Mushroom Couscous

Today for lunch I had some trader joes olive hummus, tabbouleh, and chopped cucumbers, scooped up with trader joes lentil chips. Pair that with some multi-grain crackers and one mini babybel cheddar cheese..and you get a protein filled lunch. One of the most common questions vegetarians get asked is "how do you get your protein?" Well in just that small lunch, there was about 12 grams of protein. If you haven't tried tabbouleh yet...you're missing out. I'll post my own recipe for it another day. Tonight for dinner, I went to Patsy's and had some Penne alla Vodka, without the bacon of course.

Yesterday I had some leftover mushroom couscous that I made. I bought this box of Gourmet Mushroom Blend from BJ's. It was a combination of dried Portabella, Oyster, Shiitake, Porcini, and Chanterelle mushrooms. What a great surprise. It was so delicious, and I hardly had to do anything.




-About a cup of Dried Mushroom Blend ( I used Epicurean Specialty)
-2 1/2 cups of water
-1 cup couscous (most markets in the U.S. sell the instant variety, which cooks fast)
-Fresh basil chiffonade (however much you like)
-Grated Locatelli Pecorino Romano (or you could use Parmigiano Reggiano)
-A pad or two of earth balance vegan butter (if you have to, use regular butter, but there really is no need to since this one is vegan and tastes great)
-fresh ground pepper

Rinse mushrooms thoroughly (this the only time it is ok to rinse mushrooms, as you should never do this to fresh mushrooms). Boil mushrooms for about 5 minutes, then cover and let steep for 30 to 40 minutes, depending how soft they become. Strain the mushrooms, and save the liquid in a bowl. Chop the mushrooms. Put two cups of the mushroom broth back into the pot, and let it come back to a boil. Pour in the cup of couscous, along with the chopped mushrooms, butter, and few twists of the ol' pepper mill and stir it. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for about 5 to 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork and place into a bowl. Cover with basil and cheese. I found I didn't need any salt because the mushrooms were so flavorful and the cheese adds salt. You could also add a drizzle of olive oil and cooked chickpeas.

Mexican Corn Soup (Sopa de Elote)

Today I stepped into the supermarket and noticed they had fresh ears of corn on sale, so I decided to make Mexican Corn Soup. Thanks to a Christmas present from my aunt, I have a lovely hand blender which makes pureeing soup so easy!

4 ears of corn, cut off of the cob with a knife

half of a medium-sized onion chopped small (I used a red one)

half of a red bell pepper chopped small

one finely chopped jalapeno, no seeds!

1 tbsp of oregano (preferably Mexican)

1 tsp of garlic powder

1/2 tsp of cumin

olive oil (I always use extra virgin)

about 3 cups of vegetable broth, depending on how think you want the soup (I used Emeril's)

1/4 cup of cilantro (you can put less or omit it if you hate cilantro)

tortilla chips

Optional: mexican shredded three cheese blend (omit this to make it vegan), avocado, lime

Sautee the onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeno, along with the oregano, garlic powder, and cumin in enough olive to coat the bottom of a medium sized pot. When the veggies are translucent, add the corn and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sautee the corn for about three minutes and then add the vegetable broth. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Turn off the stove and use a hand mixer to puree the soup. Add fresh cilantro. Ladle into a bowl and add a small handleful of cheese and mix until melted. Add tortilla chips on top. I wished I had avocado, but I didn't, I would have chopped some also for the top. If you don't have a hand blender, you can use a food processor or regular blender. Don't puree the soup too much!