Spinach-Mushroom Quiche

You could call it a tart if you like tarts more than quiche. This is a quiche with no dairy, no eggs, and no butter. Sounds like it would lack something in the taste department, right? But I think it's delicious. Really something special. I was snacking on the filling before I even filled the tart shell.
Sometimes it is tricky to figure out what to bring to a potluck, picnic, or brunch when you know it is going to be a mixed crown of vegetarians, vegans, and non-vegetarians - this is one of those recipes what will appeal to just about everyone.
The catch? This recipe is a real time commitment. That being said, the finished quiche is hearty, flavorful, filling, and we have plenty of leftovers to eat for lunch today, and maybe even dinner tonight. I actually like the quiche just as well the day after. Warm or cold - it tasted great both ways. I used an 8 by 11.5 inch glass baking dish. I think the thinner you can spread the crust the better. I thought I was spreading it too thin, but tasting the finished product I think it could have been even thinner.
You can chop the spinach as finely as you wish before you mix it into the rest of the filling. I didn't chop it at all because I love texture. Also, sesame oil would be great in the crust in place of the olive oil! This time around I used olive oil but I'll try sesame the next time around.

Spinach Mushroom Quiche RecipeFor the crust:
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or whole spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup light sesame oil or pure olive oil plus more for brushing the pan
For the filling:
a splash of extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
10 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dry white wine or water
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
3 garlic cloves, slice crosswise into 1/8-inch rounds
10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped, or a handfull of dried
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves or a pinch of dried
Pinch hot cayenne
1 pound firm tofu, rinsed and patted dry
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 pounds fresh spinach
Paprika for dusting
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. To make the crust, spread the oats and sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the toasted oats and sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper, and process until the oats are finely ground.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and oil. Mix in the dry ingredients to form a dough.
5. Lightly brush a 9-inch or 10-inch tart pan with oil. Put the dough in the pan and press down evenly, making sure to fill in the sides of the pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
6. To make the filling, in a wide saute pan over medium heat, warm a splash of the oil. Add the onion and mushroom, raise the heat to med-high, and saute for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring and shaking the pan until the vegetables are caramelized. Add the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and continue to cook until dry. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the vegetables into a mixing bowl and set aside.
7. In the same saucepan over medium heat, warm another splash of oil. Add the garlic, basil, thyme, and pepper. Cook gently for 3 to 4 minutes or until the garlic is golden. With a rubber spatula, scrape the garlic oil into the bowl of a food processor.
8. Crumble the tofu into the bowl of the food processor. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and puree until smooth. With a rubber spatula, scrape the puree into the mushroom-onion mixture.
9. Wash the spinach leaves. Transfer the spinach to a pot and steam, covered, over high heat for several minutes, just until wilted. Drai well. At this point you can Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and chop fine, or opt to leave the leaves whole. Than add the spinach to the rest of the filling and stir well to combine.
10. Fill the tart shell with the tofu and vegetable mixture and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Dust with Paprika. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until firm.
11.Let the tart cool for 8 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Roasted Squash Salad

Quite frankly, this is a combination of ingredients that had never crossed my mind.. until I took a look at what I had left hanging around from the past fall and winter! I used the pretty cross-cuts of the delicata squash that my sister grew in her garden last year (still good!), a large potato chopped into thumb-sized peices, some kale, radishes, almonds and some miso and curry.
It was good. It really was.
The flavor was bold and vibrant and it was a breeze to make - no need to peel this type of squash. I suspect you could do endless riffs on this depending on what you have on hand, or what is in season. The nuts give a great texture and crunch. Feel free to play around with this general idea.

Roasted Delicata Squash Salad

1/2 pound potatoes, cut into thumb sized paices
3/4 pound delicata squash, (or butternut squash)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white miso
1 tsp curry
3/4 tsp cummin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlic cloves finly minced
a pinch of cinnamon
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, (About 1 lemon, you could also use lime)
A big bunch of kale, finely chopped (cabbage works well here too)
4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1/4 c toasted almonds, other toasted nuts

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. If the potatoes aren't tiny, slice them into pieces no larger than your thumb. Cut the delicata squash in half length-wise, and use a spoon to clear out all the seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch wide half-moons. You can leave the peel on if your using delicata squash.
In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, and next 7 ingredients. Place the potatoes and squash in a large bowl with 1/2 of the miso/curry/oil. Toss well, then turn out onto a baking sheet. Bake until everything is baked through and browned, about 25-30 minutes. Toss once or twice along the way after things start to brown a bit. Keep an eye on things though, you can go from browned to burned in a flash.
In the meantime, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-harissa oil. Stir the kale into the leftover dressing and set aside.
Place the warm roasted vegetables in a bowl and toss with the kale mixture, radishes, and almonds.

Pizza Dough

I like making pizza, because it gives me a chance to, one, be creative, but also to clean out my fridge! But the dough is very important too; if you have bad dough you are bouned to have bad pizza!

