Wild Mushroom Soup

A few years back my mom gave me a Soup magazine, knowing my penchant for meals in a bowl. I've made a few of them over the years but this one was called into being by a recent late spring cold. There's nothing better when you're feeling down than a warm bowl of homemade soup. Of course, I was tempted by the old tried-and-true Chicken Noodle, but I gave this one a whirl and I was very happy I did. Same homemade flavors, hearty and soulful. It also took about 45 min., just about the limits of energy when you're feeling down and out. Of course, it also helped that it was raining cats and dogs outside, another perfect excuse for making soup.

Time: 45 min.

Ingredients

2 lb. sliced assorted mushrooms (button, crimini, and shiitake all work here. I also used dried porcini mushrooms, see note below about rehydrating them)

1 cup onion minced

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups chicken broth (or 2 cups chicken broth + 2 cups of the water you used to rehydrate the porcini mushrooms. It should be a dark brown color and will deepen the flavor of the soup. )

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Salt to taste

Preparation:

-Slice/prep the mushrooms.
-Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until soft, stirring often.
-Add mushrooms to the pot, increase heat to high, and saute until moisture evaporates. Reduce heat to medium.
-Stir in sherry, lemon juice, paprika, and pepper. Simmer until sherry has nearly evaporated, then add broth.
-Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
-Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch and soy sauce together to dissolve, then stir into simmering soup to thicken.
-Finish the soup by stirring in the 1/2 cup cream and chopped fresh dill.

If you like, garnish the soup with sour cream, lemon slices, and even more fresh dill.

Baked Quinoa with Spinach, Cheese, and Chorizo

I'll admit it, I've been on a bit of a quinoa kick recently. My friends started making salads featuring the trendy new grain and I've jumped on the quinoa bandwagon. It's just so versatile! Taking the place of rice, couscous, pasta, really any starch, it's much lighter and fluffier and works great with just about everything.

This recipe is from the Recipes for Health section of the New York Times, from their own experiments with 'unusual' grains. I substituted the cheeses and added some chorizo which made it a bit heartier for a one-dish meal, but this recipe seems foolproof. I also added some chili pepper in (cayenne and achiote) for the spice lovers among us. But feel free to experiment, adding in your own ingredients to suit your taste!

1 6-ounce bag baby spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
4 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked) (For Quinoa cooking instructions see here)

2 large eggs
3 ounces cheddar cheese or Gruyere , grated (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)

3 ounces diced dried Spanish sausage (chorizo)
chili pepper (to taste, approx. 2 tsp)

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.
2. Heat a medium frying pan or a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Wash the spinach and without spinning dry, add to the pan and wilt in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. You may have to do this in 2 batches. As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop. Set aside.
3. Wipe the pan dry and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir with the onion until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the quinoa, the onion and spinach mixture, the Gruyère/cheddar, the chorizo and the sage. Add freshly ground pepper and stir the mixture together. Scrape into the gratin dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until nicely browned on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to sit for about 5 minutes, and serve.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Advance preparation: The cooked quinoa will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. The recipe can be made through Step 3 several hours or even a day ahead. The gratin can be assembled several hours ahead.

Rambles: Stanton St. Johns/The TalkHouse

What to do to celebrate the first truly hot day in Oxford? Why, take a 10 mile hike of course! With crystal blue skies, we headed out of Oxford and up through Headington to the small village of Stanton St. John's, known for its...well, its....well, for the fact that it's a small cute town within walking distance of Oxford. It has a Norman Church. It has pretty thatched roofs. It has two pubs. Next door to one another. Need I say more?
The one we chose was the TalkHouse which according to its website had been recently redone and was now serving the gastro-pub crowd.
Indeed.
The customers looked mostly local to us but the service was friendly and the food good. They offered an extensive menu of all standard pub favorites but they sold me on the various nibbles and "country board" options. Put any variety of snacks/tapas on a wooden plank and I'm happy. Don't make me choose one main meal, I'd rather have about 10 different appetizers any day. We invested in the parma ham, bread basket, calamari, and "veggie" country board. All of which was good except for the calamari which seemed to resemble nothing so much as very thin very pointless onion rings. There was barely a hint of squid to be seen. Not that I would complain against anything battered and deep fried (see previous posts), but I at least wanted a hint of the delicious squid in there somewhere.
Beers on offer were fairly standard, I went my usual route of a Bulmers Pear, always delicious, particularly on a hot late spring day.
Dessert was an off-season sticky toffee pudding. Not the right choice for an 80 degree day but delicious nonetheless, served with vanilla bean ice cream and some sort of pistachio wafer.

The pub itself is rustic gastro, with exposed beams and amusing old brass spigots hanging from the walls. The place inside is cavernous but there is a lovely garden patio which is perfect for spring and summer lunching.

The walk from the middle of Oxford should take about an hour and a half, depending on speed. You have to walk through a bit of town and negotiate the bypass to get through to the lovely Oxford countryside.

