Spring Barley Risotto

Growing up in New England in the seventies, long before the gourmet revolution, the best vegetables were the ones that you grew yourself or purchased at the local farmstand. These days I do not have the time, space or inclination to grow my own food, so I do what many of us do and shop at the farmer's market as often as I can. It's a great way to support the local economy and the small time farmer. In return you really do get the best and freshest produce available. Right now, spring vegetables rock. We have been eating tons of vibrant, slightly bitter asparagus, sugar snap peas that are candy-like in their sweetness, and green garlic so tender the individual cloves have not hardened yet. I love this time of year. I especially appreciate all of the vegetables after months of hearty winter fare and I typically switch to eating vegetarian several times a week. I love risotto. My husband loves risotto--it's a great vehicle for veggies, but it's really tough to stand at the stove and stir constantly for 45 minutes. Instead of a traditional risotto made with arborio or carnaroli rice, I make a shortcut risotto style dish with barley. Barley is a nutritious ancient grain. It has a nutty, chewy flavor, is widely available and very inexpensive. One cup of dry barley yields over 3 cups cooked. I parcook the barley for 35-40 minutes, in stock or salted water, and prep my vegetables while the barley is cooking.

Farmer's Market Spring Barley Risotto

1c. of Pearl Barley (If you are really in a rush, you can use flaked barley, which cooks in about 20 minutes. Farro would also be a good substitute and also cooks in about 20 minutes.)

4 c. of stock or water to cook the barley

1c-1 1/2c. water or stock to finish the barley

1 bunch of green garlic, about four heads with greens attached. Remove any papery skin on the outside of the green garlic bulb, trim the roots and lop off the tops of the green garlic. Quarter the heads and slice the stems.

1 bunch of Asparagus (about a pound), the tough bottom stalks snapped off--about three inches-- and the remainder sliced into 1 inch lengths.

a handful of snap peas or other green vegetable,

a good sized handful of baby spinach, chopped or sliced into strips. *swiss chard works too, just pull off the leaves and save the stalks for soup.

2 Tbsp. butter

1/2 c. white wine

1/2c. parmesan cheese, grated

2 tsp. lemon zest

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the barley in a soup pot and pour the four cups of water or stock over. Season the cooking liquid with salt. Set on the stove top and bring to a high simmer. Let the barley simmer away for 35 or 40 minutes. If it starts to dry out, simply add more liquid. Barley is a really forgiving grain. It's difficult to overcook, so don't worry too much about it. While the barley is cooking, prep the vegetables. Be creative with this dish and feel free to use up leftovers from the fridge. Ham, roast chicken or duck confit are all welcome additions to be diced and folded in at the last minute. Melt the butter in a wide saute pan or stock pot. Add the green garlic quarters and the sliced stems. Saute for three or four minutes, until the slices are translucent. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce by half. While the wine is reducing, drain the barley. Add the drained barley to the wine/garlic mixture. Give it a stir, then add 1 cup of your finishing liquid (stock or water). Bring the barley back up to a simmer and stir in the asparagus. Have your vegetables lined up and ready to go next to the stove. This next part goes quickly and smoothly if you are prepared. When the asparagus starts to turn that bright green 'cooked' color, fold in the spinach or swiss chard, and let it wilt. If the barley is starting to dry out, add more liquid a little at a time to moisten. Finish the risotto by folding in the parmesan cheese and the lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy! Serve with a light white wine such as a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. For a fancier presentation, serve in shallow bowls and top with grated parmesan and chopped chives or parsley.

Lily's Brisket

My favorite things to cook have always been the ones that yielded the most deliciousness with the minimum of effort. Don't misunderstand me--I love to cook complex, time-consuming multi- course meals, but it is not the only thing I like to do. Friends, sweaty yoga classes, sunny days all beckon me away from my four burner lover. (Really, is there anything better than sitting outside on a sunny day sipping a glass of wine, chatting with friends and people watching? )
I never considered how well this preference for cooking things with ease would work with a baby. I honestly thought that during my maternity leave, she would nap and I would finally have time to experiment and cook four course dinners on weeknights. Wrong! She is a lovely sleeper at night, but during the day she is 'no nap nellie' and my new challenge is not to work around her but to work with her. Braising is perfect for the baby (or just plain busy) lifestyle. I don't need to espouse the benefits and ease of braising. I'm sure that you are familiar with it--'take a cheap cut of meat and turn it into a tender, succulent taste sensation!' No need to be tied to the stove! The busy household's friend!' But it really is true. In honor of Passover last week I braised brisket, but this basic recipe could easily work for pot roast, beef stew etc. I love starting with a base note of caramelized onions--it adds an irreplaceable richness and depth of flavor.

Lily's Busy Day Brisket
Turn on the oven to 375F

2 onions, sliced (put the baby down and frantically slice before she starts to fuss.)

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. Butter

1 tsp. dried thyme or 1 Tbsp. fresh

Over a low heat in a saute pan, warm the olive oil and melt the butter. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and the thyme. Cook slowly over low to medium heat, until the the onions melt down into a sticky, dark golden brown mass. This takes about 45 minutes, but it is absolutely worth it. You can make this ahead of time and freeze in small containers to use whenever. Caramelized onions are great on sandwiches with roast beef, pizzas or anything else you can imagine. Once the onions are done, deglaze the pan with a little bit of water or stock and set aside.

