Since the Standard (our city’s newspaper that I write for) no longer published all of their articles on line, I thought I would post it here after the obligatory waiting period.
My last article was surrounding fall’s top fruit: the apple! (And a couple delicious recipes to boot).
Considering the weather is still in the chilly numbers, stews are still making their way into my repertoire. I know, I know – so many stews. But I love them! And this comforting stew highlights my favourite winter green, combining a rich mushroom flavour with kale and chewy, short grain, brown rice. You can also use quinoa in place of the rice.
Mushroom Stew with Kale and Brown Rice
vegan, gluten-free, allergen-free
Makes 4 to 6 servings
You’ll need:
1/2 ounce dried black trumpet mushrooms
4 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
6 cups thickly sliced cremini mushrooms
4 large garlic cloves, minced
heaping 3/4 cup dried short grain brown rice (recommend: Lundberg)
6 cups vegetable or mushroom broth (see my article on making your own vegetable broth)
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
2 bay leaves
8 to 12 cups packed chopped kale, stemmed and washed (depending on how much you love it… just add a little more broth if you want to add more (we do!))
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Place the dried mushrooms in a measuring cup and cover with 4 cups of boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large Dutch oven, and add the onions. Cook until tender, then add the cremini mushrooms. Once they let out their juices and are tender, add the garlic, and salt to taste. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, until fragrant.
After the dried mushrooms have soaked, set a strainer over top of a large bowl, and line it with cheesecloth or a fine sieve. Drain the mushrooms into the bowl. Rinse the mushrooms once, squeezing out any excess water. This removes any debris left on the mushrooms. Give them a rough chop.
Add the mushrooms, rice, mushroom soaking liquid, vegetable broth, and seasonings (thyme, parsley, sage, bay leaves) to the Dutch oven. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, add the kale to the soup, and allow to cook another 15 minutes. Add more salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
My latest article in the newspapers focused on Valentine’s Day. Despite my lack of interest in the Hallmark event, making tasty treats to tempt a lover is never something I’ll pass on.
The .pdf file to the article is here, but it can always be read online. For reasons unknown, the Standard left out the truffles in the online version, so included is the link to the Niagara Falls Review.
Both truffle recipes will be featured in my next cookbook.
Meanwhile, I’ve been so busy that I’ve been rotating quick soups, leftovers from recipe testing various baked goodies, tofu scrambles, roasted vegetables, and salad with a tahini vinaigrette.
Regardless of the free Lindor heart shape chocolates that RW&Co. was passing out today, I’m happy enough with my supply of truffles sitting in my freezer for me to snack on. And frankly, Mr. Lindor, your truffles aren’t chockful of protein and healthy fats, are they?
