Porcini Mushrooms

He is my accidental mushroom forager. It was an incredibly beautiful afternoon in early September when we happened upon these porcini mushrooms. That same morning, Scott had been educated on wild mushrooms of the season. So we were very excited when we chanced upon them unexpectedly. A kind gentleman recognized what we were gathering and offered us a bag for our treasures. Our benefactor just happened to be a chef from the eastern states and very much appreciated what we had found. The only difficult part of that afternoon was rushing home to make it to Stake Conference. It was such a great treasure hunt!

That evening we sampled our cache by sauteing a few of the perfect porcini in butter. Wow! Our new chef acquaintance was right; they are delicious!

To assure you that this is a recipe blog, I'll tell you that we dried the mushrooms in our dehydrator.  The old reliable Ball Blue Book recommends that the mushrooms be dipped in an acid solution to prevent browning. However, these porcini didn't need it at all. All I did was clean and sort them. Then the best were cut in 1/4 inch slices. The largest porcini took about 9 hours to completely dry at a low heat.

We have used these beautiful porcini in soups, omelets, and as a side dish cooked in butter. I am already looking forward to trying them in Thanksgiving stuffing. They are so fast and easy to hydrate and even the water used for plumping them back up has a wonderful flavor.

Now, the official disclaimer here will be to confirm that you know your wild mushrooms! If in doubt, throw it out! It is also wise to always cook wild mushrooms to nullify any toxicity.

By the way, we did not use the largest mushroom in Scott's hands. It was much too mature. We definitely prefer the smaller size.

Hummus

I've had a couple of requests lately for my hummus recipe. This is my version. It is inexpensive (due to the lack of tahini) and delicious.

1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans (drained, with the liquid reserved)
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt to taste

Puree all ingredients in a food processor, adding enough reserved liquid to reach your desired consistency and texture. So easy! So delicious! I like to serve it with rice crackers and sliced, raw yams.

I have used dry beans (chick peas) and cooked them; that works wonderfully. Also, use the freshest ingredients possible; it really does make a difference to use fresh lemons and garlic. This is an opportunity to use the best oil, too. We need more good oils in our diets.

Baked Zucchini Fries

Lately, every night is zucchini night at our house. And I'll admit it Mom, I don't hate it. Zucchini quiche, quesadillas, pizza, bread, burritos, pasta; you name it, we've had it! But these were our favorite! Baked zucchini fries with Parmesan. So good!

Ingredients:

1 large zucchini

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp salt, divided

3/4 tsp black pepper, divided

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and then cut it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the soft, seedy portion of the zucchini, then cut into thick french fries. 

In three shallow bowls or deeper plates, make three different mixtures:

1. Flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
2. Eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
3. Bread crumbs, Parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt

Working in batches, using one hand for dry ingredients and one for wet ingredients, coat fries in flour, shaking off excess. Dip thoroughly in egg mixture, allowing excess to run off. Last, coat in the bread crumb mixture.

Arrange zucchini in a single layer on the pan, without crowding. Bake 15 minutes and then flip fries over to the other side. Bake until bread crumbs are golden and crisp, another 7-10 minutes. 

This recipe came from my friend, Mandy, over at Baking with Blondie. (You should go check out her blog, it's amazing)! She recommends eating these with warm marinara or pizza sauce. Jenny used cocktail sauce with hers, and Ellie and I used homemade ketchup. 

Bon appetit from the Tessem girls!

Cream of Spinach Soup

I was recently looking for a good spinach soup recipe and was unimpressed by what I found. I felt I could do better, and came up with this recipe:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tbsp chopped garlic

1 pound fresh spinach

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half-and-half

(or cream or milk, depending on how rich you're feeling...)

In a pot, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions begin to soften. Add spinach (don't worry, it will cook down!), and about a cup of the chicken stock. Cover the pot with a lid and stir periodically, wilting the spinach. When spinach has cooked down, add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until spinach is soft.

In a saucepan, melt the butter, and then whisk in the flour until smooth. Slowly mix in the half-and-half until smooth.

Pour the half-and-half mixture into the pot with the spinach mixture, and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. For a really smooth product, run an immersion blender through the soup before serving.

Guys, I don't mean to brag, but this stuff is pretty awesome. It even got the coveted Ellie endorsement. She very enthusiastically slurped up her "green soup."

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This fabulous recipe comes from Sister Lisa Bezzant, in the cookbook "Our Best Recipes: a Taste of Heaven from Lindon 8th Ward".

Sift together and set aside:

• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp cocoa

Beat until well blended:

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tbsp. vanilla
• 2 cup shredded zucchini

Add dry ingredients; beat until well blended. Stir in 1 bag small chocolate chips. Pour into greased loaf pans. Bake at 350* for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on pan size. Makes 2 loaves.

Note: I used a glass bread pan and a silicon one. The glass was still doughy on the center top when the silicon one was done.

