Mussels Julia’s way

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To clean the mussels, put them in a large bowl with 2 quarts of water and 4-5 tbsp. flour and soak for 30 minutes, or until the mussels disgorge any sand. Drain the mussels, then remove the “beard” from each with your fingers. If they’re dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. Discard any mussels whose shells aren’t tightly shut.

Saute a cup or so of chopped onion (I usually just use one small-medium one) and a couple of cloves of garlic in 4 tablespoons of butter in a big pot over medium heat for a few minutes until tender. Put a big handful of chopped parsely and 2-3 pounds scrubbed mussels into the pot, cover and shake; add two cups of dry white wine, turn heat up to high, cover again and shake to mix, then let cook for about 4-5 minutes until the mussels open.

Then remove the mussles with a slotted spoon, let the wine broth boil down for several minutes, add freshly squeezed lemon juice and heavy cream (about 3/4 cup or so). Simmer to heat through and thicken a bit, check seasoning. Return the mussels to the pot to heat up, then serve in bowls with baguette chunks on the side.

Lentil Chili II

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1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped onion
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (16 ounce) package dry lentils
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 dash paprika
1 dash chipotle powder
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery
I can green chilies
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed.

Heat the olive oil and melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Mix in lentils, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. Pour in the water. Season chili with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix carrots, celery, black beans and green chilies into the chili. Continue cooking 20 minutes over low heat, until lentils, carrots, and celery are tender.

Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream and grated cheese.

More recipes here:http://www.mimbly.com/recipes/index.htm

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Pumpkin Lasagne – Serves 6-8 from Real Simple Magazine

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3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 bunches Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 15-ounce cans pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Parmesan

1 1/2 18- to 24-ounce packages refrigerated cheese ravioli

    Heat oven to 400° F.

    In a large skillet, over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chard (if using) and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, the sage, and the nutmeg.

    In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, cream, 1 cup of the Parmesan, and the remaining salt and pepper.

    Place a layer of ravioli in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with half the onion mixture and almost half the pumpkin mixture. Top with another layer of ravioli. Repeat with the remaining onion mixture and all but 1 cup of the pumpkin mixture. Top with the remaining ravioli, pumpkin mixture, and Parmesan. Sprinkle with the remaining butter, cut into small pieces. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

Tips- To make ahead: Assemble the lasagna but do not bake it. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed, adding 25 minutes to the covered cooking time. Can use cheese tortellini instead of ravioli.

More recipes: http://www.mimbly.com/recipes/index.htm

The Infamous Seitan Recipe o’ Greatness

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(dmv changes)

1.5 c. vital wheat gluten

1/4 c. nutritional yeast

1 . salt (didn’t use)

2 t. paprika

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. cumin

1-2 t. pepper (1.5 tsp)

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

1/8 t. allspice

3/4 c. cold water (¾ -1 cup)

4 T. tomato paste ( I may have screwed up and only used 2 T, next time will make sure to use 4 T!!)

1 T. ketchup

2 T. olive oil

2 T. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (1 tbsp.soy sauce, 1 tbsp Worcestershire)

1-3 cloves garlic, crushed well

Preheat oven to 325°.

In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients. Mix the rest of the ingredients (liquid ingredients) in a smaller mixing bowl. Whisk well until mixed.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well, then knead for several minutes. (work quickly as it becomes firm in no time)

Form into a log (6-8″ long), wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends. Bake for 90 minutes. When done baking, unwrap and leave out to cool all the way. Then wrap it foil or plastic and refrigerate. Slice to use as desired. (Careful as it’s easy to rip the foil)

HINTS from Jay’s friend; hi jay! i made another batch of seitan. this time, i used no ketchup, no salt, 2 tbsp sriracha sauce, and 2 tbsp soy sauce. i substituted red pepper flakes for black pepper, 1 cup of water instead of 3/4, and baked it for 75 minutes. it was so tasty!

