FFVK Brussels Sprouts & Shiitake Mushroom Soup

Fat Free Vegan Kitchen posted a recipe on her Facebook page earlier today. One look at the accompanying picture and I was taken. I've had some frozen Brussels Sprouts (New Veggie #9) in the freezer for a while and I was looking for an interesting way to use those. And I love mushrooms ... I've often said "I've never met a mushroom I didn't love" and this recipe also allowed me a chance to try one more item on my 'pending' list of veggies/plant products to try ... Great Northern Beans - my New Veggie #53. 

FFVK Brussels Sprouts & Mushroom Soup

Prep Time: 30 min 

Ingredients: (FFVK Recipe) The list below includes my modifications based on what I had on hand. 

1. 1 medium onion, diced
2. 1 bag of frozen small Brussels sprouts, thawed and cut in half
3. 0.5 oz Shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted, liquid saved.
4. 0.5 oz Porcini mushrooms, reconstituted, liquid saved.
5. 6-8 fresh Cremini mushrooms, sliced
6. 2 tsp Minced Garlic
7. 6-8 fresh leaves of Sage, minced
8. 1/2 cup Quick cooking Brown Rice
9. 1 can (15 oz) Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed.
10. 2 cups of Vegetable broth
11. 4 cups of Water
12. Salt and Pepper, to taste
13. 2-4 tsp lemon juice.

Directions:

Some of the modifications I made resulted in reducing the cooking time. I had a frozen bag of Brussels sprouts, and I thawed them in the microwave which helped cook them some. I also used quick cooking brown rice which helped my case. I didn't have any rubbed sage so I used fresh Sage leaves instead. I cooked onions and garlic in water until translucent and then added Brussels sprouts. Cooked everything together for a couple of minutes and then added the rest of the ingredients except the lemon juice which I added after the soup was done and removed from the stove. Getting the soup together took me about 10 minutes, including dicing the onion and mushrooms and reconstituting the dried mushrooms. Then I just let the whole thing simmer for about 20 minutes until we were ready to eat. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper. 

My Assessment: This was a hearty heartwarming soup. I loved it. My newly herbie husband also liked it and even agreed to take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow (always a good sign). Thank you, FFVK, for another great recipe. 

Spinach & Barley Pilaf

This dish makes for a great side 'one pot meal'. I use Barley instead of rice, as it is a high-fiber, high-protein grain, Spinach for all the lovely benefits of leafy greens. Finally at the very end, I add mushrooms for a ton of flavor and a lot more protein; the whole dish is done in about 15 min with quick-cooking barley and makes for a wholesome filling dinner.

Prep Time: 15-20 min

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup Quick Barley (I use Quaker Oats)
2. 1 14-16 oz can of vegetable broth, preferably with no added salt
3. 1 tsp Garlic
4. 1 tsp Parley flakes
5. 1/8 cup fresh minced Basil leaves
6. 1 cup Baby spinach
7. 0.5 oz Dried Porchini Mushrooms
8. Salt and Pepper, to taste.

Directions:

In a deep soup pot, bring the vegetable broth to boil and add garlic. Once garlic becomes fragrant, add the barley and bring to a full boil before turning down the heat to medium low. Simmer for about 10 minutes and then add the spinach and allow to wilt.

Meanwhile, soak the dried mushrooms in hot tap water, change the water a couple of times to make sure that any dust is removed. Drain and add to the pot.


Stir everything together, add in Basil leaves and turn heat to low. Cover and allow to simmer/steam until all the water is evaporated.

Serve with a side of steamed vegetables, or enjoy the pilaf all by itself. I love this quick and easy dinner!

Veggie Fact of the Day

Porcini literally means "piglets" in Italian because of their plump little bodies as they are found on the forest floor. They hold a prime spot in Italian cuisine (often being called the king of mushrooms) and fresh mushrooms are quite heftily priced. The porcini have a high protein content, making them an excellent meat substitute in vegetarian/vegan dishes. They're supposed to have a chewy texture, and a strong nutty-woody meaty taste. In the US, its primarily found in small bags in dried form.  

