Soup and Bread - the Ultimate Comfort Food

It’s officially day 1 of the Minnesota Stay at Home order although we’ve been keeping away from the masses for a couple weeks now. We’re keeping busy, this week we finished a hard 1000 piece puzzle and we have another one on deck. I finally took the last one apart and put it in the box. I’ve also been taking advantage of the nice weather we’ve had the past couple days and have been reading out on the deck - the sunshine feels good. Cleaning - it can wait.

Cooking has always been relaxing; it’s my creative outlet and these days it gives me a sense of calm - the thing I don’t have in other places. Dan’s been benefitting too and I haven’t gotten any complaints on that end either. Yesterday I tried my hand at bread - the real kind not from the machine - granted it was the no-knead variety but it was the perfect compliment to the Broccoli and Cauliflower soup.

I had some fresh broccoli and cauliflower in the fridge and I was looking for some comfort food and for me comfort = soup. 

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients;

2 cups broccoli florets, chopped small and rinsed

3 cups cauliflower florets, chopped small and rinsed

1 cup carrot, diced ( optional for low-carb, keto diet)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups (1,5l) vegetable broth

1 (15oz – 420g) can diced tomatoes, drained (or 4 tomatoes, diced)

1 tablespoon Italian dried herbs

1 can white beans

A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant about 2 minutes. Add carrot and cook stirring occasionally for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to combine all of the flavors together.

Stir in the rinsed broccoli and cauliflower florets and the white beans and continue to simmer gently until cooked through but still crunchy, approx. 5 minutes.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, garnish with parmesan and fresh parsley and serve!

No-Knead Bread

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups room temperature water - approx 110 degrees

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, and yeast. Pour in water, use a wooden spatula to combine. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit on your counter for 5 to 12 hours. 

When ready to bake your bread, preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Add cast iron dutch oven (with the lid on) to the oven, so it preheats along with the oven itself.

Flour your hands, counter/cutting board, and sprinkle some flour over the top of the dough itself.  Remove dough from bowl and shape it into a rough ball shape. Drop ball of dough into the preheated pot, cover with the lid and return to oven.

Bake, with the lid on, for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crusty.

Bread should remove easily from the pot, so take the bread out and let cool completely before slicing.

Stay home, stay safe and check on your friends and neighbors. Thanks for stopping by!

Vegan Peanut butter Oatmeal Cups

Desperate times call for desperate measures or chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal - it’s the same right? We’ve been keeping close to home these days; walking early in the morning when there are fewer people on the trail, not leaving the house, video chatting with friends instead of in-person events and doing a bit of cleaning. 

On Friday afternoon I made a very fast dash to the grocery store, made sure I had my wipes, kept my distance from others and made sure I thanked the checkout person for being there; because without her, I wouldn’t be able to bring food home. For those of you do not support a $15.00 minimum wage - keep in mind these are the people who are keeping your cupboards stocked these days. 

Dan and I have talked a lot about how to get through this time. We want to support our local restaurants and have decided to order out a couple times a week to our favorites. This week it was the local Indian haunt - they forgot one of the dishes so Dan had to go back he wasn’t thrilled but things are not normal these days and everyone is stressed - we all have to be patient. 

I’m not a huge dessert fan but Dan likes a little sweet after dinner and in the morning with his coffee. I found a recipe for a Vegan no-bake peanut butter and oatmeal bars recipe that I thought sounded good sooooo - I made a batch - it is good and took less than 15 minutes to make. 

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Oat Layer

2 1/2 cups rolled oats gluten-free if required

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

Chocolate Topping

3/4 cup vegan chocolate buds

2 tbsp smooth peanut butter

Instructions:

Line a square brownie tin with grease-proof paper. 

Add the peanut butter and maple syrup to a medium saucepan and stir together over medium heat until combined.

Add the rolled oats and stir through so the oats are completely coated and combined. 

Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to the lined brownie tin and press down to get it as level as you can. Set aside.

In the microwave, melt the vegan chocolate and peanut butter together, stirring occasionally to combine. Pour the melted chocolate over the oat mixture and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to level out. 

Pop the slice into the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until set or in the freezer for around 15 minutes. Slice into squares to serve.

And that’s it! Super simple, delicious and made from ingredients in your pantry. If you are not vegan you can use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. Thanks for stopping by!

Slainte - A Social Distancing St Paddy’s Day

Happy St Paddy’s Day - it’s a weird one no doubt; restaurants and bars are closed (except for takeout), schools are closed and the world is tilting just a little bit. We’re practicing social distancing; working from home, walking and online yoga instead of the health club and we’re gathering in small groups but only with people who are practicing as we are. 

I’ve replaced my eating in restaurants with cooking at home, ordering out to continue to support our favorite places, and learning to play Mahjong with a small group of friends and I love it - even considering buying my own set. I’ve been cooking out of the fridge/pantry/freezer and baking - it’s been therapeutic and fun. 

I’ve also been mindful to check in with friends and family to make sure they are safe, have the things they need and keep the lines of communication open. It’ so important to connect these days, what’s going on can cause depression, panic and anxiety, be sure to connect with your loved ones, they need you as much as you need them. 

