Mushroom Bolognese

My brother Mike is a picky eater. To this day, he's never eaten a green vegetable. Growing up with a single-mom who worked and a picky sibling meant that our family had a limited range of meal options that worked for everyone. One thing Mike liked was spaghetti. Spaghetti with ground beef and jarred tomato sauce, to be exact. 

"Spaghetti? Again?" sums up home-cooked meals in the Wooten household through the 90s and 00s. What my brother chooses to eat amazes all of us. At a recent Thanksgiving, my sister nudged me and nodded towards Mike. Mike, totally oblivious, had his usual massive helpings of turkey and rolls, but on the side he had a tiny spoonful of something else: Stove top stuffing. The rest of the table slowly realized the magnitude of this event, eventually bursting into laughter. Of course, Mike only said "What?...What's so funny?" This was the first time anyone had seen Mike eat stuffing. It was a Thanksgiving miracle.

I've got my fingers crossed for mashed potatoes this year.

Mike's spaghetti habit meant that we consumed countless gallons of meat sauce over the years. Brown 1 pound of ground beef. Add a jar of sauce. Boring, basic meat sauce. I am so over it.

But, I am so not over pasta. I needed to get creative with my tomato sauce. And here's the answer: mushrooms. Mushrooms are a great meat-substitute for an unconvinced carnivore. This Mushroom Bolognese is my vegetarian answer to the traditional Bolognese, typically made with ground pork and/or beef. You could use any fresh mushroom you like, but I used cremini. Take your time and let the flavors develop. Feel free to make less pasta and freeze leftover sauce for later. Vegan? No problem, just skip the butter and Parmesan, and replace honey with agave or sugar.

Mushroom Bolognese
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. butter (optional)
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 lb. mushrooms, diced
• 1 t. garlic, minced
• 2 16 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1/4 c. red wine
• 1 t. Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 pinch pepper flakes
• 1 T. honey
• water
• Parmesan, grated (optional)
• 1 lb whole wheat pasta

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and mushrooms, and cook for 15 minutes until caramelized and fragrant, seasoning with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and pepper flakes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, and cook briefly. Add tomatoes, wine, and honey. Stir and simmer on low until reduced by half (about 20 minutes). Add water to cover about 1 inch, and simmer on low until reduced by half (about 20 minutes). At this time, bring large pot of water to boil to cook pasta.

Remove the sauce from heat. Puree sauce with an immersion blender or a food processor. Drop the pasta and cook until al dente. Return sauce to heat, and taste. Season as needed. You may need extra honey if it is too acidic. The flavors will continue to develop the longer the sauce simmers. Add pasta water to thin if necessary. Serve over cooked pasta with Parmesan if you like. Enjoy!

Creamy Potato Soup

Last week, I shared how I make my vegetable stock. Potato soup is a great way to use up your homemade stock. By adding a few vegetables, you can create a pretty substantial soup for just a few dollars. I used a bag of fingerling potatoes that were on sale for $1, and I kept the skins on. You can use any type of potato, but I would probably remove the skins  if I used a typical baking potato. Thin skin is okay in this case!

 There is something so comforting about potato soup in the winter.

I added bacon to mine, but you can easily leave it out. If you need an extra oomph in flavor, top with green onions instead!

Creamy Potato Soup
6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1.5 lb potatoes, diced
• 1 quart stock
• 1/2 c. half-and-half
• salt and pepper
• 2 slices bacon (optional)
• shredded cheese (optional)

In a large pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Cook onion, carrot, and celery until soft in bacon drippings (if vegetarian, you can use olive oil or butter), seasoning liberally with salt and pepper. Add potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender (Or use a food processor). Return to low heat. Add half-and-half. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

I'm one of those people who gets overly excited about kitchen appliances. For some time now, I've been eying those immersion blenders. And this year, I finally broke down and bought one. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I adore soup, and immersion blenders make it so easy to whip up all kinds-- from black bean to potato to broccoli cheese. Last night, I decided to try making my first ever pumpkin soup.

I've always been a huge fan of sweet pumpkin dishes, and I can easily put down an entire pumpkin pie by myself. So, I was a little skeptical of trying this soup recipe.

I apparently had nothing to worry about. Turns out, the pumpkin flavor is super comforting in savory form. Make this now! Seriously!

If you can't find a fresh sugar pumpkin, try substituting a can of pumpkin puree. Or, you could use any variety of winter squash in place of the pumpkin. This recipe can be made vegetarian or vegan with some easy changes.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup
(Adapted from Bittman's How to Cook Everything)

Ingredients:

• 2 T. Butter (or olive oil)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2-3 carrots, chopped
• 1 lb. pumpkin, peeled and cubed
• 4 c. chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 c. half-and-half (or coconut milk)
• pinch chili powder
• salt and pepper 

In a big pot, cook onions until soft in butter over medium heat, seasoning liberally with salt and pepper.  Add carrots and pumpkin, then pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes, or under pumpkin is very tender. Remove from heat, and carefully puree with an immersion blender (or transfer mixture to a large food processor). Return to a low heat, and add half-and-half. Adjust thickness with additional chicken broth or water if you like. Add chili powder, and taste to adjust other seasonings as needed. Serve hot.

Chile Rellenos

Chile Rellenos is a delicious vegetarian meal. I recommend using a mild sauce because the peppers are usually pretty spicy on their own! Surprisingly, these were very light, despite the frying.  If you have them, wear plastic gloves when cleaning the peppers. Otherwise, make sure to wash your hands after handling these fiery things!

