Broccoli Farro Salad

 Continuing on my farro theme for this past year, here's a great summer take on farro. This is yet another Smitten Kitchen regular for me now. I prefer it loaded up with broccoli. I'm often aiming to get the veggie to starch ratio much higher on the veggies, so it's vegetable forward with a noticeable accent of grain or pasta, but I somehow don't seem to execute very well on this. Tonight I sauteed what I thought were quite a lot of summer vegetables with a bit of goat cheese and I only put 2 handfuls of pasta in the water to cook. I had this very colorful pan full of zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, chickpeas, parsley, etc, tossed in my "small" amount of pasta and it suddenly seemed like a bland pasta dish. So for the farro salad, the next time I make it, if I feel like there's too much broccoli, I'm going to just go for it and add more. If you eat fish this works well as a side dish. You could top the salad with a fried egg to have a complete meal with maybe some tomatoes on the side for color. 

When I was looking for my pictures of this dish, I came across this picture of Luna munching on some oak leaves and it made me wonder if she would like broccoli.

What I most enjoy about this dish is the texture of it. I also like that it's not many ingredients, yet packs a punch in flavor. Here is the link to the recipe on Smitten Kitchen:

Broccoli Rubble

BROCCOLI farro Salad

1 cup semi-pearled farro

1 pound broccoli, cut into "branches" to start

2 cloves garlic, minced 

4 tablespoons olive oil

red pepper flakes

finely grated zest of one lemon, then juice from the same lemon

1/4 cup grated percorino ramano or parmesan

salt 

black pepper, fresh ground

1. Put the farro on to cook according to package directions. 

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook for about 2 minutes. You want it to soften slightly but still retain a crunch. Remove with thongs and set aside to dry on paper towels and pat dry. When it has cooled enough to handle, chop it into small bite-sized pieces.

3. Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add several shakes of chili flake and garlic. Cook for about a minute, stirring. Add broccoli, lemon zest and a teaspoon of salt. Cook, tossing, for about 4 minutes. 

4. Put your cooked farro in a bowl, scrape all contents of sautee pan into it. Stir Add lemon juice, cheese, black pepper to taste and more salt if you need it. Stir again. 

Zucchini and Almond Pasta Salad

 In my last post I mentioned how I gravitated this summer towards cooling foods that required little to no heat to make. In addition to going heavy on cucumber, I also ate even more zucchini than usual. I tried this particular recipe because you don't have to cook the zucchini, but instead you salt and drain it. I made this recipe twice, once doing it this way, and once with sauteing the zucchini. I like the latter better. This was another Smitten Kitchen recipe. It was intended for a picnic, which of course caught my attention since I'm a sucker for anything picnic themed. It's also one of several recipes where she pairs zucchini with toasted almonds. They work really well together, and I always like having some crunch in a salad. I'm going to put the link to her recipe below so you can see how Deb made it, and all of her suggestions for add-ins. I'm going to post my variation on it with the cooked zucchini, so I can remember to make it next summer. One thing I would like to do is make it with the whole wheat rotini as she did. I can imagine that the bite of it would be better and the color would be nice as well. I had loaded up on pasta during quarantine and still trying to make my way through the stash in my cabinet before I can justify buying more.

As a side note, I think all her mix in suggestions are great, and both times just used what I had on hand. The first time I did cannelini beans, basil and red onion. The second time I added arugula. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

Click here for Deb's recipe

Zucchini and Almond Pasta salad, my variation 

1/2 pound pasta of your choice, preferably whole wheat rotini

2 medium to large zucchini, sliced into thin half moons (you can go heavy on the zucchini if you have it)

1 1/2 ounces shaved parmesan 

1/2 cup slivered almonds

a few shakes of chili flakes

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 lemon

salt and pepper

2 big handfuls of arugula torn into pieces

1. Put pasta water onto boil, then cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain and set aside to cool. 

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a sautee pan over medium high heat. When hot, add chili flakes, then add zucchini. Cook until it's just starting to brown. Set aside to cool. 

3. Toast almonds. I usually do this in a toaster oven and bake on 300. It should take about 6 or 7 minutes. Keep an eye on them and shake the pan a couple of times during this. For this recipe you want them quite brown, but not burned. When done, set aside to cool.

