This dish -- again, perfect for winter -- tastes like dessert and an entree, all in one. We adapted it from a recipe by Deborah Madison as published in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Given the success of this version, I am sure we will soon be experimenting with more pureed vegetable gratin recipes. It's a brilliant mix of color, texure, taste, and nutrition.
Curried Green Barley and Kale Gratin
2/3 cup organic pearl barley, rinsed
1-1/4 pounds kale (two bunches, depending on the season), stemmed and washed
2 T. butter
2 T. wheat flour
3/4 cup organic skim milk
3/4 cup organic, free-range chicken broth
a few "shakes" fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 t. Penzey's Balti Seasoning http://www.penzeys.com/
3/4 cup fine grated gruyere cheese
Directions:
In a saucepan, add 1/2 tsp salt and barley to boiling water. Simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. While the barley is cooking, cook the kale in a pot of salted boiling water, 8 minutes. Drain kale reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Puree kale with reserved liquid until smooth.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, whisk in the flour, and then add the milk and the stock. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat, until thick. Seson with nutmeg and Balti seasoning. Combine with barley, pureed kale and cheese; check the seasonings and then transfer mixture to a lightly buttered baking dish. Bake until lightly browned on top, about 32 minutes.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Kitchen Sink Chili
It's definitely the time of year for warm foods, and since it's well below zero outside, a "kitchen sink" chili was the perfect thing for this week.
The things we put together for a fantastic chili (all luckily already in the pantry or fridge, so no extra grocery trips out into the cold):
2 T. grapeseed oil
one medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
two shallots, peeled and chopped fine
a few mushrooms, chopped
three large carrots, peeled and chopped
a pound of ground bison
half a green pepper, diced
a 15 oz. can of whole, stewed, diced tomatoes
two 15 oz cans of tomato sauce
two russett potatoes, washed and cubed
most of a 15 oz can of pickled nopalitos (cactus), drained, separated, and chopped
3 T. Penzey's chili powder
2 t. Penzey's turkish seasoning
1 T. hungarian paprika
black/white peppercorn mix, fresh ground to taste
1/2 t. salt
dash of pick-a-pepper
dash of chipotle hot sauce
Over medium heat in a stock pot, warm the grapeseed oil to hot but not smoking. Add the onion and shallot and sautee until translucent. Add the bison, sautee until cooked. Add everything but the seasonings, and cook at a simmer for appx. 40 minutes. Season and simmer for five minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with garnishes such as sour cream, chopped scallions, chopped black olives, cilantro, grated cheese, and/or other favorite chili garnishes.
The things we put together for a fantastic chili (all luckily already in the pantry or fridge, so no extra grocery trips out into the cold):
2 T. grapeseed oil
one medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
two shallots, peeled and chopped fine
a few mushrooms, chopped
three large carrots, peeled and chopped
a pound of ground bison
half a green pepper, diced
a 15 oz. can of whole, stewed, diced tomatoes
two 15 oz cans of tomato sauce
two russett potatoes, washed and cubed
most of a 15 oz can of pickled nopalitos (cactus), drained, separated, and chopped
3 T. Penzey's chili powder
2 t. Penzey's turkish seasoning
1 T. hungarian paprika
black/white peppercorn mix, fresh ground to taste
1/2 t. salt
dash of pick-a-pepper
dash of chipotle hot sauce
Over medium heat in a stock pot, warm the grapeseed oil to hot but not smoking. Add the onion and shallot and sautee until translucent. Add the bison, sautee until cooked. Add everything but the seasonings, and cook at a simmer for appx. 40 minutes. Season and simmer for five minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with garnishes such as sour cream, chopped scallions, chopped black olives, cilantro, grated cheese, and/or other favorite chili garnishes.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Pulled Pork & Manchego Grits
The Best Easy Pulled Pork
Part 1: 8 to 10 hours
Ingredients:
pork roast- 2- 2.5 lbs
2 cups coffee
3 cups beef stock
shot bourbon whiskey
garlic bulb, or about 12 cloves mashed
1 white onion
dash fresh cumin
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on low
Part 2:
Drain slowcooker. Discard onion and garlic. Remove pork to separate shallow bowl and shred using two forks. Make BBQ sauce in another medium bowl.
