Vegetarian | Hip Foodie Mom

Pappardelle with Mushrooms. My Ode to Pasta.

I love pasta. I’ve written about my love for pasta before but this beautiful, ribbony Pappardelle pasta deserves a post and song of it’s own and for me to write a freaking poem or something. I’ve cooked and tried probably every kind of pasta: spaghetti, angel hair, farfalle, orzo, linguine, orecchiette, fusilli, ravioli, lasagna, ziti, rigatoni, elbow macaroni, penne, rotini, manicotti, tortellini. . is there anything else?

Pappardelle.

Now, I have finally tried this lovely pasta and I LOVE it! It was harder for me to find this pasta. For me, it was not available at the grocery stores I normally frequent here in WA (QFC, Safeway or Whole Foods) and then one day- I saw it. At Trader Joe’s. The Egg Pappardelle Pasta to be exact.

This pasta is just so lovely and pretty. I love how broad, thick and long the noodles are and how they lay in your pasta dish like ribbons! So beautiful. I would have written a poem but I don’t want to embarrass myself. So, instead, here’s some key info about Pappardelle.

“Pappardelle pasta is an Italian flat pasta cut into a broad ribbon shape. In width, the pasta is between tagliatelle and lasagna. This pasta is traditionally served with very rich, heavy sauces, especially sauces which include game such as wild boar, and it is particularly popular in the winter, when it can make the basis of a hearty, warming meal. This pasta’s name comes from the Italian pappare, a verb which means “to gobble up.”

Some markets carry pappardelle pasta, as do restaurants which offer a range of Italian pastas on their menus. It is also possible to make this pasta at home, with the assistance of a pasta machine or by hand. Typically, pappardelle is made with an egg-based dough, making the pasta richer and fluffier, and the edges of the ribbons of pasta may be fluted or left straight, depending on the taste of the cook.”

My dear friend Jen recently gave me a pasta maker. . so guess what I’ll be making (or trying to attempt I should say)? This Pappardelle looks easy enough? HA! We’ll see . . I am definitely going to give this one a try. . and for now, I leave you with this delicious, simple, not too heavy and super flavorful recipe: Pappardelle with Mushrooms.

I hope you enjoy! Bon Appétit!!

Pappardelle with Mushrooms.

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

40 mins

Please note the soaking time for the dried porcini mushrooms and reserving the liquid from the mushrooms and the pasta.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Pasta

Serves: 4

Ingredients

½ cup dried porcini mushrooms (about ½ ounce)
⅔ cup boiling water
8 ounces uncooked pappardelle pasta
3¼ teaspoons salt, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil + more at the end
¼ cup finely chopped shallots
2 (4-ounce) packages exotic mushroom blend, sliced or coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Fresh chives for garnish

Instructions

Rinse dried porcini thoroughly. Combine porcini and ⅔ cup boiling water in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve over a bowl, reserving ¼ cup soaking liquid. Chop the porcini.
Cook pasta with 1 tablespoon salt in boiling water 10 minutes or until al dente; drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving ¼ cup cooking liquid.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, mushroom blend, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the porcini, dry sherry, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute or until the liquid evaporates.
Finely grate 1 ounce cheese; crumble remaining cheese. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the pasta, the ¼ cup reserved cooking liquid, the ¼ cup reserved porcini soaking liquid, ¼ cup grated cheese, the heavy cream, and black pepper into mushroom mixture; toss well to combine. Drizzle with a dash of olive oil; toss well. Serve pasta, sprinkle more freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and garnish with chives.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Indian Burritos with Curried Cauliflower. Going Meat-less Baby.

Growing up in Texas, I never gave much thought to being a vegetarian or Meatless Mondays for that matter. . Like I’ve written before, in Texas, you pretty much come out of your mother’s womb and are immediately given a slab of steak (forget the breast milk). OK, I’m obviously kidding. . but for me, I seriously grew up eating beef, pork, fish, chicken, everything. You name it. And that included eating meat very often. My father loved giving us kids new foods to try and I remember him always introducing new foods to us and telling us to at least try one bite. One bite. And then, if we didn’t like it, we could spit it out and eat something else.

