mushroom.barley.spinach soup with asian.sesame.chicken salad

 

my very talented cousin sent me the recipe for this souper jenny's mushroom barley soup this morning and i knew immediately what we were having for supper. i love starting the week off with a hearty and healthy meal and this soup and salad combo is all that and more. paired with this asian sesame chicken salad makes the perfect match! i was so busy last week getting ready for a trunk show and traveling, so it feels good to be back home with my husband & pups...and back in the kitchen.

what ya need for soup:

(i changed the recipe a bit to work with ingredients we had in our kitchen)

olive oil

scallions

3 cloves garlic

shiitake mushrooms
portabello mushrooms
1 cup sherry
2 cups organic vegetable broth
2 cups spinach
1 cup dry barley
s&p to taste

what ya need for salad:

1 bag organic mixed baby greens

1 red pepper

brocolli

(dressing)

2 tbsp of rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy
1/4 cup olive oil
.25 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tbsp minced ginger
1 clove garlic
s&p to taste

drizzle some olive oil into a large warm pot and add your garlic and scallions. wash your shiitake and portabello mushrooms and then place them into the pot, along with the sherry. allow mushrooms to cook for and flavors to come together 15 minutes. 

 

add the broth and spinach, and bring to a boil. lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

 

stir in barley and simmer for another 25 to 30 minutes. you may want to add water or more broth if the soup thickens too much from the barley. s&p to taste.

while the soup is simmering, prep your chicken for the asian sesame salad. rinse your chicken and season with salt, pepper and sesame seeds. add to hot skillet with olive oil and cook on each side for 8 - 10 minutes, or until golden brown on each side. chop your pepper and broccoli and add to skillet. 

while the chicken is cooking, whisk together your salad dressing. mince garlic & ginger and add to bottom of salad bowl. add olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil. then add the sesame seeds and salt & pepper. toss dressing well and plate your salad. top with chicken, red pepper and broccoli stir fry from skillet.

 

ENJOY!

po's favorite turkey lasagna

  

this is another one of gj's fabulous and healthy recipes that i have taken into my own. everyone is always impressed when they hear i'm making homemade lasagna but i promise you, it's extremely easy and much healthier & delicious then your store bought brand.  i made my own version of gj's lasagna at the beach for my parents and my dad, being the po he is, told my mom it was the best he's ever had!  this dish is perfect for a big crowd and makes for some pretty tasty leftovers.

what ya need:

9 lasagna noodles

1 pd ground turkey

1 egg

non fat cottage cheese

1 large packet italian blend cheese

mushrooms

green & black olives

1 jar spaghetti sauce, i like emeralds kicked up tomato

salt & pepper 

 

 

add some olive oil into your sauce pan and brown your ground turkey.  turkey is very lean but there will still be some grease, so make sure you drain the grease from your pan before adding the mushrooms, green & black olives, and spaghetti sauce.  cook sauce on medium heat for 10 - 12 minutes to allow flavors to come together. 

while your sauce is coming together, cook your lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling salt water for 9 minutes.  drain the noddles in a colander and then place 3 noodles on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish to start building your first layer. 

once your sauce is finished cooking, mix together 1 egg and a few large spoonfuls of cottage cheese. you really can not have too much of this mixture, it's the best kept secret to this recipe in my opinion.  pour your ground turkey, spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and green & black olive mixture on top of your lasagna noodles. then drizzle some of the cottage cheese and egg mixture on top, and finally a healthy portion of your italian blend cheese. repeat these steps for a total of 3 layers. 

 

sprinkle the remaining cheese on top with salt & pepper, and place into the oven for 30 - 45 minutes at 350 or until bubbly and golden brown.  ENJOY!!!

braised red cabbage with goat cheese & bbq pork tenderloin

 

pork tenderloin is another weekly favorite.  it's lean, and makes for some fabulous leftover tenderloin tacos or sandwiches the rest of the week.  i usually cook pork tenderloin in the oven but i prefer it much more on the BGE (big green egg) and luckily ben could help tonight.  he heated the BGE up to 600 degrees, seasoned the pork with salt and pepper, and cooked on each side for 10 minutes, 20 total.  i've really been craving houston's lately since it's been a whopping four weeks since i've last set foot in this to-die-for restaurant..so i decided to recreate their braised red cabbage with goat cheese to accompany our tenderloin.