Pico de Gallo

I take it back. This is my favorite part of the Cafe Rio equation. I think I quadrupled this for our meal.

3 large tomatoes, diced

1/2 bunch cilantro, minced

1/2 sweet onion, minced

1 green pepper, minced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup vinegar

salt and pepper

Mix well and refrigerate. Oh so, so good!

Bean Salad

This is a family summer favorite. I especially like to take this salad to picnics because I don't have to be concerned with mayonnaise getting too warm. It is best assembled the night before to allow the vegetables to marinate.

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup or less sugar
choice of seasonings, depending on what's ready in the garden: oregano, thyme, chives, mixed seasonings

Salad:
2 cans of sliced green beans, drained
1 can yellow wax beans, drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Gently combine the vegetables in a large bowl. Stir together the dressing with a whisk and pour over the salad. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld. It's always better the second day.

Green Smoothie #1

This is a delicious and easy way to get those elusive green vegetables in the diet. Children especially love this drink by some of its nicknames: dinosaur drink, lizard juice, power boost...what name can you give it? Yes, it really does taste great!

1 cup sliced strawberries

2 cups apple juice

2 handfuls raw spinach leaves and stems

1 TB ground flax seed

Put all ingredients into the blender (I favor the vitamix) and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

This drink is also good without the ground flax seed; but it will be bubbly and full of air.

Another variation that we enjoy is to substitute blueberries for the strawberries. It will make a much darker drink, but equally delicious.

Try adding different juices, greens or fruit until you can find your perfect combination.

Blendtec Recipes

I have had a request to post some of the smoothie recipes from our new blendtec recipe book. Here is the link for the entire book online! All of the smoothies we have tried have been excellent. I've also like a couple of their soup recipes. ENJOY!

Sweet Creamed Corn

This is a delicious accompaniment I came up with for all of Scott's smoked meats. It was inspired by The Smoking Apple's sweet butter corn. (Also inspired by Robert Irvine's recipe for Creamed Corn).

Warning: consuming too much of this will kill you. It would be difficult to make a vegetable any worse for your health than this corn. That being said, you would die very happily.

6 ears/servings of corn (I cheated and used frozen since it's April)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 Tablespoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons butter

If frozen, cook corn according to directions on package, then strain off any additional liquid. If using fresh, husk the ears, place in a pot with enough water to cover the corn, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10-15 minutes before removing the corn to cool, then cut the kernals off.

While corn is cooking, add the cream to a saucepan and reduce by 1/3 over low heat. Remove from heat and add the butter. Whisk in salt and sugar, then fold in the corn before serving. Serve warm.

Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

What can I say about this recipe? It's absolutely delicious - real veggies, parmesan cheese, dairy all mixed together. Fantastically easy - mostly cooks all day in a crockpot. It's my new winter favorite! You've GOT to try it! (This recipe comes from "365 Days of Slow Cooking")

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Directions:
Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil (if using fresh oregano and basil, if using dried oregano and basil add it in the last hour of cooktime), and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft. About an hour before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for another hour until ready to serve.

*Note - used the pregrated powdery parmesan the first time. Not bad, just kind of a grainy texture. Used the real stuff the second time - wow!
** I like to use my stick blender and puree the veggies before adding it to the roux. Just makes a velvety soup. Then Jeremiah will eat it. :)

Ratatouille

This recipe is a requirement of late summer, when the zucchini and tomatoes are at their peak. It was first introduced to us by a dear friend, Hailey Liechty, and has since become a delicious summer tradition. This is the only reason that I plant eggplants in the garden.

1/2 cup olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium eggplant, unpeeled and sliced
6 medium zucchini, unpeeled and sliced thick
2 bell peppers, seeded and chunked
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup minced parsley
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
10+ tomatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried thyme (I prefer fresh)
1/2 cup fresh, torn basil leaves
black pepper
sliced tomatoes (optional topping)

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large fry pan over high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until onions are soft but not browned. Stir in eggplant, zucchini, peppers, salt, basil, and parsley; add a little more oil as needed to prevent sticking. Cover pan and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. With a large spatula, turn the vegetables to help preserve their shape.
Add the tomatoes and stir to blend. Add more oil if veggies are sticking. Cover and cook for 15 minutes; stir occasionally. If mixture becomes soupy, remove cover. Garnish with tomato and parsley.
That's the end of the original recipe; however, we prefer to add Hailey's "very yummy topping" and bake the mixture in the oven. Simply layer the partially cooked vegetable mixture in a large, oven-proof casserole dish and spread the following mixture over the top:
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
2 large eggs
Bake in a 350* oven for about 40 minutes, or until top is bubbly and golden.

Note: I love to double or even triple this recipe and freeze some for later in the season. If you choose this option,do not add the cheese topping; just freeze the vegetable mixture and add the cheese topping when it is thawed and served at a later date.

