Apricot Pecan Loaf

I could not find a breakfast pastry I wanted at two different markets.  What's the obsession with raspberries and/or hazelnuts?!  I don't like either.  I decided it was easier to bake something than to find one that was appealing.

I decided first that it would be dried apricots and pecans, because I have both.  A few internet recipes later, I decided on this one from April J Harris.  I made a few changes, but doesn't everyone who tries a new recipe?

I skipped the orange first off, because I didn't have any and wasn't going back to the store.  Instead, the "extract" flavor became soaking the apricots in a bit of amaretto, which I had down for the peach butter.  There's a brief comment in the directions that the batter is thick, so I added some yogurt.  I liked the final moisture content as it went into the pan, so I'm sticking with it.  It did add about 10 minutes to the baking time.

1/2 C (one stick) unsalted butter
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2-1/2 C flour
1 Tb baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 C buttermilk
*1/4 C plain yogurt
*1/2 C chopped pecans
*1/2 C chopped dried apricots
*1 Tb Amaretto (optional)

1.  Prepare a standard loaf pan by greasing and/or lining with parchment.  I used pan spray followed by a sleeve of parchment, and it came right out.  Preheat oven to 350º.

2.  Start soaking your chopped apricots in Amaretto, if using.  You don't need to soak them at all for this recipe to work.  The alcohol is just flavoring.

3.  Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and beat until uniform.

4.  Prepare the wet and dry ingredients.  Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger.  In a separate container, whisk together buttermilk and yogurt.  Because I was using powdered buttermilk, the solids went in the dry ingredients and the water was mixed with the yogurt.

5.  Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the butter mixture.  Stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the mixer or bowl.  Add pecans and apricots and stir until evenly distributed.  Try not to over mix, or the loaf will develop air pockets.

6.  Pour batter into loaf pan (or bake as muffins).  Bake 45 minutes, then check for doneness.  I ended up with slightly over an hour, but every oven is different and you don't want the cake to get dry or hard.  My loaf cracked because the oven was too hot when I first put it in and the crust formed before the inside had finished expanding.  That's what I get for trying to do two recipes at the same time.  If your oven is the correct temperature, there should be less cracking.

7.  Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.  If desired, glaze with a mixture of powdered sugar and milk or more Amaretto.  You can serve it right away, but this is the kind of cake that benefits from a night in the fridge.  Just wrap it in plastic first.

Makes 1 loaf, about 8 servings

Difficulty rating  :)

Tri-tip Pizza

Tri tip was on sale, so I bought a piece without much of a plan.  I was also wanting to make pizza with some chutney as a base.  It didn't take much to bring the two ideas together.

First up, I had to learn how to cook tri-tip without putting it on the grill.  I did not feel like firing it up for only the thin part of the roast, especially because I had just cleaned it.  Found an easy recipe on Baking Mischief that starts with pan-searing and finishes in the oven.

Once that was going, I set to work doctoring up some of the Mediterranean Chutney into BBQ sauce.   That involved onions, tomato paste, and a goodly amount of bourbon.  Even with cooking, it's going to take me several more years to use up the liquor cabinet.

After that, it was just basic pizza.  Ok, I made the dough from scratch.  You could buy ready-made or refrigerator dough.  I wanted whole wheat, then threw in a teaspoon of chia seeds because I was feeling guilty for having this without a vegetable side.

Dough

1 C 100º water
*1 tsp honey
1 Tb olive oil
2 tsp yeast
2-3 C flour (whole wheat ok)
1/2 tsp salt
cornmeal for dusting

1.  Stir together water, honey, oil, and yeast.  Allow to sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2.  In mixer with the paddle, combine liquids with 1 C of flour.  Beat into a smooth batter, 2 minutes.  Add another cup of flour and the salt and beat into a thick and stringy batter, another 2-3 minutes.

3.  Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 5-10 minutes, adding only as much flour as necessary to get it to hold its shape.  Roll into a ball.  Turn over in a lightly oiled bowl to coat all sides.  Set in a warm place to rise, away from drafts, until doubled, about 1 hour.  While that's happening, skip down to the tri-tip part of the recipe if not using leftovers.

