Pearl Barley Risotto - delish

I had 'simple, nutritious, but untried recipe' on my mind when I thumbed through my recipe books for ideas for a one pot Vegetarian dish that would appeal to a (nearly) seven year old and, as the three adults were eating at different sitting times, would be ok to reheat later in the evening. 
I grabbed my new recipe book Jerusalem, it is a visual feast in itself and this recipe really appealed to me, it ticked all the boxes and I had everything I needed in my pantry and fridge (believe it or not). Plus - I was feeling a little adventurous and took the chance that it would be ok cooked in a slow cooker (which meant I could turn it on and basically forget about it and get on with reading my new book). 
If you decide to use your slow cooker for this recipe, you may need to reduce the stock (I thought it looked a bit too sloppy so removed about 100ml). Using my slow cooker guidelines for cooking pulses I cooked the dish on high for about 4 hours, tested the barley, then lowered the temperature to low for the last 2 hours. (Every slow cooker is a little different so it would pay to check accordingly). It was declared delicious (even after the late comer warmed it through in the microwave). And by the way - the little one loved it - not a speck left on her plate. 
Note: It can be easily adapted as a Vegan dish, leaving out the butter and using toasted Pumpkin or Pine nuts for garnish instead of feta cheese.
I used baked cauliflower as a side dish. Just lightly spray a layer of raw cauliflower 'florets' in a roasting dish lined with baking paper and bake at a high temperature until lightly browned - so much tastier than boiled or steamed cauliflower and it complements this dish well. To accommodate those in  need of a bit more protein, I added some cubed stir fried chicken.
Overall a simple, nutritious, tasty combination of flavours.
As an aside I find it amusing to see that kitchen enamelware is making a bit of a comeback. I own some old relics from childhood family camping days and as you can see some of my pieces are a bit battered. They are still used on a regular basis. I just love them! 

The risotto captured with the last bit of evening light

Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta - from Jerusalem – Ottolenghi & Tamimi Pub 2012

Ingredients

200g pearl barley

30g unsalted butter

90ml olive oil

2 small celery stalks, 5mm dice

2 small shallots, 5mm dice

4 garlic cloves – 2mm dice

4 fresh thyme sprigs

½ tsp smoked paprika

1 bay leaf

4 strips of lemon rind

¼ tsp chilli flakes

salt

400g tin chopped tomatoes

700ml vegetable stock

300ml passata

1tbsp caraway seeds

300g feta, broken roughly into 2 cm pieces

1tbsp fresh oregano leaves

Method

Rinse the pearl barley under cold water and leave to drain.

Melt the butter and 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a very large frying pan and cook the celery, shallot & garlic on a gentle heat for 5 mins until soft. Add the barley, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, lemon rind, chilli flakes, tomatoes, stock, passata and ½ tbsp salt. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a very gentle simmer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the risotto does not catch on the bottom of the pan. When ready, the barley should be tender and most of the liquid absorbed.

Meanwhile toast the caraway seeds in a dry pan for a couple of minutes. Then lightly crush them so that some whole seeds remain. Add them to the feta with the remaining olive oil and gently mix to combine.

Once the risotto is ready, check the seasoning and then divide between four shallow bowls. Top each with the feta mix and a sprinkling of oregano leaves.

The risotto with chicken and baked cauliflower

Simple things are sometimes the best

It is often the small things I observe that can make me happy. Yesterday was a particularly nice day in the Capital and as I was delivering something to Petone I decided to take a moment to walk along the waterfront with our dog. Everyone was out - why? Because there was no howling southerly coming up the harbour, that's why!!
Mums pushing prams, Dads pushing prams, young women (wearing their trendy sunglasses) striding out, happily nattering and the odd bloke clearly on a mission too. The Active Mums class 'hard at it' - with babes in prams watching on while their Mums did their stretches! There were even mums and toddlers on the sandy/stony beach - sharing a bucket and spade - dodging the nesting black and white sea birds, everyone clearly grabbing the last of the calm, balmy autumn days. (At this point I was really wishing I had my camera).
Having lived in the Capital for about 7 years, I am ashamed to say this walk was a first but I just loved it. Watching the antics of the human race, who like me, were enjoying a simple day by the sea, alone in our thoughts, enjoying the sun on our face.
Driving home I saw a blonde woman running along the footpath by a park yelling like a banshee and waving her arms about (like a bird flying), I thought, gosh I hope she is alright? Then I saw her little blonde son running alongside her with his arms flapping - flying too - laughing and having a heap of fun, I thought what a lovely show of 'let's pretend we are birds?' - simple but special fun together.
I came home to a parcel waiting for me. Inside was a Mothers Day gift wrapped in home made paper, so cutely made by my 'Maisie moo'. Inside the paper were two (handmade) mini wheat bags - "to put in my pockets to keep your hands warm on Winter dog walks". Something so simple but thoughtful from my daughter -  for her Mum.
It was an interesting morning of reflection - simple things can really make you think about life and what it really means to slow down and live the moments.
I'm off now to put the slow cooker on. I am trying a new recipe tonight - Vegetarian Pearl Barley Risotto - quite simple, might post it if I have time!