4. Mix remaining olive oil and juice from the lemon. 

5. When pasta, zucchini and almonds are cooled, put them in a bowl. Add cheese, dressing, arugula, any other mix-ins and toss. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Cucumber Elderflower Gimlet

 I ate more cucumber than usual this summer. We had one of the hottest summers in my memory. Many days tipping over 90 or 95 degrees Fahrenheit. I know this doesn't seem terribly hot compared to some other regions, but add in high humidity, a lack of good air conditioning and that starts to get pretty uncomfortable. One of the downsides of working from home is I don't get to enjoy the central air conditioning in my office. As a result, I gravitated towards cooling foods and things that didn't need any or much heat to prepare. I didn't do anything terribly exciting with cucumber. Mostly I just added it to various salads or snacked on it. In July and August I typically have my fair share of tomato cucumber salads, so that's nothing new. I ate the occasional cucumber sandwich with a bit of mayo, salt and pepper. Then, I discovered this take on a Gimlet and cucumber also made its way into my cocktail. I'm guessing there are only two or maybe three more weeks that this cocktail can act as a cool refresher on a warm summer's evening, so get to it!

Cucumber Elderflower Gimlet

For one drink:

1.5 ounces Hendrick's gin

1 ounce St. Germain liquer

1 ounce lime juice

1 2-inch x 1/4-inch piece of cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut lenghthwise, plus one slice for garnish

1. Fill a coupe glass with ice to chill.

2. Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously so the cucumber breaks down a bit.

3. Dump ice from glass and strain contents of shaker into it. Garnish with cucumber slice. 

The Yellow Cocktail

 I've been talking about doing this for a while now, and I think it's finally time. I need to start posting cocktail recipes. Cocktails are vegetarian too, after all,  and will fit in nicely among the casual dishes of veggies, grains and herbs. I also need a place to record the cocktails I like the most and are worth repeating. I've been experimenting quite a bit since the quarantine started and I've now lost track of the various attempts. Some were definite keepers from the first sip; some met their fate in my sink drain; and, others were good or questionable and perhaps need another chance.

While I enjoy certain beers and can appreciate a nice glass of wine, I've long been more of a cocktail gal. Like cooking, I find it fun to learn what combinations work well together and the possibilities are endless. I have no interest in home brewing my own beer or making my own wine, but I have great interest in having the knowledge to choose and make a cocktail just right for the occasion or for someone's individual tastes. Unlike cooking, however, it can be a bit more of an investment to experiment. Purchasing an entire bottle of a spirit or liquer to determine whether you like it is a bit riskier than buying a bunch of rainbow swiss chard from the local farmers' market or a few scoops of amaranth from the bulk food section. Of course there are investments to be made with cooking too, but I'm finding my cocktail endeavors to be a bigger hit to my credit card. Since I don't have the option these days of sitting down at a well-appointed bar to chat with the bartender and order a drink to try a particular alcohol, I've had to take the leap and purchase often large bottles of liquid I'm not sure I'll like. 

One of my main sources of inspiration in the last few months has been Drinking French by David Leibovitz. It was a great way for me to start getting more serious about cocktail making. It provided me a genre to get started with so I could narrow the playing field with what I needed to buy. It's also a beautiful book with inspirational pictures, and stories and descriptions to provide some knowledge about the various spirits without being overwhelming. He has a fun, light-hearted approach and I highly recommend the book for you or as a gift for a cocktail enthusiast in your life.

While Drinking French helped me to narrow the playing field in a much larger landscape of the cocktail world, there are still quite a lot of items necessary to build a proper French bar. I'd look at a recipe I'd want to try and very frustratingly be missing one of the four ingredients. In the beginning, I picked a couple of cocktails to get started with and I've expanded from there. 

Since summer is winding down, I'm going to get started with what I think of as good hot weather cocktails. This one David Leibovitz refers to as The Yellow Cocktail for obvious reasons. It's bright and summery, but I don't think it's for everyone. It's both bitter and tart with a tad of sweetness. If you like Amaro, my guess is you'll like Suze. As for the Chartreuse, it's strongly herbal. I'm now stocked with both green and yellow. I remember buying my first bottle of green to make a Last Word wondering "How will I ever use this all?" Well, I have, and replenished it. They both make good digestifs. I'm not yet good at describing the flavor composition of a cocktail, but hope to get there with more practice.

