Barley Risotto with Mushrooms and Roasted Winter Squash

Yield: 4 servings

3 pounds squash (butternut, kabocha, honeynut or Tahitian) peeled, seeded & cut into 3/4 -inch cubes

¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 pound leeks, root and dark green ends discarded, remaining leek halved lengthwise and cleaned, sliced into ¼-inch slices (2 cups)

3 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

½ pound shiitakes mushrooms, stems discarded and mushrooms diced into ¼-inch pieces

1 cup pearled barley, rinsed

½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

4 cups vegetable, chicken or beef stock, preferably Better than Bouillon brand

1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon), grated on a Microplane

8 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with butcher’s twine

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon), plus more to taste

½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

1 cup packed freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, not pre-grated, plus more for serving

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, then preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Add the squash, ½ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 3 tablespoons of olive oil (enough to fully coat all the squash) to a large bowl and mix well.

Spread out the seasoned squash in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and roast, uncovered, for approximately 40 minutes, rotating after 20 minutes, until nicely caramelized and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside.

While the squash is roasting, add 3 tablespoons of butter to a small pot and place over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the leeks, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cover with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the leeks are soft and translucent.

Stir in the mushrooms, cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms start to soften.

Add the final 1 tablespoon of butter and the barley. Stir and cook for about 1 minute until the butter has melted and coated the barley.

Pour in the wine, stir and reduce until no wine remains.

Add the stock, lemon zest and thyme and stir, cover and increase the heat to high to bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, until the barley is pleasantly chewy with a little body remaining. (There’s no need to stir during these 30 minutes.)

Remove from the heat, discard the thyme bundle and stir in the lemon juice. Then, add the parsley, cheese and roasted squash and stir to combine. Season to taste.

Divide barley amongst bowls and top with shavings of Parmigiano.

Note: make this gluten-free by swapping barley for buckwheat groats & you can make this vegan by omitting the butter and cheese or using plant based products.

Chicken Marsala with Mushroom Ragout and Buttered Noodles

Chicken Marsala with Mushroom Ragoût and Buttered Noodles

Yield: 2 servings

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (9 ounces each)

½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup plus 1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, divided

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

8 ounces fresh button or cremini mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 medium shallots, peeled and diced small (6 tablespoons)

½ cup sweet Marsala wine

1½ cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste

1. Pat the chicken dry and sandwich each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap.

2. Using a mallet, rolling pin, or the back of a saucepan, pound each chicken breast until it is ¼ inch thick.

3. Season each side of each chicken breast with ⅛ teaspoon salt (for a total of ½ teaspoon) and a few good grinds of pepper.

4. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of the flour with 1 teaspoon of the butter and mix well.

5. Add the remaining flour to a shallow bowl; dredge the seasoned chicken breasts in the flour, shaking each piece to remove any excess.

6. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until the butter turns a light golden brown.

7. Add the chicken breasts and cook for approximately 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

8. Transfer the chicken from the pan to a large plate.

9. Begin preparing the Buttered Egg Noodles (recipe below), so grab a small pot and start boiling some water.

10. With the pan still on the burner at medium-high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same sauté pan.

11. Add the mushrooms and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden-brown around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes.

12. Add the Marsala wine and chicken stock to the sauté pan. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.

13. Stir in the kneaded butter/flour mixture. Cook on high heat for 4 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

14. Reduce the heat to medium, then return the breasts to the pan. Continue to cook for 2 minutes, flipping after 1 minute, or until they are warmed through and the sauce has thickened.

15. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice.

16. Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and cut into bite-size pieces.

17. Serve the sliced chicken over the buttered noodles, swirl the chopped parsley and lemon juice into the sauce, then spoon over the chicken. Enjoy.

Buttered Egg Noodles:

2 tablespoons kosher salt

5 ounces egg noodles

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil, then add the salt.

2. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender.

3. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking water, and then drain, but do not rinse the noodles. Return the drained noodles to the same pot.

4. Add the butter and the reserved cooking water. Mix together and cover to keep warm.

Braised Pork Shoulder (Ragu) with Fennel and Mushrooms

Watch me make this on my YouTube Channel!

Yield: 6 servings

2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1½ inch cubes

1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced medium

3 celery stalks, diced medium

4 large carrots, peeled and diced medium

1 medium fennel bulb, end trimmed and diced medium

1 pound baby bella mushrooms, quartered

2 tablespoons tomato paste (preferably double concentrate)

10 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped roughly

1/8 teaspoon crushed red (chili) flakes

1 tablespoon toasted whole fennel seed

1 cup red wine (red zinfandel or cabernet sauvignon)

2 cups chicken stock

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 cup water

2 dried bay leaves

7 sprigs fresh thyme

3 (4-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary

3 (4-inch) sprigs fresh oregano

4 teaspoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Ragu Base: pasta, polenta, gnocchi (your choice!)

