The Unexpected Joys of Mushroom Soup and Tahini Pesto

It's been a really long time since I posted any recipes. Here are two I made this summer, which were awesome enough to remind me that I have a recipe blog! The first is a non-intentional vegan recipe--Tahini Pesto Pasta Salad. All the nutty, creamy flavor of regular pesto, but with tahini instead of nuts and cheese! It was an unexpected delight. And the second recipe is my first try (!) at making Mushroom Soup. I, of course, can't make a simple soup, so I added a little more protein, and some kale. I made it in the blazing warmth of August, but this soup would be great for a cold autumn evening.

 

Tahini Pesto Pasta Salad

For the Tahini Pesto:

8 Tbsp. Tahini

2 Tbsp. minced Garlic

1½ cups Basil leaves

½ cup Parsley leaves

½ teaspoon Salt

Ground Black Pepper

1-2 Tbsp. Lemon juice, to taste

1 tsp. White Sugar

Olive Oil, as needed

¼ cup Water (more as needed)

For the pasta salad:

1 box/bag of shaped Pasta of your choice

1 heaping cup cherry or grape Tomatoes, halved or quartered

2 medium Zucchini s, cut into ¼-inch thick chunks

1/2-1 Red Onion, sliced (to taste)

1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced

1 cup Green Peas, fresh or frozen and thawed

1 can Garbanzo Beans

Instructions:

1. Make Pesto: Combine tahini, garlic, basil, parsley, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and sugar to a food processor or magic bullet. Pulse until everything is well blended, adding more water as needed.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Then drain water.
3. Return pasta to the large pot and stir in tahini pesto. Add more olive oil as needed.
4. In a large frying pan, sauté onions, red bell peppers, and zuccini.
5. Combine pasta, sautéed vegetables, garganzo beans, and  sliced tomatoes. 
6. Serve warm or cold

Wild Rice, Mushroom, Chicken and Kale Soup

1 cup wild rice

Water

5 Tbsp. Butter, room temperature, divided

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 boxes of Mushrooms of your choice (Crimini, mini Portabello, etc.), chopped

1 Leek, sliced

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Tomato Paste

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

4 cups low-sodium Chicken Broth

1 cup dry White Wine

3 tablespoons chopped Parsley

1 teaspoon ground Black Pepper

Paprika

¼ teaspoon Salt

½ cup Heavy Cream

1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

Chicken, cubed

Onions, minced

Kale, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a medium pan, cook wild rice according to package’s instructions.
2. In a medium skillet, sauté onions and chicken until tender. In the last minute, add kale. Set aside.
3. In a large soup pot, melt butter with the olive oil. Add mushrooms, minced garlic, sliced leek and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the cooking vegetables and stir constantly, until the flour starts to stick to the bottom of the pot. Add the wine and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add salt, ground black pepper, paprika, parsley, cooked rice, and chicken/onion/kale mixture, cream, and soy sauce, and cook until heated through.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

It's been a while since I made an original recipe. I've been eating a lot of the same things, easy to make when I'm on the run or busy learning how to be a librarian. I found this idea while browsing through Pinterest. The original recipe called for chicken, but I think they turned out great without!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
 
Olive
Garlic
1 large Sweet Potato, diced
1 can of low sodium Black Beans
1 Red Onion, diced
1 cup Diced Tomatoes
1 cup Fresh Cilantro leaves, chopped
1-2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Cumin
2 cups Salsa (of your favorite variety)
1 package Mexican Fresco Crumbling Cheese
12 Whole Wheat Tortillas
1 Avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced
Sour Cream

In a large pot, saute sweet potatoes and onions with oil and garlic. When they are close to tender, add the diced tomatoes, beans (with liquid), lemon juice, cilantro, chili powder, and cumin. Cook 5 minutes longer, then set aside.

In a medium bowl, crumble the Mexican cheese. Lay out tortillas on a large plate. Grease a baking dish and pour in a layer of salsa.

Spoon veggie/bean mixture onto a tortilla, add cheese, and roll. Place into dish. When all the tortillas are in the dish, pour the remaining salsa over top and top with cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes. Serve with Sour Cream and Avocado.

Summer Flavors Are So Much Fun

It's been a few weeks since I came up with these recipes, but I haven't had time to post them until now.  Hope you enjoy!

 

Pineapple Avocado Salad with Basil Dressing

Pineapple, cubed (set aside and save juice)

Corn (fresh or frozen)

Red Onion, chopped

Avocado

Spinach

Fresh Basil leaves

Oil

Garlic

Pineapple Juice

Grease two baking sheets. Roast pineapple, red onions, and corn until golden. Cut avocado.

In a blender or food processor, combine basil, oil, garlic, and pineapple juice. Add more oil until it resembles a salad dressing.

Allow roasted vegetables/fruit to cool and then combine with avocado and spinach. Pour on dressing.

Note: This is a wet salad and goes well with rice or chicken.

