40 Meatless Meals: Portabella Sandwiches

Marinade (enough for 6 large portabella caps):
1 cup balsamic vinegar (you may also substitute part white wine or other good-tasting vinegar)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

For each sandwich:
toasted hamburger bun or roll
lettuce
tomato
cheese (Swiss is a good choice)
caramelized onions
mayo

Marinade the mushroom caps for at least one hour. Grill (or pan-fry) for 5 minutes or until tender. Build your sandwiches like a burger and enjoy!

Notes: I highly recommend grilling the mushrooms if you are able, it adds a nice flavor. One thing to keep in mind is that the mushrooms are rather like sponges: as soon as you squeeze them (say, to bite into the sandwich), a lot of the juices squeeze out and into the bottom bun. So, if you don't like soggy buns, you might try broiling the cheese onto the bottom bun, or putting the lettuce on the bottom to protect that bun. At any rate, it's a juicy sandwich, so keep those napkins handy!

It's Holy Week...

... do you know where your Easter dress is?

This has been a Church Lady Public Service Announcement.

40 Meatless Meals: Quinoa Risotto with Broccoli Pesto

adapted from this source

5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems

3 medium garlic cloves
2/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted (divided)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 big pinches salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream

1 c. uncooked quinoa*

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

3/4 c. white wine

3-4c. clear liquids, as described below

Steam the broccoli just long enough to take the raw edge off; reserve the water from steaming. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking.

To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, 1/2 cup of the almonds, Parmesan, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor (or use an immersion blender). Add the olive oil and cream bit at a time until the desired texture is reached.

Heat the oil and butter in a dutch oven or a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the quinoa and stir for a few minutes until the grains are shiny and fragrant. Add the wine, and cook, stirring constantly, until it is absorbed. Continue to add the reserved cooking water from the broccoli, vegetable stock, and/or water 1/2 c. at a time, stirring until absorbed. After most of the liquid has been used, start taste-testing the grains for doneness and season as desired.

Toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli with the pesto, starting with about half the pesto and adding more until the desired texture is reached. Top with more almonds and Parmesan if desired.

*Quinoa is a grain that is available in natural foods stores. You can also substitute various rices and grains in this recipe. Arborio rice, of course, works well when cooked with this method, and other grains may be cooked according to their package directions and used with this sauce.

40 Meatless Meals - Black-eyed Pea Cakes and Cauliflower Gratin

Black-eyed pea cakes and Cauliflower Gratin (minus the recommended horseradish)

Beauty for Beauty's Sake

The Spring/Summer Issue of Knitty has a feature on knitted lace edgings perfect for hankies.

40 Meatless Meals - Double Spinach Pasta

Serves 4

1 1/2 lb fresh spinach, wilted, or one block of frozen spinach, cooked and thoroughly drained
2 cups white sauce
1/2 t grated nutmeg
1/2 c parmesan cheese

8 oz dried spinach pasta

Press all the liquid out of the spinach. Fold into sauce; stir in nutmeg and cheese and cook until heated through. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Toss noodles with sauce and serve.

"He is not here"

In case you're one of those people who like to inject little lessons on the Faith into everyday life (or you happen to appreciate a bit of bad humor), you might like to join my family's tradition of enjoying cream puffs after Mass on Easter Vigil.

I ask you to use your imagination -a cream puff will be your reward at the end, so work with me here! The lesson comes from the structure of the bread; it's round - a little like a cave shape, and like the original Easter surprise, it's empty inside! The pun comes from the delicious filling piped into the center. Again, like the tomb on Easter morning your little caves are filled with something unexpected - the "odor of sanctity." I know, it's a stretch, but we like it, and it's a great excuse to make cream puffs.

This is one of those recipes that's easy to make but people are always impressed to learn you've done it yourself. In the cooking world this pastry is known as Pate au Choux.

Pastry Recipe:

1 cup water

3 ounces butter (unsalted, if it's available)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 pinch salt

1 1/3 cup flour (bread flour, if you have it)

4 large eggs

1 or 2 large egg whites

Yield: Not enough. Make a double batch.

Just kidding - it makes about 4 dozen. But they're small so consider yourself warned.

Filling:

1 box of vanilla pudding made with 3/4 of the milk called for on the box so it's a little thicker than usual.

In a saucepan -Melt butter in water.

Add flour and stir vigorously with a whisk until ball forms or pulls away from sides of pan.

Remove from heat.

Cool slightly.

With an electric mixer, beat in eggs, one at a time.

Beat for about a minute until it looks glossy but no longer wet.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

I used a #60 food scoop, capacity- 1 tablespoon.

You can reuse the same sheet of parchment several times.

Bake at 400 º for 20 minutes.

Cool and use a pastry bag and piping tip to fill the breads.

Notes—bake until thoroughly browned and they will not flatten when cool. They keep their nice texture and height even when made a day ahead of time. I keep multiple baking sheets going at a time so I always have a cool one to put the next batch of batter onto. The breads can be made ahead of time and frozen. Do not fill until the day you'll serve them.

If you'd like to see this demonstrated, watch this two part lesson from the always entertaining Alton Brown:

Celebrating Sunday: Palm Sunday edition

Reflection:
"On the eve of Passion Sunday, all the statues, crucifixes, and paintings in the abbey were veiled in purple, and for Palm Sunday, palms, real ones, were blessed, the echo of those long-ago hosannas in Jerusalem. Then it was Holy Week and the glory and hope of Easter."
[Rumer Godden, In this House of Brede]

Recipe:
Maple Dijon Chicken

Or, if you're feeling POD, try Palm Sunday Pasta.

Also check out these darling Fig Bible Cupcakes at Catholic Cuisine.

About Celebrating Sunday

40 Meatless Meals: Creamy Lentil Soup

This was a cleaning out the refrigerator soup that turned out pretty well.

1/2 cup dried red lentils
8 cups of vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup hummus
1 cup cooked pasta

Cook red lentils in enough water to cover them until tender. Stir in stock and hummus; add bay leaf and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in pasta and cook until heated through. Serves 4-6.

And going a little further, he fell upon his face, praying and saying: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as you will. Matthew 26:39

My mother, in lieu of a picture of her Lenten Wreath, sent me this picture of her home altar - the fireplace mantle in the family room.



Will you share your home altars and prayer corners with us?

Join our Flickr Group and add your photos!