Mushroom ramen with sweet potato noodles

Cooking Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Yields 2 servings

Shitake mushroom stems!! Because they are too woody to consume, I’ve always thrown them away at home. In the restaurants however, we always save the stems for stocks. They are so full of flavor and they quickly transform into a great simple broth! Whenever you have leftover stems, dry them in an oven at low heat.Then save them for when you're craving a quick tasty ramen!

P.S. the spiralized sweet potatoes are such a quick and easy noodle substitute! Try them in this soup but also in stir-frys or with a little sauce for pasta night!

Ingredients:

1 small sweet potato, peeled

1 head baby bokchoy

2 large shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin

1 bundle scallions (approx. 6 pieces)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon Morton Fine Sea Salt

1 batch mushroom stem broth (recipe below)

  1. Add prepared mushroom broth to a small pot and bring to a light simmer.
  2. Using a spiralizer, turn the sweet potato into “noodles.” Set aside.
  3. Cut the remaining bottom half of the scallions into 1-inch batons and then slice in half lengthwise. Slice top ends diagonally and save for garnish.
  4. Cut the baby bokchoy into 2-inch pieces, discarding the end and core.
  5. Heat a non-stick saute pan over medium heat and add extra-virgin olive oil
  6. Add sweet potato noodles and cook for 2 minutes.
  7. Add scallion ends, soy sauce and Morton Fine Sea Salt. Toss to combine. Cook for another 2 minutes.
  8. Add baby bokchoy to the pan, toss to combine. Allow to wilt for 1 minute and then plate into 2 large soup bowls.
  9. Spoon hot broth over vegetables and garnish with raw shiitakes and sliced scallions.

Mushroom Broth

Ingredients:

4 cups dried mushroom stems

8 cups water

1 small carrot, scrubbed clean and chopped into ¼ inch chunks

1 bundle of white scallion stems or 6 pieces, reserving remaining scallions for soup (above)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Morton Fine Sea Salt

1 pinch of red pepper flakes

  1. Add all ingredients, except soy sauce and salt, to a pot.
  2. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
  3. Strain broth, saving liquid and composting vegetables.
  4. Season with soy sauce and Morton Fine Sea Salt.

Warm fruit topped ice cream sundae

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

I always find myself at the end of a pint of berries or with one last plum in a bag and discovering that the fruit is more ripe than I would like. Rather than throwing anything away, put your overripe fruit in the freezer. Then after you have a little stash of frozen fruit saved up, make this tasty “pie” ice cream topping!Top it all off with these super simple shortbread cookies, and you’ve got a tasty and simple “pie a la mode.”

Tip: I like to make the cookie dough and freeze it in smaller batches, so that I can pull out just what I need when it's time to bake some off!

Ingredients:

1 pint ice cream, vanilla is great!

Cheddar Shortbread Crunch (recipe below)

Warm pie filling (recipe below)

Cheddar Shortbread Crunch

Yield: 6 rustic cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup powdered sugar

½ pound butter, room temperature

¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

½ tsp Morton Fine Sea Salt

  1. Combine all ingredients in a mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix just until combined, it will still be a bit crumbly.
  2. If baking now, dump dough on a piece of parchment paper and top with a second piece of parchment. Use a rolling pin to roll ¼ inch thick.
  3. If you would like to save some of the dough for later, roll out what you need for now and roll remaining dough into smaller balls. Flatten the balls to 1 inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic and freeze. Pull out from freezer 2 hours before baking and allow to defrost on the counter.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool before breaking into large chunks.

Warm Pie Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 pound mixed fruit, such as berries and stone fruit

Juice of 1 lime plus 1 teaspoon lime zest

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon corn starch

½ teaspoon Morton Fine Sea Salt

1 tablespoon basil, rough chopped

  1. If using stone fruit, cut into slices.
  2. Add to a small pot with other fruit, sugar and lime juice and zest.
  3. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Fruit should be broken down and bubbling.
  4. Add cornstarch and basil. Gently mix and let cook for another 2 minutes.
  5. Set aside until ready to serve.
  6. To serve, scoop your favorite ice cream into a bowl. Spoon warm pie filling over the top and garnish with a large piece of cheddar shortbread.