Butternut Squash and Barley Risotto

(from grouprecipes.com)

I love a good risotto as much as the next person. But seeing as arborio rice has no significant fibre or nutritional content, saw this recipe using barley and it definitely got my attention! This was amazing - smooth, rich, creamy, everything a risotto should be - but there is no butter in this (believe me - you won't notice), and it tastes exactly like risotto. Also, I'm on this huge butternut squash kick at present - can't get enough!

2 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cuted, into bite size chunks
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups barley
2 cups chicken or veggie stock
splash dry white wine (shocking I didn't have any, used vermouth!)
2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
approx 1/4 cup parmesan
bag of spinach

Heat olive oil in heavy bottomed skillet. Add the onion and cook on a medium heat for 5-8minutes until translucent, not browned. Add the garlic, cubed squash and the splash of wine. Cover and cook on medium for a couple of minutes until you can no longer smell the alcohol.

Add the barley and stir well, cook for a couple of minutes.If the barley sticks add splash of stock. Then add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Add the remaining stock (yes all in one go!), bring to the boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer.

Cook for approx 30-35 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the barley is tender; Stir occasionally to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Bean with (not quite) Bacon Soup

Before I learned how to make a proper batch of soup, I thought Campbell's Bean with Bacon was the best thing ever! I actually had some a while ago, and either my taste buds have evolved, or they have altered their recipe - it seemed sweeter than I remembered ... definitely not a good thing. I did revise the original recipe some (easy to google) - I didn't soak the beans and instead used canned, didn't have bacon or liquid smoke, but did purchase a big hunk of smoked pork hock, which was nasty looking, but produced amazing results! Au revoir Campbells ... hello something that tastes quite a lot like Campbells, as I remembered it!

1 medium sized smoked pork - boil in a big pot with a bunch of water, for approx 2-3 hours.

Remove 'thing' from pot, let cool and remove all the meat (not pleasant), set aside. Let stock cool - remove skim on top, then you're good to go with your stock. I used approx 10 cups for this recipe.

To the stock, add:

3 medium carrots, minced
3 medium celery stalks, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces tomato paste
1 dash red pepper flakes
3 cans white kidney beans
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook until veggies are done, add beans, season to taste.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

(from prevention.com)

Continuing on the high from the previous loaf, I thought I'd try my luck again - imagine my surprise when this resulted in another winner - squeeeeee! I didn't think it was possible to bake without sugar, eggs or fat - but here it is - perfect for autumn breakfasts, and a great accompaniment to applesauce ...

2 cups whole grain pastry flour (hmm, used 1cup white, 1 cup whole wheat regular flour)

1 ½ tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ cup molasses

¾ cup light soy milk

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (I think I doubled this amount)

1 cup pumpkin puree (I used leftover roasted butternut squash - yum)

½ cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a nonstick loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. In a separate bowl, combine the molasses, milk, pumpkin and fresh ginger. Add the flour mixture and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 mins.

Butternut Squash and Dark Chocolate Loaf

(Adapted from The Whole Grain Gourmet)

I'm not a baker ... most of my attempts have been met with disappointment and frustration.  This recipe however, was a triumph - rich, moist, flavourful, my most successful baked good to date!  Loved everything about it - enjoy!

1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

¼ cup honey
½ cup packed natural brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

1 ½ cups roasted butternut squash puree

1 cup white flour

¾ cup (minus ½ tbsp) whole wheat flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda, diluted in 1/4 cup hot water
½ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup chopped pecans (I used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Whisk and put aside.

In another large bowl combine butter, honey and sugar. Beat for two minutes. Add the eggs and lightly beat until just combined. Mix in squash and vanilla - do not overmix. Gradually beat in the flour mixture in thirds.

Dilute the baking soda in the water and beat into batter. By hand, stir in the chocolate and nuts.

Pour the batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan and bake at 325 for approximately 55-65 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness, and be careful not to over-bake or the loaf will dry out. Once out of the oven let cool 10 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and cool on a wire rack. Delicious if eaten warm, though it does tend to fall apart! After a few hours it slices more cleanly.

Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

My sis L is as much a chili fan as I am, so I was delighted when she sent me this recipe - something pretty much out of my chili comfort zone!  Very different from the 'usual', but really pleasant, I added some jalapenos for extra heat, and upped the spice content as well.

cooking spray

2 lb 99% lean ground turkey

½ tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp chili powder, to taste

2 bay leaves

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

2 (15 oz cans) of white northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

4.5 oz canned chopped green chile

2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth (I think I used 1.5 cups)

fat free sour cream for topping (optional)

chopped cilantro and chives for topping (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large heavy saute pan over high heat and lightly spray with oil. Add meat and cook, breaking it up until white, about 5 minutes.  Add to crock pot. Add oil to the saute pan, then onions, garlic, sauté about 3 - 4 minutes; add cumin and sauté another minute. add to crock pot. Add beans, pumpkin puree, green chilis, broth, chili powder, oregano, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning to taste before serving. Enjoy!

Mushroom Pizza

I found a recipe for mushroom crostini, and thought it would translate onto a biggie pizza crust - which it totally did!  Super easy, really nice dish.

