Vegetarian Wild Rice Mushroom soup

From Eating Well - November-December 2015 issue

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cups sliced leeks (4-6 medium ones)
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms sliced
• 1 and 1/2 cups sliced celery
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 6 cups mushroom broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp sour cream
• 6 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted.

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add leeks and cook, stiring occasionally, until starting to brown, 6-8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, sitrring often, until leeks are golden brown and very tender, 5-10 min more.

2. Add sherry and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms and celery and cook, stirring often, until the mushroom liquid evaporates, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add broth, water and rice; and cover and bring to a simmer.

3. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Season with pepper and salt. Serve each portion topped with 1 tbsp each sour cream and almonds.

Copycat Chipotle Sofritas (Spicy Adobo Braised Shredded Tofu)

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Serves: 4 servings

Recipe by Yup, It's Vegan! at http://yupitsvegan.com/2014/07/16/copycat­chipotle­sofritas/

Copycat Chipotle sofritas ­ tofu sofritas in the same style served at Chipotle, but even more flavorful (and healthier)! Firm tofu is pan­fried, then shredded and braised in a rich, spicy, and savory adobo sauce. Skip the lines and make your own vegan burrito bowls at home!

Ingredients

• 16 oz. extra­firm tofu (the firmest you can find; I used Trader Joe's super­firm)
• ~2 tb. grapeseed oil (or other neutral, high­heat oil)

For the spice blend:

• 1 and ¼ tsp. cumin seeds, lightly toasted
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds, lightly toasted
• ¼ tsp. black peppercorns, lightly toasted
• ½ tb. dried oregano leaves
• 1 tsp. raw sugar or coconut sugar

For the spicy adobo sauce:

• 1 medium poblano pepper
• 2 tb. chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 tb. additional adobo sauce
• ½ c. water or salt­free vegetable broth, divided
• ½ white or yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 and ½ tb. tomato paste
• 2 tb. soy sauce (or tamari)
• 1 tb. cider vinegar (optional)
• 1 tsp. nutritional yeast (for added umami)
• ¼ tsp. salt + more to taste (I personally went up to almost ½ tsp.)

Instructions

Prep the tofu:

1. Press the tofu using a heavy object & towels, or your tofu press, for at least 5 minutes to remove any excess moisture. Slice the tofu into about 8 slices.

2. In a skillet, add 1 Tbsp or so of grapeseed oil over medium­high heat, until shimmering. Add as many slices of tofu as you can fit without crowding.

3. Cook the tofu for 2-­3 minutes on each side, or until evenly browned all the way around the outside. Remove from the heat and repeat with remaining slices of tofu. Set aside.

4. Once the tofu has cooled, chop it into very small pieces, or to the size desired.

Prep the spice blend:

1. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns just until they start to smell fragrant. Add them to a spice grinder or mortar & pestle, along with the oregano and sugar. Grind into a fine powder.

Char the poblano pepper:

1. If you have a gas stove, then turn on a burner and use metal tongs to hold the pepper over the flames. Rotate frequently until the pepper is blackened all the way around. You can also grill the pepper, or roast it at a very high heat in the oven until fully browned.

2. Remove the skin, stem and seeds from the pepper.

Prep the sauce and braise the sofritas:

1. In a blender or food processor, combine the poblano pepper, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, about half of the water or broth, onion, garlic, tomato paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and optional nutritional yeast. Process until completely smooth.

2. Add the sauce to a large skillet or saucepan along with the chopped, fried tofu. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat to medium.

3. Add the rest of the water/broth, the salt, and about half of the prepared spice blend. Cover the pan, and cook for 5­7 minutes.

4. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or more of the spice blend as desired. Stir, cover again, and cook for about 5 more minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the raw onion and garlic taste is gone.

5. Enjoy in a burrito bowl, or anywhere else with Mexican­inspired flavors! Notes For a texture more like what you'll be served at Chipotle, use regular firm tofu. The sofritas at Chipotle also tends to be very saucy. This recipe is definitely spicy. If you don't like spicy food try using only half of a poblano, or cutting down on the chipotle peppers. Make sure that the poblano pepper is thoroughly cooked, not just charred on the outside, but soft on the inside. And pair the sofritas with things like refried beans or guacamole/avocado to help balance out the heat.

One pot roasted red pepper pasta.

From: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/06/one-pot-roasted-red-pepper-pasta/

PREP TIME: 10 mins
COOK TIME: 20 mins
TOTAL TIME: 30 mins

Total Cost: $7.54
Cost Per Serving: $1.26
Serves: 6 (1⅓ cup each)

INGREDIENTS

5 cups vegetable broth $0.60
1 lb. Fettuccine $1.00
1 small Vidalia onion $0.61
4 cloves garlic $0.32
1 12oz. jar roasted red peppers $2.49
1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes $1.29
½ Tbsp dried basil $0.07
¼ tsp crushed red pepper (optional) $0.03
Freshly cracked black pepper $0.05
4 oz. cream cheese (optional) $1.08

INSTRUCTIONS

Thinly slice the onion and mince the garlic. Remove the red peppers from the liquid in the jar and then slice them into thin strips.

