The McArdle Family Chili Cookoff

We were thrilled to have one of Nathan's sisters, Jenny, and her husband, Brandon, visit us the weekend before Thanksgiving. We love any chance to have Eleanor spend time with her relatives. She's growing so fast, we want everyone who loves her to get to spend time with her at each stage, (especially those difficult stages.-Take all the time with her you want. I'll just be over here far away).

This visit was a particularly fun one because we tested out a game (Rapid Recall) during her nap and had a McArdle/Brooks chili cook-off.

The final four looked surprisingly different.

Photos by Jenny McArdle

Shown here in medaling order:

Nathan's Southwest Cowboy Chili courtesy of my birthday gift from Jenny, the Nom Nom Paleo Cookbook (top left)

Jenny's Pumpkin and Chicken Chili (no idea where she got the recipe from-I think this one is it, but she substituted some ingredients) (top right)

Brandon's modified Alton Brown Pressure Cooker Chili recipe (bottom left)

And my exotic Kangaroo Meat Chili [Original recipe from the Edgewater Cookbook (our neighborhood fundraiser cookbook) but with ground kangaroo meat instead of beef]. This is a somewhat similar recipe. (bottom right)

In order to pick the winner, everyone ranked all four dishes in order of their favorites and the ultimate winner was the one with the most points. Even though he didn't even rank his own first, Nathan's was a hands down winner. The broth was so velvety delicious that even when we ran out of beef by dinner, I still poured myself a bowl of broth.

I gave myself a last place vote because I was completely turned off by the kangaroo meat. Raw, ground kangaroo has a very fishy smell, which, though it was covered by the chili ingredients and didn't bother anyone else in the group, did me in. I just could not get behind it. I will say it completely mellowed by the next day.

Thai Curry Stew

For having no concrete plans this weekend, we kept very busy. The weekend included a number of projects, including a trip to Lowe's for some wood (and a freeze out on the way home as we transported it all in our tiny Kia). We did a little cleaning, some painting, and Nathan even built a mini carpentry shop in our hallway. (As if my nighttime trips to the bathroom aren't already perilous enough, now I must skirt the sawhorses and jutting ends of 12 foot boards on my way to the loo.)

Nonetheless, we still made time for eating some tasty dishes. On Saturday Nathan and I created the following recipe, which is based on one from Bon Appetit called Kerala-Style Beef Stew. Unfortunately, that one was just odd, and apparently we aren't really all that enthusiastic about beef stew. However, we liked the broth, so we started with that and added in some matching vegetables.

Thai Curry Stew

4-6 skinned, de-boned chicken thighs
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 Serrano chilies, seeded & chopped
1 quarter inch knob ginger, minced
1 t. tumeric
1 t. black pepper
1 onion, diced
4-6 cups chicken stock
2 chayote squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
2 c. peapods, sliced
2. c. carrots, julienned
1 can coconut milk

In a large pan, brown the chicken thighs in olive oil. When both sides are browned, remove from pan and set aside. Add a bit more olive oil, the garlic, chilies, and ginger and cook for one minute or so until fragrant but not too brown. Add tumeric and black pepper and cook another minute or two. Add onion. When onion is translucent, add chicken stock and cubed chicken thighs (insides of the chicken will still be somewhat raw). Bring to boil.

When stock boils, turn it down to a simmer and add chayote. Cook 10-15 minutes, add peapods and cook 3 minutes. Add carrots and coconut milk at end, cook 2-3 minutes until carrots are just cooked. Serve.

Don't let the chayote intimidate you, it's much easier to work with then most squash (doesn't seem to get mushy as easily), and the taste is a really great addition as it tastes less starchy than a potato. 

