Like a Tree, In a Good Way

I love this soup. I love it so much that even though it is a very hearty and wintery soup, I subjected my boys to it for "vegetarian Monday" this week.

Scott's comment: "It tastes like it is probably really good for me."

My response: "It is good for you. It tastes like eating a tree, doesn't it? But in a good way."

I don't think Scott knew what to say to that, but he finished his bowl. But if you like mushrooms and grain and the feeling of nutritional superiority that comes from eating kale, this soup is for you.

Mushroom Soup with Barley and Kale
Serves 6-8
Original recipe from the New York Times

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced thick

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

3/4 cup whole or pearl barley

2 quarts chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water

A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a bay leaf and a Parmesan rind

8 to 10 ounces dark green kale, stemmed 

Black pepper to taste

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl or a Pyrex measuring cup, and pour on two cups boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes. Set a strainer over a bowl, and line it with cheesecloth. Lift the mushrooms from the water and squeeze over the strainer, then rinse. Squeeze out the water and set aside. Strain the soaking water through the cheesecloth-lined strainer. Add water as necessary to make two cups. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about five minutes, and add the sliced fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are beginning to soften, about three minutes, and add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Continue to cook for about five minutes, until the mixture is juicy and fragrant.

Add the reconstituted dried mushrooms, the barley, the mushroom soaking liquid, and the stock or water. Salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Meanwhile, stack the kale leaves in bunches and cut crosswise into slivers. Simmer the bouquet garni during the 45 minute simmering, then pull it out when the soup is done.

Add the kale to the simmering soup, and continue to simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes. The barley should be tender and the broth aromatic. The kale should be very tender. Remove the bouquet garni, taste and adjust salt, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper and serve.

If there are any leftovers, the barley will swell and absorb liquid, so you will have to add more when you reheat it. I ate two bowls for lunch the next day, and discovered that aged gouda grated over the top elevated it to a whole new level of yum.

Vegetarian Monday: Squash Quesadillas

Sounds weird. Is so good. Trust me on this one!

Butternut Squash and Provolone Quesadilla

1 medium to large butternut

½ pound sliced provolone, from the deli

4-6 flour tortillas

olive oil or butter

About a cup of sour cream, Greek yogurt, or a mixture

4-5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Diced tomato

Diced red onion

Roast the butternut squash at 400 degrees until soft and spreadable (an hour for a big squash). Scoop out squash. Chop the peppers with just the adobo sauce that's clinging to them and mix with the sour cream or yogurt. This will make a very spicy sauce, but the sweetness of the squash mellows it considerably.

Brush one side of tortillas with oil or butter and put greased side down on griddle. Spread with a layer of squash and cover with provolone slices. For a large tortilla, I use about 5 slices, overlapping to cover the whole area. Top with another tortilla. Heat, flipping, until hot through and crispy outside.

Serve with chipotle sauce and diced tomatoes and red onions.

This will make at least two big quesadillas that you can cut up as an appetizer or serve bigger pieces as a meal.

Why We Are Not Vegetarians: Papparadelle with Beef and Mushroom Ragu

It's been a long time! And even though this recipe is decidedly un-vegetarian it is so delicious I wanted to share it.

I made this for my boys for our annual Valentine's Day dinner at home. Given the torture . . .er . . .experience I had just put them through it seemed like a loving gift to them. I didn't expect to love it so much myself. Scott and I were pretty close to speechless over its deliciousness. (And as an added bonus I bought myself a dutch oven to make it in-one of my better Valentine's Day gifts.)

Pappardelle with Beef and Mushroom Ragu
From Real Simple magazine
Serves 4

1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces

kosher salt and black pepper

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 pound assorted mushrooms (such as button, cremini, and shiitake), sliced

12 ounces pappardelle or fettuccine

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces), plus more for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, rosemary, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened, about 1 minute more. Add the beef and chicken broth and tomatoes. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender, 60 to 75 minutes.

