Stovetop: Canned Mushrooms and Mixed Vegetable Soup

I love the Star Trek Cookbook by Ethan Phillips (Neelix from Star Trek Voyager) and William J. Birnes. I have bookmarked several recipes, this is one, Jeri Ryan's Wild Mushroom Soup. But, as you will see, my recipe does not resemble the original recipe.

 

Where I live, many powdered spices absorb moisture and harden. I decided to try and use up my hardened onion and garlic powders in this recipe. I used a bit too much. But, the end result was tasty, not a knock your socks off flavor, but tasty.

 

Most of the time, I never have all the ingredients recipes call for, so, I am usually in “Use What You Have” mode.

 

In this recipe, I did not have fresh mushrooms or potatoes, so I used canned mushrooms and canned mixed vegetables.

I did not add specific measurements, I just eye-balled it.

 

 

Canned Mushrooms and Mixed Vegetable Soup
(Inspired by: Star Trek Cookbook, Jeri Ryan’s Wild Mushroom Soup p30)

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Olive oil

Garlic powder

Onion powder

1-2 Drops Hot sauce

1 14oz Can of Sliced Mushrooms, drained & rinsed

Water

1 vegetable or chicken bouillon cube

1 14oz Can of mixed diced vegetables, drained & rinsed

Process:

 

Note: my skillet is small, a larger skillet would have been better or I could have cooked the mushrooms in the pot, first.

In a skillet, add olive oil, garlic and onion powders, and hot sauce.

Cook at medium heat, stir and cook until ingredients are thoroughly mixed and heated.

Add mushrooms.

Add oil as needed.

Stir and cook ingredients until thoroughly mixed and heated.

In a pot, add 2-6 cups of water.

Add bouillon cube.

Add vegetables.

Add mushroom mixture.

Stir well.

Bring to a boil.

Simmer 20 minutes.

Serve with crackers.

 

 

Hotplate: Wagon Wheel Pasta with Chicken, Spinach & DIY Pesto

Updated 12/22/19
Made minor edits to clarify process.

I peruse my Star Trek Cookbook often and have made several recipes from the cookbook. There are two things, I think many cookbook authors miss, adding humor and personal stories. It's just fun reading this cookbook.

  One recipe I have been waiting a long time to make is Garrett Wang's Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. I spent months looking for "Rotelle" pasta (wagon wheel pasta). Then, Hurray! I found some bags of small wagon wheel pasta, called "Engrane" in Mexico.

Looking at this recipe, now, my eyes roll.

I am not going to be making this recipe as it is stated in the Star Trek Cookbook, gotta adapt it to what I have and also make it GERD-friendly.

Plus, I wonder, how can spinach be a substitute for pasta as the recipe suggests?

Oh no, I forgot the recipe called for pesto. So, I desperately searched for an easy DIY pesto recipe.

Luckily, I found one at RecipeTinEats! Now, I don't have a blender, so I am not sure what to call the mixture I made, maybe "Almost Pesto Sauce." Now, that I think about it, I should have just stirred the mixture more furiously.

Even though I have been trying to learn how to cook for years now, I am still uncomfortable with many of the ingredients and processes.

While this recipe states the process in a logical order, I was bouncing all over the kitchen because I would forget one step before I started another. Or the pasta boiled over. Or I almost ran out of tablespoons. Or I ran out of space to put things. I felt a little like Neelix (Ethan Phillips) when he runs around Voyager's kitchen cooking up a storm for the crew with various pots boiling, frying, and steaming.

The sink is full of all the dishes, cups, bowls, spoons, pots and pans I used. While I am exhausted, I know IF I make this recipe again, it will go easier.



Hotplate: Wagon Wheel Pasta with Chicken, Spinach & DIY Pesto
(Adapted from: Star Trek Cookbook, Garrett Wang “Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes”)

Note: While this dish is cooked on a hotplate, it is served cold.


