Quick Green Chili

Slightly adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Two by Burks and Lawrence

Serves 3

1 Tablespoon olive oil
8 oz button mushrooms, smashed
1/2 small onion of your choice, diced small
1 medium green bell pepper, diced small
1 15-oz can cannellini beans
1 16-oz jar tomatillo salsa
1/2 cup sour cream (for serving)
rice (for serving)

Place a medium-sized non-reactive pot over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and the mushrooms and cook, stirring/turning occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked off.

Add the green bell pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in the beans with their liquid and the salsa; reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve over rice with sour cream on top if desired.

Super-simple Quick Black Bean Soup

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Two by Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence

Serves 2 (generously)

Soup
1 can black beans (including their liquid)
1 can petite-diced tomatoes (including their liquid)
1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon (your choice of flavor)
1/3 cup water
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
The original recipe also called for 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar but Sam and I think we will prefer it without

For serving (optional)
2 Tablespoons sour cream (highly recommended)
hot sauce

Chunky version
Put the soup ingredients in a medium-sized pot over medium heat, stir together, and heat until warm enough to eat. Add sour cream and hot sauce to individual servings as desired.

Smooth version
Put the soup ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a medium-sized pot, place over medium heat, and heat until warm enough to eat. Add sour cream and hot sauce to individual servings as desired.

Citrus Electrolyte Drink

from https://illinoiscancercare.com/news/electrolytedrinkrecipe/

Makes 2 servings

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups water (filtered or raw coconut water)
2 tbsp organic raw honey or organic maple syrup
1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Chill as desired.

(I halved the recipe, measured the ingredients into a 2-cup wide-mouth mason jar, put on a lid, and shook to blend.)

Italian Marinated Mushrooms

From “Mediterranean Harvest” by Martha Rose Schulman

Serves 4-6

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound small mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed even with the cap

1. In a large, lidded skillet or wide saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the mushrooms, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan, rounded side down. Simmer five minutes, uncovered. Using tongs, turn the mushrooms over. Simmer for another three to five minutes until just cooked through. Using tongs, remove the mushrooms to a bowl.

2. Place a strainer over the bowl, and strain in the liquid from the pan. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate or serve at room temperature. To serve, remove the mushrooms from the marinade with a slotted spoon, place in a serving bowl or on a platter, and have toothpicks and napkins close by. Optional: sprinkle mushrooms with chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, chervil, or marjoram) when you serve them.

Advance preparation: You can make these three to four days ahead.

Cal Peternell’s Mushroom Meatballs

Slightly adapted from Burnt Toast and Other Disasters by Carl Peternell

6 servings

2 cups fresh or 1 cup dried breadcrumbs, plus more as needed
1/3 cup whole milk, plus more as needed
1 medium yellow onion, peeled
12 ounces large button mushrooms
2 Tablespoons cooking oil, olive or vegetable, plus more as needed
kosher salt
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 pound ground pork
ground black pepper
2 eggs
2 garlic cloves, pounded with a pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (I left these out for Sean’s sake)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried mint (ditto)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese
2 cups tomato sauce (optional)
1 1/2 pounds pasta (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk and set aside to soak. (Have some extra bread crumbs on hand in case you nee to adjust the meatball mixture later.)

Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the onion and the mushrooms. Heat a large skillet over high heat, add the oil, then add the grated onion and mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid from the onion and mushrooms has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the ground meats with 3/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, eggs, garlic, parsley & mint (if using), and cheese. Squeeze any excess liquid from the breadcrumbs and add them and the cooled mushroom mixture to the bowl. Use a large fork to mix well so that everything is well distributed. Remember that over-handling ground meat can make it tough. If the mixture seems too wet, add more bread crumbs.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add some oil. Make a tiny taster patty and fry in oil on both sides until cooked through. Let cool a little, then taste. Adjust the meatball mixture as needed for texture and seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. You’ll need two large rimmed baking sheets, sprayed with olive oil spray. Put the oven rack in the middle position. Using your hands form the mixture into ping-pong ball or golf-ball sized meatballs, half on one sheet and half on the other, leaving as much space between them as possible. When the oven is hot, put in the first tray, for 8 minutes or until the meatballs are nicely brown on the bottom. Carefully turn each one over, then cook about 5 minutes more, until cooked through (cut one to check). Keep track of how long that took and do it again for the second tray of meatballs.

