Barley Pilaf

Barley Pilaf
*Serves 6

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup medium pearl barley (not quick cooking barley)
1/4 – 1/2 cup pine nuts or almonds, optional
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the barley, nuts (if using), garlic and onions. Saute the mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender and the barley is golden. Scrape the mixture into a 3-quart baking dish and stir in the salt, pepper and chicken broth. Bake uncovered for 60-80 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the barley is tender. Garnish with green onions, if desired

Notes:
1. Brent and I loved this. My kids didn't love it but what do they know?!
2. I didn't use onion because I didn't have any. But I followed the instructions exactly. I used a pan that I could stick in the oven so I used the same pan to saute and bake it.

Aunt Ranonne's Perfect Every Time Turkey Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash turkey well and and remove the neck and giblets. Dry turkey with paper towels, salt the cavity and stuff with rough chopped onion, carrots, celery, apples. Rub the outside of the turkey with pure olive oil. Stick a meat thermometer into the turkey.
Place the turkey breast -side down in the roasting pan on a rack (this way the breast bastes itself, keeping the meat moist). Roast the turkey one hour at 350 degrees to destroy the bacteria on the surface. Then adjust the heat to 180 or 200 degrees for any size turkey. The turkey can roast in the oven on this low temperature for 15-30hours before you eat it. A good rule for timing is to allow about one hour per pound of meat.
For example, a 20 pound turkey that takes 15 minutes per pound to roast would take five hours by the conventional, fast-cooking method. The slow method is one hour per pound, so it would take 20 hours to roast.
If you are doing a 22 pound turkey begin roasting at 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Put the turkey in the oven and leave it uncovered until it's done the next day between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. You can take the turkey out, the meat falls off the bone, and carve it up and then wrap the meat in foil to keep in hot. Transfer to serving platter just before sitting down for your meal.
While you don't get to have the "drama" of bringing out the roasted turkey on a huge serving platter to be carved, you eliminate a lot of drama by having the turkey ready and your oven free for baking rolls, stuffing, etc. Enjoy!!

black bean soup

Black Bean and Salsa Soup
from Annie's Eats
Ingredients:
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1.5 c. vegetable broth
1 c. salsa
1 t. cumin
sour cream, green onion, shredded cheese for garnishing

Directions:
Combine beans, broth, salsa and cumin in a food processor. Blend until fairly smooth. Heat soup in a saucepan over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Put soup in bowls and garnish as desired.

Notes:
1. I used chicken broth.
2. I didn't add any garnish to this but I can see why it would be good if you did. I paired it with quesadillas. Big hit in my family.

hearty beef stew

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Serves 6-8

5 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or beef broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 pound carrots, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound red potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Minute tapioca
2 cups frozen peas

After the meat has been cut into chunks, pat it dry with a paper towel and season all the pieces with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Cook half of the beef until it is well browned on each side, about 4 minutes. No need to cook it all the way through – just get some great brown color all around. Toss the meat in the slow cooker and follow the same process with the second half of the meat (you may need to add another tablespoon of oil to the pan if it looks a little dry). Remove the meat to the slow cooker, trying to keep as much oil in the pan as possible.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the onions are translucent and golden, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and transfer it to the slow cooker, pouring it over the meat.

In a large bowl, toss the carrots, potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. On the counter, lay out a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (use two sheets of regular foil on top of each other if you don’t have heavy-duty). Place the tossed vegetables on one side of the foil. Fold the foil over the vegetables and crimp the edges really well to form a little foil packet that will fit in the top of your slow cooker. Stir the tapioca into the slow cooker. Place the foil packet of vegetables on top of the stew, cover the slow cooker, and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 10-11 hours.

When the stew is finished cooking, carefully remove the foil packet from the top of the stew. Discard the bay leaves from the stew. Carefully open the foil packet (be careful of steam that may escape as you open it!). Return the vegetables and any juices to the slow cooker and gently mix them into the stew. Stir in the frozen peas and let them rest in the stew for 5-10 minutes, until they are heated through. Serve.

Notes:

1. This was pretty easy. And pretty tasty. Another easy meal to take to someone in need.

2. I didn't add the peas.

chicken cordon bleu casserole

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Make-Ahead Tip: I made the entire casserole the morning before I wanted to serve it and stored it in the fridge all day. It cooked up beautifully. The original recipe recommends making the topping and cheese sauce and then refrigerating them in separate bowls for up to 1 day. To reheat and assemble, poke several vent holes in the plastic wrap covering the sauce and microwave it for about 3 to 5 minutes, until it is hot. Cook the potatoes and assemble and bake according to the recipe directions.

*Serves 6 to 8

Topping:
4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into quarters (I used a long forgotten bread bowl tucked in the back of the freezer – thawed it in the microwave before using)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4-5 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded, about 2 cups
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and sliced thinly
9 ounces deli ham, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

For the topping, process the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside.

