A quick green side for spring - Asparagus, Snap Pea, New Potato & Fiddlehead Sauteé.  Serve warm or cold, a simple medley of spring produce.  

A prepare ahead item for brunch, it's perfect along side an omelette for Mother's Day or in the evening fresh piece of fish, prepared very simply with just a bit of butter and lemon.  Quickly blanch asparagus and snap peas in boiling salted water until they're bright green, about 2 minutes.   Then remove immediately from the boiling water and put them straight into an ice water bath.

The fiddleheads require a longer cooking time to remove all impurities.  Boil for ten minutes, strain and again chill the hot fiddleheads in cold, clean water.  This removes tannins and bitterness and some people get upset stomachs from fiddleheads so you're better safe than sick.  You can see by the colour of the water after cooking just a half dozen fiddleheads that this might be a good idea, though I regularly just stream them until they're bright green, about 5 minutes, rinse and serve.

Cook potatoes until just tender, about 12 minutes and chill them in the same manner.  Your cooked vegetables can stand at room temperature for a couple of hours if needed or then can pop them in the fridge until you're ready.

A drizzle of olive oil, a bit of crushed garlic and a quick sauteé  to warm them through over medium heat, season, add a touch of chive from the garden and serve.

Asparagus, Snap Pea, New Potato & Fiddlehead Sauteé, a light, bright green taste of spring.  Good food doesn't have to be complicated.  

When most non-vegans think of vegan food we think spouts, copious amounts of tofu and generous portions of lettuce.  We don't often think tasty, fresh and "gosh, I didn't even know it was vegan" nutrition; which is the cornerstone of vegan cuisine served at Zen Kitchen.

The Zen of Ottawa's dining scene finds it's home in what used to be a small house on Sommerset, in the heart of Chinatown.  It's comfortable room, with warm coloured walls and abundant natural light seats it's clientele easily despite it's small size.  Our server, Chelsey, had an excellent grasp of the menu and it's ingredients, and all the questions we peppered her with were easily answered.

I started with the white-tea ginger kombucha, which is a fermented, flavoured tea, served cold (top photo).  The fermentation gives it it's fine effervescence.  I remember kombucha from the vending machines of Japan, it's extraordinarily refreshing.  The Zen Kitchen version, with the zip of ginger, clears the mouth and readies the palate for a menu void of meat, eggs and dairy.

The lunch menu is tight, with six options that include the Zen Burger (mushroom & walnut based), a Ruben sandwich (smoked tempeh & house fermented sauerkraut), Gourmet Salad (organic greens & spiced pepitas) and Mac & Cheese (with artisnal pasta & chipotle Mornay sauce) plus the two we tried, the Tortilla Wrap and the Sobe.  Lunch mains are $14 and come with your choice of soup, salad or fries and you can make the those fries a poutine for an extra $3.

The apple-butter-miso dengaku tofu skewers, with Hall's Apple Butter and white miso is featured on the Zen Kitchen dinner menu on the Main Sized Caesar Salad and the lunch menu's Gourmet Salad.  First pan fried, then skewered, sauced and finally grilled, it's tofu done, very well.  I'm not a big fan of tofu myself, it's the texture that offends me, but this was firm, crisp on the outside and soft and warm on the inside, was a marvelous combination of savory, salty and sweet.

"We don't do much tofu and we don't try to imitate meat" volunteers co-owner & sommelier Dave Loan.

Zen Kitchen offers refreshingly little in the way of tofu and no meat substitutes, like tofurky.  Which only serves to underscore the variety of ingredients on the menu; the use of nutrient rich foods, seeds, nuts and greens makes for food that is refined and lively.

My lunch, the Tortilla Wrap with garam masala curry and puy lentils, sauteed vegetables, house pickled onions, spiced chutney.  Sauteed vegetables included avocado and sweet potato, which were outstanding and smooth against the curry and lentils.  The fresh crispness of micro greens, fresh and raw, lent a slight crunch.  It was not overly spiced and perfectly seasoned, and for me who's who's eating lighter... the perfect lunch.