4.  When dough is risen, punch down and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Divide into 4 pieces with a food scale for individual pizzas.  Roll into circles 6" diameter for thick crust, 8" for thin.  Scatter cornmeal on two baking sheets and place crusts on them.

Tri-tip

1 lb tri-tip point
1 Tb olive oil
*seasoning salt (like Lawry's)

1.  Preheat oven to 425º.  If necessary, trim excess fat off of roast.  You still want some, but an untrimmed roast could have as much as half an inch on it.

2.  Rub seasoning salt over all sides of the roast.  Heat oil over medium in an oven-proof skillet.  Place meat fattier-side down in the skillet and cook until seared, about 4 minutes.  Flip meat over and immediately place in oven.  I do recommend a splatter guard if you have an oven-safe one.  Or even loosely covered with foil.  Had to clean the oven, but it's worth it.

3.  Cook roast for 10 minutes.  You're going for just barely past mooing because it's going back in the oven later.  I cooked mine fine for the table, but not for the second bake.

4.  Allow tri-tip to rest for 10 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.  It's going to look a little raw in the middle.  That's fine.  Set aside while you get the dough punched down and shaped.

Assembly

4 personal pizza crusts
1/2 C BBQ sauce of choice
1 to 1-1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (I'm not judging)
sliced tri-tip

1.  If the oven is still set for the tri-tip, turn it down to 375º.

2.  Spread 2 Tb BBQ sauce on each crust, leaving a clean rim.  Sprinkle with mozzarella to taste, roughly 1/4 to 1/3 C per pizza.  Allow to rise 30 minutes.  Chop meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

3.  Bake pizzas 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, add slices of tri-tip, and return to oven just until meat is warmed, about 3-5 minutes.  Slice and serve hot.

Makes 4 personal pizzas

Difficulty rating :-0 (dough from scratch) or :) (store-bought crust)

Amaretto Peach Butter

Here's one non-pie canning recipe to break up the theme.  I'm probably getting all of this out of my system now, and won't have many new canning recipes next year.  For all I know, I'll still have half of this year's pie fillings still on the shelf.

I have two bottles of Amaretto in the liquor cabinet, and I don't really like the stuff.  It does have its uses in baking, largely to enhance the flavor of fruits.  When I saw this variation in the Ball book's recipe for peach butter, I decided it would be the one to make.

If you aren't process canning your peach butter, you can alter the recipe.  For one thing, maybe cut it down to one pound of fruit and make just a cup or so.  You can reduce the sugar, change the amount of alcohol, do lemon juice to taste instead of as a preservative, etc.  If process canning, I suggest sticking to the tested and verified proportions, even if you change the final yield.

I'm kind of confused about Ball's yield.  I got two half-pints when I should have gotten 4 by their measurements.  The weight of fruit in their recipe was supposed to yield 4 cups of purée, and I had less than 3.  Maybe it was partially because I used a food mill and not a food processor to purée the cooked peaches.  I feel like I reduced the mixture the right amount.  For all the drama to peel and chop the peaches, it would have been nice to get a little more out of it.

2-1/4 lbs ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
1/4 C water
*zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1-1/2 C sugar
*1/2 C amaretto (not optional if canning)

1.  The peach butter will turn amber because of the amaretto, so you don't need to treat the peaches for browning.  If canning, prepare boil bath canner and lids for a 2 pint yield.

2.  In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine peaches, water, and lemon zest and juice.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until peaches are soft, about 20 minutes.

3.  Working in batches, purée peach mixture in a food mill or food processor until uniform.  Do not liquefy.  Measure 4 cups of purée if canning.  (Do some quick math if it's less.)  If not canning, exact measurements are not necessary.

4.  In a clean saucepan, combine purée and sugar until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens.

5.  Add amaretto and return to a boil.  Cook until mixture mounds on a spoon.  Ladle mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace.  Debubble and adjust headspace if necessary.  Center lids on jars, screw bands down finger-tight, and process in canner for 10 minutes.  Cool, test seals, wash jars, and store.  For non-canning, cool, refrigerate, and use within 2 weeks.  Can be frozen, but won't last indefinitely in the freezer because of the alcohol.

