The Meal Plan:
Sun (L) out (S) leftovers/Risotto
Mon - New Year's Eve Potluck
Tues (L) Risotto (S) Fish Stew
Wed - Fish Stew
Thurs (yoga) - Fish Stew
Fri - Fish Stew
Lunches - Barley, Kale and Butnut Risotto (me); veggies (Husband)
Barley, Kale and Butternut Risotto (Lidia Bastianich) vegetarian option
First, recipe on Lidia's website states it serves 6-8. Try 8-10. This made a lot and it was very filling.
I modified somewhat and used my Instant Pot to cook the barley in step one, rather than boil for 30 minutes. I cut back on the water ratio and cooked for 15 minutes.
This was...okay. I found it sat rather heavy on my stomach - overly filling perhaps? So my portion sizes were perhaps on the smaller size. The butternut squash was the prevalent flavor, with everything else fading into blandness in the background. By the end of the week, I was adding salt to counter the sweetness of the butnut and give the rest any kind of flavor. I will note it did stay creamy when re-heated.
If you're looking to feed a group of vegetarians, this would be a good dish.
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the cooking water and to taste
2 fresh bay leaves
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| photo from lidiasitaly.com |
8 cups chicken stock
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 medium bunch kale (about 1 pound), stemmed, leaves coarsely chopped
4 cups ½-inch cubes butternut squash
3 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
¾ cup grated Grana Padano
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the
bay leaves and barley, and simmer until the barley is about halfway
cooked (just beginning to become tender on the outside, hard in the
center), about 30 minutes. Drain well.
Bring the stock to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat; keep it hot. Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and about ⅓ cup of the hot stock. Simmer until the stock reduces away, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot and celery, and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the drained barley, and toss to combine. Let the barley dry in the pot for a minute, then add the wine. Simmer until the wine is absorbed, then add enough of the stock just to cover the barley. Add the kale and butternut squash, and stir to combine. Simmer until the first batch of stock is absorbed, about 7 minutes. Season with the salt, and keep adding stock to cover, until the barley is creamy and the vegetables are cooked, about 15 minutes more.
Off heat, add the butter and grated cheese, mix well to combine, season with salt if necessary, and serve.
North Carolina Fish Stew (modified from Cooks Country) gluten free
This is a simple recipe that comes together in about an hour from start (pulling the cutting board out) to finish (soup on the table). I had a couple of modifications also noted in italics below - I removed the bacon and set aside, then drained off excess bacon fat and returned 1 tbsp to the pan for the onions. I added the tomato paste before the water to bloom the flavors and allow some onion to infuse the paste.
Because there's only two of us, I only cooked two eggs at a time.
Photo shows this being served with classic white "wonder" bread. I prefer a rustic loaf from the co-op or something homemade.
This was outstanding! Loved this dish! The Tabasco added the perfect amount of heat, the fish was tender, I loved the egg yolks mingling with the sauce. My only recommendation would be to cut the potatoes into cubes rather than disks because disks were awkward to eat. I'll definitely be making this again! RECOMMENDED!
Recipe says serves 8. I got 10 servings out of this dish.
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 onions, halved and sliced thin
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cups water
1(6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick (small cubes might be better)
1 bay leaf
2 pounds skinless white fish (cod or haddock) fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, cut into 2-inch chunks (I used cod)
8 large eggs
1. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally. **Remove bacon to a paper towel, and drain off excess bacon fat if necessary. I returned 1 tbsp to pot to saute onions. Otherwise, my soup would have been swimming in bacon fat.
Add onions, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper flakes and cook until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. **I added tomato paste to onions first to allow the flavors to bloom. THEN I added the water.Stir in water and tomato paste, scraping up
any browned bits. Add potatoes and bay leaf. Increase heat to
medium-high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook at
vigorous simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in Tabasco. Nestle fish into stew but do not stir. Crack eggs into stew, spacing them evenly. Cover and cook until eggs are just set, 17 to 22 minutes**. Season with salt to taste. Serve, passing extra Tabasco separately. **After the first night, I poached my eggs separately then added to my bowl.
Bring the stock to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat; keep it hot. Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and about ⅓ cup of the hot stock. Simmer until the stock reduces away, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot and celery, and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
Add the drained barley, and toss to combine. Let the barley dry in the pot for a minute, then add the wine. Simmer until the wine is absorbed, then add enough of the stock just to cover the barley. Add the kale and butternut squash, and stir to combine. Simmer until the first batch of stock is absorbed, about 7 minutes. Season with the salt, and keep adding stock to cover, until the barley is creamy and the vegetables are cooked, about 15 minutes more.
Off heat, add the butter and grated cheese, mix well to combine, season with salt if necessary, and serve.
North Carolina Fish Stew (modified from Cooks Country) gluten free
This is a simple recipe that comes together in about an hour from start (pulling the cutting board out) to finish (soup on the table). I had a couple of modifications also noted in italics below - I removed the bacon and set aside, then drained off excess bacon fat and returned 1 tbsp to the pan for the onions. I added the tomato paste before the water to bloom the flavors and allow some onion to infuse the paste.
Because there's only two of us, I only cooked two eggs at a time.
Photo shows this being served with classic white "wonder" bread. I prefer a rustic loaf from the co-op or something homemade.
This was outstanding! Loved this dish! The Tabasco added the perfect amount of heat, the fish was tender, I loved the egg yolks mingling with the sauce. My only recommendation would be to cut the potatoes into cubes rather than disks because disks were awkward to eat. I'll definitely be making this again! RECOMMENDED!
Recipe says serves 8. I got 10 servings out of this dish.
 |
| photo from Cooks Country via Pinterest |
2 onions, halved and sliced thin
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cups water
1(6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick (small cubes might be better)
1 bay leaf
2 pounds skinless white fish (cod or haddock) fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, cut into 2-inch chunks (I used cod)
8 large eggs
1. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally. **Remove bacon to a paper towel, and drain off excess bacon fat if necessary. I returned 1 tbsp to pot to saute onions. Otherwise, my soup would have been swimming in bacon fat.
Add onions, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper flakes and cook until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. **I added tomato paste to onions first to allow the flavors to bloom. THEN I added the water.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in Tabasco. Nestle fish into stew but do not stir. Crack eggs into stew, spacing them evenly. Cover and cook until eggs are just set, 17 to 22 minutes**. Season with salt to taste. Serve, passing extra Tabasco separately. **After the first night, I poached my eggs separately then added to my bowl.
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