Herbed Barley!!

Ahh, I see you decided to try it! Barley is a great alternative to rice and if you are a fan of brown rice, you'll like it as well. I pulled the idea for the spices from http://www.foodtv.com/ since I had never cooked barley before and really had no clue on what to put it in.


You can use fresh herbs instead of dried, but I was limited in my choices. This recipe makes enough for 3 -4 people. As I mentioned before, I purchased the barley locally from Carrefour (ahh, just like Super Walmart, but you can't find any Dallas Cowboys gear).

Herbed Barley
3/4 cup barley
2 and 1/4 cups water
Thyme
Parsley
Salt
1 Bay leaf
2 tsp olive oil


Rinse barley thoroughly in a strainer to remove any extraneous grit. I found the step necessary with the barley purchased locally. Put barley and water in a pot. Add bay leaf, some parsley, thyme, and salt to the water and set to boil. Upon boiling, reduce heat and simmer barley for 30 minutes or until tender. If water remains after barley is done, strain water. Add 2 tsp of olive oil. Serve with Chicken and Mushroom dish.

Try this LLOR fans. I think you'll enjoy this dish, even by itself. For more nutritional information on barley, go to www.nutritiondata.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5680/2

Not just another boring Chicken dish

Chicken, chicken, chicken. I'm ALWAYS looking for a new way to make it. While in my kitchen this evening, I decided I'd get all crazy and try a new recipe for dinner. The original came from http://www.allrecipes.com/ , but I doctored it up a bit. My gamble paid off...the dish turned out FANTASTIC and was better than I expected.

This recipe is a take on Chicken Marsala. Instead of using rice or pasta to go with the chicken and mushrooms, I substituted barley. WHAT? Barley? Who makes that? Yes, I found barley locally and it rocked. I'll post the recipe for the barley next...for those of you who are brave enough to try it.

The recipe is a mix of local items and things that you probably already have in your cabinet (spices!). For the cheese that tops the chicken, I used some Italian blend from the commissary, but feel free to substitute any white Italian cheese that melts(mozzarella, Parmesan, etc).

Not Boring Chicken and Mushrooms
1 pack of chicken breasts ( 3-4)
1 regular sized carton of mushrooms, sliced (use whatever type you can get your hands on)
2 TBsp of butter
1 egg, beaten
breadcrumbs, enough to coat the chicken, about 1/2-1 cup
Italian blend or other Italian cheese, shredded
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. To the beaten egg add salt, pepper, and a shake of garlic powder. If not using seasoned breadcrumbs, add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the those too. In a deep fry pan (one that can go from stove to oven), melt the butter. While the butter melts, dip the chicken breasts into the egg mixture and then the bread crumbs. Brown both sides of the chicken in the pan. Lift chicken up and put mushrooms underneath each piece. Pour 3/4 - 1 cup of water in the bottom of the pan. Top each chicken breast with a sprinkle of cheese. Put pan into oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until chicken is no longer pink on the inside. Serve chicken, mushrooms, and broth over barley, rice, or pasta.
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If you don't have a pan that goes from stove to oven, you can transfer the chicken over to a 9X13 dish to bake in. I figured, it's one less pan to wash!!

Check out the following post on how to cook the barley.

Texas Redneck Dip

For those of you who know me, you know that I love TexMex food and will find any chance I can to make it. If I had my choice, hubby and I would eat tacos, chili, and fajitas throughout the week. However, that's a killer on the system and the waistline after a while :). Texas Redneck Dip fits right in with my TexMex theme...your non-Texan guests will thank you too.

My Aunt Margaret, who lives in Dallas, introduced me to this hot dip that she serves when I come to visit. It is truly out of this world and I can't imagine not sharing it with the LLOR fans. My hubby LOVES it. The original name is Indian Bread Dip and some of you may know it as that. However, a friend of mine, Deb, renamed this dish as Texas Redneck Dip after I brought it to a party and her hubby scraped the bread bowl clean with Fritos. What gets more Texan and redneck than Fritos and cheesy goodness? Anyways, that's a little history behind this you-won't-want-to-step-away-from-it-at-a-party dip.