I am fond of cocktails that are equal parts of all the ingredients because they're easy to remember. The Yellow Cocktail falls into that category. If you live locally I am happy to provide you with some Suze if you don't want to buy a whole bottle to try it! (I can say this without worry because no one actually reads my blog except for maybe my mother once in a while and she doesn't drink cocktails.)

I will discuss dry gins for cocktails in a future post. I have more work to do on that.

Click here to listen to David talk about The Yellow Cocktail

The Yellow Cocktail by David Leibovitz

3/4 oz dry London gin

3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse

3/4 oz Suze

3/4 oz lemon juice

1. Remove a strip of lemon peel to use as a garnish; set aside.

2. Put some ice into coupe glass to chill.

3. Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.

4. Pour into chilled glass and top with lemon peel garnish. 

Sugar Snap Peas with Bowties and Ricotta

I got to the 68th day of quarantine with eating nothing but food prepared in my own kitchen. When I finally caved and ordered takeout, I was having a bad day and already quite hungry by the time I decided to do it, so picked the first thing that came up on Google for "takeout near me". I ended up with a mediocre pizza and a standard Greek salad showing up on my doorstep. It was anticlimactic.  Since then, I've had several more takeout experiences that were more satisfying, but have refrained from going to a restaurant. Outdoor dining began a few weeks ago, and indoor dining this week. It's exciting to see people sitting at tables being served food, but I'm not feeling quite ready for it yet. I type this while I await some Indian food to be delivered. I just finished reading The Henna Artist and after all the talk about chapati I couldn't wait one more minute before eating some, along with pakora dipped in chutney. 

I miss eating out, especially sitting at a bar, sipping a well-prepared cocktail and sharing plates of food huddling close to a friend and chatting amidst all the sounds of other people doing the same. I admire the resourcefulness of restaurants creating outdoor dining spaces that didn't exist before. I appreciate that neighborhoods are closing streets to car traffic in order to create more space for restaurants to do this. I want to support my favorite hangouts in hopes that they'll end up bouncing back financially. I will, but for the time being I'll continue to mostly cook at home. This time has afforded me an opportunity to rekindle my relationship with cooking, cookbooks and the cooks I like to follow. I've made some dishes I don't think I would have otherwise discovered. I've been inspired when I had no energy whatsoever towards making another plate of food for myself. 

These days my focus is on using as much fresh local produce as possible, while creating as little heat as possible in my kitchen. This summer has started off as a hot one already, and I don't have central air conditioning. I don't own a grill yet, so I'm after dishes that are simple, tasty without much, if any, time on the stove. Once again, Smitten Kitchen to the rescue! I came across this re-posted recipe on Instagram, and tried it right away. My local farm grows its own snap peas. Take the time to read Deb's post attached to this. I love what she has to say about delicious Italian dishes needing minimal ingredients. 

I used the mint as directed, but will try basil next time since I have it growing in my yard. I think having a fresh herb is important to the recipe though, so don't skip it. This comes together so quickly and is very tasty for the amount of effort. It's worth repeating, and experimenting with using alternative green veggies in season.

Edit: I tried the recipe using ziti instead of bowties and basil instead of mint. Both versions work well and are pictured below. 

Sugar snap peas with Bowties and Ricotta

1/2 lb sugar snap peas, trimmed

1/2 lb bowtie pasta

salt 

black pepper or some red chili flakes if you like

olive oil

small handful chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

lemon juice - 1/2 lemon or more to taste

1. Put the pasta water on to boil while you trim and remove the strings from the snap peas. Cut them into 1/2 inch pieces.

2. Put the pasta in the boiling water. When it is about 2 minutes from the cooking time on the package, take out a 1/2 cup of the pasta water and put aside. Add the snap peas.

3. Let the water return to a boil and cook the peas for about a minute. You want them crunchy, not overcooked. 

4. Drain the peas and pasta and put them back into the pot with the heat turned down to medium. Add the pasta water, glug of olive oil, salt, pepper and romano cheese. Stir.

5. Add the ricotta cheese in dollops. Do not stir. Turn this over into a big serving bowl. Stir lightly, leaving some globs of ricotta. 

