Huevos Rancheros revisited

I have posted this recipe before, Huevos Rancheros.

This version uses Portobello mushrooms to replace the chorizo sausage, making it both gluten free & vegetarian. So now everyone can enjoy this dish!

Follow the original recipe read here - http://meandmyfood.blogspot.nl/2012/11/huevos-rancheros.html

The main difference will be that you do not fry the sausage or tortilla instead you fry the portabello in a little coconut oil (make sure it's flavourless) on a low heat for 5-6min. The mushrooms will release some water. Season with salt & pepper and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over once you plate.

Mushroom risotto

Risotto has always been a favourite of mine. This is a winning dish every time. Wild mushrooms are in season now, making them extra flavourful. I love to add wild rice to give an added layer of texture and crunch. I also happen to know that this rice is also full of antioxidants and other healthy stuff.

I recently learned that mushrooms are the only vegetable/fungus that contains vitamin D and calcium!

Ingredients needed to serve 4
- 400 grams of mixed mushrooms (preferably wild mushrooms)
- 3 dl aborrio rice
- 1 dl wild rice or black rice (yes there is a difference between the two)
- 1 medium onion
- Salt and pepper
- 1 mushroom or chicken stock cube
- pinch of dried oregano
- knob of butter
- knob of coconut oil (make sure it's a flavourless version) or any other cooking oil
- 300 grams parmesan (you could also do half parmesan and the other half pecorino)
- 1 dl dry white wine
- 2 dl water to cook the black or wild rice
- 4-5 dl water for the aborrio rice

* Optional; fresh chopped parsely, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, tiny squeeze of lemon juice.

1. Cook the black or wild rice according to it's package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside. 
2. Boil the aborrio rice water and add the stock cube to it, stir to dissolve the cube. 
3. Grate the cheese. 
4. In a frying pan on a low heat allow the mushrooms to sweat out their water content. This is done in a dry pan with no fat or oil. The trick is to keep the heat on low. Once all the moisture has come out and partially evaporated add the butter and 'fry'. Add salt & pepper and finally the dried oregano. Set aside. 
5. Dice the onion and fry in the coconut oil till soft and glazed, 3-4min. Add the rice and fry for half a minute. Then add the wine and allow to evaporate. Stir continusly to avoid sticking to bottom of the pan. 
6. Once the wine has evaporated to 1/3 of it's original quantity add the stock water, slowly, 1/2 dl to start with. Stir. 
7. Add more stock water once the rice has started to soak up the initial stock water. Continue this process, adding the stock once the rice looks 'dry' while stirring. 
8. Towards the 15minute mark taste the rice; if it's still got a hard middle then keep adding stock and stirring for another 3 minute, taste again. The aim is to have a slight 'al dente' bite without it being under cooked. 
9. Once the rice is done add the parmesan and stir, allowing the cheese to melt into the rice. Then add the black or wild rice. 
10. Finally plate the risotto and add the mushrooms. 
11. I like to finish off with some chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and even a tiny squeeze of lemon juice. 

Sweet potato barley soup

Another of my favorite winter soups. Barley and sweet potato are a perfect union. You can really use what ever veg you have in your fridge. Soups are always a great way to use up old veggies.



Recipe for 8 servings

8 button mushrooms
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 stalks of celery
2 dl pearled barley
1/3 of a broccoli head
1/2 fennel bulb
a few stalks of fresh parsley
2 stock cubes - chicken or veggie
salt & pepper
drizzle of cooking oil or coconut oil (my new favorite cooking oil - just make sure you use the flavourless version)
6 dl water

1. Chop all the veggies into chunks. 
2. Drizzle some cooking oil into a big pot and slowly fry the veggies, on a low heat for a few minutes. You just want to give them a little time to open up in flavor. 
3. Add the stock cube & water
4. Add the barley
5. Allow the soup to simmer, on a low heat for 30 min. Leave the lid half ways on.  
6. Taste, add salt & pepper and add the stalks of the parsley, save the leaves for last minute garnish. 
7. Allow the soup to simmer another 12-15min. taste again and add more seasoning if need be. 
8. The barley should be soft & bouncy while the veggie soft-ish. 
9. Once you are content with the taste & consistency pour the soup out into bowls and add the fresh parsley

Grilled portabello & gruyer sandwich

This is real simple.

1. Slice and grill the portabello
2. Toast 2 slices of bread
3. Half a garlic clove and scrape it over the top of the toasts
4. Place the grilled portabello slices with some slices of gruyer or other good melting cheese on the toasts.
5. Grill the sandwich.
6. Eat.

If you want to be fancy and have some truffel essense or oil at home sprinkle a little over the inside of the toast or over the portabello once its finished grilling.

Indian spiced vegetable curry

For this curry you need the vital ingredients of Garam masala & el ras hanout. I know, the last mentioned is not at all Indian but it adds a brilliant curry flavor that Garam masala does not do on it's own. So trust me, just use both. 

I like to serve this curry with brown basmati rice, cooked with some tumeric for its gorgeous yellow color also it has great nutritional values, read more here.  I also add pinch of ground cardamon both spices create that vibrant colorful Indian feeling. Sometimes I do half quinoa & half rice, just because sometimes brown rice can be very filling and quinoa feels lighter. 

Brown rice mushroom risotto

My husband refers to this type of food as rabbit food. Apparently it lacks in 'substance'. Well,  I like rabbit food. Actually I love rabbit food, i would eat more rabbit food if I could get away with making it more often. It makes me feel good, healthy and ultimately happier.

I made this using what was on hand. You could replace the brown rice for quinoa,  wheat berries, farro (spelt). You could add sprouts, roasted pumkin seeds. You could skip the parmesan, instead add feta or no cheese at all. Basically it is about using what you have in the fridge and basing it around a whole grain carbohydrate.

I have never used kale before, but I keep seeing it in lots of food blogs recipes. Its in season now, and cheap,  so I figured I would incorporate it.

for 2
2dl brown rice
10 brown champignons
1 or 0,5 cube mushroom stock (veggie or chicken will also do)
1 dl peas
1 garlic clove
squeeze of lemon
grind of dry flaked chili
parmesan (amount chosen by yourself)
3 large leaves Kale (bio, its in season now and very cheap at least here in The Netherlands)
optional - a sprinkle of roasted sesame seeds (sesame seeds fried in a pan with no oil or butter, till they begin to pop, the heat must be low while roasting)