Snap Pea Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Quinoa risotto.

You read that right. It actually tastes quite splendid.

I studded this with snap peas and baby shiitake mushrooms. They provide great flavor and texture—pops of sweetness and umami. But feel free to play around with different combinations. Though this is a vegan dish, the quinoa provides plenty of protein to make it a complete meal.

I'm also still in love with this organic tri-color quinoa blend from Trader Joe's.

How can you resist?

Snap Pea Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Serves 2 people
Cooking time: about twenty minutes
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups snap peas
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
extra stock for consistency
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa. Add the vegetable stock and the quinoa to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 15 minutes (or per package instructions). Remove from heat.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and reduce heat to medium. Saute for a few minutes, until softening. Add the snap peas and the mushrooms. Cook for about five minutes, or until the snap peas are tender.

3. Add the white wine to the vegetables. Bring to a simmer and reduce in half. Add the quinoa and stir to combine. More chicken stock may be added to the pan to adjust the consistency. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!

Meatless Monday: Mushroom Ragu with Homemade Cavatelli

Mushroom Ragu with Homemade Cavatelli

There's lots of news swirling around this Monday.

First up, Meatless Monday is featuring my recipe for Pomegranate Guacamole this week, so hope on over and give the recipe some love! It's delicious, healthy, and Susan Feniger even loved it (it placed second in a guacamole contest).

Second, the Environmental Working Group has just released the Meat Eaters Guide to Climate Change and Health, where you can calculate the carbon footprint of your diet. This tool can help you reduce your environmental impact and eat healthier by cutting down on your meat consumption. It also helps identify which protein sources, such as beef and farmed salmon, are the least carbon friendly. So check it out!

Now on to this week's Meatless Monday recipe for Mushroom Ragu with Homemade Cavatelli. While I paired this meaty meatless sauce with my homemade pasta, which I blogged about last week, it would work with any boxed pasta, too. Just try to pick up something made from whole grains. For an extra special treat, instead of using parm, I topped the pasta with ricotta cheese. It added a lovely, creamy layer to the dish, and went beautifully with the sauce. This is my favorite pasta recipe that I've made recently, and I can't wait to try it again!

Mushroom Ragu with Homemade Cavatelli
Serves 4-6 people
Cooking time (for the sauce): about 40 minutes
Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Ingredients

•  4 cups portobello mushrooms, chopped
• 28 ounce can of tomatoes, pureed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry red wine 
• 1 bay leaf 
• pinch of chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 recipe Homemade Cavatelli or other pasta

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.  
2. Add the onion and carrots and saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.  
3. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, another few minutes.
4. Then, add the garlic and chili flakes and saute for another minute. 
5. Add the red wine and bring to a simmer and allow it to reduce in half.
6. Finally, add the tomatoes, bay leaf and thyme. Partially cover the pot and allow the sauce to simmer for about 35-40 minutes.  
7. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. 
8. To serve, place the pasta in a bowl and top with a generous portion of the Mushroom Ragu. Finish with a scoop of fresh ricotta cheese. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients

• portobello mushrooms, onions, carrots, garlic, and thyme from the West Hollywood Farmers Market
• ricotta cheese from Trader Joe's

Meatless Monday: Stir-Fried Snap Peas, Bell Peppers & Shitake Mushrooms

Stir-Fried Snap Peas, Bell Peppers & Shitake Mushrooms

Just this weekend, a friend was asking me on Twitter if I knew any vegetable recipes for kids. That got me to thinking today that it's been a little while since I've posted a straight up vegetable dish, even though I make them all the time.

Usually inspired by my farmers market finds, I find that my creativity comes out best when I'm working with vegetables (not protein). The textures, the colors, the flavors, the ever-changing seasonal inventory are what get me excited. I plan my meals around vegetables and fruits, not the other way around.

So today, here's a simple recipe that I make all the time for Stir-Fried Snap Peas, Bell Peppers & Shitake Mushrooms. This dish cooks up in a flash. I saute the vegetables quickly in my cast iron skillet, finishing them with a little low sodium tamari and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. I've noticed beautiful peppers and peas at the farmers market over the last few weeks, so take advantage of them.

Stir-Fried Snap Peas, Bell Peppers & Shitake Mushrooms
Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 7 minutes
Vegan, gluten-free 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• pinch of chili flakes (optional)
• 2 cups snap peas
• 2 cups red bell peppers, julienned
• 1 cup shitake mushrooms, julienned
• 1 tablespoon low sodium tamari
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. 
2. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook for one minute.
3. Add the snap peas, peppers, and mushrooms and reduce the heat to medium. Saute until becoming tender (about 3-4 minutes), stirring occasionally.
4. Add the tamari and the sesame seeds. Cook for one more minute or until all the vegetables are tender. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients

• snap peas, bell peppers, baby shitake mushrooms, and garlic from West Hollywood Farmers Market 
• organic low sodium tamari from Whole Foods
• sesame seeds from Trader Joe's 

Meatless Monday: Morel Mushroom Risotto

I love making risotto so much that sometimes I think I should change my name to Risotto Diva.

Lately, I've been on a veggie risotto kick. I love hitting up the farmers market for the best local produce and then transforming it into a creamy (without any cream), sumptuous rice dish made with homemade vegetable stock. I find that risotto really showcases its ingredients, making it an ideal vessel for foodie deliciousness. In fact, my upcoming "Domestic Diva" column for the Hawaii Women's Journal is all about risotto (stay tuned for the publication).

Last week, at Kuzak's urging, I hit up LA's FungHi booth at the Hollywood Farmers Market for some morel mushrooms. The tables were loaded up with baby shitakes, chanterelles, and oyster mushroom, but I couldn't let myself be distracted by the treasure chest of funghi. I was on a morel mission. These mushrooms are prized by French cooks and contain a small amount of toxins that are removed by cooking (they should never be consumed raw). I scooped up a prized $10 paper bag of morels, ogling their honeycomb shape, and brought them home.

After some contemplation, I decided to make a morel mushroom risotto. My goal was to showcase as much morel flavor as possible. First, I made a quick vegetable risotto by simmering onions, carrots, celery, peppercorns and the morel mushroom stems in filtered water for an hour.  I love using homemade vegetable stocks when making risotto. I find that it gives the dish a delicate, subtle flavor that doesn't overshadow the ingredients. Next, I made a very basic risotto with the mushrooms. I finished the dish with grated Parmesan Reggiano, extra virgin olive oil and fresh cracked pepper.

Kuzak and I settled down at the table to feast, the Adorable Monster curled up in a ball at our feet, and dug into the dish. The delicate, creamy risotto let the morel mushrooms shine. We savored their flavor down to the very last bite.

Note: this risotto recipe would work for any type of mushrooms.

Morel Mushroom Risotto
Serves 2 people
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Print Recipe

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup shallots, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup morel mushrooms, stems removed and halved
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable broth, preferably homemade
1/2 cup Parmesan Reggiano, grated
salt and pepper

Directions
Add the vegetable stock to a sauce pan and warm over medium low heat.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Next, add the mushrooms and saute until they soften and their juices release. Add the rice and stir to combine. Cook for another one to two minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook until absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Once the wine has been absorbed, add the vegetable stock 1/2 a cup at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding more stock. Continue cooking the rice in the stock until it's cooked al dente (you may not use all of the stock). When the rice is cooked, finish the risotto by stirring in the parmesan and a little more olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients
morel mushrooms from LA FungHi (Hollywood Farmers Market)

organic carrots, organic celery and organic onions from Hollywood Farmers Market

extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan Reggiano, organic shallots and Arborio rice from Trader Joe's