Makes 1 to 2 pints, depending on how far you reduce

Difficulty rating :-0 (for peeling the peaches)

Cheesy Onion Bread

I have not posted a yeast bread recipe yet this year.  I haven't been baking as much as I would like in general.  But after almost two weeks of accidentally gluten-free dinners, I really wanted some fresh bread.

This is a variation of the Afternoon Tea book's "Cheese and Chive Braid".  Their product was slightly larger, to accommodate 1-1/2 tsp of yeast for some reason.  It made the amount of liquids really odd.  By shrinking it to my common 1 tsp of yeast and 1 C of liquid per loaf, the whole recipe became much easier to develop.

For the green onions, I raided my scrap garden.  The onion stubs have fully regrown into beautiful green leaves.  One had already produced a scape by the time I got to this bread, so it's really time to start harvesting them.  Not bad though, getting two onions out of one.  That makes the original investment in the bunch of green onions count as half the price.

I decided to go ahead and braid my dough like the original recipe, but the amount will be fine in a loaf pan or as rolls, as desired.  The egg wash before baking isn't absolutely necessary, but it will get you a firm crust and dark golden shine.  Since this isn't an egg bread, I can't call it a challah.  Too bad, because it's the nicest-looking braided loaf I've ever made.

3+ C of flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
*1 tsp dry yeast
2 Tb unsalted butter
1 C warm milk (100º)
*1 C shredded cheddar cheese
*4 green onions, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten

1.  Stir together warm milk, sugar butter, and yeast.  Allow to sit until it starts to foam, about 5 minutes.

2.  In mixer with the paddle, stir together 1 C flour, chopped onions, and shredded cheddar.

3.  Beat in wet mixture to create a batter, 2 minutes at medium speed.  Add salt and another cup of flour and beat into a thick batter, another 2 minutes.  You're ready when the batter is sticky and producing gluten strings.

4.  Turn out batter onto a well-floured board.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, adding enough flour to keep it from being sticky, but not so much that it's dry.  Form into a ball.  Turn over in a lightly oiled bowl and set in a warm place to rise until doubled, 1 hour.

5.  Punch down dough and rest for 10 minutes.  Divide into 3 pieces.  A food scale is the best way to do this.  Each of my pieces was 8 oz.  Roll out each piece into a rope about 16" long.  Braid into a standing loaf and pinch both ends shut.  Set on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

6.  At the 30 minute-mark, start preheating the oven to 425º.  When it's ready, gently brush the loaf with the beaten egg, covering all exposed surfaces and getting into the cracks of the braid.  Immediately place the pan in the oven, before it can deflate.

7.  Bake at 425º for 20 minutes.  Turn down oven to 350º and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when thumped.  Remove to a rack to cool.  Slice and serve.

Makes one loaf, 8-10 servings

Difficulty rating  :)

Squash and Quinoa Salad

So, while the squash was in the oven, I realized I've done a spaghetti squash and quinoa combination before.  It's been over a year.  And does anything that happened in 2020 really count?

I also went on a brief Wikipedia hunt to confirm the suspicion that all the ingredients to this are native to the Americas.  Not really relevant, just an interesting sidebar.

While this dish could be served hot and fresh, I decided to prepare the components the day before and put them together as a salad.  It's summer.  Besides, I'm still having issues scheduling myself adequate time to cook elaborate meals.  That's how a jar of tomatillo salsa ended up as the dressing.

So, three ingredients plus a little salt, all prepared beforehand and tossed together for dinner.  All healthy, minimally-processed ingredients.  That's what this section is about, having food on hand that isn't all fat and salt, but is still quick to put together some time down the line.

1 medium spaghetti squash (3-4 pounds)
1 C dry quinoa, tri-color or red for better contrast
1 C tomatillo salsa
pinch of salt

1.  For the squash, preheat oven to 350º.  Wash squash and pierce in several places to prevent explosions.  Set on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour.  Turn over and roast an additional 30 minutes.  Allow to sit about 20 minutes to cool a bit, then cut open.  I prefer to cut through the equator, which produces longer "noodles", but you can also do it lengthwise.  The strands will just be half as long.  Scoop out the seeds and inner threads, then use a fork to separate the strands until all you're left with is the skin.  Discard the skin and refrigerate the flesh until needed.

