Vegan Mushroom Bisque

Photo Credit: Lucas Scott Wright

I’ve been trying to make one vegan/vegetarian dish each week to cut down a bit on my meat consumption.  The secret ingredient to this dish is homemade cashew cream which, in the finished product, you wouldn’t know isn’t dairy.  You could make this recipe using heavy cream rather than the cashew cream for a vegetarian version, but I highly recommend using the cashew cream because its light nuttiness truly compliments the gentle earthy flavor of the mushrooms.

Time:  1 hour
Difficulty:  Easy/Intermediate
Cost:  $5.00/plate
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  1.  Vegetable oil, for frying mushrooms, approximately 3-4 tablespoons
  2. 3/4 lb crimini mushrooms, chopped
  3. 1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, chopped, stems discarded
  4. Salt and pepper
  5. 4 small shallots, finely minced
  6. 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  7. 1/2 cup sherry wine, plus 1/2 teaspoon
  8. 4 cups vegetable broth (32oz box)
  9. Chopped chives (for garnish)
  10. 1/4 cup brandy
  11. White truffle oil or olive oil (for garnish)
  12. 8oz can raw cashews (i.e., unsalted and not roasted)
  13. Approximately 1 cup cold water

Instructions:

Note:  The reason we’re doing the mushrooms in batches here is because each batch serves a different purpose.  The first batch (step 2) will create and nice mushroom fond in which to sauté our aromatics (the shallot and garlic). The second batch (step 5) will absorb the flavor of the aromatics.  The third batch (step 8) will add a chunky texture and earthy flavor to the bisque.

  1. Begin by making the cashew cream.  Dump the entire 8oz can of cashews into a blender and pulse a few times to finely chop.  Add half the water and pulse a few more times.  With the motor running, add the rest of the water and blend until a thick, smooth cream begins to form.  This took about 5 minutes with my Ninja blender.  You will need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides of the blender with a spatula.  Add a bit of water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, if creamy texture isn’t achieved after 5-7 minutes of blending.  It should have the texture and consistency of créme fraîche .  Once cream is finished, set aside in a bowl and cover; allow to rest at room temperature.
  2. Chop all mushrooms and combine into a large bowl.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a sauté pan or large frying pan.  Once pan is quite hot, add 1/3 of the mushrooms.  Sauté until most of their water is given up and they release a slightly nutty aroma, approximately 5 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to an appropriate pot for making soup (a small stock pot or large 4-6 quart sauce pan would be appropriate).
  4. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, 5-7 minutes.  Add a bit of vegetable oil and lower the heat if they start to brown.
  5. Add garlic and sauté with shallots until very fragrant, 1-2 more minutes
  6. Add second third of mushrooms and sauté with shallots and garlic until pan is looking somewhat dry, 3 -4 minutes
  7. Add sherry wine to deglaze the pan.  Flambé if you like.  Bring to a boil and allow any remaining raw alcohol to cook off, 3 minutes.  The aroma will change from pungent and sharp to gentle and sweet.  Transfer contents of pan to pot with first batch of mushrooms.
  8. Add vegetable stock to pot and bring to a boil.
  9. Add the last 1/3 of mushrooms to the sauté pan along with a little oil if there isn’t enough oil left in the pan.  Sauté for 2 minutes over high heat.  Add 1/4 cup brandy and Flambé.  Reduce until liquid in the pan is evaporated and off the heat.
  10.  Off the heat on the pot and using an immersion blender, pureé the contents until very smooth.  Return to a simmer and stir in cashew cream, a few spoonfuls at a time, until desired color and texture is achieved.  Season to taste with salt and pepper (Note:  You’re probably going to need a lot of salt since none of the ingredients have any natural saltiness to them).
  11. Once seasoned to taste, stir in flambéed mushrooms.  Bring to a simmer and then off the heat
  12. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon raw sherry wine to brighten the sauce and add acidity
  13. Serve with a garnish of chives and truffle or olive oil.

Jalapeño Cheddar Soup

Ah, fall.  Labor Day festivities over, it’s finally time to embrace the fact that summer has finally drawn to a close.  Now is the time to embrace leaves turning color, a crispness to the air, a change in the light.  Fall is a time for flannel shirts, cooler days – and of course soup.

Of course here in SoCal that’s all mostly a fantasy; it’ll be triple digits – or at least mid-90s – most days here through at least Halloween, if not Thanksgiving.

But that isn’t going to stop me from making soup.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time in a town called Big Bear up in the mountains of the San Bernardino National Forest, where autumn came early up at elevation and you could almost forget that you were only a couple hours away from the screaming urban sprawl that is Los Angeles.  My wife and I frequented a restaurant up there called Madlon’s (now closed) which was run by a couple of Cordon Bleu trained chefs.  Their food was amazing.  One of the best things on the menu was their Jalapeño Cheddar Soup.  The chef-owners of the restaurant, Rob and Chelsea, became friends and they were generous enough to share their recipe with me.

The recipe that they gave me was designed to make about 5 gallons of the stuff, so I’ve adapted it here for the home kitchen.  I share it here with their permission and with gratitude for their generosity.