This afternoon I spent time with my girlfriends learning to play Mahjong - lesson #2. While I am a total a novice, I’m starting to get the hang of the game and it’s nice to be with friends even if just for a couple hours - it keeps me sane. 

My original thought for dinner tonight was stir fry but it’s St Paddy’s Day and even though we do not do the traditional corned beef and cabbage I wanted to do a vegetarian twist - vegan shepherd’s pie (with lentils) and traditional Irish soda bread. 

I made a couple twists - I used butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes and added a few additional veggies (because they were in the fridge and needed to be used).

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

4 cups of butternut squash - chopped 

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrots

4 1/2 cups prepared lentils

2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon dried basil 

A handful of chopped spinach

2+ tablespoons non-dairy milk

Sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Peel and chop squash into small chunks. Put them in a pot of water and boil until tender. Cook lentils according to package directions, drain and cool. 

Chop the carrots, onion, and celery (mirepoix) into small chunks. Add this to a large skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of water and allow them to soften. Once the veggies are softened, add the cooked lentils to the pan and allow them to cook for several minutes with the mirepoix.

Open the cans of diced tomatoes (but do not drain them) and add these along with a tablespoon of chopped (or dried) basil leaves, a handful of chopped spinach, and a splash of soy sauce. Simmer for  10-15 minutes. 

When the butternut squash is cooked, remove from heat and drain the water. Mash with a little salt and a splash of non-dairy milk until the consistency is perfect.

Put the lentil filling to a 9 x 13 pan and top with a layer of squash. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the topping becomes slightly browned. Allow mixture to cool before serving.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 ½ cups raisins

1 ½ cups buttermilk (this really must be buttermilk for best results)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add in the raisins slowly, while mixing the ingredients, so that the raisins to become coated with the flour mixture. Slowly add in the buttermilk and mix until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until it forms a smooth ball. Flatten the ball so that the sides and middle are about the same thickness to ensure even baking. Place the dough onto a cookie sheet pan that has been coated with spray release, or on a pan that is lined with parchment paper.

Slash the top a few times with a sharp knife and bake 35-45 minutes - until browned and cooked through. 

Be Safe and Take Care

A Vegan Irish Stew

Just when I think the world can’t get any crazier it does. I’ve started to limit my news/social media to 15 minutes a day - honestly, I can’t take the insanity. I’ve also been doing the whole social distancing thing and it’s nice. I’m not an introvert but I do like my space. I get energy from people but I also get energy from reading, cooking and being on my own. 

We spent this weekend having friends over for movie night on Friday and then went over to Dan’s daughter’s place on Saturday for dinner. Ok, the guys built a computer and we built a desk from Ikea; we had fun.

St Paddy’s Day is looming and with all that’s going on it’s unlikely, we’ll be celebrating anywhere but at home. When I was young my mom always made corned beef and cabbage. I liked the cabbage and carrots but usually added a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the side - not a fan of corned beef. 

I do lamb and fish from time to time and considered lamb shanks for movie night but in the end, I found a vegan mushroom stew that looked pretty good so I decided to give that a go - a wise decision. I served it with Guinness Brown Bread - it was so tasty and filling. I started with a recipe from Straight Up Foods and in the end, I added my own spin. 

I added the vegan butter - and if you are not a vegan add regular butter - without it the stew didn't have that umami flavor. The mushrooms add a nice depth but it needed more. I also added additional spices to please my palette, for me it needed more. 

Ingredients

1½ large yellow or white onions, chopped into ¾-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

3 medium carrots, sliced lengthwise and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2¼ cups)

3 ribs celery, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

10 ounces baby portabella mushrooms

1½ tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 6 medium cloves)

5 cups of water

1.5 pounds white potatoes - I used small baby potatoes and did not peel them 

⅓ cup tomato paste (half of a 6-ounce can)

1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning

1 T oregano

1 tablespoon paprika

1½ cups cooked peas (if frozen, rinse under warm water)

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 T vegan butter 

chili powder - to taste

salt and pepper to taste

a few shakes of chili flakes 

Instructions 

Heat 1 tablespoon of water in a soup pot over medium-high heat. When the water starts to sputter, add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, adding water as needed.

Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, and continue to cook while stirring for 5 minutes more, adding water as needed.

Add the 5 cups of water, potatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and paprika, and bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the rosemary and other spices. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the carrots and potatoes are very tender.

Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes more.

Place 2 cups of the stew (broth and vegetables) into a blender, and blend just briefly. Stir the mixture back into the pot to thicken the stew. Top each bowl with parsley.

Keep doing all those things you're doing - stay out of crowded places, wash your hands, read a book, watch a movie with your sweetie and stay healthy!

Weather, Virus and 3 Crazy Old White Men

Crazy weather, coronavirus, canceled everything, and 3 old white men who have trouble breathing want my vote - what a mess. There are lots of things to be grateful for - I have a job I love, good friends, a place to live and enough food, so I’ll go with that for now. 

Last weekend was our first real hint of Spring - although I’m not getting my hopes up - it’s only March and snow has been known to grace us here in MN in May. I’m planning to experiment with straw bale gardening this year - yes Anne Lapkin I am finally taking your advice - I know you’ll be proud. Not the whole garden but definitely part of it. 