Sopé - leavened house corn tortilla with sauteed vegetables and tofu scramble, Mornay sauce and house salsa, served with a side of rice is among the many Zen Kitchen gluten free options and my charming companion's lunch, which she consumed with appreciation and some well chosen adjectives.

We were both thrilled to see Sopé on the menu, it's hard to find Sopé outside of Mexico and the southwest United States, one of the stables of Mexican cuisine and wonderfully adapted to vegan cuisine at the hands of Chef Caroline Ishii.  The tortilla itself is a marvel, it has height, like a little corn cake, and the tofu scramble was tasty and sharp.  The mornay sauce made with the nutritional yeast, is a clever substitute for cheese against a tangy simple salsa and a creamy guacamole.

In one of the most intimate and connected conversations I've had with a chef, co-owner Chef Caroline Ishii shared a vision of her cuisine that is at once simple and articulate.

"It's not just vegan food, it's good tasting food... delicious food!  It must be as good, or better, than the original." 

If Chef Caroline hadn't driven that point home with entrees, she sure packs a punch with the sweets, which show a deep understanding of both technique and ingredients.   Chef's Dessert Sampler ($12) Peanut Butter Pie, Chocolate Beer Cake made with local Broadhead Beer served with an orange coulee, and Carrot Zucchini Cake with creamy citrus frosting and raspberry coulee.  As well as the gluten-free Sundae with Brownie chunks, chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, house whipped cream ($6) in the bottom photo.

Dessert left me speechless.  Using coconut cream to substitute for dairy whipped cream (with the stabilizing agent of guar gum) is at once tasty and pleasing to both the mouth and the eye.  The carrot zucchini cake was moist & spicy, not enough people use allspice in my opinion, so I was delighted to find it's flavour here.   I left inspired to try a few do Chef Caroline's ideas at home!

Many list 'love' as their secret ingredient, Zen Kitchen adds not just love, but the conscious intent to deliver the very best in nutrition and taste.   Among the most deeply satisfying meals I have had anywhere, Zen Kitchen delivers truly inspired cuisine.

"I have a need to nourish."  ~ Chef Caroline Ishii 

Zen Kitchen
634 Somerset Street West
Ottawa, Ontario
613-233-6404
www.zenkitchen.ca

Cookies for breakfast? Relax Mom, they're vegan, wheat-free, low sugar, low fat, Granola Breakfast Cookies.  But nobody needs to know they're healthy!

In my years in the kitchen at Nova Scotia's Dragonfly Inn, breakfast cookies became a popular item with guests.  Big on grains, dried fruit and nuts, they're packed with nutrition, unfortunately they're also packed with fat, sugar and gluten.  This week I looked at a way to update that recipe and make it more belly friendly to all the foodie special interest groups.

Found a recipe very similar to mine with a few little differences:  the fat is olive oil instead of butter, the glue is apple sauce instead of eggs, the flour is spelt instead of wheat, they're not gluten-free, but certainly wheat-free if you're watching your grains.

I love to bake with olive oil, it's fruity flavor adds an extra dimension to baked goods, and dam if it isn't good for you.

In this recipe I've used rolled barley as well as steel cut oats, because I wanted that full-on granola taste and a bump in nutrition (barley is a good source of iron) but you can substitute one for the other without consequence.  Use whatever dried fruit you happen to have or toss in chocolate chips or carob bits instead.

Consume without guilt, while wearing Birkenstocks and wool socks.

