Category Archives: VEGETARIAN RECIPES

SOUTHERN MACARONI SALAD WITH SWEET DILL PICKLES  

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OK, I had never (to the best of my knowledge) tasted a sweet pickle before making this salad. I’m a dill and bread and butter pickle gal. Well, that is, until I offered to make one of the salads for Duck Fest. Allow me to describe “Duck Fest”. An annual get-together for friends to eat duck (this time duck mousse, duck quesadillas, duck tenders, 5 salads, and the best cake you ever tasted).

This was this year’s Duck Fest cake. Amazing to look at, and irresistibly delicious. Part of the cake was chocolate and the other white cake with a blueberry filling. Yum to the max!

To this event, each person is asked to bring a “duck” gift wrapped in a brown paper bag. Then it’s a regular white elephant gift exchange where guests exchange gifts that are impractical or humorous. The goal is to have fun, not to get a valuable gift. Players then draw numbers and take turns picking a gift from the pile. Players can also steal a gift that another player has opened. But hosts Mark and Vicki have limited the “steals” to only one. Good thinking! Otherwise, it’s just too chaotic. (And presently, we all have enough “chaotic” in our lives.)  Anyway, it’s a fun event. And all of us who are lucky enough to be invited always have a great time. And thank you Mark and Vicki for yet another wonderful afternoon of friends, fun, and wonderful food. But back to this salad.

Vicki gave me the recipe from the foodiecrush.com site and provided the ingredients. She had made a couple of changes to the recipe herself, but I told her I would follow the recipe closely. Which I did. Almost. But I have been experiencing more and more how raw onions often have a sharp taste. So, soaking cut onions in ice water that you plan to serve raw significantly reduces the strong, pungent flavor by leaching out the sulfur compounds responsible for the sharp taste. So, that’s what I did. I also may have inadvertently added a bit more chopped sweet pickle to the mix. My bad!

But let me make this perfectly clear. This recipe makes for one delicious macaroni salad. It’s easy to prepare. It should be made ahead. And it feeds an army. Although the recipe calls for hard boiled eggs, I personally think they could be left out and no one would know the difference. And eggs, well, they’re a bit pricy now. So, forget the eggs if you must and spend those extra dollars on good quality pasta instead. Using good quality pasta and cooking it al denté is the key to making any macaroni salad better.

The other tiny, itsy-bitsy modification I made was what I always do when preparing salad ahead of time. I take the salad out of the fridge before serving it, stir it, taste it, and if not perfect, I figure out what is needed to make it better. In this case, the salad was a bit dry, and it needed just a bit more pickle flavor. So, I made a bit more dressing and chopped up a couple more pickles.  

I do this every time I serve a salad that has been happily residing in my fridge overnight. And why I never serve salad to guests in the original mixing bowl. And yes, it means one more bowl to wash. But we all eat with our eyes first. And a messy bowl of salad is not as appealing as one served in a nice bowl with a bit of something decorating the surface.

Well, that’s it for today. I’m just about finished with Louise Penny’s 2024 book entitled The Grey Wolf set once again in and around the Québec village of Three Pines. Great writing as always. So, I recommend you read this book. And make this salad. You will not be disappointed. You can even eat this salad while reading this book. A two thumbs up if ever there was one!

And as always, peace and love to all.  

1 lb. sm. tube shaped pasta like ditalini or tubetti (small shells or small elbow macaroni works too)

⅓ red onion, finely minced

2 celery ribs, diced (leaves too) 

1 red bell pepper, small dice

1 yellow or orange bell pepper, small dice

 heaping ½ c. chopped sweet pickles (sweet gherkins) 

1 c. mayonnaise

¼ c. plus 1 tablespoon sweet pickle juice

2 tsp. granulated sugar

1½ T. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

3 hard-boiled eggs, diced, opt.

1-2 T. chopped fresh parsley, opt.

Cook the pasta in salted water until al denté. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until the pasta is cool to the touch. Shake the colander to drain away as much pasta cooking water as possible. While the pasta sits, toss it occasionally with clean hands. (I drain the pasta and just leave it sitting in the colander in my sink while I chop the veggies and do all the other prep work.)

Place the finely minced red onion in a bowl with ice water. Set aside for about 20 minutes before draining. Dry the minced onion in a paper towel.  

