Times Table

This post is going to feature recipes from the Times that I put on my table. The last week has left me with little to do but cook because of . . . snow! Last night I made myself some white bean burgers, which were rather good. I'm not sure I would eat them on a regular basis, but they are a nice change of pace. They were also more sastisfying than I expected. I topped mine with some mustard and tomato . . . some cheese probably would have been a good addition. Cheese makes everything better! I give these 3 stars.

Next we move on to breakfast for dinner. This was a mushroom omelet with chives. I didn't have any gruyere (sadly), so I used mozzarella. It was still very good, but the gruyere certainly would have given it that little burst of exoticism. It was also rather filling for a snowy dinner. You could easily add any herbs you like to this. It only calls for chives and parsley, but what doesn't go with mushrooms and cheese?! 4 stars for this one.

Now, the omelet won't use up your whole box of mushrooms, so you can use the rest (as I did) for oven-steamed salmon with pan-cooked mushrooms. I wasn't overly excited by this before I made it . . . but it was easy, I had all the ingredients and I do have a special affinity for mushrooms. Needless, to say I was pleasantly surprised and would certainly make this again. I like roasted tomatoes with my salmon, so next time I plan to put some cherry tomatoes in the pan while the salmon is steaming in the oven. 4.5 stars.

Lastly we move on to my personal favorite: leek bread pudding. I found this to be a rather original creation. It's similar to stuffing and could easily be used as a snazzy substitute. I make homemade brioche in advance for this bread pudding and you can use the leftover chives from your omelet too! I also adapted this recipe into a mac & cheese, using cheddar, emmenthaler, and gruyere cheeses. Definite 5 stars for this savory treat.