Granola Breakfast Cookies Recipe

(adapted from Vegan Baking Mama)

Prep time 15 minutes
Baking time: 25 minutes
Makes 12 - 16 cookies

2 tablespoons raw almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 cup spelt flour
1 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup of rolled barley
2 tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (kosher) salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 tablespoons dried apricots, chopped
2 tablespoons dried pear, chopped

Preheat the oven to 325*F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

Method:

1. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, toast almonds, sesame seeds, coconut & sunflower seeds in the pre-heated oven for about 5 minutes, watch for coconut to be lightly brown. (Toasting is not imperative, but it gives the cookie some added crunch, and yumminess.)
2. In a medium bowl blend together spelt flour, oats, barley, flax, baking soda, baking powder & cinnamon with a spoon or spatula.
3. Create well in center of dry ingredients, add sugar, olive oil, apple sauce and vanilla, mix with spatula until well blended.  Fold in the toasted ingredients, along with dried fruit.
4. Scoop dough with a tablespoon to form uniform mounds on prepared sheet, about 2 inches apart.  If the cookies look too high, use a wet finger and gently press them down to form flat disks.  Bake at 325*F for 12-15 minutes or until golden and crisp around the edges.
5. Place tray on cooling rack and allow cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes. (These cookies are very moist, moving them before they've cooled will cause breakage, and you'll be forced to eat them.)  Once cool and firm, shift cookies off the sheet onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Keep your Granola Breakfast Cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.  IF you have leftovers, they freeze beautifully for lunches and on-the-go snacks.

Did I mention they're good for you?! For the hippy in you from the hippy in me. Peace out.

Roasted Vegetables with Garlic, Rosemary & Lemon, know at Chez Gypsy as the Ode to Tubers, is a household favorite.  The oils from the olive, the lemon and rosemary are old friends; they bond in a familiar kinship to make this simple side dish look amazing, taste terrific and smell fantastic.

A colourful side for a holiday meal, or on a platter along side your favorite roasted meat for a casual serve-yourself family-style meal.

One of the reasons I love this dish is because it basically cooks itself,  bang the veggies in (hardest vegetables first) as you prep them and, if needed, it can stand on the counter for hours without risk before being quickly reheated to serve.  It's a always big hit with veggie folk because it's packed with taste, nutrition and it's 100% vegan.

Carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, a couple of different kinds of onions, and parsnips all tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper a touch of crushed garlic.  It just so happened I had a leek in the fridge, so I threw that in to add a little extra ooph to the sweetness of onion.

I don't bother peeling the garlic anymore, because it's more fun to squeeze it out of the thin skin when it's all sweet and gooey.

In fact, I don't peel any of the vegetables I use in this for two reasons.  One:  the peel acts as a barrier as it roasts and helps maintain moisture on the inside, while crisping on the outside.  Two: not only is the outer flesh a good source of fiber, while it's keeping all that moisture in, it's keeping a great deal of nutrition (little things like vitamins and minerals), in too.  Instead of peeling, just soak them for a few minutes and give them a good scrub, except for the onions, which are peeled and prepped.

Oh root vegetables, how I love thee, let me count the ways.

Roasted Vegetables with Garlic, Rosemary & Lemon (Ode to Tubers) Recipe

4 carrots, coursely chopped
18 new potatoes, halved
1 large sweet potatoe, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch slices
10 peral yellow oinions, whole, peeled
12 cloves of garlic, whole
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 large parsnips, coursely chopped
6 sprigs of rosemeary
1 lemon, cut into 6 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350*
Coat oven-proof baking tray with non-stick spray.

Method:

1. Wash & cut carrots, in large bowl toss carrots with generous drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper.  Pour on to baking tray, place on the center rack of a 350* oven.  Set timer for 15 minutes.
2. Wash & cut creamer (new) potatoes, pearl onions, onion slices and sweet potatoes.  In same bowl toss vegetables with generous drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper and one sprig of rosemary, broken into single needles and one clove of garlic, crushed.  Once timer rings, remove carrots from oven, add potatoes (etc) to tray.  Toss lightly to mix, spread evenly so vegetables are in ONE layer.  Place tray back in 350* oven for 15 minutes.
3. Wash & cut parsnips, green onions leeks, lemon slices and four (whole) sprigs of rosemary.  In large bowl toss  with generous drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper.  Be sure to salt the lemons, this will help draw out the juice as the lemon cooks.  Once timer rings, remove tray from oven add parsnips, leeks and green onions and mix to coat.  Arrange rosemary among vegetables in single layer.  Take ends of lemon (not sliced) and squeeze juice on to the vegetables on the tray.  Top with lemon slices and place tray back in 350* oven for 25 minutes, turning once with a spoon.