Place the cut celery, minced red and yellow bell peppers, chopped sweet pickles, and onion in a large mixing bowl.  

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the mayo, pickle juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper together.

Add the dressing to the veggie mixture along with the drained pasta and chopped hard boiled eggs. Stir carefully so as not to break up the chopped hard-boiled eggs.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, but even better if refrigerated overnight.

Before serving, especially if the salad has been refrigerated overnight, stir the salad and if it seems a bit dry, make just ⅓-½ cup more dressing (rough estimate of amounts) and ⅓ cup more minced pickles and add them to the mix. Stir the salad again, taste, and add salt and/or pepper as needed.

Transfer the salad to a nice salad bowl and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.

Best when allowed to be unrefrigerated for about an hour before serving.   

SIMPLE OVEN ROASTED EGGPLANT CHUNKS  

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OK, I am obviously on a “simple to prepare, make it easy on myself, use up what I have on hand, and try to make it healthy” vegetable side dish kick! And boy oh boy do I have a treat for you! And we all have Nagi of recipetineats.com fame to thank. Of course, I did make a small adjustment to Nagi’s recipe by adding a bit of seasoned salt to the mix. But I add seasoned salt to all kinds of savory dishes because, well, it’s seasoned salt! Anyway, I made this dish last evening because I had one lone eggplant in my refrigerator veggie drawer that really needed to be used. And frankly, I didn’t want to spend any time at all on this portion of the meal. I wanted quick and easy to the max!

When I first looked at this recipe, I thought it couldn’t possibly work. Not enough flavor additives. But I have learned to trust Nagi’s recipes. So, with the addition of just a quarter teaspoon of seasoned salt, I have now found the perfect way to eat this delectable fruit. And yes, eggplant is a fruit. Although eggplants, like tomatoes, are often referred to as vegetables, they are both technically fruit, as they grow from a flowering plant and contain seeds. Cucumbers, avocados, zucchini, pumpkins, pea pods, bell peppers, and squash are also technically fruit.  

And just so you know, eggplant is considered good for us, as it is a low-calorie, high-fiber fruit packed with nutrients like vitamins C and K, potassium, and antioxidants, which are known to reduce the risk of heart disease and help with blood sugar control and weight loss.

Of course, roasting the eggplant in extra virgin olive oil doesn’t hurt the overall appeal. I mean really, who do you know that can resist any veggie (or fruit) roasted in olive oil?  

So, next time you want a simple to prepare and reasonably healthy side dish, please consider this recipe. But be warned. I ate all but about 6 chunks of the entire eggplant because I just couldn’t stop putting chunk after chunk in my mouth. In fact, Mr. C. was lucky to get the small amount that he did! Granted, I love eggplant, but a whole eggplant in one sitting? Inconceivable!

Well, that’s it for today. The sun is shining, the sky is cloudless, and the mountains are showing off their beautiful winter mantles of snow. But snow is predicted for this Sunday. And of course, the only reason snow is likely, is because we have tickets to a ballet performance at Seattle Center that day. So, Seattle and environs residents, we apologize in advance for any inconvenience a snowstorm on Sunday causes you from our thoughtless ticket purchase.

And as always from our currently snow free home to yours, peace and love to all.        

1 med. eggplant

2 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

¼ tsp. seasoned salt (see my favorite recipe below)

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Line a small baking pan with parchment paper.

Do not peel the eggplant. Cut it into 1½-inch thick slices, then into 1½-inch chunks.

Stir the olive oil, seasoned salt, kosher salt, and pepper together in a mixing bowl. Add the eggplant and stir until all the chunks are covered with oil. (If you need a bit more olive oil, go for it. But don’t overdo it. You want the chunks to be coated but not smothered.)

Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 20 minutes. Then turn and roast for another 5 minutes or until the edges are caramelized and the flesh is soft but not shriveled.

Serve hot out of the oven.

SEASONED SEA SALT (my favorite)

1 c. fine sea salt

3 T. finely ground black pepper (I cheat and use canned black pepper)

3 T. paprika

3 T. granulated garlic

3 T. granulated onion

2 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. chili powder

pinch cayenne

Whisk or shake altogether and store in an airtight container.  