Just a Minute: September Edition

announcing...September was the month in which we were given the go-ahead by our doctor to make public that we have a healthy wee McArdle on the way. So far, (sorry baby) I am not really enjoying pregnancy much. Nathan doesn't ever let me use the "I'm pregnant" excuse for anything, which really puts a damper on the whole thing. I'm sure looking forward to the magical second trimester where you (supposedly) feel amazing.

partying…I was concerned that our big news would somewhat overshadow my birthday this year, (just like our wedding overshadowed my 30th. Why do I keep doing this to myself?) but my amazing husband really went all out this year for me. Not only did he send me flowers at work, but he also got me another birthday gift, tiny ice cream cakes, AND he even secretly texted friends to let them know they should send me birthday notes and wishes. Finding out about that honestly was the highlight of my whole birthday.

source

reading…Just finished the well-written but incredibly hard-to-read, Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. It's nonfiction about Annawadi, a large slum next to the Mumbai Airport. It is devastating to get such a vivid picture of the suffering of some of the world's poorest inhabitants. I kept having to remind myself that these were real people, not characters because my mind just didn't want to accept that this is a real experience for so many people.

fixing...In a last day of the month project, I fixed up a bedside table bought at a recent yard sale. It was surprising how quickly I was able to finish it. I really like those rare projects that provide such dramatic and fast results!

Photo (& Recipe) by IowaGirlEats.com

cooking...A friend from work recommended this recipe for the PF Chang Lettuce Wraps to me last week, so I made some on Thursday night. I highly recommend these! Nathan doesn't like water chestnuts, so I left those out. In an effort to replace the crunchiness, I added in bok choy and sliced pea pods, which were delicious. I think I was more liberal on the liquid ingredients when making the sauce, so mine was much more drippy. I also doubled the recipe, but that meant we had days of leftovers, so don't be tempted to do the same unless you are serving a crowd.

Sarah's Muffins by Rhok

baking...I was provided with a valuable baking reminder this weekend. Sure the timer is important when you're baking, but you should equally trust your instincts and your nose. If the muffins smell done, you should take them out of the oven, even if they have nearly 10 minutes to go. Leaving them even five more minutes will mean they will taste like streusal-covered cardboard with a charcoal infusion. I sawed off the charred bottoms and still ate five, but my enjoyment was forced. I ended up throwing the other dozen and a half away because once they cooled off, they had nothing going for them.

My Favorite Vegetarian Dinner

This is my favorite black bean recipe. It is so good that I look forward to the leftovers all morning long the next day (and I am not a leftover eater). Start your rice before you begin the beans so you don't have to wait on it.

15 Minute Black Beans

1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 can diced tomatoes (use 1 1/2 c. fresh tomatoes, diced in summer)
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. garlic salt
1 can black beans, save liquid
2-3 T. cider vinegar
1/2 - 1 t. hot sauce, to taste

Sauté onions in pan with 1 T. olive oil. When translucent, add peppers. Sauté until tender, add tomatoes, thyme, garlic salt, and beans (save liquid). Cook 3-5 minutes. Add bean liquid, vinegar, and hot sauce. Cook 5 minutes or more until desired consistency. Spoon over rice and top with a squirt of fresh squeezed lime juice, green onions, fresh tomatoes, cheese, and jalapenos.

Apricot Quinoa

A week or two ago I promised to post the recipe for my most recent salad experiment. It's a fruit-infused quinoa salad, which is perfect for a picnic. It makes a very large bowl, so I would consider halving it if I were only making it as a side dish for a regular family meal.

These are the leftovers several days after taking this to a picnic for 15.

Apricot Quinoa

1 c. cooked quinoa
1 c. wheatberry (aka whole wheat) If you forget to prepare this ahead of time like I did, (it needs to soak overnight) then you can always substitute in barley instead.
5 small fresh apricots, diced (you can use dried apricots instead)
1/2 c. dried cherries
1/2 c. dried cranberries
3/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 c. olive oil
Juice of 2 oranges
2 T. white balsamic (I used grapefruit balsamic which is amazing, but not required.)
salt and pepper to taste

Except for the quinoa and barley measurements, everything is most definitely an estimate because I just sort of threw in a bit at a time and mixed as I went. Feel free to add more or less depending on your preferences. I would also have thrown in some dried blueberries if I'd had them on hand. This was really tasty as a cool breakfast on those 100+ degree mornings. Also, I recommend making it a day ahead because the dried cherries and cranberries soak up some of the moisture and become deliciously plump overnight.

