Shiitake Mushroom + Broccoli Soba Noodles

Decorating our little house has been a bit of a process. It had a lot of charm to start, but we knew that there were a few changes we'd want to make. Mainly, the wallpaper throughout. It had to go. It wasn't offensive in any way. In fact, it was all very sweet, including the pineapples covering our entryway and hallway. Cute... but it had to go.

When we first moved in, we had the living room and dining room painted. The living room paper turned out to be a bit of a challenge. When the painter tried to remove chunks of the wallpaper, the plaster started to come down with it. In the end, we had to have quarter inch wallboard put up throughout the room.

We were expecting the hallway to pose a similar challenge, but, thankfully, it was smooth sailing. As soon as I walked through the front door, I was elated. It didn't feel like we were coming into someone else's home. It was our home. Of course, there's still work to do. We have to decorate these newly painted walls. The process never seems to end.

While we had this work done, Eric and I spent a few days at my in-laws' house. I had some time to do a little cooking and came up with a few dishes to share here. The beet dip was one... these soba noodles was the other. We always have a few packages in our cabinet and they make for a wonderful weeknight meal. I find broccoli, especially when charred a bit, to have a wonderful sweetness to it. Mixed with the shiitakes and the bright dressing, there are a lot of bold flavors going on in this bowl.

Shiitake Mushroom and Broccoli Soba Noodles

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients 8 oz soba noodles 3 tablespoons butter 3/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed 1 lb broccoli 1 teaspoon salt

For the dressing 1 garlic clove, minced 2 teaspoons minced ginger 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1/4 cup sesame oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce Juice of 1 lime 1 teaspoon red chili pepper

2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned Sesame seeds Scallion, chopped

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add soba noodles and cook for 8 minutes. Strain in colander and set aside.

2. Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

3. Cut broccoli florets into bite size pieces.

4. Set a large skillet over high heat. Add butter. Once the butter has melted, add shiitake mushrooms and broccoli florets and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the broccoli florets have begun to char.

5. Toss soba noodles with dressing.  Transfer to serving bowls.

6. Top with sautéed mushrooms and broccoli. Add julienned carrot and sprinkle sesame seeds and chopped scallion on top.

Beet Dip with Hazelnuts + Goat Cheese

There was a palpable energy on Friday night as we headed into the city for dinner. I suspect it's because most people, like Eric and I, have been stuck inside for the last month. It was cold... brutallycold. So cold that it was dangerous to be outside for more than ten minutes. But that didn't stop folks from going out. Boston businesses have been suffering, so seeing packed bars and restaurants was a nice sight.

This was a very social weekend for the two of us. There was dinner and drinks on Friday. On Saturday, we were invited over to our neighbors for "'ninis and 'tinis" (that's panini and martinis). I got inspired to make some potato chips for the occasion, along with a bowl of cucumber salad. Six hours later and more than a few martinis in and we were all feeling pretty good.

Sunday was equally enjoyable (and, thankfully, warmer than it's been recently).  We prepared brunch for some friends and then had more over to watch the Academy Awards. I put together a spread of baked brie, beet dip, and a large pot of wild rice and mushroom soup. We sat and ate and drank and laughed and said snarky things during the show. Is there anything better?

Going back to this beet dip. It's an Ottolenghi creation and, therefore, it's perfect. I first had it at a holiday party a few years back and have been anxious to make it ever since. And, so, now I have. Twice. In two days. It was that good. Minor adjustments have been made because, well, I'm not sure how many folks have za'atar in their spice cabinet. Of course, you can play around with this recipe as much as you'd like. The pepper certainly gives it some nice kick, but a little more couldn't hurt. I also can't get enough of the color. It's striking and really brightens up a table. Just be aware that it'll stain anything it touches, so keep it away from carpets and couches... and small children who might be likely to get it all over the place.

Beet Dip with Hazelnuts + Goat Cheese

Source Slightly adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe via Food and Wine

Ingredients 6 medium beets (1 1/2 pounds), trimmed 2 small garlic cloves, minced 1 small red chile, seeded and minced 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika Salt 1/4 cup roasted skinned hazelnuts, chopped 2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, for garnish Warm bread, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Put the beets in a small roasting pan and add 1/4 cup of water. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until tender. Let cool slightly.

2. Peel the beets, cut into wedges and transfer to a food processor. Add the garlic, chile and yogurt and pulse until blended. Add the olive oil, honey, cumin, ground ginger and smoked paprika and puree. Season with salt. Scrape into a wide, shallow bowl. Scatter the hazelnuts, goat cheese and chopped parsley on top and serve with bread.

Seafood Stew

Another fifteen inches of snow fell on our neighborhood over the weekend. We spent most of Saturday preparing for this latest storm, clearing out the driveway as much as possible so that we'd have a place to shovel the new pile. Thankfully, it didn't start until later in the evening. But by the time we awoke on Sunday, the mounds surrounding our house had grown. After some breakfast and a few hours of reading newspapers, Eric suited up for some shoveling. I offered to help, but he said he was ok with taking care of it. As this was the first Sunday I wasn't working in over a month, I didn't argue with him.

That's not to say that I wasn't helpful. I did what I could, getting some laundry and cooking done. Eric had talked about making a goat stew, the task of which soon became mine to take on. I've never cooked goat, but I had a feeling it needed a couple of hours of simmering time. As someone who doesn't consume much meat and prepares it even less frequently, I feel a great deal of pride when a dish comes out tasting the way it's supposed to. And as good as it tasted, it smelled equally delightful. How wonderful it'll be when he walks through the door and can take in these wonderful aromas. 

As for my dinner, I had already planned on putting together a batch of seafood stew. Before the weekend, I'd stocked up on an assortment of fish and other sea creatures. This is my new obsession. Getting a little of a number of ingredients and throwing them into a pot. This time it was a combination of squid, shrimp, littleneck clams, bay scallops and salmon.  After a long day of shoveling, I poured us a glass of wine and ladled our his and his stews into our respective bowls. We threw a couple blankets on top of our laps and curled up on the couch. It wasn't an official Valentine's Day celebration, but it certainly was a nice reminder of the life we've built for ourselves and the little (and not so little things) we do for one another.

Seafood Stew

Yields: approx. 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 lb salmon, skin removed and fillets cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes 12 littleneck clams 3/4 lb squid, cleaned tentacles (cut in half, if necessary) and bodies (sliced into rings) 1/2 lb bay scallops 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 lb plum tomatoes, chopped 1 fennel bulb, chopped 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes 3 carrots, chopped 1 1/2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley 3 cups seafood stock Kosher salt Black pepper Olive oil

Directions

1. In a large skillet with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion, season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add chopped fennel and potato and cook for 3 minutes, giving it an occasional stir.

2. Add chopped tomatoes and seafood stock.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Let cook for 15 minutes.

3. Add the squid, scallops, shrimp and clams. Cover and let cook for 2 minutes.

4. Take the lid off and add the salmon. Season with salt. Cover and let cook for another 6 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and the clams have opened.

5. Sprinkle fresh parsley over stew before serving. Can be served in bowls on its own, on top of couscous or rice, or with crusty bread.