Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with Wheat Berries, Mushrooms, Kale, and Goat Cheese.

Yesterday morning I was given the most magical glimpse into what a happy person I will be once fall is finally here. I know, I know, technically fall IS here, but tell that to the Native American Summer we're currently experiencing. And with the weather expected to hit 93 degrees tomorrow, Al Roker can take that weather report and shove it where the sun don't shine. Ok, I know that was kind of rude, but mother nature is a rude, 93 degree hearted bitch and what goes around comes around. And since I can't find her, I'm going to punish Al Roker for it. (Sorry, Al. She must be a real crappy boss.)

Anyways, yesterday morning was all foggy and there was a chill in the air. It made my heart happy. It made me want to bake and watch Home Alone and be all around joyful and pleasant. Unfortunately, Richard was at the gym because "joyful and pleasant" usually doesn't happen for me before 11am. Or my first glass of wine, whichever comes first. And some days you'd be surprised which comes first. So,  it really was such a good morning... until it was 85 degrees and then, well, it wasn't.  I love summer, but  enough is enough! I wanna cook some pumpkin shit, ya know?

So, I did. Nothing holds this ginger back.

We got some delicata squash in our CSA this week. What on earth do I do with these? I thought to myself... I mean, besides adding them to our transitional gourd display (it's almost time for pumpkins. goodbye gourds I've never heard of!). So initially I thought These are much too pretty to eat. But, you are what you eat, right? And pretty is a nice thing to be, so I decided to cook them. Now,  I know what that which saw in Hansel and Grëtl! Delicious, pretty youth. (Author's Note: Please do not eat children.)

Anywhoo, I think this is a good time to transition into the recipe...

Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with Wheat Berries, 

Mushrooms, Kale, and Goat Cheese. 

Ingredients:
1 delicata squash, cut in half with the guts scraped out
1 cup wheat berries, cooked according to package directions
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 cup kale
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Goat cheese
Kosher salt and pepper

Method:
Cook the wheat berries according to package instructions, which most likely say something like "Bring a pot of water to a boil and simmer the wheat berries, covered, for about an hour until tender." Something like that... Once cooked, drain and set aside.

Cut the delicata squash in half. Scrape out the guts, drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn it upside down on a cast iron pan and roast the squash at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until tender. Mine started to caramelize on the edges and it was delicious.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the stuffing.

Sauté mushrooms and onion for about 7 minutes until golden and the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms. Add the garlic and kale and sauté for another 2 minutes until wilted and fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans, cooked wheat berries, and chopped parsley.

Once the squashes are roasted to perfection, fill them with the wheat berry mixture and crumble some goat cheese on top. Then place back in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the cheese gets a little bit melty and delicious.

Enjoy!

Clamshell Mushroom Toasts with Goat Cheese & Fresh Thyme

Richard and I are creatures of habit.  Especially in the morning. We wake up at 7am. We walk the dogs. Rich makes a french press of coffee and turns on the Today Show while I make open faced breakfast sandwiches. Then we eat, drink our coffee and watch the news in perfect sync. (Unless we are hungover or have that rare "Vicky Christina Barcelona" morning of either passion or pugnacity. Though we still squeeze in the coffee and Today Show.)

But, this morning, I shook our world up a bit. You see, we got our CSA delivered as we do every Thursday, but this week, along with the end of summer/ beginning of fall produce, we were given a little package of very cute (and kind of weird) mushrooms. I swear they were alien fingers wearing turtle shells as thimbles, but apparently they are called clamshell mushrooms.

What the hell do you do with clamshell mushrooms? Other than laugh at and photograph them?

Nobody knows! So, as with most things that I don't know what to do with, I put them on toast.

Breakfast sandwich OUT... Cute mushroom toasts IN. (Routine broken. Mind blown.)

good day, sunshine.

Ingredients:
Clamshell mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
A few springs of fresh thyme
2 slices of whole grain bread
Goat cheese

Method:
Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Sauté sliced mushrooms and onion until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the slices of bread and then spread goat cheese on them while they are still warm so that the cheese gets nice and melty. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, and pile them on top of the toasts. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.

