Toasted Barley Soup with Swedish Meatballs

Usually for Sunday dinner, we either have left-overs or I make soup. Last Sunday, we had minestrone. Last night, we had this soup. I was surfing the net and stumbled upon this recipe and thought this was perfect as we had frozen Swedish meatballs and barley.

Makes 4 servings

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup quick-cooking barley

2 1/4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

1 1/2 cups diced carrots

1 1/2 cups diced zucchini

1/2 pound frozen, cooked Swedish meatballs

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill

2 1/4 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1. In a large saucepan over medium-low, heat the oil. Add the barley and stir until it is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the broth, carrots, zucchini, meatballs, dill and water. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover the pot and cook over medium-low until the barley is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Season with salt and pepper. Serve each bowl of soup topped with a tablespoon of sour cream.

Chunky Two-Bean and Beef Chili

Chili is one of my favourite foods.

Photo and recipe from Cooking Light.

Best Chili/Stew. Nothing hits the spot on a blustery cold day like a pot of hot chili. This recipe is a favorite because we love the chunks of meat, subtle spicy heat from the jalapeño peppers, and depth of flavor from the red wine. Reduce the ground red pepper by half if you prefer a milder version. --Recipe by Krista Ackerbloom Montgomery (March 2005)

Yield

6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño pepper
• 2/3 cup cabernet sauvignon or dry red wine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can hot chili beans
• Reduced-fat sour cream (optional)

Preparation

Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle beef with salt. Add half of beef to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining beef.

Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, onion, and bell pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño; sauté 1 minute. Add wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return beef to pan. Stir in sugar and remaining ingredients except sour cream; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Garnish with sour cream, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

390 (26% from fat)

Fat:

11.4g (sat 3.2g,mono 4.8g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:

31.3g

Carbohydrate:

37.5g

Fiber:

10.1g

Cholesterol:

71mg

Iron:

5mg

Sodium:

825mg

Calcium:

94mg

Chicken and Barley Stew

I love barley and will try this recipe soon.

Photo and recipe from Cooking Light

Frozen chopped onion makes this dish even quicker to prepare. If you use them, add with the frozen mixed vegetables.

Yield:

4 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
• 3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups chopped onion
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 cup chopped cooked chicken
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

Bring barley and broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

While barley cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add mixed vegetables; sauté 2 minutes. Add vegetable mixture, chicken, salt, thyme, and pepper to barley mixture; simmer 4 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

356 (19% from fat)

Fat:

7.5g (sat 1.5g,mono 1.9g,poly 3.3g)

Protein:

22.7g

Carbohydrate:

50.7g

Fiber:

12.1g

Cholesterol:

31mg

Iron:

3.1mg

Sodium:

763mg

Calcium:

54mg

Soy-Glazed Salmon with Noodles

Here's what we had for dinner last night; another recipe from Real Simple. I didn't have salmon so I used a combination of tilapia and sole. I actually didn't have time to make the glaze, but my husband liked the dish anyway. Also, instead of cooking the beans separately, I baked them with the fish. (I used frozen beans. )

4 servings
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

1/2 lb green beans, sliced in half lengthwise
1 lb soba noodles or whole-wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger, plus 2 tablespoons thinly sliced ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine, sherry, or white wine
4 6-oz salmon fillets, skin removed
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Heat oven to 4ooF. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beans and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside.

2. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions.

3. Meanwhile, in a baking dish, combine 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the garlic, grated ginger, and 1 tablespoon of the wine.

4. Rinse the salmon and pat it dry with paper towels. Add it to the baking dish and turn to coat. Scatter the sliced ginger and scallions over the top. Cover with foil and bake until the fish is the same color throughout and flakes easily, about 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1 tablespoon wine, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

6. Divide the drained noodles and beans among individual plates, top each with a salmon fillet and drizzle with the glaze.

Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti

I bought two bottles of pasta sauce that were on sale and I had frozen spinach that's been sitting on the freezer, so this recipe from Real Simple's Meals Made Easy was perfect. I probably won't cook this regularly though given the very high sodium content. Must be from all the cheese.

Photo and recipe from Real Simple.

Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 45m

Ingredients

• 1 pound ziti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano (optional)
• 1 26-ounce jar pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan
• 1 15-ounce container ricotta (I used cottage cheese, which is cheaper)
  
• 1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove liquid
• 1 cup grated mozzarella

Directions

1. Cook the ziti according to the package instructions. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. In a large pot, over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the beef, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until no trace of pink remains, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid. Add the garlic and oregano (if using) and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pasta sauce and heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan, ricotta, and spinach and toss again.
5. Spread the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual ramekins and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake until the mozzarella melts, about 15 minutes.
   

Quick Tips:

If you prefer, substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef and chopped broccoli for the spinach.

To freeze: Assemble - but do not bake - the casserole. Cover tightly with two layers of aluminum foil. Store for up to 3 months.

To reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or thaw partially in the microwave. Cover and heat in a 350F over for 1 hour. Uncover and heat until the mozzarella melts, about 10 minutes more.

Don't allow your baking dish to be taken hostage by a frozen casserole. Before placing food in the dish, line it with several layers of foil. After freezing, lift the foil and food from the dish and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. When you are ready to thaw the food, remove the plastic wrap and foil and return the icy block to its dish.

Nutritional Information

• Per Serving
• Calories 1165.23Calories From Fat 36

• Calcium 672.94mg
• Carbohydrate 117.18g
• Cholesterol 176.15mg
• Fat 46.43g
• Fiber 7.12g
• Iron 9.95mg
• Protein 70.1mg
• Sat Fat 21.31g
• Sodium 1628.12mg

Asparagus with Soy Dressing

Here's an easy recipe from Real Simple's Meals Made Easy.

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large bunch asparagus, trimmed*
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2-1/2 tablespoons rice wine, sherry or white wine
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

Pour about 2 inches of water into a large saucepan. Add the salt and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus, cover, and cook until tender, 3-7 minutes. (The time will vary depending on the size of the stalks.) Drain and transfer to a platter. Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, over medium heat, bring the remaining ingredients plus 2 tablespoons water to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Spoon the dressing over the asparagus; cover and refrigerate any leftover dressing to use on another night. **

* If the asparagus spears are on the thick side, halve them lengthwise. This reduces the cooking time considerably and ensures that the end result will be perfectly tender.

** Drizzle the leftover dressing over any green vegetables you stumble across at the farmers' market or in the produce aisle (such as broccoli, green beans, or broccolini).

Fresh Ideas: Vegetables

Here are a couple of fresh ideas for cooking vegetables from Williams-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen: Main Dishes cookbook:

Savory Broccoli Saute

Saute broccoli florets in olive oil over medium heat until softened, letting them sizzle and brown. Add chopped green olives, capers, lemon zest, dried red pepper flakes, and garlic. Saute until broccoli is golden and flavors melded.

Roast Brussel Sprouts

Peel away outer layer of leaves and cut Brussel sprouts in half. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced fresh oregano or thyme. Put in a baking dish and roast, turning occasionally, until golden and fork-tender.

Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives and Lemon

I like this dish, from Bon Appetit, which we had for dinner last night.

Braised chicken gets Moroccan flavor from spices, green olives, and lemon.

Recipe by the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen
Photograph by Lisa Hubbard

4 servings

* Prep: 25 minutes
* Total: 55 minutes

Ingredients

* 2 Meyer lemons or regular lemons
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced
* 2 garlic cloves, pressed
* 1 tablespoon paprika
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
* 1 4 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed
* 1/2 cup green olives

Preparation

Cut 1 lemon into 8 wedges. Squeeze enough juice from second lemon to measure 2 tablespoons; set wedges and juice aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper; sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add next 5 ingredients; stir 1 minute. Add broth and bring mixture to a boil. Sprinkle chicken with and pepper; add to skillet. Add lemon wedges. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Add olives and 2 tablespoons lemon juice to skillet. Increase heat to high; boil uncovered to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over chicken.

Nutritional Information
One serving contains the following:
Calories (kcal) 431.6
%Calories from Fat 30.2
Fat (g) 14.5
Saturated Fat (g) 2.8
Cholesterol (mg) 171.2
Carbohydrates (g) 8.7
Dietary Fiber (g) 2.3
Total Sugars (g) 3.2
Net Carbs (g) 6.4
Protein (g) 64.4

Quick Beef Bourguignonne

Here's a quick version of Beef Bourguignonne (I wonder what the original spelling of this dish is!) from Real Simple.