My big challenge now is to find the right bales (not rye) and start the conditioning process so if anyone near me knows where I can get bales please send me a DM. Meanwhile, I’ve been busy deciding what to plant and what to experiment with. 

Last weekend I was looking for something fresh to go with the nice weather - I needed a change from the chili and hearty soups we’ve been cooking. I found a recipe for roasted broccoli and white beans on Shutterbean - Food Photography and Inspiration - their recipe is here. 

I had some zucchini, which I wanted to use up so I added it to the broccoli and beans - it was delicious. 

Roasted Broccoli, Zucchini and White Beans

Ingredients:

2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for pan

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large crown of broccoli cut into florets

1 large zucchini 

1 15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained

a heavy pinch red pepper flakes

juice of 1 lemon, plus a few slices to roast

kosher salt + fresh cracked pepper

freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Drizzle a baking sheet lightly with olive oil, set aside.

Combine olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a bowl, mix to combine. Toss broccoli and zucchini in garlic oil mixture to coat, followed by white beans (be careful not to break up white beans with heavy handling). 

Place the veggie and bean mixture on the baking sheet, and tuck a few lemon slices in the mix. Season with salt & fresh cracked pepper and roast in the oven, tossing occasionally for about 15-20 minutes. When beans and broccoli begin to char, top with a heavy dose of Parmesan cheese, turn the oven to BROIL and cook for 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and starting to bubble.

Remove from oven, squeeze with lemon juice and serve. 

We served this with quinoa and baked acorn squash with a little vegan butter and brown sugar. It was delicious.

Pho not Pha

First my apologies, I’ve been out of the loop for the entire month of February. We’ve been traveling (to Arizona) and trying to get some household things in order. No excuses just facts. 

Coming off of Super Tuesday some of us are happy, some sad, some disgruntled and some - like me - looking for new recipes. That is not to say that I a not following what is going on politically or in the world, it means I’m invested in a lot of things. 

Our trip to Arizona was wonderful. We spent time with my cousin Gayle in Tucson and then time with friends Ann & Warren in Phoenix. I loved both cities, each has its own charm and sites. 

We loved the Air Museum (thanks to Ken Kauffman for recommending it), Taliesin West (Frank Lloyd Wright’s home), the Desert Botanical Garden, the Bryce Thomson Arboretum, the Phoenix Art Museum, and the Heard Museum - it was a busy holiday. The best time tho was spending time with friends and family. Dan had an opportunity to bond with my cousin, do some hiking and my friend Ann & I solved many of the world's problems with wine - so much fun!

We’re home now and back to cooking and anticipating Spring - the weather here has been amazing - today it was 40, sunny and a little wind, by Saturday we are looking at 55 and sunny - the snow could be gone! Good Times.

When we were in Phoenix we had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. The food was good but we missed the Pho. When we got home I was in the mood for a hot bowl of deliciousness so I search the trusty internet and found a recipe that had a miso broth, fresh vegetables (raw and cooked) and just the right amount of spice. We both agreed we would make it again and the best part about Pho is it can be different every time, depending on what you have in your fridge. 

I made a quick trip to the Asian grocery store for supplies and we created a Pho that suited our style and palette.  

Ingredients:

Broth

2 star anise

2 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

5 whole allspice

1 tablespoon whole coriander

3 sticks lemongrass

2 inch or 5 cm piece fresh ginger sliced

1 onion roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic roughly chopped

3 dry shiitake mushrooms

3 tablespoons miso paste

2 tablespoons soy sauce

6 cups of 1.5 l vegetable broth

4 cups or 1 l water

Pho

7 oz or 200 g rice noodles

7 oz or 200 g mushrooms (I used enoki and baby portabella

4 baby bok choy

3 carrots julienned

a handful of fresh spinach

a handful snow peas - cut on the bias

Garnishes

Hot chili peppers thinly sliced

Cilantro leaves

Bean Sprouts

Instructions:

Make the broth:

For the pho broth, dry toast the spices (star anise, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and coriander) in a large pot under medium heat until fragrant. Add chopped lemongrass, sliced ginger, roughly chopped onion, and garlic. Cover with vegetable broth and water, add whole dried shiitake mushrooms and bring to a boil under medium heat. Reduce the heat and let the broth simmer for 30 minutes.

When the pho broth is done, strain it through a sieve, keeping the shiitake mushrooms. Slice them and add them to the soup. Add miso paste dissolved in a ladle of hot broth. Try the soup and add soy sauce to taste.

While the broth is on the stove, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your rice noodles as per package directions (usually about 3 minutes). Rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Clean them and chop mushrooms if needed. Separate out the large bok choy leaves and add them to the strained broth together with julienned carrots. Add spinach after about 4-5 minutes and cook for 2 more minutes.

Garnish:

Distribute snow peas and bean sprouts among the bowls and pour the soup over them. They don’t need to be cooked.

Choose any (or all) of the above-mentioned garnishes and add to the bowls. Add more soy sauce and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Thanks for stopping by!