6. Squeeze lemon around the top. Sprinkle with more romano and the mint. Serve hot. 

Roasted Broccoli

While visiting my goat friends today, I was talking to their overseer about the affect nature can have on us during these unusual days. Life as we knew it has nearly come to a halt, and it seems it's going to be a fairly long road back to what we think of as normal. Meanwhile, nature carries on without missing a beat, and in some cases is better off without us. The goats continue to take their daily walk in the meadow, give birth, and eat on their normal schedule. Spring takes hold. The chipmunks have become active, scurrying about. The rain falls and the wind blows. The woodpeckers search for their next meal within the tree bark. Flowers bloom. Green plants emerge on the forest floor. The male cardinal radiates its deep red from within the white blossoms of a tree. It's all happening whether or not we are going to work, attending our kids' soccer games, eating at restaurants or going to the theater. The rhythms of the natural world continue and there is comfort in that. Life can feel pretty scary right now as the death toll climbs, information is coming at us at even a faster pace than usual, and the future is so uncertain. Most days I try to take the same trail walk and take note of the small changes that have taken place from the day before. It reminds me that I am also a part of this beautiful and powerful system. The other systems, organizations and structures I am associated with may be on hold for the time being, but I can still rely on this one.

I can also still rely on getting fresh produce, for which I am very thankful. Putting together a few simple ingredients that together create a tasty dish is one of life's best simple pleasures. Roasting any vegetable in olive oil, salt and pepper typically produces good results. Add some lemon juice and cheese to this one and you've got yourself a lovely side dish to your entree.

Roasted Broccoli
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets of similar size
about 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice from 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Spread the broccoli florets out in a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the garlic on top. Drizzle olive oil in a thin stream around the top of the broccoli. Squeeze the lemon juice around the to tops as well. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Now toss it all together with your hands. You want the olive oil to be evenly spread around the florets. They should be glistening but not soaked and there shouldn't be olive oil dripping on the pan itself. Add more if it seems too dry. I have over oiled vegetables too many times. It takes a bit of practice to get the right amount.
3. Put in oven for about 18-20 minutes. After 10 minutes pull the pan out and toss the florets with a spatula. The amount you roast it is up to how dark you like it.
4. Take out of oven, sprinkle with the cheese and serve.

Chickpea and Kale Shakshuka

As mentioned in my last post, I was in a quarantine rut, extremely bored of my own cooking and longing to eat someone else's food. Then, as if someone were answering my food prayers, this recipe showed up in my Instagram feed by Smitten Kitchen. It revived me. It's not the first time inspiration has come to me in the form of one of Deb's recipes. She describes it as one of her most beloved dishes, and I see why. It's one I want to practice making, so I can whip it up without needing to look at a recipe, and be able to confidently change it up a bit with ingredients on hand for equally satisfying results. It's  a perfect recipe to be able to make at a moment's notice for spontaneous dinner guests and still make them feel special. One of my dreams of hosting dinners is to have amazing al fresco dining experiences in my backyard. While they won't match the images I have from movies set in a Tuscan valley, I'd still like to give it my best try. I can easily conjure up images of this dish surrounded by a large green salad,  slices of avocado, a platter of grains, fresh bread and lots of red wine at my outdoor table. May we be able to have dinner parties again at some point in the not so distant future.

I served this with Israeli couscous and toasted slices of French bread, all drizzled with olive oil and more Feta sprinkled on the couscous. I thought it was a good combo. Martini with a twist made with Malfy, an Italian gin.  I didn't have za'atar but did have sumac berry and thyme. The sesame seed flavor would be nice, so hope to have that by the next time I make it. I think the fresh mint is an important flavor for the dish, but you can go without it if you don't have any on hand. The recipe calls for 2 cans of chickpeas, but I used only one, and I wouldn't want both. I also used more kale and would repeat that.

In case you're wondering as I was, I will save you the time in looking it up - to pronounce shakshuka properly, it appears the emphasis is on the second syllable "SHOO".