4 Carrots, large dice

handful of mushrooms, quartered or halved if tiny.

2# Brisket

scant Tbsp. of oil

1 c. of Red Wine

1 c. of Chicken Demi Glace (I love cooking with demi-glace. It adds richness and mouthfeel to foods. However, if Demi-glace is unavailable, use twice the amount of chicken stock.)

3 c. of chicken or beef stock.
I like using a combination of beef and chicken stock. Braising beef with pure beef stock often results in a dish that is just too, well, beefy. I like the lightness of flavor that results from using chicken stock. If you only have beef stock on hand, I would cut it with 50% water.
Season the brisket well with salt and pepper. If you are using kosher beef keep in mind that it has already been salted. Heat the oil in a pot large enough to hold the beef and other ingredients. Sear the beef well on both sides. The beef should be a rich dark brown color from the searing process. *searing to a dark color will add flavor to the overall dish. Pour in the liquids, add the carrots, mushrooms and onions. Bring to a simmer on the stove top and add rosemary or other herbs if desired, then cover and place in the oven. Go about your daily business and let the brisket simmer away. Take a peek after an hour has elapsed--make sure that the brisket is still simmering away with plenty of liquid left in the pan. After 2 hours of cooking time, test the brisket for doneness by sticking a fork in it and lifting up. All braised items are judged to be done when they are fork tender. This means that when you stick a fork in a piece of meat and lift up it will fall off of the fork. Remove the pot from the oven and taste the sauce for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Since brisket tends to be fatty, you may de-grease the sauce by letting it chill overnight and then skimming the fat from the surface before reheating and serving. To serve, remove the brisket from the sauce and slice across the grain. I like serving this with mashed potatoes, but egg noodles or steamed rice would also be a good accompaniment.
Bon Appetit!

Dinnertime

My absolute favorite time of the day is when I get home from work, kick off my shoes and see my sweetheart and baby girl. I love to reconnect at the end of the day and have dinner together. In my work as a private chef, I have a first hand opportunity to see the impact of the family meal. It's also the only opportunity that I have all day not to rush--but to taste, savor and enjoy my food. I love to eat, almost as much as I love to cook. I love all types of food and meals--ribs and fried chicken eaten with my hands, insanely spicy Thai food, 4 course white tablecloth dinners...you name it. Dinner time is my reward for getting through a hectic day. Growing up, my family always had dinner together. It's a luxury in this day and age, not only to eat together, but to also have a hand in making your own food. After cooking all day for other people, the food that I cook for my family is simple but tasty, with ample portions for lunch the next day. I believe so strongly in the family meal that I could not cook for other people and not cook for myself. To not cook for my own family would be the ultimate hypocrisy. As a result I am constantly on the lookout for recipes that are fast, tasty and delicious. I've been on an Indian food kick for a while now and I love Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking cookbook---it's a small book, not terribly impressive looking, but it has some really great recipes in it, like this one for silken chicken. It is aromatic, tender from marinating in lemon juice, and exotic from garam masala. You can spice it up if you want or leave the cayenne out completely for a milder dish.

I've simplified the recipe a little bit. Here is my version:
Silken Chicken (adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking)
3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2#
Juice of 1 small lemon mixed with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Make three diagonal slashes in the chicken breast and prick the breast with a fork. Pour the lemon juice and salt mixture over the chicken, making sure to rub the lemon juice into the flesh, especially the slits. Set the chicken aside to marinate while you complete the 2nd half of the marinade.

Combine:

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/2 tsp. garam masala (Indian spice blend available at most major supermarkets.)

1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 clove of garlic, grated or put through a garlic press

1 tsp. of finely grated fresh ginger, or 1 tsp. dry ginger

Stir well and pour the cream marinade over the chicken breasts, again rubbing the marinade into the flesh and let marinate for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Turn the oven on to 400F and line a baking sheet with tinfoil for a quick clean up. Remove the chicken from the marinade (most of the marinade will cling to the chicken) and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the chicken with a little bit of paprika for color. Bake the chicken for about 15minutes and serve immediately with steamed rice or potatoes and a vegetable.

If you have the time, I really like the Green Peas in a Creamy Sauce, also adapted from Quick and Easy Indian Cooking. (Matar Makhani) Talk about yum-o! (take that Rachel Ray) Made with frozen peas, you can make it while the chicken is cooking. Steam some rice and buy some Naan from the grocery store and you have put together an impressive dinner in under an hour.

Green Peas in a Creamy Sauce (adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking)

1 10oz package of frozen peas

In a glass measuring cup combine:

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix the above ingredients together, then add enough cream to make 2/3 c.

additional ingredients for sauteing: 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Heat 3 Tbsp. of oil in a sauce pan, then toss in the mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the peas to the pan and pour the spiced cream mixture over. Cover and let simmer for 2 or 3 minutes. Taste, season and serve.