Mushroom Parcels for my Vegan friend

I met a friend for coffee a couple of weeks and while chatting and catching up I discovered she had converted to a Vegan. We shared  a few ideas for Vegan food, a way of eating I am very unfamiliar with. My first thought was how limiting it was but I took on a challenge to come up with a recipe for her that was Vegan, different, fun and easy to prepare. While I really admire the motives of Vegans, I think sticking to a diet free of any animals and by products of animals could be extremely challenging. I love my vegetables so no problems there, actually I was a demi-vege for about 5 years in the 1990's and would be ok giving up meat. But I would be hard pushed to deny myself the joy of a perfectly poached egg on toast, or a slab of cheese with a dollop of pickle on a cracker or a fillet of pan fried fish drizzled with fresh lemon juice!
After our meeting I found myself (one Sunday) with a gift of six fresh lovely flat 'meaty' mushrooms. I love mushrooms and I thought they would be perfect as a base for a Vegan recipe. I had a lot of fun scouring my vegetarian books, and interestingly most mushroom recipes included dairy. This dish was no exception, however I left out the 8 tbsp cream listed in the recipe, but for non-Vegans you could certainly add it in.
I loved the 'drama' of serving the dish in a 'parcel' and this recipe does not disappoint.
It was adapted from a recipe in Ottolenghi's vegetarian 'Plenty' cook book, a fabulous 2012 gift I have used often. Once the 'parcel' was unwrapped I served its contents on a bed of cooked brown rice and it was so delicious. The 'parcels' can be prepared ahead of time and popped into the oven when you get home from work. While waiting for them to cook, you would have time to enjoy a matching wine.
Can a Vegan still enjoy most wines as I know many may include animal products during the fining process? You would just have to check the label I suppose. Luckily, the more modern techniques use plant based products. We enjoyed this dish with a glass of lovely Pinot Noir. (In my haste to eat, sorry - I forgot to photo the final product!).
Wild Mushroom Parcels (from ‘Plenty’ – Yotam Ottolenghi, Pub 2010)

Serves 4

300g mixed wild or exotic mushrooms (I used the flat ones chopped into large chunks)

300g baby button mushrooms

200g cooked baby potatoes (I used Argia, chopped into chunks)

4 garlic cloves, crushed

8 tbsp chopped Chervil

4 tbsp chopped Tarragon

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp Ricard or Pernod

Salt and black pepper

(plus 8 tbsp cream - leave out for Vegans)

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut four squares of baking paper, 35cm long and wide.

Wipe the mushrooms clean using a wet cloth or little brush.

Leave them whole of cut them into large chunks depending on the size.

Cut the potatoes into 1cm slices.

In a large bowl, gently toss together all of the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Divide the mixture between the paper sheets. Lift the edges to scrunch them together into tight bundles and secure with string. Lift the parcels onto a baking sheet ( I put them into a large roasting dish.

Place in the oven to cook for about 17 minutes. Take out and leave to settle for 1 minute.

Serve the parcels sealed, allowing the diners to open then up themselves.

Fantastic served with brown rice sprinkled with toasted pecans or pumpkins seeds.

  

A few of my favourite things (lately)

I have been having fun in the kitchen utilising gifts of produce and using the bountiful crop of lemons from our lovely old tree. I made Quince paste last year for the first time (a recipe by Stephanie Alexander). I have since discovered a number of recipe variations but how it turns out really depends on the ripeness and/or age of your fruit.
Making Quince Paste is a dangerous labour of love but I am hooked on the stuff. If you are not careful you can get 'spattered' with hot paste. To prevent burns I wear a tea towel wrapped around my hand and arm when stirring the mix! My 2012 batch lasted for about a year ( kept in an airtight container in the fridge) and still tasted great. Superb with Blue Vein or any strong cheddar.
I have made Lemon Curd again this year too (about five medium size jars), adding a little more juice to the mix to give it more of a 'tang'. Ummmm, I seemed to have developed a naughty habit of digging a spoon into the jar when I need a sugary/sour'y fix, I really must stop it.......
If you have pastry in the freezer, little lemon merinque pies are so quick and easy to make. You could blind bake a few small pastry shells ahead of time, they will keep fresh in an airtight container for a few days. When dessert is required just spoon some Lemon Curd over the pastry base, whisk your merinque, spread over the curd and bake at 200 degrees C for 10-15mins and viola! your dessert is done.
The Amalfi lemons are glorious little cups of tastiness, lovely as a small starter or (as I used them last night) as a garnish along with chicken pate, served with homemade crostini (you could have instant cheese on toast this way!). You can make these ahead of time and they are so easy to do. If you wish to try these recipes they are in previous posts on my blog.
Here is just a glimpse of these recent favs

