Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. butter
1 large sweet onion, chopped finely
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thickly
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
3/4 c. white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. sour cream or Greek yogurt

Directions
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in the onions and garlic and cook until onions begin to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and salt. Cook until mushrooms begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Continue to cook until liquid reduces by about half.

Meanwhile, cook egg noodles according to package directions, drain, and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine flour, paprika, and pepper. Sprinkle flour mixture over cooked mushrooms and toss to coat the mushroom mixture. Add broth, wine or vermouth, and Worcestershire sauce to mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Add in spinach, cover and turn heat down or off. The spinach will wilt in just a few minutes.

Just before serving, stir in the sour cream or yogurt and heat on low to bring it up to temperature. Do not boil. Serve over egg noodles, topped with crunchy Chinese rice noodles. Serves 6.

Harissa Spaghettini

Ingredients
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
a big pinch of fine grain sea salt
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. harissa (paste)
8 oz. (1/2 lb.) whole wheat spaghettini1 small bunch kale, well-washed and deveined
½ c. oil-cured black olives, pitted
½ c. pine nuts, toasted (or pistachios)zest of 1 lemon
pecorino or parmesan, freshly grated

Ingredients
Bring a big pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, place the cloves of garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle then with a big pinch of salt. Crush with the flat side of a knife. Now crush and chop, crush and chop until you have a garlic paste. Alternately, you can use a mortar and pestle. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic paste, harissa, and olive oil. Set aside. 

Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta, and cook per package instructions. Just before the pasta is done add the kale to the pasta water, count to six, drain, and set aside.

Heat half of the harissa dressing in the now empty pasta pot Add the pasta and kale, black olives, pine nuts, and lemon zest. Stir over the heat for a minute or so, then turn everything out onto a platter and drizzle with the remaining harissa olive oil. Serves 3 to 4 as an entrée. 

Leek & Goat Cheese Quiche

Ingredients
1 prepared pie crust
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 lb. leeks (including tender green parts), sliced crosswise 
1/8-inch thick
Salt and pepper, freshly ground
4 whole eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
1 ½ to 2 cups heavy cream, light cream, or half-and-half
Pinch of nutmeg, freshly ground
1 c. Gruyère, Emmenthaler, or Jarlsberg cheese, shredded
3 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
¼ lb. fresh goat cheese, crumbled 

Directions
In a large, heavy frying pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When it foams, add the leeks, reduce the heat to low, and cook slowly until the leeks are soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a baking sheet on the rack below to catch drips. 

In a bowl, whisk together the whole egg, egg yolk and cream until well blended. Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese evenly over the bottom of the pastry crust. Top with the leeks, then the chives, and finally the goat cheese. Pour as much of the egg mixture as will fit, stopping within ½ inch of the rim. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the top. 

Bake the tart until the top is lightly puffed and golden and the filling jiggles only slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 25 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and let rest 10 minutes. If using a tart pan with a removable bottom, place the pan on your outstretched palm and let the ring fall away, then slide the tart onto a serving plate. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Asparagus Soup with Poached Eggs

Ingredients
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large leek, well cleaned and sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped
1 tsp. paprika
3 c. vegetable stock
1 c. spinach

6 to 12 eggs


Directions
Heat oil, add leek, salt and pepper and cook 10 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, asparagus, spinach, stock and cook until tender. Purée soup. Gently poach one or 2 eggs per person (about 4 minutes each). Season eggs with paprika, salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and slide eggs on top. Garnish with parsley and chives. Serves 6. 

West African Groundnut Stew

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp. coriander, ground
1/2 tsp. cayenne
4 c. onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
4 c. eggplant, peeled and cubed
1/2 c. vegetable stock
1 c. zucchini, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 c. tomato juice or puree
1/2 c. natural peanut butter
salt to taste

Directions
Boil sweet potatoes for about 7 minutes, or until just tender. Meanwhile, saute the garlic, ginger, and spices in the oil for about a minute. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, eggplant, and the vegetable stock and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and peppers and continue to simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 more minutes.

Drain the sweet potatoes and add them to the stew along with the tomato juice and peanut butter. Salt to taste. Simmer on very low heat for 5 minutes to warm through, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Serve over rice, millet, or couscous. Serves 6.