Buying and Reconstituting Dried Porcini Mushrooms: So here's what I've learnt about buying dried porcini from my research. Make sure that the bag has large chunks of porcini and not old crumbly pieces. Also makes sure that the bag has no holes, or signs of worms or mold. When I opened the package at home, there was a really strong, almost pungent, mushroom aroma that rose from them. If there is no smell, there is likely no flavor in them either.  To reconstitute, bring half cup water, or vegetable broth to a rolling boil.  Add mushrooms, swirl, cover and set aside for about 15 min.  Remove mushrooms with tongs and set aside. Strain the steeping liquid through a fine mesh strainer, or cheese cloth. This liquid will bring a lot more of the lovely earthy flavor of the mushrooms to the recipe.   

Spinach & Porcini Mushroom Risotto

I love mushrooms and will eat them in almost anything. Salads, Pilafs, Curries ... whatever. Historically, I have pretty much stuck to the usual varieties - white or brown button mushrooms and Portabella, which were commonly found in India and are also quite commonly found in grocery stores in the United States. One of the recent "Happy Herbivore" newsletters talked about how healthy mushrooms are and it suggested we try to make a variety we haven't tried before. So, when I was at the neighborhood Kroger, and saw that they had small packs of various exotic varieties of mushrooms, I picked up a pack of Dried Porcini Mushrooms as Vegetable #10 for New Year Resolution #2, even though they're not strictly a vegetable. 

Porcini Risotto

Prep Time: 30-45 min.

Ingredients: 

1. 1 small pack (0.5 oz) dried Porcini mushrooms
2. 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3. 2 tsp minced garlic
4. 1 tsp dried oregano
5. 1 cup fresh baby spinach
6. 1 pack (12 oz) Mori-Nu Silken Tofu (firm)
7. 1 cup soy milk
8. 4 tbsp (heaping) Nutritional Yeast
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. 

Buying and Reconstituting Dried Porcini Mushrooms:

So here's what I've learnt about buying dried porcini from my research. Make sure that the bag has large chunks of porcini and not old crumbly pieces. Also makes sure that the bag has no holes, or signs of worms or mold. When I opened the package at home, there was a really strong, almost pungent, mushroom aroma that rose from them. If there is no smell, there is likely no flavor in them either.  To reconstitute, bring half cup water, or vegetable broth to a rolling boil.  Add mushrooms, swirl, cover and set aside for about 15 min.  Remove mushrooms with tongs and set aside. Strain the steeping liquid through a fine mesh strainer, or cheese cloth. This liquid will bring a lot more of the lovely earthy flavor of the mushrooms to the recipe.   

Directions:

I used a modification of Lindsay Nixon's Instant Vegan Alfredo Sauce today. I used a lightly different spice mix and also used fresh onions. Also, I didn't use any vegan cheese. In a skillet, bring the steeping liquid from reconstituting the mushrooms to a rolling boil. Turn down heat to medium and add garlic and onions. Once the onions become translucent, add baby spinach, oregano, salt and pepper, and half cup soy milk. Cover and let simmer for a few minutes. Meanwhile in a bowl, whisk silken tofu and remaining soy milk together to as fine a paste as possible and add to the skillet. A food processor seemed like too much work for me (I might end up buying a stick blender for quick jobs such as this one). Separately boil rice and when the sauce begins to thicken, add rice and sprinkle nutritional yeast on top. Cover and let the flavors blend for a few minutes before serving.  

Nik's Reaction: None. He's recovering from a gentle bout of stomach flu and when he didn't show interest in eating rice, or anything much at all for dinner today, I didn't push the issue.  

My Assessment:  I really really enjoyed this dish. I'd read that dried porcini have a concentrated flavor and aroma and that was indeed very true. The whole dish has that lovely mushroom flavor and I'm glad I made enough for my lunch tomorrow as well.