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!

Best Vegetable Stock

 As a graduate student, I try to get the most out of my groceries. Sometimes, it feels like I'm making something out of nothing. Today, I want to tell you how I make the most flavorful vegetable stock possible. I use this stock in my soups, but you could also cook rice or any other grain in stock for added flavor. 

For a couple years now, I've saved my raw vegetable scraps for making stock by sticking them in a large freezer bag. You can add pretty much anything, although I'd stay away from spicy peppers. I usually end up with tons of celery tops, onion peels, and stems from chard and kale. When the bag is full, I know it's time to make stock. My roommates probably think I'm totally weird. But hey, this makes some great soup for pennies!

I learned from Mark Bittman that you should roast your vegetables for a richer, darker stock. And, as usual, he is spot on.

Vegetable Stock
(Adapted from Bittman's How to Cook Everything)

Ingredients:

• 1 large freezer bag full of assorted raw vegetable scraps (approx. 1 lb)
• 8 c. water
• 2 T. olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread your frozen vegetables on a large baking sheet (there's no need to thaw). Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are brown but not burnt, turning once or twice throughout cooking time. Remove from oven, and use tongs to transfer your roasted veggie goodness to a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Strain, and use within a couple days or freeze for later.  This makes about 2 quarts of stock.

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.