While I was living in San Francisco, I met a guy. A Korean guy who was a vegetarian. You would have thought I had told my mother I was having dinner with an alien or freak of nature or something. She flipped. “Why does he not eat meat? And he’s Korean? What’s wrong with him? Do you like him? You should not date someone who’s a vegetarian. You have nothing in common with him.” This was seriously the phone conversation we had one night. I am not making this up. At all. . . But I’m going to defend my mom. . . because I love her. She’s Korean 1st generation and old fashioned. And she might even feel differently now that she and my dad are getting older and health is a bigger concern. They have changed their diets (not as much white rice, no salt, less meat etc).

We Koreans like meat. One word = Kalbi. Nuff said.

Maybe it was my mother and father praying every night. Maybe it was just my destiny. . but I married Paul. The epitome of the perfect Korean son-in-law. He has an appetite like no other and can devour Kalbi like no one’s business. I watched as we were having dinner with my parents for the first time – at a Korean restaurant in Los Angeles- and I just watched my parents smile so big as they watched Paul eat. They were in love, at that moment. And so proud.

Of course there’s more to Paul than just how much he can eat. He’s a great man, husband and father. But I’ll save this for another post.

Flash forward like 6 or 7 years. . we have two daughters, I’m trying to cook healthier and now I am instilling Meatless Mondays. Paul doesn’t know this yet. I’m just not going to tell him. And I will eventually introduce Meatless Wednesdays and Fridays. I basically want our family to eat less beef. Mainly for health reasons. People who eat less meat, generally eat fewer calories and less fat, weigh less, and have a lower risk of heart disease. I know it’s not just about the lack of meat. There’s a ton more that you have to do to stay healthy (ie: regular check-ups to the doctor, exercise, diet etc) and I think eating less meat definitely helps.

I’m not saying we’re going full-on vegetarian. That would be crazy-talk and Paul (and I) wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves. But dammit, we are going to try more meatless meals more often.

Here’s one from Aida Mollenkamp’s new cookbook, Keys to the Kitchen: Indian Burritos with Curried Cauliflower. I absolutely loved this. I’ll be honest, the girls didn’t like this one so much but they did eat the red and purple potatoes and peas. That’s something, right?

I hope you enjoy!

Indian “Burritos” with Curried Cauliflower.

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour

Author: Hip Foodie Mom, adapted from Aida Mollenkamp

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Indian-ish

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

FOR THE CURRIED CAULIFLOWER:

3 tablespoons canola oil
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 to 1½ tablespoon curry powder
1 head cauliflower, florets cut into bite-sized pieces
Kosher salt
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 serrano chile, halved and seeded (optional)
8 oz mixture of red-skinned and purple potatoes, cut into small dice
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
1 cup shelled fresh or frozen baby peas
1 cup black beans
½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

FOR THE BURRITO:

4 to 6 soft whole-wheat flatbreads (such as rota, lavash, or tortilla), warmed or toasted
Plain whole milk yogurt or sour cream, for garnish
Chutney or apricot jam, for garnish
More fresh cilantro if desired

Instructions

For the Curry:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ginger, half of the curry powder, and all of the cauliflower. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the cauliflower is golden brown, for about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Wipe out the pan, return to the stove over medium heat, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. When it shimmers, add the onion, garlic, and chile (if using), season with salt, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining curry powder, and cook until fragrant. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, and broth, and bring to a boil.
Decrease the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and stir through to coat all the cauliflower. Cover again and simmer until the potatoes are knife-tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the cover, add the black beans and the peas and cook until the peas are bright, about 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as desired, stir in the cilantro, and use to fill the burritos.

For the Burritos:

To make the burrito, place the curry in the middle of the flatbreads. Top with yogurt or sour cream and chutney or jam, fold in sides, then roll up into a burrito shape, and serve.

Onion, Mushroom & Thyme Tart.

UPDATE to the RECIPE:

Based on a friend’s recommendation, I added balsamic vinegar to this and it is amazing! I also added freshly grated Gruyère cheese at the very end. Oh my! If you want to add cheese, you can also add freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. I hope you enjoy!! The recipe card has been updated below.

Original POST:

I recently attended one of Amy Pennington‘s cooking classes. . her Croatian cooking class to be exact (will post the deets on this lovely class later!). Amy was so friendly, funny and warm and I absolutely loved watching her cook . . I found this recipe on her blog the other night and immediately ran to the store to get some puff pastry to make this.

