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Noodles and cabbage sauteed with oyster mushrooms, onions, and garlic

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A simple, syncretic dish, haluški is typically made with a potato pasta (similar to gnocchi) in central and eastern European cuisines. This is a North American version made with soft (gluten free) noodles and cabbage.

Ingredients

For the noodles
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup masa harina
1 cup tapioca flour
2T egg replacer
A pinch sea salt
A pinch turmeric (I use 1/4t)
1 cup boiling water
2 liters water for cooking the noodles with 2t coarse sea salt

For the cabbage
2T plant-only margarine
2T pasta water
4 scallions, minced, 3″ – 4″ green reserved for garnish
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4t black pepper, freshly cracked
1 cup oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped
4 cups shredded green cabbage (I use coleslaw mix)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Replace the black pepper with dried red chili for a spicier dish. Use a tablespoon coconut oil and a little sea salt in place of the margarine if you prefer. A dash of liquid smoke will add some additional flavor to this dish. Scallions add colour to the dish, but vidalia onion will also work (adjust the saute accordingly).

Method

Make the noodles first, then the cabbage. Mix the flours, masa, sea salt and turmeric. Stirring briskly with a fork, slowly pour in the boiling water to mix into a dough. As the dough cool, knead by hand until a smooth elastic dough forms. Roll out on a lightly (tapioca) floured board into a large rectangle about 1/8″ thick or between sheets of plastic wrap.

With a pastry cutter or a knife, cut into 2″ x 3/4″ noodles (or the size you prefer). Traditionally, haluški is scraped off the board with a knife into boiling water, but the noodles in this version are a little sturdier.

In a large pan, bring the water to a boil with the sea salt. Add the noodles and simmer for 3 – 5 minutes, or until the noodles float. Drain carefully, reserving 2 tablespoons pasta water. Rinse gently with cold water. Spread them in thin even layer on a dry, clean cutting board or other surface while you make the cabbage.

While the noodles dry a little, start the cabbage. Bring a large frying pan to heat on medium. Melt the margarine and add the scallions and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the oyster mushrooms and black pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and increase heat to medium high. Stir fry the cabbage for 5-8 minutes, until the cabbage is nicely wilted (reduced by about half) but not mushy.

When the cabbage is ready, add the noodles and reserved pasta water. Stir to combine. Cook another 30 seconds or so. Remove from heat. Add the nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Season to taste. Spoon out, garnish with scallion sliced on an angle, and serve.

Tofu, mushroom, and sea vegetable stew with potatoes and poblano pepper

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This is a simple, comforting and nutritious stew with a number of rich flavours. The poblano pepper gives is just a little heat This makes a medium bowl for 4 and a large bowl for 2.

Ingredients

2T water
3 scallions, minced, 3″ – 4″ green reserved for garnish
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 poblano pepper, cored, seeded, 1/4″ dice
4 large cremini mushrooms, stemmed, thickly sliced (about 1/2″)
225g extra firm, high quality tofu, 1/2″ cubes
2 cups green cabbage, shredded (I use coleslaw mix)
1 floury potato (about 2 cups, I use organic russet), 1/3″ dice
1T lemon juice
1 cup water
1 ‘sprig’ kombu (about 3″)
2 cups unsweetened plant milk (I use soy)
1/2T white vinegar
1T dried wakame, crumbled
1T tapioca flour dissolved in 1T cold water
1 cup green curly kale, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt, black pepper and vinegar to taste
1/2t purple dulse flakes
1/2t nori flakes

Optional: A tablespoon of garlic and/or replacing the water with vegetable stock will add flavour. A little white miso and/or cashew butter added at the end would go nicely. A little dusting of smoked paprika with the dulse and nori will add flavour and colour. Slowcook for a few hours if you prefer. Press your tofu ahead of time if necessary.

Method

Warm a large frying pan with a lid on medium high heat. Add the 2T water, sea salt, and scallions. Water saute for 1 minute. Add the pepper and mushrooms. Saute for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir fry another 2-3 minutes.

When the pan has browned a little, add the lemon and deglaze. Add the 1 cup water and kombu. Return the pan to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Uncover and remove the kombu. Add the plant milk and wakame. Increase heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, aiming to reduce the plant milk by about 1/3.

Stirring continuously, add the tapioca mixture slowly and stir until it thickens. Remove from heat. Add the kale and nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Season to taste. Ladle/spoon out. Garnish with scallion green sliced on an angle, dulse and nori flakes.

Black lentil mezzaluna in a sesame white sauce with oyster mushrooms and kale

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Similar to pierogi, mezzaluna are a lovely and decorative pasta, filled here with a lightly spicy combination of black beluga lentils, poblano peppers and Brussels sprouts, served in and a rich sauce of white miso, sesame seed butter and oyster mushrooms. This makes an appetizer portion for 4 or large plate for 2.

