Quick Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

Not surprisingly, the most difficult thing to get used to when adapting to eating animal proteins at every meal is how to still make a satisfying meal for the vegetarian without too many extra dishes and too much extra work. When we're both home early enough, the vegetarian helps, often making an extra starch for himself and/or baking a few veggie burgers alongside my protein of choice.

But many nights I'm alone in the kitchen, which I find surprisingly relaxing. Those nights, my movements are more fluid and I follow my recipes less closely. I cook more based on taste and smell and excitedly await when the vegetarian comes home and (hopefully) remarks on how delicious the house smells.

I'm sure not everyone would agree with this, but I think sauteed mushrooms (especially with lots of garlic and shallots) are a delicious smell. And they have enough substance to be a perfect meat substitute. Over quinoa linguine, they became the vegetarian's main dish. And a smaller portion alongside deviled eggs with anchovies was a perfect dinner for me. You could also up the protein by adding some crushed almonds on top of the mushrooms or (if you're cooking only for omnivores) mixing in some anchovies. Bon appetit!

Quick Sauteed Wild Mushrooms
(adapted from Whole Foods and Macrobiotic Cooking and Healing)

• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms
• 4 ounces cremini mushrooms
• 8 ounces portobello mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Innergy Biotic
• 2 teaspoons thyme, chopped
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped

With a damp paper towel, clean mushroom caps. Remove woody stems from shiitakes and slice all the mushrooms thinly. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms, stir frequently, and cook 8 minutes, until they become fragrant and begin to brown.

Add garlic and Innergy Biotic, increase heat to high and cook 2 minutes, until liquid all-but evaporates, stirring occasionally so as to ensure that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat, add thyme, salt and pepper and stir well. Serve, sprinkled with parsley. Enjoy!

Links:

• Sauteed Wild Mushrooms from Food Network
• Sauteed Wild Mushrooms from Food Network
• Quick Sauteed Wild Mushrooms from Whole Foods Cooking
• Wild Mushroom Saute from Epicurious.com
• Wild Mushrooms Sauteed in Butter, Sherry and Lemon from Closet Cooking

Go-To Tomato Sauce

Our first date, the vegetarian cooked me dinner. Of course, this was back in the days when I ate everything and he made a big batch of baked ziti, garlic bread and, because he wanted me to think the best of him, a green salad. Wanting him to think the best of me, I devoured everything (including the green salad). Truth be told, he's pretty famous for his baked ziti and it's the dish I miss the most in my current gluten-free and dairy-free diet.

It took me a month or two to return the favor and cook dinner for the vegetarian. In those days, I was a prolific meat-cooker and my signature dish was roast leg of lamb, closely followed by baked fish or rib-eye steaks -- none of which were suitable for the vegetarian, of course! Not to mention that, knowing what a notoriously picky eater he was, I didn't want to make anything too adventurous. I wanted to make something he (and I) knew he would like.

I thought about making my own version of baked ziti but that just seemed both obnoxious and cheating. So I thought back to our second date, when he took me to his favorite restaurant in Little Italy, Benito One. He had ordered spaghetti pomodoro and declared it hands-down his favorite meal. However, whenever he made spaghetti at home, I knew he always used canned tomato sauce. So I decided to make him a red sauce from scratch.

I don't remember the details (I believe I made an arrabiata). What I do know is that the vegetarian cleaned his plate, had seconds and the rest, as they say, is history. When I first went gluten-free, finding delicious gluten-free pasta was our first order of business. And whenever I have the energy, I make some variation of a red sauce to go with it (or at least doctor up a jar -- shh, don't tell).

May was very busy (and filled with Italian food) for us, with the vegetarian's birthday and both of us working on several projects. We returned to Benito One, where the vegetarian now orders Eggplant Parmesan with a side of Spaghetti Pomodoro, for his birthday. But we both missed having my homemade tomato sauce at home. So for our Monthly Cooking Adventure, I made Spaghetti and Meatballs, with quinoa spaghetti and chicken meatballs (on the side, of course). Our friends made a tiramisu and the vegetarian blew us all away with a new variation on his signature sangria.

Never one to rest on my laurels, I decided to adapt Gwyneth Paltrow's recipe for Tomato Sauce as I especially liked her addition of frying the basil along with the garlic. I also added in some dried basil along with the pepper to bring in that anise flavor I love. The vegetarian couldn't stop raving. Bon appetit!

Go-To Tomato Sauce
adapted from It's All Good

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 leaves basil
• 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes and their juice
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook 5 minutes. Add 2 basil leaves and cook an additional minute. Add tomatoes (breaking them up with your hands) and their juice and remaining fresh basil. Turn the heat to high, bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Add dried basil, black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Serve over spaghetti, meatballs -- whatever. Enjoy!

