Polish Mushroom Soup

While it may be too hot here for soup, on the other side of the country, with damp, raw weather conditions, my parents have been warming up with this Polish Mushroom Soup. My Dad traditionally makes this vegetarian soup as part of our Polish Christmas Eve dinner, Wigilia, when Polish people refrain from eating meat.  For Dad's Polish mushroom soup you'll need:
 
Ingredients:
a few tablespoons of butter
a few tablespoons of olive oil 
1 package dried mushrooms, revived in warm water
10 ounces of fresh mushrooms, like button mushrooms 
10 ounces of fresh mushrooms, like cremini or baby bella mushrooms 
small onion, chopped 
sprigs of fresh rosemary
32 ounces of vegetable broth 
salt and pepper 
barley - rinsed and soaked in 16 ounces of water 
1 cup cream, or 2 tablespoons of sour cream 

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan (which has a cover), heat butter and oil.  Add the revived dried mushrooms and cover with the lid. 
2. After 2-3 minutes, add half of the fresh mushrooms (a combination of both varieties) and salt and pepper.  Cook for about 10 minutes - covered on low.  If the mushrooms look dry, add some vegetable broth. 
3. Next add the vegetable broth, barley with the water, and sprigs of rosemary.

4. In a separate pan, sauté onions and the remaining fresh mushrooms.  Then add to the above saucepan.  
5. Simmer the soup for about 1 hour.  Add salt and pepper to taste and cream or sour cream at the end.  

Note - soup will thicken due to the barley.  You may want to add more vegetable broth or water. Make sure to remove the rosemary stalks before serving. 

Thanks, Dad, for your recipe and pictures!

Mushroom and Kale Soup

M and I have been on a soup-kick this winter/early spring and this one was AMAZING!  We had leftover mushrooms from some previous dishes, like our chicken fried rice and Tom Kha Gai, so we included them in this one-pot meal.  I was inspired to make mushroom and kale soup after I sampled it at a recent yoga workshop and also from reading this blog. 

We included: straw mushrooms, dried mushrooms - which we re-hydrated, shiitake mushrooms, 2 bay leaves, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, 1 can of beef broth, 1 beef bouillon cube, 1 can of water, butter, olive oil, chopped kale, onions, carrots, celery, and about a 1/4 cup of coconut milk at the end. 

Mushroom Cross Stitch for Memory Jar

As I was putting away Friday night's concert tickets in my movie and concert memory jar, I realized that I never shared this project.  I originally saw both ideas (the memory jar and mushroom cross stitch pattern) on Pinterest and decided to combine the two.

Putting concert, movie, and sporting event tickets in a mason jar is an easy and creative way to keep your ticket stubs together.  You could keep the lid as is, but I thought I would go that extra step and cross stitch something small - like a mushroom - for the top.  The free pattern is here.  I added some batting to make the lid puffy. 

Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pasta

For this dish you'll need:

1/4 box of pasta
olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup butter
1 cup cream
1 and 1/2 freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup cream cheese
Salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
1 can peas
2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped 
4 slices cooked bacon, chopped
handful of fresh chopped basil

Directions:

1. Boil your choice of pasta in salted water.  We used angel hair.  Drain and lightly toss is olive oil.

2. Saute 2 cups of sliced mushrooms and onions.  Set aside. 

2. In a separate sauce pan, melt a 1/4 cup of butter over medium heat.  Whisk in cream, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and cream cheese.  Add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.  Add a can of peas, cooked chicken, mushrooms and onions. 

3. Add cooked noodles to the sauce pan and toss to coat.

4. Plate and add crispy, chopped bacon and basil. 

Cooking note - The Parmesan cheese was challenging to melt.  Next time we might use a cheese that melts easier, like Provolone, an Asiago blend, or Gruyere. 

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Quiche recipes usually call for a TON of eggs, which are high in cholesterol.  However, this quiche recipe is different.  You only use 4 eggs and it serves 8 people, which is less than 1 egg per person.  You could also substitute Egg Beaters, if you are watching your cholesterol. 

This is a delicious dish for an Easter or Mother's Day brunch.  Baci had two servings of it one Easter, which speaks volumes.  

Yesterday I made it with bacon and substituted the cottage cheese for an individual serving of  non-fat PLAIN Greek yogurt.  Make sure it's plain, not vanilla.   Also, check out MealsandMoves Blog, for all the uses of Greek Yogurt in your cooking. 

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche Ingredients:

12 ounces baby spinach

1 medium onion, diced

1 10-ounce container of mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 eggs

4 - 6 slices of bacon (optional)

1/2 teaspoon thyme 

1/2 teaspoon oregano 

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste 

3/4 cup milk

8 ounces cottage cheese OR individual serving (about 4 or 5 oz.) of non-fat plain Greek yogurt 

1/2 cup shredded cheese (like mozzarella cheese)

1 pie crust

baking spray 

quiche dish, or pie pan 

Method:

1. Heat oil in saucepan.  Sauté onions, mushrooms and garlic. Add thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Next add the baby spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Set aside to cool.

2. While the vegetables are cooking, fry the bacon in a separate pan.  Or if you're like me, microwave your bacon on a microwave-safe dish in between paper towels.  Four minutes was the perfect time for six slices of crispy bacon, but that may depend on your microwave. Years ago, with a lesser-powered microwave, the rule in our house was one minute per slice.  

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl.  Add milk, plain Greek yogurt, and spinach mixture to the eggs. Stir until blended. Set aside. I add a bit more thyme, oregano, salt and pepper here too. 

4. Spray the bottom and sides of a quiche dish/pie pan and unfold the pie crust into the pan.  You may have to stretch it, depending on the size of the dish. Poke bottom of pastry crust with a fork.  

5. Pour spinach mixture into pie crust. 

6. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Enjoy!

NOTE - Do not forget to spray your dish before you put down the pie crust.