90 posts tagged “mushrooms”
I cannot believe I'm still up at this hour working. It seems like all of my posts recently have started with "I cannot believe...", so maybe it's time for me to realize that I should just believe it. This month's Daring Cooks' challenge is very interesting, something I have been wanting to make for literally ages - the Vietnamese Pho. I chose to make the vegan Pho Ga (Chicken Pho).
October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge comes to us from Jaden of Steamy Kitchen, who has graciously offered a recipe from her new cookbook The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.
I was lucky to enough to find a window in my schedule to complete both challenges. The vegan Pho Ga was very interesting to make. I only had time to make the short version of the recipe. You can find the long version of the chicken pho recipe here, and beef pho recipe here on Jaden's Web site. I toasted the same spices but used vegan faux meat (chicken breast) and soy sauce and hoisin sauce. I also added lots of shiitake mushrooms to add more flavor. The pho came out really tasty and the rice noodles simply were glorious in this soup.
Of course, a bunch of broccoli, bean sprouts, and lots of fresh cilantro leaves certainly make the pho even more appealing.
The chocolate wontons were a breeze to make. I used the same Chinese dumpling wrapper recipe in the June challenge. Deep-frying them with chocolate filling made them totally decadent. It was a good thing that I didn't make too many of these wontons.
Now I must get back to my work again. These beautiful foods can at least keep me a little more content now.
For more delicious Vietnamese Pho, check out the Daring Cooks blogroll.
October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge comes to us from Jaden of Steamy Kitchen, who has graciously offered a recipe from her new cookbook The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.
I was lucky to enough to find a window in my schedule to complete both challenges. The vegan Pho Ga was very interesting to make. I only had time to make the short version of the recipe. You can find the long version of the chicken pho recipe here, and beef pho recipe here on Jaden's Web site. I toasted the same spices but used vegan faux meat (chicken breast) and soy sauce and hoisin sauce. I also added lots of shiitake mushrooms to add more flavor. The pho came out really tasty and the rice noodles simply were glorious in this soup.
Now I must get back to my work again. These beautiful foods can at least keep me a little more content now.
For more delicious Vietnamese Pho, check out the Daring Cooks blogroll.
Poor hubby went on a wild goose chase yesterday around the house, literally. We had some really strong wind for the whole day, and around 10 in the morning, a super strong gust blew a Canada goose onto our roof and it ended up being lame with a broken leg and sitting in our drive way. We called the local wildlife rescue and were told to "bag" the goose by ourselves, put it in a box, and drive 50 miles to them. We were trying to do the right thing. It was really windy and rainy outside. My poor hubby chased the supposedly lame goose for more than 20 minutes all around the yard and driveway and the silly goose really put up a fierce fight by flapping, flying, running, hissing, and puking. It finally disappeared into the woods. Now we know how the phrase "wild-goose chase" came about.
Anyway, after the goose chase yesterday, we had to have some comfort food today. Hubby made his famous peanut butter sauce (1/2 container of peanut butter, soy sauce, hot chili sauce, paprika, oregano, thyme, chives, black pepper, and soy milk) and I made some udon noodles with shiitake mushrooms. We were all set. This is certainly not the meal that will make you lose 5 pounds, but your woes will be wiped out completely. I guarantee that!
We are moving early next week, so I don't think I will be able to keep up with the blogging. It is a shame but I will try my best. If we can survive October, we will be able to have a breather then.
We are moving early next week, so I don't think I will be able to keep up with the blogging. It is a shame but I will try my best. If we can survive October, we will be able to have a breather then.
I have made so many different versions of tofu scramble. For a vegan, tofu scramble is definitely a staple food, something that I can simply whip up when I am feel really lazy. It is the ultimate comfort food with the benefit of fast food. You can practically add anything into the tofu scramble to make it Italian, American, Chinese, Indian, or whichever way you want.
But the recipe I used this time is simplicity itself. I found it on Bryanna's blog and it is Julie Hasson's Yummy Tofu Scramble. I cooked it in 15 minutes and it is yummy without too many additions or spices. Sometimes, keeping it simple is the sure way to make it tasty. This tofu scramble sure beats all the other versions I tried in any restaurant so far (and we have tried many across the country).
I love rice dishes, because I am really a rice girl. I would choose rice over wheat any day, happily. Rice just seems lighter, more versatile and very unassuming. When I saw this month's Daring Cooks' challenge, paella, my heart started to sing joyfully. A big THANK-YOU to our gracious host, Olga!