Zucchini Relish

This recipe originated with Phyllis Winsor Stewart, Grandma Stewart. I don't like commercial sweet relish, but I love this recipe. In fact, I look forward to our hot dog roasts in the backyard because polish dogs are a great carrier for this relish. There are always plenty of over-grown zucchinis in the garden to initiate this recipe!

10 cups chopped zucchini

4 cups chopped onions

1 red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

5 TB pickling salt, non-iodized

2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dry mustard

3 cups sugar

1 TB ground tumeric

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 TB celery seed

Mix zucchini, onions, and peppers in a large bowl in the evening. (I do this after dinner.) Sprinkle the salt over the top of the vegetable mixture. Cover the bowl loosely and allow it to stand undisturbed overnight. This process helps to draw out the excess moisture.

The next morning, mix up the remaining six ingredients in a large pot to make syrup for the relish. Bring the syrup to a boil; then set the hot syrup off the heat and cover. (You'll want to cover the syrup and don't lean over the pot! It will clear your sinuses!)

Now rinse the salt from the vegetables. I use a fine colander to rinse the vegetables thoroughly in water in small batches and then squeeze out the moisture thoroughly. (An old pillowcase works really well for this.) This rinsed, drained mixture can be added to the hot syrup. When all of the vegetables are incorporated into the syrup, heat the relish to prepare it for a hot pack.

Fill pint mason jars with hot relish, leaving a 1/4 inch head space. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water-bath canner. Be sure to leave the jars on the counter to cool; this is tradition, adding to the anticipation of summer barbecues in the backyard.

Grandma Stewart's original recipe had double the amount of sugar that I use. I find this halved amount quite sweet and sufficient. I also use whatever summer squash I have on hand: gray or black zucchini, crookneck, patty pan. A combination of colors looks the best. I also use a food processor to chop the vegetables. This really speeds up the process.

Creamy Corn Soup with Chicken and Poblano Chile

This is from a cookbook by Rick Bayless called "Mexican Everyday". I needed more uses for our garden produce and this is a great one for fresh corn from the garden. The roasted chile pepper just seems perfect for New Mexico too.

Ingredients:

• 1 large poblano chile
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
• 1 small white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 cups corn kernels cut from the cob (takes about 5 ears)
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 quart milk
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breats cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• salt
• about 1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Roast the pepper over open flame or 4 inches below the broiler until blackened and blistered all over.
2. Heat oil in pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until golden. Put into blender or food processor.
3. Add corn, cornstarch, 1 1/2 cup milk to the blender too. Process to a smooth puree. (You can strain the puree through a mesh strainer for a smoother soup). Return puree to pan.
4. When chile is cool enough, peel off the blackened skin. Pull off stem and seed pods. Cut into 1/4 inch pieces. Add to the pan.
5. Add chicken to the puree and additional 2 1/2 cups milk. Simmer until chicken is cooked. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and add the cilantro as a garnish. Serve!

A few variations the author suggests are replacing the chicken with ham; or zucchini or asparagus for a vegetarian meal. Or add shrimp, crab, bacon, etc.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

This a spin off another recipe I found that used bulgur. Couldn't find bulgur but I did have a box of parmesan couscous that needed used up... so this is a recipe that lends itself to impromptu variations of whatever is on hand!

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 chopped up and cooked onion
• 1 box cooked parmesan couscous
• some cooked ground up turkey
• a handful dried cranberries
• a bit of monterey jack cheese

Mix together the filling ingredients (like I said, this recipe works with basically whatever as you can tell by my precise measurements). Stuff filling inside 4 green bell peppers, the tops cut off , seeds and ribs removed (think mini jack-o-lanterns and you've got it made - adding a notch in the "lid" makes it easier to line up when cooking too). After they're stuffed, set them in a pot with about a cup of water on the bottom. Bring water to a boil, then cover the pot and let simmer for 5-10 minutes until peppers are tender-crisp and filling is warmed through.

P.S. We had extra filling leftover, but its great eating just by itself. Or just cut up some more peppers later.

P.P.S. No photo since I just ate the last one for lunch. :)

Roasted Carrots

There are few vegetables that make it into our family's coveted category of "least offensive vegetable". This is one that everyone enjoys and it's so easy! I have been making this long enough that I no longer remember the original source.

2 pounds prepackaged baby carrots

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

Adjust oven rack to the center position and preheat to 475*. Toss carrots, oil and salt in a roasting pan. Spread into a single layer and roast for 12 minutes. Shake pan to toss carrots; continue roasting about 8 minutes longer, shaking pan twice more until carrots are browned and tender. Serve as a side dish while they are hot.

Notes: Be sure to thoroughly drain the carrot package.

I have also used fresh garden carrots; the trick here is to make sure that the carrots are cut into a uniform size and thickness.

I love to use garlic salt as the seasoning.