Barley "Risotto" with Pesto and Summer Squash

This weekend, the girls and I had a good ol' fashioned roadtrip. Meagan, Jenna and I piled into my Jeep and headed along the gorgeous Glenn Highway to our friend Kate's wedding near Valdez. The adventure was full of laughter, tears (of laughter), hilarious stories, getting lost, cursing at slow Canadian RV's, and almost running out of gas. No joke. I had to stare at this for roughly five miles:

We almost had to resort to hitchhiking to get to the wedding.  Along the way, we dined on such delicacies as Twizzlers, cheesy puffs, Oreos, sunflower seeds, and Gardetto's (I ate the rye crisps, Meagan ate the rest).  If we hadn't made it to the gas station in the nick of time, and they had found my car abandoned along the side of the road, they would have thought we were a car full of frat boys (I imagine this scene playing out ala Into The Wild, where Jenna, Meagan and I would have left the car behind to live our lives in and of the wilderness, picking berries and spearing fish to survive.  We wouldn't have made it 15 minutes.)

So, when I post a recipe as healthy as this, its important that you know I have a well-balanced nutritional diet.  Balanced in that I eat a healthy dose of junk along with my barley and veggies.

I had a barley risotto at one of my favorite restaurants, Maxine's Fireweed Bistro, not too long ago and I've been itching to try my hand at it ever since.  My friend Marika told me about this delicious pesto risotto she found on her favorite vegan food blog, ThePPK.com, and I decided to adapt it using barley instead.  Often my little "experiments" turn into utter disasters (need I remind anyone about the pork roast debacle of 2008?) but I'm pleased to announce that this one turned out fantastic!  The nuttiness of the barley paired perfectly with the buttery roasted squash and flavorful pesto, and the toasted pine nuts add the right amount of texture to balance out the meal.  Plus it utilizes store-bought pesto and the multitude of squash and zucchini found in every garden in Alaska right now.  It takes a little time for the risotto to cook, but it's easy and the patience pays off!



Barley "Risotto" with Pesto and Squash

Adapted from ThePPK.com

3 small yellow squash, or 2 small zucchini, sliced into thick half moons

6 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 T. olive oil, plus 1-2 t. for the squash

1 T. butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 c. pearl barley, rinsed and drained

3/4 c. store-bought pesto (unless you're feeling particularly industrious, which I wasn't)

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

toasted pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 400. 

Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a medium sauce pan, then reduce heat to low to keep warm.  Melt the butter and a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute for 5-6 minutes, until transluscent and soft.  (You should add salt at this time, and should season the barley with salt and pepper throughout the cooking process unless your pesto is particularly salty, which mine was, so I didn't even need to add salt.)  Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, until just golden.  Add the barley and stir for 1-2 minutes.

In the meantime, toss squash with a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt, and ground pepper on a baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes or so, turning once, until golden brown.

Ladel about 1 cup of broth to the barley, and stir often until the broth is fully absorbed.  Keep repeating this process until about half of the broth is absorbed.  Then, add half of the pesto and stir.  Continue adding the broth and stirring until the barley is tender but still has a little bite to it.  Once the barley is creamy and tastes to your liking, add the rest of the pesto.  You may not need all of the broth.  Stir in the roasted squash.

Before the risotto is finished, toast the pine nuts in the 400 degree oven on a baking sheet for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Top with toasted pine nuts and serve.

Enjoy! xo H

Mushroom Risotto: Creating Mushroom Lovers the World Over

I'm back from my Palm Springs vacation do-over!  If you saw my post in December, you know that it wasn't exactly the vacation of my dreams.  It was, in fact, the vacation of my nightmares. However, I'm happy to report that this vacation was: drug addict / locksmith / hotel hopping / police / alarm installation / back injury free!  My friend Amanda met me at our family's condo and we did California's Coachella Valley properly, which involves (in no particular ranking order):

A coolified Joshua Tree 

(1) Hiking in Joshua Tree National Park (our one redeeming "nature" day, so we didn't feel guilty about the following activities).

(2) SERIOUS outlet shopping.

(3) Picking fruit from trees literally right outside our door and juicing them to make delicious drinks (which may or may not have contained vodka).

(4) Poolside lounging with appropriate beverage (see #3). 



I really did my broken December self proud.

