Classic Vegetarian Nut Loaf

[nverland]

Classic Vegetarian Nut Loaf
Serves 6 to 8

1 onion, medium chopped
1 tablespoon butter or oil
2 cups finely-chopped mushrooms (See Recipe Note)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried sage
Red wine or sherry
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups walnuts, finely chopped or pulsed in a food processor
1 cup cashews or almonds, finely chopped or pulsed in a food processor
5 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
3/4 pound grated cheese: Parmesan, Gruyere, cheddar, fontina, smoked or any combination
1/2 cup mixed fresh chopped herbs such as parsley, oregano, thyme
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sauté the onion in oil or butter until it begins to soften. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms release their juices and become soft. Add the garlic and dried herbs, and continue to cook. When the pan begins to dry out again, add a good splash of red wine or sherry and cook until it is reduced. The contents should be moist but not swimming in liquid. Remove from the heat and let cool a little.

While the mushroom mixture cools, butter or oil a 9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper or foil.

In a large bowl, toss the brown rice and nuts together. In a separate bowl beat the eggs with the cottage cheese. Add the egg mixture to the rice/nut mixture, then stir in the cooled mushrooms, grated cheese and fresh herbs. Mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust. (If you’re worried about the raw egg, you can fry up a little patty to taste.)

The mixture can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator at this point for no more than a day.

Fill the loaf pan with the nut mixture, rap a few times on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles and smooth the top with a spatula. Decorate with slices of mushrooms, slices of bell pepper, or whole walnuts if desired. Place loaf pan on a baking tray.

Bake for about an hour or until the loaf is firm (slightly longer if the mixture was refrigerated). Remove from the oven. Rest on a cooling rack for ten minutes, then lift the loaf from the pan using the excess parchment paper or foil. Peel off the parchment or foil and serve on a platter, garnished with fresh herbs.

Serve with a mushroom gravy, accompanied by your favorite autumn vegetables.

Recipe Notes:
• Nut loaf is a very forgiving recipe. You can add more mushrooms or less cheese if you want to lighten it up, for example. You can use ordinary button mushrooms for a wonderful classic nut loaf, or you can substitute some or all of the buttons for fresh shiitake. I’ve never used the more exotic wild mushrooms because I imagine their flavor would get lost, but if you have the spare cash, they may be worth experimenting with.

Alternative Serving Ideas:
• Besides the delicata squash mentioned above, I’ve seen nut loaf stuffed into other small squashes such as Acorn or Sweet Dumpling.
• For a retro-look, use a ring-shaped mold instead of a loaf pan, unmold onto a round plate and fill the center with mashed potatoes. Decorate with curly parsley.

Leftover Ideas:
Crumble leftover nut loaf into a pan of already sautéed onions, carrots, parsnips and/or turnips. Turn this into a casserole dish and dollop the top with mashed potatoes to cover completely. Run a fork over the potatoes to create ridges. Drizzle butter over the top and bake it in a 350° oven until the filling is bubbly and the potatoes have started to brown. Viola! Vegetarian Shepard’s Pie.

And of course, there’s always the nut loaf sandwich.

Colombian Ajiaco (Chicken and Potato Soup)

[nverland]

Colombian Ajiaco (Chicken and Potato Soup)
Serves 6 to 8

2 large chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds mixed potatoes (red, yukon gold, and russets), peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
2-3 ears fresh corn, cut crosswise into quarters, or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 bunch cilantro, with stems, washed very well and tied with twine
1 bunch green onions, washed and tied with twine
2 tablespoons dried guascas (see note)

Toppings:
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup Crema Mexicana, sour cream or crème fraîche
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped

Place the chicken in a glass or ceramic dish. Top with the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy 4-quart lidded pot, like the Chambaware pot or a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add the chicken with its marinating bits and brown each side, about 6 minutes total. Pour in the stock and raise the heat to high. When the mixture boils, lower the heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a platter, reserving the cooking liquid in the pot. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Cut or tear the chicken breasts into bite-size strips and discard the bones.

Place the potatoes in the pot with the leftover cooking liquid and set over medium heat. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the corn, the bunch of scallions, the bunch of cilantro, and the guascas. Simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but not overcooked. Remove the cilantro and scallions and return the chicken to the pot. Simmer another few minutes until the chicken is warmed through.

Ladle the soup into individual bowls and place the toppings on the table to be passed around.

Recipe Notes
Most Latin-American markets carry guascas, under the Kiska or El Rey brand. You can also find it online at stores like Amigo Foods, TIFCO and even Amazon. If you can’t track down guascas, substitute dried oregano.