Links:

• Go-To Tomato Sauce from Courtney Miller Santo from The Secret Ingredient
• Go-To Tomato Sauce from Tammilee Tips
• Homemade Tomato Sauce from Allrecipes
• Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter from smitten kitchen
• Easy, Authentic, Homemade Tomato Sauce from Spinach Tiger
  
  

Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding

I spent my junior year of college abroad in Paris, France. For the first time, I was in charge of my own meals, cooking dinner around 5 nights a week. Much to my surprise, I started coming up with some wonderful creations and, wanting to remember the recipes, I started blogging. My blog was the now-defunct Noshes, Thoughts & Reves.

When the vegetarian and I started this blog, it was for several reasons. One was to bring us closer together, to create a way in which we could become excited about food together. It was also a way for me to share my own triumphs and tribulations of cooking mostly vegetarian with a wider audience. In the back of my mind, I think I imagined myself eventually becoming an occasional meat-eater myself, with virtually all my cooking becoming sustainable and vegetarian.

When I adopted the Body Ecology Diet, my food needs changed again and I adapted our diets to become gluten-free and sugar-free. At first, I made a point of making meat or fish several times a week but I slowly got tired of putting so much effort into a meal that only the two of us were eating and, mixed with all the reading I do about why vegetarianism is better, our kitchen produced more and more vegetarian meals.

Sadly, a year after starting the Body Ecology Diet I still have a compromised immune system and tire easily. Last month, I took the inevitable next step and consulted a holistic doctor. He explained that I'm suffering from adrenal fatigue, so I've been focusing more on being good to my body and resting. I'm also taking homeopathic supplements. I am continuing to avoid sugar and gluten, although I can now have sprouted grains. I can't have dairy, potatoes, peppers or eggplant. And I have to eat animal protein at every meal.

So what has this meant for our home? I've started cooking fish and meat again. Not all kinds -- I'm avoiding pork, beef and processed meats -- but it's definitely been a change. We add veggie burgers for the vegetarian to many meals and share a vegetable dish. And I've been eating a lot of eggs. It's taken adjustments but so far it's fun. It means I have to plan meals farther in advance than I was wont to do. And I really miss cheese.

I made this bread pudding for our last dinner party. I adapted it from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Foolproof and I think it's a keeper. We served it with Accidental Turkey and Ratatouille with Penne. Bon appetit!

Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding
inspired by Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

• 1 1/2 loaves sprouted French bread, diced into bread cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 4 leeks, sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup CocoBiotic
• 1 tablespoon special pasta/ratatouille blend
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/3 cup Italian parsley, minced
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread bread cubes out on a baking pan and bake 15 minutes. It's ok if they get a little browned. Set aside.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, heat oils in a large skillet. Add leeks and cook 8 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, basil, Cocobiotic, spice blend and pepper. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk and chicken stock. Add bread cubes and mushrooms, stirring everything together. Push bread cubes down into liquid so they're as submerged as possible. Set aside for 30 minutes so bread can absorb the liquid. Pour into a 13 x 9 baking dish and bake 45 minutes until custard is set. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Links:

• Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding from Food Network
• Savory Prosciutto-Gruyere Bread Pudding from Discover Rias Baixas Wines
• Mushroom and Leek Bread Pudding from Noble Pig
• Mushroom and Leek Bread Pudding from Garnish with Lemon
• Mushroom, Leek and Parmesan Bread Pudding from Food & Wine Magazine

Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic

Spring has sprung! Today was the first warm, sunny days in months that actually made me want to spend as much time as possible outside, soaking up the magnificent (and all-but forgotten) warm sunshine.

What do you crave in spring? I often think in terms of colors and I crave light green foods, especially asparagus. The first heralds of spring (often appearing in markets, as they did this year, when the month at the top of each calendar page is at odds with the weather outside), they help pull me out of my annual winter doldrums and remind me that this, too, shall pass and there will be wonderful warm days again when I can once more revel in our beautiful terrace, our personal oasis in the upper extremities of Manhattan that almost makes our commutes worthwhile.

But back to asparagus. While most people grew up blanching or boiling them, my family always roasted them in a hot oven until they became slightly caramelized. Delicious! But what about those days when your oven is otherwise occupied or you just don't feel like turning it on? That, my friends, is when you turn to pan-roasting.

I served these four times in the past three weeks: at our monthly cooking adventure, alongside Iranian Shrimp with Turmeric, Saffron, and Lemon Juice and Persian Dill and Lima Bean Rice; at both Passover seders (without the Parmesan cheese) and at an impromptu Game of Thrones gathering we hosted last weekend. And, while the vegetarian doesn't like asparagus, everyone else gobbled them up. They're wonderful warm or at room temperature and equally tasty with and without the parmesan cheese. Bon appetit!

Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic

• 1 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 4 shavings Parmesan cheese (I used a vegetable peeler)

Cook asparagus, olive oil, water and garlic in a large lidded pan over high heat, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Toss asparagus (tongs are the best for this), cover, and cook 1 minute. Remove lid, toss again, return lid and cook 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, toss again, season with salt and pepper and shave parmesan on top. Enjoy!

Links:

• Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic from American Food
• Pan-Grilled Asparagus, Garlic and Parsley from Elegantly Gluten-Free
• Pan-Fried Asparagus from Allrecipes.com

Refried Beans Without the Refry

As I'm sure many of you do, I get e-mailed recipes. Lots of them; I just keep subscribing to various newsletters from recipe sites. Unfortunately, I never get around to reading most of them but every so often a recipe catches my eye and I bookmark it, saving it in a folder titled with the appropriate month in which to make it (I do so try to cook seasonally).

These pinto beans have been on the waiting list for quite a while. We cooked them last month (in the slow cooker -- my favorite way to make beans) and then they sat in that folder waiting for me to finally have time to write them up. Today is their lucky day!

Now, you may be confused by their name (and I admit that's why I clicked on this recipe in the first place when I saw it on Allrecipes.com) but, amazingly enough, this do taste a LOT like refried beans. However, since they have neither oil nor butter, they're exceedingly low in fat. They're also really versatile. They have a bit of a kick from the jalapeno and we used them mostly in Mexican preparations, but I'm sure you could use them in any preparation that calls for cooked beans. And, considering we still have a tupperware full of them in the freezer (they freeze beautifully), that's probably what we'll do!


Make these into a Bean Salsa, add them into Marco Polo Salad or Quinoa Pepper Jack Macaroni and Cheese, serve alongside Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting or turn them into Sour Cream Bean Enchiladas or Chili. Really, the possibilities are endless. Bon appetit!

Refried Beans Without the Refry
adapted from Allrecipes.com

• 3 cups dry pinto beans
• 1 7-inch piece kombu
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 15 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 teaspoons garlic parsley salt
• 1 3/4 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 9 cups water, plus additional for soaking beans

Place pinto beans and kombu in a pot full of fresh water. Let them soak 8 hours, or overnight.

Drain beans and place them, kombu, onion, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin in a slow cooker. Add 9 cups water and stir to combine. Cook on HIGH (yes, really) for 8 hours. 

Once beans are cooked, strain, reserving the cooking liquid (it makes a wonderful broth for soups or rice). Using a potato masher, mash beans (and onion and kombu if desired), adding in as much broth as you want. You can also leave the beans unmashed and mix them with the onion and kombu, first chopping the aromatics so they're easier to combine. Enjoy!

Links: 

• Refried Beans Without the Refry from Allrecipes.com

Crusty Spinach, Feta and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread Rolls

I know what you're thinking. Have I gone off my rocker? What happened to being gluten-free? That, dear readers, is the beauty of these rolls -- they are gluten-free. And sugar-free. But they don't taste it. The vegetarian's been heating them up for after-work snacks and every time I bite into one my first thought is: "I'm cheating; I'm so going to regret this." But of course I'm not. And I don't.

They're also my most successful venture into gluten-free (and yeast) baking to date! How can it contain yeast and still be sugar-free? The sun-dried tomatoes have enough sugar that the yeast feeds off of them without any sugar necessary! And a successful gluten-free free adaptation of a "normal" recipe that I had bookmarked but couldn't imagine being able to try. What recipe, you ask? This one from Sass & Veracity, a blog I happened to stumble upon while on my endless search on how to sneak more cooking greens (like spinach) into our diet.

And these fit the bill perfectly. Have them plain, as a snack, with a plate of Burrata & Tomatoes, an Asparagus Tortilla, Sungold Tomato & Cannellini Bean Dip or Watermelon, Feta and Arugula Salad. And of course a glass of Research Cab. Bon appetit!

Crusty Spinach, Feta and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread Rolls
adapted from Sass & Veracity

• 1 pound spinach
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (two packages) active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup feta, crumbled
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
• 3 egg whites
• about 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 6 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour, plus additional
• Cornmeal (no more than 1/4 cup)

Pour two inches cold water into a pot and add spinach. Place heat on high and steam 5-10 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Remove and drain. When cool, wrap spinach in a clean dishtowel and ring out excess moisture. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together yeast, salt, spinach, feta and tomatoes. Place egg whites into a measuring cup and add lukewarm water until you have 3 cups of liquid. Stir into the spinach mixture. Add flour one cup at a time and stir gently with a wooden spoon just until combined. Cover bowl with a clean dishtowel and place in a cold, turned-off oven for 2 hours to rise (this is always the scary part for me!).