In a large pot, combine the broth, onion, garlic, red pepper slices, diced tomatoes (with juice), basil, crushed red pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper (10-15 cranks of a pepper mill). Stir these ingredients to combine. Break the fettuccine in half, then add it to the pot, attempting to submerge the pieces as much as possible.
Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to high. As soon as the pot reaches a full boil, give it a quick stir to loosen any pieces that may have stuck to the bottom, return the lid, and turn the heat down to medium-low.

Let the pot simmer on medium low for 10-12 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. Return the lid as quickly as possible after each stir. After ten minutes, test the pasta to see if it is al dente. Once the pasta is tender, remove it from the heat. (If the pasta becomes too dry before it is tender, simply add a small amount of water and continue to simmer.)

Divide the cream cheese into tablespoon sized pieces, then add them to the pot. Stir the pasta until the cheese melts in and creates a smooth sauce (it will look lumpy at first, just keep stirring). Serve hot.

NOTES
Breaking the pasta in half helps the larger pieces of tomato and pepper stir in evenly with the pasta. It also helps allow the pasta to be submerged under the broth.

Fried Gnocchi With Mozzarella and Cherry Tomatoes

From: www.splendidtable.org

Yield: Serves 2 greedy people

This is the most popular recipe that I have ever written, a fact that still slightly bemuses me. It is particularly indulgent and very moreish. So maybe it’s just the combination of salty, buttery, crispy, carb-y goodness, with the umami hit of the tomatoes that does it?

·         Friends, Food, Family

·         Friends, Food, Family

·         1 packet vacuum-packed gnocchi

·         1 tbsp olive oil

·         25g butter

·         a few handfuls cherry tomatoes, halved

·         1 ball mozzarella cheese

·         handful basil leaves

·         sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Simply boil a large pan of salted water, tip in the gnocchi and cook according to the packet instructions (a few minutes).

Fish out when cooked and drain. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a large, non-stick frying pan.

When the oil is hot, tip in the gnocchi (be careful, the oil will spit) and the tomatoes.

After about 5 minutes, when the gnocchi have started to catch and brown, add in ripped-up pieces of the mozzarella.

The temptation is to keep stirring, but you want the gnocchi to stick so that their bottoms go all crispy, so resist the temptation to keep prodding them. And if you mix it up too much, the cheese will melt into a lump of goo. (If that does happen, just use some kitchen scissors to cut it up.)

Tear the basil leaves over everything and season with salt and black pepper. Then eat. Lots.

Excerpted from Friends, Food, Family: Essential Recipes, Tips and Secrets for the Modern Hostess, from Liberty London Girl by Sasha Wilkins by arrangement with Quadrille Publishing, distributed by Chronicle Books, Copyright © 2015 by Sasha Wilkins.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Ingredients

• 2 (17-ounce) containers Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 3 hothouse cucumbers, unpeeled, seeded and chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 9 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (6 lemons)
• 3/4 pound cooked large shrimp, halved
• Thin slices of lemon, halved, for garnish
• Fresh dill, for garnish

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt, half-and-half, cucumbers, red onion, scallions, salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture in batches to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the cucumbers are coarsely pureed and then pour into another bowl. Continue processing the soup until all of it is pureed. Fold in the dill, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until very cold.

Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice. Serve chilled, garnished with the shrimp, lemon, and fresh dill.

You can make it with only yogurt,cucumbers,water,dill u can add garlic and chopped walnuts for a little crunch and its still amazing.

Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

Makes 6 servings

Prep 20 minutes cook 14 minutes

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 sweet orange peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 pound spaghetti
3/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Shaved parmesan, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add asparagus and green beans; cook 4 minutes. Add peppers and cook 1 more minute. Scoop out vegetables with a large slotted spoon and place in colander. Rinse under cold water.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook following package directions, about 9 minutes. Drain and return to pot.

While pasta is cooking, place half-and-half, chicken broth, salt pepper and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add cooked vegetables and tomatoes. Cook, stirring a few times, about 1 minute 30 seconds. Spoon into pasta pot. Stir grated cheese into the half-and-half mixture. Add to pasta an gently stir in parsley until all ingredients are combined. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Shave parmesan on top, if desired.

Chickpea Vegetable Soup with Parmesan and Rosemary

Chickpea Vegetable Soup with Parmesan and Rosemary

1 whole clove

½ onion, sliced root to stem so it stays intact, peeled
1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained & rinsed (or use canned chickpeas)
1 sprig rosemary, PLUS 1 tsp finely chopped leaves for garnish
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 fresh bay leaves or 1 dried
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp salt or to taste
1 small parmesan rind, PLUS ½ cup freshly grated parmesan for garnish
1 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
2 medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
2 celery ribs, sliced ¼-inch thick
Zest of 1 lemon for garnish
¼ tsp black pepper for garnish

To simmer prepared chickpeas: Insert clove into onion. Put onion in large pot with chickpeas, rosemary sprig, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil, salt and cheese rind. Add 5 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer for 1 hour or until chickpeas are tender.

To add vegetables: Add tomatoes, carrots and celery. Cover loosely. Simmer for 25 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Season to taste. Ladle into bowls.

To garnish soup: In small bowl, mix chopped rosemary, grated parmesan, lemon zest and pepper. Sprinkle soup with parmesan mixture.