Rainy Day Mushroom Soup and Vegan Welsh Rarebit

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Elaine Broughton

It’s the first week in April and it’s snowing outside, not a lot, just enough to let you know you shouldn’t put your heavy coat away. So, I’m going to make some warm, silky, autumn tasting cream of mushroom soup. Mushroom anything is delicious, and a big pot of soup is just the beginning. After today, I’ll make some of the leftover soup into a sauce for pasta, and the day after that I’ll smother a baked potato with it, and if anything is left just throw it in the freezer for your next casserole. I guarantee that once you make this at home, you’ll never buy that disgusting canned stuff again.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

3 cups fresh button mushrooms, brushed clean and quartered
1 cup reconstituted shitake mushrooms, chopped
1 medium large onion (about 1 1/2 cups) chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups of stock, vegetable (mushroom is best)
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon mushroom powder*
Add salt and pepper later to taste
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, or Braggs aminos (Worchestershire works too)
3/4 cup cashew or coconut cream (use any milk or cream you prefer).
1 tablespoon plain yogurt or sour cream

You’ll need:

Directions:

In a soup pot, gently sauté the onions, garlic and mushrooms until they are soft. Add the parsley, thyme and paprika. *I also add a blend of dried mushroom powder that I make. It just adds some extra depth and yumminess but it’s not necessary.

Now add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the cream or milk and stir until thoroughly combined. Heat through. Turn off the heat and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt.

Quick Vegan Coconut Cheese

I’ve tried a fair number of vegan cheeses with varying success. Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of the process. This isn’t exactly cheese as I think of it and I wouldn’t recommend it for a sandwich, but it’s delicious and definitely meltable. It’s the perfect topping for vegan Welsh rarebit to accompany my big bowl of Creamy Mushroom Soup.

3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch cayenne
juice of ½ lime or 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 can coconut cream (I think Savoy is best, no added ingredients)
1 ½ tsp agar agar powder
2 Tablespoons tapioca starch mixed in ¼ cup water to form slurry

Pour coconut cream into a saucepan and stir in agar agar. Add salt, turmeric, paprika and cayenne. Stir to combine. Add lime juice or vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in the tapioca starch slurry and stir vigorously until silky smooth and thickened. Pour into molds (I’ve found plastic works really well). Chill in refrigerator for 8 hours until firm.

*Fermented Coconut Cheese: Follow the directions above. Let cook slightly and stir in the contents of 1-2 probiotic capsules. Pour into molds and let ferment on the counter top for about 6 hours. Chill in refrigerator for 8 hours until firm.

Vegan Welsh Rarebit

I’ve eaten this for breakfast, lunch, and late night snacks. It’s a great accompaniment for soup or salad.

Take one slice of Ezekiel bread (or some other hearty grain bread). Spread some coconut oil on one side. Put in a cast iron fry pan with the oil side down. Put two 1/2 inch thick slices of vegan coconut cheese on the top and put under the broiler for about 5-7 minutes or until the cheese turns a nice dark brown on top.

This made my gloomy day all better. Try it and enjoy.

It’s All About That Base – Sofrito

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Elaine Broughton

Every cuisine starts with a base of seasonings, and in Latin cooking, from Puerto Rico to Mexico to Spain, it all starts with sofrito. Forget mire poix or New Orleans trinity (it’s just a stripped down version of sofrito anyway). I’ve found more and more ways to use this great flavor base and I try to always have a big batch in my freezer. Being able to throw a disk of frozen sofrito into the pan is a great way to bypass all the chopping for a sauce, a fast supper or an eat-it-when-you-get-home crockpot meal. I’ve used it as a base in dishes like chicken and yellow rice, and in homemade enchilada sauce, chili and black bean soup. I’ve even put it in pasta sauce and split pea soup; anywhere you want to make an ordinary dish something special. The great thing about sofrito is that it is so easy to make.

Every one’s mom or grandma has her own authentic sofrito recipe, but this is my version. You’ll need a blender or food processor and a frying pan (cast iron is the best), and some basic ingredients.

Basic Sofrito

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers (you can also use the sweet red and yellow minis that come in a bag)

1 green bell pepper

2 poblano peppers

1 big sweet onion

8 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 bunches of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 bunch of culantro*

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon jalapeno powder (also called Texas gunpowder – I make my own)

Directions

Rough chop the vegetables and place in the blender or food processor.

Process the mixture until it’s somewhat smooth but still has some chunkiness. Heat your skillet and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Pour the mixture into the skillet, add the cumin and jalapeno powder. Notice I did not add any salt or pepper. I add those seasonings when I use them to prepare a dish.

Just let the mixture simmer until most of the moisture has cooked down (about 10 minutes).

Let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What I like to do is pour 1/2 cup portions into my big muffin tin and freeze them. Once frozen I put the disks in a zip lock and they’re ready to use when I need them.

Explore some new flavors. Enjoy.

Sunshine Soup and Lettuce Wraps

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Elaine Broughton

I recall that on May 1st last year there was snow on my lawn. This year spring seems to have started in earnest, the trees are almost in leaf and my allergies are going crazy. No regrets. Mayday, or Beltane, or whatever name you choose too give this date, is one of my favorite celebrations. It’s time for one of my sunshine soups, and this year, in honor of the wonderful weather I’m making Summer Sun Soup and juicy, crunchy lettuce wraps. Summer Sun Soup is one of my favorite spring/summer soups because you can eat it warm, or you can enjoy it cold. You’ll love the color, the velvety texture and the slightly spicy, deliciously tangy flavors.

Summer Sun Soup

Photo by E. Broughton

Ingredients:

2 lbs yellow summer squash (about 3-4 medium)
1 large yellow bell pepper
3 medium carrots
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
1 medium onion
2 Tablespoons butter
4 cups vegetable broth
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch dried orange peel
Pinch dried lemon peel
Pinch dried celery
1 cup yogurt (plain)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut the squash in half and then into 1/2-inch dice (about 8 cups); cut the bell pepper into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups); cut the carrots in 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/4 cup); cut the potatoes in 1/2 inch dice (scant 1 cup).

Medium chop the onion (about 1 cup).

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low; add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Add the squash, pepper, carrots and potatoes to the saucepan along with the vegetable or chicken stock; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool, 10 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and zest. Add in the turmeric, ginger. dried orange peel, dried lemon peel, dried celery powder or celery salt and salt and pepper to taste. Use a food processor or blender to puree the soup.

Reheat or serve cold with a swirl of plain yogurt.

Lettuce Wraps

6 leaves of butter lettuce
Cole slaw with diced granny smith apple

Photos by E. Broughton

Happy May 1st and Enjoy!

Broth for Breakfast

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Elaine Broughton

When it comes to breakfast Americans love their bacon and eggs, and most of all we love our sugar. But, there are better choices for breakfast than pop tarts or cereal that’s so sweet you can smell the sugar (yes, you actually can). As a matter of fact most of the rest of the world, if they get breakfast, start the day with soup which seems to be catching on here in the U.S. One of the hot new trends is switching from a big, overpriced cup of gourmet coffee to a big, overpriced mug of bone broth. I guess it’s a move toward better nutrition, but it’s still overpriced, and it’s made from bones, so I’m opting for a plant based version instead. To each his own. For me, there’s something comforting about a big mug of warm soup, and once you get over the idea that soup for breakfast is just too weird, you discover a whole panorama of tasty possibilities. Here are some ideas I’ve come up with that are broadening breakfast horizons at my house. Give it a try.