Ingredients:

2 Cups Frozen spinach
1-2 Cups water
1 dab of olive oil
1 Tomato bouillon cube
1 200g (7 oz) Engrane (tiny wagon wheel pasta)
2 TBspns olive oil (Sorry I do not ask my olive oil about their sex lives.)
1 350g (12.3 oz) Can of Chicken, drained
1/2 Tspn garlic powder
A few grinds of Ground black pepper
S/P to taste
Sauce: 3 TBspns Pesto sauce, store bought or DIY (See DIY Pesto Recipe Post)
Garnish: Parmesan cheese and extra olive oil (optional)

(Some Ingredients shown are for the DIY Pesto)

 
Pre-Preparations:

Cook Spinach:

Add frozen spinach to a 2-cup container.
Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.
Remove, drain, and set aside.


Make Tomato Stock:

Add cube of tomato bouillon to 2 cups of water.
Microwave water 2-3 minutes on high to bring to a boil.
Remove and stir to make sure bouillon has dissolved.


Make Pasta:

Put pasta into a large pot, cover with tomato stock.
Add a dab of olive oil.
Stir.
Bring to a boil.
Stir.
Add salt if desired.
Stir.
Cover.
Boil about 5-8 minutes.
Watch the pot, it may boil over.
Check pasta to see if is done. It is done, if it is still a bit firm and you can bite it easily (al dente).
Drain pasta, reserve some of the pasta liquid, and set aside.


Process:

In a skillet, add a dab of olive oil and garlic powder.
Cook on medium heat.
Stir and mix oil and powder.
Add chicken.
Add spinach.
Stir thoroughly.
Cook on medium heat until mixture is hot throughout.
Add a little pasta water if the mixture is too dry.
Add mixture to pasta in pot.
Stir mixture thoroughly.
Pour mixture into a large bowl.
Add pesto sauce.
Stir thoroughly.
Cover bowl and place in frig.
Wait until mixture is chilled throughout.
When serving, garnish with Parmesan cheese and additional olive oil, if desired.

I forgot how much pasta 1 small bag makes. I have to figure out how to halve this recipe.

 Note: While I really like the flavor the tomato bouillon adds, I keep forgetting bouillon cubes add quite a bit of salt and spice to any dish.

 #GERD-friendly - if you reduce the garlic powder to just a hint.

I Have Fallen in Love.....With Pink Mocktails!!!

I Have Fallen in Love.....With Pink Mocktails!

It all started with Neelix's Star Trek Cookbook.

When I went shopping for the ingredients for the Calaman Sherry ST Mocktail, I discovered there were lots of pink beverages.

So, I bought several of them:

Guayaba Juice
Cranberry Juice
Pink Grapefruit Juice
Pink Grapefruit Soda
Passion Fruit Juice
Pink Lemonade
Jamaica Concentrate
and more...

Then, I started making variations of a "Pink Mocktail."


Ginger Ale/Jamaica Mocktail

Ingredients:

6 oz Ginger Ale
2 capfuls Jamaica juice concentrate
Ice cubes
Garnish: Lime Slice


Process:

In a glass, add Ginger ale and Jamaica juice, mix together.
Add ice cubes.
Add Garnish.


Quick Ersatz Rose Champagne

Ingredients:

5 oz Club Soda*, cold
2 oz Ginger ale, cold
1 oz Grape juice or Cranberry juice, cold


Process:

In an 8oz glass, add Club Soda, Ginger Ale, Grape or Cranberry juice. Mix together.

If your juices are not cold. Add crushed ice to a commuter mug with a lid. Add the liquids. Close lid. Shake. Wait. Strain into a glass.


Gingery Pink Grapefruit Mocktail

Ingredients:

5 oz Pink grapefruit juice
2 oz Ginger Ale
2/3 capful lime juice concentrate
1/4 Tspn ginger paste
Ice Cubes
Garnish: Lime slice


Process:

In an 8 oz glass add Pink Grapefruit juice, Ginger Ale, lime juice concentrate, and ginger paste. Mix thoroughly.
Add ice cubes.
Add garnish.


Quick Faux Paloma

Ingredients:

2/3 Pink grapefruit soda
1/3 sparkling mineral water*
1/2 capful Lime juice
Ice cubes
Garnish: Slice of Lime


Process:

Add liquids to a 8 oz glass, stir together.
Add ice cubes.
Add garnish.