Have a lovely Thursday!

Mushroom & Purple Barley Soup with Swiss Chard

It is 96 degrees and humid outside... in Los Angeles!!! I know, WTF!

Dear Nature, your mother is a real bitch! 

Since going outside is gross in every way of the word, I decided to torture myself for the grumpy attitude that I had with my husband this morning (a peach in the morning I am not) by running errands.... gotta get ready for PALM SPRINGS this weekend! Woo! Anyways, I strayed a little from my plan (as usual)  and instead of buying a much needed new bikini, I bought a Yankee Candle instead. Now, I didn't buy just any Yankee Candle.... I bought the most cozy fall scent of all. Home Again. Yeah, I did it. And I did it in almost 100 degree weather. I may have lost my mind... or I may be awesome. I'm going to let you make that decision after what I am about to tell you next.....

So, I came home with my fall scented candle, sweaty and near heat exhaustion,  and decided that it was the perfect day to make a nice hot soup. I don't know why I decide to do these things (Rich take note, I understand myself as little as you do), but I do and I did... I also made mint ice cream to even out my insanity a little bit. I really love soup and I do not regret my decision. Plus, now my house smells like cinnamon-y pumpkins AND cozy fall food. Take that you crazy Mother Nature bitch with your heat waves!!!!

This soup is delicious. Make it now or wait three weeks until fall like a normal person.... I'm not here to judge.

hot.

Ingredients:
2 cups of Purple Barley... it's pretty and it must be good for you because a colorfull diet is a healthy diet.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 large leek, washed and sliced
1 bunch swiss chard, roughly chopped
3 cups of sliced mushrooms, this is clearly an estimate.... I used 3 packages
64 ounces No-Chiken Chicken broth (I think it tastes better than vegetable broth)
2 bay leaves
Salt and Pepper

Method:
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and bay leaves and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add barley, swiss chard, and broth and cook about 1 hour until barley is tender. I ended up adding an extra cup of water or so because my soup got very thick. Your call on that one.... maybe you like your barley soup thick.... it's still summer here, so I did not.

eat while sitting directly in front of the A.C.

Zucchini Lasagna & My Favorite Weekend Ever

I know... that's a pretty weighted statement......

"My favorite weekend ever."

......And I am standing by it. Saying that the last three days were epic would actually be an understatement. Richard and I were visited by my cousins Katrina and Stephanie all the way from Canada (you know, the undeniably most epic country ever!). I had not seen them in 8 years, but one of the best things about family is that the second you give each other a jumping up and down while squealing full body hug.... you are instantly best friends as if not one day has past since the last time you were together**

**Please note that one of the last times we were together I was 12 years old and we were so misbehaved that I was STILL grounded even when we got home from our family vacation to Canada. My cuzzys and I have always had a knack for getting ourselves into some pretty awesome trouble when we are together.

We definitely went at about 1,000 miles per hour from the second they got into town on Saturday morning.... guzzling champagne (8 mimosas at brunch is acceptable, right?) indulging in fabulous meals, pulling all nighters (who needs sleep when you have 8 years to catch up on) and starting dance parties like it was our job (which as much as I wish it was, it is not). My husband deserves a medal. Seriously. But judging by the fact he's currently drooling on the couch, it looks he's happy to settle for a nap. His third of the day. Apparently he needs one per decade he's been alive. Or one per Bacsalmasi he had to spend the weekend with...

So, since my brain is still drying out and re-forming from the weekend, and words escape me, a photo recap is obviously necessary.

These are my cousins. They are the best (minus Jessica... we missed you!)

this is what three girls look like watching the sun come up.

the absolute most fun.

  

Ok, just looking at the photos makes me a bit exhausted. Oy. Anyways, if you can't tell (surprise, surprise)  I am functioning on a few (thousand) less brain cells than I had last Friday, so I am going to keep this short and sweet. My body was in need of some serious nutrition today and this delicious vegetarian recipe did just the trick! Packed with veggies, super simple to make, and really.... if I didn't tell you it was PASTA FREE, you wouldn't even notice. It's also the perfect way to use up the three pounds of zucchini you bought to grill for dinner (but because you got distracted with dancing and hugging dinner didn't happen). Did I mention my husband deserves a medal?