The onion, mushroom, and thyme tart is freaking delicious. Absolutely wonderful. + it’s so simple to make. + it incorporates my absolute FAVE thing I am currently addicted to: puff pastry. I have been switching between the Aussie Bakery brand and Pepperidge Farms puff pastry, honestly because these are the only two brands that are available at the grocery stores closest to me (only QFC carries the Aussie Bakery ones; you can find Pepperidge Farms pretty much anywhere). I have not looked at Trader Joe’s, PCC or Whole Foods yet. Ingredients aside, the Aussie Brand just tastes better. And for as often as I bake and eat puff pastry, I want the good stuff. Switching brands is a lot like breaking up in a relationship. So, I made a declaration on Twitter yesterday that went something like this:

To: @PepperidgeFarm: I’m so sorry. . but I have found another. . it’s not you, it’s me. . well, maybe it’s you. . I’m sorry but Aussie Bakery just tastes better and seems to be better for me. . It was really nice while it lasted. I hope we can still be friends.

Totally all in good fun. . plus that was totally over 140 characters. I am still addicted to their Milano cookies. . probably horribly bad for me but I don’t care! I love these cookies.

To my puff pastry lovin’ friends. You must try this recipe. You will thank me later. I hope you enjoy!

Onion, Mushroom & Thyme Tart

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour 10 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Author: Hip Foodie Mom, adapted from Amy Pennington

Recipe type: Appetizer or Main

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut into thin half moons
2-3 cups sliced mushrooms, try to use cremini or baby portobello mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
5 to 7 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
2-3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1-2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted but kept cool (Note: Splurge on the all-butter puff pastry from Dufour or Aussie Bakery. Pepperidge Farm has too many ingredients–none of them butter–for us to feel good about. I got this from Amy!)
freshly grated cheese: like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Gruyère (optional but highly recommended if you’re feeling indulgent!)

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir continuously until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the salt, add the sliced mushrooms and continue stirring until the onions release their moisture and the pan becomes more and more dry. When this happens, add half of the thyme and the balsamic vinegar and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook the veggies, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and golden, about 20 -25 minutes or so. (If the onions start to brown, reduce the heat as low as your stove goes.) Remove from the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Adjust the oven rack to the center position.
Unfold the sheet/s of defrosted puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I used 2 so that my tart would be a little larger and just attached the puff pastry dough; you can just use 1 sheet if desired. Fold all the edges over to create the pretty border around your tart. Top the center of the rolled out puff pastry evenly with the onion, mushrooms, thyme mixture.
Bake the tart for about 25 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and flaky. When there is about 2-3 minutes left, if you are adding the cheese, sprinkle on the freshly grated cheese and continue baking for the remaining time. Remove it from the oven, sprinkle the remaining thyme over the top, and let it cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. (Any leftover tart can be kept at room temperature, lightly covered with parchment. Best to crisp it in an oven or toaster oven prior to serving again.)

Recipe adapted from Amy Pennington. I added the mushrooms because I simply LOVE them.

Roasted Carrot and Red Quinoa Salad for #SundaySupper

I was thinking about how much my kitchen, pantry and I, myself, have changed since I started diving into food blogging. Prior to all of this when I was burning microwave popcorn, eating cereal for dinner (pre-marriage) and for a special night, heating up some Prego and tossing it with some spaghetti, I barely had anything in my fridge or my pantry. And my spice and herb rack was nonexistent. Really it was. I think I had salt, pepper and maybe some garlic salt and that was it. It was very sad to say the least.

I’ve come a long way since those days. . and you can tell just from opening up my refrigerator, looking in my pantry and admiring my spice rack. I’m quite satisfied with it now. And my shopping habits have changed. Now, I get all kinds of giddy when I see pretty plates or cake stands. I love reading recipes and feel really happy and at peace when I’m flipping through Food & Wine or Cooking Light.

If I’m ever in a store that sells dishes, placemats, napkins, whatever, I always have to check out their sale items. . and well, every aisle or display. So, needless to say, I now own a lot of single plates, place mats and cloth napkins. If I had to set the dining room table for more than 4 people, beyond my standard white everyday use plates, I wouldn’t be able to do it without pulling out some mis-matched plates and placemats. . wait, would that look cool?