I swung through Oregon on my way home to spend time with my sister Holly, and made a yummy mushroom risotto in my dream kitchen (that sadly my Dad built for Holly by mistake.  We do look an awful lot alike).  I had just made a huge batch of it a couple weeks ago to some pretty rave reviews (my girl Kate's 13-year old stepson had 3 helpings- THE stamp of approval).

Unfortunately, there are a lot of mushroom haters out there.  I pity them.  They really don't know what they're missing. I mean, rarely does someone like a raw mushroom.  Because raw mushrooms kinda suck.  They taste weird, and they're spongy.  But when you coax the flavor out of them, and add some olive oil, a little love and a good dash of Parmesan cheese...well, that's a dish worth sharing.

I think the key to success with this dish is the use of dried porcini mushrooms.  The amount of flavor they add to any dish is incredible, both the rehydrated mushrooms and the porcini "liquid gold" that is created after soaking them.  I put about a cup of them (you don't have to be exact) in a 2-cup glass measuring dish, and fill it with the hottest tap water possible.  Let this sit for about 30-40 minutes while you start prepping the onions and mushrooms.

Bring 8 cups of chicken stock to a simmer on the back of the stove (I usually bring it to a boil, and then turn it down to medium-low).  In the meantime, add a few turns of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Cook the onion for 5-7 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes before adding the mushrooms, herbs, and a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  It's best to season any food, but especially a risotto, in layers.  So I add salt and pepper at a couple different stages.

Drain the porcinis, pressing out as much of the liquid as possible while reserving the porcini liquid to add to the hot stock pot.  Add the drained porcinis to the mushroom extravaganza. The mushrooms take a little while to cook, but be patient. You want them to cook down until they lose their liquid and start to turn golden.  Sometimes I'll drizzle in a little more olive oil if the pan looks dry (mushrooms are sponges!)  It takes about 15-20 minutes to do it properly.  Then add the rice and cook it for a couple minutes until it is well-coated and turns slightly opaque, making sure to season it with salt and pepper again. Pour in the white wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated.

Time to add a generous ladle full of hot stock (or about 1 cup at a time).  Wait until the rice has drunk up all the liquid before adding another ladle full.  It takes about 3-4 minutes at a time, but it's well worth the patience!

Repeat this process until most of the stock is used up (you may not use all of it) and the rice is firm and creamy, but not mushy.  Taste it several times while you're cooking it and you'll see what I mean.

When the rice seems perfect, turn off the heat and add the Parmesan, peas, and a dollop of butter (the restaurant secret!)  Check for seasoning one last time and add salt and pepper if necessary (cheese is salty, so I usually add that first before checking the seasoning one last time).  Serve it immediately!  You'll make a lover out of any mushroom hater.  And if you don't, then you're dealing with a lost cause and I don't have any advice for those.  I'm a lawyer, not a therapist.

Mushroom Risotto

Adapted from Tyler Florence

3 T (or more) olive oil

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1 lb. assorted mushrooms (I used cremini, button, and Oregon chanterelles)

leaves from 3 fresh thyme sprigs

2 T. chopped parsley

2 bay leaves

2 c. Arborio rice

1/2 c. dry white wine (I used Savignon Blanc)

8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you don't eat animals)

1 c. frozen peas, thawed under cool running water

1 T. butter

1/2 freshly grated Parmesan cheese

(chopped parsley, for garnish)

To rehydrate the porcini mushrooms, put them in a 2 cup glass measuring dish and fill with the hottest tap water.  Let them soak for 30-40 minutes.  In the meantime, bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a large pot.  Place a large, deep pot or skillet over medium heat and drizzle with the olive oil.  Add the onion and saute till transluscent, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the chopped garlic and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes.  Add mushrooms, herbs, a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Saute until the mushrooms lose their liquid and turn golden, about 15-20 minutes.  Once the porcinis are rehydrated, drain and squeeze out all excess liquid and add the porcinis to the pot of mushrooms, while adding the reserved porcini liquid to the pot of simmering chicken stock.

Add the rice to the mushrooms and cook for a couple minutes.  Season the rice with salt & pepper.  Pour in the wine and stir until the liquid has evaporated.  Add a generous ladle full of stock to the rice (about 1 cup) and stir occassionally the liquid is absorbed.  It takes about 3-4 minutes.  Repeat this process several times until the rice is slighly firm but creamy- you may not need to use all of the stock.  When the rice has finished drinking up the liquid, turn off the heat and add the butter, peas, and Parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately- risotto doesn't like to hang around!