There is a place around where I live, Geovanies, that has the best crust to go under thier pizzas; a little sweet, crusty, fluffy, just right.

But this is what I came up with..

Pizza Dough

4 1/2 cups unbleached bread, or all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold

1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast into the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed, with the paddle attachment. Switch to the dough hook and stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed. Mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it seems too dry, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not tacky..
2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger) Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball.

3. Let the dough stand at room temp (covered) overnight, to rest the dough, or you can through it itn the fridge for up to 3 days. (If you want to save some of the dough for future pizzas, you can store the dough, in balls, in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)
4. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Before letting the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours, dust the counter with flour. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle the dough with flour, cover, and let rest for 2 hours.
5. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven as hot as possible, 500 to 550.

6. Generously dust a dry pizza board with cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion on your hands, carefully giving it a little stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue shaping it. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss! (I'm trying to get the hang of it) If you have trouble tossing the dough, or if the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 20 minutes so the gluten can relax, and try again. You can also resort to using a rolling pin, though this isn't as effective as the toss method.
7. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction, lay it on the peel, making sure there is enough cornmeal to allow it to slide. Lightly top it with sauce and then other toppings, including cheese of course.
8. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone and close the door. It should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake.

9. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cut and Serve!!

Celery Casserole

Icy frost still lingers in the shadows, this afternoon, while sunny skies warm the exposed.

I've been looking forward to doing alot of creative cooking over the holiday break. It is the prime season I think, and I think I have taken well advantage.
Today I'm creating a tasty new approach to celery. I know it is perfect raw and fresh, but is also great cooked, so.. I'm gonna try and make some kinda casserole?

Celery Casserole Recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 head celery (about 12 healthy stalks)
1 small onion, finely minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1 cup stock; or beer or old wine (deluded with water) or ... water
1/3 cup freshly grated Gruyere, or half Gruyere and half Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs made from day-old rustic white bread

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Using about half the butter, generously butter a large baking dish (9- to 10-by-13- to 14-inch).
2. Rinse the celery stalks. Trim off the top part of the stalk where it branches into leaves, and set the tops aside with the heart and leaves. Pull off the fibrous strings that run its length if you can. Chop the stalks and through them in a layer in the baking dish. Through in the oven for 10 min.
3. Then ... finely chop the rest of the celery heart, and the celery tops and leaves. Melt the remaining butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, and chopped celery heart and leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until almost dry, about 3 minutes. Add the 'stock' and simmer until reduced by half, another 6 minutes or so.
4. The braise: Pour the celery-shallot-stock mixture over the celery sticks. Cover with foil and slide into the middle of the oven to braise until the celery has collapsed and feels very tender when prodded with a knife tip, about I hour and 15 minutes.
5. The finish: Remove the celery from the oven, and increase the oven heat to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the cheese and bread crumbs over the celery, and return to the oven until the cheese is melted and the top is crusty and browned, about 10 more minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Serves 4 I Braising

Noodles Soup Dish

Noodle Soup Dish Recipe

There are a couple this appealed to me. It has been cold and crispy out, and I've been getting over a narly cold. What better time to make a nice hot, creamy bowl of spicy noodle soup?



I saw a little snow come down today.. briefly.



This kinda reminds me of Original Top Roman Noodles, but more hearty and fresh.

There is something satisfying about working for your food instead of taking the shortcuts. A little elbow grease makes everything taste better.
The spice paste is strong, beautifully fragrant, and hot. After I made the paste the rest of the soup is a breeze -stock, coconut milk, lime juice, and a sprinkling of mint round out the flavors.
I absolutely loved the way the broth turned out. Delicious.


Noodle Soup Dish Recipe



5 small, hot red Chilies

3 small cloves of Garlic

a small lump of Ginger

2 tsp Lemon grass

a few Coriander leaves

1 teaspoon Ground tumeric

a little vegetable oil
Stock - vegetable, 500 mlCoconut milk - 400ml (lite is ok)A lime - just the juiceSoy sauceMint - a small handful of leaves
To finish:Noodles - I think I used about 1 lb....big, chubby, fresh asian egg ones.
Halve and seed the chilies. Peel the garlic. Peel and shred the ginger. Finely slice the tender, innermost leaves of the lemon grass. Grind the coriander seeds or crush them in a mortar. Blitz it all to a thick paste in a food processor with the coriander leaves and any well scrubbed roots, plus the tumeric. You may need a few tablespoons of vegetable oil to help it go round but add as little as you can.
Place a fairly deep pan over moderate heat, add half the spice paste (keep the other half in the fridge for tomorrow) and fry it, movingit round the pan, for a minute or so, then pour in the stock, coconut milk, and a splash of soy sauce -- let it come to the boil. Turn the heat down and let the soup simer for ten minutes. Meanwhile cook the noodles briefly in boiling water and drain them.
Divide the noodles between four large, deep bowls and ladle over hot soup. Sprinkle with mint leaves.