MEATLESS FRIED BROWN BASMATI RICE

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For a quick and easy side dish that goes well with just about any simply prepared meat, I offer up this recipe I prepared the other evening to serve with Pan Seared Halibut (recipe on this site). I had no idea if the fried rice would be a good accompaniment, but as it turned out, it was a great addition to the meal. And the rice had been ever so easy to prepare. And the ingredients were all pantry or refrigerator staples. (At least in our home fresh garlic, fresh ginger, and green onions are required by house rule to always be on hand!) Anyway, I basically made up this recipe because it included only the ingredients I did have on hand. (See how that works!)

So, I’m going to make this post short in honor of the limited ingredients needed to prepare this rice dish. And because I have other requirements for my time today. (Like finishing the book, I started yesterday.) And because I have been exceedingly verbose in my last few postings. And I felt you all deserved a break.

So, have a nice day, be kind to your family and friends, and keep up the hard work of putting delicious and nutritious food on your table.

And just because I love this picture of our home nestled under a rainbow, I posted it for you to see too.  

Peace and love to all.   

¾ c. brown basmati rice, washed

1½ c. water

1 tsp. veggie base (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base)

2 T. veggie oil, divided

4 lg. eggs, beaten

1 sm. garlic clove, finely minced

1 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger

3 T. soy sauce or Tamari

1½ tsp. toasted sesame oil

2 green onions, finely chopped

¼ c. toasted slivered almonds

Step 1

Combine the rice, water, and veggie base together. Cook however you normally cook rice. (I use a rice cooker.) Please note: The rice must be made ahead and allowed to cool completely before being used in this recipe. Leftover rice is the best.)

Also, before adding the cold rice, break it up so there are no clumps.  

Step 2 (just before you are ready to serve)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok.  

Pour in the beaten eggs. Quickly stir-fry the eggs so they take shape. Once the eggs take shape but are still moist, quickly toss in rice.  

Move the eggs and rice to the side of the pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil into the empty side of the pan, and add the garlic and ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then mix in with the rice and eggs.

Pour the soy sauce and sesame oil along the edges of the pan. Then toss into the rice mixture until the rice is a lovely light brown. Taste and add more soy sauce and/or sesame oil if needed.

Remove from heat and stir in the green onions and slivered almonds. Serve immediately.

CREAMY BLUE CHEESE PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS, SPINACH, AND WALNUTS

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When do I not love a great pasta dish? Never. Actually, I should be the poster child for pasta lovers everywhere. (I wonder where I go to apply for the position?) Anyway, last evening I wanted to serve a quick and easy main dish. And in doing so, I really wanted to use up the already cooked pasta I had in the fridge. Along with some blue cheese that was quickly becoming a darker and unhealthier shade of blue than God intended, a few button mushrooms heading towards extinction, and some heavy cream past its pull date. What immediately sprang to mind was a blue cheese sauce over pasta. But how to incorporate the other ingredients?

I immediately remembered that walnuts and blue cheese were practically invented to be used together. And mushrooms? Why not? And when did heavy cream ever hurt a sauce? And for a small nod towards eating healthy, some roughly chopped fresh spinach. (I use spinach a lot in dishes, because it’s green, it’s chock full of vitamins, and it comes pre-washed in a nice plastic container.)

So, that’s the history of this pasta dish. Quick and easy to prepare and darned yummy if I do say myself.

It’s semi-sunny here in our part of the world right now. I can’t see any snow-capped mountains because of some low-lying clouds hiding them from view, but Port Susan Bay is looking calm and lovely. Andy has a big band gig tonight and I’m going along for the ride. And of course, for the music. And to watch the dancers. Not to mention that we will be having dinner out after the dance. As much as I love to cook, I also appreciate it when someone else places a plate of food in front of me. And I always remember to say thank-you. Just like Mr. C. always says thank you to me after every meal I set in front of him. It’s called common courtesy. Granted, an old-fashioned concept, but one I find extremely endearing. May you too find common courtesy a routine part of your everyday life.

Peace and love to all.