And now I kind of know what I’m doing in the kitchen. I’m not burning much and it’s been fun thinking of different ways to enhance or improve recipes and creating some of my own. Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner- can you believe it’s already October? What?!- I’m already starting to think about Thanksgiving dinner and trying some recipes. . . because I learned this lesson a while back. . from my experience, it’s always to test your recipes beforehand and never make something you’ve never made before when you’re having special guests over. . and God forbid, never ever ever try a recipe for the first time for Thanksgiving dinner. This is just me.

So, here’s a fabulous Roasted Carrot and Red Quinoa Salad to share. I might be whipping this one up for the big Turkey Day. . The spices and roasted vegetables, for me, take this salad to a whole other level. This is not a salad. It’s beyond a salad. And I think it’s quite amazing.

If you like quinoa, I hope you give this one a try. I’m sharing this one today at #SundaySupper. Hope you enjoy!

Roasted Carrot and Red Quinoa Salad

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

50 mins

Author: Hip Foodie Mom, adapted from Food & Wine

Recipe type: Salad or Main

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 large carrots, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup red quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth or water (for the quinoa)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 ounces mixed salad greens
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cups black beans; drained and rinsed
½ cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a small bowl, whisk the paprika with the turmeric, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne pepper if using, cardamom and 1 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. In a medium bowl, toss the carrots with the sliced onion and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add 1 tablespoon of the spice mix and toss to coat. Spread the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once, until tender.
In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa with 2 teaspoons of the spice mix and the vegetable broth (or water) and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 17 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of the oil with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper. Add the salad greens and toss to coat. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil with the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the zest, dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon of the spice mix; season with salt. Add the quinoa, beans, and raisins and toss well.
To plate: Spread the greens on a large platter. Spoon the quinoa salad on top of the greens and then add the roasted carrots and onions. Top with fresh parsley.

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine.

Sunday Supper

This week, Pam from The Meltaways is hosting an All Things Orange #SundaySupper on October 7th. Just look at all of the fabulous dishes being offered up today!

Sunrise (Breakfast and Brunch)

Paula from Vintage Kitchen Notes is bringing her Orange Ricotta Pancakes
Erin from Dinners Dishes and Desserts is baking up some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Heather from Girlichef is bringing Pumpkin Doughnuts with Spiced Buttermilk Glaze
Nicole from Daily Dish Recipes is making Pumpkin Donut Puffs
Patti from Comfy Cuisine is bringing Classic Orange Marmalade
Sunithi from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz is making Spiced Pumpkin Ricotta Muffins with Craisins and Walnuts
Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet is cooking up some Pumpkin Maple Oatmeal
Jamie from Mama Mommy Mom is bringing Butternut Squash Butter
Chelsea from Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence is bringing Pumpkin Spiced Donuts with Chai Icing
Kris from In The Kitchen With Audrey and Maureen made Sweet Potato Pancakes

High Noon (Soups, Salads and Sandwiches)

Renee from Magnolia Days is serving up some Butternut Squash Soup
Beate from Galactopdx is bringing her Carrot Ginger Soup
Jen from Juanita’s Cocina is making some Curried Sweet Potato Salad With Cranberries and Pecans
Megan from I Run For Wine is making Skinny Roasted Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
Sarah from What Smells So Good is filling our bowls with some Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup
Alice from Hip Foodie Mom is coming with her Roasted Carrot and Red Quinoa Salad
Susan from The Wimpy Vegetarian is making Cider – Spiced Sweet Potato Soup
Tora from Tora’s Real Food is bringing Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup
Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food is making Monty’s Pumpkin Soup
Lyn from The Lovely Pantry is bringing Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup
Kim from Cravings of a Lunatic is whipping up some Mandarin Chicken Salad

Sunset (Dinner and Main Dishes)