How to Cook Without a Recipe

Some people think that it takes some sort of talent to be able to make a meal without going by a recipe, but I'm going to tell you the secret. It doesn't take talent at all. The key to throwing a dish together without a recipe is starting out small.

First, start by using recipes. That's how you learn amounts of ingredients to use in the future, things that go well together, and flavors that meld. Using recipes helps you learn what 2 tablespoons of olive oil look like in a pan and how much salt it takes to flavor a dish.

Read up and research. You can find a recipe for anything and everything online. And even better, you can read up on all of the hints from other bakers and cooks who have already used that recipe. Often these hints and suggestions come in handy on other recipes down the road.

Notice and remember interesting and unexpected complementary flavors in recipes and at restaurants (mango & chili, nutmeg & cheese, balsamic & dijon, ginger & lemon, bacon & well, everything). These are the touches that will make your meals taste extra special.

Go off recipe. When you make something, make notes about what you liked and what you didn't like. The next time, leave out the red pepper flakes or add extra lemon juice.

Experiment! This advice might be intimidating, but tasting as you go means that you can control how the dish turns out. And if it bombs, it's honestly not a big deal. Don't experiment before important events or when you're having guests, of course. You want this to be fun, not stressful! Again, be sure to make notes or even write whole new recipes so you remember for the next time.

Talk to others. Ask about ingredients you've never used, talk to people about their favorite techniques, ingredients, or dishes, and ask for advice on things you've had trouble doing.

All photos from my instagram @hannakinsey.

My Favorite Summer Cocktail

This vintage English cocktail is the most delicious, refreshing summer drink that, to my surprise, includes gin! What really makes this perfect is the cucumber, so don't leave it out.

Pimm's Cup

3/4 c. gin
1/4 c. Pimm's no. 1
1 lemon, cut into half slices
1 orange, cut into half slices
1/2 cucumber, cut into half slices
1 c. strawberries, cut into small chunks
2 large sprigs of mint, muddled

Add just before serving:
2 cans of sparkling lemon soda (I used La Croix Lemon and added a few tablespoons of sugar)


Add all to a pitcher and stir well. Let steep for an hour, and then add the sparkling lemon soda. Serve with ladle so that you get all of the fruit bits in your glass too. If you have any Pimm's Cup left over, cover the pitcher with plastic wrap and reuse it later in the week. Time only makes it better. Just add a bit more gin and lemon soda before your next pour.

Comfort Food

Mmmmm...

    This is my absolute favorite meal. No matter what time
    of year, when I last had fish, or how much time I have to
    prepare dinner, I jump on the chance to have this for
    dinner. I've made it enough that's it's really fast to make
    now, but I will warn you that there are three steps which,
    on your first attempt, can make this seem time consuming.
    A good blender is a must. And the lemon vinaigrette is the
    best part, so DO NOT skip it.

    I think this recipe is originally from Giada, but I got it
    from my upstairs neighbor.

Orange Ruffy with Radicchio,
Cannelini Beans, and Lemon Vinaigrette

 Time: Approximately 30 minutes total
 Serves 2-4 people

Ingredients:
1-2 heads of radicchio*
3 shallots, finely chopped 
1 can* cannelini (white kidney) beans
1/3 c. fish broth or water


4 light fish filets (Orange Ruffy, talapia, etc.)
salt and pepper
flour
1-2 tablespoons butter
                       

            

           

       Vinaigrette:
             Juice and zest of 2 lemons
             2-3 garlic cloves 
             salt and pepper
             1/3 c. olive oil
             large handful of fresh parsley

 If you use a vegetable peeler for lemon peel (which I do), then you probably only need to do one lemon. Throw whole strips of peel, juice of two lemons, whole peeled garlic cloves, and 1/2  t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper into the blender and blend well. While blender is on, stream in olive oil. Stick a finger in and taste. Add more salt and pepper or lemon juice if needed. Throw in parsley and blend one final time. Set aside.