Ok, let's get to the food....

Ingredients:

For the sauce

Use your favorite store bought sauce (I LOVE Rao's.) Or use my recipe found here. 

For the filling

1 pound small-curd cottage cheese

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the vegetables

3 pounds zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds cremini mushrooms, sliced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

10 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, patted dry with paper towels, and coarsely chopped

1 pound shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 4 cups)

Method:
Ok, there are quite a few steps, so don't get intimidated... it's much easier than the number of word's I am about to type.....

Make your sauce. Or set the jar nicely on your counter and feel accomplished in your own way. Both work great.

Combine the ingredients for the filling. The cottage cheese, parmesan, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prep your veggies. I recommend grilling the zucchini to avoid it getting soggy, but if you prefer to broil it in an oven, that will work too. Either way, rub each slice with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill over high heat (or broil) until well cooked. I like the zucchini to be a bit crispy.

Next, in a sauté pan over medium/high heat, sauté the mushrooms and artichokes until browned.

Ok. All of your components are ready.... so start layering! On the bottom of a baking dish, spread some tomato sauce and 1/2 of the mushrooms and artichokes. Then layer with the grilled zucchini. Next, spoon 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the zucchini. Then more artichokes, sauce, zucchini.... you get it. Layer all of your ingredients until they are gone. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and throw that sucker in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until sauce is bubbly and the melted mozzarella is golden brown. Let the lasagna sit at room temp for at least 15 minutes so that it can set before serving or else it will be a runny mess.

Stuffed Portobellos and 4th of July Shenanigans!

I am wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July today... on the 9th. The first Monday after the 4th of July.... this is Monday, right? Guess how long my weekend was..... like seven days, duh. There are several reasons for this. Most of them we won't go into (sorry, Mom) but I will say this: I have been in a food coma since Thursday.

I went into my favorite summer holiday with a bit of a bleak outlook seeing as BBQ food isn't always the most vegetarian friendly cuisine. I haven't had the best experiences with veggie dogs and bullshit burgers. Let's be honest.... tofu is possibly the worst thing EVER. So, rather than gagging my way through a garden burger from hell, I decided to step up my game and try something new.

Honestly, I had tried this recipe once before, but it did not go well. When I tell you to soak your cedar planks..... do it. Seriously. Soak them for as long as this recipe says... then do it longer. And then don't walk away from your grill for more that two seconds or else you will be greeted with uber dense briquettes of mushroom charcoal attempting to melt your grill from the inside out. Though our grill, our house, and my lovely ginger hair and eyebrows survived, it was a tragedy. We all know that Rich is the grill-master in this relationship... and thank God for that.

PART ONE: STUFFED PORTOBELLOS

cedar smoked portobello mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 cedar grilling plank
5 medium portobello mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
5 ounces chopped baby spinach
3/4 cup coarse breadcrumbs
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
salt and pepper to taste


Method:
SOAK the cedar planks. If you don't want to use planks and grill these.... you can totally do them in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Chop them and set aside. Scoop out the gills and discard them.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the onions, mushroom stems, and garlic for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the bread crumbs, cheese, pecans, sage, and mustard until just combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

On a charcoal or gas grill, place the cedar planks on an uncovered grill directly over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until the plank begins to smoke and crackle. While you are waiting for the planks to smoke, place the mushroom caps directly on the grill to give them grill marks (I forgot to do this, but you should...)

Place the mushroom caps on the planks, spoon the filling into the caps, and cover the grill for about 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are browned and the filling is heated through.

*This is the part where my first round of mushrooms caught on fire. Once again, I recommend keeping a close eye if you actually want to eat.

Transfer these beauties to a platter and serve!
Makes 5 stuffed mushrooms that will be gone in the blink of an eye!

PART TWO: THE SHENANIGANS

Lucky for you, and everyone that joined our summer festivities, these mushrooms pair perfectly with Jell-O shots and slip and sliding. Enjoy... I sure did. (Sorry again, Mom. You're welcome, everyone else.)