Our Daring Cooks August challenge host, the talented Olga from Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes has chosen a delicious Spanish recipe, Rice with Mushrooms, Cuttlefish and Artichokes by José Andrés, one of the most important Spanish Chefs at the moment.
He trained under well-known Ferran Adria at his three Michelin star restaurant El Bulli. José Andrés lives now in Washington DC and he owns several restaurants in Washington DC area (El Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel…).
The recipe Olga brought us is from his US TV show Made in Spain.
Rice with Mushrooms, Cuttlefish and Artichokes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Equipment:
* 1 Chopping Board
* 1 knife
* 1 medium saucepan
* 1 Paella pan (30 cm/11” is enough for 4 people. If not available, you may use a simple pan that size.)
* 1 Saucepan
Ingredients (serves 4):
* 4 Artichokes (you can use jarred or freezed if fresh are not available)
* 12 Mushrooms (button or Portobello)
* 1 or 2 Bay leaves (optional but highly recommended)
* 1 glass of white wine
* 2 Cuttlefish (I used 'It's All Good' Mediterranean Chick'n Fillets)
* “Sofregit” (see recipe below)
* 300 gr (2 cups) Short grain rice (Spanish types Calasparra or Montsant are preferred, but you can choose any other short grain. This kind of rice absorbs flavor very well.) – about 75 gr per person (½ cup per person) Please read this for more info on suitable rices.
* Water or Fish Stock (use 1 ½ cup of liquid per ½ cup of rice)
* Saffron threads (if you can’t find it or afford to buy it, you can substitute it for turmeric or yellow coloring powder)
* Allioli (olive oil and garlic sauce, similar to mayonnaise sauce) - optional (see recipe below)
Directions:
1. Cut the cuttlefish in little strips.
2. Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and put the cuttlefish in the pan.
3. If you use fresh artichokes, clean them as shown in the video in tip #7. Cut artichokes in eights.
4. Clean the mushrooms and cut them in fourths.
5. Add a bay leaf to the cuttlefish and add also the artichokes and the mushrooms.
6. Sauté until we get a golden color in the artichokes.
7. Put a touch of white wine so all the solids in the bottom of the get mixed, getting a more flavorful dish.
8. Add a couple or three tablespoons of sofregit and mix to make sure everything gets impregnated with the sofregit.
9. Add all the liquid and bring it to boil.
10. Add all the rice. Let boil for about 5 minutes in heavy heat.
11. Add some saffron thread to enrich the dish with its flavor and color. Stir a little bit so the rice and the other ingredients get the entire flavor. If you’re using turmeric or yellow coloring, use only 1/4 teaspoon.
12. Turn to low heat and boil for another 8 minutes (or until rice is a little softer than “al dente”)
13. Put the pan away from heat and let the rice stand a couple of minutes.
Sofregit (a well cooked and fragrant sauce made of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and onions, and may at times
different vegetables such as peppers or mushrooms)
Cooking time: aprox. 1 hour
Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* 5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
* 2 small onions, chopped
* 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
* 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 cup of button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped (optional)
* 1 Bay leaf
* Salt
* Touch of ground cumin
* Touch of dried oregano
Directions:
1. Put all the ingredients together in a frying pan and sauté slowly until all vegetables are soft.
2. Taste and salt if necessary (maybe it’s not!)
Allioli is the optional part of the recipe. We were instructed to choose one of the two recipes given, and Olga highly recommended us to try the traditional one, which is the one I made. Allioli is served together with the rice and it gives a very nice taste. Boy, it was really strong and went so well with the paella!
Allioli (Traditional recipe)
Cooking time: 20 min aprox.
Ingredients:
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled
* Pinch of salt
* Fresh lemon juice (some drops)
* Extra-virgin olive oil (Spanish preferred but not essential)
Directions:
1. Place the garlic in a mortar along with the salt.
2. Using a pestle, smash the garlic cloves to a smooth paste. (The salt stops the garlic from slipping at the bottom of the mortar as you pound it down.)
3. Add the lemon juice to the garlic.
4. Drop by drop; pour the olive oil into the mortar slowly as you continue to crush the paste with your pestle.
5. Keep turning your pestle in a slow, continuous circular motion in the mortar. The drip needs to be slow and steady. Make sure the paste soaks up the olive oil as you go.
6. Keep adding the oil, drop by drop, until you have the consistency of a very thick mayonnaise. If your allioli gets too dense, add water to thin it out. This takes time—around 20 minutes of slow motion around the mortar—to create a dense, rich sauce.