Gypsy Notes:  if you would like to serve the rosemary as a garnish (as shown) I reccomend that you add an extra three or four, lightly oiled sprigs about 5 minutes before removing from the oven, just to lightly toast them.  Then discard the ones used to flavour the dish, because they'll be whilted and black.

Plate, finish with a good quality olive oil and go... eat your veggies.

This caught my eye at the local grocer; lover of asparagus that I am, I'd never seen the purple variety before.   Certainly familiar with it's green sibling, it's sunlight deprived white cousin and it's wild roots but until now I've never even heard of Purple Passion Asparagus.

Woo hoo, new food!

Purple asparagus differs from its counterparts, having high sugar and low fibre levels and was originally developed in Italy and commercialised under the name 'Violetto d'Albenga'.  Since then, breeding work has continued in the United States and New Zealand, though this pretty little bunch comes from Peru.

I've yet to taste it.  Currently pondering how to prepare it for my lunch,  some reports say purple asparagus looses it purple colour when cooked.  I'll get back to you on that.

Clearly, more research is required.  Fortunately I then get to eat my research.

These were looking a little worse for wear, so I've been haunting the produce isles until I found a nice juicy bunch...

From time to time, our resident Food Gypsy Health & Wellness Advisor drops us a line on what's good for yee old bod - and why.

Dr. Kubie: Dr. Josef Kubinec (aka: Dr. Joe), BPT, CPMA – is a physiotherapist, sports medicine specialist, acupuncturist, former organic farmer and restaurateur; currently based in Clementsport, NS, Canada.  He's a busy guy but he makes time for a little Gypsy gab when he can (between sticking pins in patients). 

His acupuncture training took him to China, where he integrated an interest in herbal and Chinese medicine with his western scientific training, giving him a rather unique perspective on food as preventative medicine. 

We call this section of Food Gypsy "Food Vibe" - Oprah has Dr. Oz this Food Gypsy has Dr. Kubie.

Dr. Kubie on the waterfront in Halifax, Canada

Gypsy: So Dr. Joe what's the Food Vibe today?
Dr. Joe: Scapes!  Lots and lots of garlic scapes. 

A scape is the top part of the hard neck garlic plant, that if left in nature, will bloom and seed.  In garlic production, farmers remove the flower, driving the plant's energy into the bulb, making for bigger, juicier bulbs and that is how we get big, fat garlic. 

Not only is this lovely, curly little flower edible, it's packed with nutrition in perfect harmony with what the body needs in its season.  Nature truly is a marvel. 

"One of the biggest benefits of eating local is the seasonal fluctuations in produce and what they offer in the way of nutritional support.   

The earliest spring vegetables and herbs - rhubarb, dandelion greens, nettles, fiddleheads and asparagus - cleanse the kidney, liver, gallbladder and blood and stimulate circulation after a long winter of stagnation. 

As we move forward into late spring/early summer the garden offers us this delicate flower from the Allium family that aids in digestion, is a natural anti-fungal/antibiotic and cholesterol fighter that tastes terrific. 

Garlic is good for the heart, it can actually reverse arterial plaque, it's nature's cardiac conditioner. 

Now consider eating a growing seed; what you're consuming is the plant's effort in sustaining the species.  It puts all it's energy into expanding, so the energy and nutritional value is multiplied.   

Packed with vitamins C and A garlic scapes support the immune system but most importantly - that seed alive with energy." ~ Dr Kubie 

He's big on energy, it's what keeps us breathing.  I like breathing, it's nice. 

The delicate flower...

Garlic scapes are edible and delicious, you often see them in farmer's markets this time of year, all bright green and curly.  You can eat them raw, sliced in salads, add them to your favorite bruschetta, lightly sautee in a bit of olive oil (or butter) as a side, and (one of my favorites) tempura-ed for a crispy, tasty treat. 

Even better; take that living garlic flower use it as a fresh garlic substitute as bulb garlic gets old, soft and punky - until the fresh cop arrives at harvest time. 

Pack your food processor with whole garlic scapes, a touch of course salt (to act as a preservative), a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and hit that button until you have a smooth green paste. 

From Dr. Kubie's Kitchen; Scape Puree. Sharp and tangy and packed with goodness.

Add nuts of your choice and make scape pesto or leave it fresh and use it in any recipe the same way you would use garlic.  Garlic scape paste freezes beautifully and, unlike it's bulbus brother, it leaves little garlic 'after fume' making you kissable and people friendly. 

"I like the explosiveness of the energy" says Dr. Kubie "you taste that sunshine, that brightness, in every bite. 

I take the scape paste and smear it on a nice rare rib steak. The essence of garlic, without the burn." 

Mmmmm.  Sunshine in every bite.  Now that's energy.

Dr. Kubie's Kitchen; the making of Scape Paste. On the left is another of his health marvels: Dulce Salt. A topic for another day on Food Vibe.

Hummus is the Arabic word for chickpea.

One of the oldest foods on the planet, hummus dates back to ancient Egypt.  Archaeology tells us that chickpeas were used in kitchens over 7,000 years ago.

Why don't they cover this stuff in Indiana Jones movies?

7,000 years, recipes passing mother to daughter, what can we offer that is a new(ish) twist on an ancient food?  Sprouted Hummus.

Sprouting increases protein, essential amino acids, enzymatic activity, vitamins, and fiber content of seeds.  In fact, sprouting can increase the protein content by up to 50% and the vitamin content to 20 or 30 times its original value.

Last week we sprouted a few gorgeous looking chickpeas here in the Gypsy kitchen for this nutritious packed dip/spread with middle eastern roots.  (Click here)

Not being cooked, the texture is more grainy and the taste is fresher and brighter, like peas fresh from the garden.  A fun alternative to canned, cooked chickpeas which have little life left in them... this food is ALIVE.

Sprouted Hummus Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Cups sprouted chickpeas
2-3 Cloves garlic
¼ Cup tahini
¼ Cup lemon juice
½ Cup vegetable stock
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt - to taste

Method:

Using a food processor blend all ingredients, sprouted chickpeas, garlic, tahini, stock, lemon juice, and olive oil together until it forms a smooth paste.

Scoop into serving bowl, add a hint of dried chillies and drizzle with olive oil and serve with bread, pita chips or vegetables as a dip.  Or smooth on the inside of a pita, wrap or slice of bread to accent your favorite sandwich.

Take that Cleopatra.

Sprouts?  Really?!  In the Gypsy Kitchen?

Oh yeah.  Nothing I like more than growing things then eating them.  As spring (slowly) ascends here in Ontario, I'm craving all things growing and --- alive.  Sprouting Chickpeas is fun.  By day three... IT'S ALIVE!

When we talk about food in terms of fuel and energy think for a moment about the amount of energy that a seed produces to grow. Sprouting increases the protein, essential amino acids, enzymatic activity, vitamins, and fiber content.

"(Sprouts) supply the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. of any food per unit of calorie." ~ from The Wonders of Sprouting by Lucie Desjarlais, RNC

In fact, sprouting can increase the protein content of a seed by up to 50%, contain vital enzymes and increase the vitamin content by 20 or 30 times. That's a whole lot of nutrition.

Yeah spouts.

Plus it's fun and easy and if you have kids... it's the science of food in the kitchen.  Who knows, they might even eat them.

I've read several articals that suggest adding (3% food grade) hydrogen peroxide to avoid mold in your spouts but most of the articles I read were spouting in a semi-closed environment (IE: a jar with a cheesecloth lid).

I borrow a page from the garden and spout things for the kitchen the exact same way I do for the dirt.  On an open tray (or pie plate) between two sheets of paper towel - spread seeds to cover bottom, cover with lukewarm water overnight, keep moist and warm for three to six days.

Rinse thoroughly under cold water.  Refrigerate growing spouts to maintain freshness until ready to use.