Most everything you can find on the local market or substitutions that are close enough. One thing that you MUST have is Worcheshire sauce. I found it at our commissary, though, if you find it on the local market besides the U.S., please let me know!!

Texas Redneck Dip
8 oz cream cheese (I use 1 of the larger rectangle containers of Presidente Fraidoux fromage nature. This is the closest thing to cream cheese in Tunisia)
8 oz sour cream (Onetina or creme fraiche)
16 oz shredded cheddar (Ahh, I missed my cheddar cheese for so long and now everything I make has it in it. Seriously.)
7 oz canned green chillies, diced (You might be able to substitute a fresh milder pepper. I'd recommend cooking it a little first before putting it into the recipe).
1 bunch of chopped green onions (They are in season in the Winter in Tunisia. If you can't get green, go with another color of onion.)
1 TBsp Worcheshire
1 package of sliced ham, chopped (Any ham will do. I end up buying this from the commissary since we can only get jambon de dinde here. Do not use this in this dish. It won't taste the same.)

Optional: 1 round or oblong shaped loaf of bread, whole
Fritos, crackers, sliced baguette, or something to eat the dip with. TUC plain crackers work well too!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything together. One option is to put into mix into a pie plate or casserole dish to bake. The other option is to cut the center of the loaf of bread out and shape like a bowl. Be sure to leave enough of the bread so that the dip does not melt through the sides or bottom. Bake uncovered for 1 hour - 1 hour, 15 minutes. If the top starts to brown too quickly, tent foil over the top of the dish. Serve warm with Fritos, crackers, or bread pieces.

Enjoy! I'll bet you this one will be a hit at your next party. Actually, I'll guarantee it.

Stefanie's Buffalo Chicken Dip

My friend Stefanie, who is currently in Tunisia with Erin and me, makes a dip that will knock your socks off. It's usually what I request her to make when we have a bring-a-dish event (i.e. bunco or quiz night). This Buffalo Chicken Dip is easy to make and if you like spicy chicken wings, this one is for you. It combines the best of the wing and the blue cheese/ranch dressing all in one dish.


The recipe has a couple of items that you will need to buy either online or from the commissary (at least we have to in Tunisia!!). However, you may be able to get everything locally if you are in a larger city.


Stefanie's Buffalo Chicken Dip

-2 or 3 smaller chicken breasts, cooked (Stefanie mentions that it's best to cook these by poaching them in water, so that the chicken stays moist)
-1 package of cream cheese (in Tunisia, you can use the tub of Presidente fromage fondue or fromage tartiner)
-1/3 to 1/2 cup of Louisiana hot sauce or Frank's Hot Sauce (any hot sauce would most likely work here as well)
-1 cup of shredded melty cheese (cheddar works the best, but as we all know, it's not always available. whatever you do, don't use the Tunisian shredded stuff as it DOES NOT melt)
-1/2 cup of ranch or blue cheese dressing (you can also use a dry ranch packet with 1/2 cup of mayo if you don't have the bottled dressing)
Optional: crumbled blue cheese for the top

Shred the poached chicken with two forks. Mix chicken with all of the ingredients and put into a shallow dish. Put the optional blue cheese on top if you are using. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with crackers (TUC brand or any other to your liking) or if you have them, carrot and celery sticks.
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Stefanie wanted me to let the LLOR readers know that she doesn't necessarily measure the ingredients, but makes sure that the dip isn't too dry or too creamy from not enough or too much cheese. Also, she made the dish for an event on Saturday night and our table consensus thought it was better with the pack of dry ranch dip mix. But again, use what you have!!

Pork Chops and Applesauce...

Every time I say this out loud I think of Peter Brady on the Brady Bunch. Regardless, you may find that you'd like to cook up some loveliness in the form of pork chops and apples, and I have the easiest recipe for you. This is courtesy of my cousin in Charleston, and it is as easy as pie.