Sarah from Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends is offering up some Pumpkin Ravioli
Shelia from Pippis In The Kitchen Again is serving her Roasted Squash and Ricotta with Honey
Pam from The Meltaways is making Spooky Stuffed Peppers
Patsy from Famfriendsfood is bringing her Carrot Souffle
Laura from Small Wallet Big Appetite is bringing Chicken and Sweet Potato Fritters
Mehereen from Chattering Kitchen is making Sichuan Orange Glazed Chicken with Toasted Sesame Seeds
Tammi from Momma’s Meals is making Hearty Pork Stew
Kristin from Kwistin’s Favorites is making Orange Chicken
Soni from Soni’s Food For Thought is cooking up some Rigatoni with Pumpkin Ricotta Sauce
Shelby from Diabetic Foodie is cooking up some Moroccan Vegetable Stew
Dara from Generation Y Foodie is bringing Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Brandie from Home Cooking Memories is sharing a DIY Baked Sweet Potato Bar
Amber from Mama’s Blissful Bites is bringing Rice and Fig Stuffed Mini Pumpkins
Valerie from Val’s Food and Or Art made Double Stuffed Roasted Acorn Squash

By The Bonfire (Sweets, Snacks and Sips)

Brie from Brie’s Bites is making Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites
Carla from Chocolate Moosey is making Pumpkin Tiramisu with Pumpkin Butter Caramel Sauce
Heather from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks is offering up some Pumpkin Cake Truffles
Shelia from Cooking Underwriter is bringing Sweet Potato Bacon Beet Salsa
Anne from Webicurean is making some Drunken Pumpkin Bread
Karen from In The Kitchen With KP is making Oven Baked Sweet Potato Chips
Leslie La Cocina De Leslie is making Sweet Potato Atole
Seet Fei from My Trials in The Kitchen is bringing Sweet Potatoes Mini Balls
Tara from Noshing With The Nolands is bringing Oranges En Suprise
Susan from The Girl in The Red Kitchen is making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scone with Pumpkin Glaze
Conni from Mrs. Mama Hen is making Orange Glazed Poundcake
Isabel from Family Foodie is baking up Moist Pumpkin Bread
Cindy from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings is baking up a Vegan Pumpkin Orange Cake
Brenda from Meal Planning Magic is whipping up some Creamy Pumpkin Dip
Laura from Family Spice is making some Unprocessed and Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Kathya from Basic and Delicious is baking up Butternut Squash and Carrot Bread
Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is serving up Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling
Stephanie from The Cookie A Day Challenge is whipping up some Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches
Katie from She Like Ruffles, He Likes Truffles is bringing Pumpkin Harvest Cookies
Nancy from Gotta Get Baked is baking up some Orange Macadamia Dark Chocolate Cookies
Angie from Big Bear’s Wife is bringing Orange Soda Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes
Katy from Happy Baking Days is bringing Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze
Sandra from Midlife Road Trip is bringing Orange ya glad it’s fall! Hungarian Apricot/Walnut pastries

Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm(Eastern) for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite recipes featuring our favorite fall color. All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your easy go to recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.

Come hungry!

Linguine with Mushrooms and Clam Sauce

I’m a pasta girl. I love pasta. I would never ever ever be able to give up carbs. Ever. Bread, pasta, rice. . I need it all. Everything in moderation friends.

Tonight, I wanted to mix it up a little. No marinara sauce today. And I’m reading Jenna Weber’s book White Jacket Required and this is her favorite dish. If the thought of using canned clams makes you cringe, you can try Giada’s recipe but remember, we’re keeping things simple here at Hip Foodie Mom during the week, trying to not whip out thirty ingredients and keeping the cooking time under 30 minutes so you can actually get dinner on the table for your family at a decent hour.

And don’t let the canned clams fool you. This dish is freakin’ delicious. Word.

Give this one a try and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy!

Linguine with Mushrooms and Clam Sauce

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

I’ve changed some things up on this recipe. To see Jenna’s original recipe, buy her lovely book! (p. 13)

Author: Hip Foodie Mom, adapted from White Jacket Required

Recipe type: Main

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 package linguine pasta
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped (or minced)
salt and pepper to taste
2 (15 ounce) white clam sauce (I bought Progresso)
Juice of one lemon
½ cup fresh italian parsley, chopped and split (for sauce and garnish)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onions, mushrooms and garlic and cook until soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the clams and clam sauce and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Add the lemon juice, and half of the parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 3 more minutes.
Add the pasta to the sauce and mix. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the remaining parsley.

