Baked Barley and Beans

Alright I am playing catch up from my lack of posting this week. I made Barley baked on Wednesday evening I think. The twice baked potatoes were Tuesday, Barley bake Wednesday and pasta Thursday.... nope, move everything back by one day. That means barley bake was made on Tuesday. Regardless, I am trying to catch up on this weeks menu.

Barley bake is a tastey way to get hearty grains into the menu. It is not an exciting looking or sounding dish, but it is yummy. As always, I modified the recipe by adding some shredded cheddar, I just can't help myself!

1 cup pearled barley, uncooked (found in the bulk section of the grocery)

olive oil

2 1/2 cups veggie broth

1 pkg mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup cheddar cheese (optional)

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 TBS sunflower kernels

1. Spread barley on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. I found it helpful to shake the pan back and forth about half way through the baking to evening brown the barley.

2. Combine barley and broth in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. The barley should be tender.

3. While the barley cooks, saute the onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes, then add the green bell pepper. Cook until just tender.

4. Stir in barley, beans, salt and pepper, and cheese if you want to. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Cover and cook at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with sunflower kernels and bake another 5 minutes.

Twice-Baked Salmon Potatoes

Who doesn't like twice baked potatoes? They are so deliciously rich with butter and cheese. Oh, the frozen kind DO NOT COUNT! I am talking home made twice baked potatoes. Before I made these baked delights, I imagined the process to be too much work. I was so wrong! The only thing you have to keep in mind when making twice baked potoatoes is the timing. The spuds have to bake for about an hour before scooping out the middle and baking again for about 15 minutes. Just plan ahead a little, but as far as work goes, making twice baked potatoes is not much more difficult than mashed potatoes.

As far as making them less caloric, use fat free milk and less cheese. I usually use 2 % milk and always choose low-fat sour cream. I would not skimp too much on the butter though, as that provides some vital richness to the potatoes.

4 large baking potatoes

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream (I bet I use a little more)

1/3 cup milk

3 1/2 TBS butter, softened

3 TBS prepared horseradish

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 (4.5 oz) package hot-smoked salmon

1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese (I know I used more, because I LOVE cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Bake potatoes at 450 for 50 minutes or until done. Let cool slightly

3. Reduce oven temp to 400 degrees

4. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, and scoop out pulp, careful not to cut through the skin.

5. Combine potato pulp, onions, and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl. I just use my fingers to break the salmon into bits, leaving the skin behind. Mash up until smooth.

6. Spoon mixture into the potato skins and sprinkle with cheese. Bake on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

Two Olive Pasta

I love olives! Green olives, black olives, kalamata olives, stuffed olives. You get the point. This pasta dish is simple and uses green and black olives. The recipe seemed a bit skimpy on olive quantity, so I added more. Use as many as you like.

We had a side of Italian tofu with this dinner.

Linguine with Two-Olive Marinara

from cooking light march 2007

Olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

20 green olives, halved

3 oz. black olives, halved

10 oz. linguini

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/3 cup dry white wine

28 oz. crushed tomatoes

2 TBS chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over med - high heat. Add onion and saute until tender. Stir in garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add olives, saute 30 seconds longer.

2. Stir in sugar, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and oregano. Cook another minute, stirring.

3. Add wine. Cook 30 seconds.

4. Stir in tomatoes, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes. Add parsley and cheese if desired.

5. Serve over pasta.

Brown rice, Veggie and herb gratin

I am running a couple days behind on the dinner blog.... sorry. Lets see, we had roasted chicken on Wednesday evening, which was amazing! I dropped by the farmers market last Saturday and bought a frozen chicken. This chicken was locally raised, under the sun, living it's full life as a chicken should. No hormones, no antibiotics and no inhumane cage.

