Barley-Brie Risotto

New Grain Cooking: Barley-Brie Risotto

By Kate Heyhoe

A One-Pot, Fast and Fabulous Meal

This is one of my favorite pressure cooker recipes, and was intended to be part of Cooking Green, but we ran out of space. So I’m sharing it now. It’s a good example of the types of recipes found in the book.

This is an economical, one-pot dish, but my family loves it simply for the way it tastes: rich with creamy Brie cheese and cozy with toothy bites of barley. As a bonus, it meets all my requirements for being green: it’s meat-free, use ingredients you can buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste, and requires little cooking fuel.

For the cook, it’s a model of carefree cooking, needing only 12 minutes of active prep. And if you keep a wedge of Brie in the fridge, most of the remaining ingredients are staples or pantry-ready, so you can whip up an easy, no-brainer dinner without planning or stress. There’s almost no chopping involved, so it’s almost as fast as waiting for take-out (and perhaps more nutritious and delicious). Try it. I think you’ll like it, as a meat-free main course, side dish, or lunch.

Barley-Brie Risotto

A New Green Basics Recipe

Serves 4 as a side; 2 as a main

Green Meter:

• Green Goodness: Pressure cooker saves fuel and time. Meat-free entree or side
• Prep/Cooking Times: 12 minutes prep +30 minutes unattended
• Prime Season: All year
• Conveniences: One-pot meal, little chopping, mostly pantry ingredients

Shrink your cookprint with this meat-free main course, which my husband even prefers to traditional risotto. Toothsome, tasty barley cooks in half the usual time with a pressure cooker, and stands in for rice in this robust risotto-style dish. Brie adds a cheesy spin different from the usual Parmesan (but feel free to gild the lily with Parmesan on the side, if you like). Unless the rind is hard or tough, I leave the rind on the brie; it falls apart with heat, but you may remove it if you prefer. Domestic Brie works fine in this recipe, or experiment with other types of cheeses made close to home.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (optional)
• 1/4 pound Brie, in small chunks
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the barley. Cook 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring occasionally, until toasted. Stir in the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the broth and soy sauce (they’ll splatter at first) and add the rosemary, if using.

2. Lock the lid in place. Cook over high heat and bring the cooker to full pressure. Reduce the heat to medium-low, or adjust as needed to maintain even pressure. Cook 18 minutes, remove the pan from the heat. Let the pressure drop naturally. The barley should be tender but pleasantly chewy; if not done, add more broth or water and cook a few minutes without pressure, stirring occasionally. (If not serving right away, cover the pot. Reheat before adding the Brie, thinning with more stock if the mixture seems dry.)

3. Stir the Brie into the hot barley until melted and absorbed. Serve with a generous grinding of pepper.

Thai Style Albacore

with Lemongrass & Mushrooms

Serves 2-3

• 3 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 lb albacore tuna, loin cut into 1-inch chunks
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 stalk lemongrass, minced
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 2 dried chilies (or to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups bok choy, shredded
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp nam pla (fish sauce)
• 1/2 tsp palm sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Heat the oil over high heat. Add the tuna and season with salt & pepper. Stir fry the tuna until the chunks are seared on all sides.

Remove to paper towels to drain and set aside.

2. In the same pan (adding oil if necessary) add the lemongrass, shallot and chili peppers. Fry until shallot begins to turn golden.

Add the garlic, shitakes and bok choy. Stir fry 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, nam pla, palm sugar, cilantro, and the reserved tuna.

Toss together until thoroughly incorporated and hot through.

3. Serve immediately over steamed rice, bean thread noodles or soba noodles.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Eric Jenkins

 

About Wild Albacore Tuna

 

Troll-Caught Albacore Tuna Recipes

• Grilled Curried Albacore Cakes
• Albacore in Puttanesca Sauce
• Moroccan Tuna Skewers with Zucchini and Oranges
• Thai Style Albacore with Lemongrass and Mushrooms
• Salade Nicoise Sandwiches

Salade Nicoise Sandwiches

Makes 6 sandwiches

• 3 six-ounce cans of troll-caught albacore, drained
• 2 1-pound soft French or Italian bread loaves
• 3 tablespoons drained capers
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons olive paste (olivada) or olive spread
• 2-1/2 ounce packages fresh arugula or watercress
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

1. Combine albacore, capers, mayonnaise and fresh lemon juice in medium bowl, add pepper to taste.

2. Cut each bread loaf crosswise into 3 pieces, then halve each piece lengthwise. Pull out centers of bread pieces, leaving 1/2- inch-thick crusts.

3. Spread olive paste on inside of each bread piece, then line with a generous amount of arugula or watercress.

4. Spread on 1/2 cup of the albacore mixture, top with the sliced tomatoes and onions, and replace the top pieces of bread.

