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."