hungry poodle

This photo was taken just before I sprinkled on the cheese and put it in the oven. Aren't the vegetables' bright colors beautiful?

Every week Weight Watchers distributes a leaflet that contains healthy eating tips, exercise ideas and recipes. Last week the recipe was for a variation of this vegetarian casserole. Since I had barley in my pantry and had no idea what to do with it, I figured this was a fortuitous sign.

Before assembling the casserole I cooked the barley on the brown rice setting of my rice cooker. If you’re a barley novice, I’d just follow the package directions. Pearled barley works well here. I also added kidney beans to my version, and I’m glad I did. They gave the dish a Tex-Mex flair as well as some extra heartiness. I love Swiss chard, but you can substitute baby spinach if you prefer.

Wow! This was so good I’m going to put it on a semi-regular Meatless Monday rotation. Leftovers were even better the next night.

2 t. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups Swiss chard, coarsely chopped*
2 cups frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 cup dark kidney or black beans
1 14-1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with chilies (I used Rotel)
2 cups cooked barley
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup sharp, low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

*remove tough stems from chard with a knife before chopping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet and sauté onion until translucent. Add garlic and Swiss chard and cook until chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, barley, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and heat through.

Coat a 3-quart baking dish with nonstick spray and spread barley mixture evenly into dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Serves 6

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Banish bland Meatless Mondays with spicy quinoa!

This post marks the beginning of a foray into recipes with quinoa, an ancient grain from the Andes. Quinoa is unique because it contains a balanced set of essential amino acids which, unlike other grains such as wheat or rice, makes it a complete protein. Thus it is an excellent choice for Meatless Mondays.

The following recipe is adapted from epicurious.com. This was my first try at quinoa, so I sought the least complicated recipe I could find. We discovered when we ate it that it was also completely satisfying and delicious.

A note of caution: read the label on the bag of quinoa you purchase. If it hasn’t been thoroughly washed, rinse it several times in a sieve, as it contains a bitter outer protective coating.

The poodle points do not reflect the optional feta cheese, but I highly recommend crumbling some on top of each serving.

1 T. vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
feta cheese (optional)

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan  and add onions and red pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

Stir in chili powder, cumin, quinoa and salt. Add water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until quinoa is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 cup cilantro; cook uncovered until heated through and liquid is fully absorbed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro and feta cheese, if desired.

Serves 4

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It’s Christmas week and cookies are making the rounds everywhere. I’m not actually making any, but I certainly have seen and sampled my share. I love Italian fig cookies. Great with a cup of strong coffee. Italian cook Mary makes them every year and brings them to my Weight Watchers meeting in a plain brown bag. Feels somehow illicit!

In our family, this is also the time of year when our hesitation to eat well-marbled MEAT takes a pass. I just ordered a standing prime rib roast, per daughter Lizzie’s request. I’ve never cooked a rib roast, having always opted for leaner cuts. But it is Christmas, Lizzie reminds me, and moderation be damned.

However, there are ways to lessen the damage, when you consider all the lovely vegetables that are in season this time of year. Brussels sprouts have appeared in supermarkets attached to their stalks, and I’m roasting them along with the MEAT.

It’s important to not overcook Brussels sprouts, because overcooking releases a chemical called sinigrin, which causes a sulfurous odor that is very unpleasant and the cause, no doubt, of Brussels sprouts being way down on the vegetable popularity list. The same goes for cabbage, its botanical cousin.

In the past I’ve steamed and boiled Brussels sprouts, but I am now a roasting fan because cooking them without water makes it that much more difficult to overcook them.

This is a really easy recipe: Heat oven to 400 degrees.

If you buy sprouts on their stalk, cut them off and trim off any tough or yellowed outer leaves. Cut larger sprouts in half, place in a large bowl and toss with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt (or Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, available at Penzey’s Spices) and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice during cooking, until browned on all sides.

Ina Garten suggests sprinkling them generously with sea salt, almost like they’re french fries (fat chance they’ll remind anyone of french fries). I find that this works well, although I like to gild the lily by adding some grated Parmesan cheese just before serving.