Kitchenography

Crostini of Creamy Mushrooms with Lemon and Mint

 

Are we all though talking about the inauguration? I hope not. I'm still basking in my post-inauguration glow.

I watched the ceremony on a movie screen in an auditorium at the university where I work. I had considered taking the day off but in the end I was glad I didn't because it was such a great feeling to be watching with other people who were as excited as I was.

There were enormous cheers when Barack Obama arrived to be sworn in --and a collective "Aaaawwwww" as his daughters arrived. Right after 12:00 pm CNN ran a banner on the bottom of the screen saying that even though he had not yet taken the oath of office Barack Obama had officially become president at 12:00 p.m.; the room erupted in clapping and cheering. And then more clapping and cheering after the oath of office and the inaugural address.

I think the line that received the greatest applause was, "We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost." At a school of public health that had particular resonance.

I'm suffused with hopeful feelings about the future and left with a feeling that the country has been handed to the next generation and we're moving ahead.

And what does all this have to do with crostini? Nothing.Nothing at all. Except maybe that even in moments of great excitement and hopefulness, we still must eat. Although as distracted as I've been by the events of the last week there's been very little cooking going on but I did manage to make these.

Mint as an ingredient in savory foods is something I've only discovered in the last few years. While mint as a flavor in sweet ingredients is not particularly appealing to me, mint in savory foods has become a great favorite. Combined with the lemon it's particularly bright and snappy.

Crostini of Creamy Mushrooms with Lemon and Mint

Adapted from It's About Time; makes 12 crostini

1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 teaspoon mint, minced
1/2 teaspoon flat leaf parsley, minced
1 heaping tablespoon flour
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon butter
2 cups thinly sliced button mushrooms
Salt & pepper
12 slices day old Italian bread about 3/4 inch thick
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Lightly beat egg yolk and water together. Add the lemon juice, mint, parsley, and flour, and whisk until smooth.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and butter over high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let them cool slightly.

4. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with the remaining oil, and toast in the oven until golden brown on both sides.

5. Pour the egg mixture over the slightly cooled mushrooms. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes creamy and thickened, about two minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

6. Remove the bread from the oven and spoon the mushroom mixture onto it. Garnish with a grating of Parmigiano-Regianno and serve.

 

Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

 Is one of your new year's resolutions about eating better? Yeah, me too. In fact, I have a whole list of food resolutions: eating more vegetables every day, particularly leafy greens; eating whole grains; taking my lunch to work every day; and generally being more disciplined about how I eat.

In fact let me sum up my resolutions for you: Everything I've been doing, I am going to stop doing. Everything I haven't been doing, I'm going to start doing.

I'm joking! Kind of.

This salad covers much of my list. It's full of healthy vegetables like watercress, it's made with a whole grain -- OK, it's actually a seed but for my purposes we'll call it a whole grain --, and it makes a good lunch. In fact, I've had it for lunch the last two days and plan on having it for lunch again today.

It's been some time -- like years -- since the one and only time I tried quinoa previously. It wasn't a good experience and I can't remember specifics other than the fact it tasted so bad it killed any desire I had to eat it again. But based on information I've read since, I realize that I didn't adequately rinse the quinoa. It wasn't the quinoa, it was me. Quinoa is coated with a bitter substance called saponin which must be rinsed off before cooking the quinoa.

But at the time of my first quinoa foray quinoa knowledge wasn't as widely distributed as it is now.  In fact, at the time I was under the impression that the pronunciation was quin-OH-a or something of the sort. Who would have guessed that a word spelled q-u-i-n-o-a would be pronounced KEEN-wah? Not me. But I've sinced learned. The miracles of the internet.

Another development of the intervening years: prewashed quinoa is now available. In fact, based on my reading, it seems as if much quinoa is sold already washed. The exception seems to be quinoa sold in the bulk bins. If you have any doubts though, rinse your quinoa repeatedly to make sure you've gotten rid of the coating.

Quinoa has a mild, slightly nutty taste and makes a good backdrop to stronger flavors such as the sharpness of the watercress here. This salad held up well for the second day. Just make sure it comes to room temperature before you eat it. You might also want to refresh it with a little additional vinaigrette. This is also the sort of thing that can be varied endlessly. I'm thinking that the next time I make it I will use mango in place of the radishes and use a lime vinaigrette.

Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Adapted from the excellent Raising the Salad Bar which is my new favorite full-of-healthy-recipes book.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
Kosher salt
1 bunch watercress, roughly chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
5 radishes, halved from top to bottom then sliced as thinly as possible
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil

1. Add quinoa, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 cups water  to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover pan and cook for 13 to 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit until it has cooled completely.

2. In a small bowl, stir 1/4 tsp kosher salt into 1/4 cup lemon juice. Slowly whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil.

3. Put the watercress, cucumber, carrot, radishes, and pepper in a large bowl. Salt them lightly. Add quinoa to bowl, then toss lightly with vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve.