College Vegetarian Cooking_ Feed Yourself and Your Friends - Megan Carle [49]
Serves 2
Oil or cooking spray
4 ounces portobello, shiitake, or other brown mushrooms
½ small onion
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salt and pepper
20 (3-inch) wonton wrappers
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Up to 4 hours before mealtime, lightly coat a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray. Cut the ends off the mushroom stems, discard, and cut the mushrooms into very thin slices. Peel the onion and cut into ¼-inch pieces.
Place the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the onion is soft and all the liquid is evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
Lay a wonton wrapper on a work surface, dip your finger in water, and wet the entire edge of the wrapper. Place a spoonful of the mushroom mixture in the center and top with another wonton wrapper. Firmly press the edges to seal, and just before you seal it completely, push gently around the filling to remove any air pockets. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Lay the finished ravioli on a baking sheet, keeping them separate so they don’t stick together.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully lower a few of the ravioli into the water using a slotted spoon and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the wrapper is translucent. Remove with the slotted spoon, drain well, and place on the baking sheet. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap right on top of the ravioli, smoothing it down to remove any air pockets. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Fifteen minutes before mealtime, place the butter in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until browned. Add the ravioli to the pan one at a time, making sure each is thoroughly coated in butter before adding another. (If they aren’t coated with butter, they’ll stick together and tear when you try to separate them.) Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm. Spoon the ravioli onto plates, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and parsley, and serve immediately.
Cooking 101:
When buying mushrooms, look for firm, smooth mushrooms that are dry but not dried out. Keep mushrooms in their original packaging for up to a week in the refrigerator, but once you’ve opened the package, store them in a paper bag in the fridge. Most important, keep them dry, because moisture makes them spoil quickly.
Coconut-Lime Curry
Coconut-Lime Curry
One day I was looking through my cupboard trying to decide what I would have for dinner and came upon a can of coconut milk. The truth is, I only bought it because it sounded fun and exotic, but I had no idea what to make with it. After a little more digging I came up with the coconut-curry combination and the rest, as they say, is history. All right, that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, but it is very tasty—definitely impress-your-date material. –M
Serves 2
4 ounces rice noodles
½ red bell pepper
½ yellow bell pepper
1 small onion
1 carrot
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup lime juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Up to 3 hours before mealtime, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the rice noodles. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water. Place the noodles in a resealable bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
Remove the seeds and membranes from the bell peppers, then cut the peppers into thin slices. Peel the onion and cut into thin slices. Peel the carrot, then cut into thin slices on the diagonal. Peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the peppers are