Portobello Eggplant Sandwich

With the vegetarian and/or me working virtually every night this month, my mission has been to find quick, easy and satisfying dinners that will neither require too much prep nor leaving us feeling so full afterwards that we can't go to sleep at a reasonable hour. Last night, that led me down the path of sandwiches. With so much wonderful produce from the greenmarket, I've definitely been on a vegetable kick and I started thinking about grills and, not for the first time, wishing we had one. And what are my three favorite vegetables to cook on a grill? Portobello mushrooms, onions and eggplant. Even though I don't often eat eggplant these days, when I find it fresh and local and organic at the greenmarket, I make an exception.

Alas, we have no grill. But, if you can stand heating up the apartment for fifteen minutes, mushrooms, onions and eggplant are just as (if not more) delicious roasted. And, bonus, you don't have to worry about the bits of onion falling through the cracks of the grill!

I wanted to elevate these from a "typical" sandwich so, while the veggies were roasting, I whipped up a quick tahini spread with fresh basil (better and more nutritious than a more traditional mayonnaise or, worse, ketchup). We also served these with some big arugula leaves on sprouted sesame bread and had a salad on the side. Bon appetit!



 Portobello Eggplant Sandwich

Sandwich

• 4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 slices bread
• 1 bunch large arugula leaves
• 1 American eggplant, sliced

Spread

• 1/2 cup sesame paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon salad seasoning blend
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Arrange mushrooms, onion and eggplant on a foil-covered baking sheet (or two). Roast 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the spread by blending together all ingredients in a food processor until creamy.

When vegetables are cooked, remove from oven and let cool slightly. Toast bread. Generously spread spread onto half of bread slices and top with 1-2 leaves arugula, 1 mushroom, some red onion and 1 slice eggplant. Cover with second slice of bread. Enjoy!

Links:

• Grilled Eggplant & Portobello Sandwich from Eating Well
• Crispy Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom and Cheese Sandwiches from Food Network
• Grilled Portobello Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper and Mozzarella from AllRecipes.com
• Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Melt from Wine and a Spoon
• Grilled Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Sandwich from Roman Meal

Mushroom Soup, Pate, Porcini Sandwich

As Fall settles in and I reluctantly admit that the cold weather is here to stay, I crave soups. And no thin vegetable broths for me; I want thick, dense and warming umami-laden stews. But how to make one that's vegetarian (with the possible exception of chicken broth), gluten-free and sugar-free, thereby satisfying all our collective dietary restrictions?

Enter mushrooms; lots and lots of mushrooms. They're chewy, hearty, tasty and the epitome of vegetarian umami. Often sharing the spotlight with barley, I instead made them the star. I strengthened the flavor with homemade chicken broth (although vegetable would do just as well) and Shaoxing wine (you could also use grape juice). The vegetarian partially pureed it with an immersion blender so it was chunky enough that you had to chew, not merely slurp, it.

The soup was rich and filling. One of our guests declared it the best thing I'd ever made and the vegetarian, who normally avoids leftovers like the plague, heated it up for lunch the next day!

In order to make it into a full meal, we also served sandwiches with mushroom jam (made from dried porcini I brought back from Paris last year) and pate (duck liver for the omnivores and faux gras for the vegetarian). It was a delightful introduction to Fall. Bon appetit!

Mushroom Soup, Pate, Porcini Sandwich
adapted from Le Pigeon: Cooking at the Dirty Bird

Porcini Jam

• 1/4 cup dried porcini
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine (or grape juice)
• 1/4 cup lucuma powder
• 1 teaspoon blue diamond salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Szechwan peppercorns
• 1 cup water

Mushroom Soup

• 1/4 cup clarified butter (or coconut oil)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 8 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 2 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms (get as exotic assortment as you can find and afford)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 1 cup rice wine (or grape juice)
• 1 cup Cocobiotic
• 8 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup coconut cream
• 1/2 cup pate (faux gras for vegetarians, liver pate of your choice for omnivores)
• 16 slices bread, toasted (use sprouted, gluten-free or whatever's appropriate to your diet)
• 2 tablespoons ghee (or olive oil)
• 1 tablespoon chives, minced

Begin by making the jam. Combine dried porcini, onion, rice wine, lucuma powder, salt and pepper in a saucepan over low heat. Cook for 1 hour, adding water as needed and stirring occasionally, until it achieves a jammy consistency but isn't completely dry and stuck to the pan. Remove from heat and set aside. Puree it or leave it chunky (we did the latter).

Now make the soup: Melt ghee in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and salt and saute 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add vinegar, wine and Cocobiotic and cook 2 more minutes. Add broth and potato, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Using an immersion blender, roughly blend soup so the base is thickened but there are still chunks of mushroom. (Unless you want to puree it completely smooth, in which case, do.)

Serve alongside pate, jam, bread and additional ghee. Allow your guests to make their own sandwiches. Sprinkle soup with chives as a garnish. Enjoy!

Links:

• Pates aux Cepes from Serious Eats
• Pressure Cooker Porcini Mushroom Pate from hip pressure cooking
• Warm Porcini Mushroom Flan with Wild Mushroom Confit, Truffle Emulsion and Crispy Phyllo Threads from Food Network
• Creamy Chestnut Soup with Porcini Mushrooms and Sauteed Root Vegetables from Food Network
• The Real Mushroom Soup from Jamie Oliver
  
  

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

Bruschetta with Broccoli Rabe

This time of year is always the hardest for me, cooking and eating-wise. The calendar says March, my body starts craving green vegetables but the temperature and available produce are still stuck in winter. In the past, I would just buy some tomatoes completely out of season and, while complaining about their lack of taste, find some way to disguise them and make them palatable.