what ya need:

pork tenderloin

red cabbage

goat cheese

white wine

your fav bbq sauce

olive oil

salt & pepper

wash your cabbage and place onto a cutting board. slice into 1/2 inch rounds and then cut the rounds in half.  drizzle some olive oil onto a skillet, place your cabbage inside and add 1/3 bottle of good white wine and 1/3 cup water.  simmer for 30 minutes.  plate the cabbage and sprinkle goat cheese on top.

let your pork rest from the grill (or oven) so all the juices stay inside the meat.  slice and pour your favorite bbq sauce on top.  we love mrs. griffith's and johnny harris.

best served with a side red barn salad. see previous post.

ENJOY!!!

roasted red peppers with goat cheese. lemon pepper chicken with parsley. red barn salad.

  

during the week while ben is busy studying, i find chicken is my go-to starter meal. it's healthy, affordable, delicious and we always keep some in the freezer. there are so many different flavors you can pair with chicken, and this lemon pepper with parsley is hard to beat.  paired with these roasted red peppers and goat cheese, and a fresh side salad..and you've got yourself one fabulous meal.

what ya need:

4 bone in chicken thighs

1 lemon

1 onion

parsley

salt & pepper

2 red peppers

goat cheese

hearts of romain

garlic

olive oil

white pepper

wash your peppers and place onto a baking dish and into the oven for 30 minutes at 500 degrees. once your peppers are finished, take them out of the oven to rest and cool. if you're in a hurry place your baking dish in the refrigerator. once the peppers have cooled, peel the skins and rid of the seeds. lay the peppers flat, add goat cheese to the center and then roll from the bottom up. 

 

 while your peppers are cooling, get started on your chicken.  wash the chicken thighs and place them into a baking dish.  sprinkle each side with salt and pepper, then add the juice from half a lemon and finely chopped parsley. garnish on top with lemon slices for more flavor. place the chicken into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

 

while the chicken is in the oven and your peppers are cooling, start prepping your salad. finely chop 1 clove garlic and add it to the bottom of the salad bowl. add olive oil, salt, white pepper and the juice from the other half of your lemon. this red barn salad dressing is so versatile you can mix in just about anything. apples, avocado, mangos, just to name a few..but i am on a hearts of palm kick right now so that's what we used. i prefer hears of romaine lettuce, but spinach and arugula are also wonderful.

ENJOY!!!

turkey meatballs with angel hair pasta

 

there are a few staples you will always find in our pantry...one of those being spaghetti sauce and angel hair pasta. something about keeping the basic ingredients for spaghetti in the pantry reminds me of being snowed in at the mountains, and who doesn't like being reminded of that?! it's a comfort to know that no matter what's going on in your busy day, you can always have a warm bowl of delicious spaghetti for supper. this recipe is a step up from your basic spaghetti with the simple addition of turkey meatballs. they're healthy, inexpensive and can be easily put together with the basic fresh ingredients found in your kitchen any day of the week. 

what ya need:

1 pd ground turkey

1 egg

1/2 cup skim milk

1/3 packet of saltines or 2 slices bread

worcestershire sauce

salt & pepper

angel hair pasta, wholewheat optional

spaghetti sauce, i like emerald's or mario batali

in a large bowl, mix your ground turkey, egg, milk, saltines (or bread), worcestershire, salt and pepper. combine all ingredients together with your hands. if you're using bread slices, make sure you put them in a toaster or in the oven so they are nice and crispy before mixing into the bowl.

drizzle some olive oil into your skillet and heat your pan on medium heat. roll the mixture into rounds and place them into the skillet. allow each side to cook for 5 - 6 minutes or until brown. 

once your meatballs have cooked on each side, remove from the skillet and add some red wine to the pan. use a nonstick spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan and allow the remaining meatball mixture to incorporate into the sauce. place your meatballs back into the pan and add your spaghetti sauce. cook on med-high heat for at least 15 minutes. the longer the better, but sometimes you just can't wait!

while your sauce is coming together, bring a large pot of boiling water to boil. add your angel hair pasta and cook on high heat for 8 - 11 minutes. strain your noodles and add some olive oil, salt & pepper to taste.

 add some fresh parmesan cheese & basil if you have it! ENOY!!!