Chickpea and Crimini Soup

Fall brings weather that naturally welcomes one of my favorite foods- soup!  Although yesterday was pretty humid, the gloomy weather made it a perfect day for soup.  See the soup and recipe at the end of this post!

This WIAW started on a pretty average note:

Old Fashioned Oats with Banana, Peanut Butter, and Honey accompanied by a cup of coffee.  While tasty and satisfying, I found myself wishing I still had a couple of these guys around:

Breakfast Egg Rolls!

I made these over the weekend, and let me tell you, the breakfast burrito has got some competition.  Click here for the recipe.

Luckily lunch involved less wishful thinking.  It was (as per usual) leftovers from the night before:

Roasted Beet and Carrot Curry.  This one is definitely a keeper!  The carrots and beets are absolutely delicious in the creamy spicy coconutty broth!  It's an unusual curry, but it definitely works.  The green bits are  raw shredded beet greens, mostly there to make the picture pretty.  Recipe coming soon!

Through out the day at work I also snacked on a pear, laughing cow swiss wedge, and some cut up carrots, celery and radishes.  Also more coffee.  Always, always, more coffee :)

Now finally on to the soup!

Chickpea and Crimini Soup

This soup is relatively simple, but incredibly deep in flavor thanks to the sauteed mushrooms and onions.   The blended chickpeas add body, and make this a very substantial soup.  This hearty vegan recipe will keep you cosy on chilly fall evenings. Recipe is slightly adapted from here.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chickpeas

About 4 cups liquid from cooked chickpeas, or water, or vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil

1 extra large onion, chopped (about 2.5 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces mushrooms, chopped

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 vegetable bouillon cube

salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne

Directions

1.  In a large pot heat the oil and cook the onions until translucent and slightly brown around the edges. Add the garlic and cook another minute or so until fragrant.  Deglaze the pan with some water and add the mushrooms and fresh thyme leaves.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes until mushrooms have lost moisture and are tender.

2.  Add the chickpeas, bouillon, bay leaf, and enough liquid to completely cover the mix.  Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer and let cook another 10 minutes.

3.  Remove pot from the heat and the bay leaf from the pot.  Allow to cool slightly and then blend to desired consistency with an immersion blender.  I left some whole chickpeas and mushroom pieces in mine for texture.  Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.

I hope you enjoyed my eats of the day.  Be sure to hop over to Peas and Crayons to see how everyone else is Fall-ing into!

Crimini and Kale Casserole

This weekend I turned twenty three.  For some reason, I find that twenty three almost sounds older than twenty four, which I know makes absolutely no sense.  I blame it on that creepy Jim Carrey movie I saw a few years ago The Number 23.  (I do not recommend this film, as I recall, it was pretty terrible.)

Anyway this weekend was spent relaxing and catching up with some friends.  In fact this weekend was so relaxing, I didn't manage to snap any pictures of my eats.

Since I've failed as a photographer and this recipe falls into this month's theme so well, I thought I would share a dish I promised y'all a couple of weeks ago.

Crimini and Kale Casserole

To me casseroles are the equivalent of a warm sweater on a cool Autumn evening.  Easy and comforting, this casserole is loaded with sauteed kale, crimini mushrooms, and caramelized onions.  It is very satisfying in a hearty way, but still seems light enough to be appropriate for our not quite fall weather.

Ingredients

16 ounces 4% cottage cheese

1.5 large yellow onions, thinly sliced into half circles

3.5 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 sprigs fresh thyme

salt & pepper

pinch of cayenne to taste

12 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced thinly sliced

8 cups kale, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped into ribbons

16 ounces whole wheat shell pasta

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

chicken stock (optional)

Directions

1.  In a large sauce pan melt the olive oil and 1.5 tbsp of the butter.  Once hot, add the onions and cook until caramelized (about 45 minutes).  Add the fresh thyme leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Deglaze the pan with a little water or chicken stock.

2.  Next melt the remaining 2 tbsp of butter, and saute the mushrooms in batches, until most of the water has been cooked out of them.  Remove from the pan and set in a separate bowl from the onions.

3.  Deglaze the pan once again and add the kale, cooking until softened but still bright green, about 3 minutes.

4.  In a food processor combine the cottage cheese, caramelized onions, and cayenne, pureeing until completely smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5.  In a large pot of boiling water,  cook and drain the pasta, leaving it slightly under done.  

6.  Preheat the oven to 350F.  Combine all of the ingredients (except the cheddar) and spread into a large baking dish (I used one approx. 9x17inches).  Sprinkle with the cheddar and bake for 15-20 minutes until casserole is heated through, and the top has lightly browned.

Be sure to check out all the fun over at Peas and Crayons!

Meatless Monday- Broiled Portabellas with Caramelized Onions

As much as I like my vegetarian meals, this weekend I found myself craving something different from my usual fare of lentils and quinoa.

To change it up I bought some mushrooms to make stuffed portabella caps, but the thing is, I always make stuffed caps.  So I thought to myself, lets try something new.

I'm so glad I did!  Although the ingredients for this meal are simple, the flavors are complex and deep.  The creamy caramelized onions pair well with the slightly springy mushroom, and the components are complimentary rather than combative.

All in all the experiment was a succes, and one I'm sure I'll recreate soon.

Mushroom and Thyme Spaghetti

I've been cooking in a serious fashion for a little over a year now, and I have to say I've become pretty confident in the kitchen.  Confident enough to substitute, improvise, and create.  It really is amazing to have an idea and just run with it, to create something all your own.

This recipe is a greenhorn gourmande original, and while not incredibly inventive, it is insanely delicious.