Riviera Minestrone - 2020 Coronavirus Lockdown Day 9 Dinner

As a kid I ate a lot of soup for my after school snack. Riviera Minestrone was a favorite- thick, rich & chock full of veggies & pasta. During the grocery store meltdown last week, I was unable to find it. I'm pretty sure it's no longer made (a Google search confirmed it). For tonight's dinner, I made up a version of this famous soup. There's 1 copy-cat recipe out there - it had way too many ingredients. And after a careful search I was able to find the ingredients list at Fooducate. I'm pleased with the final product. And it's pretty darn close to the original only with better ingredients! And for my vegan friends, with a few minor tweaks, you can make it yours.

"Riviera Minestrone" - adapted from Fooducate

2 large carrots - diced
4 ribs celery - diced
1 large onion - diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch green onions - chopped
2 jalapeños - chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
6 cloves garlic - choped
1/2 lb lentils - rinsed
2 cans kidney beans - rinsed
1 ham hock
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
6 cups of chicken stock
1 cup macaroni (elbows, mini shells, or salad)
1 bag of cruciferous salad mix (a combo of chopped kale, cabbage, red cabbage & Brussel sprouts will work too)
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a stockpot, over medium heat, sauté carrots, celery & onion in olive oil until soft. Add green onions, jalapeños & garlic - stir until soft. Add lentils, beans, ham hock & Italian seasoning. Cover with chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Cover & simmer for 1hr. Meanwhile soak macaroni in bowl with boiling water until it is soft. Rinse & drain; set aside.

After 1hr, remove ham hock bones & meat, set aside. Remove 2 cups of the mixture & blend smooth; add mixture to the pot. (I used an immersion blender & pureed the soup in a few spots)

Discard ham hock bones & shred meat; return to pot. Add cruciferous mix & simmer for another 45 minutes. Add softened macaroni. Simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.

*This soup is really thick...stick your inverted spoon thick! Just like the original. If you want it a little thiner, add some additional stock or water

**To make a vegan version:

• Omit the ham hocks - replace with 1 tablespoon good quality smoked paprika
• Replace chicken stock with your favorite vegetable stock or water

Beef Stroganoff for Instant Pot

This past holiday I finally decided to join the masses & purchase an Instant Pot. I have to say it's been fun learning how to cook with it. Last night we had a craving for a hearty pasta dish. After thumbing through my copy of Instant Pot Bible...The only book you need for every model of Instant Pot (a great Christmas gift - thank you Diddy), I landed on Beef Stroganoff...which the book didn't have in its list of recipes! Grrrr...

I had to turn to the Googler & after research both Instant Pot & non- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff recipes I decided to make up my own. The following is based on the stroganoff my Aunt Bea used to make us growing up AND my sister's advice (I asked her long ago how to make this dish & took some notes). This recipe uses ingredients that are typically found in my pantry.

beef stroganoff (for instant pot)

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced thin
8 oz package Trader Joe's pappardelle noodles* - broken into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon steak seasoning (e.g. McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning)
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons umami seasoning powder (e.g. Trader Joe's Mushroom & Company Umami Seasoning Blend)
2 teaspoons of oyster sauce or Worcestershire sauce
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups low sodium beef broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup sour cream
salt & pepper to taste


Using the Sauté function, sauté onions until translucent. Add ground beef & garlic to onions and brown meat. Add mushrooms, steak seasoning, onion powder, umami seasoning, oyster sauce & red pepper flakes, if using, Cook mixture until mushrooms release their juices. Add wine & beef broth- bring mixture to a boil. Add noodles & stir to combine with the meat & mushrooms. Cancel Sauté function.

Cover pot & make sure the latch is in the 'Sealing' position. Select Manual Pressure. Set timer for 5 minutes. At the end of the cooking cycle perform a Quick Release.

Open Pot & let the stand for 3-5 minutes. Fold in sour cream. Serve.

*Trader Joe's Pappardelle Noodles have the perfect texture for this dish. If you cannot find them, you can substitute with egg noodles instead.