Ingredients

For the filling
1/4 cups black lentils
2/3 cups water
1 ‘sprig’ dried kombu (about 1/2″)
1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 scallion, minced (3″ – 4″ green reserved for garnish)
1/4 cup poblano pepper, chopped finely
2 Brussels sprouts (about 1/4 cup scant), minced (or green cabbage)
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste
For the dough
1 cup semolina flour
A pinch sea salt
1/3 cup water
1t olive oil
2 liters water and 2t coarse sea salt for boiling
For the sauce
1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/2t dried basil, rubbed
1/4t dried oregano, rubbed
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup oyster mushroom, wiped and finely chopped
1/2T lemon juice
1 cup unsweetened plant milk
1T sesame seed butter (I use a fairly traded brand)
1 cup green curly kale, finely chopped
1T arrowroot flour dissolved in 1T cold water
1/2T white miso
2T nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Replace the Brussel sprouts with sun-dried tomatoes for something slightly more flavourful.

Method

Start the filling first, then the pasta, then the sauce. In a small pan with a lid, bring the water to a boil. Add the lentils. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the lentils are tender. When the lentils are done, remove the kombu, rinse the lentils and set aside.

While the lentils simmer, make the pasta dough. Mix the flour and salt. Mix the water and oil. Mix the wet and the dry. The dough may seem too dry initially. Keep mixing, and then knead until as a smooth elastic dough forms, and then another 2-3 minutes. Cover with a warm wet tea towel and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.

When the lentils are ready, in a medium frying pan, bring the oil to eat on medium high. Add the cooking oil and sea salt. Add the scallion. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the pepper and Brussels sprouts and saute for 5 minutes. Add the lentils and stir to combine. Remove from heat. Set aside covered to cool.

Roll out the dough on a floured board in a large rectangle about 1/10″ thin. Cut small circles about 2 1/2″ round. Bunch up leftover dough, roll out and cut. Repeat until all of the dough has been used. Aim for 16 circles.

When the dough has been cut, add a heaping tablespoon of filling to each in an oblong shape in the middle. Carefully pinch closed, starting with the top, one side, and then the other. Squeeze out any excess air. Crimp both sides of the seam with a fork. Let sit to dry lightly while you make the sauce.

In a large pan with a lid, bring the cooking oil and sea salt to heat with the sea salt on medium high. Add the green herbs and saute for 1 minute. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the oyster mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and deglaze the pan. Add the soy milk. Bring the pan to a light simmer. Add the sesame seed butter and stir to dissolve. Simmer lightly, stirring occasionally while you finish the pasta.

In a large pot, bring the 2 liters water to a boil with the sea salt. Add the mezzaluna carefully to the water and boil lightly until they float (should be 3-5 minutes). They’ll float when done. Don’t overcook. Drain them carefully in a colander, reserving 2T of the pasta water. Rinse the pasta gently with cool water.

Add the pasta water and the kale to the sauce and stir to combine. Simmer another 2 minutes. Stirring continuously, add the arrowroot mixture until it thickens. Remove from heat. Add the white miso and stir until dissolved. Rinse the mezzaluna with hot water, drain and add them to the sauce. Stir gently to coat. Let stand 2-3 minutes to cool. Season to taste.

When lightly cooled, plate the mezzaluna and pour sauce over them. Add the scallion greens sliced on an angle. Dust with nutritional yeast, and serve.

Miso noodle soup with kale and mushrooms

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Simple and satisfying with nourishing miso and chewy noodles simmered in the broth. This recipe easily doubles.

Ingredients

For the soup
2T water
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 scallion, minced (2″ – 3″ green reserved for garnish)
75g cremini mushrooms, 1/4″ slices
1/2T lemon juice
1/2T tamari
2 cups water
1 ‘sprig’ dried kombu (about 1″)
1-2T red soy miso (to taste)
1 cup green kale, coarsely chopped
Coarse sea salt (or tamari) and black pepper to taste

For the noodles
1/4 cup whole wheat bread flour
2-3T cold water
A pinch sea salt

Optional: Additional sea vegetables will go well in this soup, as would sesame seeds for garnish. Replace the cremini mushrooms with shiitake mushrooms if you prefer. Use white miso or just 1T red miso for something a little more neutral in taste. Add a few drops of toasted sesame oil with the scallions for a little additional flavour.

Method

Make the noodles first, then the soup. Mix the flour, salt and water together until a smooth dough forms. If you need to add extra water, do so a teaspoon at a time. Knead for 3 minutes and set aside in a bowl covered with a warm, moist tea towel. Let rest for at least 10 minutes. Knead another 3 minutes. Return to the bowl for another 10 minutes to rest. Knead another 3 minutes. Return to the bowl for a final 10 minutes.

On a floured board, roll the dough out to a large rectangle, about 1/8″ thick and no less than 9″ long. Using a wheeled pastry cutter, cut 1/4″ noodles, or fold very gently length-wise into thirds (in an S-curve) and cut the noodles with a knife if you prefer. Let the noodles rest while you make the soup.
Bring a large pan with a lid to heat on medium high. Add the water, sea salt, scallions, and mushrooms. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes, or until the pan is starting to brown and the mushrooms are softening. Add the lemon and tamari and deglaze the pan. Stir fry another 2 minutes. Add the water and kombu, and return the pan to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

At the 10 minute mark, add the noodles and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the kale and simmer another two minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 2 minutes to cool. Add the miso and stir to combine. Season to taste. Ladle out, garnish with scallions sliced on an angle, and serve.