2.  For the quinoa, prepare according to package directions, with a pinch of salt in the water.  I prefer to rinse my quinoa prior to cooking, but most brands don't require it anymore.  Fluff with a fork and refrigerate until needed.  Cooked quinoa can also be portioned out and frozen until needed, just like rice.

3.  To assemble, create a nest of squash strands.  Top with spoonfuls of quinoa, then finish with 1/4 C of salsa per portion.  Serve chilled, room temperature, or warmed.  I wouldn't serve it very hot, but that's just me.

Difficulty rating  π

Rhubarb Pie Filling for Canning

I have a bunch of rhubarb/something-else ideas in mind for pies.  Peach will be first on the list.  Instead of making four batches of combination pie fillings, I decided to make four jars of just rhubarb.  It takes two pint jars to make a pie.

I made this on the same day as the apple pie filling, and was glad I had slotted it later.  I knew it would take longer to prep the apples.  Since this was basically the same process as apple, it came together very quickly.  I could use the same techniques (and pots).

One small difference with rhubarb is cooking it slightly less before packing it into the jars.  Rhubarb falls apart quickly once cooked.  You don't want to mess with it while it's blanching, and bubbling should be done with the least amount of poking.

On the other hand, you can probably use this Clearjel recipe without doing the canning process.  You could stir in fresh berries to the cooked gel and pour directly into the pie crust.  You still need to make it as a baked pie, not cold, but the rhubarb would be done after a 30-minute bake.

This recipe comes from My Little Corner.  It was the one I found that most closely resembled the technique and proportions that Ball established, but in the quantity I wanted.  It does not have any spices in it, because she also wanted to keep this neutral for combining with an unknown future filling.  If you intend to make a rhubarb-only pie, you could add something like cardamom or cinnamon with the sugar, and would probably want to add a few drops of red food coloring to the gel.  It is going to remain clear.

8 C rhubarb, chopped in 1/2" pieces (approx 2 lbs)
1-3/4 C sugar
1/2 C + 2 Tb Clearjel
2 C cold water
6 Tb lemon juice

1.  Prepare canner, jars, and lids for a 4-pint yield.

2.  I soaked the cut rhubarb in acidulated water for a few minutes, but I don't think you have to.  I was trying to keep the red vibrant.  Drain.

3.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Blanch the rhubarb for a short minute, drain, and keep warm.

4.  Whisk together sugar and Clearjel in a large pot (can be the same pot) until the lumps are gone.  Add water and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until mixture jels.  You will get a few clumps, then a few more, then whitish-clear lava.  Stir in lemon juice and boil another minute, then remove from heat.  Fold in blanched rhubarb until coated in goo and warm.

5.  Fill jars to a generous 1" headspace, just below the bottom of the thread rim.  Unlike the apple filling, the rhubarb didn't explode.  I'm guessing it's a moisture content thing with the Clearjel.  De-bubble and adjust headspace.  Wipe rims well with water to remove traces of goo, then vinegar to be absolutely sure.  You can't freeze this if the seal fails.  Center lids and screw on bands fingertip-tight.

6.  Place jars in canner with water to cover by at least 1".  Return to a boil, then process for 30 minutes.  Remove lid, let jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes, then remove to a towel-lined surface and wait for the ping.  Once jars have fully cooled, remove bands to test seals, wash off any siphoned goo, and store in a cool place.  Any failed seals should be refrigerated within 12 hours and used within a couple of weeks.

Makes 4 pints

Difficulty rating  π

Mustard Brisket

Next to some tri-tip I was picking up on sale was a 1 lb brisket.  You never find those, but it looked like it was the leftovers of the two other brisket cuts in the meat section.  $8/lb, but I got it anyway.

I considered roasting it with a jar of chutney, then decided that if I was going to be adding extra mustard to the mix, I might as well use a jar of fig mustard and a few extra dried figs for good measure.  I'm calling this recipe "mustard of choice", but I went for the sweet one.  You could use Dijon, spicy hot, whole grain, or any other mustard you happen to have on hand.  Even basic French's would probably work.