Thinly slice the radicchio. In hot pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add shallots, and cook
until translucent. Add radicchio. Stir occasionally. Cook until wilted with some browned edges.

While radicchio is cooking, pat filets dry. Salt and pepper both sides lightly. Coat well in flour. In another hot pan, add in a pat or two of butter and add two filets. Cook thoroughly, approximately 3 minutes on each side.

Add 1/3 c. fish broth or water (I've used both. The broth gives it a bit more flavor, but it's hard to find in the store. I made and froze broth-in 1/3 c. increments-that I made from crayfish shells, but when that ran out, I've just used water.) Add cannelini (white kidney) beans to radicchio, and cook until warmed through.

Layer plate with radicchio, fish, and then top with lemon vinaigrette. Really great with greens on the side, noodles, orzo or Israeli couscous.

*We really love the radicchio layer, so I usually use 2 small to medium heads of radicchio and 2 cans of beans with a splash more broth/water.

Spring-Inspired Eats

There's been a big sale on asparagus at our local Dominick's for the past week, so this past Sunday I made us some spring-inspired risotto for lunch. It was so good, I've been dreaming of it ever since!

Asparagus by Steve Cavrich

Spring Risotto

3 T. olive oil
3 T. butter
1/2 c. onion, finely diced
1 c. Arborio rice
4 c. chicken or vegetable stock (You will probably only need 3 1/2 c.)
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch long pieces
2/3 c. frozen peas
6-8 oz. fresh spinach (or about half a bag)
4 T. grated Parmesan cheese
Juice and zest from one large lemon
Black pepper to taste

Bring stock to boil in saucepan. In another saucepan, saute the onions in the olive oil and butter until they're translucent. Add in the rice and stir until very lightly browned or starts to emit a nutty smell. Pour in 1 c. of stock. Stir continuously until stock is absorbed. Add another cup of stock. Continue stirring until stock is absorbed. If asparagus has thick stalks, add the pieces in at this point. If thinner, you may want to wait 3-5 more minutes before adding. Add in another cup of stock. Stir until absorbed. Add remaining stock. Stir. Add in frozen peas. When stock is fully absorbed, add in lemon juice, zest, Parmesan, and spinach. Mix until slightly absorbed and spinach wilts a bit. Add pepper to taste. Because of the probable saltiness of the Parmesan and stock, you more than likely won't need to add salt.

The whole process should take about 20 minutes. The proper consistency of risotto is for it to slowly spread over a plate-not liquid-y, but not a sticky mass.

Random Acts of Cookies

I love the idea of practicing Random Acts of Cookies.

This was my inspiration to tackle one of my goals on My Life List, to Take Baked Goods to a Nursing Home. There's a nursing home down the block from my house which always makes me a little sad because so many people there spend time sitting outside watching the traffic on Ridge. It's a pretty busy thoroughfare for cars in our neighborhood, but it always strikes me as a bit of a depressing view. It's certainly not a nursing home with a lovely view of the lake, though it does have a modest view of a park across the four lanes of traffic. I guess it's not as bad as it could be. 

Source

Turns out the biggest hurdle is finding a place where it's actually possible to donate homemade food. Apparently if it's any place that is state regulated (which is probably all nursing homes), then you can't. It's a reasonable restriction of course. It means I'm going to have to get creative in order to achieve my life list goal. Going to have to think about this goal some more.

In the meantime, our block club (for which Nathan and I are officers) decided to volunteer at the local food pantry. It was a really great date night actually, and we're planning to head back again to bring by some things for the organization's clothes closet sometime in the next week or two. If you have one near you, I certainly recommend your trying it out.