Serve however you like, perhaps with pasta and marinara sauce, or in a sandwich with marinara and melted cheese.

Ellie Krieger’s Breakfast Cookies

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup strained carrot baby food

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup bran cereal flakes

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant, then chopped

1. Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Broccoli Tofu Curry

Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Living September 2021

Serves 4

• 14 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into bite-size cubes
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 3 Thai bird chilis (I couldn’t find these so I substituted slivered red onion)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot (I didn’t have a shallot on hand so I substituted red onion)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro stems
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons green curry paste
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk (if you have only coconut cream you can substitute 1/2 a can plus 1/2 a can of water)
• 6 cups broccoli florets (from about 2 large heads). I cut my broccoli florets in half vertically so they cook more quickly and aren’t such a big bite.
• for serving: rice (brown? jasmine? white? you decide)

Put the oven rack in the top position and preheat the broiler on high. Drain tofu on paper towels for 10 minutes and pat dry. On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss tofu with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (avocado oil) and tamari. Broil, turning once, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes.

Place chilis (or substitute 1/4 cup slivered red onion) in a small bowl and cover with lime juice to pickle them.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a pot over medium. Add ginger, shallot, cilantro stems and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add green curry paste and cook 1 minute more. Add coconut milk (or coconut cream and water) and 1/2 cup water; season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add broccoli florets. Simmer, partially covered, until florets are tender, about 3 minutes. Add tofu, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with rice, cilantro leaves, and reserved pickled chilis (or red onion).

Marinated Flank Steak

for 2 lbs of steak, trimmed

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Penzeys Northwoods seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend the marinade ingredients in a zip-top bag, add steak, seal the bag, set it on a small baking tray in the fridge and let it marinate 3-4 hours. When ready to cook, remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off, and discard the marinade.

Can be cooked in a skillet (cut in half, medium-high heat, 3 minutes per side, rest 10 minutes) or under the broiler (high setting, 4″ from heat, 3 minutes per side, rest 10 minutes). Cut into 1/3″ slices to serve.

Broiled Flank Steak

Marinade:
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar

2 lbs (+/-) flank steak, trimmed of any large pieces of fat

Put marinade ingredients in a 1 gallon ziplock bag. Seal the bag and slosh it around to combine the marinate ingredients. Open the bag and add the steak, then seal the bag again and turn it over a couple of times to coat the steak with the marinade. Put the bag on a baking sheet in the fridge for 2 hours or so.

When ready to cook, take the steak out of the fridge. Remove it from the bag, letting the marinade drip off into the bag. Seal the bag and throw it away – do not re-use the marinade. Place the steak on a baking tray or broiler pan. Place the oven rack so the steak will be about 4″ from the broiler. Preheat the broiler on HI for 5 minutes. Place the baking tray/broiler pan with the steak on it under the heat element, leaving the oven door ajar as your oven instructions direct. Broil for 6 minutes, turn, then broil 6 minutes more on the 2nd side. Remove and check the temperature – we like our flank steak at about 135 degrees – medium-rare. If it’s not at the desired temperature, put it back under the broiler as needed. Note that it will keep cooking a bit as it rests. When it’s at the temp you like, remove it to a cutting board, and cover with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice across the grain (very important!) at an angle, in 1/3″ slices, and serve immediately.

This recipe looks great too:
https://www.theblackpeppercorn.com/how-to-cook-the-perfect-flank-steak/

Patty O’s Sugar Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons flavoring (vanilla, almond, lemon, or mint extract)

Mix all ingredients. Shape dough into a disk and refrigerate overnight. The next day, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Flour board and roll dough out to 1/4″. Cut into shapes. Bake 8-10 minutes until edges are slightly golden.