 

About Wild Albacore Tuna

 

Troll-Caught Albacore Tuna Recipes

• Grilled Curried Albacore Cakes
• Albacore in Puttanesca Sauce
• Moroccan Tuna Skewers with Zucchini and Oranges
• Thai Style Albacore with Lemongrass and Mushrooms
• Salade Nicoise Sandwiches

Moroccan Tuna Skewers

with Zucchini & Oranges

Serves 6

• 1-1/2 lbs fresh tuna, cut into one inch cubes 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice Salt & Pepper to taste Zest of 1 lemon
• 4 oranges, cut into small wedges 3 zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1. Mix together the cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, garlic, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper and lemon zest.

2. Pour over the tuna cubes and marinate, preferably at least 2 hours, but no more than 6.

3. Divide the tuna onto the wooden skewers—that have been soaked in water—mixing with the zucchini and orange wedges.

4. Grill the skewers over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing with the leftover marinade.

5. Serve hot or cold

Recipe courtesy of Chef Eric Jenkins

 

About Wild Albacore Tuna

 

Troll-Caught Albacore Tuna Recipes

• Grilled Curried Albacore Cakes
• Albacore in Puttanesca Sauce
• Moroccan Tuna Skewers with Zucchini and Oranges
• Thai Style Albacore with Lemongrass and Mushrooms
• Salade Nicoise Sandwiches

Grilled Curried Albacore Cakes

Serves 2

• 1 lb albacore chopped into fine pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 4 stalks green onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 heaping tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1-3 cups Panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup olive oil for cooking

1. Patties—Add albacore, 1 egg, green onion, bacon, parsley, parmesan cheese, Dijon, curry powder, salt & pepper and just enough Panko bread crumbs to bring the mixture together enough to form patties. Refrigerate for at least an hour, and then form patties.

2. Grill albacore cakes in pan or on grill with olive oil for about 4-5 minutes each side or until golden brown and hot through. Place sauce on a plate and top with tuna cakes.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Eric Jenkins

 

About Wild Albacore Tuna

 

Troll-Caught Albacore Tuna Recipes

• Grilled Curried Albacore Cakes
• Albacore in Puttanesca Sauce
• Moroccan Tuna Skewers with Zucchini and Oranges
• Thai Style Albacore with Lemongrass and Mushrooms
• Salade Nicoise Sandwiches

Albacore in Puttanesca Sauce

• 2 lbs albacore medallions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 2-oz can anchovy filets
• 2 tbsp capers
• 1/2 cup black or green olives
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes salt & pepper to taste

1. Sprinkle both sides of the medallions with salt & pepper, place them in a bowl and set aside.

Peel the garlic and set aside.

2. Place the contents of the anchovy can in a large skillet on medium heat and add 2 tbsp. water. With a wooden spoon, break the anchovy filets into quarters, cooking for 1 or 2 minutes until they shrivel into small pieces.

3. Add the olive oil and the garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add the capers and olives; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes. Cook for 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 to 1 cup water as necessary as the sauce thickens.

4. Add the albacore medallions and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side, till just cooked &when the fish is opaque and no longer translucent.

5. Serve as a sauce with your favorite pasta.

 

About Wild Albacore Tuna

 

Troll-Caught Albacore Tuna Recipes

• Grilled Curried Albacore Cakes
• Albacore in Puttanesca Sauce
• Moroccan Tuna Skewers with Zucchini and Oranges
• Thai Style Albacore with Lemongrass and Mushrooms
• Salade Nicoise Sandwiches

Greek Citrus-Honey Cake

Serves 12

From Kate Heyhoe’s Cooking Green

Green Meter:

• Green Goodness: Bakes in slow cooker using almost no fuel; kitchen stays cool
• Prep/Cooking Times: 15 minutes prep +2-1/4 hours unattended
• Prime Season: Year-round
• Conveniences: Quick ‘n’ easy dessert; small slices serve many
• New Green Basic: Use as no-oven, slow cooker template for other quickbreads and cakes.

This rustic and distinctive cake can be addictive with tea at breakfast, with cheese at lunch, and after dinner with grapes and fresh fruit. It’s inspired by a cake in Lynn Alley’s book The Gourmet Slow Cooker, and it’s like the sweets served at Mediterranean cafés and coffee houses—moist with lemon-honey syrup, fruity with olive oil and oranges, spiked with cinnamon and yogurt. Cornmeal and almonds give it texture you can taste. And unless you mention it, no one will guess it’s made in a Crock-Pot.

For easy mixing and one less bowl to wash, measure the wet ingredients starting with the yogurt into a 4-cup measuring cup, then add the eggs and whisk.

