Hot Dish Review

My second batch of barley has sparked new experiments as well as repeating the original ones that were so successful, like the breakfast barley with cinnamon, figs, and honey. I love barley’s toothesome quality and it keeps you full for hours!

This time I divided the one cup dry barley into five half-cup cooked servings (rather than four 3/4 cup servings), about 145 calories.

Whole foods has a curried wheatberry salad on their foodbar that I’ve always loved, so I decided to make my own version for lunch today with barley.

Here’s what I used:

1/2 cup cooked barley
1 carrot, chopped
1 scallion, chopped
1/1/2 tsp. olive oil
curry powder, to taste
cilantro
black pepper, to taste
dash of crushed red pepper

On Thursday I told my nutritionist that whenever I eat barley I pair it with vegetables or dried fruits. I automatically think of it as the main component of a meal to build around, rather than a protein.

Then on Friday, I made a total liar out of myself….I ordered grilled shrimp on a bed of greens to eat with my curried barley salad. Quite yummy! The salad was really very good, but something was missing…..

Over the weekend I was picking up some chana masala to pair with another serving of barley so I had the opportunity to look at the ingredient list on their curried wheatberry salad. Honey. That’s what was missing.

Also, my version had carrots instead of green peppers, but I did that on purpose.

Now that I’m on the barley kick, I will certainly make the curry salad again!

I’m off to Cabo folks! In honor of my trip I thought I would rerun some of my favorite Mexican inspired posts….hope you enjoy ‘em! (secretly curious to see if the guacamole there will be as good as mine)

OK, this is the real deal. I got this recipe from an old Mexican cleaning lady 20 years ago and have made it according to her standards ever since. Perhaps she prepares it with loving care in a traditional molcajete, a lava rock mortar and pestle. I make mine in my traditional Pillsbury Doughboy bowl!

(Note: the photo of ingredients includes a Corona Light. This ingredient is not mandatory, however, I find that it helps the culinary process. You may substitute a shot of Herradura Silver if you prefer.)

3 ripe avocadoes
1/2 white onion (I use Vidalias)
1 large tomato, peeled
1 jalapeno
bunch cilantro
salt
lime juice

Split the avocadoes and scoop them out into a medium bowl. To keep the guacamole chunky I use the spoon to coarsely cut up the avocadoes just a bit. Very small dice the onion by first cutting it in half, then making 1/8″ cuts in both directions (like a checkerboard pattern). Slice it across the pre-made cuts to make tiny diced pieces. Use the same method for the jalapeno, being careful not to touch the pepper and then your eyes (or other sensitive areas)! Chop a shitload of cilantro to taste. Rest the tomato in hot water to ease peeling, then peel, seed, dice and add to bowl. Add the juice of half a lime. Fold all the ingredients together and salt to taste. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours, completely covered in plastic to avoid oxidation.

Is that f*ckin’ delicious or what? Buy restaurant chips and salsa to serve with it….my new favorite is Uncle Julios.

Sure, there are a couple of acceptable variations but authentic quacamole contains no sour cream, no garlic, no mayonaisse. Mayonaisse is a French sauce like bearnaisse….not invented in a trailor park in Mississippi as you may have suspected. Mexicans do not use French sauces. There was no sour cream in Mexico in the 1700’s.

Just use the real ingredients above and you will have quacamole as good as what I had in Playa del Carmen a few years ago…..Ole’!

OK, it was not from my garden or even my parents’ garden, but it grew somewhere in the US, presumably in a garden. Publix had this packaged okra, vibrant and fresh. I grew up eating okra, in gumbo or fried….love it!

My parents are growing okra too, in addition to zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, squash, and cucumbers. Mom has already canned her first batch of beans which we had with grilled pork tenderloin, onions, zucchini, and peppers in Helen, along with a salad of cous cous, edamame, and black olives. Healthy and delicious!

Like the fried green tomatoes, this is my first attempt at frying okra. Mom usually makes and freezes several bags for me but today I decided to cook up a mess of it myself!

Talk about easy! Here is the method: wash the okra, cut into pieces 3/8″-1/2″, toss with cornmeal, season with a little salt and pepper and panfry over medium heat in about 2 tbsp. canola oil for 20-25 minutes, until tender and browned.

I made a big batch so I froze half of it. So good!

In memory of you on your birthday…..