Vegan Dumplings

Last month we celebrated our Q4 Birthdays - 4x a year my group of high school friends gather, connect & celebrate our birthdays for the quarter.  It's become a tradition for 2yrs. Last month we had a Wraptastic dinner party complete with craft cocktails, birthday cake, Pork + Cabbage and Vegan Dumplings.

Since that party, I've made several batches for vegans, vegetarians & meat eaters alike. The response has been great. Meat eaters don't miss the meat. Vegans & vegetarians agree these are delicious. I think they are the perfect dumpling for parties. Just be sure to get the right wrappers 😋

vegan dumplings

1 large head of Napa cabbage
1 bunch of green onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, shredded
3 lbs of extra firm tofu (I use Azumaya or Kodo brand)
1lb shiitake mushrooms finely chopped
3-4 tablespoons grated ginger
1 bunch of thin bean thread noodles
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons liquid aminos or soy sauce
2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons sea salt
2 packages of 'Big White Skin' wrappers (these are the only wrappers I use for dumpling making they are vegan & versatile - boil, pan-fry, or deep fry them.)


To prepare the Napa cabbage:
Finely chop Napa cabbage & place in a bowl. Sprinkle 1-2 tbs of sea salt over cabbage & massage the mixture. Set aside for 30 minutes until the moister from the cabbage is released. Drain the cabbage juice. DO NOT rinse the cabbage as the salt imparts flavor on the vegetables. Set aside

To prepare the Bean Threads:
Place bean threads in a bowl. Cover them with boiling water & soak for 30 minutes. The bean threads will become clear. Drain the bean threads & rinse with cold water. Cut threads into 2 inch pieces. Set aside.

To prepare the Tofu:
Preheat oven to 425℉. Dice the tofu into small cubes. Toss tofu with 2 tbs sesame oil, 1 tbs vegetable oil, liquid aminos & ground black pepper. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper & spread tofu in a single layer. Roast tofu in the oven for 15 minutes. Stir the tofu breaking the tofu into smaller pieces. Roast tofu for another 15 minutes. Stir tofu & roast for 10 minutes more if necessary. The final texture should be crispy & chewy with some moisture. Be careful not to over roast the tofu (all crispy edges, no moisture etc.) Remove from oven & let cool to room temperature

To prepare the Mushrooms:
Finely chop the shiitakes. Place mushrooms in a heated skillet. Do not touch the mushrooms & allow them to release some of their juices (about 5 minutes). Add 1 tbs vegetable oil to the mushrooms & stir. Add green onions & ginger. Cook until fragrant. Add reserved bean threads & cook for another 5 minutes until the bean threads become transparent. Remove from heat. Set aside

To assemble the filling:
In bowl combine the Napa cabbage, roasted tofu, mushroom mixture, remaining 2 tbs sesame oil. Mix well making sure to break up large pieces of tofu. Taste the filling & adjust seasoning as necessary)

Wrapping & Storing the Dumplings:
Place 1 tbs of filling in the center of the wrapper. Using a cup of cold water, dip your finger in the water & wet the wrapper's edge. Fold the wrapper & pleat the edge as you seal the dumpling. Continue with remaining wrappers.

These dumplings freeze well. As you wrap your dumplings dip the bottom into a dish of flour to lightly coat it. Line the dumplings on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 30-45 mins. Once the dumplings are firm, transfer the dumplings to ziplock bags & store in the freezer.

Cooking the Dumplings:
If using frozen dumplings, DO NOT DEFROST.

Boil Method

1. Bring a pot of water to boil
2. Add dumplings & cook until the float to the top
3. Drain & enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce

Pan Fry Method

1. Coat a pan with oil & fire over medium heat
2. Place dumplings in the pan & brown on all sides
3. Add a 1/4 cup of water to the pan with dumplings- watch the sizzle & steam
4. Cover the pan & continue to cook over medium heat for another 3-5 minutes
5. Uncover pan & allow any remaining liquid in the pan to evaporate
6. Dumplings should be chewy & crispy
7. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce

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