What you'll need:

4 large apples, peeled and sliced

1-2 pounds of pork chops

3 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 tsp. of cinnamon

1/2 tsp of salt

Directions:

In a crock pot, layer the pork chops on the bottom and cover with the sliced apples. Then, in a small bowl combine the spices, and once combined, spoon spice concoction over the apples. Cover the pot, turn on high, and let cook for 3-4 hours. The juice from the apples is all that you need to cook the chops. So let it do its thing and voila! Good stuff.

This is the easiest recipe in the world. Once the pork is cooked, scoop the apples from the top and put in a separate bowl. I added a generous dollop or two to the cooked apples, and then plated the chops with some of the apples as well. I paired the chops with some mashed potatoes, some gravy (I cheated with a bought package from the commissary-Go McCormick's!), some carrots, and a nice green salad. Everyone loved the pork and apples and I didn't have to do much except take all the credit. If you're lucky enough to have a box of gingerbread cake, this would be an excellent choice for dessert. Or perhaps you have a home-made recipe for gingerbread, which we'd love you to post.

Peppermint Chocolate Brownies

The title of this recipe should have caught your attention. Bunco comes one time a month for us Lunching Ladies and I usually try to make something new instead of using one of my usual recipes. Not that those are bad, but when I saw this recipe in an older issue of Real Simple, I had to go for it.

Wowsers! Am I glad I did because these are wanna-slap-your-mama good (no offense to the moms out there!!). Of course, when you try a new recipe out, my recommendation is to ALWAYS try a piece. You'll notice the lovely bottom left hand corner of the pan where I did....proof!

As I mentioned, this was a recipe I pulled out of a girlfriend's weekend article from Real Simple. OK, I'm totally breaking my rules with finding all local ingredients on this one, but I could have made without using my cheats. I'll let you decide! The best part about these brownies is that they taste like Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. No lie, people. I thought that I just come back from the grocery store in the U.S. where a group of Brownies had unloaded a box on me.

Peppermint Chocolate Brownies

1 box of brownie mix (Yeah I know, I'm definitely cheating. Use your best brownie recipe to sub in. My from scratch brownies have thus far only been successful when they are a la Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker.)

6 TBsp of butter, softened

3-5 TBsp of milk

3 cups of powdered sugar

1/2 tsp of peppermint extract

Green food coloring, a couple of drops

3 squares of unsweetened dark chocolate (You can use ANY chocolate that melts. I would recommend either Baker's or another dark chocolate bar)

Make the brownies as directed on the box. While they cool, combine the butter, powdered sugar, peppermint extract, milk, and a couple of drops of green food coloring with a mixer until you have a frosting consistency. When the brownies are completely cool, spread the frosting mixture evenly and refrigerate for 30 min-1 hour. Melt chocolate squares as directed and drizzle on cold brownies. Put back in the fridge until chocolate is set. Cut into squares and serve.

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I used a larger pan to bake the brownies, so this batch yielded about 48 brownies. That's fab when you need a lot of something and don't have time make cookies, especially in my house where I have a European sized oven with one rack. I like 'em cold, but I also prefer my Thin Mints kept in the freezer.

Crunchy Little Cornbread

Football playoff season brings out more options in football festivity foods. Along with chili (See our Chili recipe), cornbread is one of those things that just goes. Prior to being in Tunisia, I'd pick up a Jiffy pack at Wegman's, mix it up, and throw it in the oven. Sorry, no Jiffy at Carrefour or Monoprix!

The recipe uses all local ingredients. REALLY! And I'd be hard pressed if you told me you can't find them. It's a recipe that I pulled out of, you guessed it, Faithful Red (aka, Betty Crocker Cookbook). And folks, I'm not making money off of the endorsement!! This cornbread is SUPER EASY. Almost as easy as Jiffy, but I think it tastes a heck of a lot better. Also, I've baked mine in the oven. For those of you who are true cast iron skillet fans, I'm sure you could adapt the recipe. But, I make no guarantees to how it turns out.