José's tips for traditional recipe: It's hard to think that, when you start crushing the garlic, it will ever turn into something as dense and smooth as allioli. But don't give up. It's worth the extra time and effort to see the oil and garlic come together before your eyes. Just make sure you're adding the olive oil slowly, drop by drop. Keep moving the pestle around the mortar in a circular motion and keep dreaming of the thick, creamy sauce at the end of it all.
Allioli a la moderna (Modern recipe)
Cooking time: 3-4 minutes
Ingredients:
* 1 small egg
* 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (as above, Spanish oil is highly recommended)
* 1 garlic clove, peeled
* 1 Tbs. Spanish Sherry vinegar or lemon juice (if Sherry vinegar is not available, use can use cider or white vinegar)
* Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Break the egg into a mixing bowl.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic cloves, along with the vinegar or lemon juice.
3. Using a hand blender, start mixing at high speed until the garlic is fully pureed into a loose paste.
4. Little by little, add what's left of the olive oil as you continue blending.
5. If the mixture appears too thick as you begin pouring the oil, add 1 teaspoon of water to loosen the sauce.
6. Continue adding the oil and blending until you have a rich, creamy allioli.
7. The sauce will be a lovely yellow color.
8. Add salt to taste.
José's tips for modern recipe:
(1) If you do not have access to a hand blender, you can use a hand mixer (the kind with the two beaters) or a food processor. If you use a food processor, you must double the recipe or the amount will be too little for the blades to catch and emulsify.
(2) What happens if the oil and egg separate? Don't throw it out. You can do two things. One is to whisk it and use it as a side sauce for a fish or vegetable. But if you want to rescue the allioli, take 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water in another beaker and start adding to the mix little by little. Blend it again until you create the creamy sauce you wanted.
Olga’s Tips:
(1) In Spain, rice is not stired as often as it is when cooking Italian risotto. You must stir it once or twice maximum. This tip is valid for all Spanish rice dishes like paella, arròs negre, arròs a banda…
(2) When cooking the alternative style you can change the cuttlefish or squid for diced potato.
(3) If you can’t find cuttlefish or squid, or you’re not able to eat them because of allergies, you can try to substitute them for chicken or vegetables at your choice.
(4) Sofregit can be done in advance. You can keep it in the fridge or even freeze it.
(5) For more information on how to clean and remove the heart of artichokes, please watch this video.
(6) To watch how Jose Andres cooks this dish click here.
(7) To tone down the taste when you do it by hand in a mortar, then add an egg yolk. If you want to tone it down in the alternative way use milk or soy milk. Anyway, the best alternative way is the original oil and garlic alone.
(8) Allioli must be consumed during the preparation day and preserved in the fridge before using it.
(9) For help on conversion on metric to imperial, visit this page.
Our Daring Cooks August challenge host, the talented Olga from Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes has chosen a delicious Spanish recipe, Rice with Mushrooms, Cuttlefish and Artichokes by José Andrés, one of the most important Spanish Chefs at the moment.
He trained under well-known Ferran Adria at his three Michelin star restaurant El Bulli. José Andrés lives now in Washington DC and he owns several restaurants in Washington DC area (El Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel…).
The recipe Olga brought us is from his US TV show Made in Spain.
Rice with Mushrooms, Cuttlefish and Artichokes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Equipment:
* 1 Chopping Board
* 1 knife
* 1 medium saucepan
* 1 Paella pan (30 cm/11” is enough for 4 people. If not available, you may use a simple pan that size.)
* 1 Saucepan
Ingredients (serves 4):
* 4 Artichokes (you can use jarred or freezed if fresh are not available)
* 12 Mushrooms (button or Portobello)
* 1 or 2 Bay leaves (optional but highly recommended)
* 1 glass of white wine
* 2 Cuttlefish (I used 'It's All Good' Mediterranean Chick'n Fillets)
* “Sofregit” (see recipe below)
* 300 gr (2 cups) Short grain rice (Spanish types Calasparra or Montsant are preferred, but you can choose any other short grain. This kind of rice absorbs flavor very well.) – about 75 gr per person (½ cup per person) Please read this for more info on suitable rices.
* Water or Fish Stock (use 1 ½ cup of liquid per ½ cup of rice)
* Saffron threads (if you can’t find it or afford to buy it, you can substitute it for turmeric or yellow coloring powder)
* Allioli (olive oil and garlic sauce, similar to mayonnaise sauce) - optional (see recipe below)
Directions:
1. Cut the cuttlefish in little strips.
2. Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and put the cuttlefish in the pan.
