Individual 'Chicken' Potpies

Not that I can't always MAKE time to cook, but sometimes it's nice to have a good meal in a short amount of time without a mess, so you can just relax and do other things besides cook. (Like...?) Chicken pot pie is comfort food to me because of the buttery crust and the memories of fall and family and all the goodness inside.

I used a soy product and chicken and mushroom stock for the filling, along with an assortment of vegetables, and butter in the crust, so this recipe is unfortunately not vegan. But this recipe is still easily vegan-ized by using vegan margerine and alternative spices so don't turn the channel yet...

Once I made a batch of about 8 of these in individual, reusable muffin tins, I ate it for dinner for a night or two and froze the rest for an occassion that I wanted a hot lunch but no mess, or if I wanted to just take a bath while these suckers were in the oven.

Brussel Sprout and Mushroom Stew with Dumplings

Since brussel sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables (and one of the most hated foods of many people), I am always happy to find new recipes that incorporate these cute little cabbage-like sprouts. I've made this recipe before, it's another modification from a recipe by Deborah Madison, and as always incorporates ingredients that are simultaneously in season.

The only slightly preparatory part of this recipe is the mushroom stock, which you can make ahead of time in bulk and save by freezing portions, or buy mushroom stock in the can from most grocers. I make my own and this is how:

Mushroom Stock

1/2 cup dried shitake or porcini mushrooms (since porcini are incredibly expensive here, I used dried shitake from the Asian market

2 tsp olive oil

1 onion chopped

1 carrot chopped

1-3 cloves garlic, sliced (I go heavy on the garlic in most recipes)

2 mushrooms, sliced

2 tsp tomato paste

1 tbs parsley, majoram or oregano (or whatever you like)

1/2 cup dry white or red wine

1 tbs flour

salt and pepper

1.) Soak the dried mushrooms in 3 cups (7.5 dl) hot water.

2.) Heat oil in a skillet and add the onion, carrot, garlic, herbs and mushrooms and sautee until softened and browned (5-10 minutes)

3.) Reduce the heat and add the tomato paste and wine, sprinkling lightly the flour. Stir until the wine has gotten thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Then add the dried mushrooms and soaking water.

4.) Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and save only the liquid.

Stew

4 tbs olive oil

2 large white or yellow onions, sliced

1 pound mushrooms, mixed (I usually use button, cremini and shitake), sliced thickly

parsley

1 tbs tarragon (optional)

1-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 lemon, or 1/4 cup lemon juice

1 lb (.5 kilo) brussel sprouts, halved

1. Start by heating oil and cooking the onions in the skillet. Add the mushrooms and herbs and garlic to the pan and add the lemon juice. Continue to sautee for about 5 mkinutes and then lower the heat.

2. Boil the brussel sprouts in advance if you like, I usually add them to the stock and let them boil there instead.

Dumplings

1 cup (2.5 dl) flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup milk, warmed

2 tbs butter

1 egg

mixed herbs, such as parsely or tarragon (optional)

1/4 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Mix the dry ingredients first, and then pour in the rest of the ingredients and stir together with a fork trying to eliminate as many lumps as possible.

When the broth is boiling and the brussel sprouts are almost finished cooking, add the mushroom and onion mixture. Then add the dumpling batter by small spoonfuls into the broth. Add less than you might think because you will quickly see the dumplings grow in size in the broth! They take a few minutes only to finish cooking, and if over cooked may become soggy, so add these at the very last. I might suggest adding dumplings only a few at a time as needed and saving the batter in a seperate tupperware in your fridge. That way, if you have leftovers, you can add the dumplings when you re-heat the stew and not have a mushy dumpling mess when everything is re-heated.

Enjoy!

Mushroom and White Bean broth with Polenta and Asparagus

Ok this is not the most photogenic dish, but also this was a picture of the leftovers because the original was devoured too quickly for pictures. (and it was late in the evening when the lighting was bad)

It does seem like a whole menu here, but I assure you the combination of these flavors goes so well together that it makes sense to list it as one recipe. Asparagus and mushrooms both just went in season recently, so it makes sense to try to pair them.

Polenta is a good thing to know how to make because it goes with so many other delicious things. If you can find the instant variety, it takes about 5 minutes to make, including the time to boil the water.

Polenta

3 cups vegetable broth

3/4 cup instant polenta

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring broth to a boil.

