Crock Pot Food: Beef & Barley Soup

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  I broke down and invited some old aunties over for a simple lunch.  I didn't go nuts (local style), and I limited the food to traditional fare:  turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, candied yams, roasted asparagus, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin crunch cake.  Everyone took home enough leftovers for at least another meal, and I was left with a manageable amount of everything.  I'm sure my mom pooh-poohed the amount of food, but I think I made more than enough.  Kikukat Mom grew up in Hawaii, so by her measure, if I didn't make enough to hold the party 3x over, I really didn't make enough.  Well, I don't care if she thought that because the whole thing was over by 2:40!  That gave The Help enough time to help Kikukat Mom with her printer troubles.

It was nice to see the old aunties.  ABetty (of corned beef hash fame) is doing much better and moving around well. . .well enough to help herself to a second serving.  AJanice asked me if there was a book she could get which defines slang and text jargon.  She said she is currently reading a J. K. Rowling book with all kinds of profanity.  "I know what fuck and shit are, but I don't know what snogging means," said AJanice.  I had to laugh.  AJanice earned a living as a speech therapist just outside the Beltway, so "fuck" and "shit" were enunciated with utmost precision as ABetty looked on unfazed.  ABetty, the older of the two is closing in on 90, but even she will say a "fuck" here and there.  If I ever live that long. . .

The Ds popped in for a short time to get changed for a brunch.  D1 looked towering in her heels, and D2 looked so pretty in a floral dress.  Nice to see her wearing something other than a t-shirt and shorts.  Neither D is big on turkey so I hope their brunch served other things as well.

Even though the leftovers were manageable for me, I'm turkey'd out for a while.  I decided to buy a turkey breast roast (even if the whole turkey was much cheaper).  Nobody here really cares for dark meat so I figured the thighs and drumstick would only get in the way.  Glad I did.  The turkey breast cooked in under 3 hours, and because I brined it, it was juicy and seasoned throughout.  3M offered to deep fry my turkey, and I may take her up on it next year...if I buy a whole turkey.

I'm also kinda ham'd out.  I made Sugar Bath Ham.  The Help and I had ham sandwiches for a few days.  I like ham, but after 3 days, even ham loses its welcome.  I'm looking forward to eating "plain" food now.

Oahu and Kauai were under flash flood watch this past weekend, and I couldn't help but wonder if the rains would eventually reach us here.  While the weather wasn't all that great, it was primarily dry.  The Help watched a lot of football in between doing his chores (taking care of animals, washing car, etc.).  I managed to throw together this soup in the crock pot.  It was a nice break from turkey & ham.  It also went well with the leftover rolls from turkey day (giant bag from Safeway was $6.99).  Although the instructions say to initially add the barley to part of the vegetables on the stove, I'm quite certain everything could be just thrown into the crock pot. 

With the craziness of Thanksgiving behind us, its now time to do the countdown until the next break:  Winter Vacation!!!  15 work days stands between now and another break.  If I call in sick or take personal leave, I can shave off a day or two too!

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Beef & Barley Soup

     1- 1 1/2 lbs beef chuck, cut in 3/4" cubes

     1 tbsp oil

     1 c chopped onion

     1 c diced carrots

     1/2 c diced celery

     1 clove garlic, minced

     12-16 oz mushrooms, cut in quarters (or smaller)

     3 sprigs thyme

     1/2 c pearl barley, rinsed and drained

     1 can beef broth

     1 can chicken broth

     2 c hot water

     1/8 tsp pepper

     1 tsp salt

     fresh Italian parsley

Heat oil in large skillet.  Saute beef cubes til no longer pink.  Using a slotted spoon, remove meat to 4-quart or larger crock pot.  Add beef broth, cover, and cook on high.  Using same skillet, add onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add garlic, mushrooms, and thyme.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, place at least half of vegetable mixture in crock pot.  To remaining vegetable mixture, add pearl barley and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil then add to crock pot, along with hot water, pepper, and salt.  Cook on high for 5 hours.  Remove thyme sprigs before serving.  Garnish with parsley.

Birthday Confetti on Salmon

In honor of someone's birthday, why not honor them with confetti . . . confetti on salmon! 