If you can't find a smaller piece of brisket, remember that all brisket cuts you find at the market come off of one long slab.  There is no reason you can't cut a 5-pounder in half or thirds and freeze the rest.  The tri-tip in the first sentence was cut in half for two very different uses and frozen until needed.  I wouldn't try to butcher an entire side of beef with a kitchen knife, but a boneless cut can be trimmed if you like the per-pound price.

1 lb brisket
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
*2 Tb mustard of choice
*1/2 C diced onion
1/2 C water
*2 Tb Marsala or red wine (optional)
*1/4 C chopped dried fruit (I used figs because of the fig mustard)

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Line a roasting pan with a double layer of foil.

2.  Place brisket, fat-side up, in pan and fold up the edges of the foil to make a little boat.  Sprinkle meat with garlic, then spoon on mustard.  Top with diced onion.  Fill the foil boat with the half cup of water.  Use a third piece of foil over the top, and crimp the edges to seal everything in.  Bake for 1 hour.

3.  Remove roast from oven and remove top piece of foil.  Hang onto it for a bit.  Once the roast is cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and slice thinly against the grain.  This is when you find out how much fat was on the roast.  Return slices to the roasting pan.  Top with dried fruit and Marsala, if using.  Seal it back up and roast at 300º for an additional hour.

4.  For a crispy look, remove foil top and roast an additional 10 minutes to reduce the sauce.  Otherwise, you're ready to serve.

Serves 3-4

Difficulty rating  π

Apple Pie Filling for Canning

I'm finally making something in the canner that's cheaper than what's on the shelf!  Three dollars of assorted apples made 4-1/2 pint jars, while one costs $2 at the barest minimum in the cheapest store.  $3.49 to $4 is more common.  Sure, you have to factor in the cost of Clearjel and sugar, but I still came out ahead.

This is one of the recipes I said I would warn you about when it was canning-only.  That's a result of the Clearjel.  But come on, the goo is the best part of a fruit pie!  There is an instant version of Clearjel which I haven't used.  I believe it acts more like cornstarch and makes the goo with minimal cooking.  That's what you would use for a fresh strawberry pie, and it's probably what's in those strawberry pie mixes you get in the produce section.  You also have to can them because it counts as part of the cooking time for the apples.  A half hour in the canner cuts down the baking time of the pie by that much.  That's why a pie from fresh apples has such a different texture from that of canned filling, and why I started this project in the first place.

This is Ball's recipe, which makes 7 pint jars, a canner-full.  When I cut it down to 2/3, or 8 cups of apples, this is the yield I got.  Although, I could have given the jars more headspace and gotten a fifth jar out of it.  When they say "generous 1 inch of headspace", they really mean closer to two inches.  Two jars siphoned, but all still sealed.  The ping sounds very different with a full jar, just a dull thud.  I've checked the jars multiple times, and they are still holding a seal.

Ball doesn't specify what apples to use.  I used half Granny Smith and half Fuji.  Gala and Honeycrisp would also work.  Stay away from Red Delicious and other varieties that tend to disintegrate on cooking.  You want slightly dense apples that can hold up to being cooked.

12 C (about 8 medium) sliced, peeled, cored cooking apples
2-3/4 C granulated sugar
3/4 C Clearjel 
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1-1/4 C cold water
2-1/2 C unsweetened apple juice
1/2 C lemon juice

1.  Prepare canner, jars, and lids for a 7-pint yield.  I thought it would take me the same amount of time to prep the apples as to bring the canner to a boil, but I ended up waiting half an hour.  It takes a long time to bring 4 gallons to a boil.

2.  Prepare the apples.  As you peel them, drop into a bowl of acidulated water.  I juiced a lemon into mine.  There are commercial tablets of ascorbic and citrus acids to prevent fruit browning.  You could also dissolve a tablet of Vitamin C.  I chose to peel all the apples first to get it over with, then go back and slice them.  The apples were kind of big, so I cut most of the wedges in half.