Time:  90 minutes
Cost:  About $15 (for the whole pot)
Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients:

  1.  2 tablespoons bacon fat, clarified butter, or regular unsalted butter
  2.  2 tablespoons olive oil
  3. 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  4. 3 ribs celery, diced
  5. 3 jalapeño peppers, minced, seeds and ribs removed
  6.  2 cloves garlic, minced
  7.  2 8oz cans tomato sauce
  8.  1.5 cups dry white wine
  9.  16oz grated cheddar cheese
  10.  2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons cold water
  11.  Approximately 1 pint heavy cream (to taste preference)
  12. 1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

Instructions

  1.  In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan or large skillet, melt fat and oil over medium high heat.  Add onion, celery and jalapeños and sweat until onions are translucent and celery and jalapeños are soft, 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, 1-2 minutes more.
  2.  Add white wine and deglaze the pan
  3.  Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cover (or mostly cover) and allow soup to simmer 30 minutes until vegetables are very tender and flavors have developed.
  4.  Using an immersion blender, purée the contents of the pot until very smooth
    1.   NOTE:  Make sure the head of the immersion blender is fully submerged before turning it on, unless you like hot soup explosions.
    2.   NOTE:  You can purée the soup in batches in a regular blender, but be careful.  Make sure that (1) you don’t fill the blender more than half way and (2) make sure that you leave adequate venting at the top of the blender.  If you don’t the steam will create a pressure monster and hot soup will be all over your kitchen in a hurry.  Most blenders have a removable stopper in the lid.  I recommend removing this and covering the hole with a kitchen towel.
  5. Once the soup is puréed, transfer soup to a small stock-pot or large saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and stir in cheese.  Allow cheese to fully melt, stirring occasionally.
  6.  Stir in heavy cream, a little at a time, until desired texture and color is achieved.  Return to a simmer.
  7. If the soup still isn’t thick enough (which it probably won’t be), add a slurry consisting of 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water.  Add and stir to thicken.
  8. Remove soup from heat and stir in vinegar.
  9. Serve with grilled cheese, crusty bread, or enjoy on its own.

 

Panko Fried Fish Fillets with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Once fried golden brown, pop the fillets in the oven to cook them through.  This is a healthier alternative to deep fried battered fish and the results are fabulous.

Active Time:  15-20 minutes
Inactive Time:  15-20 minutes
Level: Easy
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the Fish Fillets

  1.  6-8 firm white fillets (cod, tilapia or swai are all good choices), fresh or thawed from frozen
  2. 1/4 cup flour
  3. 1/4 cup cornstarch
  4. 1 TBSP Paprika
  5. Salt and Pepper
  6. 2 eggs
  7. 1 TBSP vodka (optional, adds crunch!)
  8. 2 TBSP cream or milk
  9. 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
  10. 1 TBSP butter (or clarified butter, which you can buy at Trader Joe’s, also called ‘ghee’)
  11. 2 TBSP regular butter
  12. 1-2 TBSP olive oil

For the Tartar Sauce*:

  1. 1 cup mayonnaise (or 1 egg, 3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil, and 2 TBSP olive oil, for Method 2, below)
  2. 2 TBSP sour cream
  3. 1/3 cup minced dill pickles
  4. 3 tablespoons minced shallots
  5. 2 tablespoons drained capers, minced
  6. 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  7. 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon
  8. 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  9. 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  10. 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  11. 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Instructions

For the Fish Fillets:

Preheat oven to 300°F

Set up your dredging station.  You’ll need two, wide shallow dishes and one medium sized bowl.

  • Put the flour and cornstarch in one of the wide, shallow dishes.  Season aggressively with salt and pepper; add paprika and whisk together.
  • In the second wide, shallow dish add Panko bread crumbs.  Crush lightly with the back of a wooden spoon.
  • Crack two eggs into the medium sized bowl; add vodka (if using) and cream/milk.  Whisk together until slightly foamy.
  • Set them up in this order:  Flour mixture, egg wash, bread crumb mixture

Heat olive oil and 1 TBSP clarified butter (or ghee) in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat and gently stir to coat the bottom of the pan.  Dredge a fillet first in the flour mixture (shaking of excess), then dip into the egg wash, and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing firmly to adhere to each side.

Note:  If you want exceptionally crispy breading that is almost guaranteed not to fall off your fillets, do this:  Dredge in this order – Egg Wash, Flour, Egg wash, Panko Mixture.  Once breaded, place them on a baking sheet and refrigerate them for 30 minutes before continuing to the next step.

Add 2-3 fillets to skillet and fry 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Repeat with remaining fillets.

Note:  You  can fry more than one at a time, but you’ll probably need to work in batches – every time a fillet is added to the skillet, it will reduce the over-all temperature, which will hinder browning and increase the possibility of soaking the breading in oil rather than frying it.  I’ve found that 3-4 fillets at a time is a good number, depending on their size.  You may also need to add more fat to the pan between batches; this is also okay.  If you do, try to keep the olive oil-to-butter ratio at roughly 1:1.

