 t. each butter and olive oil (I used the stuff in the sun dried tomato jar) over medium heat.
Add 3 cloves of minced garlic. Stir until the garlic is soft.
Add about 1 T. flour and stir well.
Whisk in 1 to 1 and 1/2 cup of milk. Add 2-4 oz. cheese. I used Double Gloucester. Stir until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Pour over the ingredients in the casserole, then stir until coated. Pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Mmm.

Tubby Tuesday: Nachos

Today, I made some nachos. It's not so good for my "stop being plumpy" plan, but there you have it. Here's how:

Sauté one quarter c. of red onion and one quarter c. of chopped red bell pepper in a teaspoon or two of canola oil. Put in a couple of chopped garlic cloves if it's your pleasure.
Once they're soft, add a can of black beans (undrained)
Season with cumin, coriander, and cayenne. I also added some chopped cilantro stems.

Once it has thickened, it's done. Check for seasoning.

Put some tortilla chips on a plate. Top with half a cup of the bean mixture (or more) and a handful of shredded cheddar. Nuke it until the cheese melts, then top with some chopped cilantro leaves, a sliced scallion, some Tobasco sauce, and salsa. You'll probably need a fork.

Sunday Suppers: That's Borschit!

So my mom's taking a trip to Russia with her boyfriend later this week. As usual, I'm making dinner tonight. Mom wants to clean out the fridge. I am, as usual, happy to oblige. There are two giant roasted beets. So what's a girl to do? Borscht. Sort of.

I have had borscht a few times before. My favorite is the beet variety. 

The problem? No onions, which are required by most recipes. The solution? Dig into the frozen container of scraps for stock and pull out some old (but intact) bits of garlic. The leek was a failure. Leeks don't survive being frozen and then thawed.

Here's what you do: 

1. Heat a couple of tablespoons of canola oil over medium heat. Add a few halved cloves of garlic. You probably want between 1 and 2 T. Add 1 to 2 T. of minced green bell pepper if you have it on hand (which I did from the stuffed pepper I'm making... I'm sure it's fine if you don't have any). Allow to cook for awhile until fragrant and sizzling. 

2. Add 2 large cooked beets, peeled and cut into large chunks. You'll probably have about 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Add 1 c. hot broth, stock, or water, salt and pepper, and some dill. I also put in a sprinkle of vinegar and a 2 T. of plain tomato sauce (which I had on hand from the stuffed pepper). You'll be putting this through the blender, so don't worry too much about tasting it now. 

3. After it's simmered for about ten minutes (the beets should be very soft), remove from the heat. Put the whole works into the blender and process (put the lid on unless you want it to look like you murdered someone in the kitchen). You might need to add more water to get it to turn over. (Free tip: swoosh some water into the pot you were using to cook the veggies and dump it into the blender... you get residue). 

4. Give it a taste. I added the white part of a scallion, sliced. Mine also needed a bit more dill. Put it back into the pot and set aside. 

5. Now for the fun part. Grate a carrot or two and chiffonade some cabbage. Cook those in a skillet with a bit of oil until hot. Season with salt, pepper, and more dill. (I think caraway seeds would be good here as well, but I don't have any.)

6. Heat the soup back up, put it into bowls, and add a scoop of the cooked carrots and cabbages on top. If you have/like it, you can add a dollop of sour cream or drained yogurt as well. 

Sorry, no picture. We ate it. :-( It was tasty, quite earthy, and the most lovely shade of magenta.