Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

Filling

• 50g unsalted butter
• 3 large carrots
• 1 large parsnip
• 1 head of celery
• 200g cremini and portabella mushrooms (2 portabellas and the rest cremini, just cremini will also work)
• 1/4 tsp asofoetida
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 T dried thyme
• 500g dried brown lentils
• 1 T Apple cider vinegar
• 1.7 L vegetable stock or 1 L stock + .7 L water
• 1/2 T Red Curry Paste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Potato topping

• 1.7-2kg Yukon Gold potatoes, skins on
• 85g butter
• 100ml milk
• 50g cheddar cheese
• Salt to taste

Instructions

Cut up the potatoes into quarters and cook them in a 400F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until tender and mashable.

While the potatoes cook, start the filling.

Chop up the carrots, celery, and parsnip.

Melt the butter in a large pot and add the celery and asofoetida and saute for 2-3 minutes. 

Add the carrots and parsnip and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.  

Chop up the mushrooms and add them to the pot. Cook for 4-5 minutes more or until the vegetables have just started to soften.

Add the thyme, bay, and red curry paste. Stir in thoroughly then add the lentils, mixing well, and cook on low for 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, water, and apple cider vinegar.

Simmer for 40-50 minutes until the lentils are tender but not overly soft (they will cook some more in the oven later).  Stir regularly and add more water if needed.

Near the end of the 40 minutes, taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

While the filling is simmering, make the mashed potato topping: put the cooked potatoes and butter in a mixing bowl (I use a stand mixer) and mix together. Then mix in the milk and add salt to taste.

Grate the cheese and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Once the the filling is cooked, spoon 2-3 inches of the filling into a large, deep dish (I use a dish that is about 12 inches in diameter and 4 inches tall, but you could also use several smaller dishes). Pack the filling so it is level. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the filling and sprinkle the cheese on top. Then bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden.

Can be served hot or refrigerated and reheated.

If you have more filling than will fit in the dish, it can be eaten separately as lentil stew.

Inspired by  Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Simple Mushroom and Cheddar Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 9-in pie crust
• butter or oil for cooking mushrooms
• 12 white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 375F

Clean and slice the mushrooms

Shred the cheese, or measure out pre-shredded cheese

Cook the mushrooms in the butter/oil until the mushrooms start to lose their juices, set aside to cool

Combine the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a bowl

Assembly

Line the bottom of the pie crust with the cheese, top with the mushrooms, and pour in the egg mixture.

Bake the quiche for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edge of the crust is brown, and the filling appears set.

Remove the quiche from the oven. It can be served warm or refrigerated after it cools for 30 min.

Note: sharper or milder cheddar cheese can be used. Shredded mozzarella can be substituted in a pinch but the quiche will be chewier and the final result will won't have much cheese flavor.

Recipe adapted from: King Arthur Baking: Mushroom-Cheddar Quiche

Double-Crust Blackberry Crisp

This recipe was adapted from Fresh Blackberry Crumble Bars by Bibi at All-Recipes.com 

Supplies

10 in. round or spring-form pan, parchment paper, oil or cooking spray

Ingredients

Crisp Base Layer

• 3/4 c rolled oats
• 1 c flour
• 1/2 c brown sugar (lightly packed)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c unsalted butter, melted

Crisp Top Layer

• 1 c rolled oats
• 3/4 c flour
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c unsalted butter, melted

Blackberry Filling

• 6.5 c fresh blackberries
• 1/3 c granulated sugar
• 4.5 T cornstarch
• ⅛-¼ tsp salt

Instructions

Line the base of the spring-form or round pan with a circle of parchment paper and oil the sides with a neutral oil or cooking spray. (Note: the finished dessert will be about 1-1.5 in height)

Pre-heat the oven to 350F/175C

Base Crisp Layer

Melt 1/2 c of butter

Mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt for the base layer. 

Work in the butter until the dry mixture thoroughly incorporates all the butter and the mixture is a uniformly darker color. This can be done in a stand mixer if available.

Pour into the prepared pan and press down into an even layer.

Bake for about 10 minutes, then set aside to cool or at least 5 minutes.

Blackberry Filling

While the base is baking cook the blackberry filling and crisp topping

Put the blackberries, sugar, cornstarch, and salt into a pan and cook on the stove on medium-high heat. Stir constantly until it comes to a boil.

Turn the heat down and stir regularly (so the filling doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan) until the berry filling thickens. The cooking process takes about 7-10 minutes total.

Take pan off the heat and set aside.

Crisp Top Layer

Mix up the topping in the same way as the base and set aside

Assembly

Once the base layer is cooked and has cooled for at least 5 minutes, spread the cooked berries in an even layer on the base, then dot the top crisp mixture on top fairly evenly, but it's fine if there are gaps where the berry mixtures shows through.