My favourite sprouting spot is the top of the fridge.  Warm and dry.  I rarely sprout in the heat and humidity of summer, so this might be one of the reasons I've never experienced slime, mildew or mold on tiny, growing seedlettes.

I usually start with organic seeds/grains bought in bulk form my local health food store, but regular off-the-shelf supermarket beans/peas/grains sprout just as well, in fact that's what you see here.

In this case I'm spouting chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) for this week's "Sprouted Hummus" recipe.  More fun things to spout include mung beans, alpha, lentils, broccoli, arugula, buckwheat, red clover, radishes, wheat-grass, sunflowers and peas all make tasty sprouts. (we'll cover wheat-grass, sunflowers and peas in a related post, for micro greens, they take a little longer and a bit more care)

• Here's a great online resource for home spouting http://www.sprouting.com/homesprouting.html

Use them in salads, pastas, sandwiches, burgers or dips.  Three and a half days later I turned these lovely growing beauties into smooth, creamy hummus with double the protein and massive amounts of vitamins.

They were ALIVE when I put them through the food processor... akkkk, the screaming of the chickpeas (just kidding, they hardly screamed at all).

Good and good for you. Sprout away...

The fact that I am cooking with mushrooms is something of a minor miracle, less than a year ago I avoided mushrooms like the plague.

First, they're "fungus" and that in itself is less than appetizing, but that coupled with their texture, slimy, slippery, spongy and they squeak on my teeth - ugggg.  Thing is, I like the taste of mushrooms, I love the way they smell, the richness of them.   For years I was adding mushrooms only to remove them or cutting them incredibly fine, so they would be undetectable.

(Yes, I was tricking myself into eating mushrooms, shhhhh don't tell me, what I don't know...)

Then I attended Fancy French Cooking School, and discovered that I'd never had a properly cooked mushroom in my life.  That and the fact that different mushrooms have different properties; some have a more firm texture, some have a smokey taste, some are sweet, some are small and tender, and some and dark and juicy.

This has resulted in something of an awakening, a renaissance, a liberation of the fungus.

Not only am I learning how to cook them, I'm now learning which ones I prefer and that is what brings me to this little gem of a hearty soup.

Earlier this week we kicked off 'VEG HEAD' Month on Food Gypsy with two simple vegetable stocks - one roasted, sweet and robust and the other poached, delicate and clear.  Both simple, but they require a bit of time cook and extract all the flavor and nutrition of all of those lovely veggies.

After that, they moved to the back of the fridge until today; when we deliver not one, but two mushroom soups.

Both with similar ingredients but different approaches. Because we did all that cooking on Monday, today was a snap, simmering the stocks for about 30 minutes to adjust the flavor, both soups were finished, shot and done in under 45 minutes - which is exactly why I love having big containers of stock in the fridge.   (Or in the cupboard as the case may be, there's no shame in using off-the-shelf stock, pick a good one, go organic, it's well worth it.  But when you have the time, making a stock is a dam fine way to clear out the fridge.)

Our first soup was an Enoki Phở - in a chanterelle enriched, clear vegetable broth.  Delicate, Asian, light.

Now for our second, using the roasted vegetable... dark, sweet and lusty... so I naturally shift to culture of cooking that, to me is all of those things and borrowed a little flavour from Italia.   

Where the other stock is refined and clear this one is course and opaque, vegetables roasted at high heat, the pan deglazed with white wine to capture all the sweet, caramelized flavours then simmered low and slow.  To tweak it to regional flavor I added a generous grind of black pepper, a pinch of salt and a splash of wine (if you're using packaged stock you may need to add roasted garlic & a touch of tomato paste).

OK, so it may have been more of a glug than a splash of wine.  I happened to have some, it off if you don't use it, that happened to me once and I may never forgive myself.

Finally, I added a package of dried, wild chanterelle mushrooms, to re-hydrate and simmer for 25 about minutes.

I chose chanterelle because of to their colour --- a rich pumpkin-like hue --- and their sweet nose. I also noticed that they come from the area of BC's Lower Mainland that I come from, so they must be good.