3. If you use fresh artichokes, clean them as shown in the video in tip #7. Cut artichokes in eights.
4. Clean the mushrooms and cut them in fourths.
5. Add a bay leaf to the cuttlefish and add also the artichokes and the mushrooms.
6. Sauté until we get a golden color in the artichokes.
7. Put a touch of white wine so all the solids in the bottom of the get mixed, getting a more flavorful dish.
8. Add a couple or three tablespoons of sofregit and mix to make sure everything gets impregnated with the sofregit.
9. Add all the liquid and bring it to boil.
10. Add all the rice. Let boil for about 5 minutes in heavy heat.
11. Add some saffron thread to enrich the dish with its flavor and color. Stir a little bit so the rice and the other ingredients get the entire flavor. If you’re using turmeric or yellow coloring, use only 1/4 teaspoon.
12. Turn to low heat and boil for another 8 minutes (or until rice is a little softer than “al dente”)
13. Put the pan away from heat and let the rice stand a couple of minutes.
different vegetables such as peppers or mushrooms)
Cooking time: aprox. 1 hour
Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* 5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
* 2 small onions, chopped
* 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
* 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 cup of button or Portobello mushrooms, chopped (optional)
* 1 Bay leaf
* Salt
* Touch of ground cumin
* Touch of dried oregano
Directions:
1. Put all the ingredients together in a frying pan and sauté slowly until all vegetables are soft.
2. Taste and salt if necessary (maybe it’s not!)
Allioli is the optional part of the recipe. We were instructed to choose one of the two recipes given, and Olga highly recommended us to try the traditional one, which is the one I made. Allioli is served together with the rice and it gives a very nice taste. Boy, it was really strong and went so well with the paella!
Cooking time: 20 min aprox.
Ingredients:
* 4 garlic cloves, peeled
* Pinch of salt
* Fresh lemon juice (some drops)
* Extra-virgin olive oil (Spanish preferred but not essential)
Directions:
1. Place the garlic in a mortar along with the salt.
2. Using a pestle, smash the garlic cloves to a smooth paste. (The salt stops the garlic from slipping at the bottom of the mortar as you pound it down.)
3. Add the lemon juice to the garlic.
4. Drop by drop; pour the olive oil into the mortar slowly as you continue to crush the paste with your pestle.
5. Keep turning your pestle in a slow, continuous circular motion in the mortar. The drip needs to be slow and steady. Make sure the paste soaks up the olive oil as you go.
6. Keep adding the oil, drop by drop, until you have the consistency of a very thick mayonnaise. If your allioli gets too dense, add water to thin it out. This takes time—around 20 minutes of slow motion around the mortar—to create a dense, rich sauce.
José's tips for traditional recipe: It's hard to think that, when you start crushing the garlic, it will ever turn into something as dense and smooth as allioli. But don't give up. It's worth the extra time and effort to see the oil and garlic come together before your eyes. Just make sure you're adding the olive oil slowly, drop by drop. Keep moving the pestle around the mortar in a circular motion and keep dreaming of the thick, creamy sauce at the end of it all.
Allioli a la moderna (Modern recipe)
Cooking time: 3-4 minutes
Ingredients:
* 1 small egg
* 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (as above, Spanish oil is highly recommended)
* 1 garlic clove, peeled
* 1 Tbs. Spanish Sherry vinegar or lemon juice (if Sherry vinegar is not available, use can use cider or white vinegar)
* Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Break the egg into a mixing bowl.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic cloves, along with the vinegar or lemon juice.
3. Using a hand blender, start mixing at high speed until the garlic is fully pureed into a loose paste.
4. Little by little, add what's left of the olive oil as you continue blending.
5. If the mixture appears too thick as you begin pouring the oil, add 1 teaspoon of water to loosen the sauce.
6. Continue adding the oil and blending until you have a rich, creamy allioli.
7. The sauce will be a lovely yellow color.
8. Add salt to taste.
José's tips for modern recipe:
(1) If you do not have access to a hand blender, you can use a hand mixer (the kind with the two beaters) or a food processor. If you use a food processor, you must double the recipe or the amount will be too little for the blades to catch and emulsify.
(2) What happens if the oil and egg separate? Don't throw it out. You can do two things. One is to whisk it and use it as a side sauce for a fish or vegetable. But if you want to rescue the allioli, take 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water in another beaker and start adding to the mix little by little. Blend it again until you create the creamy sauce you wanted.