Enjoy! xo H

saffron risotto with butternut squash



The littlest chef in the making, Claire.

I was lucky enough to spend my birthday with my sister Holly and her family in Oregon earlier this month.  We thought it would be fun to make my birthday cake from scratch and post a blog entry about it.  Great idea, right?!  Therefore, I had planned for this entry to be about a moist, delicious, and beautiful birthday cake.

So...that was the plan. 

Unfortunately, a few things went wrong.  Number one, my sister is the better baker and while she had planned to help me, my 17 month old niece Claire kept her too busy to help me man the kitchen.  Number two, the recipe we were using required 8 inch cake pans.  Holly only had 9 inch pans, so we used what we had.  Finally, after first checking the cake after 20 minutes and deciding that it needed more time, I promptly forgot about it and thus it spent far too much time in the oven.  So, ladies and gentleman! (drumroll please...)  I give you...

FLAT STANLEY BIRTHDAY CAKE:

Squat, dry, and best served with milk.  Or better yet, soaked in milk.

Well, I can't very well share a recipe for a disastrous birthday cake, can I?  So, I'll stick to what I do best for now:  cooking.

Enter, PLAN B:  Luckily the weekend before I left for Oregon, I had my friends Marika and Ashley over for dinner and made a delicious risotto that I haven't had a chance to share yet.  It's a recipe that my gal Ina Garten dished up in one of her earlier cookbooks, and let's just say we all had seconds (and thirds).  It's easy enough to make on a weeknight, but sophisticated enough that you could serve it on a special occasion- my favorite type of dish!  Ms. Garten's simple-yet-elegant style of cooking is one of my biggest influences when it comes to the kitchen, but I do find that she is rather heavy-handed on oil and butter.  I significantly decreased the amount of both in this recipe, and you'll hardly miss it (although that's likely because of the bacon in the dish!)

First, the squash.  For the easiest handling, I usually cut it into two halves and peel around the sides.  For the top half, thickly slice and dice.  For the bottom section, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds, then slice and dice.

Place the cubes of squash on a sheet pan, toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.  (Side note: Roasting vegetables this way is by far my FAVORITE way to eat them.  I do this with almost all veggies- asparagus, eggplant, carrots, Brussels sprouts...the list is endless.  The only thing you really have to adjust is the time it spends in the oven, which changes depending on the vegetable.  But I suggest experimenting with roasting veggies- it makes them taste so good!) 

In the meantime, get the chicken stock heating up on the stove in a small pot.  Dice up the pancetta (or bacon) and start to sizzle it in a larger, heavy-bottomed pot with the butter and diced shallots on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes (the butter helps to keep the bacon from burning, but stir it frequently!)

Add the rice and give it a stir, then add the wine and cook for two minutes.  I used a Savignon Blanc, but any dry white wine will work.  (Make sure it's good enough to drink- don't touch that stuff they call "cooking wine."  Good wine is much more enjoyable to drink with your risotto!)  Here comes the fun part:  the building of the risotto.  Add a little bit of chicken stock (2 ladles full) to the pot, the saffron, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Stir until the liquid is fully absorbed, about 5-10 minutes.  Once absorbed, add more stock and repeat.   Keep adding stock and stirring until the risotto is creamy, but still al dente (meaning, the rice should have just a bit of bite or toothiness to it.  You do NOT want mushy risotto.  Yuck.)




Mmm...simmering away on the stovetop.

Finally, take the pot off the heat and add the squash cubes and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  YUM!!

(A note to my veggie-worshipping friends:  this dish can easily be made vegetarian by skipping the pancetta/bacon and using vegetable stock.  Although, if you can't live life with bacon, why live life at all?)

Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

• 1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
• 2 T. olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste 
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 2 oz. pancetta or thick-sliced bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
• 1 1/2 cups arborio or short-grain rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used a savignon blanc) 
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

(1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.


(2) Peel the squash, scoop out the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes (about 6 cups). Put the squash on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, a good dose of salt, and several grinds of pepper.  Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.


(3) Heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan on a low heat to simmer.

(4) In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.

(5) Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, a good pinch of salt and several grinds of fresh pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.

(6) Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.

Enjoy!  xo H