Crunchy Little Cornbread

1 cup of milk (I used skim, but fuller fat ones would work too)
1 egg
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1 and 1/4 cup of cornmeal (I used fine grain 'semoule')
1 cup of flour
1 TBsp of baking powder
1/2 cup of sugar (ouch. I know. if you prefer yours a little less sweet, try decreasing this amount)
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the milk, egg, and melted butter. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until moist. Do not over mix as it will be a little lumpy. Pour into a greased 9X9 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Really, could this be any easier? I have some sitting in my kitchen that's getting wrapped up for tomorrow. If you are a cornbread purist, try it by itself. Don't like it with chili? It makes a great snack with a little butter and honey.

Now get back to watching football.

So you liked the chicken salad?

It's football season and what football season isn't complete without chicken wings? Well, I do have a recipe for those, but as promised, I'd like to share my very own Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe. P.S. I'll post the wing recipe before the Superbowl!

This is a variation on the Happy New Year Chicken Salad that was posted last week. Like that salad, this one can be made so that you stick to your New Year's resolution. However, the recipe here is for the full-on version. Proceed with caution.

You can find all of the ingredients locally with the exception of the wing sauce. I'm lucky enough to bring it from the states in my suitcase and have family send it to me (thanks bro!). If you don't have wing sauce, you can make an easy hot BBQ sauce that works just as well. Mix 1/3 cup BBQ sauce with any ol' hot sauce...add amount to taste.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

1 package chicken breasts
1 head of lettuce, torn into pieces
Carrots
Celery
Ranch dressing or Blue Cheese dressing
1 package of blue cheese, crumbled

Cook chicken breasts in pan. While chicken is cooking, arrange lettuce in individual bowls. Top lettuce with celery sticks and carrots. I like to use the peeler and peel strips of carrot into the individual bowls. Once chicken is cooked, use knife and fork to cut chicken into bit sized pieces. Put pieces in a separate bowl with lid and pour about 1/3 -1/2 cup wing sauce onto the chicken. Put the lid on the bowl and shake to cover chicken with sauce. Divide chicken into bowls. Finally, add dressing and a little crumbled blue cheese.

Seriously, this has got to be one of the easiest meal salads I've ever made. If your family likes chicken wings, make this and see what they think.

Oh, and Go Cowboys!

Not Your Everyday Pizza, Part 2

So last night's pizza was a hit, but as a result, there isn't a left-over piece to be found. But you're still hankering for just another taste of that delish dish--what's a girl to do? Luckily, here's a solution. And a great dish for dinner.

Last night, I cooked an entire batch of sausage, and because I didn't need all of it, there was still about a cup and half left in the fridge. I also had a large amount of the chevre left (I use Rondele garlic and herb flavor), which is a rarity for me, as I usually finish off every package I open. So I decided to use the left overs and see what I could come up with. Since I had pizza last night, I figured pasta might be the way to go tonight. So, here it is:

In a large pot, boil enough water to heat a half box of pasta. Add a 1/2 pound of penne pasta, salting the water and cooking for about 15 minutes. When pasta has finished cooking, drain off the water, and then return the pasta to the warm pot. Microwave the sausage for about a minute, then toss that into the pasta. In addition, you may want to add some cooked peas for a little color. Then, toss in the rest of yesterday's soft cheese and mix gently all the ingredients in the pot. The cheese will melt nicely against the warm pasta and the hot pot. Continue to gently stir the mixture until all the cheese is melted/incorporated. You may want to add some salt and pepper for additional flavor. Serve hot and enjoy this very quick and easy dinner.

Not Your Everyday Pizza

In Tunis, there's a lack of delivery options for dinner. While I would love there to be a Papa Mohammed's on my speed-dial, it just isn't so. There are other pizza options here, namely the very thin crust Margherita, with red sauce and cheese (and sometimes tuna sprinkled on as a helpful condiment). But for times when you want a pizza, you have to invest some time and make your own. There are many mixes for pizza dough on the shelves of the markets here, and you can also make your own from scratch. I have discovered the lazy girl's way of getting a pretty tasty pie on the table. The key is all in the pastry dough.