Saute:

12 brown mushrooms (sliced smallish)
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot

Add 1/4 cup red wine - reduce in the mushroom mixture.  Remove from heat - add some 6 finely chopped fresh sage leaves.

Smother onto pizza crust, top with shredded cheese of your choice, bake - tada!

Mediterranean Barley Rice Salad

(from Canadian Living)

Oh the shames for not updating the blog ... oh well, better late than never!  This little gem of a salad was probably the best thing I tasted this summer - no, I'm serious!  Everything about it was amazing - taste, texture, quality of leftovers - check!  I don't care for fresh spinach however, so used arugula instead. 

1 cup pearl barley, rinsed

1 cup basmati rice, rinsed

3 cups cherry tomatoes

½ large red onion

1 sweet red pepper

1 English cucumber

4 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 pkg (200 g) feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing – whisk together, pour over salad to coat – refrigerate 30 mins or 24 hrs:

½  cup extra-virgin olive oil

½  cup lemon juice

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

½  tsp pepper

In saucepan of boiling salted water, cook barley until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain well. Let stand for 10 minutes to dry. Transfer to large bowl.

Meanwhile, in separate saucepan, bring 1½ cups salted water to boil. Add rice; cover, reduce heat and simmer until tender and no liquid remains, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add to barley mixture; let cool.

Cut tomatoes in half; add to barley mixture. Cut onion, red pepper and cucumber into 1-inch chunks; add to barley, tossing to combine.   Add dressing, spinach and feta.  

Lemony Chicken Souvlaki with Herbed Bulgur Pilaf

(from Chatelaine)

Okay, now we're talking - now THIS, I would make again and again - a total hit! I made a few slight alterations, also I marinated the mixture for 2 days - resulting in very moist, tender and highly flavoured chicken, and the bulger side dish was a perfect accompaniment - highly recommended!

8- 10” wooden skewers
1 cup bulgur
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp garlic powder (I never use the dried, used fresh!)
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
3/4 tsp salt
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 small red onion, cut into chunks
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Also added a bunch of lemon basil - yum

Soak skewers in water for 20 min. Cook bulgur as per instructions.

Stir lemon juice w/ 2 tbsp oil (I used all), garlic powder (fresh!), oregano and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Cut chicken into 1” pieces. Add to bowl and coat well. I also added some parsley to this. (marinate!)

Preheat barbecue to medium. Thread chicken onto skewers with onion chunks, leaving space between pieces (I didn’t do this). Oil grill and barbecue skewers, lid closed, turning occasionally, until chicken is golden and feels slightly springy when pressed, 7 -10 min.

Stir remaining (additional!) 2 tbsp oil and 1/4 tsp salt into bulgur along with dill and parsley and whatever other herbs you like. Devour!

Chickpea-falafel Burger

(from Chatelaine)

Okay, the proper title is ... w/ cucumber - and while we absolutely served it WITH cucumber, I didn't put it into the mix - your choice. I wouldn't say its the best veggie burger I've ever had, it was okay - nice and easy for weekday dinners, but I may try it again, with some different spices perhaps?

1/3 cup large-flake oats
1 cup chickpeas, drained
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1 egg
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1 packed cup lentils, drained
1/2 cup diced English cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Whirl oats in a food processor until ground. Add chickpeas, garlic, onions, egg, chili powder, oregano and salt. Whirl, scraping down mixture, until smooth. T/S to a medium bowl. Stir in lentils, cucumber and parsley. Shape into four 3 ½” wide patties. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium. Spray pan with cooking spray. Cook 2 patties until golden and warmed through, 2 to 3 min per side. Repeat with remaining patties. Top with tahini sauce (1/4 cup tahini paste + 3 tbsp lemon juice) or roasted plum tomatoes (I didn't serve it with the tahini sauce, we had a salad of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, and topped the burgers with some harissa sauce and tsatsiki!)

Broccoli Pine Nut Pasta Salad

(from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special)

This was so great, I've made it 3 times now! The bow tie pasta is adorbs, but I can rarely find the 'healthy' stuff ... so feel free to experiment with your fave. Kept nicely in the fridge, I love all the fibre goodness of the broccoli, and I added tomatoes when I was serving, because no one likes a refrigerated tomato :(

1/2 lb or so wholewheat bowtie pasta (about 3 cups)
5 cups broccoli florets and peeled chopped stems (1 large head)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 1 tablespoon)
1 1/2 cups chopped red peppers
1 1/2 cups chopped grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
chopped fresh parsley (and/or whatever other herbs you want)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cover and cook the pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, steam the broccoli for 5 to 7 minutes, until crisp but still tender and bright green. While the broccoli steams, warm the oil in a saucepan, gently heat the garlic in the oil for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, and remove from the heat. Drain the broccoli and set aside.

When the pasta is ready, drain it and transfer to a serving bowl. Toss lightly with the garlic and oil. Add the broccoli, bell peppers, and tomatoes to the pasta and toss well. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with the pine nuts and parsley and serve immediately. (Actually, I made the dressing and tossed it all together!)