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, not pre grated

Season the pork (cubes) all over with the salt and pepper.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle-lower position and preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Open a few windows and/or turn on the oven hood/fan; it might get a little smoky!

Heat a heavy 5.5 quart Dutch oven over medium-high until hot, then add 1 tablespoon oil. It will most likely start to smoke. Evenly distribute the pork and brown on all sides, about 1 minute per side. (Work in batches if need be to not overcrowd the pan) Transfer the pork to a medium bowl. (You should have about 2 tablespoons of oil left in the Dutch oven. If not, add some extra-virgin oil to make up the difference.)

Add the onion, celery, carrots, fennel and mushrooms. Stir, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, chili flakes and toasted fennel seed. Stir. Cook uncovered for approximately 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid has thickened.

Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, loosening up any brown bits stuck to the sides and bottom of the pan. Cook for 5 minutes more; it will begin to thicken and you will see large bubbles.

Stir in the stock, tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, oregano, soy sauce, Worcestershire, sugar and pork with any of its juices left in the bowl.

Bring the Dutch oven to a simmer throughout (not just the sides), cover partially (opening the lid about an 1-inch) and transfer to the oven. Cook for 90 minutes, stirring once after 45 minutes, until the pork is tender and can be easily shredded with a fork.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes, covered (lid on fully). Remove the pork and transfer to a large bowl. Shred the pork with two forks. Discard the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, rosemary and oregano. Return the pork to the Dutch oven. Stir and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle pork ragu over pasta, polenta or gnocchi. Top with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Chicken Teriyaki Pilaf with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms

Watch me make this on my YouTube!

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Teriyaki Chicken:

1/3 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 tablespoons mirin

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger, grated on a Microplane

¼ teaspoon freshly grated garlic, grated on a Microplane

1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

Add all ingredients, except chicken, to a medium saucepan (do not put over heat) and stir until sugar has dissolved. Add chicken and stir to coat. Let sit at room temperature while you prep the pilaf.

Pilaf:

2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, grated on a Microplane

1½ tablespoons minced garlic

1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced

1 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup Jasmine rice, rinsed and drained well

1¼ cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons white miso

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced medium

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias, white and green parts

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the oils, ginger, garlic and shallot to a 5.5 quart dutch oven and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until shallots are soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and are soft, approximately 5 minutes.

Add rice, stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add stock and rice wine vinegar. Stir to combine. Add miso and stir until incorporated fully. Add squash and pepper and stir to combine. Level rice mixture with a spatula. Add the chicken thighs (but not the sauce – keep the sauce in the saucepan!) in a single layer on top of the mixture. Cook, uncovered, until mixture is simmering all the way through (center and sides – everywhere!). Once a simmer is achieved, cover and transfer to oven. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven (keep covered) and let rest, covered, for 20 minutes.

While the pilaf is resting, put the teriyaki sauce over low heat and reduce, stirring occasionally, until 1/3 cup sauce remains. Remove from heat. (You may want/need to reheat sauce if you wait a long time before serving pilaf).

Pour teriyaki sauce over the chicken. Top with scallions and sesame seeds and serve!

Veggie Burger

It’s summertime and that means burgers! Therefore, for our next Drought Friendly Recipe, we bring you a delicious, hearty and umami packed (thank you, mushrooms) veggie burger. This recipes makes thirteen 1/4 pound burgers. Now, if it were beef we were using, that would mean a serious water footprint. According to the LA Times, it takes 1,799 gallons of water to make 1 pound of beef. So, again, if this recipe were using beef, it would take a little over 5,800 gallons of water to produce thirteen 1/4 pound burgers. Good thing this recipe is comprised of veggies and grains. When you calculate the water footprint of this recipe as is, it comes out to something around 800 gallons of water or around 1/7 of the water used for a beef burger. So, how about swapping in this recipe for your next burger night? Bonus: you can make the burger mix in advance and then cook the pattys off when the time comes. Enjoy!

Spreading out the caramelized onion on a parchment-lined sheet tray to cool

1/2 batch of quartered mushrooms ready for pulsing

Good texture for the mushrooms

Spreading the roasted mushrooms over the cooled caramelized onions

Rice/Bulgur/Lentil mixture

Spices!

Brushing the burgers with oil before putting them in the pan

Time to eat.

Drought Friendly Veggie Burgers

Yield: 13 burgers

 

¼ cup grapeseed oil, divided, plus more for brushing

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced small (2 cups)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

20 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped roughly (1/2 cup)

24-ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more to taste

4 cups vegetable stock

¼ cup white jasmine rice

½ cup black (beluga) lentils

¾ cup bulgur

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, undrained

1 cup panko

1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano

½ teaspoon chipotle powder

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon ground fennel

1 teaspoon ground cumin

The Fixin’s:

13 burger buns

13 large slices tomato

Lettuce (your choice!)