(next time I will play around with spices and keep you posted–dmv)


Bow Ties With Butternut Squash & Peas

1 package (16 ounces) bow-tie or corkscrew pasta
Salt
1 medium butternut squash (2 1/4 pounds), peeled, seeded,
and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage leaves
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:
In large pasta cooker with colander insert, cook pasta in boiling salted water as label directs.

Meanwhile, place squash chunks in 2 1/2-quart microwave-safe baking dish; cover and cook in
microwave oven on High 12 minutes, stirring once. Stir in peas, half-and-half, and sage, and cook, uncovered, 2 minutes.

Lift colander insert out of pasta cooker and drain excess water. In large bowl, toss pasta with
squash mixture, Parmesan, pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Serves: 6

Braised Tofu In Carmel Sauce

This is based on a Vietnamese dish known as Tau Hu Kho

Ingredients:
1 pound firm tofu
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp thin sliced green onion
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions:

Cut tofu in 2 by 3 inch 1/2 inch thick slices and pat dry.

Place sugar in a 10 to 12 inch frying pan over med-high heat; shake pan often until sugar melts and turns amber, about 3 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup hot water (mixture will bubble) and stir over medium heat until caramelized sugar dissolves. Stir in soy sauce, shallots, ginger, garlic, stir over high heat until boiling. Lay tofu pieces in a singer layer in sauce.

Simmer uncovered over medium low heat for 5 minutes. With wide spatula turn pieces over and simmer another 3 4 minutes.

Transfer tofu and sauce to serving dish and sprinkle with green onions and pepper.

Bread Crumb Pasta – elliemay.com

1/2 bunch of swiss chard or other leafy greens
8 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/3 cup italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs (preferably homemade)
salt
grated parmesan cheese

Wash the greens and pat dry with paper towels or spin dry (this is very important because, if the greens are too wet, they will cause the breadcrumbs to become soggy). Separate the stems from the greens and chop coarsely. Cut the leaves crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Set aside until ready to be used.

Bring 3 to 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the directions on the package or until it is al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a wide pan. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 30 seconds longer. Add the parsley, breadcrumbs, and chard stems. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning the breadcrumbs. If they seem a little too dry or on the verge of burning, add a bit more olive oil to the pan. Add the chard leaves and cook until they become slightly wilted.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it well and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together. Combine the pasta and breadcrumb mixture and toss to mix. Season to taste with salt and serve topped with grated parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings

Green Bean and Tomato

16 oz egg tagliatelle (pasta)
1lb fine green beans
6 plum tomatoes
2 oz parmesan
1 garlic clove
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp basil leaves

Top and tail the green beans, cook in boiling salted water until tender, then drain.

Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the juice and seeds and chop the flesh coarsely. Season

Peel the garlic, add to the cream and bring to a boil. Season. Remove the garlic, and add the tomato, green beans, and basil. Stir to combine.

Grate the Parmesan.

Cook the tagliatelle (pasta) in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, and add the tomato and beans. Serve with Parmesan. This is a summer pasta. Always use the ripest tomatoes and the finest green beans.

Halupki – the easy way

1 small head of cabbage, cut into thin slices (like for coleslaw)
1 lb MorningStar Farms “beef” crumbles
– or –
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb ground turkey or beef
1-2 cups rice, cooked
1 small onion chopped fine
1 can tomato soup

In a lightly greased/sprayed (with Pam) 8 x 12 baking dish spread cut cabbage. Sauté one chopped small onion in a bit of olive oil until soft, add “beef” crumbles or ground turkey or beef to heat through.
Next add 1 to 2 cups cooked rice and mix well. Spread meat mixture over the cabbage. Mix one can tomato soup with 1 cup water and pour over cabbage/meat mixture.
Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Laurie’s Cherry Tomato Pasta – Shelia Lukins

It is important to cook the garlic over low heat, or it will burn. Watch it closely.

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves
6 ounces pasta, cooked
Grated Parmesan cheese (for serving), optional

1. Place the oil in a skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper; raise heat to medium and cook, gently smashing some of the tomatoes with the back of a spoon (leave some whole), until the sauce is thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the basil.

3. Add the pasta, combine well and serve immediately, topped with grated cheese.