Add the mushrooms to the saucepan and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes more. If the sauce is too thin, simmer, uncovered, until thickened to the desired consistency.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot. Add the beef ragù and Parmesan and toss. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Day 29: Last Day!

Just a cute picture of my boys.

 January is over and our experiment complete. 

We tried 20 brand-new recipes and found some new favorites in our old meal repertoire. Owen tasted with the fearlessness needed to become a true foodie; he'll be a great diner and cook someday. Scott was an enthusiastic supporter (with the exception of the veggie-tofu sausage) and rallied the boys when needed. Noah . . .well, Noah ate a lot of fruit.

We all ate a lot of plants. Each week I was surprised at the amount of produce in our cart, and by how quickly it was gone. If our family of four consistently ate a full five servings of fruits and vegetables every day we'd need even more. It does illuminate some of the national challenges with nutrition. I have the time, access, and money to keep my refrigerator full of fresh produce, even in January in Minnesota. Many people do not.

I polled Scott and the boys for their observations and favorites.

What do vegetarians eat at the game? Nachos!

Scott: "I learned that there are things that are vegetarian that are good too." (Me: "That's a surprise?") Scott: "I guess I always thought dinner had meat in it."

Owen: "Even though I love meat, there's not meat in every meal, even it if it is not vegetarian month. But as you can see from the list, Huevos Rancheros was the best thing yet. And that's one of my favorite meals. Even without meat. Surprising, huh?"

Noah, when asked what was his favorite part of vegetarian month, replied: "a digger bed!" 

Scott's favorites were Spicy Peanut Noodles, Lentil Quiche, Kale Puttanesca, and Italian Vegetable Soup.

Owen's were Eggplant Marinara, Spicy Peanut Noodles, and Huevos Rancheros. Noah's was "digger bed!" (Favorite means just one thing to Noah: diggers.)

Owen learned he likes eggplant, kale, and tofu. Scott learned he likes lentils and eggplant. Noah likes mangoes, oranges, grapefruit, grapes, pineapple, chips, and Ranch.

I learned that vegetarian dishes can be hearty and filling, without meat or even without dairy. But during my one-week, almost-vegan experiment, I learned that I just need to have cheese.

I was not surprised that vegetarian cooking is fun and delicious. I enjoyed the challenge and the inspiration to try new things. I was also not really surprised that my family is most emphatically not interested in being vegetarians permanently. Tomorrow's dinner: chicken tacos. We will, however, have a vegetarian dinner at least once per week. After all, I control what they eat.

For our last hurrah (they don't yet know we're having squash and spinach lasagna on Friday), we tried another new and interesting recipe. I think it is good enough to pass along to you, but if I made it again I'd make some adjustments. It was good, but not quite perfect.

Sweet Potato Burritos
Makes 10 small burritos

1 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic puree or minced garlic
3 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. ground mustard
pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
10 flour tortillas (taco size, not the big burrito size, unless you want fewer, bigger burritos)
6 oz. shredded cheddar
thinly sliced red onions, to taste
cilantro leaves, to taste
jarred sliced jalapenos, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft. Add beans, water, spices, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced somewhat and heated through. Mash beans to desired consistency.

On each tortilla, spread sweet potatoes and beans, top with red onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and cheese. Roll up and place on baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Suggested Adjustments: This is the recipe as I made it tonight, but if I make again, I would put less sweet potato and more beans in each burrito. I'd also add more jalapenos, or make the refried beans spicier. I might also add some fresh chopped tomatoes; I think it could use some acid.

I'm not a huge fan of the sweet-savory combo, so I when I make something like this (a similar and favorite recipe is Squash-Provolone Quesadillas), I usually make it very spicy.

We will try this again, because it is interesting and nutritious, and I think with a few tweaks could be really good.

Day 28: Almost Over

Today is January 30 and there's just one day left of our vegetarian experiment. Even though I didn't start until January 4, we're ending tomorrow because I don't think Owen could stand to wait for his bacon. (Speaking of bacon, check out this funny article about why bacon is a "gateway meat" for vegetarians!)