Alas, re-hydrated chanterelles have that squeakiness I loath, so broke out the handheld blender to give them a quick buzz.  I should have photos of this step, however there was something of a mishap that involved the physics of swirling liquid in a smallish pot.

*Pause to clean counter, stove... ceiling.*

That zap broke down those lovely soft, orange-coloured mushrooms and (what was left) was laded into a bowl, drizzled with a trickle of white truffle oil and served with a chunk of aged parmesan and an ancient grains roll. 

The final product was a unrestrained, bawdy, meaty broth with texture and depth with the added bouquet of white truffle.  The accent of the salty cheese against the sweet, fleshy soup was (for me), an inspired choice.   Paired it with with a simple Cab-Sav and indulged - greatly.

This is a soup I could serve to my Father (also not a fan of the fungus) claiming it to be perhaps... a beef soup and he would love it, licking the bowl and asking for more until I tell him it's actual contests and he accuses me of attempting to poison him.  Not that I would do such a thing.

Under an hour (cleaning included), a perfect rainy day soup, to warm you from the tips of your toes.

Worth cleaning the ceiling for.

Earlier this week we kicked off 'Veg Head Month' on Food Gypsy with two simple vegetable stocks - one roasted, sweet and robust and the other poached, delicate and clear.

Both are equally simple but require time to cook and extract all the flavor and nutrition of all of those lovely veggies. (Click here for both recipes)  After that, they moved to the back of the fridge (ruminating) until today; when we deliver not one, but two mushroom soups.

Both with similar ingredients but different approaches.  Because we did all that cooking on Monday, today was a snap, simmering the stocks for about 30 minutes to adjust the flavor, both soups were finished, shot and done in under 45 minutes - which is exactly why I love having big containers of stock in the fridge.

The first is my take on vegetarian Phở, or Vietnamese noodle soup.  The hot broth is served over rice noodles, usually accompanied by Thai basil, lime and bean sprouts - added to the soup (by the diner) just prior to eating.  In the case of  'rare beef phở ' the thin slices of raw beef cook in the hot broth.

I took much same approach here with the enoki mushrooms (a delicate subtle mushroom); instead of cooking them and watching them wilt, I allowed the enoki to soften just slightly in the hot broth for a soft mushroom favor and a crisp finish.

For this soup we used the clear, poached broth started cold, simmered slow (or substitute a good, clear, organic vegetable stock from the isle of your local supermarket). To tweak it to an Asian flavor I added one clove of garlic and about a tablespoon of fresh ginger (both, mined fine), a dash of white pepper and a pinch of salt.

To add a further dimension to the broth I broke out a package of dried, wild chanterelle mushrooms, adding to the stock to hydrate and simmer for 25 minutes.

The rest of the Enoki Phở is à la minute; finely chopped green onion, a small amount of finely sliced yellow onion, a handful of bean spouts, a branch of Thai Basil and a wedge of lime.  Vermicelli cooks in no time at all - simply add it to boiling water, cover, remove from heat, allow to stand for a couple of minutes until soft then strain, rise and stand until ready.

The broth, I also stained, removing the chunks of ginger, garlic and mushroom --- and we are ready to plate.  Mound the rice vermicelli at the bottom of the bowl, add layer of Enoki, a few slices of raw onion, pour on the steaming broth, finish with green onion and one lone chanterell --- for luck.

The result is a crisp, dedicate soup, refined and fresh. The Enoki are bright and toothy and the flavor of the chanterelle gives and subtle earthiness to an otherwize ethereal bowl.

A dash of lime, a sprig of basil, a generous splash of hoisin and an equally generous amount of chili oil and this was one very happy Gypsy.

I hesitate to list this under recipes, because all the real cooking as done earlier in the week, this is a throw-it-together-and-look-like-a-superstar meal.  Oh, and its vegan and gluten free... look how healthy we are.

And now for my next trick, Rustic Wild Chantrelle Soup, also ready in less than an hour.

Shine like a diamond.

... a bit of hoisin, a dash of chili oil and that, my friend is a spicy bowl of goodness.