Mushroom and pepper soup

Soups are the best nourishment for cold, winter days. At this time of the year, my dinners frequently consist of a bowl of warm soup, a boiled egg and a piece of fruit.
Below is the recipe for a mushroom soup. This could be served with a bit of lemon juice.
Mushroom and pepper soup

Ingredients: 
5-6 cups mushrooms, diced
1 medium size onion, diced
1 medium size red sweet pepper, diced
½ cup bulgur wheat
2-3 medium size potatoes, cut into big chinks
1 tsp turmeric
¼ tsp black pepper
salt to taste
1-2 Tbsp cooking oil
Directions:
Add oil to the soup pot and saute the onion for five minutes. Add the mushrooms and potatoes, continue cooking with a closed lid. Once the liquid of the mushrooms decreases, add some water to keep the potato chinks under the water surface. Once the potatoes are soft, mash them and add water to the desired final volume (I usually add 12 cups of warmed up water). Bring to boil and add the diced pepper. Once the pepper is cooked, add the bulgur, all spices and stop the heat. Cover the pot again and keep the lid on for one hour before serving.

What’s cooking this weekend

I decided to experiment in the kitchen with something new this weekend. I had the idea of making some rolled cookies with a simple dough and preserves inside, but then I found a jar of frozen mushrooms that I had cooked a few weeks ago, so plans changed.  

This is how I came to the split decision on a sweet and a salty galette. I baked a mushroom one and an apple one.  The recipes are below.

Ingredients
Galette dough for two galettes
3 cups of flour (I use 1:1 white to whole wheat flour)
1 cup yogurt
1 cup olive oil
½ tsp baking soda
 
Mushroom galette topping
1lb mushrooms, chopped in large pieces
1 large sweet onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt, red pepper flakes (to taste)
 
Apple galette topping
3-4 Tbsp prune butter or any preserves you prefer
3 small apples (any type you like), cut into thin slices
 

Directions
Prepare the dough first. Mix the flour with the baking soda. In the middle of the flour mixture add the combined yogurt and oil. Combine with your hands and cover with oiled plastic wrap, if not using immediately. I refrigerated my dough for 2 hours. 

To assemble the galettes, divide the dough into two balls. Place each ball on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and some flour on top. Roll the dough into an oval shape, as thin as the size of the cookie sheet allows (sprinkling some flour on top of the dough will help the rolling). Spread the toppings. For the apple galette, first spread the preserves and then arrange the apple slices on top. Fold the edges of the oval by lifting the parchment paper at the edges of the dough. Bake at 400°F for 35-40 minutes. (I decreased the temperature to 375°F for the last 10 minutes). 

Serve the mushroom galette with some grated cheese such as Parmesan. Sprinkle some powder sugar/cinnamon on top of the apple galette.

 
I will be experimenting soon  with other toppings. The choices are many: feta cheese, roasted peppers, soy sausages, olives, cheddar, ham... Or something sweet: orange marmalade with fresh orange slices, peaches, or mixed berries!