I have to admit though, I did not take part in the preparing or the cooking of the chicken. I learned to cook after becoming a vegetarian, and am clueless as to the ways of preparing or cooking meat. I had good intentions of learning, but realized I may not be ready for such endeavors. Once the cutting and hacking started, I was out of there! Lucky for me, Jason is a great cook and knows how to prepare chicken. He did a wonderful job and the roasted chicken was delicious!

Friday night was pizza night - BBQ pizza this time around. Again, this was all Jason. In fact, I think he cooked dinner 3 nights in a row!

Now, up to the weekend. Saturday I made a brown rice casserole, but changed it up a little. Rather than use zucchini that is not in season around here, I chose rainbow chard, which is a winter green. I will post the original recipe, as it appears in the book, but also provide my modifications. Both are tasty.

Brown rice, Veggie and Herb Gratin

1/2 cup brown rice

1 cup veggie broth

olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, mashed

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks (6 smallish carrots, cut into thin strips, but not matchsticks)

1 zucchini (2 bunches rainbow chard, coarsely chopped, including the stem)

3 oz baby corn cobs, halved lengthwise (1 can of corn, drained)

2 TBS sunflower seeds

2 TBS chopped mixed herbs (hmmm, best guess here - 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, 1/4 tsp dried sage)

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

2 TBS whole-wheat bread crumbs (crushed Wheatsworth crackers)

salt and pepper

1. Cook rice in veggie broth according to package directions. Brown rice is usually 1:2 ratio.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and add onion. Cook 3 minutes, then add garlic. Cook another few minutes, stirring often.

3. Add carrots, zucchini (or chard), corn, and herbs cooking about 5 more minutes.

4. Mix the rice with the sunflower seeds, then add to veggies.

5. Stir in 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, stir together.

6. Spoon the mixture into an oven proof 13 X 9 inch dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs and cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until cheese begins to golden.

I served temphe sauteed in olive oil and soy sauce for our protein. I think the description on cooking temphe in the fashion can be found in a previous post.

Enjoy!

Two different Chili's

There are so many different vegetarian chili recipes out there, and most of them are very good. Some use only beans - black, pinto, kidney, cannelloni. Some use only soy crumbles or TVP (textured vegetable protein). Other recipes may use a combination of crumbles and beans.

We used to be a sucker for an easy in box kind of chili. For a box, it was not so bad, and maybe even good. But, I am trying to get away from such out of the box dinners, so no more packaged chili either.

Here are a couple of chili recipes that are not from a box. I made the first one a few months ago and loved it, but made it the other night and was not impressed. I think the problem was with the soy crumbles I chose (vegan). Nothing against vegans, but the fake meat that is made vegan is usually pretty terrible, at least in my opinion. When it comes to fake crumbles I prefer Boca brand crumbles that are sold in a red box. The red box is key. Second choice is morning star burger style crumbles that are sold in a green bag.

Chili with beer

3 slices temphe fakon bakon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb soy crumbles

12 oz beer

3 TBS chili powder

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (omit if you are strict vegetarian)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 (14 1/2oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (8 oz) can no-salt added tomato sauce

2 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup or more shredded cheddar for the top

1. Heat small amount of oil in large pot over med-high heat. Add onion and fakon bakon. Saute until slightly browned, maybe 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 more minute.

2. Add soy crumbles and cook about 5 minutes until thawed and browning, stirring often. Add beer and cook about 7 minutes.

3. Add chili powder and next 5 ingredients, through tomato sauce. Cover and reduce heat, simmer 20 minutes, letting mixture thicken slightly. Add beans and cook about 5 - 10 minutes longer, uncovered.

4. Top with cheese when serving.

This next chili is extra yummy with a sweet twist. I loved it, my neighbors loved it, and I read reviews is the magazine I found it in (Cooking Light) that raved over the taste. But, if you don't like a slight hint of sweetness in your food, you may not enjoy this chili. It is not sweet, I promise. Just a slight suggestion that there is something different in the chili - dark chocolate!