For the filling, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, making sure the oven rack is in the middle. Place the potatoes, 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are partially cooked, about 2 minutes (don’t overcook because they will continue to cook in the oven!). Carefully drain potatoes, or remove them with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to a bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute (this helps cook out the flour taste in the roux). Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the cream or milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking often, until slightly thickened (if using milk instead of cream, you may have to cook longer for it to thicken up a bit). Off the heat, whisk in the Swiss cheese, Dijon, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Toss the potatoes with half of the sauce and spread into the bottom of a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking pan. Layer alternating pieces of the chicken and ham over the potatoes, overlapping as needed. This is not a scientific procedure, just make sure that the chicken is in a single layer (not on top of each other) so that it cooks thoroughly. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the casserole is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes (add about 5-7 additional minutes onto the baking time if baking it after it has chilled in the refrigerator for more than a couple of hours). Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

1. I used cream instead of milk. I didn't add the cayenne pepper. And I didn't find shredded swiss cheese so I just used sliced and it melted great.

2. This was really good. Everyone in my family really liked it.

3. I made this about an hour before I wanted to start cooking it. It wasn't too hard and would be an easy thing to take to someone needing a meal. I just paired it with some mixed veggies.

Chocolate Chip Cookie PIe

This was so easy to put together and it was tasty.  I served cooled with ice cream and brought it to a friend's house.  Just a different way of bringing chocolate chip cookies. 

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
2 large eggs
1/2 C flour
1/2 C white granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C real butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1 C chocolate chips
1 C chopped walnuts 

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack or serve slightly warmed.  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes:

1. I used half milk and half semi-sweet chips.

2. I used walnuts instead of pecans.

Source - Our Best Bites (slightly changed from this recipe)

Cadbury egg cookies

1/2 C Crisco (I use butter flavored) 1/2 C Butter 1 C brown sugar 1 C white sugar 2 Eggs 1 1/2 t vanilla 1 t baking powder 1 t baking soda 1/2 t salt 2 1/2 C flour 6T unsweetened cocoa powder 1 10 oz bag Cadbury Mini-Eggs* *If it’s not Easter, or you (gasp!) don’t like Cadbury Eggs, try these cookies with white chocolate or PB chips- they’re fantastic! Preheat oven to 350. You’ll need to chop up those Cadbury Eggs. I just put them in a ziplock bag and bang on them with a marble rolling pin until they look like the picture below. A hammer would work too. Go get a kid and put him to work.

You know the drill. Cream together the butter, crisco, brown sugar and white sugar. Add in eggs one at at a time and the vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture to combine and then mix in the candies. And a little secret…if you want your cookies to look pretty like mine, save a few egg pieces and pop them on top of the cookies before baking so you get those colorful speckles on top! Drop onto a cookie sheet and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Mine are always done in exactly 9. They’re soft and fudgy in the middle and a little crisp on the edges with crunchy little candy bits throughout.

From Our Best Bites

Makes about 4 dozen and are really tasty - and I don't even like Cadbury eggs!

Emeril Lagasse's key lime pie

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick butter) melted
2 (14-ounce) cans condensed milk
1 cup key lime or regular lime juice
2 whole eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime zest
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter with your hands. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, and bake until brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before filling.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

In a separate bowl, combine the condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs. Whisk until well blended and place the filling in the cooled pie shell. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Once chilled, combine the sour cream and powdered sugar and spread over the top of the pie using a spatula. Sprinkle the lime zest as a garnish on top of the sour cream and serve chilled.

From: The Food Network

Notes:

1. I used a store bought graham cracker crust and thought it worked great. This is a VERY GOOD key lime pie. Gave it to a person who key lime pie is his favorite and he couldn't stop eating it!

2. This is very easy. I used half cup of fresh key lime juice and half cup of key lime juice in a jar. I put the sour cream topping on half of it because i was unsure of how it would taste. Some people preferred it with and some preferred it without. Either way, it was a winner.

caramelzed onions

2 large sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced (Keep in mind that the onions will greatly reduce in size as they cook. I usually estimate a half an onion per person if I'm topping a burger or steak. They'll shrink to about half of the original volume.
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butterkosher salt (black pepper optional)
optional: 1/2-1 teaspoon brown or white sugar
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, add onions. Toss with a spatula until onions are coated in oil/butter mixture. Reduce heat to medium/medium low and stir frequently for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with kosher salt (about 1/4 teaspoon) and continue to cook, stirring every few minutes for another 15-30 minutes or until onions are a rich amber color. If desired, add sugar about half way through cooking process. Use to top burgers and sandwiches, add to pizza (seriously, try that pizza- it's so good), wraps, or dips.

Notes:

1. We made these to go our on Superbowl sunday sliders. (We used Rhodes rolls for the buns). This was a last minute decision to make the onions but Mere and I both agreed that this was one of the best parts of our menu. They tasted so good and were so easy.

Tyler Florence Au Gratin Potatoes

These are fabulous even the next day.
Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
* 1 sprig fresh thyme
* 2 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* Butter
* 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg.

While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.