3 T. unsalted butter, divided

½ lb. button mushrooms, sliced

½ c. finely diced onion

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 T. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole milk

½ c. heavy or whipping cream 

1 c. blue cheese crumbles, or more to taste

6 oz. pasta (your choice) cooked al dente (save some of the water)

2 c. roughly chopped baby spinach

1 c. toasted chopped walnuts

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the mushroom slices and cook until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and sauté the onion until it is soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add salt, pepper, and flour to the pan. Mix all together and cook for about a minute. Then slowly stir or whisk in the whole milk and cream. Cook until slightly thickened. About 2-3 minutes.   

Add the crumbled blue cheese. Simmer gently until the blue cheese is almost melted. Then stir in the reserved cooked mushrooms, al dente pasta, and spinach. Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes until the baby spinach is a bit wilted.

Taste and add additional blue cheese crumbles or adjust seasonings. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a bit of pasta cooking water.

Just before serving, stir in the walnuts, reserving a few for garnish.  

     

SIMPLE VEGETARIAN FRIED BROWN BASMATI RICE

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I have yet to make the right amount of rice. And it’s never on the side of not being enough. I am simply a cooked rice overachiever. (Mashed potatoes and poultry dressing also if truth be known.) Anyway, the other evening I wanted to serve a side dish that would be quick and easy to fix, while at the same time taste delicious and different. Then I remembered that I had left over cooked brown basmati rice in the fridge. But, what to do with this cooked rice? I could always just serve it again plain, but what fun is that? So, I decided to just wing it and see what I could come up with.

Possessing an innate desire to start any savory dish with a mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery slowly sautéed in oil), that was my starting move. Then I added some chopped fresh ginger, and the rest as they say is history. The dish turned out to be ever so easy to build and a very tasty addition to our meal.

So, if you find yourself with extra cooked rice, I recommend giving this recipe a try. Simple to prepare, satisfying, delicious, and reasonably healthy. What more could you require?

Well, it’s Sunday. The weather is gloomy, but I am happily sitting at my desk writing this post. Mr. C. is playing a lovely Bach piece on the piano. Miles is inhabiting the kitty bed on Andy’s desk (adjacent to my desk) and Max is napping on our bed. The entire Carr clan is happily enjoying a lazy day.

My wish is that every person could have a day like this. Free to do as they wish without worry about where their next meal was coming from. Or if they were going to be able to keep their home, or at least have a place to lay their head that night. Or whether their lives were about to be shattered by a Russian bomb. Having never experienced any of these types of situations, the fear and uncertainty felt by these folks is inconceivable to me. For that and the many other blessings I have received in my lifetime, I am truly thankful.

Peace and love to all.

1 T. veggie oil

1 sm. onion, chopped

⅓ c. shredded carrot

1 celery stalk, diced

1-2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger

2 eggs

2 T. toasted sesame oil

3 c. cooked brown basmati rice (see recipe below) or cooked rice of choice

2-3 T. soy sauce, or to taste

1 c. frozen peas

2-3 green onions, chopped

2 T. toasted sliced or slivered almonds

Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Add the veggie oil and cook the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until the onion is tender. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute.

Slide the veggies to the side and break the eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetable mix. Add the sesame oil, rice, and soy sauce to the veggie and egg mixture. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined. Add the peas and cook just until they are hot. Taste and adjust seasoning. Then stir in the green onions and toasted almonds. Serve immediately.  

BROWN BASMATI RICE

1 c. brown basmati rice

2½ c. water

2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base

Cook per package instructions or in your rice cooker using the “brown rice” setting.

 

CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD WITH A SRIRACHA LIME DRESSING

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For me, summer salads are much more fun to prepare than winter salads. And I know, there are no official rules governing the time of year any given salad can be served. I mean, salads aren’t like shoes for example, where good etiquette simply shouts that white dress shoes should never be worn after Labor Day. (Who even wears dress shoes anymore?)  Anyway, all things considered, I should be able to serve any old kind of salad any old time I please. But the reality is that I associate potato salad, pasta salads, and fresh fruit salads, for example, with summer picnics. And a salad with a spring mix of greens, apples, dried cherries, and pecans with a creamy maple syrup and shallot dressing reminds me of something I would serve at a winter holiday meal. Not as a salad to go with hamburgers or smoked ribs.

But then there are salads like this one that can be served year-round. And are still plenty of fun to make. Maybe not the salad you would want to serve for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but on a bleak winter evening, it would be perfect.