3.  Once your canner is finally boiling and the jars are heated, you can start the rest of the process.  Pour out your apples into a strainer.  Blanch the apples in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute.  You'll probably have to work in batches.  You only want to cook them long enough so they are pliable and don't snap when they go into the jars.  Drain and set aside.

4.  In another large pot (or rinse out the same one) combine sugar, Clearjel, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Because Clearjel is cornstarch, it gets a bit clumpy.  Once the big clumps are worked out, add cold water and apple juice.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  At some point, you're going to see a few jelly-like clumps, then more, then all of a sudden it's going to start bubbling and turn into a caramel-looking mess.  Stir in lemon juice, return to a boil, and keep stirring for one minute.  Remove from heat.

5.  Fold in apples until thoroughly coated in goo and warm.  Ladle filling into hot jars, leaving a very generous 1-inch headspace.  1 inch is the bottom of the thread rim.  I recommend filling at least half an inch below that, especially if using regular-mouth jars.  De-bubble with a tool or chopstick, and adjust headspace as necessary.  Wipe the rims very well with water, then again with vinegar.  Make sure all the goo is off.  Center lids, screw on bands finger-tight.

6.  Place jars in canner.  Return to a boil.  Process 25 minutes from when the boiling resumes.  Remove canner lid and wait 5 minutes before removing jars.  Cool, test seals, wash off any siphoned goo, and store in a cool place away from light.  Because of the Clearjel, do not freeze failed seals.  Refrigerate and use within a couple of weeks.

Makes 7 pints

Difficulty rating :)

Flowering Kale and Spinach

One of my dwarf kale bushes started to bolt.  The plant lasted a full year, so I decided to let it and find out what the flowers and late leaves tasted like.

Turns out, I liked the leaves better.  They're soft and don't need as much chopping or cooking to be palatable.  The flowers are mild, not like super-spicy arugula blossoms.

My sole surviving spinach went for it around the same time.  It kind of looks like a larger version of a basil plant when it starts to flower.

And the kitchen-scrap green onions are producing scapes.  You can see the bud behind the top of the spinach.  All this flowering is perfectly normal in early summer for most plants, and what you want your fruits to do.  Not so much for green and root veggies, as it spells their doom.

Both of these items made it onto some red lentil crepes, alongside some roasted eggplant and mushrooms, and drizzled with a bit of a tahini dressing.  The onion scape made it on there too.  It made for a light, summery dinner, all with items on hand.

Miso Soup

Yes, I know it's summer and hot outside.  But I like miso soup and had to use up a package of tofu before it spoiled.

My new favorite site for Japanese recipes, Just One Cookbook, has a miso soup recipe that is far more involved than what you get at a sushi place.  That is usually broth, kelp or spinach, some chopped green onions, and two or three cubes of tofu.  What is presented on JOC is more of a first-course soup that could stand on its own.

I cheated a bit on the broth.  I bought dashi miso and skipped the bonito flakes because that would have involved going to another market.  I have seen other recipes that start with either chicken or seafood broth.  You can decide what depth of flavor you want, but mushrooms were enough umami for me that I didn't need extra flavoring in the water.

I also deviated from the recipe and got the miso paste started in water before adding it to the pot.  I'm tired of my miso separating and sinking to the bottom.  Getting rid of the chunks first seemed to solve that problem.  You still have to stir it up again if there are leftovers, but the original pot should stay mixed.

1 quart water
*1/4 C white miso (vegan) or dashi miso paste
4 oz mushrooms, sliced bite-sized (I used crimini)
*4 green onions, finely chopped
*1 pkg firm tofu
*1 C frozen spinach
dried seaweed sheets for garnish, optional

1.  Add 3 cups water to a soup pot.  Add the sliced mushrooms and slowly bring to a low boil.

2.  While the water is heating, combine the miso paste and remaining cup of water.  Whisk until paste is incorporated.  Cut tofu into 1/2" cubes.

3.  Add spinach, tofu, and onions to the pot when the mushrooms are as cooked as you like them.  Return pot to a simmer.  Add miso broth.  Do not boil, just return pot to a low simmer.  Crumble in seaweed sheets just before serving.  Serve hot, alongside rice if desired.

Difficulty rating  π