Ratatouille Salad

Garlic

Eggplant, cubed

Red Onion, chopped

Red Pepper, chopped

Zucchini, chopped

Salad Greens (any variety)

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Grease baking sheets and roast vegetables. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Allow vegetables to cool, and then combine with salad greens. Top with a simple dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Almond Chocolate Swirl Bars

3 sticks Butter + 2 Tbsp. Oil (set 1 Tsp. Butter aside)

3 cups Brown Sugar

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. Water

4 Eggs

4 ½ cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

3/4 bag of Chocolate Chips

3 Tsp. Almond Extract

Combine wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Divide dough into two bowls, about ¼ and ¾.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and 1 Tsp. butter. Stir into the smaller bowl of dough until it is well blended. Add almond extract to the larger bowl, stir well.

Grease a large, rimmed baking sheet. Pour in almond dough first and then swirl in chocolate dough.  Bake at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Eggplant Stuffed Pita

Olive Oil

Eggplant

Onions

Garlic

Tumeric

Paprika

Pita

And any other vegetable you want

Sauté onions and eggplants in small amount of olive oil. Add spices.

Stuff pita with eggplant mixture and any other vegetables you want (like tomatoes and spinach)

Moroccan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, Chick Peas and Raisins

Olive Oil

Onion

Chicken (I used boneless thighs, cubed)

Sweet Potatoes

Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans)

1 can stewed Tomatoes (diced)

8 oz Water

1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Cumin
1/4 tsp. Turmeric
1/4 tsp. Ginger
a pinch of Cloves
pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Chop vegetables. Cook onions, sweet potatoes, and chicken with olive oil in a French Oven or large pot.  Once browned, add chick peas, tomatoes, water, spices, vinegar, and cilantro. Cover, and cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve with rice or cous cous.

The Secrets of Orange Zest, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Lemon Juice

I had a lot of extra barley in my freezer, so I scrounged around on Pinterest for a good Turkey and Barley soup recipe. I found one that called for orange zest. "That sounds fun," I thought. It turned out great! Never underestimate the power of citrus! And that brings me to the amazing potential found in lemon juice. I included it in both salads I made this week. And it even found it's way into my pancakes. I've been eating a lot of roasted sweet potatoes this week. They are so good, and great additions to any salad. Baking them with their skins on really helps to keep in the flavor. 

And lastly, those marvelous no-bake cookies. I don't know how I come up with these things, but this was positively genius! Bananas and nutella have always been close friends, but then I thought of marshmallows as a bonding agent. I didn't have any rice krispies on hand, but I did have oats. After the cookies sit for a while, the oats begin to soak up the yumminess and makes these little no-bake cookies simply splendid. 

 

Turkey Barley Vegetable Soup with Orange Zest

Multiple servings (including 3 servings of vegetables)

 

1 Onion, diced

3 cloves Garlic, diced

1/2 tube of Ground Turkey

1/2 cup Carrots, diced

1 can low sodium Diced Tomatoes

1/2 cup Peas (frozen)

1 carton low sodium Chicken Broth

1 ½-2 cups cooked Pearl Barley (or 1 cup uncooked)

Black Pepper

Paprika

2 Tbsp. White Vinegar

2 tsp. Basil

1/2 tsp. Thyme

Garlic Powder

2 Tbsp. Water

1-2 tsp. Orange Zest

Saute onions, carrots, and turkey until browned/tender. Add peas, tomatoes and barley. Pour in broth, black pepper and paprika. In a small bowl, combine basil, thyme, garlic and water (to make a pseudo pesto sauce). Add 1-2 tsp. orange zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. If using dry barley, simmer until barley is cooked. Add vinegar.

Roasted Sweet Potato, Bulgar Wheat and Spinach with Goat Cheese

1 serving (includes 2 servings of vegetables)

Vegetable Oil

1 medium/small Sweet Potato

1/4 cup Bulgar Wheat

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

1/4 tsp. Ginger

1 cup Baby Spinach

2 Tbsp. Goat Cheese

Wash sweet potato well. Cut into 1/2 inch disks. Coat in oil and roast on a baking tray at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until browned. Flip half way through.

Cook bulgar wheat according to package instructions. Add lemon juice and ginger.

Cut disks into quarters. Add to spinach, bulgar wheat, and goat cheese.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Red Onion Kale Salad

Multiple servings (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Sweet Potatoes

Red Onion, sliced

Kale

Red Wine Vinegar

Lemon Juice

Ginger powder

Honey

Paprika

Olive Oil

Wash sweet potato well. Cut into 1/2 inch disks, and then dice into small wedges. Coat sweet potatoes and onions in oil and roast on a baking tray at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until browned. Flip half way through.

Wash Kale and chop. In a small bowl combine ingredients for dressing. Pour roasted vegetables and dressing over kale.

Marshmallow, Nutella, Banana and Oat No-Bake Cookies

Multiple servings

1/2 stick of Butter

5 oz Mini Marshmallows (half a bag)

2 Tbsp. Nutella

1 Banana (frozen and then thawed)

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

3 cups Oats

In a non-stick pot, melt butter. Add marshmallow and stir until melted.

Discard water from thawed banana and then mash. Pour into pot with nutella, and stir well. Add oats and stir until well combined.

Spoon mixture onto wax paper. Allow to sit for 45-60 minutes before serving.

Apple Sauce Pancakes

2 Servings (includes 1 serving of fruit)

1 cup Homemade Chunky Apple Sauce

3/4 cup Milk

1 Egg

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

1 cup Flour

1/3 cup Quick Oats

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

Dash of Cloves

Combine wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients and stir. Fry on a buttered griddle.