Bake for 35-50 minutes until the top crisp starts to brown.

Cool on the counter for 30 minutes then in the refrigerator until set (about 1 1/2-2 hours total of cooling time).

Enjoy!

Finished Double-Crust Blackberry Crisp

Matzo Balls

Makes 16-20 matzo balls.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1/4 cup melted butter

3 T water or broth

1.5 T chopped dill or dill seeds

3/4 t kosher salt

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cups matzo meal

1 1/2 T additional salt for the cooking water

Instructions

Prepare dough up to 2 days ahead but with at least 35 minutes to let the dough rest and hydrate. Store in the refrigerator.

Whisk the eggs thoroughly. 

Add butter, water/broth, dill, salt & pepper and stir until well combined. 

Add matzo meal and whisk until incorporated. 

Cover and chill dough at least 35 minutes to let the dough hydrate.

Bring 2-3 quarts of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add 1 1/2  Tbsp. salt. 

Using damp hands, take pieces of dough and roll them into 1 inch balls. Place the balls on a piece of baking parchment.

Makes around 16-20 balls. 

Slide the balls into the boiling water and reduce the heat to low.

Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 30-40 minutes until balls are puffed and light in color. Don’t remove them sooner or they will be under-cooked.

Remove from the heat and transfer the matzo balls to storage dish or into the soup.

If the Matzo balls have been made ahead, transfer to an airtight container along with 2–3 Tbsp. cooking liquid and chill. 

To reheat, gently lower the matzo balls into the soup and cook over medium-low until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Coconut Curry Carrot Soup

This recipe is adapted from The Washington Post's soup of the same name and removes the onion, ginger, and chicken broth in favor of alternatives that I can eat.

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil (suitable for cooking with)

• 2-3 stalks celery, diced

• ¼ tsp asafetida

• 1 T cardamom 

• 1 tsp cumin (seeds or ground)

• 1 tsp coriander, ground

• ¾ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper, ground

• ¼ tsp tumeric

• ⅛-¼ tsp curry powder

• 1.5 lbs (abt 5 large) carrots, peeled and cut in ¼-½ inch coins

• 4 c vegetable broth (or quick broth, below if you don't have any vegetable broth)

• 1 cup full fat coconut milk

• 2 tsp honey

Quick Broth

• 1T cooking oil 

• ¼ tsp asafetida

• 1 tsp cardamom 

• ¼ tsp turmeric

• 1-2 stalks celery, diced

• 4 c water (use warm to hot water if possible to speed the cooking time)

Important tools:  Blender or immersion blender, medium-to-large cooking pot

Instructions

Quick Broth

If making the quick broth, start that first by measuring out the spices, dicing the celery and heating the oil in a small pan on medium-high depending on your stove.

Once the oil is heated and shimmering add the celery and then the spices and stir until the spices coat the celery, turn the head down to medium and cook the celery until it is translucent.

Add the water and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and leave to cook while you make the rest of the soup.

Soup

Prep the carrots and celery as above. Open the can of coconut milk and pour into a small bowl to re-emulisfy, then measure out 1 c for the recipe and refrigerate the rest. Measure out the spices into a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a meduim to large pot. You want something large enough to hold the 4 cups of broth along with the carrot mixture with room to stir everything

Once the oil is shimmering add the celery and coat it in the oil and cook it for 3-4 minutes or until the celery is translucent.

Add the spices and stir until the celery is well coated 30 sec- 1 minute.

Add the carrots and the broth. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer for 12-20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and remove from the heat.

If using an immersion blender: 

Transfer the soup to a large metal or ceramic bowl, add the coconut milk and the honey and stir until well mixed. (This will let the soup cool a bit before blending).

Use the immersion blender to blend into a creamy soup and serve.

If using a stand blender: 

Add the coconut milk and honey and stir until well combined and puree in several batches in your stand blender using a second bowl as needed to hold the finished soup. 

Remove the center knob of the blender to allow steam to escape while pureeing and put a paper or cloth towel over the hole to keep from splashing soup around.

Serve warm.

Pairs well with toasted bread topped with mustard and avocado.

Umami Stock

This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit's Vegan Umami Broth from 2017 to remove the onion and garlic, to add the use of vegetable ends, and to work with ingredients that I could find at my local stores, while trying to keep the deep flavor of the original recipe.