I've proposed that from now on we have one day of the week designated vegetarian; my boys (big and small) have grudgingly agreed. Owen chose Monday, reasoning that Monday is a pretty bad day anyway. Sheesh - what drama!

Tonight we had stuffed shells, a recipe provided by my friend Heidi. I made a few adjustments, based on ingredients I wanted to use up before it was too late (lots of arugula).

The shells had great flavor and were light-tasting, which I think is rare for pasta-stuffed-with-cheese recipes. Thank you for the yummy recipe Heidi!

Tofu & Cheese Stuffed Shells
Serves 4

12 jumbo pasta shells

¼ c. shredded carrot

1-2 green onions, chopped fine

4 cups loosely packed arugula*

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. garlic puree

8 ounces firm tofu, drained

½ cup ricotta cheese

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg white

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Heidi's Sauce (I used leftover eggplant marinara sauce I had frozen from day 16's recipe)

16 oz. can tomatoes, cut up

1/3 c. tomato paste

1 tsp. dried basil, crushed

1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

½ tsp. sugar

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. fennel seed, crushed (optional)

Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside.  

For filling: Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat, add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add arugula nd cook, stirring often, until wilted. Scrape onto a cutting board and chop fine. In a medium mixing bowl mash tofu with a fork. Stir in carrots, onion, wilted arugula, ricotta cheese, ¾ c. mozzarella cheese, egg white, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

For sauce: In a medium saucepan combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, garlic powder, and, if desired, fennel seed. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Stuff each cooked pasta shell with bout 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling. Place shells in an ungreased 2-quart square baking dish. Pour sauce over shells and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake in a 350˚ oven about 25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese prior to serving, if desired. 

* I think any dark, bitter, or spicy greens would be good - kale, spinach, mustard greens, etc.

Day 27: Apres-Ski Spicy Noodles

It's a warm day here in St. Paul - at least 20 degrees - so we all ventured out to Como Park for Owen's skiing lesson. Owen is doing a great job on skis, and Noah wanted some action too. We rented the tiniest skis imaginable and Scott got a workout carrying him up a little hill over and over. (My fingers got cold taking photos and video. A fair trade, right?) Noah's not afraid of anything - he wanted to go higher, faster, and by himself!

At home, we warmed up and refueled with Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodles. Scott loved it, though he wouldn't agree when I said "see, isn't this so much BETTER without chicken?" and Owen ate 5-6 bites before deciding it was too spicy (and it was pretty spicy). Noah ate cucumbers.

Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodles
Adapted from the Joy of Cooking
Serves 4-6

2 cups peanut butter (creamy, chunky, your choice)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp. garlic puree or equivalent roughly chopped fresh garlic
3 serrano peppers, cut into pieces (more or less to your spice preference)
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil (divided)
2 tbsp. chili oil
1 cup brewed black tea
1 lb. lo mein or spaghetti noodles
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin strips
Chopped cilantro

Start the pasta water. Blend peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppers, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Scrape into a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup sesame oil, chili oil, and tea. Drain pasta, toss with 2 tsp. oil, and place in a large, shallow pasta bowl. Top with sauce and toss. Garnish with cucumber and cilantro.

If you want to add chicken, add cooked, shredded chicken to the pasta and sauce and toss.

Day 23: Party Like a Vegetarian

My friend Breanne's baby shower was this afternoon at our house, and in honor of the vegetarian parents-to-be (and propitiously for my project) the menu was entirely vegetarian. It was a very fun event, the mom-to-be glowingly beautiful, and the food delicious!

Here are the recipes for your next party (or just for you).

Orange-Shallot Salad
Rosemary Roasted Olives
Marinated Mushrooms
Feta-Stuffed Peppers
Mango-Pineapple Chutney
Lentil Quiche
Best Mac & Cheese

I had a lot of fun planning and hosting with Allie and Kelly - thank you! Congratulations and good luck Breanne and Adam!