I'll just have to practice my Random Acts of Cookies on other people who are unprotected by government health codes. Maybe I'll save that for the neighbors in those dull winter months that seem to be right around the corner after the holidays. I'll give people time to set their goals of losing weight and getting healthy in the new year and then, Bam! They'll find a plate of salted caramel brownies waiting eagerly at their front door. Hmm, that seems a bit un-neighborly, doesn't it?

My Favorite: Biscotti

Biscotti used to be one of those baked goods that were so intimidating I never even contemplated making it, kind of like cannoli, petit fours, or macaroons. I'm not sure why I finally tried it, but it is surprisingly easy to make, very tasty, and much cheaper than anything you can buy in stores or coffee shops. (Also, dipped in chocolate, they make very impressive Christmas gifts for people.)

I regularly make this biscotti at our house because Nathan likes to have something small to eat in the mornings while he drinks his coffee. And there's nothing better suited to coffee dipping than biscotti. This recipe is very easy to tweak. Sometimes I add pecans and chopped dried apricots, sometimes lemon zest and pistachios, occasionally dried cranberries, walnuts, or almonds. For a very special treat, dip plain ones halfway in melted dark chocolate. (One bag of dark chocolate chips should cover a whole batch of biscotti with very little leftover.)

I am sure I originally found this recipe online, but it's been a few years, and now I can't find it again to give proper credit. I've tweaked it a bit too. This is the base recipe, but you can add any of the ingredients I mention above, just throw those extra ingredients in at the end before you form the dough into logs (except the zest, put that in around the same time as the eggs).


Almond Biscotti  
 (Don't forget: T=tablespoons, t=teaspoons)

3 1/4 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/3 t. salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
10 T. melted unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)
3 large eggs
2 T. vanilla extract (make sure it's pure, not imitation)
1/2 t. almond extract (don't increase this amount or it will taste bitter)

Sift the flour, b. powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter, extracts, and eggs together in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients to large bowl gently, blending gradually. Optional: Mix in 1 c. almonds,other nuts, or dried fruit.

Form two logs, one per biscotti pan. Bake in 350º oven until golden, about 40 minutes. Cool logs. Cut diagonally with sharp knife. Return biscotti slices back to oven on cookie sheet for 12 minutes or until lightly toasted. Turn over and toast for 8 minutes on remaining side.

See? It's actually pretty easy; the most time consuming part is the baking time, but I've started these at 9 pm before and still headed to bed at 11, no sweat. You can see why I have two biscotti pans; it certainly cuts down on the baking time. You can bake one log at a time if you only have one pan. You can even bake the loaves on cookie sheets, but I've found that the dough spreads too much if it doesn't have the sides of the pan to stop it. Not really a problem exactly, it just means your individual biscotti slices will be very long and thin and everything will take less time to bake.

Quick(ish) and Different

Sometimes when I feel like our dinners are in a rut, Nathan and I break out the Fish Tacos. They're the perfect thing to remind you that summer's not too far away, and it's definitely a nice change from the usual go-to meals.

It doesn't take much work to make them because it's mostly just chopping vegetables. We like to add in tons of vegetables-tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos, onions, and avocados. We also make a sort of cabbage slaw to go on top of everything. 

The cabbage slaw consists of nearly half of either a red or a regular cabbage, depending on my whim, sliced very thinly.
I add:
3 T. chopped cilantro
4-5 green onions (including white parts)
1 chopped jalapeno
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t cayenne
2 t. vinegar
1/3 c. olive oil
2 limes, zest and juice

Most of these measurements are a complete estimate, so feel free to add less or more of anything as you go.

We use any light fish we have on hand, which usually ends up being Tilapia. I break the fillets up into large chunks before breading them (but you could leave them whole fillets and let people break them up themselves after they're cooked), salt and pepper each, bread it in flour, and saute it in a pan with some olive oil or butter until it's lightly browned on both sides.

Serve when fish are fully cooked with all the fixings and tortillas. (Or just mix it all together on one plate McArdle-style).

I ♥ U

In honor of Valentine's week...a short list of some things I love.

Photo by Maggie

1.  Books: Life Lessons in Literature

2. Collaboration Songs




3. Artistic Talent 

4.  Paper Crafts: Calendar of the Month projects

5. Good Recipes: Homemade CheezIts

A Triple Chocolate Happy Birthday with Ganache on Top

This hardly looks like a spur of the moment birthday gift does it?

Except for cooking time, of course, the whole thing took me less than an hour. I am a HUGE fan of using chocolate ganache as icing. It is really really easy to make from scratch and it tastes oh so much better than buttercream, plus you can easily vary the amount since it is a 2:1 ratio of dark chocolate chips to heavy cream (example: 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips to  3/4 c. heavy cream, which is what it took for this cake).

The Whole Package

http://www.theydrawandcook.com/2010/12/thimble-cookies-by-echo-and-celeste.html

I encountered this blog last week, and I can't believe how very cool They Draw and Cook is! There are multiple postings every day of artists' illustrations of their favorite recipes, and right now they're featuring holiday-themed recipes. Not only is the art fantastic, but the food and drinks all sound delicious as well. I can't wait to try some of them out.

http://www.theydrawandcook.com/2010/12/todays-food-network-favorite-rudolphs.html

http://www.theydrawandcook.com/2010/12/tartiflette-by-elisabeth-lafon.html

I Need a Killer App

In the last month, we've been asked to bring an appetizer (oh, you were thinking technology, were you?) to at least two dinner parties. I have started to gain a repertoire of certain go-to recipes for a variety of dishes, but a fabulous appetizer is not among them yet. If I were allowed (Nathan is so picky!) to use something with puff pastry as a main ingredient, I would be set (super-tasty brie and raspberry tartlets, anyone?), but taking pastry off the table means that cheap and quick and "the best thing you ever put in your mouth" seem to go out the window.

The Food Channel c2009

For the first dinner party, we decided on prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, which I sort of guessed at since we had them at a catered party earlier this year. I roasted the asparagus in the oven after shaking the spears with olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Then I wrapped them in prosciutto slices and refrigerated them overnight (later we decided the prosciutto needed crisping in the oven too, so we put them back in right before serving). Next time I make these, I will definitely try wrapping the prosciutto before roasting the asparagus because I think that will both save time and keep the asparagus a little more crisp.  This was a pretty easy appetizer, though I would recommend it for a small group as large amounts of prosciutto and asparagus can be expensive (especially when asparagus is not in season).

Kara/www. forkedchicago.com

The most recent dinner that required appetizers was much bigger, so we needed to go bigger. After perusing many a cookbook (Nathan perused; I vetoed. No, we're not roasting chestnuts. No. No. Eh, too time consuming. No, I'm not going to attempt sushi for a Thanksgiving appetizer, sorry. Easy, babe, we're looking for easy.) We settled on stuffed cherry tomatoes (though cherry tomatoes were also not in season). Nathan picked three fillings: white bean puree, olive tapenade, and a bread mixture from the Martha Stewart Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook (yes, that meant quite a lot of ingredients and preparation, among them frying sage leaves to top the bean puree). I cored and scooped all of the cherry tomatoes. I made 60. It took awhile, but I got decent at it, and didn't wreck any of the tomatoes, although I'm sure Martha would not have approved of all of them, since some looked a bit raggedy. They were tasty, though not particularly inexpensive. I don't know if I will do them again anytime soon because the expense to prep time to tastiness ratio was (high? low?)...not what I was looking for it to be.

So that leaves us where we are now. Still looking for that illusive appetizer recipe. The one that elicits raves and leaves people eying the platter, contemplating licking it clean to get those last little bits. I'm worried that with the exclusion of puff pastry as an ingredient, it can't be found.