In Tunisia, you can find phyllo and pastry dough very easily in the refrigerator section of the supermarkets. I buy mine sometimes from the freezer section of the commissary and just keep it in my freezer at home.

Here's what you'll need:

One sheet of pastry dough, thawed

One large onion, sliced

One red bell pepper, sliced

One container of sausage

Soft cheese (chevre works well)

Cook the sausage over medium heat until fully browned. (I use the Bob Evan's mild sausage from the commissary and keep it in the freezer for emergency pork purposes such as these). Drain the fat and set aside. In a saute pan, melt a tblsp of butter, and cook the onions and peppers until they are softened a bit. I actually like to carmelize the onions, which takes a little longer, but produces really sweet tasting onions. Once the onions and peppers are cooked, remove from heat and set aside. Follow the directions for heating the pastry (some brands vary).

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a cookie sheet, unroll the pastry dough, and liberally spread the onions and peppers over top. Then, spoon on the sausage. Next, using a spoon, put dollops of the soft cheese on top of the pizza, trying to gauge where the pastry will be divided into square slices once cut. You want to be sure that each bite gets a little bite of the cheese. After you've assembled the pizza, cook for 20 minutes at 400. When the pastry begins to brown and puff, your pie should be finished and ready for consumption after cooling for about five minutes.

I made this pizza last night and think it's pretty amazing. It's a far distant cousin from the pepperoni slices I grew up eating from Marzella's in downtown Collegeville, PA, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Our friend Nana made a similar pizza using onions and apple slices, and it rocked. You can substitute any of the ingredients to include your favorites. Black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon...Enjoy.

Festive Shrimp Dip

Every time I serve this dip, people really seem to dig it and dig in. I usually forget about it until I'm in a pinch and need something that looks Christmassy or has good presentation. For the most part, you can find most of the ingredients abroad, tho' you may need to substitute American cream cheese with fromage blanc. Either way, the little ways you tweak it don't seem to alter the taste all that much.

What you'll need:

Serving platter

1 package of cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 c. sour cream

1 bag frozen shrimp (preferably without the tails on), thawed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2-3 scallions (or leeks), diced

***1 bottle of cocktail sauce

***If you're lucky enough to have access to a commissary which stocks cocktail sauce, you're a happy chef. If not, you can make your own by combining horseradish and ketchup. Here in Tunisia there is no horseradish that we've found, which throws a wrench in the plan. I wouldn't prepare this dip without the cocktail sauce, so if you find that you can't get it, then you may have to save this recipe for another time.

Essentially this recipe requires you to create a pyramid-like layering effect. So if you have a wide platter (I use a triangular serving dish), you'll want to be able to spread this out on top of it. Don't use a small dish, unless you want to create a Leaning Tower of Pisa-like layering effect. Recipe for disaster, to be sure.

To start: With a hand mixer, mix together the sour cream, mayo, and cream cheese until smooth. With a spatula, spread the mixture around the base of the plate in a thin layer. Next, spread the cocktail sauce over the creamy mixture, leaving a small edge of the creamy white mixture visible. Then, spread the chopped and thawed shrimp in a layer atop the cocktail sauce, making sure to leave a thin edge of cocktail sauce visible. Green peppers make up the next layer, and again, you want to make sure to leave visible a small edge around the layer of shrimp. Add a layer of Mozzarella cheese, leaving the edge of green peppers visible at the edge. Next, add a layer of red peppers, continuing to leave the edge of Mozz. cheese visible. Next comes the layer of scallions, leaving an edge of red peppers visible. And finally comes the layer of halved cherry tomatoes, leaving visible the edge of scallions.

The point of creating a visible edge for each layer is to gradually decrease the size of each layer. Seeing the different layers provides for a nice presentation. It sounds like a lot of work, but really, just the chopping of the veggies is what takes the most time. The rest is a breeze.

I serve this with Tortilla chips (if I can find them), crackers, or chunks of bread. It's a really good starter. I know this because T's hubby Blake, a man who likes good food, told me so on Christmas. :) Enjoy.

