Category: recipes

Wild Mushroom Soup

~ cafebedouin ~ Leave a comment

Yield: 4 SERVINGS

This recipe uses some of the most widely available mushrooms. Many other varieties, including chanterelle, hedgehog, maitake (also called hen of the woods), morel, porcini, or trumpet, can be used as well.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
  • 2 cups sliced oyster mushrooms
  • 2 cups sliced portobello mushrooms
  • 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh epazote, or 1 teaspoon dried (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 6½ cups vegetable broth (preferably homemade)
  • 1 small leek, remove greens and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
  • 1½ teaspoons chopped garlic
  • 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish
  • 2 ounces enoki mushrooms, trimmed, for garnish

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Put the cremini, oyster, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms, half of the red and yellow onions, the optional epazote, parsley, thyme, and ½ cup of the broth in a large bowl and stir to combine.
  4. Transfer to the lined baking sheet, arrange in a single layer, and bake for 12 minutes, until the mushrooms start to release their juices.
  5. Put the remaining red and yellow onions and the leek, shallot, and garlic in a large dry pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  6. Stir in the vinegar and use the spoon to loosen any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  7. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is more deeply browned, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
  8. Add the mushroom mixture and any juices left on the baking sheet (it’s all mushroom flavor, so don’t waste it) and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 6 cups of the broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
  9. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
  10. Serve hot, garnished with the chives and enoki mushrooms.
  11. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Wild Mushroom Soup will keep for 3 days. Reheat and garnish just before serving.

Note: If you prefer, this soup can be made with only one kind of mushroom. Using a variety, however, adds a bit more interest and substance.

Per serving: calories: 114.8, protein: 5.6 g, carbohydrates: 24.6 g, fat: 0.6 g, calcium: 34.2 mg, sodium: 102.4 mg, omega-3: 0 g

Simple Baked Acorn Squash & Basil

~ cafebedouin ~ Leave a comment
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cut the Acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds (knife with serrated blade works best for me).
  3. Put squash in pan, add about a cup of water, cover in foil.
  4. Put in oven, cook for about 45 min.
  5. Take it out of oven, let cool.
  6. Process some basil in a food processor or just cut into small pieces, about 10 leaves or so.
  7. When cool, peel squash skin.
  8. Put squash in bowl, mix in basil and mash.

If you want a tastier version add butter, salt, garlic, orange zest or whatever is desired when you mix in the basil.

Thanksgiving Olive Sourdough Cheese Bread

~ cafebedouin ~ Leave a comment

Basic olive bread recipe baked in the Kubaneh style (see a typical Kubaneh bread recipe) with grated Asiago cheese on top. It looks nice, but I’m not sure I’d recommend this bread.

Ingredients

  • 3 & 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1 & 1/3 cups of whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 3 tablespoons of honey
  • 1 envelope of yeast
  • 1-2 cups of olives, halved with pits removed
  • 1 cup (or more) cheese (anything you can grate)
  • 1 head of roasted garlic

Preparation

  1. Roast garlic by removing outer paper and leaving paper around each clove. Put head in an oven safe container, sprinkle sea salt and olive oil, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour. Take 30 minutes to prep olives and cheese. When garlic is done, squeeze garlic paste into bowl to add to flour.
  2. Mix milk, butter and honey and cook on medium-low heat until mixture reaches 110 degrees.
  3. Add yeast and wait 10 minutes.
  4. Put flour and salt into a large bowl.
  5. Fold in milk, butter and honey mixture – by hand or electric mixer.
  6. Fold in olives, cheese and garlic – by hand or electric mixer.
  7. Dough should be sticky but not stick to your hands if you touch it, if it sticks to your hands add a teaspoon of flour and work in until it stops.
  8. Cover dough with plastic and let rise in relatively warm location,
    at least 2 hours but preferably more (up to 36 hours).
  9. Before rolling dough, boil 6 cups or more of water in a kettle and
    preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  10. Scoop dough from bowl, roll it out until it is 8 inches by 8
    inches, then roll it into a log.
  11. Press and smooth seam so that dough looks like one whole piece.
  12. Grease bread pan with butter.
  13. Place loaf in loaf pan.
  14. Pour boiling water into long glass pan, place on bottom rack in
    oven and wait 10 minutes for oven to get humid.
  15. Place loaf pan above water and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.
  16. Remove from oven when bread’s internal temperature is above 190
    degrees (use a thermometer from the side to the center of the bread).
  17. Remove from oven when done and let cool for 15 minutes.