My vegetable ends are usually a mix of frozen mushroom stems, carrot ends and peels, and celery.
This recipe takes about 2 1/2-3 hours to make, but most of that is cooking time where you just need to check occasionally that nothing is burning or boiling over. I make it at least a day ahead of when I want to use it, so I don't have to worry about not getting the main dish finished in time.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp white miso
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp asofoetida
• 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
• 8 dried shitake or wild mix mushrooms (optional)
• 4 sheets of nori seaweed (or kombu)
• 6-8 cups of frozen vegetable ends (mushrooms, carrots, and celery)
• 1 tsp black peppercorns

Method

• Preheat the oven to 300F. 
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment.
• Defrost the vegetable ends in the microwave until they are loose enough to stir. You're not cooking them yet, just getting them to a point where they are easy to use. If possible use a large mixing bowl to microwave in; if not, then transfer the vegetables to a mixing bowl large enough to stir the sauce and nori into the vegetables without slopping over the sides of the bowl.
• Mix the miso, vegetable oil, water, asofoetida, and cardamom together.
• Crush the nori and mushrooms (if using) and sprinkle it over the defrosted vegetables
• Add the miso mixture and stir the vegetables around until they are evenly coated in the mixture
• Spread the coated vegetables on the rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes
• Toss the vegetables to help even the baking, turn the oven up to 400F and bake for 30 more minutes.
• Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large pot on the stove, add 4 quarts of water and the peppercorns.
• Bring stock to a boil, then simmer uncovered and stirring occasionally until the broth is reduced by half about 60-75 minutes.
• Let the broth cool, then strain through a fine mesh sieve, squeezing the vegetables to get as much broth out as possible. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Saag Feta Modified

This recipe is based on Priya Krishna's Saag Feta recipe. I stumbled across it while I was watching cooking videos from the Bon Appetit YouTube channel. I've linked to the original and to the video below and I really suggest watching the video if you haven't made Saag before. I learned so much!

My version has been modified to remove the onion, garlic, and ginger in the original; however, if you can safely eat those foods, I'd suggest checking out Priya's original recipe below. Or buy her book: Indian-ish

Ingredients
90 ml (6 T) ghee
2 T whole coriander seeds
2 green cardamom pods
2-3 celery stalks
1/4 tsp Asofoetida
1 T ground cardamom
453 g (1 lb) fresh spinach
1 Serrano Chili
14 ml (1 T) lime juice
1 tsp salt
170-226g (6-8 oz) feta cheese
118 ml (1/2 c) water
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp chili powder

Rice, Roti, Naan, or Pita bread to eat the Saag with

Critical Tools
Large (10-12 inch sauté or frying pan)
Blender or Immersion blender

Important
Prep all of the ingredients before you start cooking, as once you start there is no downtime to do prep in.

Ghee (if you don't have any on hand)
To make your own: put 8 T (1 stick) of butter in a sauté or frying pan and cook on medium heat until a white foam appears on top, butter solids appear in the bottom of the pan, and the butter is a light nut brown.

Skim off the butter foam with a spoon, pour the liquid butter into a heatproof jug, being careful not to include the butter solids from the bottom of the pan.

If you are going to reuse this pan for the rest of the recipe, wipe the butter solids out before continuing with it but it doesn't need to be thoroughly washed before you start.

The ghee takes 15-20 minutes and can be done ahead of time. Eight tablespoons of butter makes enough Ghee for this recipe.

Prep
Measure out the spices for the different stages, wash all of the spinach (unlike some recipes, it's not critical to get it super dry), roughly chop the celery, Serrano chili (optional: de-seed the chili) , and cut the feta into 1 cm cubes.

Method
Sauté the coriander seeds and two green cardamom pods in 60 ml (4 T) of ghee on medium heat until they start to brown.

Add the celery and asofoetida, let that cook until translucent, and add in the ground cardamom.

Slowly add in the spinach until it is all wilted. It doesn't need to all be cooked down to a mush just mostly wilted.

Take it off the heat and add the Serrano chili, lime juice, and the salt. Stir until combined.

Transfer the spinach mix to the blender or to a heatproof bowl if you are using an immersion blender. Blend until you have a saucy mixture with no big chunks left.

Add the spinach mixture back into the pan on low heat. If the sauce isn't very liquid add as much of the water as you need to. Mix in the cubed feta and cover it as much as possible with the sauce (so the feta picks up flavor of the sauce).

While the sauce and feta warms up make the chhonk. In a small saucepan, heat the rest of the ghee (30 ml) and the cumin seeds on medium-high heat. Once the cumin seeds start to brown, the red chile powder, and pour the mixture over the top of the saag feta. Note: the cumin seeds can go from lightly browned to burned in an instant, so watch this mixture carefully while you make it.

Serve with rice or flat-bread.

Note: the chili flavor will intensify over time, so if you eat this as leftovers the next day the Saag might be spicier. This and the fact that I don't like much chili heat in my food, is why I de-seed the Serrano chili. However if you like your food with more chili heat it might be a good idea (and less work) to keep the seeds in.

Links
Original Saag Feta recipe

Priya Makes Saag Feta (Video)