Tag: vegetarian

Spinach Quiche

This is a lovely dish that can be made for any occasion. I like to take it to parties because it is tasty and transports easily. It is great for Easter but can be served any time. 

Quiche is a custard like mixture of cream, eggs, cheese along with vegetables in a shell of savory pastry dough. According to records, it originated in Lorraine, medieval Germany. It was called Kuchen that was made with eggs, cream and lard baked into a primitive base made with flour, water and salt. Along the history, Loraine became part of France when cheese was added and became Quiche as we know it today. I can easily see people in villages coming up with this dish. Just throw a little bit of eggs and some cream into a pie shell along some vegetables and meat and there is a fabulous dish that makes a meal. 

This is not just any old quiche recipe. The pie shell is from Martha Stewart cookbook. It is her pie shell recipe that she uses for her fall pies but it works great here as well. The filling is my creation.

Make sure you get the best quality cheese you can find or afford. Your dish will surely benefit from it. I use French or Midwestern cheeses.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH
  • 1 ¼ cup flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 8 T (1 stick) cold butter
  • 7 Tbsp of icy water or more if needed
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING
  • 1 lb vegetables  I used spinach but you can use many others like asparagus, nettle, chard, broccoli etc. -chopped.
  • 4 oz mushrooms like white bottom or crimini, chopped
  • 3 slices of bacon (omit if prepared for vegetarians)
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 200 gram of feta cheese (crumpled into small pieces)
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup cream
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp tarragon (crumpled between the fingers)
  • 3 whole eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 200 gram graded cheese like Gruyere, Parmesan, divided. Leave some for the top.
PREPARATION
  • Chill water in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F.

MAKING THE SHELL

  • Add the salt to the flour and mix it with the butter quickly in a food processor or with your finger tips.
  • Add the water and mix quickly until there is a nice ball.
  • Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
  • Take it out of the fridge. Using a rolling pin quickly roll it out into a circular shape so it fits the dish you use to bake the dough in.  Set it into the dish. You can press down into the dish so it fits snugly. 
  • Put it into the fridge for another hour.

PREPARE THE FILLING

  • Fry up the bacon for 5 minutes in in some oil. Add the spinach and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.
  • Sauté the mushrooms in a separate dish. Add to the spinach mixture.   
  • Put in this mixture in a medium sized bowl. Add the crumbled feta, whisked eggs, milk , cream, black pepper, nutmeg, tarragon. Mix.

PREPARE THE CAKE

  • Put the mixture in the pastry shell. 
  • Grade some cheese on the top.
  • Ready to be put into the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until done. When the blade of a knife comes out clean, it is ready.
  • Let cool. Serve warm.

enjoy!

Source

Martha Stewart

Text and photo by Twincitiesherbs.

Hot and sour burdock soup

Spring is here! In the Midwest, one of the first edible foods in nature is Burdock root. A great way to include burdock in your diet is to make a soup with the roots. Asian cooks rave about their burdock soups that they make in the spring. I’m presenting a delicious burdock root soup here that is inspired by Rosaleedela Foret’sblog. There is really nothing exotic about this soup, all the ingredients can be found here in the US.

We tend to eat heavier foods during the winter months but our body is ready to embark on something lighter and easier to digest. As we transition from the winter into spring, it is important to pay attention to our Liver. Heavy foods consumed during the winter might be burdening our livers that can lead to some health problems in the spring, like fevers and tiredness.Our body tends to cleanse itself naturally as we eat less in the spring. In addition, it is nice to add some bitter plants that aids the liver to accomplish this process. Our ancestors ate a lot of bitters in the spring. One of these spring bitters is burdock.

The burdock’s earthy, heavier flavor pairs nicely with the carrot’s sweet and light flavor. In addition to the bitter flavor, the liver also needs the sour flavor for support. It gets the sour flavor from this sour dish as well. This soup is a big favorite in our family, yes even the kids like it. Perhaps, it is because of its interesting, well balanced flavors. In fact, it has all five flavors: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and pungent!

The main ingredient in this recipe is burdock root. If you are familiar with burdock, you can harvest it yourself. Otherwise, it might be difficult to get at the stores. If you don’t have it in your backyard, it is available at farmers’ markets, health food stores or also from Harmony Valley in Veroqua, WI.

Instructions for boiling the eggs

Make sure the eggs are at room temperature. Eggs straight out of the fridge need to warm up otherwise the cooking time needs to be changed. You might have to experiment with the exact cooking time as there are many variables that can effect it. It should be somewhere between 7 and a half and 8 minutes for 1 egg and more for additional eggs. The eggs should be semi-hard on the outside and be ‘semi-runny’ in the middle.