Kubaneh-style

  1. Two hours before going to sleep for the night, start preparing the bread.
  2. Separate dough into pieces small enough to fit in your hand.
  3. Roll each out with a rolling pin, make into a log, then roll out again in the opposite direction, creating a 4″ wide, +12″ long strip.
  4. Roll strip that into a 4″ round loaf, seal the seam, and place in a Dutch oven, squashing down the top. Fill up Dutch oven leaving room in between each so they can expand.
  5. Brush the top of the bread with olive oil.
  6. Grate cheese over the top of the loaf.
  7. Let sit for an hour or two for dough to rise again.
  8. Before bed, turn the oven on to 200 degrees, and let cook overnight.
  9. Loaf is done when internal temperature is above 190 degrees.

Gourmet Makes

~ cafebedouin

“In this creative series, Claire Saffitz attempts to recreate our favorite junk and comfort foods, such as gushers and twinkies, in the BA Test kitchen. Chef Saffitz will begin taking the necessary steps to turn your childhood snacks into culinary masterpieces.”

—Gourmet Makes via Bon Appétit

6 Rules for a Perfect Grilled Cheese, Every Time

~ cafebedouin

“So make your late-night, five-minute grilled cheese as many times as you’d like. We’re not stopping you. But in the light of day, when you’ve got ten minutes, a jar of mayo, and the desire to treat yourself to a little something extra, this recipe’s here for you.”

-Emma Wartzman, “6 Rules for a Perfect Grilled Cheese, Every Time.” Bon Appetit. September 24, 2019

tl;dr:

  1. Be patient
  2. Use mayo
  3. Spread the mayo to the edges
  4. Use a melting cheese: American, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Gruyère, Fontina, Provolone, Taleggio, or Raclette
  5. Use bread with a tight crumb, i.e., lots and lots of tiny holes like in sandwich bread
  6. Carefully consider your fillings, i.e., nothing watery or that you wouldn’t eat raw

If you like this kind of thing, you might also consider the perfect omelette.

Laura Olin’s Grandmother’s Berry Tart Recipe

~ cafebedouin

Use blueberries, raspberries, or really any combo of berries you like:

Tart:
– 2/3 cup (5 oz) butter or margarine (one stick and a bit of another)
– 6 Tbsp sugar
– 1 egg
– 1 cup flour
– 1 tsp baking powder

Topping:
– 2 cups blueberries, not exact measure, can mix other berries, too
– 6 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 400 F. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy (just mixing well with a spatula works, too), add egg and mix well. Add baking powder to the flour and mix into the margarine/butter/egg mixture.

Grease pie pan or similar dish and spread mixture onto the bottom, spreading all the way to the sides. Spread blueberries on top of the mixture and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes, checking now and then so that the sides don’t burn. 

From Laura Olin’s newsletter.

The Best Way to Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs Every Time, According to Waaayyy Too Many Tests

~ cafebedouin

“In all eggs, the whites and yolks had a pleasant texture—no rubbery whites, here. The six-minute egg was an especially creamy specimen, if you’re into a soft-boil. In one (the eight-minuter), the yolk weirdly sank down to the bottom of the white, though this didn’t affect anything other than appearance. Overall, this was the most straightforward method with the best bang-for-your-effort-buck results.”

-Ella Quittner, “The Best Way to Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs Every Time, According to Waaayyy Too Many Tests.” Food52.com. June 19, 2019

Let’s just say that I understand Ella’s motivation. Bookmarking for future reference.

Valentine’s Day Oatmeal Cookies

~ cafebedouin

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of unsalted butter
  • 1 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 cup of light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecan bits
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 2 1/2 cups of old fashioned rolled oat

Recipe

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together.

In another bowl, preferably an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars. Beat in vanilla and then eggs. Add the flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time. Once all blended, fold in coconut, pecans, chocolate chips, and raisins. Then, fold in oats.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, use a tablespoon and place the cookie batter in dollops. Makes sure there is at least one inch between them.

Cook for 12-14 minutes. Take out of oven and cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Cut cookies and place on wire rack to cool completely.