2. Stir in polenta and continue stirring for about 3 minutes until the mixture gets thick and bubbly.

3. Stir in the parmesan.

4. Serve immediately (or else it hardens and will not look as pretty, but will taste just as good!

Mushroom and White beans in broth

1 1/2 cups mushroom stock

3 cups chopped fresh mushrooms, such as crimini or portabello (the smaller ones), chopped roughly if they are too big, but if they're bite size you can leave them whole

2 tbs olive oil

1 bunch scallions (greens included) minced

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups canned white beans drained

500 grams asparagus

1. Saute the mushrooms until golden brown in color.

2. Add garlic and scallions and cook for another minute.

3. Add the stock and beans and simmer until mushrooms and beans are well heated and soft.

Serve with steamed asparagus and polenta. Just pour the mushroom mixture over both and garnish with grated parmesan.

For Mom and Apple Pie

Apple pie is probably one of the easiest, cheapest, most standard pies ever made. But it's also one of the most delicious. As I've come to embrace my Americanism in the last years being abroad, I must say there's something to 'American as apple pie'. Let's hear it for this cutural icon.

When asked why they were going to WWII, soldiers often said 'for mom and for apple pie'. When I think of these kind of cultural icons I think of Simon and Garfunkle's America or Bela Fleck's version of 'America the Beautiful.' Or I can laugh along with Ruudolf's videos in Finland in which he's wearing huge Hulk-Hogan-style American flag pants. I'm on the lookout for a pair of my own.

This apple pie recipe isn't for exactly your traditional pie with a bottom and top crust and lots of this gelled substance on the inside. It's more of a tart. Also I've switched from cinnamon to apricot and almond for flavoring. But of course, this recipe is as simple as it is versatile.

• 
  
  basic pie crust, lightly pre-baked
• 
  
  5 granny-smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 
  
  1/2 cup sugar
• 
  
  1/4 cup apricot jam
• 
  
  2 tbs Disarrono almond flavored liquor

1. 
   
   Preheat the oven to 175C. When the oven is ready, prebake the pie crust in the tart shell with aluminum foil pressed into it to avoid the shell sinking into the pan and losing its shape.
2. 
   
   While the crust is baking (about 10 minutes), toss the apple slices in sugar and whisk the apricot jelly and liquor.
3. 
   
   Take the crust out of the oven, remove the foil, allow to cool for a few minutes.
4. 
   
   Layer the apple slices in the crust evenly. Spread the jelly mixture on top of the slices.
5. 
   
   Bake pie in the oven for about 35 minutes, until the top is becoming golden.

Chunky Cheesy Tomato Soup made Easy

Mother nature decided to step it up a notch this past week. If we Helsinkians were starting to get a little too comfortable with mediocre winter weather, She certainly set out to give us a rude awakening. And being that it's only mid-February, there's plenty of winter time still before us. In fact, being that there are so many words in Finnish for 'snow', I'm surprised these long winters haven't been broken down into sub-seasons. If I would invent them now, I might start with the windy-wet winter (part I), icy-dark (part II), soup-subseason (part III), sunny-slow-thaw (part IV). I now dub this soup season!

So inspired recently by a conversation with my friend E, I decided to make some fresh tomato soup. We were just chatting about what to do with leftover Koskenlaskija and she mentioned that it's delicious in tomato soup, so I had to try.

• 1 lbs fresh tomatoes or two cans of peeled diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable bullion
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 potato, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 4 tbs tomato paste
• salt and pepper to taste
• basil and oregano
• Koskenlaskija cheese, cubed, to taste (optional)- can be substituted for another soft meltable cheese (suggestions welcome) or cooking cream.

1. If using fresh tomatoes, first, blanch the tomatoes by cutting a small x in the bottom of the tomato and cover lightly with water. Bring to a boil for several minutes. Drain and rinse with ice water.
2. Cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil for several minutes in a large dutch oven or pot. Add salt pepper and herbs and cook for a few more minutes.
3. Add the stock, carrot and potato and turn the heat down. Cover.
4. Now that the tomatoes have cooled a bit, peel the skins off. (or just open the can!) Add to the broth. Simmer, 30-45 minutes until everything is tender. Or longer if you have the time. The flavours will set nicely.
5. Add the tomato paste and cheese. Without the cheese, the soup is still nice and creamy, thanks to the potato. But the cheese gives a nice smokey and rich taste. Even just a little goes a long way.
6. Blend about half of the soup in the blender and return to the rest of the soup.