I guess what I am taking a very long time to say, in my own very wordy way, is that this salad is great any time of year. And it’s fun to make. Because you can practically throw any fresh or cooked veggie into the mix. And with the delicious sriracha dressing, this salad is a treat for your taste buds. Plus, and here I go again on my nutritional soap box, with all the veggies and black beans, it’s a fairly healthy salad too. OK, not as healthy as say, kale dressed with only olive oil and vinegar. But a whole heck of a lot more fun for your mouth.

So, if you too like salads that are creamy, crunchy, and very tasty, give this salad a try. I mean really. There are avocados in this salad. What more could you want?

So, have fun in your kitchen and make more salads. They are generally good for us and the best way I know of to get more veggies into our diets.  

And as always, peace and love to all.

Sriracha Lime Dressing

1 T. fresh lime juice (lemon juice in a pinch)

1 garlic clove, grated

½ c. mayonnaise

¼ c. sour cream

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. sriracha, or more to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in a large salad bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Salad Ingredients

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

kernels from 2 cooked ears of corn or 1 (15-oz.) can corn, drained

⅓ c. finely chopped red onion

½ c. diced celery

½ orange, red, or yellow bell pepper, diced

1 c. halved black olives

½ c. sliced pimento stuffed green olives

1 c. halved cherry or grape tomatoes

In the same bowl with the dressing, stir in the black beans, corn, red onion, celery, bell pepper, black olives, and green olives. Gently stir in the tomatoes and diced avocado. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This salad is best if made ahead a couple hours before serving. Great the next day too.  

   

PEARL (ISRAELI) COUSCOUS TABBOULEH SALAD

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What to fix for dinner? That is often the first thought that hits me as I am reading the morning paper while sipping my Americano. You would think, with all the bad news coming out of Putin’s need to rule the world, that dinner would be the furthest thing from my mind. But unfortunately, I can do nothing to stop Putin, but I can do something about making sure our evening’s repast is enjoyable.

So, the other day, after breakfast, while I was whipping up the marinade for Quick and Easy Marinated Flank Steak, I thought a Mediterranean style salad with lots of strong flavors would fit the bill perfectly as an accompaniment. But I didn’t want a green salad. (I do get a bit tired of green salads.) So, how about a pasta salad? Nope, at least not one with the usual pasta suspects. But then I remembered I had some Israeli (pearl) couscous in the pantry. Voilà! Couscous tabbouleh it is! (And yes, couscous is a form of pasta. See a brief explanation below.)

So, with a new salad idea in mind, I went to work on creating the recipe you find below. Of course, I didn’t make it quite like the recipe indicates, because I was out of tomatoes and cucumber. And there was no going to the store for us because there was still an abundance of snow in our area. So, no tomatoes or cucumber. But I certainly will include them next time I make this dish.

So, I hope you enjoy this salad as much as we did. I do realize that there are more ingredients in this recipe than you normally find in a tabbouleh salad. But hey, I like bold flavors in my tabbouleh, hence the kalamata olives, pepperoncini, and feta cheese. But you of course can leave them out.

There is still snow on the ground after 4 days, which is quite unusual for us. But rain is in the forecast, so it might be gone by this evening or at the latest by tomorrow evening. Speaking of tomorrow, Mr. C. and I will be celebrating our 29th anniversary by attending a matinee and then dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Good grief how the time has flown. But I wouldn’t have wanted it to fly by with anyone else. Mr. C. is my best friend, the kindest person anyone could ever hope to meet, and basically the love of my life. And he plays a wicked piano. Could any gal ask for more?

Peace and love to all.  

For the vinaigrette:

⅓ c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. dill weed

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

½ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Set aside until needed.

For the couscous:

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 c. pearl couscous

1 c. boiling water

1 tsp. vegetable base (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable base)

1 c. halved grape or cherry tomatoes

1 c. diced English cucumber

½ c. finely chopped celery

½ c. sliced kalamata olives

⅓ c. finely chopped red onion

⅓ c. chopped pepperoncini  

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped  

1 c. crumbled feta cheese

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized, covered, heavy pot. Add the couscous and sauté until golden brown. Add the boiling water and vegetable base. Quickly cover the saucepan with a lid and let the couscous simmer for about 10 minutes undisturbed until it has fully absorbed the liquid. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork, and allow to come to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, celery, kalamata olives, red onion, pepperoncini, parsley, and artichoke hearts. Mix together. When cool, gently stir in the couscous.

