Winter Vegetable Barley Stew

The weather has turned blustery again here in Philadelphia, and I find myself craving some hearty stick-to-your-ribs stew.

Every vegetarian who used to be a carnivore talks about the meat foods they miss the most. A lot of people mention bacon, but for me it's not one type of meat I miss: it's two specific meat-themed dishes. The first is a good ham sandwich with pepper jack cheese and the second is beef and barley stew, just like my mother used to make. It wasn't until recently that it occurred to me that it wasn't so much the beef itself that made the stew delicious to me-- it was the savory broth with chewy barley and chunks of vegetables. So I set about to create the most satisfying and comforting vegetarian version of my old favorite that I could, and I must say this: it's just as good as Mom's without the meat. It's like a sweater for your insides-- warm and comforting and oh-so-cozy.

I got the idea to use the kale stems for some extra crunch from the amazing Marisa of the drool-worthy blog Food in Jars. I want to be her when I grow up. Seriously, check out this blog. You won't be disappointed. She's a Philly native herself, and I keep hoping that I will run into her some day at our local Whole Foods so I can tell her how much I love her blog.

This recipe makes a big old batch of stew: perfect for a potluck or a week's worth of solo eating. It keeps very well in the fridge, although it may get a little thicker as the barley absorbs some of the liquid.


Bain taitneamh as do bhéil!


PREP TIME: 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: 30 minutes
SERVES: 8-10 people


INGREDIENTS:
8 cups good veggie stock
1 cup pearled barley
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 large onion, diced finely
3 cloves garlic, diced finely
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 parsnips, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
14 0z large white button mushrooms, stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
4-5 large kale leaves, stems removed and set aside, chopped into small ribbons
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, for cooking


DIRECTIONS:
In a large stock pot, heat veggie broth to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add barley, thyme, salt & pepper to taste, a dollop of olive oil, chopped carrot and parsnip. Cover and continue to simmer as you add the next ingredients.

Meanwhile, take the kale stems you've set aside and chop into bite-sized pieces. Add to stock pot.

In a frying pan, saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil until just translucent. Add to stock pot and return pan to heat. Saute mushrooms in a little olive oil until mushrooms begin to brown. Add to stock pot.

Continue to simmer soup for 20 or so minutes, or until barley is tender. Add kale leaves, cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Remove from heat and curl up with a bowl of steamy stew-- preferable in front of a fireplace!

Holy Mole "Chicken" Fajitas

I must admit, Mexican food is not my specialty. But my sweetie is from Texas and has a huge affinity for the food she grew up with, so occasionally I try my hand at a little south-of-the-border cuisine. Today we were both in a hurry, so I whipped up these fajitas and seasoned them with some mole sauce I happened to have in the cupboard. I loved it so much that I have determined to try making my own mole from scratch some day soon.


This recipe for mole sauce over at allrecipes.com looks mighty tasty, if you want to try your hand at some homemade goodness. But I won't look down on you for using stuff out of a jar if you're in a hurry, just like I did.


Bain taitneamh as do bhéil!


PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: 10 minutes
SERVES: 2 hungry people


INGREDIENTS:
6 flour tortillas
1 large onion, cut into thin strips
2 bell peppers, cut into thin strips (I like to use one orange pepper and one yellow-- they give the dish a nice punch of color!)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 handful baby spinach
1 8 oz package fake chicken strips (I used Trader Joes Chickenless Strips)
1 cup mole sauce, divided
olive oil, for cooking
salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add onion strips, pepper strips, salt & pepper and cumin. Toss to coat. Cook until onions are just translucent, taking care not to burn. Remove from heat immediately, toss in spinach leaves and set aside.

In the same pan, heat up chickenless strips with a little olive oil. Cook until they start to brown, then add 1/2 cup of the mole sauce to the pan. Toss to coat, remove from heat and stir into the pepper and onion mixture.

Set a clean frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, gently toast each side of the tortillas until just browned, taking care not to burn.

Assemble the fajitas: add the chickenless mixture to a tortilla and drizzle with a little extra mole sauce. Roll up, eat, enjoy, repeat!

Easy-Peasy (Baked) Ziti

Every New Year's Day, my sweetie and I host an all day "Eat Away Your Hangover" party. Everyone brings their favorite hangover cure, and we all try to ease the misery caused by the previous night's indulgences by eating and well, drinking. (Hair of the dog, baby!) I always make baked ziti, and as soon as I pull it out of the oven, it's instantly devoured. Seriously, my hung-over friends can kill a pan of baked ziti in five minutes.

Baked ziti is one of my ultimate comfort foods. Not only is it super-easy to prepare from scratch, but the combination of pasta, sauce and baked cheese is so satisfying it's practically sinful. Plus it's a great meal to bring to any potluck, and your friends will be impressed by your cooking prowess. (There's no need to tell them how easy it really is!) Homemade tomato sauce is really the best, and for this recipe, I do a quick version that is done simmering by the time you're ready to assemble the casserole.

This is no diet dish, but I have tried to sneak in some veggies to up the nutrition. Whole wheat pasta is not just better for you-- I think it actually makes the dish taste better!

This dish freezes well, keeps in the fridge just great and is awesome reheated. Basically it's the perfect comfort food!


Bain taitneamh as do bhéil!


PREP TIME: about 30 minutes
COOK TIME: 25 minutes
SERVES: 6-8


INGREDIENTS:
4 cups vegetable stock
1 lb whole wheat penne or ziti
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 6 0z can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
8 oz white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thickly
7 oz. veggie sausage from a tube (I like Gimme Lean brand-- this is about 1/2 a tube)
1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, grated, divided
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese , divided
1 handful baby spinach
1/2 cup pine nuts
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, for cooking


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a stock pot, bring veggie stock to a boil. Add pasta and more water, if necessary, to cover pasta with water and reduce to a simmer, cooking until the pasta is al dente. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in another stock pot, add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, dried spices, salt & pepper and a dollop of olive oil. Bring to a simmer over low heat.

In a large frying pan, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until just translucent. Add to tomato sauce and stir to incorporate. In the same frying pan, saute mushrooms until slightly browned. Add mushrooms to tomato sauce and stir to incorporate. Brown veggie sausage in the frying pan with a little olive oil, chopping it up into bite-sized nuggets. Add sausage to tomato sauce and stir to incorporate.

In a clean, dry frying pan, toast pine nuts until just browned. Remove from heat immediately (they burn really quickly!) and stir into tomato sauce.

When you're ready to assemble the casserole, toss a handful of baby spinach into the tomato sauce and stir to incorporate. Remove sauce from heat.

In a large greased casserole dish, spread half of the cooked pasta evenly over the bottom. Cover with half of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese on top. Repeat this layer one more time: pasta, sauce, remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and baked, uncovered for another 5 minutes until cheese is browned.


Serve with a glass of red wine and prepare for a food coma!

Technical Difficulties

Don't worry, dear readers, I'm cooking up some delicious recipes to post soon. I haven't forgotten about you-- life has taken a turn for the crazy and I'm just now catching my breath.

In the mean time, eat your vegetables and check back soon for new and cozy goodness!