Shakshuka

olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon za'atr (I used sumac berry and thyme)
1/2 jalapeño de-seeded and finely chopped (I think it could take a whole pepper)
salt and pepper
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can of chickpeas
1/2 cup veggie broth
at least 4 oz of kale, chopped. I used 3/4 of a bunch and would do more next time
4 to 6 eggs
1 cup crumbled feta
handful of chopped fresh mint
greek yogurt for garnish (optional)

1. In a large skillet or dutch oven casserole dish heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, za'atar jalapeño. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce, chickpeas, broth, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover and lower heat if necessary to keep it from boiling over. Let the liquid cook down and thicken a bit, about 7 minutes.
3. Add kale, cover again and let it wilt, about 4 minutes.
4. Make wells for the eggs and crack one into each well. Sprinkle with salt pepper and the feta. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, depending on your egg preference. Maybe a little less if you want them runny.
5. Sprinkle fresh mint over the top. Serve and add top with yogurt if desired.

Veggie Shepherd's Pie

Quarantine, Day 41. When doing an athletic event that is challenging for me, I find breaking it into smaller, more manageable chunks helps me mentally. A half marathon is three 5 mile runs put together. So while 13 miles may seem a bit daunting, running a distance I might do on an average day several times in a row seems doable, and hooray, the last segment was over sooner than I expected (only 3 miles)! A 100k hilly ride is four 15 mile segments. This way I have milestones within the total ride that I can celebrate. Attempting to approach quarantine in this manner has been less successful. For one thing, there is no real end time. Right now May 4 is the date in Massachusetts that is circled on everyone's calendars, but it is likely that will be extended. And even if it was definite, looking at it as eight one-week segments isn't helpful in making it seem more pleasant. The mindset that has worked best so far is to just think about the day in front of me, for the most part. If I try to think too far ahead or too big picture, anxiety sets in. In keeping with my day-to-day, be in the moment mentality, the most frequently asked question (to myself) is WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT NEXT? We won't discuss my quarantine meal plan.  It seems strange that having lunch only once per day was ever sufficient.

I daydream regularly about eating out and reminisce about what that was like. I long to eat food prepared by someone else, sitting somewhere other than my living room. My Aunt Roberta's gnocchi and snacks at her and my uncle's kitchen island. Any cocktail and plate of noodles at the Blossom Bar. A mushroom pizza and arugula salad from Prairie Fire, seated at the bar with a St. George's martini. A giant pretzel and a snifter of Sour Face, relaxing in an adirondack chair on the Mighty Squirrel patio. Brb, I have to go get a snack...

Anyway, I've been cooking a lot and trying to be efficient about using everything I have before I venture out to re-stock. It's a pretty big deal to go to the grocery store these days. Last night I had some green beans that were on their last breath and a collection of potatoes, so decided to make a shepherds pie. My friend, Rachel, makes one that I can't seem to stop eating once I start. I've made them in the past, but never recorded any of the recipes. This one is a combination of Rachel's recipe and one I found on line that I used for inspiration. It requires some effort since there's a few steps, but it comes together pretty quickly. It also helps when you're working from home and on a virtual meeting with the camera not turned on, so no one will notice if you're draining lentils at your sink.

Ingredients

Lentils
1/2 cup green or brown lentils
3 cups water
pinch of salt

Mashed Potatoes
4-6 medium yukon gold potatoes (russet or red skin ok too), cut into 1-inch cubes.
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of milk (I use whole)
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper

Pie
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or a combo of butter and olive oil
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup crimini mushrooms, stems removed and diced
1 cup green beans, trimmed and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed
1 cup broth
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
salt and pepper
fresh parsley (chopped)

1. Start mashed potatoes. Place potatoes in large saucepan, cover with water to about 1/2 inch above potatoes. Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until you can put a fork in them and they're soft.

2.  Cook lentils. Place lentils water in salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered for 15-30 minutes, depending on the lentils you use. Green will cook faster than brown. You don't want to let them get mushy. They can be a bit al dente because they'll cook more in later steps. When done, drain and set aside.

3. Chop vegetables and prepare all ingredients to put in pie.

4. Finish mashed potatoes. Drain potatoes. Add butter milk, salt and pepper and whip with an electric beater or mix with a potato masher. Make these to your liking, but they should be on the moist side so they don't dry out in the oven. Adjust milk as necessary. Set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 400.

6. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, green beans and mushrooms. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Add in corn, broth, worcestershire, tomato paste and spices.  Bring to a simmer and let the broth cook down a bit, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Then, fold in the lentils.

