Barley Risotto with Shrimp and Peas

A smattering of sweet peas and a good measure of rock shrimp turn a humble bowl of pearl barley into a serious risotto.

Martha Stewart Living, May 2007

• YieldServes 6

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Ingredients

• 1 cup pearl barley
• 6 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 12 ounces rock shrimp, peeled Maine shrimp, or other small peeled shrimp
• 2 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Place barley in a bowl, and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Cover; let soak in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, and cover. Drain barley. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 6 minutes. Stir in barley. Add wine, and cook, stirring, until liquid has evaporated.
3. Add 1/2 cup stock, and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock, 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until liquid is absorbed before adding more, until barley is tender but still slightly firm, about 35 minutes total (reserve 1/4 cup stock to stir in at the end).
4. About 1 minute before barley is done, stir in shrimp and peas, and cook until shrimp are opaque throughout. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 cup stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and salt. Season with pepper, and serve.

Source:  http://www.wholeliving.com/133116/barley-risotto-shrimp-and-peas

*  I am going to substitute pasta for the barley, but that's all!  I've made this before and it'd simple and delish.  Fresh lemon zest and juice make just about anything better.

Chicken Chilaquiles ala Martha Stewart

At Rachael Rydbeck's request... :)

Chicken Chilaquiles:

1 T olive oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes in puree (I always use diced tomatoes instead)

2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, from a small can, finely chopped (about 1 heaping teaspoon) plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from same can).

Coarse salt

1 small roasted chicken/rotisserie chicken, skinned and shredded, about 4 cups

1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves (I always use tons more), chopped, plus additional for garnish

Tortilla chips

Sour cream

Feta cheese

Corn Salsa:

It's just a bag of steamed corn, salsa or pico de gallo, and cilantro mixed together.  :)  Portions to your taste.

Directions:

1.  Combine oil and garlice in large saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and sizzling, 1-2 min.

2.  Add the tomatoes, chipotles and adobo sauce, and 1 C water.  Bring to a boil, season with salt.  Reduce the heat and simmer rapidly until lightly thickened, 6-8 min.

3.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until hot, about 1 min.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

4.  Spoon into bowls, top with sour cream, feta, and corn salsa.  Eat with chips.  :)

Seriously, one of the easiest dinners ever.  Start to finish 15 minutes, other than getting the chicken ready, which I always do ahead of time.  I felt stupid even typing those directions up.  ;)

Vegan Once-A-Month cooking:

http://vegoam.wordpress.com/

Quinoa with Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms.

Source:  http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/quinoa-balsamic-roasted-mushrooms

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 pear, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed and gills scraped out
• 1 cup red or white quinoa
• 3 cups tightly packed fresh spinach, chopped
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method: 

Preheat oven to 475°F. 

Put vinegar, mustard, pear and garlic in a blender with 1/3 cup water and blend until smooth, about 1 minute, to make the dressing. Cut mushrooms into chunks and combine in a large mixing bowl with 1/4 cup of the dressing. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

While mushrooms roast, prepare quinoa. In a medium pot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, 10 minutes more. Uncover and fluff quinoa with a fork. 

Combine mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, green onions, almonds, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup more dressing in a large, wide serving bowl. Stir to mix well. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.

Nutritional Info: 

PER SERVING:280 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 120mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 12g protein

Quinoa, White Bean, and Kale stew.

Source:  http://www.theppk.com/2010/10/quinoa-white-bean-and-kale-stew/

"This is one of my winter staples, especially if I’m having a busy week, have no one to impress and don’t want to use a million dishes (big ups to the disherwasherless!) You get your beans, greens and grains all in one pot; in this case I use white beans, kale and quinoa. You also get about 8 servings out of it so you can either freeze it or keep it in the fridge for 4 days or so, having it for lunch or dinner or… stew for breakfast? Why not!

It’s really versatile so make up your own spice blend, use different beans and grains (although cooking time may vary for the grain) and, you know, just do whatever you want, this stew is your canvas. Prep the herb blend before proceeding with the recipe, that way you just dump everything in at the same time without much fuss.

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups leeks, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, peeled, diced medium
1 large parsnip, peeled, diced medium
8 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, diced medium
1 cup dry quinoa
1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale (about a pound), rough stems removed, torn into bite sized pieces

Herb blend:
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (see crushing fennel tip)
1 teaspoon dried majoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Fresh black pepper, to taste

Preheat a 4 quart soup pot over medium high heat. Saute leeks and garlic in oil with salt for about 3 minutes, or however long it takes you to prep your carrot and parsnip. Add carrot and parsnip, along with the herb blend, turn heat up to high and saute for a few seconds.

Add vegetable broth, potatoes and quinoa. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, until potatoes and quinoa are tender. Add kale and beans, and stir frequently until kale is wilted. Cover and simmer on low for 5 more minutes. Taste for salt

When you serve you may want to add a little lemon juice or a splash of balsamic vinegar or hot sauce – whatever your thing is. Or you may not."

Chai Pani's Malabar Chicken:

I'm dying to make this!!


