Spinach and Asiago Stuffed Mushrooms

The Story: So as Kourtney and I like to explore, culinarily speaking anyway, and so we decided to finally explore Whole Foods. If you're not familiar with this store its something of a high end organic sort of supermarket but with some very nice counters like the bakery and the pizzeria. Anyhow it was our first time there and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We found veggie pepperoni, these terrific yukon gold garlic chips, as well as some magnificent cheeses. Other than some great gelato we sampled, we came across some very creatively stocked salad bars. This is where we got the inspiration for this recipe. It was made on a night when we were feeling particular ambitious in terms of cooking, and we certainly went all out.

The Dish: Spinach and Asiago Stuffed Mushrooms

6 or 7 large white mushrooms (the larger the better)
3-4 strawberry tomatoes
1 shallot
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of spinach
2-3 tablespoons of canola oil
4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of freshly shredded Asiago cheese
sea salt and black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons of panko bread cumbs

Making these are quite simple. Wash the mushrooms, removing the stems and carving out a little of the interior if necessary. Place the spinach in bowl and mix with the shallots and garlic. Add the oil and mix thoroughly. Add the Parmesan and then mix again. Mix in about half of the bread crumbs. Place a large spoonful of the mixture inside each of the mushrooms. On top of the mixture place the shredded Asiago and the remainder of the bread crumbs. On top of that add a halved strawberry tomato. Place on a oiled baking sheet, and lightly spray the sides of the mushrooms. Bake at a 375 degree heat for 15-20 minutes.


Eat and enjoy!

a Mighty Minestrone soup

The story: Well to be perfectly frank there is not a whole lot of story behind this particular soup. The general recipe is an emulation of this terrific Italian restaurant's soup, Gusto, which is relatively close to me. The main reason I go to this place is for their spectacular eggplant dishes, of which I can't think of anyplace making better, but the bread and the soup that also comes with the meal is great. The recipe is pretty simple as these things go, though at the time of the making of it I didn't quite have everything I needed, it still turned out well. Sadly for many the height of this popular dish is at the Olive Garden, but as I'm sure more than a few might agree that Olive Garden is to Italian as French Fries are to France. As a side note, while the soup largely freezes well, when it comes to defrosting it does sometimes turn the noodles to mush.

*Image taken from Flikr

The Dish: Minestrone soup

5 cups of water
1 cup of vegetable stock
1/2 cup of carrots (sliced thinly)
1 can of diced tomatoes with the juices
1-2 fresh tomatoes
1 small potato (cubed)
3/4 cup of mushrooms
1 can of white kidney beans
1/2 of a medium onion (chopped fine)
2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/4 cup of organic ketchup (more if you want a richer soup)
1/2 cup of dry macaroni
2-3 teaspoons of red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of fresh ground sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
fresh basil to taste
fresh rosemary to taste

Cooking of this dish is quite simple, like most soups. Bring the water and the veggie stock to a boil and then simply add all of the vegetables. The only exception to this would be the potato. The preparation for this is a bit different. First peel the potato and then microwave for 4 minutes or so. This will really help soften it up for the soup. Add the somewhat cooked potato at the same time as the other veggies. Allow this to cook for 10-15 minutes and then add the tomato paste and the ketchup. After this is well mixed into the soup, add the macaroni and let it cook in the soup. Add the salt and pepper, and then the vinegar. Finally add fresh herbs. You might want to add a small amount of corn starch mixed with water into it, if you prefer a thicker soup. Make sure that the macaroni is a little chewy when you serve it, as it gives the soup more texture.

Add a bit of Parmesan Cheese and serve with well toasted fresh Italian bread.


Eat and enjoy!!

Coconut curry soup (tom yom variation)

The story: Well when I lived in Manhattan, I lived down the street from this nice little Thai restaurant, called the Blue Angel. When Kourtney and I would eat there, we would often get the spicy vegetable soup. We both loved it, though Kourtney always gave me the baby corn that was in it. We often thought of recreating the soup, and so we got the ingredients, at least as best as we could find them. I decided to make this soup on a very cold November night, when I had been out doors for a while. This is a great pick me/you up for a day like that. The soup recipe is essentially a tom yom recipe, though I adapted it to a more vegetarian friendly version. Tom yom soup is a very popular, and I might add a rather tasty, Thai soup. I replaced some of the standard ingredients simply because I used what was on hand , as I couldn't find a few necessary ingredients for the original recipe. The resturant has since closed down, but its soup lives on. (sort of)

* Note: Unlike most of the pictures posted, this is not a photo of my own. It is just similar stock photo found on Google images. Obviously mine would not have shrimp on top.

the dish: coconut curry soup (a tom yom variant)
3 cups of rich vegetable broth
1/4 cup of dry sherry cooking wine
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1/4 cup of water
2 heaping tbs of coconut milk
2 heaping tbs of red curry paste (green works just as well)
1/3 cup of chopped shitake mushrooms
1/4 cup of thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 largish lime ( this replaces lemon grass, which can be a pain to deal with)
1/3 of a block of cubed tofu
4 scallion stalks
4 lime leaves
2-3 Thai bird chili peppers
2 ramen noodle blocks (optional. I used a egg noodle version of the ramen style noodles)


Pour the broth into a large pot and bring to a boil. While it is heating up, add the lime leaves and the bird chilies. I don't suggest chopping up the chilies, as they are spectacularly hot, and this is coming from someone who sucks down sambal with the best of them. Andrew Zimmern, from bizarre foods, described these peppers as "nuclear" so be careful of them. The leaves and the peppers will be removed before serving so don't chop them or break them up. When the broth comes to a boil, add the wet ingredients. Wait till the soup returns to a boil and then add the mushrooms and the bell pepper. The mushrooms with create a much richer broth, while the bell pepper will add a mild sweetness. Let the soup continue to boil for another 5-6 minutes, and then add the cubed tofu. Now for the lime. Cut the lime in half, and squeeze out the juice from both halves into the pot. If you really want the lime flavor to stand out, grate a little of the lime zest into the soup as well. Lastly, add the scallions. Stir and lower the temperature to a simmer. Get another pot, a small one preferably, and boil 3 or four cups of water. It should come to a boil very quickly, and when it does, add the noodles. The noodles shouldn't cook more than 3 minutes. Drain the water, and spray them with a small amount of oil. Do not add them to the soup itself, place them in your bowl and them pour the soup on top. This way the noodles don't get overly soggy. Don't forget to take out the lime leaves and the chilies before serving!!!

Eat and enjoy!!