Walnut Mushroom Casserole Recipe

When I was growing up, my parents took me and my sister to all kinds of restaurants but rarely ones with "kid's menus." We regularly came into San Francisco to eat Chinese food, tried sushi long before it became popular, and celebrated birthdays and school graduation at fancy French restaurants. Unlike many kids who probably longed for Taco Bell or McDonald’s, I enjoyed eating at    The Good Earth ,  a casual restaurant near my house .  The menu  had a mix of salads and sandwiches and some very unique entrees. It wouldn’t necessarily be considered “health food” by today’s standards but there were quite a number of vegetarian dishes.  At The Good Earth, pretty much anyone could find something they would like to eat, and that made it perfect for dining out with everyone from my teenage girlfriends, to my grandmother. The Good Earth was famous for it’s spicy cinnamon tea which you can buy to this day. Although the restaurant chain was sold and very few r......

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Mushroom Barley Risotto: Hunger Challenge Recipe

This is a recipe I originally made for a friend who was allergic to just about everything. It's an adaptation of a Bon Appetit recipe . She liked it a lot and so it became a regular addition to my repertoire. It tastes a bit like mushroom barley soup and makes a great vegetarian meal with a salad and a glass of wine, but none of those extras fit on the Hunger Challenge budget! Mushroom Barley Risotto $2.00 for 2 servings Ingredients 1 bouillon cube 14¢ 1 teaspoon Smart Balance 3¢ (substitute butter or oil, as desired) 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 13¢ 2 cups water, or more as needed 1/2 cup pearl barley, 25¢ 1/4 lb pound mushrooms, sliced $1 1 garlic clove, minced 2.5¢ 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan, 42¢ Instructions Melt Smart Balance in large nonstick pot over low heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushroom and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Add barley and toast in the pan for 1-2 minutes, then add water and bouillon; br......

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Marinated Mustard Vegetables Recipe

I don't think you can ever have enough vegetable recipes. Growing up I ate vegetables steamed and served plain. Frankly I found them pretty boring served that way and I still do. Vegetables should be savored. Of course drenching them in hollandaise sauce or butter makes them taste good, but that's not the only way to dress them up. I like sauteing vegetables with a little red chili, garlic, sprinkling them with fresh herbs, Indian spices, drizzling on any numbers of flavorings. So often the recipes I develop for clients are very meat-oriented. I like challenging myself to come up with interesting vegetable dishes when I can. This marinated vegetable salad was developed because I wanted to find something that would be good for a potluck, It uses a variety of vegetables and can be served cold or at room temperature, but won't wilt like a green salad. Unlike some dishes that I have to repeat several times to get right, this one was a surprise because it came out great the......

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All About Chanterelles

What do hedgehogs, lobsters and fried chicken have in common? Here's a hint, they are all vegetarian. In fact they are all names of mushrooms! Last week in Seattle I visited Sosio's Fruit and Produce at the Pike Place Market where you can find upwards of ten varieties of fresh mushrooms. The Pacific Northwest is famous for it's wet weather and the upside is the amazing varieties of local mushrooms including hedgehogs, chanterelles, matsutaki and porcini. Many mushrooms like my favorite the chanterelle, only grow in the wild and are often prohibitively expensive. Right now is the peak of the chanterelle season and these divine mushrooms are gorgeous, large, firm and unbelievably fresh. At Sosio's they were selling two pounds for ten dollars (a far cry from the $12.99 a pound for the lousy looking ones at my local market). Fortunately even if you're not in Seattle you can call Sosio's and they will ship these beauties to you overnight. I got so excited abo......

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