• 1/2 cup olive oil (mild, or mix of mild and fruity), plus extra for greasing
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (double-acting)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces (1 cup) plain yogurt (regular or low-fat)
• 2 teaspoons orange oil or 1 tablespoon orange extract
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, or pine nuts

• Syrup:
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Grease the bottom and sides of a 5-quart slow-cooker insert (crock) with a small amount of olive oil. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom. Set in the paper and grease it.

2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon and salt. Separately combine the yogurt, remaining olive oil, orange oil or extract, and eggs, beating with a wire whisk. Pour the yogurt mixture into the bowl holding the dry mixture and combine until uniformly mixed. Stir in the nuts. Pour the batter into the crockery insert.

3. Lay a folded dishtowel across the top of the crock (covering the batter without touching it), cover with the lid, and cook on high 2 hours and 15 minutes, or until the edges turn brown and pull away slightly from the insert, and a wooden skewer poked in the center comes out clean. Lift the insert (using potholders) out of the cooker and let it rest, uncovered, 15 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake with a knife or spatula. Place a plate over the top and, holding it securely (it’s hot: use potholders), flip the crock over, so the cake falls onto the plate. Remove the parchment. Let the cake cool slightly.

4. Stir the honey and lemon juice together until completely combined. While the cake is warm, poke holes in the top with a fork, about 20 times. Spoon the glaze over the top and sides, letting the glaze seep in slowly before adding more. Serve in thin slices.

 

Buy Cooking Green

 

Cooking Green:
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen
the New Green Basics Way

• About the Book
• Author Interview
• Praise Quotes

• Recipes

  • One-Pot Prep: Potatoes and Green Beans
  • Toasted Garlic Trout with Lime
  • Greek Citrus-Honey Cake

Toasted Garlic Trout with Lime

Serves 2

From Kate Heyhoe’s Cooking Green

Green Meter:

• Green Goodness: Sustainable fish, often local; use of preblanched garlic saves fuel
• Prep/Cooking Times: 5 minutes prep +10 minutes cooking
• Prime Season: Year-round
• Conveniences: Quick ‘n’ easy; healthy, high in omega-3s
• New Green Basic: Use as a basic recipe for skillet trout; use the blanched, toasted garlic method in other skillet recipes. Substitute fillets for butterflied trout.

Rainbow trout is often overlooked but has a wonderfully mild yet distinctive flavor. The Environmental Defense Fund rates farmed rainbow trout as an “eco-best” fish because of its minimal impact on the environment. In this recipe, garlic cloves, mellowed by blanching, toast in the pan for a sweet crunch that harmonizes well with trout and lime. To save fuel and water, blanch the garlic whenever you’re boiling water for another use, up to four days earlier. If you increase the number of trout, you’ll probably need two skillets.

• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 rainbow trout, cleaned and butterflied (3/4 to 1 pound)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 large cloves blanched garlic, halved lengthwise (see Note)
• Lime wedges, for serving

1. Pour the lime juice into a shallow dish. Dip the trout into the lime juice, coating on all sides. Sprinkle the inside (flesh part) with cumin and a generous pinch of salt. Close the fillets (as if closing a book) and sprinkle cumin and salt on the skin surfaces.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to ripple, gently place both trout into the pan, keeping them closed. Add the garlic cloves, pushing the garlic to the sides of the pan. Cook the trout about 5 minutes, flipping the pieces over when the skin is crisp and golden. Cook another 5 minutes or so, until the inside flesh is cooked through (it will flake when gently prodded). While the trout cooks, stir the garlic pieces occasionally, until the edges become slightly crisp and start to color. (If garlic browns too much it turns bitter, so remove it when golden, and set aside.)

3. Remove the trout from the pan. Spoon toasted garlic on top of each piece, and serve with lime wedges.

Note: To blanch garlic, place whole unpeeled garlic cloves in boiling water and leave in for 2 minutes. Remove from the water and peel (the peels should slip off easily). Refrigerate up to four days.

 

Buy Cooking Green

 

Cooking Green:
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen
the New Green Basics Way

• About the Book
• Author Interview
• Praise Quotes

• Recipes

  • One-Pot Prep: Potatoes and Green Beans
  • Toasted Garlic Trout with Lime
  • Greek Citrus-Honey Cake

Potatoes and Green Beans

One-Pot Prep

Makes 1-1/2 pounds each of potatoes and green beans

From Kate Heyhoe’s Cooking Green

Green Meter:

• Green Strategy: One pot and precooking save fuel and water; passive boiling saves fuel
• Prep/Cooking Times: 5 minutes prep + 5 minutes active cooking +20 minutes unattended
• Prime Season: Year-round for potatoes; green beans in summer and fall
• Conveniences: Shaves off cooking time later in other recipes; can be made in advance and keeps up to 3 days; less equipment to wash; adaptable to other vegetables
• New Green Basic: Plan ahead and cook multiple vegetables with about the same amount of water and fuel as one vegetable; use the basic passive method to replace continuous boiling.