Take a dozen 'knarly' quinces

to make into a huge tray of quince paste

Lemon merinque pies - using one of my jars of Lemon Curd

Amalfi lemons (sitting on lemon leaves) - divine as a small starter

Just because I felt like them - tomatoes ready for slow roasting - delish!

Cheesy Vegetarian Pie

It is a gloriously sunny day here today but during a recent recent sudden drop in temperature  I had an inkling for comfort food!
For me, pies are a great comfort food and they work well as a food gift cos they can be easily transported from A to B when a delivery is required. Two friends of mine were recently in need of a bit of food love, one was in the middle of shifting (with a little baby and all the work that involves) and the other friend has been very ill with pneumonia while still trying to care for her family and coordinate for a charity. I felt it was time to provide them a bit of comfort through food. (I gather they have been overwhelmed with help from friends and neighbours which reminds me of the very goodness of people in the world).
This recipe morphed into Cheesy Vegetarian Pies from a number of recipes in my files and from the dozens of tins in my pantry! (I had to use some of them.....my husband remarked there was very little room left in our pantry!). While sorting out the recipe I was reminded by said husband that he was not that fond of pastry, only pastry made with wholemeal flour. Mmmmm...
The pastry for this recipe came from an old Christchurch Press cutting, there is no date but the article is attributed to Judith Sutton. It would be at least 10 years old I think.
The addition of yoghurt in the pastry was a little unusual but I gave it a try. The result was a surprisingly light, tasty pastry that had the correct amount of crumbleness - if there such a word, but you will understand what I mean when you take your first bite!
You could let your imagination run wild with the filling, one of my vege pie recipes included silver beet, one had cauliflower and peas. The cauliflower was left out for these pies but I added them into the filling leftovers I had put aside for our dinner that night (absolutely delicious served on brown rice).
The beauty of using tinned Indian tomatoes for the filling is that you have all your spices in the mix but you could add a little more chilli if that is to your liking.
These pies will keep well for a few days in a airtight container in the fridge and can be frozen. Great to whip out and heat up for lunch on a cold winters day - just perfect with a generous blob of homemade tomato sauce on top too. You could also make these into mini vege pies (for lunch boxes) using muffin tins but making them as turnovers is a lot less fiddly.
The tasting feedback from one of my friends was very positive so this pastry has become the standard in my kitchen when making savoury pies.
Pastry for Cheesy Vegetarian Pies
1 c wholemeal flour
1 c plain flour
125g butter - cold from the fridge and diced
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 to 1/3 cup plain yoghurt
Place flours, butter, cheese, salt and baking powder together in a food processor and blend until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Use the pulse button and add a little yoghurt a spoonful at a time to bind the dough together. (This step is important as you need to get the consistency just right - not too wet, not too dry). If necessary add a few teaspoons of cold water. (I needed to do this). Roll pastry into a cylindrical shape. Cover in cling wrap and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will perfect the pastry.

To make the filling 
About 3-4 cups of peeled and diced pumpkin, kumara and Agria potatoes
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 - 2 tins of Watties Indian tomatoes (add them one at a time)
1 tin of whole kernal corn
Melted butter and Poppy or Sesame seeds for sprinkling on the top
Dice the pumpkin, kumara and potatoes, spray with a little cooking oil and gently roast in a shallow roasting tray for about 10 - 15 minutes until cooked  (you could boil them but I think it gives nicer flavour doing it this way).
Gently saute the onion and garlic until soft. Add the cooked vegetables and one tin of Indian tomato mix and a tin of drained corn. Gently stir until combined, if you feel a little more liquid is needed add the second tin but you don't want the mixture too sloppy. Simmer for a few minutes then put aside to cool. You shouldn't need to season but best to do a taste check.

To make and assemble pies
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Divide pastry into 6-8 equal pieces, on lightly floured board roll each piece into a circle and lightly brush the edges with a little water. Divide the filling between the circles (don't overfill), fold the pastry over and seal by pleating or forking the edges together. Brush the top with a little melted butter, sprinkle with either sesame or poppy seeds and a few grains of salt.
Bake on an oiled tray for about 15 minutes until both sides are cooked. The smell of pies in the oven - yum!