This sandwich is the invention of my ex WP. Originally created out of poverty coupled with the desire to live up to our white trash image, I have recently become re-addicted to them. My version is only about 350 calories and is a great replacement when you are craving a McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish.

Here’s how to make this trailor park classic:

FISH STICK SANDWICH

4 or 5 frozen breaded fish sticks (the cheapest possible, I buy Kroger’s brand)
1 slice of wheat bread (or 2 if you want the original version)
1 slice of light American cheese (or more if you like)
mayo

Bake the fish sticks according to package directions. Spread the bread liberally with mayo. Place the fish sticks on the bread, top with cheese and melt in the microwave….voila!

This post is dedicated to WP. Not just an any ex, the love of my life. Hope they’re giving him lots of beer and fish sandwiches, wherever he is. Can’t believe it’s been 8 years….R.I.P.

So I’ve got all this leftover bread from Bakeshop. Time to whip up some more comfort food! Bread pudding is one of my favorite decadent desserts. There are lots of variations so I’m loosely basing mine on Ed Brown’s recipe from his recent Today Show segment.

I froze the date walnut maple loaf for just this reason! Checking out several other recipes I decided to combine them and came up with this:

RUSTIC BREAD PUDDING

4 thick slices of any crusty loaf, cut into 1″ cubes
2 C. 2% milk
2 whole Omega 3 eggs plus one white, beaten
1/2 C. golden raisins
1/3 C. turbinado sugar
1 packet no-calorie sweetener
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
dash nutmeg

Combine milk, eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg and whisk until frothy. Add bread cubes, allowing them to soak up the milk mixture for about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 5″ individual ramekins or 1 8″X8″ casserole dish and evenly distribute bread and custard mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until browned. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or Cool Whip!

Damn, that’s good.

This recipe is courtesy of The Rachael Ray Show. I love the toothsome quality of barley, and paired with pancetta….well, I just had to give it a try! You can access the original recipe that offers some variations via the link above or follow mine below:

MUSHROOM BARLEY SOUP

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 quart low sodium chicken stock
3 cups water
1/4 C. EVOO
1/3 lb. thick cut pancetta, diced
3/4 lb. cremini mushroom caps, cleaned and sliced
1 bay leaf
2 leeks, washed, trimmed, sliced
4 cloves garlic, grated
3 tblsp. fresh sage, very thinly sliced
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
1 15 oz. can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup pearl barley
1 bunch kale, leaves thinly chopped
salt & pepper

Simmer dried porcini mushrooms in the water and stock. Meanwhile crisp the pancetta in the olive oil over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Add the cremini mushrooms and bay leaf and cook 10-12 minutes. Next, add the leeks and garlic and continue cooking 5 minutes. Add sage, rosemary and tomatoes.

Remove the softened porcini mushrooms from the stock and chop. Add them along with their cooking liquids to the soup pot taking care to leave behind any grit from the mushrooms. Stir in the barley and kale, bring soup to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

LG joined me for this impromptu hearty soup dinner, perfect for a winter evening! I served it with some toasted country sourdough from Bakeshop.

This is one of the best salads ever! The original recipe comes from the February 2009 issue of Food & Wine Magazine. I still have it bookmarked, the pages filthy from making the dressing dozens of times, although by now, I’ve committed it to memory, and made a few changes. Here is my version:

BITTER GREENS WITH FIGS AND FOG

1/2 small head radicchio, finely shredded
1 Belgian endive, thinly sliced crosswise
1 C. baby arugula
1 1/2 oz. cooked organic chicken, cut up
7-10 whole unsalted almonds
1 dried calmyrna fig, chopped
1 oz. Humboldt Fog goat cheese, cubed

DRESSING (this is a double recipe, you’ll want extra!)

3 tblsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 tblsp. fig vinegar (or raspberry)
3 tblsp. sugar free apricot preserves
1 shallot, very thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
freshly ground pepper and salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the raw almonds on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes, and let cool, then coarsely chop. (I make a big batch to save time, also great served with cheeses).