By using a secret weapon - canned mushroom soup - you can omit complex seasonings and leapfrog over the hours-long reduction process.


Serves 4
Hands-on Time: 20m
Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 1/4 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
* kosher salt and pepper
* 1 10-ounce package sliced mushrooms
* 1 16-ounce package frozen pearl onions
* 2 cups red wine
* 1 10.75-ounce can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup
* 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season the steak with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the steak to a bowl and set aside.

2. Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Stir in the soup and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Add the steak and juices from the bowl and simmer, 2 minutes.

4. Divide into individual bowls and sprinkle with the parsley, if using.

Tip

Beef Bourguignonne's flavor improves with time. Make it 1 or 2 days ahead of time, then cover and refrigerate it.

Nutritional Information

Calories 525; Calories From Fat 22%; Fat 13g; Sat Fat 3g; Cholesterol 91mg; Sodium 922mg; Carbohydrate 42g; Fiber 7g; Sugar 3g; Protein 34g

Boeuf Bourguignon

Here's Mark Bittman's recipe for Beef Stew with Bacon, Red Wine, and Mushrooms, more popularly known as Boeuf Bourguignon.

Like coq au vin, this is a slow recipe that takes careful attention to a couple of ingredients: the bacon must be good slab bacon, nice and smoky and not too lean, and the wine should be fruity and worthy of drinking (there are Burgundies and American Pinot Noirs that meet this requirement and cost around ten bucks a bottle).

By all means, make this a day or two in advance if you like, then refrigerate and skim the fat if that's your preference. Reheating will take only about 15 minutes.

New potatoes, roasted in olive oil or butter, are terrific alongside this stew, but so is crusty bread. Round out things with a steamed vegetable or salad.

TOTAL TIME
2 hours

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 1/4 pound good slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch cubes
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
* 3 or 4 thyme sprigs
* 3 bay leaves
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
* 1 cup good red wine, preferably pinot noir
* 12 small white (button) mushrooms, trimmed and cut in half or quarters
* 12 pearl onions, peeled (frozen are O.K.), optional
* Stock or water if necessary

Preparation

1.
Put oil in a Dutch oven or casserole that can later be covered; turn heat to medium. Add bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp and has given up most of its fat, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, add meat, and turn heat to medium-high. Cook, turning cubes as they brown and sprinkling them with salt and pepper, until meat is brown and crisp all over, at least 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
2.
Turn heat to medium, and add onions, thyme, bay leaves, garlic and parsley, with more salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add wine, and let it bubble for a minute, then return meat to pan.
3.
Cover and adjust heat so mixture simmers gently for about an hour, then add mushrooms, onions and bacon. Re-cover, and cook until tender, adding a little more liquid if mixture threatens to dry out. Depending on meat, dish could be done in as little as 30 minutes more, or three times as long. Taste and adjust seasoning, then garnish and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before reheating.

YIELD
4 servings

* Originally published with THE MINIMALIST; Tough Made Tender: Braising Chuck
* By Mark Bittman, March 16, 2005

String Beans With Ginger and Garlic

I bought a bag of string beans the other day, but was able to use half. The other half went bad after a few days. (That's one reason why I prefer to buy frozen vegetables.) If only I found this recipe from New York Times earlier.

TOTAL TIME
20 minutes

Ingredients

* Salt
* 2 1/2 pounds string beans (French-style slim haricots verts work especially well), trimmed
* 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger (about 6 inches ginger root, peeled)
* 4 medium-size garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

1.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and fill a large bowl with ice water. Working in two batches, boil beans until just tender but still crisp and bright green. Start testing after 4 minutes or so, being careful not to overcook. When done, plunge beans into ice water to stop cooking, lift out immediately when cool and drain on towels. (Recipe can be made to this point up to a day in advance and kept refrigerated, wrapped in towels.)
2.
When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide skillet over high heat. Add half the beans, half the ginger and half the garlic, and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until beans are heated through and ginger and garlic are softened and aromatic. Sprinkle with salt, and remove to a serving dish. Repeat with remaining oil, beans, ginger and garlic. Serve.

YIELD
10 servings

* Originally published with A Little Snap, to Take The Meal Beyond Tan
* By JULIA MOSKIN, November 15, 2006