Olga’s Tips:
(1) In Spain, rice is not stired as often as it is when cooking Italian risotto. You must stir it once or twice maximum. This tip is valid for all Spanish rice dishes like paella, arròs negre, arròs a banda…
(2) When cooking the alternative style you can change the cuttlefish or squid for diced potato.
(3) If you can’t find cuttlefish or squid, or you’re not able to eat them because of allergies, you can try to substitute them for chicken or vegetables at your choice.
(4) Sofregit can be done in advance. You can keep it in the fridge or even freeze it.
(5) For more information on how to clean and remove the heart of artichokes, please watch this video.
(6) To watch how Jose Andres cooks this dish click here.
(7) To tone down the taste when you do it by hand in a mortar, then add an egg yolk. If you want to tone it down in the alternative way use milk or soy milk. Anyway, the best alternative way is the original oil and garlic alone.
(8) Allioli must be consumed during the preparation day and preserved in the fridge before using it.
(9) For help on conversion on metric to imperial, visit this page.
The Verdict: We loved this rice dish immensely. We had it for breakfast and we had it again for dinner. It was that delicious! I would make this again, with different ingredients. This is the major advantage of paella. You can throw everything but the kitchen sink into it.
To see more beautiful rice dishes other Daring Cooks made in August, check out the Daring Cooks blogroll.
We are huge dumpling/potsticker lovers. You can eat dumplings/potstickers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So when our June host Jen from use real butter chose this challenge, I was super excited. I have always been fond of making Chinese dumplings/potstickers from scratch, but sadly I don't make them often enough. This time I got my perfect excuse.
Jen from use real butter is our host for the Daring Cooks June 2009 challenge. It's a basic concept: a filling inside a dough wrapper, sealed, and cooked. This delicious theme runs through many cultures and is among the more popular bites at Chinese restaurants - especially dim sum. The recipe she provided is based on her family recipe. There is a lot of room for exploration and creativity.
Jen from use real butter is our host for the Daring Cooks June 2009 challenge. It's a basic concept: a filling inside a dough wrapper, sealed, and cooked. This delicious theme runs through many cultures and is among the more popular bites at Chinese restaurants - especially dim sum. The recipe she provided is based on her family recipe. There is a lot of room for exploration and creativity.
Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers
dough: (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches - or just halve the filling recipe)
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface
dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)
Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly by hand. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).
Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky. [Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water.]
Make the dough, Method 2 (Jen's mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch. [My note: I used a little more water than the 1/2 cup listed in the recipe. The dough is not supposed to be soft, but not too stiff either. Use your own judgement and you might have to just trust your instinct and see what happens.]
Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in Jen's post for how to fold pleats). Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.
To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.
To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.
To freeze: Assemble dumplings on a baking sheet so they are not touching. It helps to rub the base of the dumpling in a little flour before setting on the baking sheet for ease of release. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. Prepare per the above instructions, but allow extra time to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked.
To serve: Serve dumplings or potstickers hot with your choice of dipping sauce combinations.
I made dumplings in the soup, deep-fried dumplings, and the traditional potstickers.
1 recipe Tofu Ricotta (PPK)
1 medium-size eggplant, peeled and sliced across to 1/4-inch pieces
1 zucchini, sliced to 1/4-inch pieces
1 large portobello mushroom, sliced
15 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 large tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup freeze-dried chives
1/2 tsp. red curry paste
1 tsp. black bean chili sauce
A dash of Hungarian paprika
3 water-packed baby artichokes, well drained and squeezed dry, roughly chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
20 capers, drained and finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Deep all vegetables from eggplant to tomatoes (one type of vegetable at one time). When done, dry on paper towel very well.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash deep-fried vegetables, tofu ricotta, all spices, and everything else together until creamy and well-combined.
10 cups water
1 cup dried konbu
3 large cabbage leaves
1/2 cup fresh scallions, sliced
2 Tbsp. white miso
Salt and pepper to taste
Put everything in a large pot and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes before adding the boiled dumplings.
Verdict: Once you get the hang of making your own wrappers, you can make your dumplings in no time. It's a fun way of eating and certainly a one-pot-meal. Regarding the pleating part, I thoroughly had fun. It may seem difficult at first, but if you are patient enough to try a couple more times, you will get the hang of it pretty quickly. It's really not so hard.
For more dumpling/potsticker variations, check out the Daring Cooks blogroll.