After dough has risen (phew!), prepare your baking pan: place a sheet of parchment paper on it and sprinkle with cornmeal. Now divide your dough into ten even-sized pieces. The dough will be a little sticky but easy to work with (at least mine was). If you need to, sprinkle with a little bit of extra flour. Roll (in your hands) into a ball, then place on your prepared baking pan. Repeat nine more times with the rest of the dough. Place in the oven for 30 minutes to rest.

Remove pan from oven and allow to rest an additional 30 minutes. Place a tray (I used a roasting dish) on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 450F.

After dough has rested sufficiently, dust the tops of the rolls with flour and snip an X into the top of each with clean kitchen scissors. Slide the baking pan with the dough into the oven, on an upper shelf. Fill up a measuring cup (or two) with VERY hot water -- as hot as your tap can get. Pour this water into the dish at the bottom of the oven. Close the door quickly (you're creating steam to help the rolls cook evenly. Bake 20 minutes. Cool before serving. Enjoy!

Links:

• Crusty Spinach, Feta and Sun-Dried Tomato Bread Rolls from Sass & Veracity
• Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Rolls from MyRecipes.com

BED: Trout (or White Beans) with South Indian Spices

Is it March already? Doesn't February always disappear just when you've gotten comfortable with it? Or is that just me?

Anyway, I have a wonderful recipe to share with you today (complete with a vegetarian adaptation that uses the same spices) and, if you're making the trout component, an even more exciting cooking technique!

Back when I regularly cooked omnivore food, fish was one of my specialties. Fast and easy to cook, I could always adjust my seasonings to suit my mood. I realized this month, as I planned the menu for our monthly cooking adventure that I hadn't made fish in quite a while. So I resolved that it was time that changed. Wanting to combat the winter doldrums I've been in, I decided I wanted this fish to have a bite ... and lots of garlic. Interesting spices always make me think of Indian food so I went back to The 4-Hour Chef and adapted his recipe for Trout with South Indian Spices, including a wonderful Ginger-Garlic Paste made from scratch. (There's still more of the paste in our fridge -- any suggestions on how else we should use it?)



As for the vegetarian, he loves these flavorings as well, so, while I made the fish, I tossed a couple of cans of white beans with the same marinade ingredients and baked them in the same oven for the same amount of time. Formal directions are below. We also served this with basmati rice and gremolata and had an amazing whiskey butterscotch pudding for dessert. A Falanghina was a delicious accompaniment. மகிழ்ந்து உண்ணுங்கள் [bon appetit]!

Trout (or White Beans) with South Indian Spices
inspired by The 4-Hour Chef

• 1 head garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 hand ginger root, chopped
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons beer vinegar (can substitute rice vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garlic parsley salt
• 2 small whole trout, butterflied and gutted (if making the omnivore version)
• 2 cans navy beans, drained and rinsed (if making the vegetarian version)
• juice from 1/2 lime

Combine garlic, ginger and water in a cup or mixing bowl. Using your immersion blender, process until they've all combined into a smooth paste.

Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, turmeric and salt in a bowl.

If making the fish, place it in a heavy ziploc plastic bag and add the marinade, massaging it well into the flesh. Marinate at least 8 hours.

If making the beans, add them to the bowl of seasonings, stir well and let sit for at least 15 minutes so marinade can permeate.

Preheat oven to 400F.

If making the fish: Remove it from the bag and place on a plate, flesh-side up. Now comes the fun part (I made the vegetarian stay in the other room while I did this): insert a skewer through the fish's mouth and rest its length along the fish's body. Balance 3 skewers along the width of a baking pan. Gently flip the fish over and rest its skewer on the other 3. Repeat with the second fish (and any others that you want to make; you may need to use more than one pan, depending on the size of your fish and your pans).

If making the beans: Place beans and marinade in a baking dish and stir well. I used a loaf pan.

Place beans and/or fish in the oven and bake 12 minutes. Serve with the lime juice drizzled on top. Enjoy!

Links:

• Best Spicy Masala Fish from Bland is Boring
• Cajun Rainbow Trout from Whole Foods Market
• The Best Salsa from Bland is Boring
• Ginger-Garlic Eggplant from Chicago Tribune
• South Indian Style Green Bean "Stir Fry" from The Mistress of Spices
• Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Soup with White Beans & Swiss Chard from Vegetarian Times
• Kidney Beans Curry from Easy Indian Cooking
• Slow Cooker Vegan Spicy Pinto Bean Chili with Corn and Kale from The Perfect Pantry