 Ingredients:

• 2 large poblano peppers
• 1 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 eggs, separated
• salt to taste
• 1 c. Mexican-style tomato sauce
• oil for frying
• 1/2 c. flour

• Roast the peppers under broiler until black. Depending on your oven, this could take a matter of minutes. Using a pair of trusty tongs, snatch your peppers out of the oven and place immediately into some Tupperware, tightly sealing the lid. Prepare your batter.
• To make the batter, whip egg whites to a stiff peak. Beat yolks, and slowly fold them into the whites. Separately in a small bowl whisk together flour and salt.
• Now, return to your peppers. Carefully peel the skin, then cut a small slit into the slide of the pepper. Using a spoon, gently scrape out the seeds and membrane.
• Stuff the peppers with cheese, but leave enough room to be able to secure the slit closed with a toothpick. Dredge the pepper in flour, shake off the excess, then dip into the egg batter.
  
• In a large skillet, heat about an inch of oil until hot. Carefully place peppers into a pan and cook on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with your choice of Mexican-style tomato sauce.

Eggplant Parmesan

Can you fall in love with a vegetable?

This past summer, I had the opportunity to travel to China, and I really think I fell in love with eggplant over there. They can do things with eggplant that you wouldn't even dream of.  They could do it deep fried, in rich tangy sauces, and no matter what it was always one of my favorites.

Veggies in general were amazing there. Spicy stir fried beansprouts? What? Those exist? Yes, yes they do, and they are to die for. Oh, and the cabbage, the cabbage!!--they served it at literally every meal, and I could not get enough. There's a special skill to cooking vegetables quickly enough to maintain their crunch, but still being tender. The Chinese have mastered this.

I bought a beautiful standard eggplant on Saturday at the Farmer's Market for just a buck. So, for now I'm going to share with you one of the good eggplant standby's. Eggplant Parmesan is one of those things that is great with pasta, on sandwiches, or by itself.

Eggplant Parmesan
(Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)

Ingredients:

• 1  medium-large eggplant
• 1 c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 c. flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 egg, whisked with 1 T water
• 1 c. shredded Italian blend cheese 
• 1-2 c. marinara
• Olive oil

Peel and slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Salt liberally and let drain in a colander for up to 2 hours. Rinse slices, and pat dry with paper towels. When you are ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 3 T olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Your pan is ready when a pinch of flour sizzles.

Dredge eggplant in flour, egg wash, and then breadcrumbs. Carefully place in skillet and fry on both sides until golden (3-4 min each side). Work in batches, and try not to overcrowd the pan. When all the slices are cooked, get yourself a shallow baking dish. Lightly oil the bottom, coating with a few spoonfuls of marinara.  Arrange your eggplant slices in the dish however you like. Spoon on the rest of the sauce, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.

Potato Chowder

This is the kind of food I want to be eating as the weather gets cooler.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups diced potatoes, parboiled (I like the red ones)
  
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
  
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup milk, heated
  
• 2 cups chicken/vegetable broth, heated
  
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• salt, pepper, garlic, hot sauce
  

In the bottom of a big pot, melt butter over medium. Add celery and onion, and cook until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and cook for minute or two, until light brown in color. Stir in the milk and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add potatoes and corn and simmer 30 minutes until slightly thickened and the potatoes are tender. Season to taste. You may leave it chunky or blend half for an even creamier soup.

This is really good served with cheese, green onions, and bacon!

Vegetarian Chili

So delicious and filling that you don't miss the meat. You can cook the beans yourself and save some money, or buy cans. Also, if you would rather have kidney beans, knock yourself out! And as usual, my spice measurements are not exact, so season to your liking.

Servings: 6 big bowls
Ingredients:

• 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
  
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
  
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• Few dashes hot sauce
• Pinch cumin
• Pinch crushed red
• Pinch chili powder
  
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1-2 cups water
• 16 oz. can pinto beans, drained, rinsed
  
• 16 oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed

In the bottom of a large pot, heat olive oil at medium high. Sautee onion and bell pepper until soft. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT beans, bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer. Simmer with lid partially covering for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, and simmer for additional 15 minutes.

Your kitchen will smell amazing at this point. Get yourself a bowl, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and dig in! I couldn't finish the entire pot by myself, so I froze most of it in individual containers.

Spinach Mushroom Lasagna

I bought a 16 oz. container of cottage cheese and was waiting to buy some fresh fruit to enjoy it with but then I came up with this instead. I warn you that my measurements are not exact, but that is part of the fun of cooking.

• 2 containers of frozen spinach
  
• 1 pint fresh mushrooms
  
• Your favorite tomato sauce (or make your own!)
• 16 oz container cottage cheese (or ricotta)
  
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese (any hard Italian cheese works)
• 1/2 cup grated Mozzarella
• 16 oz box lasagna sheets (I used about 3/4 of the box)

First, get your water boiling for your pasta as this takes the longest! Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In the microwave, defrost your spinach and then wring it out in a clean dishcloth to get rid of all the extra water (Be careful it is very hot!). In a medium-high pan, brown your mushrooms in butter or olive oil, seasoning as you please. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix together your cottage cheese, eggs, and half of the Romano and Mozzarella cheeses (a handful of chopped parsley would be nice). Season with pepper.

Spray a large baking dish with oil, and carefully line the bottom with the pasta sheets. Spread 1 cup of the cottage cheese mixture onto the pasta. Top with more pasta, then spread half of your mushroom and spinach onto that. Top with 1 cup of your tomato sauce. Repeat until you have 3 layers of the cottage cheese mixture, with 2 layers of spinach-mushroom tomato sauce in between. When you get to the top, spread the last of your tomato sauce on top of the pasta, and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella and romano cheeses on top.

Bake in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes until hot and bubbly, and the cheese is golden brown- like this-