This is a wonderfully delicious pasta dish made with fried vegetables and seasoned with only salt. Simplicity is beauty itself in this case.
I finally made this heavenly vanilla yogurt pound cake from Veganomicon because I found soy yogurt in the local store. Moist and rich, this pound cake will send fat straight to your waistline if you don't stop eating it soon enough.
I was able to get us Teese and then I put plenty of it on this pizza with the classic mushroom marinara sauce.
It's been more almost two months since I last participated in Souper Sundays. This is totally not what I intended. I haven't been blogging much in the past month because of the moving and stuff. But here's the wonderful news: Souper Sundays now are opened up to soups, salads, and sandwiches. So people like me who can't make a soup as often as we would like to can submit a salad or sandwich-themed entry instead.
This time I made a very earthy porcini mushroom soup. This soup totally highlights the earthy and flavorful quality of dried porcini mushrooms. The recipe is by Heidi of 101 Cookbooks. I only added 1/2 cup of white jasmine rice for some extra texture and filler. It's a total comfort food for people who don't have too much time to prepare an elaborate meal but still desire a delish treat on a busy day.
I am submitting this soup to Souper Sundays, an excellent event started and hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. If you are interested in sharing your soup/salad/sandwich recipes with other foodies and home cooks, please see here for more details.
This time I made a very earthy porcini mushroom soup. This soup totally highlights the earthy and flavorful quality of dried porcini mushrooms. The recipe is by Heidi of 101 Cookbooks. I only added 1/2 cup of white jasmine rice for some extra texture and filler. It's a total comfort food for people who don't have too much time to prepare an elaborate meal but still desire a delish treat on a busy day.
I am submitting this soup to Souper Sundays, an excellent event started and hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. If you are interested in sharing your soup/salad/sandwich recipes with other foodies and home cooks, please see here for more details.
This is my first attempt at the Chinese steamed buns. I used this recipe from Kat of "A Good Appetite". My filling was some leftover tofu and veggie bake. Obviously, I still have to work on the cosmetics, but the texture and taste were really really good. I made these steamed buns right before we left Florida to travel north. We are on the road again, so I won't have much desire to cook or bake until we settle down in the middle of next week. Till then, take care and God bless!
This is a very quick meal to prepare, with restaurant quality. A few shortcuts make this pasta dish creamy, zingy, hearty, and very gratifying. Without much ado, the recipe is below.
Spinach and Pinto Bean Pasta
(Makes 2 servings)
6-7 cloves garlic
2 cups portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 16-oz. can pinto beans, mashed well
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup Tofutti Sour Cream
1 1/2 tsp. red curry paste
3 roasted long-stem artichokes, roughly chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
A healthy dose of freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Enough whole wheat elbows for two people
1 cup baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
9 oz. fresh spinach
1. Saute garlic and mushrooms over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until garlic is golden and mushrooms have softened a bit. Take care not to overcook. In the meantime, cook the pasta (according to the package instructions) and carrots together. In the last 30 seconds, throw in the spinach. Remove from heat immediately and drain well.
2. Add the mashed beans and thoroughly mix. Add the tomato, mix well, and heat through. Remove from heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the mushroom and bean mixture with all the ingredients from sour cream to salt. Add in the drained pasta and veggies and toss to mix well. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve and enjoy!
I am sending this pasta dish to Presto Pasta Nights, a great event started by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast. This week's host will be Hillary of Chew on That.
Spinach and Pinto Bean Pasta
(Makes 2 servings)
6-7 cloves garlic
2 cups portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 16-oz. can pinto beans, mashed well
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup Tofutti Sour Cream
1 1/2 tsp. red curry paste
3 roasted long-stem artichokes, roughly chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
A healthy dose of freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Enough whole wheat elbows for two people
1 cup baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
9 oz. fresh spinach
1. Saute garlic and mushrooms over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until garlic is golden and mushrooms have softened a bit. Take care not to overcook. In the meantime, cook the pasta (according to the package instructions) and carrots together. In the last 30 seconds, throw in the spinach. Remove from heat immediately and drain well.
2. Add the mashed beans and thoroughly mix. Add the tomato, mix well, and heat through. Remove from heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the mushroom and bean mixture with all the ingredients from sour cream to salt. Add in the drained pasta and veggies and toss to mix well. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve and enjoy!
I am sending this pasta dish to Presto Pasta Nights, a great event started by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast. This week's host will be Hillary of Chew on That.