Give the vinaigrette a quick whisk and add it to the couscous mixture. Mix well to combine. Adjust seasoning. Just before serving, mix in the crumbled feta.

*Couscous

According to the food network, “All couscous is made from semolina. Semolina is the name we give to flour that is ground from durum wheat. Durum wheat is a very hard wheat, higher in protein than the wheat all-purpose flour is made from. Semolina is golden yellow and gives couscous a nuttier taste than a pasta made with all-purpose flour. Keep in mind when using couscous that it is made from wheat and therefore, it’s not gluten-free.

Israeli couscous is made from the same semolina flour that Moroccan couscous is, but the balls of dough are larger and more consistently round.”  

      

SAVORY MUSHROOM RICE-A-RONI

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Some entrees just scream to share the spotlight with a dish that is creamy and savory. So, last evening when I baked a capon* (yup, a capon), I felt it necessary to serve a side dish that would complement not only the rich and pleasing texture of the meat, but also the subtle flavoring I had added before I set the guy to roast in the oven. So, I invented this recipe.

And yes, I know. White rice and pasta in the same dish. Isn’t one or the other enough without adding insult to injury by including both? What were you thinking Patti? Well, it was just one of those dinners that called for a side dish that was just a bit special. After all, we were having capon for dinner! So, a special side dish was absolutely in order. And no, we don’t eat capon on a regular basic. In fact, this was the first time! But definitely not the last time. The meat was amazingly tender and tasty. And when it is once again safe to have dinner guests, and we can find capon in our local grocery stores (usually only during the holidays), this special bird is going to be on the menu! And I gotta say, this side dish will be on the table right along with Mr. Capon. And I’ll probably complete the meal with steamed fresh green beans just like I did last night. Made for pretty darn good eating if I do say myself.

And yes, of course I’m going to share the recipe for Dutch Oven Baked Capon with Lemon, Garlic, Rosemary, and Thyme. Look for that recipe in the next couple of days. But back to this recipe.

This side dish is easy to prepare and really quite delicious. And except possibly for the addition of dried mushrooms, a dish that children should enjoy.

So, be brave. Make this dish with both white rice and orzo pasta. You really do need to treat yourself on occasion. And I frankly can’t think of a better way!

Peace and love to all.  

⅓ c. small pieces of dried mushroom

½ c. boiling water

2 T. unsalted butter

½ c. orzo pasta

½ c. uncooked long grain white rice  

½ c. diced onion

½ c. finely diced celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

⅓ c. dry sherry

2 c. vegetable broth, or a bit less if there is still quite a bit of mushroom soaking water left after the mushroom pieces have re-hydrated

½ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. dried thyme

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

½ c. toasted slivered or sliced almonds

Place the pieces of dry mushroom in a small bowl. Add the boiling water, stir, and set aside.

Melt the butter in a lidded pan over medium-low heat. Add the orzo pasta and rice and fry until just starting to turn golden brown. Stir in onion and celery; cook for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the dry sherry and cook until liquid is evaporated.  

Stir in the broth, re-hydrated dried mushroom pieces plus any remaining liquid, seasoned salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, and the liquid has all been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the parsley and almonds. Adjust seasoning. Let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

*According to The Spruce Eats, “A capon is a special type of chicken created to make the meat more tender and less gamy. It is a rooster that has been castrated before reaching sexual maturity, which improves the quality of the meat; after that, it is fed a rich diet of milk or porridge. The lack of testosterone makes for a more tender, flavorful meat that is a delight compared to regular chicken. Unfortunately, in the United States today, it may be rare to see capon on a dinner menu or in the grocery store. This poultry was once considered a luxury, and during the early part of the twentieth century, the capon was the chosen bird for Christmas feasts, especially for the wealthy. Working-class families saw capon as a rare treat because it was quite expensive.”

BTW – capon is still relatively expensive poultry. About $6 a pound. But well worth the money. And, at least in our immediate vicinity, capons are only available during the holidays. But if you are feeding 3-4 people for Thanksgiving, for example, a capon would certainly be my choice over a small turkey. And I love turkey. Just sayin’!