7. In a 9X12 baking pan, coat the bottom in a very light layer of oil, then spread the vegetable mixture on the bottom. Layer the mashed potatoes on top of that. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and pepper (optional).

8. Bake for 30 minutes.

One-pot Farro and Tomatoes

I had never cooked farro before this winter and now I've made something with it pretty much every week! I'm finding it very versatile and I like the texture. As one example, I've been putting it in my minestrone soups in place of pasta because I think it holds up better vs. getting mushy. Here's another winner by Smitten Kitchen. I highly recommend following her on Instagram. Some days I'll be wondering "what should I make tonight?" and then inspiration shows up by way of a Smitten Kitchen post. Deb is also good about responding on her website when you have questions. This recipe was meant for summer when fresh tomatoes and basil are plentiful, but I adapted for winter and approached it as more of a pantry items recipe. Instead of using grape tomatoes and fresh basil, I used canned tomatoes and dried basil. I only used 2/3 can of tomatoes to try to get the same amount of tomatoes Deb used, but if you don't mind a more tomatoey version, you could just add the whole can. It's more of a side dish on its own. The next time I make it, I will add a fried egg on top and some roasted green beans on the side.

You will likely be skeptical when you put this all in the pot that it will come together in to something that is fully cooked and tastes good, but it does. You don't need to add cheese, but I think it is an important addition.

One-pot Farro and Tomatoes

2 cups water

1 cup farro

1 small to medium onion, sliced in long thin half moons

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

2/3 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon EVOO

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

chili flakes to taste

Grated parmesan, to taste (I added 1/4 cup)

1. Place water and farro in medium saucepan or soup pot to pre-soak for about 10 minutes while you gather and prepare the other ingredients.

2. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt and chili flakes to the farro. Drizzle the oil on top. Bring the mixture to a boil, set your timer for 30 minutes, then reduce to a low simmer. Do not cover. At the end of 30 minutes check consistency. Add a bit more water and cook longer if necessary.

3. Transfer to a serving dish and top with cheese. 

Shiitake Spinach Miso Soup

This winter, one of my cooking goals is to get a couple of Asian inspired noodle or rice dishes into my repertoire. I'm looking for something that will come together fairly quickly for a weeknight meal and with ingredients that I'm likely to have on hand regularly and/or can get easily - sesame oil, chili paste, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, etc. Of course I also want it to be tasty. This one fits the bill. It serves well as a basic noodle soup with a light broth that can be added to. If you want to spice it up with sriracha, you can, but it's also flavorful enough on its own. I was doing a search on line and came across this website that I hadn't seen before, abeautifulplate.com.  The combination of mushrooms and spinach caught my eye. I love shiitake, and will try this with other mushrooms as well. I added edamame and a poached egg to mine to make it a dinner.

Shiitake Spinach Miso Soup
8 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon EVOO
1/3 cup sliced scallions, white and light green parts only (about 3-4)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated ginger
5 cups water
3 tablespoons white miso paste
4 oz soba noodles
2 cups packed baby spinach
1 tablespoon tamarin or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red hot chili flakes
1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 poached egg per person
salt to taste

1. Prepare mushrooms by removing stems, then cleaning with a damp cloth and then slicing.
2. If adding edamame, set them aside to thaw.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan/soup pan over medium heat and add the mushrooms and a few pinches of salt. Let the mushrooms cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the ginger, scallions and garlic. Cook for 1 more minute.
5. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Scoop out a little of the water and add it to the miso paste in a small bowl. Mix together and add back to the pot. Simmer over low heat  for 15 minutes.
6. While the soup is simmering, cook the noodles according to package directions in a separate pan. It's ok to keep them al dente since they'll be cooking a bit more when you add them to the soup. When they are done, drain and set aside.
7. Poach eggs in small saucepan and set aside.
8. After the soup has simmered for 15 minutes, add the noodles, followed by the spinach, edamame, soy sauce/tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar and chili flakes. Let the spinach wilt and mix together.
9.  Ladel soup into bowls and top with an egg.