Source:  http://aspicyperspective.com/2010/08/chai-pani-dream-incarnate.html

Recipe: Chai Pani’s Malabar Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil + 1 Tb.
• 1 ½ tsp. mustard seeds
• ½ tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 12-15 curry leaves, finely chopped
• 2-3 small dried red chiles (cayenne, bird)
• 4 cups chopped red onion (2 large onions)
• 2 ½ Tb. grated ginger
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 ½ Tb. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• ½ cup chopped cilantro (leaves and/or stems)
• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 2 Tb. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Instructions

1. Pour ½ cup oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and red chiles.
2. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, then add the ginger and onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the onions to brown until they are dark and soft enough the smash with a spatula—about 25-30 minutes.
3. Add the chili powder, coriander, turmeric, and cilantro—mix together.
4. Raise the heat back to medium and add the tomatoes, salt, and lime juice. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have disintegrated and the oil separates out—15-20 minutes.
5. Add ½ cup of water and 1 cup coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat.
6. In a separate skillet, heat 1 Tb. of oil over high. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on all sides, leaving the centers pink—2-4 minutes.
7. Add the chicken to the curry and simmer 5-7 minutes until the chicken has cooked through. Serve over basmati rice.
8. Cook’s Notes: I went to a small foreign market to collect some of the unique ingredients for this recipe. There, I had no trouble finding everything on my list. Extra curry leaves can be wrapped and frozen for later use. This is a GREAT make-ahead! Letting the curry sit overnight enhances the flavors!
9. *To make this a “slow carb” recipe, serve over lentils instead of rice.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

Red Lentil Curry: it's what's for dinner soon!

Red Curry Lentils

Author: Pinch of Yum

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  45 mins

Serves: 6

 

Ingredients

• 1½ cups lentils, rinsed and picked over
• ½ large onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• ½ tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• a few good shakes of cayenne pepper
• 1 14 ounce can tomato puree
• ¼ cup coconut milk or cream
• cilantro for garnishing
• rice for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the lentils according to directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes until fragrant and golden. Add all the spices (curry paste, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, sugar, garlic, ginger) and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce; stir and simmer until smooth.
3. Add the lentils and the cream. Stir to combine and simmer for another 15-20 minutes (the longer, the better)! Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

Notes

Even better the next day! For a vegan option, sub oil for butter.   

Asian cabbage wraps:

These wraps were so delightfully easy and tasty!!  

Source:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/asian-lettuce-wraps/detail.aspx

I subbed cabbage from my CSA for the lettuce, and then followed the recipe for the rest!  Awesome dinner.

Ingredients Edit and Save

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Original recipe makes 4 servingsChange Servings

• 4 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked white rice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (14 ounce) package firm tofu, drained and cubed

• 2 carrots, shredded
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon hot chile paste
• 1 head iceberg lettuce leaves, separated

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Directions

1. In a saucepan combine the water and rice. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, until water is absorbed. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Cook the pork, green onions, and garlic for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly brown. Add the tofu, carrot, Hoisin, and soy sauce, stirring frequently until heated through. Remove from heat, and stir in the sesame oil and chile paste.
3. To serve: spoon a small amount of rice into each lettuce leaf, top with the stir-fry mixture, and drizzle with additional soy sauce or hoisin, if desired. Wrap the lettuce leaf to enclose the filling.

Kitchen-Friendly View

• PREP15 mins
• COOK32 mins
• READY IN47 mins

Footnotes

• Optional additional stir fry ingredHoisin sauce, also called Peking sauce, is a thick, reddish-brown sauce that is sweet and spicy, and widely used in Chinese cooking. It's a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chile peppers and various spices. It can be found in Asian markets and many large supermarkets. Look in the Asian or ethnic section. If this item is not in stock at your local store, ask your grocer to special order it for you. Most grocers will be happy to do this for their customers.

Pioneer Woman Leftover Turkey Pot Pie:

The "before baking" picture.
I highly recommend the PW link to Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust.  Others just pale in comparison.

You can see my system for organizing online recipes in the background:  print out a page and keep it in a 3-ring-binder (ala "Mittens" ;)  )  and on the blog.  

  

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

1 pie crust (1/2 of Perfect Pie Crust recipe)
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 cups leftover turkey, light and dark, diced or shredded (or both!)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
splash of white wine (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
Frozen peas (optional)
Fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt butter in a skillet or dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until translucent (a couple of minutes.)
Add turkey and stir. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour in chicken or turkey broth, stirring constantly. Splash in wine (you can leave this out if you’d like.) Pour in cream. (May add frozen peas at this point if you’d like.)
Bring to a slow boil and allow mixture to cook and thicken for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not underseason), and fresh or dried thyme to taste. Do one final taste at the end and add what it needs.
Pour mixture into a casserole dish or deep pie pan.
Roll out crust so that it’s about 1 inch larger than the pan you’re using.
Place the crust on top of the pot pie mixture, and press crust into the sides of the dish. Cut vents in the top of the crust.
Bake for 30 minutes or until very golden and bubbly.
Allow to cool for a little bit before serving.

Serve with a large spoon.

Delicious!

"After" photo, post-baking, pre-digging-in.

It's awesome.  Quick, easy, and a great way for me to get my kids to eat tons of veggies! (Well, okay, mostly juts Finn...)

Source:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/quick-recipe-leftover-turkey-pot-pie/

Changes I made:

--  I leave out the cream/milk because I've been dairy free, or kids have been dairy free, for so long that it's just become habit.  It's also fewer calories that way.  :)

--  I add as many veggies as I can/want:  corn, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, onions, garlic, celery, etc.  Lots of CSA stuff!

--  With the Sylvia's pie crust recipe, I make one batch for 2 crusts, not 3.  If I make 3 they are too small/thin.

--  I use lots of thyme, but dried, as I rarely have fresh on hand.  LOTS of thyme!