Thanks E, for giving me a new way to incorporate Koskenlaskija into my recipes. It's nice cheese with a subtle yet distinct flavor, and it's not always easy to imagine where to add this. But I'm determined not to waste any of it!

Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Comfort food at its finest. Broccoli soup is easy to make and satisfies a craving for warm, creamy and cheesy, without being high in fat.

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tbs butter
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 1 heads of broccoli chopped + the leftover stems of another head
• 1,5 dl cream
• 1 carrot diced
• 7,5 dl of vegetable broth, or 2 vegetable bullion cubes and 7,5dl (3 cups) of water
• a pinch of nutmeg (optional, but I think this really makes a difference)
• salt and pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 3,5 dl (2 1/2 cup) shredded cheddar or mild cheese

1. Start making the roux, by melting the butter in a pot or dutch oven and adding the onion. Allow onion to yellow and become translucent, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour and continue to stir until the flour has become golden in color.
2. Gradually whisk in the cream until thick and incorporated. Add the broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
3. Add broccoli and carrot and continue simmering for about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
4. Remove bay leaf and blend with an immersion blender, or transfer soup into a blender and pulse briefly, leaving small chunks.
5. Add cheese and whisk over medium heat until melted.
6. Garnish with grated cheese and serve hot, in a bread bowl if you like. (this soup is very good with a sour-dough bread bowl)

I didn't have time for the bread bowl, but I wanted to use my fresh broccoli. It's still snowing outside my window and this was the perfect thing to warm me up. This really rivals Panera Bread's version, even better I think. Which is especially nice if you're living somewhere without Panera!

Sweet Potato Gratin

Many recipes I've used many times come from my homeland of America. North America to be exact. Therefore, while they may be ethnically inspired, they are more or less, just, American.

Since the sweet potato, or the softer- yam- as it is known in America, is native to the Americas, this is not a stretch. It has long since spread throughout Polynesia, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Africa. The sweet potato is considered a staple crop in many African countries, such as Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, since they grow heartily in temperate climates if rain is scarce.

Furthermore, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared sweet potatoes to all other vegetables and ruled that sweet potatoes were of the highest nutritional value, due to high amounts of fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamins A & C, iron, protien and calcium. What could make you happier about grubbing up something delicious with these orangy spuds?!

I made the following recipe for my boyfriend, A, and his parents, who rather typically of their generation, have a difficult time thinking up whole meals that don't contain either fish or meat. I do believe they said 'ruokka oli hyvaa'. :)

Sweet Potato Gratin
(serves 4)

2 tsp oil
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
2 tbs sage or herbs de province
3 medium sweet potatoes, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup shredded guyere, smoked mozzerella, or any smoky flavored cheese
grated parmesan
1 cup cream, warmed

1. Preheat oven to 190C, oil a gratin dish, and set a pot of water to boil
2. Add sweet potatoes to water with a pinch of salt. Depending on how thinly you were able to slice them, they should take only a few minutes to soften. Test softness with a fork.
3. Heat onion, garlic and herbs in a skillet until the herbs are fragrant and the onion translucent.
4. Add sweet potatoes to skillet and mix well.
5. Layer 1/3 sweet potato mixture, 1/3 cheeses, until all are used. Salt and pepper to taste as you go.
6. Pour cream evenly over all other ingredients.
7. Bake with foil cover for 25 minutes and without for another 25 minutes.

I used a less expensive smoked cheese than guyere, and herbs de province instead of sage.
This recipe was modified from Deborah Madison's 'Vegetarian Suppers'.

I served it with steamed broccoli on the side and another vegetable high in beta carotine, a curried carrot salad.

Curried Carrot Salad
(serves 4-6)

1 lb carrots, peeled and shredded
1/4 cup finely diced leek/green onion/onion
juice of 1 lemon, or 1/4 cup vinegar (good quality red wine vinegar or equal)
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry
3tbs olive or safflower oil
1 tbs honey

Add all ingredients together and let marinate at least 20 minutes before serving.
Add optionally something sweet, like pineapple, shredded apples, raisins, or currants. Or use something bitter or sour, such as pickled capers for a burst of additional flavour. Sugar can be a substitute for the honey if that's all you have available.

This recipe can be modified to whatever you have in the kitchen, or or your preferences. I have also heard of people cutting thin slices of the carrot and quickly blanching them, cooling them before adding other ingredients.

This recipe was modified from Martha Rose Shulman's 'Fast Vegetarian Feats'.