Pickled shallots

Organic ketchup, no question

Dijon mustard, gotta’ have mustard too

 

Place an oven rack to the upper position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the onion, 2 tablespoons oil and ¼ teaspoon salt to a medium (3½ quart) saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 8 minutes until onions are translucent and just beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread the onion mixture over a parchment-lined sheet tray to cool. Do not wash the saucepan.

In a food processor, pulse half the mushrooms until finely chopped, approximately 30 quick pulses. Transfer mushrooms to a medium mixing bowl and pulse the remaining mushrooms in the same way. Transfer remaining mushrooms to the medium mixing bowl. Do not wash food processor.

Stir to combine the chopped mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Spread the mushrooms evenly over a parchment-lined sheet tray. Transfer sheet tray to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes. Remove the sheet tray from the oven and evenly spread the mushrooms over the onions to cool to room temperature.

In the same medium (3½ quart) saucepan used for the onion mixture, add the stock. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add rice, black lentils, bulgur, black beans (with liquid), ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil again. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes (scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent burning). Remove from the heat and drain excess liquid using a fine mesh strainer. Spread strained rice mixture evenly over a parchment-lined sheet tray and cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, using a fork, stir to combine the cooked mushrooms, cooked rice mixture, panko, dried oregano, chipotle powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, fennel and cumin. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Put half of the mixture into a food processor and pulse 15 times until mixture is well combined. Transfer the processed batch back into the large mixing bowl and stir everything together until well mixed.

Using a ½ cup measuring cup, measure out ½ cup of mixture per burger, shaping the burgers with your hands into 4-inch (diameter) patties. Set each burger on a parchment-lined sheet tray and brush the top of each burger evenly with some oil.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat for 3 minutes. Transfer the prepared burgers, oil side down, into the pan and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Brush the second side of the burgers with oil and then flip the burgers over. Continue to cook for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked burgers to a parchment-lined sheet tray and bake for 10 minutes. Flip the burgers and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove the sheet tray from the oven. Serve burgers on buns with tomato slices, lettuce, pickled shallots, ketchup and mustard.

Vegetarian Red Beans and Dirty Brown Rice

A twist on this classic Cajun Louisiana dish – made for all my vegetarian and vegan friends. Here’s to a happy, healthy and delicious New Year!

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small (2 cups)

3 medium celery stalks, diced small (1 cup)

1 large green bell pepper, diced small (1 cup)

8-ounces cremini mushrooms, diced medium (2 ½ cups)

¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

5 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced (2 tablespoons)

1½ teaspoons ground Hungarian paprika

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon dried Greek oregano

¼ teaspoon celery salt

1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle powder

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup vegetable stock

2 ½ cups cooked long grain brown rice

 

In a large sauté pan, add the olive oil. Turn the heat to medium-high and let oil heat until hot and shimmering.

Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables have given off their liquid and are beginning to caramelize.

Add the garlic, paprika, black pepper, cumin, oregano, celery salt and chipotle powder. Stir and cook 2 minutes more.

Add the beans and vegetable stock and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, loosening up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, approximately 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and fold in the cooked brown rice until thoroughly mixed.

Season to taste with additional salt. Serve in 2 large bowls (big servings!) or 4 smaller bowls.

Roasted Eggplant Meatballs

I’m not usually one for a faux meatball: the texture is usually all wrong and flavor bland. That said, this little puppy is darn good. In fact, I wouldn’t even classify it as faux. It stands on its own. Meaty from the mushrooms and eggplant and deliciously herby. And with the added Parmigiano-Reggiano, it’s a mouthful of umami. No meat required.

Eggplant Meatballs

Yields 8 meatballs

1 large Italian eggplant, peeled and diced medium (1.25 pounds diced)

8-ounces cremini mushrooms, diced medium

6 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided

3 packed tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, not pre-grated, grated on a Microplane

1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano

¾ teaspoon ground fennel

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 large egg, whisked

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

Adjust 2 oven racks to the middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put eggplant and mushrooms in a medium bowl and mix in olive oil. Toss or stir to combine. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to combine.

Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Spread eggplant mushroom mixture onto sheet pans.

Bake for 20 minutes. Stir, rotate pans and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Remove sheet pans from oven and let eggplant and mushrooms cool to room temperature.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Place eggplant mushroom mixture and all additional ingredients in a food processor.

Pulse to combine. The mixture should be well combined and still have some texture (not blended into a paste). Season with additional 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the meatball mixture into equal sized 1.75-inch balls.

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, until cooked through and beginning to firm up.

Remove sheet pan from the oven and let meatballs rest at room temperature for 5-8 minutes.

Serve with your favorite pasta, marinara sauce and/or pesto in addition to some fresh basil and grated parmigiano-reggiano.