Let the sliced shallots marinate in the vinegar for 10 minutes. Meanwhile add the oil, rosemary, and thyme to a small saucepan. Heat over moderate heat for 2 minutes until it sizzles. Stir in the apricot preserves and heat until melted, about 1 minute. Add the shallots and vinegar and cook an additional minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the lettuces, warm chicken, figs, and almonds in a large bowl and drizzle the warm dressing, to taste. Top with chunks of the cheese. (Note: the original recipe calls for regular goat cheese, see photo in magazine below)

This recipe makes one huge salad or 2-4 servings as a side, in which case I add more almonds, figs, and cheese but omit the chicken. The sweetness of the preserves and figs are the perfect match to the bitterness of the greens.

While writing about Jonathan St. Hilaire’s newest venture, Bakeshop, I was drooling over the menu. One of the breakfast dishes is Eggs Al Forno. Although there was a description, I was unfamiliar with it so I googled it. Turns out it is an egg (or two) baked in an individual casserole dish on top of bread and cheese….how could it go wrong?

With so much bread leftover from my weekend visit to Bakeshop, the ciabatta was begging to be used for a savory breakfast. I found a recipe online, made a few minor revisions based upon what was in the fridge, and voila! Eggs al Forno. It was scrumptious and simple, here’s how:

EGGS AL FORNO

2 eggs (1 omega 3, 1 regular)
1 thick slice ciabatta (or other bread)
1 oz. gruyere, sliced and diced
1/4 C. grated parmesan
1 scallion, chopped, to taste
olive oil
ground pepper and salt

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly oil individual casserole dish with spray. Place bread at the bottom and drizzle with a little olive oil. Scatter the gruyere, most of the parmesan, and the scallions on top of the bread. break the eggs in a bowl. I used the whole Omega 3 egg and just the white from the “regular” one, but you can use two whole eggs if you prefer. Pour the eggs onto the bread and cheese and top with the remaining parmesan, freshly ground pepper and a dash of salt. Bake at 500 degrees for 8 minutes.

Be careful, it will come out sizzling! The yolk will be soft but set. Serve with bacon, berries, and coffee. Enjoy!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS HOT DISH READERS!

This recipe is my Tennessee Grandma’s, healthily adapted by my Mom. We’ve been making it this way for years and I promise it is the best dressing you will ever have! Simple and straight-forward, one could add some other elements but why? It’s perfect the way it is. Give it a try, it doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving or Christmas to have game hens and dressing, right?

But before you can make authentic cornbread dressing, you have to make the cornbread:

1/2 C. white corn meal (self-rising)
1/4 C. yellow corn meal
1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. water
1/2 C. buttermilk

Spray a 6″ cast iron skillet with Pam. Preheat oven to 445 degrees and put empty skillet in oven to heat. Mix all ingredients and pour into heated skillet. Bake 22-25 minutes until lightly browned.

Cornbread Dressing

2 cakes of cornbread, cooled
2 slices of whole wheat bread
1 tbsp. dried sage
2 stalks of celery, grated
1/2 large onion, grated or finely chopped
1/2 C. Eggbeaters
1/2-3/4 C. reduced fat low sodium chicken broth
Nature’s Secret seasoning, to taste
Salt & pepper, dash each

Coursely crumble cornbread and tear bread into large bowl. Fold in other ingredients until moist but not wet. Bake at 375-425 degrees until slightly browned, about 20-30 minutes (depending on the bird that is sharing the oven!)

That’s it ya’ll….enjoy!

Having recently had a little “procedure”, I’ve been stuck at the homestead all week, full of hydrocodone. Since my plum puff pastry project was such a success with the help of some valium I thought this would be a good time to roast some butternut squash and apples.

I had purchased pre-cut butternut squash at Trader Joe’s, having heard that cutting it was a perilous task. JJ, one of my colleagues, had made this recipe with pumpkin pie spice and it looked delicious! I made my own bastardized version with the addition of some onions and a few savory spices.

My kitchen smelled great and the flavor was subtly sweet and a bit spicy….the perfect Fall side dish! Here is my impromptu recipe:

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLES

1 18 oz. container of cut up butternut squash
(note: I cut the pieces a bit smaller)
2 large apples, cut into cubes
1/2 cup Vidalia onion cut into large pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
cinnamon
red pepper
curry powder
fresh black pepper
allspice

Toss the cut squash, apples and onion with oil in a shallow glass baking dish. Add spices to taste (I used only a dash of the curry) and roast for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I thought the texture of the apples didn’t quite hold up to that of the squash, might add them halfway through baking next time. This could be great with turkey for Thanksgiving with some dried cranberries and pecans tossed on top….yum!