BBQ ingredients:
For 2-2.5 lbs of pork you will need about 3-4 cups of BBQ sauce. This can be accomplished with 2 12oz. bottles of BBQ sauce (use 2 different kinds for more complex flavor)
OR by the slightly more arduous, but far more rewarding, homemade BBQ sauce.
All amounts are to taste:
most of a large bottle of ketchup
3-4 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp mustard
4 tbsp soy sauce
dash cumin
1 tbsp smokey chipotle-style hot sauce (we used Buffalo Chipotle Mexican Hot sauce)~
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Return pork and bbq sauce to slow cooker for another 1-2 hours.
Serve the pulled pork on a nice bun that does not overpower the pork. We found a great potato bun that is sweet, soft, and does not fall apart.
Manchego Cheese Grits
Once again we delved into Miami Spice by Steven Raichlen. His Manchego grits were true to form and fantastic fresh. As leftovers they are just OK. We are still looking for the holy grail of grits recipes that we know must exist: our friend from Key West makes them to accompany grilled gulf shrimp. Eventually, we'll just have to ask.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 jalepeno chili, seeded and minced
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup grits
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup Manchego cheese
1. Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, bell peppers, and chili and cook until soft and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Stir in the chicken broth and a pepper and bring to a boil. Add the grits in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the grits, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the grits cool slightly.
3. Stir the beaten eggs into the grits, followed by the cheese. Correct the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. For a touch of heat, add hot sauce. Spoon the mixture into a buttered 12 x 8-inch baking dish.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
5. Bake the grits until thoroughly heated through and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at once.
Part 1: 8 to 10 hours
Ingredients:
pork roast- 2- 2.5 lbs
2 cups coffee
3 cups beef stock
shot bourbon whiskey
garlic bulb, or about 12 cloves mashed
1 white onion
dash fresh cumin
Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on low
Part 2:
Drain slowcooker. Discard onion and garlic. Remove pork to separate shallow bowl and shred using two forks. Make BBQ sauce in another medium bowl.
BBQ ingredients:
For 2-2.5 lbs of pork you will need about 3-4 cups of BBQ sauce. This can be accomplished with 2 12oz. bottles of BBQ sauce (use 2 different kinds for more complex flavor)
OR by the slightly more arduous, but far more rewarding, homemade BBQ sauce.
All amounts are to taste:
most of a large bottle of ketchup
3-4 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp mustard
4 tbsp soy sauce
dash cumin
1 tbsp smokey chipotle-style hot sauce (we used Buffalo Chipotle Mexican Hot sauce)~
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Return pork and bbq sauce to slow cooker for another 1-2 hours.
Serve the pulled pork on a nice bun that does not overpower the pork. We found a great potato bun that is sweet, soft, and does not fall apart.
Manchego Cheese Grits
Once again we delved into Miami Spice by Steven Raichlen. His Manchego grits were true to form and fantastic fresh. As leftovers they are just OK. We are still looking for the holy grail of grits recipes that we know must exist: our friend from Key West makes them to accompany grilled gulf shrimp. Eventually, we'll just have to ask.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 jalepeno chili, seeded and minced
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup grits
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup Manchego cheese
1. Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, bell peppers, and chili and cook until soft and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Stir in the chicken broth and a pepper and bring to a boil. Add the grits in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the grits, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the grits cool slightly.
3. Stir the beaten eggs into the grits, followed by the cheese. Correct the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. For a touch of heat, add hot sauce. Spoon the mixture into a buttered 12 x 8-inch baking dish.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
5. Bake the grits until thoroughly heated through and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at once.
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