Category: Appetizer

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Cheese-Stuffed Arepas

Notes

Recipe taken from FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt 
  • 2 cups pre-cooked white corn meal, such as P.A.N.
  • 4 ounces part-skim mozzarella, cut into 8 cubes
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil, or as needed

Directions

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
  2. Stir together 2 ½ cups lukewarm water and 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a large bowl.
  3. Gradually add the corn meal into the water, using your fingers to stir and combine, until a soft and moist dough forms.
  4. Divide the dough into 8 golf ball-size balls and pat each into a patty about 5-inches wide and ¼-inch-thick.
  5. Put a cube of mozzarella in the center of each patty. Fold the dough over the cheese, making sure the cheese is completely covered and sealed. Pat it back down until 3-inches wide and ½-inch-thick (see Cook’s Note).
  6. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering. Working in batches, cook the corn patties, until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side, making sure the oil is hot for each batch (this actually took 12 minutes per side!).
  7. Transfer to a cooling rack set on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges are crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.

Posted on » by Dino » Theme:

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Notes

10 Minute Instant Pot® Mushroom Broth recipe from 101 Cookbooks
Vegetarian French Onion Soup recipe adapted from May I Have That Recipe?

10 Minute Instant Pot® Mushroom Broth

Ingredients

  • 8 Cups Water
  • 15 g / ½ Cup Dried Porcini Mushrooms
  • 6 Medium Cloves of Garlic, Peeled & Smashed
  • Scant 1 Teaspoon Fine-Grain Sea Salt
  • ½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper, or To Taste
  • A Sprig or Two of Fresh Thyme

Instructions

  1. Combine the water, dried mushrooms, and garlic in your Instant Pot. Close and seal.
  2. Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. Carefully quick release, gently shake or tap the pressure cooker, and THEN carefully open away from you.
  3. Season with the salt pepper, and thyme. Wait a minute or two, stir, and taste. If it tastes flat to you, add more salt and pepper, until it tastes delicious. Freeze any broth you aren’t going to use within a few days.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 Large Sweet Onions, Sliced
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Sugar + additional 1 tsp Sugar (optional)
  • Tbsp All Purpose Flour
  • 6 Cups Mushroom Broth
  • 1 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
  • ⅓ Cup Dry White Wine
  • ⅛ tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 French Baguette
  • 14 Ounces Gruyère Cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add onions and salt, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional). Continue cooking for about 50 minutes, stirring frequently. Add flour, mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
  2. Add mushroom broth, Worcestershire sauce, wine, and pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and sugar if necessary (remember the the cheese will add saltiness to it).
  3. While the soup is cooking, place cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes (so it’s easier to shred). Shred cheese and set aside in the fridge.
  4. Slice baguette in 1/2 inch rounds and toast until crunchy.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  6. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place 4–6 oven proof bowls on the baking sheet and ladle soup into the bowls. Add 3 tbsp shredded cheese to each bowl, mix well.
  7. Gently place one or two pieces of bread on top of soup and cover bread with 1/4 cup of cheese per bowl.
  8. Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
  9. Broil for 1–2 minutes, keeping an eye so the bread doesn’t burn. Serve immediately.
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San Francisco Clam Chowder

Notes

Recipe from The Gourmet Gourmand

Prep Time: 20 Mins
Cook Time: 40 Mins (closer to 60)
Serving Size: 4–6 People

Ingredients

  • 10 oz Canned Clams, chopped
  • 3 cups of bottled Clam Juice
  • 2–3 slices of Bacon, diced (I used Turkey Bacon which I cut into lardon strips)
  • 1 Onion, diced
  • 3 medium-sized Yukon Gold Potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled, and diced into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 cup Half & Half
  • ¼ cup Cooking Sherry
  • 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh Thyme (½ teaspoon dried)
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • ½–1 teaspoon Salt (to taste)
  • Black Pepper, to taste (I used White Pepper instead to be more visually appealing)
  • A few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, to taste
  • A few dashes of Hot Sauce, to taste
  • Sourdough Bread (hollowed out for bowls, or diced into 1 inch cubes)

Instructions

  • Saute diced Bacon in a heavy bottom stock pot, or dutch oven, stirring often, until browned. (I used Turkey Bacon, so I added a tablespoon of red palm oil since it’s much leaner)
  • Add diced Onion to the Bacon and saute until Onions become translucent.
  • Add Flour to Onion and Bacon mixture and mix until well-coated.
  • Add Clam Juice to mixture and stir to dissolve flour. Allow mixture to come to a boil for approximately 5 minutes. The mixture should become slightly thickened, approximately the same thickness as cream. If it is too thick, add additional water. (this took more than 5 minutes, probably about 15!)
  • Add Thyme and Bay Leaf to stock.
  • Add chopped Potatoes and simmer, covered, for approximately 15 minutes or until Potatoes are fork-tender (took me about 20 minutes in a cast iron dutch oven).
  • Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring Cream and Half & Half to a simmer. Add chopped Clams and cook for about 5-8 minutes.
  • Once Potatoes are fully cooked, combine with Cream and Clam mixture.
  • Bring entire soup to a simmer for about 1–2 minutes.
  • Add Sherry, Salt, Pepper, Worcestershire, and Hot Sauce to taste.
  • Ladle into heated Sourdough Bread bowls, or serve bead cubes on the side.