Chili with chocolate

1 large onion, chipped

1 red bell pepper chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pkg soy crumbles

2 TBS brown sugar

2 TBS chili powder

1 TBS unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

2 (15 oz pinto or kidney beans)

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomato, undrained

14 oz veggie broth

2 chipolte chilies, canned in adobo sauce, minced (NOT 2 cans, but 2 chilis)

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I'd say 70% coco or higher)

1/2 cup light sour cream

1. Heat dutch oven over med-high heat, add a little olive oil. Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic about 3-5 minutes. Add soy crumbles. Saute about 5 minutes more until crumbles are thawed and just browning.

2. Add sugar and next 9 ingredients, through chiplote chili, stirring to blend. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

3. Add chocolate, stirring to melt.

4. Serve and top with sour cream is desired.

I loved this! Next time Jason goes out of town, I may make this recipe again!

Pasta wtih caramelized onion trio, arugula and mozzarella

Let me start with a favor. Those of you that read this blog, and try the food yourselves, please leave comments for me. Not only do I want to hear what you think of the foods I have shared, but need encouragement that people are actually trying these recipes at home. Thanks!

So, this is a dish that combines unusual ingredients together in interesting ways. I love each ingredient, and find them delicious when combined. As I have revealed before, I LOVE arugula, so any dish that makes us of this pepper green gets a nod of approval from me. The mozzarella used is fresh, little balls floating in liquid.

I am excited to say I used green onions from the farmers market this time around! I look forward to more frequent trips as the days warm.

For those of you that have not cooked with leeks before, be sure to rinse them well, removing the first layer. Slice the leek, then place into a bowl of water. Swirl around loosening the dirt that may be trapped in the layers. Drain and rinse one more time. Now they are ready to be used.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

2 cups sliced leeks (2 large)

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

12 oz. linguine

1 cup veggie broth

1/4 cup currants

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

1/4 heavy cream

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups baby arugula

1/2 cup mozzarella, cut into chunks

1. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add leek, white onion, and green onions. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat to med-low, and cook 15 minutes until onions are golden brown. I usually remove the lid after the time is up, and let the onions brown a little. Stir frequently.

2. While onion mixture cooks, get the pasta cooking.

3. Bring broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Add dried currants, salt, thyme and vinegar. Boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add cream.

4. Pour into onion mixture and cook 2 minutes. Stir in arugula and mozzarella. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

YUMMY!

Chicken with Pear-Sage Chutney

Yummy! I love this dish! Not only is it beautiful with red pears and red bell peppers, it tastes so good. The flavors offered in this recipe are so wonderful - sweet, but not too sweet all offset by the savory touch of sage.

This dish cooks up quickly and the prep time is pretty minimal. I use Quorn naked patties for this recipe.

I served this dinner with a side of wild rice cooked in veggie broth and frozen peas. I don't use Uncle Ben's or any other rice with pre-seasoned packets - too much salt and the packet over does the spices. I like plain wild rice cooked with broth and olive oil.

6 quorn naked patties

olive oil

salt/pepper

1/2 red onion chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 TBS brown sugar

3 TBS cider vinegar

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp whole mustard seeds

2 cored, chopped red pears

1. Saute quorn patties in olive oil/salt/pepper over med-high until browned on both sides. Remove.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and bell pepper. Cook about 3 minutes.

3. Add sugar, vinegar, sage, mustard seed and salt/pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Add pears and cook 10 minutes.

4. Add chicken and serve.

***I place the sage and mustard seeds in with the vinegar, that way it's all ready when time to add to the pan. I just dump in all three together, nice and easy. You may want to have the brown sugar pre-measured too, just to make it easier, but don't add it to the vinegar cup because it is difficult to get it all out. You will be scraping the measuring cup, cursing at the left over sugar granules.***

Start the wild rice long before preparing the chicken dish as the rice will cook almost an hour. I started preparing the main dish about 30 minutes into the rice's cooking time.