Use this method to save fuel, water, and your own time. It’s a handy template for boiling potatoes and blanching vegetables together, even if you don’t serve them in the same dish. Eat the vegetables separately or together, as in a Nicoise potato salad. Enjoy them right after cooking with a little butter and salt; or refrigerate and serve later in a salad, gratin, casserole, soup, Spanish tortilla, quiche, or omelet. Besides green beans, you can blanch a sequence of vegetables, assembly-line fashion, like carrots, broccoli, and asparagus, for example.

You’ll need a large pot, a skimmer (like a Chinese spider or a large slotted spoon), a colander, and a bowl of chilled water (with ice or ice packs, or prechilled in the fridge) for shocking the beans. Shocking stops the cooking process and helps set the color. If the vegetables are cut in small pieces though, cold tap water works almost as well as iced water. (Capture and repurpose the cooking and chilling water, for a greener cookprint.)

Smaller potatoes cook faster and don’t get waterlogged like large, halved potatoes. Use any variety (Yukon Gold, red, russet, white). A wealth of nutrients lie just under the potato skin, so eat the peels, and put potatoes at the top of your organics list.

• 1-1/2 pounds potatoes (2–3 inches in diameter, about 7)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 to 1-1/2 pounds green beans

1. Scrub the potatoes but do not peel. Place in a large pot with the salt, and add water to cover by 2 inches. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. While the water heats, trim the stems off the green beans. Prepare a bowl of chilled or ice water.

2. When the water boils, add the green beans (they’ll float above the potatoes) and push them down to submerge. Cook 2–3 minutes, until crisply tender or until desired degree of doneness.

3. Scoop the beans into the bowl of chilled water until cool. Drain in a colander. Leave the cold water in the bowl if blanching other vegetables, and add more ice or chill packs if needed.

4. The potatoes will not be done. Cover the pot, turn off the fuel, and let the potatoes passively cook 12–15 minutes, or until a skewer penetrates to the center. Scoop the potatoes into the colander to drain. Use now, or refrigerate the beans and potatoes separately (will keep 3 days).

 

Buy Cooking Green

 

Cooking Green:
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen
the New Green Basics Way

• About the Book
• Author Interview
• Praise Quotes

• Recipes

  • One-Pot Prep: Potatoes and Green Beans
  • Toasted Garlic Trout with Lime
  • Greek Citrus-Honey Cake

Hazelnut Chicken Salad on Shredded Napa Cabbage

Serves 4

Green Meter:

Green Goodness: No added fuel; uses precooked chicken and roasted hazelnuts (try the Ginger Poached Chicken above; roast the nuts anytime your oven’s hot, as described below)
Prep/Cooking Times: 10 minutes total prep
Prime Season: year round
Conveniences: Can be partially made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

The Ginger-Poached Chicken and Broth recipe yields moist, flavorful chicken, perfect for this distinctive chicken salad, but any cooked chicken will do. Napa or Chinese cabbage is sweeter and milder than regular cabbage, and the leaves add a crunchy, frilly contrast to the dish. (To shred the cabbage, stack the leaves and slice into 1/8-inch strips.) Hazelnuts make this a sophisticated dish, with crunchy, toasted flavor.

Roasted Hazelnuts: Roast the nuts ahead of time, whenever you’re already baking something between 350 and 375 degrees F. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet; roast for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once. When the skin crackles, pour them into a clean towel and rub vigorously to remove most of the skin (do this outdoors for less mess). Refrigerate or freeze, up to 3 months, and toss them into salads, pastas, breads, and desserts.

3 cups shredded cooked chicken meat
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 green onions
1/3 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces (3 cups packed) finely shredded napa cabbage leaves (about 7 medium leaves)
3/4 cup (2-1/2 ounces) toasted, coarsely chopped hazelnuts, plus extra for garnish
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix the chicken and vinegar in a bowl, until the vinegar is absorbed. Trim and diagonally slice the green onions (both green and white parts) about 1/4-inch wide. Stir the mayonnaise and hazelnuts into the chicken. (The salad may be prepared up to this point and refrigerated for 1 day before continuing.) Just before serving, mix in 3/4 of the cabbage, most of the green onion (reserve a bit for garnish), and pepper. Spread the remaining cabbage on a serving platter, spoon the salad on top and garnish with green onion and hazelnuts.

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