Mushroom Leek Pasta

Just made this again, with the last few oyster mushrooms I had in the fridge. With the pandemic I’m not sure when we’ll be able to get oyster mushrooms again. Supplies at the store are very patchy, but at least there’s still plenty of food, just odd in terms of what’s available when. I’ve done it before with button mushrooms instead but the taste is just not quite as good.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large white onion
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 2 leeks
  • 4 mushrooms, oyster
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 lb Whole Wheat Pasta Shells

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Put olive oil in large saute pan. Dice onion, add to pan. Stir intermittently until onion is lightly carmelized, about 10 min.
  2. While onions are cooking, start water for pasta.
  3. Slice leeks (white/light green part), add to pan. Continue to stir.
  4. Add pasta to water when water reaches a roiling boil. Set timer for 8-9 minutes.
  5. When leeks are also soft, add sliced oyster mushrooms. Stir another 2-3 minutes until soft. Add shredded fresh spinach, stir until wilted.
  6. When pasta is finished, drain pasta, and toss drained pasta in the pan with the spinach/mushroom/leek mixture. Serve.

Ham Bone Soup

Lunn wanted something to do with the ham bone he always has leftover after Thanksgiving, so I figured this out. Very satisfying, savory soup. Also freezes very well, except the crumbly bacon topping part.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 strips of bacon
  • 3 large carrots
  • 3 sticks of celery
  • 1 large onion
  • 5 to 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 ham bone
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspons salt
  • 1 cup green lentils
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 3 cups white beans
  • 3 leaves kale

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large soup pot, cook the bacon 5-7 minutes until crisp, then remove bacon
  2. Add sliced carrots, celery, onion and garlic to pot and cook till tender
  3. Add bay leaf, ham bone, and 2 tsp salt, cover with 8 cups of vegetable broth or water
  4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer
  5. Add beans and quinoa, simmer for 1 hour
  6. Shred kale leaves and mix in, simmer 15 more minutes
  7. Serve topped with crumbled bacon

Baked Apples Recipe

Lunn’s fancy baked apples with the crumbly stuff – a Rosh Hashannah favorite!

INGREDIENTS

  • CINNAMON APPLES
    • 3 medium firm, sweet apples
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • OAT TOPPING
    • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
    • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • FOR SERVING
    • Vanilla ice cream
    • Salted caramel sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

  • PREPARE APPLES
    1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a baking dish large enough to fit 6 apple halves.
    2. Halve the apples from stem to end and use a spoon to scoop out the core, seeds, and stem. Arrange the apple halves in the baking dish with the flesh facing up. Scatter 1-tablespoon of brown sugar and a 1/4-teaspoon of cinnamon over the apples.
  • MAKE TOPPING
    1. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat then stir the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into the melted butter (doing this directly in the saucepan reduces dishes).
    2. Divide the topping between the apples, lightly pressing it down onto the apples.
  • BAKE APPLES
    1. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover the apples then bake another 20 to 30 minutes until the apples are soft and the topping has browned.
  • TO FINISH
    1. Serve with a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce, or plain.

Nut Free Charoset Recipe

In honor of Jenya and her nut allergy….

  • 4 apples
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons Mogen David sweet red wine
  • 1 matzo, or 1 cup matzo farfel

Pare and core apples.  Chop apples finely, but you want apple bits, not applesauce!  If you are using matzo and not farfel, crumble the matzo into small bits but not powder. Mix together apples, matzo, cinnamon, honey and wine.  

This quantity serves our normal passover table of 8 to 10 people, with enough for the ritual plus some extra because it’s delicious!

Buttermilk Rolls

Writing down the recipe for the amazing super soft and tasty fancy rolls we figured out for Rosh Hashannah, so we can make them again!

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 1.5 tsp bread machine yeast
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 stick butter

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place all ingrediants in the bread machine pan and run on dough setting.
  2. Punch down the dough, and remove it from the machine. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts, form into round, smooth rolls, and place them into the cups of the muffin pans. Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until double, about 25 minutes.
  3. While the rolls are rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Rub the tops of the hot rolls with a stick of butter for a soft crust, cool the rolls slightly, and serve warm.

Lentil Soup with Kale

Started making this on weekends to take into work. Simple and freezes/reheats very well.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 garlic gloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups green lentils, rinsed
  • 7 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 fresh sprigs of thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 leaves of kale

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a medium pot, heat up olive oil.
  2. Saute onion, carrots, celery and garlic until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add rinsed lentils, stock, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, shredded kale leaves.
  4. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer.
  5. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, until lentils have softened.
  6. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Miso Soup

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp miso
  • handful of rice vermicelli
  • handful enoki mushrooms (or shiitake)
  • 1 tsp dried wakame, flaked
  • 1 green onion, sliced
  • a handful bean sprouts
  • sprinkle sesame seeds
  • few drops sesame oil

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Bring vegetable stock to a boil
  2. Add rice vermicelli to boiling water and cook until tender.
  3. Turn down to low heat and mix in miso and wakame flakes.
  4. Add mushrooms. Let stand for a minute or two just to heat through.
  5. Add green onion, bean sprouts, sesame seeds and a few drops of sesame oil.