Day 22-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Nutty Quinoa with Apples and Mushrooms

Nutty Quinoa with Apples and Mushrooms

2 1/2 cups broth-garlic or vegetable or, if using dried mushrooms, use the remains of the water used to reconstitute them and top off to make 2 cups total)
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 cup mushrooms-(porcini, chanterelles, woodear, etc.-your choice)
1/4 cup apple, chopped
1/4 cup nuts of your choice (walnuts or hazelnuts work quite well)
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

If using dried mushrooms, soak in warm water until they are soft.
In a large saucepan, saute shallot and garlic in a bit of oil until soft.
Drain liquid into a bowl or large measuring cup, add garlic or vegetable broth to mushroom *broth* until you hit 2 cups.
Pour liquid into large saucepan add quinoa and chopped mushrooms and bring to a slow boil.

Cook for 5 minutes. Add nuts, apples and 1/2 cup of broth and cook another 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. 
Remove from heat, stir in nuts and thyme.  Cover and let sit 5 minutes.

Serves 4





~Stephanie Lowell-Libby

31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking!

Day 14-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Spiced Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto

If you haven't noticed, I love mushrooms. I especially love wild mushrooms such as chanterelles and morels. I  find them very Samhuinn-y and adore them in dishes this time of year.  For this recipe they can be subbed with porcini or shiitake mushrooms. Also, to mix it up a bit if using fresh pumpkin, try pureeing half the pumpkin and roasting the diced second half and adding it to the risotto

Spiced Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto

2 large shallots, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (or more)
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
5-6 cups of hot vegetable stock

2 cans organic pumpkin (or if you have fresh pumpkin 2 cups of finely diced and pureed)
1 cup chanterelles, large dice
1 cup morels, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 Tb fresh thyme, minced
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Salt and black pepper to taste
toasted pumpkin seeds, garnish (opt)

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, warm olive oil and saute shallots and garlic.  Add rice and stir to coat rice with oil.
Add wine and continue stirring until wine has been absorbed.  Add 3 cups of the hot veg stock so that rice is completely covered.  Add more if needed.
Continue to cook, stirring frequently until stock is absorbed.

Add 1 cup of hot stock and continue to cook and stir until liquid is absorbed, repeat with last 1-2 cups. Rice should be chewy and much of the liquid absorbed.
Stir in pumpkin, thyme, nutmeg mushrooms and parmesan and turn heat to low and let cook 5 min. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.


~Stephanie Lowell-Libby

More Samhuinn recipes- at Hearth and Home Witchery

Day 10-31 Days of Samhuinn Cooking-Stuffed Samhuinn Pumpkins

The sweet recipes will return later this week once Pixie is off her steroids.  She gets borderline diabetic these weeks so we have to adjust the diets accordingly, which means limited sugar and carbs.  For carnivores, this recipe can easily include some ground meat-cut the mushrooms down to  1/2 to 1 cup, and add 1/2lb of browned meat. Sub meat stock for veg if you wish.

Stuffed Samhuinn Pumpkins

4 small pumpkins (individual serving size or large enough to hold 1 1/2 - 2 cups of stuffing)
3 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup coarse bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I usually do a full cup)
2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup  celery, diced
1/2 cup  carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter or olive oil
2 cups vegetable or garlic stock
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp winter savoury
pinch of grated nutmeg
salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup apple cider

Cut a hole in the top of 4 well washed pumpkins, saving the lids. Clean out the seeds and string, rub olive oil on all surfaces.  Season the inside with salt & pepper. Arrange them in a baking dish and set aside.

Saute  onion, garlic, celery and carrot in 1TB olive oil until soft. Add the pecans and mushrooms and saute about two minutes. Mix in the bread crumbs, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mixture evenly among the four pumpkins. Pour 1 cup stock into the pan around the outside of the pumpkins. Dot generously with butter, put the lids back on the pumpkins and cover loosely with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the pumpkin is very soft and well done. Add more veg/garlic stock to the dish if too much evaporates during baking as you want these moist.

Remove the pumpkins from the pan and onto serving dish(es).  Strain the juices from the baking dish into a measuring cup, add broth until the liquid equals 2 cups.  Pour into small saucepan and add the apple sauce and apple cider, and bring to a boil and allow to reduce slightly. Drizzle over the pumpkins. Serve.

~Stephanie Lowell-Libby