Curried Pumpkin Carrot Soup

When it starts to get cold outside, I tend to put the soup on. While Chicken Noodle remains a favorite, sometimes it's nice to shake things up a bit. I've discovered a fun and easy soup that is quick to make, tastes great and is really healthy. Put your seat belts on--it's about to get a little wild in the kitchen.

You will need:

1-2 cups fresh pumpkin, diced into small pieces

two cups chicken broth

3 carrots, diced

1 onion, shallot, leek (whatever you can get your hands on)

1/4 tsp. curry

1 tblsp. butter

To start: Heat butter in a pan over low to med. heat. When melted, add diced onion, and saute until transparent. Add pumpkin and carrot pieces and give a toss in the onion-butter mixture, then add the chicken broth. Add the curry. Turn up heat to high until it comes to a boil, and then turn heat to simmer, cover with a lid, and wait until the pumpkin/carrots become soft. This is the longest part of the process, usually taking about 15 minutes. Once the veggies are softened, remove from heat, and set aside.

The next step requires a Cuisinart, blender or hand held food processor. I plug in my hand held food processor and blend the soup directly in the pot. After the veggies are processed, the consistency of the soup will become creamy. At this point you may want to taste the flavor and add salt and pepper, if you choose. Depending on how much spice you like, you may also want to adjust the amount of curry. Once the soup is of a creamy consistency, you can serve it into bowls, OR you can return it to the stove top and stir in cream, milk, or creme fraiche. Milk products aren't necessary, but if you want a super creamy soup, this will make it so.

This soup is hearty enough to be a meal in itself. Just pair it with a crusty bread and you're set.

Happy New Year Chicken Salad

The holidays and over and you jumped on the scale January 4. Ey, ey, ey! Did all of the cookies, drinks and oh-so-good casseroles really catch up to me like that? New Year's Resolution time.



The big joke is that most people who commit to losing weight at this time of the year won't follow through with it. Good for those who do!! I have a salad that I make regularly that is low in calories and if you've decided to follow Weight Watchers like I have, it's low in points. If you are like me and like to have a lighter meal later in the day, this is a great recipe for you.



All ingredients can be found locally with the exception of the ranch dressing (commissary) and for those of us in the Muslim world, bacon (commissary). If you are lucky enough to be able to find these locally, I commend you! Also, the serving size is for 2...adjust as needed for your family.

By the way, there is another variation of this recipe that I can't wait to share with you next month. It's our Chicken Wing Salad and one of hubby's favorites! OK, maybe I'll post it sooner than that!

Happy New Year Chicken Salad

Lettuce or other greens, torn or chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion or 1/4 large onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced or 1 cup bite-sized tomatoes, cut in 1/2s (the mini tomatoes are probably my favorite discovery here in Tunisia for the winter season)
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed (fiber, fiber, fiber)
2 slices of cooked bacon (don't think I'm crazy...I had some left over from Sunday's B-fast)
1 hard boiled egg, diced
Sprinkle of cheddar cheese
2 chicken breasts, pan cooked and diced
Optional toppings: diced carrots, chopped celery, 1/4 diced avocado (just a little goes a long way), other low-calorie veggies
Ranch dressing (or any other creamy dressing)

**I know what you are thinking, Ranch dressing is loaded with calories and fat! A trick that I like is to take 1TBsp of dressing and water it down a bit. I'm only able to get the full calorie stuff here and it works for me! I'd like to dedicate this 'trick' to my years of eating in restaurants and having friends who were waiters in college.****

Add lettuce and layer other veggies in 2 bowls. Split up remaining ingredients into bowls. Pour dressing on top and toss salad. You are ready to eat.

For this recipe, most of the time is spent in the preparation before putting it together. One time saving trick I love is to chop a little more of the veggies or cook extra chicken and stick the stuff into baggies to use later in the week for this salad. This works well especially with the chicken breasts.

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Happy New Year LLOR readers!
Keep an eye out for more 2010 recipes!