Simple Garlic Mushroom Bruschetta

With the move to my new blog’s home, I’ve been cleaning up posts, adding in printable recipe cards and fixing some of my photos. . I discovered that some of my recipes somehow didn’t make it in the transfer and this one was one of them. This recipe is too simple and good not to re-post so here it is! I hope you enjoy!

I love bruschetta. Give me some bread, a tomato, and some basil and I am set. Bruschetta is awesome because you can make a lot of it easily and, obviously it works well for appetizers or when you have a group of people coming over. Bruschetta is also extremely versatile and you can literally put whatever you want on top! I posted this recipe back when my mushroom obsession was only beginning . . this recipe is so simple and easy to make. If you like mushrooms and garlic, this is a must try! I hope you enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Donal Skehan. He’s so cute!

Simple Garlic Mushroom Bruschetta

Author: Hip Foodie Mom, adapted from Donal Skehan

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoon of olive oil, split (depending on how much bread you are using)
1-2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3-4 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced (cremini mushrooms work well for this)
4-6 slices of a baguette, any kind
A generous pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (for garnish)
Fresh Parsley (for garnish)

Instructions

Heat a frying pan over a high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds, then add the sliced mushrooms.
Saute the mushrooms until they are soft. Season with salt and pepper.
While the mushrooms are cooking, in a separate frying pan or griddle pan, drizzle your bread with the remaining olive oil and toast, flipping and toasting on both sides, until golden.
To assemble: Place a generous amount of the garlic mushrooms on each toast and season with sea salt and ground black pepper if needed. And garnish with the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh parsley.

Kale, Tofu & Eggs

When I think of eggs, two things come to my mind. The first is that scene from Julie & Julia when Julie eats eggs for the first time and she says that glorious line, “I thought eggs were going to be greasy and slimy, but it tastes like … cheese sauce. Yum.” Yum indeed!

And the other is my dear friend MiJin. MiJin is a wonderful mother of two beautiful girls and was probably one of the first people I know to go organic, supported local farmers and got her family eating healthy. She also always seems to know about the latest safe, organic, non-toxic products for kids and babies. MiJin is an awesome mom.

We were roommates for a couple of years and I remember MiJin eating eggs almost everyday. Sunny side up, over easy, scrambled, I think she may have even made poached eggs . . when I would see her walking out of the kitchen with a plate, I knew she had cooked up some eggs. I never really understood her love for eggs. . until this year. Not sure why. . maybe it’s because my kids love scrambled eggs. Maybe it’s because my husband finally taught me how to properly cook scrambled eggs. Or maybe it’s my current Omega-3 egg obsession. Whatever the reason may be, we are eating a lot of eggs now. The current fave from the girls is hard boiled eggs and I can’t get enough of this Deviled Egg Spread. It’s absolutely delicious.

Here’s another great recipe. If you are a kale and tofu lover, you must try this. Totally simple and delicious. I hope you enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Loves Writing. For a step by step sunny side up egg tutorial, click here.

Kale, Tofu & Eggs

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of olive oil (plus a little more for the eggs)
2 cups of kale, chopped
½ cup tofu, cubed
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
a dash of sesame oil (optional but highly recommended)
1-2 eggs
Salt and pepper; as needed

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the chopped kale and cubed tofu and season with the soy sauce and sesame oil. Saute until the kale is a little wilted and the tofu is browned, about 4-5 minutes.
In a separate pan, cook your eggs. You can cook them anyway you like, but I recommend over easy or sunny side up. To cook your eggs sunny side up, add a little olive oil to your pan. You need just enough to coat the pan. Heat the oil until it is just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water.
Crack the egg gently so that it breaks in half and drop into the pan. Immediately lower the heat and continue the remaining cooking over low heat. Repeat with any additional eggs, making sure to space them far enough apart so that the whites don’t touch.
Consider covering the pan
“Covering the pan can accelerate the cooking process but you must be careful to avoid overcooking the yolks. If you cover the pan, the top of the whites (including the layer over the yolk) cooks and turns white and firm, rather than remaining clear and slippery. This is more similar to over-easy eggs, which are actually flipped over so that the “sunny” side cooks.”
Cook the eggs until the whites and yolk reach the desired consistency. When finished, remove from the pan. Serve on top of the bed of kale and tofu. Season with salt and pepper.