I don't really have a theme for this week -- I still want to do Indian/Asian, but I'm not feeling ready to do so this week. So, we'll have random things Elaine wants to try that are also kosher for Passover.
Sunday (today): Mushroom stock. This doesn't feel quite like a real recipe, since it doesn't produce an immediately edible dish, but I've wanted to do stock for a while and haven't convinced myself to do so. Plus, we still have leftovers to finish.
Monday: Quinoa with portobellos (left over from last week), tomatoes, and some other veggies. :)
Tuesday: Most likely, nothing -- I'll be at school from 9:30am 'till about 9pm, so it seems unlikely that I'll cook.
Wednesday: Probably nothing again -- work 'till 5, a review 'till 6:30, and theater in the evening.
Thursday: Molecular gastronomy day! My sister got me a kit for my birthday, and I have 2 recipes that seem to go well together that I'd like to try -- arugula noodles and balsamic vinegar pearls. So exciting!
Friday: Matzah ball soup again (since I haven't posted the recipe, I'll just count it that time), and a side of some kind -- maybe snap peas with garlic and lemon?
Saturday: Beet salad with goat cheese.
So, today's recipe is mushroom stock. As far as I can tell, it almost doesn't matter what you do with stock, but here's what I did. :) No picture this time, sorry. Also, I doubled this recipe.
Mushroom stock (cobbled together from Cooking Everything Vegetarian and internet sources)
Ingredients
1 onion or 2 green onions
2 carrots
2 celery stalks (I didn't use them, but it's recommended everywhere)
1 pound white mushrooms
1 ounce dried porcini or shitake mushrooms
10-20 stems (with leaves is OK) of parsley
1-2 bay leaf (didn't use it)
1 head garlic (optional, but I love garlic)
2 quarts water
neutral oil
salt and pepper
If using dried mushrooms, soak them in boiling water. Coarsely chop the onions (discard the brown skin, but keep the tough layer you'd normally toss) and slice the carrots (Wash well, but no need to peel). In a stock pot, heat some oil on medium heat. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add carrots, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes, until relatively tender, stirring occasionally. Chop the white mushrooms in the meantime (or ahead of time if you like to have your mise-en-place). With a slotted spoon, remove onion and carrots and set aside. Add more oil if necessary and put in the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and cook until they release liquid and start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the dried mushrooms and their cooking liquid along with the cooked vegetables. Stir, then add water, parsley, bay leaf if using, and garlic (separate the cloves, but don't bother peeling). Stir and bring to a boil. Redice the heat so that the liquid is boiling steadily. Cook for at least 30 minutes, more if you have time, stirring once or twice. Cook, drain, and use or freeze.
Recipe summary
Time: 2 hours or so. Prep and boiling took about 30 minutes, and then I had to do very little for the next 1.5 hours
Yield: About 3 quarts.
Highlights/thoughts: I like that I was able to control the flavor and salt amount here in a way that I can't with store-bought stuff -- I'd really rather my stock be less salty so that I can adjust recipes as needed. I don't like, however, feeling like I put in mushrooms that I could've eaten but now can't because all the goodness has been boiled out of them. The solution, I think, is to start a freezer bag of trimmings. That's what I'm gonna try over the next few weeks.
Would I make this again? Definitely, though I'll have to figure out which variation will work best for me.
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