Leek, Artichoke & Blue Cheese Wellington

Ingredients
3 tbsp. olive oil
100 g. pine nuts
1.25 kg. leeks, sliced
3 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
500 g. frozen puff pastry, thawed
150 g. blue cheese, crumbled
200 g. sliced artichokes in oil, drained
175 g. sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
1 egg, beaten

Directions
Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the pine nuts for two minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove the nuts from the pan and drain well on paper towels. Meanwhile, add the leeks to the pan and cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occassionally, until tender. Stir in the thyme, remove from the heat, uncover, and allow to cool. Stir in pine nuts.

Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Roll the pastry into a 13 x 14.5" rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Place the pastry on the baking sheet. Spoon half the leeks onto one half of the pastry and within an inch of three of the edges. Scatter half the cheese. Arrange artichokes and tomatoes on top, then spread over remaining leeks and cheese.

Brush the edges of the pastry with water. Fold over pastry to enclose the filling and pinch the edges together. Using a sharp knife, knock up the edges and flute. Brush with the egg and score the surface with a sharp knife to decorate. Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Uncover the wellington and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Cranberry Cashew Biryani

Ingredients
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. mustard seeds
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium carrots, diced
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
200 g. basmati rice
1-1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. tumeric
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
1000 mL water
5 tsp. tomato paste
60 g. dried cranberries
80 g. roasted unsalted cashews, chopped
50 g. frozen peas
fresh cilantro and chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions
Preheat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin and mustard seeds and cover. Let the seeds pop for about 30 seconds and stir a few times. If seeds are not too brown, allow to pop for about 30 seconds more. Add garlic and saute for about a minute more. Add carrots, chickpeas, rice, spices, and stir constantly for about a minute. Dissolve tomato paste in warm water, and add to mixture. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occassionally; at this point most of the liquid should be dissolved. Stir in the cranberries, cashews, and peas. Cook a little longer, if necessary, until liquid is completely absorbed. Fluff with a fork and garnish to serve. Serves 4 as an entree, 6 as a side.

Veggie Stew a l'Orange

Ingredients

1 onion, diced

2-3 carrots, diced

1 small butternut squash or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

28 oz. tomatoes, diced

1-1/2 c. veggie broth

1 c. roasted red peppers, sliced

1 tbsp. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

zest of one orange

1 tbsp. fresh thyme

avocado, to serve

Directions

Saute onions and carrots in a touch of olive oil. Add squash or potatoes and cook a bit longer. Add black beans, tomatoes, veggie broth, roasted red peppers, chipotles, cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer until veggies are tender and stew has cooked down to your desired thickness. About 15 minutes prior to serving, stir in the orange zest and thyme. Serves 4 to 6. 

NOTE: This recipe will probably do very well in the crockpot. Add all ingredients except for zest and thyme and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Add zest and thyme an hour prior to serving. 

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients
6 bell peppers
2-1/2 c. brown rice, cooked
1 tbsp. canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 c frozen corn, thawed
1 c. tomato puree
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Cut out stems and centers of peppers. Remove all seeds. Mix all other ingredients and cook all in skillet until tender. Fill peppers. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Top with cheddar cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until melted and golden.

Serves 4. 

Greek Couscous with Fennel & Tomatoes

My sister-in-law discovered this recipe, made with shrimp (Food Network magazine 3/2013). I omitted the shrimp for a fast, filling, veggie lunch!

Ingredients
1 c. whole-wheat couscous
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 pt. grape tomatoes, quartered
1 small bulb fennel, halved, cored & sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. dry white wine or vermouth
1-15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 scallions, sliced
2 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1/2 c. Israeli feta, crumbled

Directions
Prepare couscous by boiling 1 cup of water, adding couscous, turning off the heat, and covering. Set aside. Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel, cook for a few minutes, then add red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook until slightly more tender, then add tomatoes. Once the veggies are tender, add the wine, bring to a simmer, then add chickpeas and another 1/3 cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are slightly softened. Turn off the heat, add scallions and dill.

Fluff couscous with a fork. Layer couscous and veggie mixture into a casserole dish. Top with the feta and transfer to the broiler and broil until golden.

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main dish.