When all the fillets are browned, place them on a wire rack set on a baking sheet, (or alternatively place them directly on a lightly greased baking sheet, although be warned: skipping the wire rack will make them mushy on the bottom, so seriously, use the wire rack!) and bake them in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes minutes until cooked through, with an internal temperature of at least 145F.

For the Tartar Sauce:

Method 1:  Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Will keep for two days in the fridge.

Method 2:  Add all ingredients to the bottom of a jar or cup EXCEPT the oils.  Float the vegetable or canola oil on top of the ingredients.  Using an immersion blender, place the head of the blender all the way at the bottom of the container.  Pulse a few times to begin, then turn the blender on.  Allow a vortex to form to emulsify the sauce.  Once all the oil has been incorporated, stir in the 2 TBSP olive oil.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes; will keep for two days in the fridge.

*Tartar Sauce Recipe courtesy of Serious Eats.  I subbed out their parsley for cilantro and added the olive oil in method 2, but it’s basically their recipe.  Check out that post HERE.

 

 

Steak Fajitas

Steak soaked in a zesty citrus marinade and then grilled to perfection; serve with pico de gallo, homemade gaucamole, sour cream, roasted peppers and onions and Mexican cheese.  Easy, cheap and delicious.

Ingredients:

For the Steak

  1. 2.5lb London Broil or Tri-Tip Roast
  2. 1/2 cup orange juice
  3. 1/2 cup lime juice (approximately 6 limes)
  4. Zest of 1 lime
  5. 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 2 tsp chile powder
  7. 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  8. 1 TBSP kosher salt
  9. 1 TBSP coarsely ground black pepper.
  10. 1 cup mesquite wood chips (optional)

For the Pico de Gallo

  1. 1 Large yellow onion, finely diced
  2. 2-3 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
  3. Large pinch Kosher salt
  4. 2 jalapeño peppers, minced
  5. juice of one lime
  6. 2-3 TBSP cilantro, finely chopped

For the Guacamole

  1. 3-4 large, ripe Haas avocados (or 6-7 little organic ones)
  2. 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
  3. 1 3.5oz can hatch green chiles (optional)
  4. 4 TBSP pico de gallo (above)

For the Fajita Mix (peppers and onions)

  1. 2 TBSP olive oil
  2. 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  3. 1 each: Red bell pepper, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper
  4. 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced into half-rings

For Serving

  1. Medium size yellow corn tortillas, 3-4 per person
  2. Freshly grated Cotijá cheese
  3. Shredded Mexican Cheese
  4. Sour Cream

Prep:

For the Steak

  1.  Whisk ingredients 2-9 together in a medium size mixing bowl.
  2. Transfer steak to large 1-2 gallon ziplock bag.  Add marinade to bag with steak and massage to incorporate well.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours, or up to 8 hours.  Flip bag over half way through marinating process if possible.

For the Pico de Gallo

  1. Dice tomatoes first.  Add to colander and sprinkle with Kosher salt.  Toss gently to season and allow to sit in the sink 20 minutes.  Tomatoes will give up much of their moisture making your pico less watery.
  2. Prepare onions, jalapeños, lime and cilantro.  Stir to combine.
  3. Add tomatoes to mixture and stir to combine again.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the Guacamole

  1.  Halve avocados and remove pits.  Spoon avocado out of shells into a medium to large mixing bowl.
  2. Add ingredients 2-4 and mash well using a potato masher.  (Note:  Guacomole is best served right away.  If left in contact with air too long it will oxidize and turn brown.  If preparing a couple hours in advance, smooth guacomole in bowl, drizzle with lime juice, and cover with plastic wrap with the plastic wrap in full contact with the guacamole).

For the Fajita Mix (peppers and onions)

  1. Prepare all ingredients as directed
  2. Add to a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet and stir (or toss if you’re strong enough; cast iron is heavy) to combine.

Cook

  1. Light 1 or 2 burners if using gas; if using charcoal light 1 chimney starter full of lump charcoal and set grill up for 2-zone cooking.  Make sure the grill is good and hot.  Just prior to grilling steak, add 1 cup mesquite wood chips, if using.  Click HERE for more information on grilling and smoking.
  2. Remove steak from marinade and pat dry.  Discard leftover marinade.
  3. Place steak down on hot side of grill and sear, approximately 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned.  Transfer to cool side of grill.
  4. Add cast iron skillet to hot side of grill and close the lid.  Sauté fajita mixture in cast iron until nicely caramelized and soft, 15 – 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Steak and vegetables should finish at roughly the same time, but if they don’t just remove the one that is done and tent with aluminum foil.
  5. Once steak and Fajita mixture are done, remove and allow to rest for a few minutes
  6. Warm tortillas on a griddle or in a frying pan.  Sprinkle with cotijá cheese and continue to toast until cheese is melted.
  7. Slice steak thinly across the grain on the bias using a sharp knife

Serve

Plate Steak, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Fajita mixture, shredded Mexican cheese and sour cream together.  Have eaters assemble fajitas at table as desired.