Creamy Crimini Mushroom Pasta

 

 



 

 

Recently I decided to go on a 2 day camping trip eating only vegetarian (non-vegan) food. It's day 2 and I feel great and have enjoyed the food. Here's a recipe I made up last night for camping.  Don't worry about measuring stuff too closely.  I pretty much only use a 1/4 measuring cup for most cooking efforts (and "pinches" for small measurements)

 

Creamy Crimini Mushroom Pasta

4 whole crimini mushrooms, sliced (you can use other kinds of mushrooms)
1/2 cup dried pasta (I used rainbow rotini)
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves, torn
1/4 cup white wine (I used cheap Pinot Grigio)
1T olive oil (I like the garlic / herb infused)

 



Creamy sauce is starting to thicken

  

Saute the mushrooms in the olive oil for a couple of minutes over low heat. Add in the white wine and simmer over low heat a couple of minutes until the wine starts to be absorbed. Slowly add the chicken broth.  Stir the pasta and simmer until the pasta is nearly cooked (about 7 minutes).  Mix in the sour cream, stir until well mixed and continue to simmer until thickened.  Season as desired.

This simple recipe would be wonderful with chicken, more veggies, you name it.  You could even add in a small amount of dijon mustard!

 

Enjoy.

 

Bradford aka V.T.

Potato, Leek and Ham Soup

Potato Leek and Ham Soup w/ a drizzle of half 'n' half

Who says you cannot eat tasty soups during warm weather?  I made up this quick soup this evening in 90 degree weather and it was quite filling.  It uses tiny yellow potatoes and a fresh leek for a creamy, delicious flavor!   If you don't have fresh potatoes, you can add dry flakes (as needed) at the end for a similar result. 

So what does it taste like?  Sort of like a smooth potato soup with a light onion flavor.  Wouldn't it  be nice to add a little corn in there, too?


This recipe makes 3-4 servings.



Creamy Potato, Leek, and Ham Soup

1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 leek (white and light green parts), chopped
6 small (size B) yellow potatoes
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup (plus or minus) of half and half
1/2 cup of ham strips (from salad bar)

Place all except for half and half into a 2 quart crock pot.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Mix with an immersion (or conventional) blender, adding the half 'n' half until smooth.  Season with salt and fresh ground pepper, if desired.

Easy Hummus for Campers

With few ingredients, why spend a lot of money when
a buck will get you a BIG serving of tasty hummus?

One of the friends of the sister blog (vantrekker.blogspot.com) left a comment and asked about making hummus with an immersion blender.  I tried last night and liked the results.  The first batch was a little thin so let me make a couple of suggestions...

Don't use all of the bean liquid.  Reserve some and add into the hummus as needed.

• Use a DEEP container.  I had bits of chickpeas on me, the walls, the bed, etc. in the camper van as a result of the blending process.  I'd recommend using something like a malt cup.

• This one is a little bit difficult to blend.  It will take you a while to mix or you can always blend it in batches and combine them.

Easy Camper's Hummus

1 can of chickpeas (reserving liquid)
2 teaspoons of your favorite olive oil
2 teaspoons of cumin
1 teaspoon of hot pepper oil (optional, of course!)
Hot pepper flakes (if desired)
Fresh ground pepper (if desired)

Reserve the bean liquid.  Place the chickpeas and oil(s) into a container for blending.  Start the blending process, adding in the bean liquid to achieve the desired texture.  Add the spices, too.  I like using a little hot oil for extra flavor.  This is a fairly bland product, so season, season, season!

Have fun!

Bradford, the "Van Trekker"

Crock Pot Asparagus and Cheddar Soup

Though not the prettiest of soups, this fresh asparagus and
cheddar soup is easy to make, flexible, and tastes great!

I recently bought a Cuisinart immersion (stick-type) blender.  The plan was to try and come up with some soups that are tasty and have fewer carbs.  This recipe was an experiment which turned out to be delightful.  It's light texture and flavors make it almost a restaurant quality item.  The best part is that you can customize it any way you like with great results.

One of these blenders is a huge
helpfor the camping chef.

I cooked this batch while fishing and finished it up just before dinner.  What a treat!



VT's Asparagus and Cheddar Soup

1 lb asparagus, chopped into convenient pieces (1/2 to 1 inch)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped into convenient sized pieces
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup of half-n-half (plus or minus)
3T butter
2-3 slices of medium cheddar cheese  (maybe a half cup or so of shredded?)
A few red pepper flakes (or ground black pepper)
1 clove of chopped garlic (or use garlic salt to taste)

Method:

Pour the broth into a 2 quart crock pot.  Add the onions and asparagus (and garlic if using fresh).  Cover and cook on low for about 4-5 hours or until the asparagus is soft.  Add in the butter and part of the half-n-half.  Blend with an immersion (stick) blender until very smooth.  Tear up the cheese into small pieces, adding to the soup and blending until smooth.  Add more cheese or half-n-half as desired and season however you like.  Even more cheese would be nice, too!

Serve hot.  If you also have a "warm" position on your slow cooker, this soup will stay warm a long time.  Just don't put the half-n-half and cheese in at the beginning.  The heat of cooking will damage the proteins and affect the flavor and consistency.

Note - if the soup is too thin, you can thicken it with flour or potato flakes - just blend it in!