Lemon Farro "Risotto"

I've made a few dishes over the last month that will become staples, so want to get them down here. This is the first of three. Recently I wanted to make a lemon risotto as a side dish, to have something simple that didn't require a lot of chopping. I had everything prepped and ready to go in the pot when I realized I was out of arborio rice. Since I am all about farrow this winter, I had been wanting to try making a risotto with it. This wasn't necessarily the best time to experiment since I had a friend on the way over for dinner, but it was the easiest alternative given I already had a risotto in the works. I was using the method I have posted about earlier where you start the risotto on the stove and then bake it in the oven.

I initially thought this would require more liquid than the arborio rice, but it turns out it doesn't. I ended up having to drain it a bit the first time. I made it a second time using the normal amount of stock and it was perfect. If you eat seafood, this goes really well as a side dish for pan seared scallops.

Baked Lemon Farro "Risotto"
1 cup farro
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, chopped small
2 1/4 cups stock (I use a vegetarian bouillon cube in water)
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1. Put the farro in a bowl, cover it in water and set it aside to soak.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a low simmer.
4. Place a heavy botton 3 qt pot with an oven safe lid on the stovetop and set it on medium low heat.
5. Drain the farro. Raise the heat to medium and add the farro to the shallots. Cook stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.
6. Add the wine and stir constantly until it's absorbed, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the warmed stock and stir well. Once it comes to a simmer, cover it and immediately transfer it to the oven. Cook for 18 minutes.
8. Remove the risotto, uncover USING AN OVEN MITT and taste. Depending on your preference and how al dente or liquid you like it, you can mess around with it here. If you want to cook it more on the stove top, add more stock (or water if you ran out) over medium heat, stirring constantly until you like the consistency.
9. Stir in cheese and butter.
10. Stir in lemon juice, lemon peel and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Dijon Mustard Croutons

Where have these been all my life? Given my fondness for mustard, I'm not sure how I've been eating multiple times a day for this many years, and not encountered dijon croutons. These were paired with Heidi Swanson's cauliflower soup from my last post, and while they were a great combination, I anticipate these will have many uses for me and thought they deserved their own dedicated post.

Dijon Mustard Croutons

6 ounces whole wheat bread, torn into small chunks, less than 1-inch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 with a rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Put the torn bread in a large bowl.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Whisk the olive oil, salt and mustard into the butter. 

3, Pour the mixture over the bread. Toss well, then turn the bread onto a baking sheet.

4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the croutons are golden and crunchy. Flip them once or twice with a spatula along the way. 

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

In my last post, I talked about re-kindling a relationship with my cookbook collection. In an effort to further that goal, I pulled out another favorite, Super Natural Every Day. I was a long time follower of Heidi Swanson's blog, 101 Cookbooks when she published this one. I hadn't made this recipe before. For some reason, I've never enjoyed broccoli cheddar soup all that much, and tend to not choose it when I'm eating out.  Cauliflower was in season a few weeks ago, and I picked up an orange colored head from my local farm, Russo's, and needed something to do with it so I chose this recipe.

I liked the combination of cauliflower with cheddar much better.  I made it again last night for some friends who came over to watch Chernobyl with me. They enjoyed the soup as well, and I think it's a keeper. Again, it's only a few ingredients, but flavorful and comforting on a cold night. Last night I served it with some sourdough baguette and roasted green beans on the side. (Yes, I know, not an obvious combination, but I wanted something green on the side and didn't feel like a salad. It seemed to work for everyone. I only started roasting green beans fairly recently. I'm finding them to be an easy, tasty side dish.)

I think it's good to use a sharp cheddar for this. I have an Irish cheddar in my fridge, but think that sort of nutty cheddar works better as a snacking cheese and would get lost in this soup. I like Cabot's Seriously Sharp.

Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
Sea salt
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups veggie broth
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2/3 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar, more for dressing soup
2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1.  Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. When it melts, add the shallots and onion along with a big pinch of salt. Sauté until the onion is soft, a few minutes.
2.  Stir in the potato, cover and cook for about 4 minutes, long enough to soften. Be careful not to burn the onion.
3. Uncover, stir in the garlic, and then add the broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are soft.
4. Add in the cauliflower. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender throughout.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender. Stir in the cheddar and mustard. Add more broth or water if you want the consistency thinner.  Add salt to taste.
6. Serve with toppings such as olive oil, extra shredded cheddar and/or toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.