    

VEGETARIAN LENTIL SOUP

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OK, I know. Most lentil soups are vegetarian. But I felt compelled to make certain, right from the onset, that you knew that this soup contained no meat or meat products. Mainly because most of the main dish recipes I post contain meat as the primary protein. But not this recipe. Lentils are the protein star of this show. And in fact, according bbcgoodfood.com “Lentils are a rich source of protein making them a great alternative to meat or fish. As much as a third of the calories from lentils comes from protein, which makes lentils the third highest in protein, by weight, of any legume or nut”. 

In addition to the lentils being super good for us, all the veggie action happening in this soup makes it a very healthy, high fiber choice to serve for lunch or dinner. Plus, it tastes really, really good. Of course, I can never leave well enough alone. I had to bake some cornbread to go with the soup. But the cornbread – Classic Buttermilk Cornbread (recipe to be posted in the near future) contains no added sugar. So, at least I get points for serving my new recipe for cornbread in place of some of our other favorites containing sugar. (Mr. C. and I both loved the cornbread. Plus, it was darned easy to build. As was the soup BTW.)  

So, if you too love a great bowl of lentil soup, give my version of a recipe I found on the cookieandkate.com site a try. (Great site BTW.) And, trust me, you will not miss meat in the least when you savor the wonderful flavor and heartiness of this soup. And as far as serving this healthy soup with cornbread, well, life is short my friends. And good food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. So, if I stick to the old aphorism “all things in moderation”, serving a modest sized piece of cornbread along with the soup is well within reason! (My story, and I’m sticking to it!)

Peace and love to all.

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

1 med. onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. curry powder

½ tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. seasoned salt

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

1 (14-oz.) can tomatoes (Italian preferably)

6 c. water

2 T. vegetable base (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

1 c. brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked over

2 c. chopped fresh spinach, collard greens, or kale

2 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

crumbled feta cheese, opt.

Heat the olive oil in a large covered Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder, thyme, seasoned salt, crushed red pepper flakes, and lots of black pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes, breaking up any large chunks (if any), and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in the water and vegetable base.

Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the lentils, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.

Add the chopped greens and cook for about a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, including more curry powder if you are a true curry lover.  

Great topped with a bit of crumbled feta.

     

CREAMY CHANTERELLE MUSHROOM SOUP

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So, the other day Mr. C. returned from grocery shopping with a bag of fresh chanterelle mushrooms. Oh my, now what to do with these gastronomic treasures? Well, the first thing that came to mind was soup. So, not already having a recipe for the likes of these beauties, I went on-line to see if I could find just the perfect recipe. And by golly, there it was on the seriouseats.com site. OK, I changed a thing or two, but the recipe basics are still there. So, thank you J. Kenji López-Alt for this marvelous recipe.

Now, the first thing you might notice is that this creamy soup has no cream in it. Hurray for that. It does however have quite a bit of butter. You simply can’t have soup with the kind of flavor this recipe produces without a bit of fat. But at least, it doesn’t have both butter and cream. So, that’s certainly a redeeming feature.

What is does have is an abundance of flavor and a wonderful mouth feel. So, while it’s still chanterelle season, I recommend you make this soup ASAP.

So, without further ado, I present you with a recipe for soup at its finest. And as always, peace and love to all.

5 T. unsalted butter, divided

2 med. shallots, minced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

¾ – 1 lb. chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into small pieces

1 T. flour

½ c. dry sherry

1 qt. veggie broth (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)

1 lg. or 2 sm. bay leaves

1/8 tsp. dried thyme 

¼ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium sized soup pan over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 more tablespoon of butter and the chopped mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until excess liquid evaporates, and mushrooms start to sizzle, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and stir to incorporate. Cook for 30 seconds.

Add sherry and cook, stirring constantly and scraping bottom of pan, until the sherry is thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Add the veggie stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Bring the soup to a simmer and adjust heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf and using an immersion blender, add the 2 more tablespoons of the butter and whirl until the soup is completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

To serve, ladle soup into soup bowls and top with homemade croutons. See recipe below.

Easy Garlic Croutons:

1 T. butter or extra virgin olive oil (or a combination)

2-3 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread

granulated garlic

Melt butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently. When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Cool and store in an airtight container.