Guayaba Ginger Pink Mocktail

Ingredients:

4oz Seltzer water*
2oz Guayaba Soda
2oz Ginger Ale
1/8 Tspn Tea mix
Ice Cubes
Garnish: Lime slice

Process:

In an 10 oz glass, add Seltzer water, Guayaba Soda, Ginger Ale, tea mix, and Lime Juice concentrate. Stir well.
Add ice cubes.
Add garnish.

*You can use a variety of carbonated waters: Seltzer, Club Soda, Mineral water, carbonated, or Sparkling water.

Star Trek Calaman Sherry Mocktail...Many Versions

Thanks to Neelix (Ethan Phillips with William J. Birnes) and their Star Trek Cookbook (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/star-trek-cookbook-ethan-phillips/1104309366), I have some great recipes to try.

Calaman Sherry
Here’s a blush-colored drink that should look like pink champagne. Strawberry Kiwi is again your base drink of choice, lightened with Martinelli’s sparkling apple cider, which also provides effervescence, or straight club soda if you don’t want it too sweet. Serve in a tall, long-stemmed champagne glass so you can watch the bubbles rise.
Phillips, Ethan. Star Trek Cookbook (p. 223). Pocket Books/Star Trek. Kindle Edition.

Calaman Sherry Mocktail…Many Versions
(Adapted from: Star Trek Cookbook)

I made several adaptations to this mocktail. "You adapt," as the Star Trek Voyager crew would say. The ability to adapt is a good quality in Star Trek crew and fans, right?

I used a 4oz champagne glass.

There are more pink beverages available besides Strawberry-Kiwi than I realized, for example: pink grapefruit, cranberry, passion fruit, and more, so I choose a few.


Version 1


Ingredients:

1 Commuter Mug with lid
1 Fancy glass
1 baggie
about 6 ices cubes
4 oz del Valle nectar mixto guayaba naranja
2 oz Club Soda


Process:

Put ice cubes in the baggie.
Pound them on the kitchen counter with something hard like a cutting board to make ice chips.
Add the chips to the commuter mug.
Add juice and club soda.
Add lid and close.
Shake a bit.
Strain/pour liquid from mug spout into fancy glass.
Enjoy!

(Made with de Valle nectar mixto guayaba naranja https://jugosdelvalle.com.mx/portafolio/#del-valle/producto-519%20)

This mocktail smells mysterious and wonderful. It has lovely pink color and tastes great!


#GERD-friendly



Version 2


Ingredients:

1 Commuter Mug with lid
1 Fancy glass
1 baggie
about 6 ices cubes
5 oz Penafiel toronjada w/mineral water
1 oz carbonated apple juice


Process:

Put ice cubes in the baggie.
Pound them on the kitchen counter with something hard like a cutting board to make ice chips.
Add the chips to the commuter mug.
Add juices.
Add lid and close.
Shake a bit.
Strain/pour liquid from mug spout into fancy glass.

(Made with: Penafiel toronjada w/mineral water https://www.drpeppersnapplegroup.com/brands/penafiel)

This mocktail smells like pink grapefruit. It has a nice pinkish color. Tastes great!


Not GERD-Friendly

In addition, I got cranberry juice, too. I could make many different versions of Calaman Sherry!

Note: I think the lighting in my apartment is not strong enough to show the bubbles in my mocktails.

Tuvok's Special Scrambled Eggs

Still cooking recipes from my Star Trek Cookbook by Ethan Phillips and William J. Birnes. Tuvok, from Star Trek Voyager, is played by Tim Russ.

Tim’s Special Scrambled Eggs 
The secret to my scrambled eggs is the texture. By adding ⅛ cup of whole milk to 2 medium or large eggs, I lighten up the eggs for a pinch of any spices such as parsley, rosemary, or thyme. My typical breakfast is a chicken or turkey sausage, scrambled eggs, wheat toast, maybe a waffle or pancake, and coffee, not Vulcan mocha.

Phillips, Ethan. Star Trek Cookbook (p. 47). Pocket Books/Star Trek. Kindle Edition. 

While Tim's scrambled egg recipe does not differ much from my own. I had never used Rosemary or Thyme in my scrambled eggs. In addition, I use a dab of milk not 1/8 of a cup. The two changes made the eggs creamier with a different taste.

#GERD-Friendly