You Should Make This Now

Right now, seriously. Head into your kitchen and mix up a batch because not only is it super easy, it is absolutely the best tasting thing for a hot, busy weekend lunch. I think I am going to crave this regularly enough that I'd better just make sure I always have all the ingredients on hand. Thanks to my upstairs neighbor, David, (and Ina Garten) for the fabulous first exposure to it last night. Yum. (As usual, small t.=teaspoon, T.=tablespoon)

Gazpacho

2 thick slices day-old bread, crusts removed
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. freshly chopped oregano leaves
2 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley
5 T. red wine vinegar
5 T. good olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 red onions, chopped
1 seedless cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and chopped
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice
4 t. kosher salt
2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Place the bread, garlic, oregano, and parsley in a food processor and process until everything is finely chopped. Add the vinegar and olive oil and process again until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Place the peppers, red onion, cucumbers, and tomatoes separately in the food processor and process until very coarsely chopped. Add to the mixing bowl. Add the tomato juice, salt, and pepper and stir well. Taste for seasoning, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Serve cold.

Hit of the Picnic

I made this for a neighborhood picnic last weekend.  I chose it because I've really never seen anything with barley in it that wasn't soup.  Turned out to be phenomenal.  It was clearly the hit of the picnic.  This is from an excellent little book called, Picnic.  (I doubled it.  Fed 20.)

Barley Salad

2 1/2 c. vegetable stock
1 1/4 c. barley
2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped and seeded
3 scallions, minced
3/4 c. chopped red, yellow, and/or green peppers
1/2 c. minced parsley
2 T. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 c, good quality olive oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz. crumbled feta (or half a container)

Ahead of time (I made it the night before), bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add barley, cover, and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.  Refrigerate.
Fluff barley in large bowl.  Add tomatoes, scallions, peppers, parsley, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Mix well.  Pour olive oil and vinegar over the salad and stir to coat.  Place in serving dish and cover top with feta.  Serve at room temp or cold.

Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

I guess today I am living by the words, "if you can't stick to your own diet...ruin someone else's too." Sorry.

I always chow down at least 3 of these cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. I force myself to give away all but a dozen of them because if they are in the house, I WILL EAT THEM. (Last time, I took a giant bag of them to the gym...Yes, I see the problems with that plan.) It certainly doesn't help the situation that they are so incredibly easy to make, and I almost always have all of these ingredients on hand...

2 c. peanut butter (The brand makes a clear difference; I usually use Skippy, but I've had it with Peter Pan too, and it was fabulous.)
2 eggs
2 t. baking soda
2 c. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together and drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Do NOT flatten. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup heavy cream in microwave for 1 minute. Add 1 c. dark/bittersweet chocolate chips and mix until completely melted. Place a small dollop of ganache on each cookie and allow to cool completely.

Soup for When You're Snowed In

I was going to make this an entry with my top five recipes, but I realized that I have so many more than just five favorite recipes right now. I thought to myself, "heck, I could fill a list with just my top five soup recipes." So I decided that's just what I'll do. It's cold out. The buckets of snow that greeted me this morning certainly encourage me to head home tonight and start up a pot of one of these. So why not share them with you now? My other fave recipes will hold until next time. As you'll see, most of my recipes are sort of a taste and adjust as you go along, so feel free to do the same if/when you try them.
(small t.=teaspoon, big T.=tablespoon)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicken Avgolemono (Lemon Chicken-That's Greek, I think.)
2 Chicken Breasts (bone-in makes for a more flavorful stock)
3-4 c. water (add more later you don't care for a thick soup)
1 chicken bouillon cube (more if you have boneless, skinless Chicken breasts)
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 c. brown rice
2 eggs, beaten
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
1/2 c. frozen peas
salt and pepper, to taste

