Barley "Risotto" with Kale & Tomatoes

Ok, since I have the time, why not have two posts in one day??  And since this recipe is almost a week old by now....I thought I better post it already!

Tanya's Barley "Risotto" with Kale & Tomatoes:


1 cup hulled barley (rinsed)
3 cups broth (or water w/bouillion)
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup packed kale
3 slices Teese mozzarella
garlic powder, black pepper


Put barley and liquid in a pot and bring to boil.  Turn to low, cover, and simmer about 1-1 1/4 hours.  Hulled barley takes longer to cook than pearl barley....keep this in mind if you're going to use pearl instead.  When the water is absorbed, mix in tomatoes, kale, and spices.  Let heat through for a few minutes, then mix in the Teese well until it's melted. Serve! 

Easy, no?

I recently read that hulled barley is better for you than pearl barley.....as in, it still has it's outer layer, or bran? I guess pearl barley is more like white rice and hulled is like brown? Is that right?  Anyway, it still tastes good, but it does take a lot longer to cook. But so does brown rice, etc....

Other things I've been eating:

Broccoli & Carrot salad with balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, & salt:

Pizza Potatoes (baked potatoes with Teese mozz & my red sauce: strained tomatoes, oregano, tomato paste, & salt):

Roasted asparagus with salt & pepper (roasted 15 min and added lemon juice when done):

That's it for today......

Eat smart,
T.

Tempeh and potatoes

Sorry for such a late dinner post.  Just got back from having a Sam Adams Seasonal...mmmm....

So we had tempeh for dinner, with a side of vegetables, including potatoes, local corn, local lima beans, and onions.

I based this tempeh recipe on the one I found on the Swellvegan blog. If you scroll down, you'll find Balsamic Tempeh.  I couldn't find fresh kale or anything at my store, so I had to use canned greens.  I used spinach and mustard greens.  I'm sure it would have been so much better with fresh kale.  I love the stuff.  So sad that the store didn't have any.  I didn't serve it with rice.  Instead, I made a side dish of potatoes to go with it. Perhaps next time I'll make it exactly as the recipe says!

Tanya's Potato Corn dish:

1 small yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cooked small red potatoes, cubed
~1/2 cup cooked lima beans
2 ears of corn (1 white, 1 yellow)
4-5 stalks of asparagus,cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic


Cut the kernels off the corn cobs.  Put oil in pan.  Add corn kernels.  Cook until browned, stirring every minute or so.  Set aside.  Use same pan, add more oil if needed.  Add onions.  Cook until translucent.  Add potatoes and let brown a bit.  Add asparagus.  You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water and cover to let the asparagus cook for a bit.  Add lima beans and corn.  Add seasonings to taste.  Cook a few minutes longer.

Enjoy!  I just kind of mixed all sorts of things......on the spot experiment.  I had to use the last 2 ears of corn from last week's farmer's market.  Also had to use the cooked lima beans I had from a day or 2 ago.  Again, I boiled a bunch of potatoes this morning, just to have on hand.  Still have some left.  Maybe I'll make my Potato Salad Oregano again!

Well, I think it's time to try one of those fancy chocolate truffles my friend  gave me for my birthday!

Until tomorrow....
Eat smart,
T.

Roasted vegetables with asparagus

I know, I know, I've already talked about roasted vegetables....blah...blah....blah...

BUT, today I added asparagus and white button mushrooms because I had to use up the mushrooms already (they'd been in the fridge a while) and asparagus was on sale! So that's my excuse. I also had to use up my tomatoes from last week's market (I'm sure I'll pick up more tomorrow). By the way, is it a stalk of asparagus or what? Does a "bunch" have several stalks?

And even though I still prefer my traditional roasted tomatoes, onions, and peppers, you can make it with pretty much anything! Next time I'll post my recipe for roasted cauliflower and broccoli a la lemon, with lemon israeli couscous. Good stuff.

It's gonna be a rainy weekend all around. So don't expect too much from me. We're still going to try and make it to the market tomorrow for our produce box (I think there may be more pattypan squash!!!!), you know....after we stop at Barnes and Nobles to pick up a few vegan cookbooks I've been drooling over. (no, I'm not vegan)

Ever since I had the most amazing vegan chocolate cupcake with peppermint frosting at The Tomato Head in Knoxville, TN, I've had cravings for vegan cupcakes. If you live anywhere near there, I highly recommend that place. The meal was perfect! With great local beer to go with it...on tap!

I can't get anything vegan here.....

Hmmm.....maybe tomorrow I'll make a list of my favorite veg-friendly restaurants from our travels!

Until then, happy eating.

Eat smart,

T.