[googlemaps https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=51.750201,-1.242443&spn=0.010003,0.016522&t=h&msid=115349659951895966320.0004875443fc4f1721db9&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

Mexico City-Style Quesadillas (Empanadas) with Cheese and Chile or Mushrooms

I have an intense fear of frying. Don't get me wrong, I love eating the result, but the process itself is a bit daunting. I'm still nursing oil scars from the last time I attempted to manipulate hot liquids. Anyway, scars were worth this particular venture, another Rick Bayless-inspired Mexican banquet. I used masa harina purchased from my local Whole Foods (local being London) and it worked perfectly in the recipe. The key is the baking powder, it makes the masa fluff up when cooking in the oil.

Don't feel you have to keep these two versions separate either. Mix the mushrooms with the cheese, put in more peppers, less, whatever strikes your fancy. I also added in some minced turkey meat with seasoning to satisfy the carnivores in my crew. They all worked perfectly. Because, honestly, what isn't good fried?

Now Rick Bayless calls these Mexico City Quesadillas. To me, they're empanadas, basically due to the fact that you deep fry them in oil. Mmmmm. Oil. Regardless, they're delicious and really, who's to quibble with names?

Makes 12 turnovers

Recipe from Season 6 of Mexico - One Plate at a Time

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Ingredients

Dough
1 pound fresh-ground corn masa,
OR 1 1/4 cups powdered masa harina mixed with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot tap water
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
1/4 cup flour (use 1/3 cup if working with powdered masa harina)
A generous 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 scant teaspoon baking powder

Cheese Filling (See Note)
10 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) grated melting cheese like Monterey or a mild cheddar
1 large fresh poblano chile, roasted, peeled and cut into strips

Mushroom Filling (See Note)
12 ounces mushrooms, rinsed or wiped clean (I used dried porcini mushrooms, after soaking them in warm water for about half an hour- absolutely delicious)
1 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 fresh serrano chiles (or 1 jalapeno), stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh epazote (optional)

Vegetable oil to a depth of 1-inch

Note: One recipe of either the cheese filling or the mushroom filling will be enough to fill all 12 turnovers. If you make both fillings, you'll need to double the dough recipe for 24 turnovers.

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Directions

1. The dough. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the masa (fresh or reconstituted) with the lard or shortening, flour, salt and baking powder. Work in a little water, if needed, to give the dough the consistency of soft cookie dough. Divide into 12 balls and cover with plastic wrap.

2. The fillings. If you are using the cheese, divide it into 12 portions and press each portion into a flat oval about 2 x 2 1/2 inches. Set them aside with the strips of chile.

If working with mushroom, pulse them in a food processor until quite finely chopped. Heat the lard or oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring regularly until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the onion, chile and epazote, and cook, stirring frequently, several minutes more, until the onions are soft. Scrape into a bowl. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.

3. Form the molotes. Using a tortilla press, flatten a ball of the dough between sheets of plastic to make a medium-large (5-inch) thickish tortilla. Remove the top piece of plastic. Lay a portion of your chosen filling across half of the uncovered tortilla, making sure to leave a 1/2-inch border around the edge. If the filling is cheese, top with a strip of poblano. Slip a hand under the plastic beneath the uncovered side of the tortilla, then carefully fold the tortilla over the filling. Press the edges together to seal.

Peel the plastic off the turnover and lay on a tray covered with plastic wrap. Continue making the remaining masa balls into turnovers. Cover with plastic wrap.

4. Fry the turnovers. Heat the oil to 375 degrees, then fry the turnovers 2 or 3 at a time, until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low oven until all are ready. Serve right away.

Quinoa Salad with Lime Ginger Dressing and Shrimp

Another one from the New York Times. This salad is delicious for warm summer nights. I loved the shrimp in it, but I recommend marinating them a bit first just to add some kick to them. I put them in a little lime juice, mexican salt, cayenne and let them sit for a few hours before tossing them into the salad. This salad is so basic you could add whatever else you want to it, I thought of tomatoes, corn, olives just as ideas.

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (more to taste)
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt to taste
Pinch of cayenne
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil or walnut oil
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons buttermilk

For the salad:
3 cups (3/4 cup uncooked) (see cooking instructions for quinoa below)
4 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced thin
1 small cucumber, halved, seeded and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 to 16 cooked medium shrimp, peeled

Method

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt, cayenne, sesame oil, canola oil, and buttermilk.
2. In a salad bowl, combine the quinoa, scallions, cucumber, and cilantro. Toss with the dressing and divide among salad plates. Top each portion with 3 or 4 shrimp, and serve.

Yield: Serves 4
Advance preparation: The cooked quinoa will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. You can make the dressing and prep the ingredients for the salad a few hours ahead

Basic Steamed Quinoa:
Many recipes for quinoa suggest cooking it like rice, in two parts water for one part quinoa. This works, but I find the grains are fluffier if I cook them in three parts water and drain the excess water once the quinoa is tender. The tiny seeds swell to about four times their original size, so 1 cup uncooked quinoa yields about 4 cups, enough for 6 to 8 servings.
1 cup quinoa
3 cups water, chicken stock or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1. Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.
2. Bring the water or stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the salt and the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and translucent, and each grain displays a little thread. Drain and return to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dish towel, replace the lid and allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Fluff and serve.