But that's not how I like to cook anymore. First of all, I'd rather find good, seasonal food that I have to do very little to. Second of all, particularly when I'm just cooking for the vegetarian and me, I really prefer cooking simple food. So no tomatoes.



Broccoli Rabe, a bitter leafy green vegetable is a cold-weather green that I love and the vegetarian tolerates. I should say -- he likes the taste but not the texture of the stalks. A while ago I had bookmarked a recipe for Sauteed Chinese broccoli and fresh ricotta bruschetta at the hungry bambino. I decided to put my broccoli rabe on some bruschetta with grated Parmesan Cheese. Alongside Tofu (for the vegetarian) and Rib-Eye Steak (for the omnivore) in Lemon Juice and Herb Marinade and (several) glasses of Tocai Friulano (from the Long Island winery Channing Daughters, with whom we have a CSA), it was a perfect meal. Bon appetit!

Bruschetta with Broccoli Rabe
adapted from the hungry bambino

• 1 loaf French bread
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, woody ends removed and discarded, stalks separated from leaves
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
• lemon Garlic Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut bread in half lengthwise and then into smaller pieces (about 5 inches in length). Place on baking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes, until crispy.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high flame. When it swirls like water in the pan, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook very briefly, moving around constantly, just until they release their aroma (but careful not to burn them!). Add broccoli rabe stalks and saute 1 minute. Next add leaves and saute, tossing to coat with flavored oil, for 5 minutes.

Remove bread from oven and sprinkle each piece with Parmesan. Place 1-3 pieces of broccoli rabe on top. Drizzle with lemon garlic olive oil. Bon appetit!

Links to other broccoli rabe delicacies:

• Broccoli Rabe from Stay at Stove Dad
• Baked Ziti with Broccoli Rabe from LaMotta's Italian Restaurant
• Sauteed Broccoli Rabe from Momma's Meals
• Gemelli with Broccoli Rabe, Bacon and Chickpeas from The Bacon Show
• Sausage and Broccoli Rabe and Pistachio Pesto Pizza from Just the Tip

Tuscan White Bean and Bread Soup

Do you have food crushes? I certainly do. They're usually seasonal; for instance, every August, when heirloom tomatoes are all over the Greenmarket, that's all I want -- morning, noon and night. These days, it's white beans. The vegetarian and I have monthly dinner parties (called our monthly cooking adventures) in which I try out exciting new recipes (i.e. recipes that require more work than what I'd make for an average meal) and keep them as seasonal as humanly possible.

While at the Greenmarket (my favorite source of edible inspiration) shopping for our adventure, I found the largest carrots I'd ever seen. I love cooking with carrots (especially in soups); they provide an unexpected level of sweetness without ever having to add sugar. And it's a lovely counterbalance to beans' earthiness. Carrots are also one of those wonderful vegetables that, to me, always seem to add a layer of freshness, no matter how long you cook them.

And, because I'd be hard-pressed to cook without it, I used 8 cloves of garlic. Again, it seems like a lot but this soup was really not spicy at all. And with three monstrous carrots, the garlic just kept the soup in a savory world.

This soup is my take on a ribollita, a Tuscan soup made out of, primarily, white beans and day-old bread. Since I try very hard to avoid waste in my kitchen, I buy only as much bread as I need so day-old bread is something I try to avoid. But the good people at Cook's Illustrated understood my dilemma and suggested baking the bread to dry it out so that is exactly what I did and it worked beautifully. I also arrived at the Greenmarket too late for kale (the traditional green for ribollita) but there was lovely, spicy arugula so that's what we went with and it came out delicious. Serve with a salad and some Beaujolais Nouveau. Bon appetit!

Tuscan White Bean and Bread Soup
adapted from The Best International Recipe

• 6 cups ciabatta (about 3/4 loaf), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans (separated), drained and rinsed 
• 1/4 cup + 1 3/4 cups Pinot Grigio
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 yellow onions, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus additional if necessary)
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 4 cups water
• 1 pound arugula
• 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• Drizzle lemon-garlic olive oil
• 8 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 300F. Spread out ciabatta cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 30 minutes, until they have the consistency of day-old bread. Remove and set aside.

In a food processor, combine 1 can cannellini beans and 1/4 Pinot Grigio until mostly smooth (it's fine if there are a few lumps so long as there are no more whole beans). It should take no more than 30 pulses. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat until it runs like water. Add carrots, onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook an additional 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and cook another 2 minutes. Add pureed beans, whole beans, remaining Pinot Grigio, water, arugula, potato and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 40 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in rosemary and 2 cups bread cubes. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Discard rosemary sprig and bay leaves and give everything a good stir to combine. Taste and add black pepper and, if necessary, additional salt. 

Place a small handful of bread cubes at the bottom of each serving bowl. Ladle soup on top. Drizzle with lemon-garlic olive oil. Serve, passing Parmesan cheese around separately. Serves 8.

Links to other white beans, carrots and garlic delicacies:

• Rosemary White Bean Soup from The Healthy Beehive
• Sausage, Potato, Veggie, and White Bean Soup from For the Love of Cooking
• Smoky Baked Beans from Momma's Meals
• Gigantes Plaki from Chef Marcus Samuelsson
• John's Grandmother's White Bean Soup from Beverly's Back Porch