In soup pot, cover chicken breasts with water. Add bouillon cube and lemon pepper. Bring to boil; simmer for 20 minutes. If using bone-in chicken breasts, remove them from pot and take meat off the bone. Add meat back into the pot with 1 c. brown rice. Bring back to boil; simmer 20 minutes. When rice is cooked, remove 2 cups of broth to blender. Add eggs, lemon juice, and zest to hot broth while blender is on low. Return to soup pot. Add parsley, peas, and more water (and possibly an additional bouillon cube) if preferred. Mix.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mexican Chili
2 chicken breasts (bone-in makes for a more flavorful stock)
4 cups of water
1 t. lemon pepper
1 t. ground cumin
Bring to boil until chicken is cooked (approx. 15 minutes). Remove chicken from water, remove skin, cut up, remove bone. Add the following:
1 t. lemon pepper
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1 can northern white beans, liquid too
1 can black beans, liquid too
1 can corn, liquid too
1 can green chilies
1 sm. can whole tomatoes, chopped, liquid included. (This way tastes better than buying the already chopped ones, I promise.)
4 heaping T. chopped cilantro
1 lime, zest and juice
1 tablespoon tequila
salt and pepper, to taste

Place in bowls for use as toppings:
4 stalks chopped green onion
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sausage and Kale Soup
3 cups water
1 cube beef bouillon
1 lb. hot Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch kale
1 pkg. dried shitaki mushrooms
1 c. sliced button mushrooms
1/2-1 t. red pepper flakes (optional)

Bring water and bouillon cube to boil in soup pot. Remove from heat, throw in dried shitakis and let rehydrate. Chop kale into 1 inch pieces. Retain stalks. Brown Italian sausage. Remove rehydrated mustrooms from the water and slice thinly. Strain water to ensure there is no sand or grit from the mushrooms left in it. Add sausage and sliced Shitakis to the water. Saute onions in sausage pan. Add button mushrooms and kale stalks. Cook until lightly browned. Toss into soup pot. Add red pepper flakes if desired. Bring to boil.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
2 potatoes
1-2 carrots, chopped
1 vegetable bouillon cube
4 slices bacon
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 tablespoon butter
4 cups milk
1 cup light cream
pinch of rosemary, sage & marjoram
1 clove garlic (Combine with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in mortar and pestle to create paste.)

Top with:
shredded cheese
sliced green onions
chopped tomatoes
bacon

(If I'm feeling really lazy, then I skip the whole making the soup from scratch thing and substitute in a can of Campbell's Cream of Potato Soup with 1/2 can of heavy cream and 1/2 can of milk. Continue with seasonings and toppings, including bacon.)

Scrub potatoes well and nick out eyes and dark spots. Do not peel. Dice into cubes; add potatoes, carrots, bouillon cube, and 1 cup water to saucepan. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook covered until potatoes are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Cook 4 slices bacon in a cast iron saucepan. (If you cook more strips of bacon, discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease before next step.) When finished, set aside bacon and saute onion until tender in bacon drippings. Add butter, milk, cream, and seasonings to cast iron saucepan. Cook mixture over medium heat until very hot. Do not boil. Add potato mixture to milk mixture when it is hot. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Before serving, garnish individual portions with shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, green onions, and crumbled bacon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot and Sour Soup (Another recipe for when I'm feeling lazy.)
1/2 lb frozen shrimp (approx. 10-12)
1 package Hot and Sour soup mix
3 c. water
1 lime, zest and juice
5 dried mushrooms, reconstituted and sliced thinly
10 springs cilantro, torn up
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 t. lemon grass, minced (the frozen chopped kind works well for this)
1 T. fish sauce
1 t. garlic chili sauce
1 serving of rice noodles, soaked in warm water until reconstituted (ramen work too)

Bring water, Hot and Sour soup powder, and shrimp to boil. When shrimp has just turned pink, add in all the other ingredients. Bring to a simmer.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------