RECIPE

4 servings

INGREDIENTS
  • 10 cup stock (vegetable or chicken, pork).
  • 2 cups burdock root, cut into match stick pieces
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into match stick pieces
  • 2 clove of garlic, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp of ginger, minced
  • 1 cup mushrooms (like shiitake)
  • 3 Tbsp cornstarch mixed + 4 Tbsp of water
  • 4 Tbsp of rice or white vinegar
  • 2 lightly beaten egg yolks
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 bunch scallions, chopped
  • salt to taste
  • soy sauce
  • 4 hard boiled eggs
  • hot red pepper or sriracha sauce (optional)
  • 1 pkg ramen noodles (I used HakuBaku Organic Ramen )

METHODS
  1. Bring stock to a boil.
  2. Add carrots, burdock roots, mushrooms, crushed garlic and ginger. After it boils, turn it down to low medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes covered.
  3. In a smaller bowl mix vinegar, the cornstarch and water. Add it to the soup and continue to simmer while stirring until the mixture is thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Turn off the heat and stir egg yolk in gently. Add sesame oil, salt and hot red pepper. Mix.
  5. Make the hard boiled eggs. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature. Bring some water in a pot to a boil. Add the 4 eggs at room temperature. Boil them for about 8 minutes. Take them out and put them into cold water. Peel the shells. (Please see my note above).
  6. Cooking the ramen noodles. In a medium sized pot, bring cold water to a boil and cook the noodles. according to its cooking instructions. Strain and discard water.
  7. Serve in a deep bowl. Add ramen noodles and eggs. Garnish with scallions and add soy sauce to taste.

Enjoy!

Sources:

Text and photo by Twincitiesherbs.

Kitchari recipe

Kitchari! A nourishing vegetarian dish to make in the winter or the summer … whenever you are looking for something easy to digest.

Now that the holidays are over, our bodies want to have a little break from all the rich, heavy foods. However, spring isn’t here yet so we can’t eat all the lovely seasonal vegetables. In fact, spring is nowhere in site, just the past week it was -40F here in the Midwest. Even if the prediction of the groundhog is correct, spring won’t start until April here. Many people start dieting now, removing nourishing foods from their diet but most fail because it is just too early.  So what can we do?  

I like to turn to the ancient Ayurveda cooking, in other words Indian cuisine! Most people associate Indian foods with something exotic. Yes, some of their dishes can be foreign to us, but their nourishing dish, the Kitchari can be made any time, anywhere and surely by anybody.  Really, Indians make it on a regular basis, serve it during holidays with the rich foods to help their digestion and even give it to sick people to recover from an illness. It is an inexpensive dish that millions eat on a daily basis in India. I asked my Ayurveda teacher if we could eat it during the cold season. She said yes even when it is -40F – just add the warming spices like ginger, cumin, and hot pepper. You can serve local vegetables like carrots, spinach, kale, cauliflower, onions etc. Of course, it would go nicely with some Indian rice and roti. 

This is a very healthy dish. Usually, Ayurveda practitioners advice their clients to eat kitchari if they have any acute or chronic issues. It just does amazing things… The three spices turmeric, cumin, coriander are used along with the mung beans. The kitchari diet should last for 1 week when one is only allowed to eat kitchari, rice, grains and vegetables. Of course all the fried foods, fried vegetables, paneer have to be left out. Mung beans are used but if you can get the yellow split moong beans, they are even better as they are easier to digest.

Recipe

Kitchari Ingredients
  • 2 tsp of ghee (I use home-made)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp of coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin powder
  • 1 tsp of whole cumin seeds
  • 1 cup of split mung dal (yellow) – soak for at least 4 hours
  • ½ tsp salt
  • about 4 cups of water or chicken stock
  • 1 inch of fresh minced ginger root, finally chopped
  • black pepper
  • cilantro to taste
  • yogurt
  • lemon
Indian rice Ingredients
  • 1 cup white Basmati rice
  • 2 cups water or meat stock
  • 2 tsp ghee (homemade the best)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • little piece of cinnamon
  • pinch of  saffron (8-10 strings)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp little turmeric

Preparations
  • Clean and soak mung beans overnight but soak at least for 2 hours.
  • Discard water and use fresh cold water to cook the beans. Cook for 1/2 hour.
  • Making the gravy. Saute the onions on medium high heat. When you smell the nice aroma of the onion, add the ginger, cumin seeds stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and the powders (turmeric, cumin, coriander), stir for 1 minute.
  • Add 1/4 cup of cold stock or water. Stir.
  • Add 1 cup chopped tomato and cook for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes saucy.
  • Add chopped carrots and other vegetables.
  • Bring to a boil, turn down and cook for 30 minutes.
  • Add in the cooked mung beans and cook for 15 more minutes or until done.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve with rice, roti, cilantro and lemon.

Indians cook the dish with the rice. I personally like to serve the rice on the side and prepare separate.

Enjoy!