French Onion Soup

Thought I'd try this with a mushroom broth base in lieu of beef stock because I heard it was a good substitute for veggie inclined people. I actually like it better. I used dry sherry because that's what was open. It's often made with white wine and even cognac. For eight cups:

• 5 medium onions, sliced (I used a mix of yellow and white)
• 2 T butter
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T flour
• A little fresh thyme
• 1/3 cup sherry
• 32 oz mushroom broth
• sliced, toasted bread (I used a baguette I had in the freezer)
• shredded cheese (most often gruyere, but I used cheddar b/c that's what I had)

Heat butter and olive oil in a pan and add onion. Saute on low until translucent. Add a little sugar to help caramelize and let them cook on low for ~ 35 minutes. When they are a nice deep brown, add flour to help thicken. Add the sherry and stir until thick. Add fresh thyme. Slowly add mushroom broth and turn to medium heat until hot. Let simmer on low for roughly 20 minutes to let flavors combine. Toast up some baguette slices (or whatever you have) and throw that on top with the shredded cheese and bake at 425 until top is golden brown.

Zombies and Sweet Potato Fries

SWEET POTATO FRIES

Ingredients:

Sweet potato

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Dried rosemary

Cut 'em up into strips. Put them on a tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary and s&p and bake @ 375 for about 10 minutes. Turn them over and bake until tender and brown.

GARLIC AIOLI

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 T Olive oil

2 T Lemon juice

3 dashes hot sauce

Salt & pepper to taste

Drizzle whole cloves of garlic with olive oil and roast until soft. Put in food processor with olive oil and blend. Add mayo, lemon juice, hot sauce and s&p and blend until mixed. Adjust to taste. Serve to friends or zombies.

Mario Cleans the Carcass

This is a job for someone who is focused, detail oriented, hard-working and iron-stomached. Someone with an epithet. Someone like Mario the Barber.

Magic Potion

Should you wake up with a headache this holiday season, this is what you need to do:

Make a strong cup of coffee. In a saucepan, heat your preferred dairy or non-dairy creamer on low. This could be say ... cream, 2 % milk, soy, almond, rice,  or coconut milk. Add a pinch or two of the following: grated ginger, cardamon seeds, cinnamon, grated clove, fennel or anise seed and honey (depending on the sweetness of your creamer). Add in your coffee and let flavors mix together on low heat. Use a strainer to remove seeds. Something about the combination of caffeine and spices will clear out your sinuses and attack your headache instantly. If you don't take creamer, try putting the spices in your coffee filter or adding them to a pan with your coffee or tea after it is brewed. Thank you to my friend Ketna's mother for making this cha tea for me last New Year's Day.

Darcy bakes, vegan style

If we're lucky she'll post her carrot cake and frosting recipes below ...

Strawbery Coconut Muffins

 

Ingredients:

1 cup white flour

1 cup wheat flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 ts baking powder

1/2 ts baking soda

2 T butter, melted - or oil

1 cup strawberries, chopped

1 cup coconut milk

1 egg, beaten

sliced almonds

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine egg, butter and coconut milk and add to dry ingredients along with strawberries. Spoon batter into greased muffin tin, filling cups about 3/4 full. Sprinkle top with sliced almonds. Let bake at 375 degrees for ~ 18 minutes.

Veggie Stir-Fry with Coconut Rice

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato
1/4 red pepper
1/4 green pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 large clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger
4 T soy sauce
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup white brown rice
1 1/4 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup coconut milk

    

Cut the sweet potato into half moons and put in a baking dish with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake on 350 until cooked and slightly browned (~35 minutes).

In small saucepan, add a little oil. Add the rice and stir over medium heat until translucent. Turn heat to low, then add the vegetable broth and coconut milk slowly as you would with a risotto, stirring frequently until the rice is cooked through.

Sautee mushrooms and peppers in toasted sesame oil. Once they begin to soften, lower heat and add garlic and ginger.

Mix the soy sauce, honey and lemon in a small bowl. After a few more minutes, add this to the vegetables. Time this so that when you add the sauce, the sweet potatoes are ready to go in.

 Adapted from this recipe.

Portobello Veggie Burger

1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup portobello mushroom, chopped
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cup cooked white beans
1 egg, beaten
3 T soy sauce
1/2 ts cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Saute garlic, onion and mushroom in pan with olive oil. Add cumin, salt and pepper and soy sauce. Mash beans in a bowl (I used a pastry blender) and add egg. When vegetables are cooked, add to bean mixture. Add parsley and mix. Form into patties and saute for 4-5 minutes on each side.

ps You can make this without the egg. I read a vegan recipe that said if you bake them, they'll stay together better.

pps This bread is really delicious. It's an onion poppy from Pittsfield Rye Bakery. 

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts
3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 white wine
3T lemon juice
3 T mayonnaise
2 T dried cranberries
2 T sliced almonds
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 small onion, chopped
2 T fresh tarragon, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

In baking dish, add 2 T lemon, white wine and chicken broth. Cover and bake at 375 degrees until fully cooked. Dice chicken and add celery, onion, cranberries, almonds, tarragon and salt and pepper. Mix in mayonnaise and adjust to taste.

Carrot Cranberry Muffins

 Ingredients:

1 cup white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 ts cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 T honey
1 dash of salt
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup milk

Preparation: Mix dry ingredients. Add melted butter and milk, folding in. Add carrots and walnuts and stir until just blended. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 375.

Almond Butter Banana Bread

 

This bread turned out to be full of flavor without being overpowered by any one ingredient. The almond butter is not as sweet as peanut butter, and it's also a bit more oily, which made for a nice moist bread.

Ingredients:

1 banana, mashed

2 eggs

1 cup almond butter

1/2 ts cinnamon

1/2 ts vanilla

1 pinch salt

1/2 ts baking soda

1/2 ts apple cider vinegar

3 T raisins 

3 T brown sugar

Preparation:

Mix eggs, banana, almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and 1 T brown sugar until smooth. Add baking soda, cider vinegar and raisins, stirring until just blended. Pour into greased loaf pan and sprinkle the top with remaining brown sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for ~ 35 minutes.

Apple Pie

 

Mmm ... butter crust.

Gumbo

Warning: I didn't have okra available when I made this, so if you chose to follow this recipe, be prepared to defend this dish's gumbo-ness.

Ingredients:

3 celery stalks

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups vegetable broth

3 links sausage (I used a spicy chicken sausage)

1 1/2 cup cooked white beans

2 cups cooked rice (I used brown)

2 T flour

2 T chopped parsley

2 T Worcestershire sauce

1/2 ts Cajun seasoning

1 dash salt & pepper

Preparation:

In baking dish, drizzle sausage with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

In deep frying pan, sautee onion, garlic, celery and red pepper for 3-4 minutes. Add parsley, cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper. Cover with vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and cover for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add tomatoes and beans.

Remove sausage from baking dish, slice and add to pan. Add 2 T vegetable broth and 2 T flour to baking dish to make gravy from dish drippings. Add to pan to thicken. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Spoon over rice. Parsley to garnish.