In the 90's, while I was living in Honolulu, the Honolulu Advertiser, sponsored a recipe contest.  Winning recipes were featured in the food section of the newspaper with a story about the person who submitted the entry.  Unlike other recipes which appear in newspapers, these recipes were submitted by "regular people" who were not employed in the food service industry.  In other words, "regular people" were capable of recreating these recipes.

Confetti Salmon/Salmon Confetti was one of those winning recipes.  It was around that same time that I remember Mom making an oven-baked salmon frosted with mayonnaise and onions.  Of course, Mom's version was the best, especially since I didn't eat tomatoes back then.  In a familiar vein, once I began eating tomatoes, gateways to many different dishes opened up for me.  This is what led me to give Confetti Salmon a try.

As its name implies, the topping is what gives this dish the appearance that multi-colored confetti was thrown over a slab of salmon.  Credit for this recipe goes to Steven Tsai, who was a writer (not food) with the paper.  Like me, he had also spent some time in the Pacific Northwest, making him an amateur salmon expert!  Thank you, Steve, for sharing this recipe!

Happy Birthday!

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Birthday Confetti Salmon

     1 1/2 - 2 lbs salmon fillet, bones removed

     mayonnaise

     1/4 c onion, diced fine

     1 tomato, diced

     1/4 lb mushrooms, diced

     4 tbsp bacon bits or 4 slices bacon, cooked and cut fine

     2 tbsp capers

     juice of 1/4 lemon

     salt and pepper to taste

Place salmon, skin-side down, in a shallow pan.  Spread a layer of mayonnaise over entire salmon.  Sprinkle mayonnaise with onion, tomato, mushrooms, bacon and capers.  Squeeze lemon juice over.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes.

I sure could've used a Goma Tei restaurant in Hilo this past week.  I stayed home from work on Thursday and Friday, spending most of my time in bed.  I spent Saturday in bed.  I tried to join the living yesterday, but never ventured outside of my property. . .after the small chaffeuring mishap on Friday when I bravely (and stupidly) attempted to take D1 to the Mooheau Park Bandstand for Black & White Night. . .the episode left me a bit fearful about driving while on meds.  If only Goma Tei were here. . .I know the tan tan noodle broth would've cured my ills in no time.

Mushroom Risotto with White Truffle Oil

Want something truly decadent?  Mushroom Risotto with White Truffle Oil is where its at!  Creamy, unrestrained and guilt-free (well, two out of three isn't too bad) . . . less than an hour away, if you have all the ingredients on hand.  I actually had white truffle oil because I tried to recreate a frisee salad which was served at the Mariposa Restaurant in Neiman-Marcus (Honolulu).  I was devastated when they removed the frisee salad from their menu, and I'm still working on my copycat recipe for the dressing.

Eryngii Mushroom

While any combination of mushroom varieties will do, Ali'i Oyster mushrooms are truly the king of fungi.  Ali'i Oyster might be a term specific to this particular vendor, but more familiar names of this mushroom to people outside of Hawaii might be Eryngii or King Oyster Mushroom.  I love the texture and the flavor.  Portobello mushrooms were my favorite mushrooms until I tasted eryngii.  Perhaps this might change after I get my hands on some prized matsutake, but until then, this will be my go-to shroom.  It also makes me feel good that I am contributing to the local economy, as these are grown right here on the Big Island and are readily available in Hilo. 

Saute mushrooms until they wilt.

Be sure rice is well-coated with olive oil.

A bamboo spoonula works great for gently stirring risotto.

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Mushroom Risotto with White Truffle Oil

     2 tbsp olive oil, divided

     2 tbsp butter

     2 tbsp minced onion

     2 tbsp minced parsley

     2 tbsp calvados

     2 tbsp water

     8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into 1/2" 
          pieces

     1/2 tsp rock salt

     1 c arborio rice

     4 c  chicken stock, simmering

     1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

     1/2 c cream

     salt and black pepper to taste

     white truffle oil (allow 1/8-1/4 tsp per serving bowl)

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and butter in heavy 5-quart dutch oven.  Add onion and cook 5 minutes or until translucent.  Add parsley and mix well.  Add calvados and water.  Stir until alcohol evaporates.  Add mushrooms and salt. When mushrooms release liquid, remove mushrooms from pan and set aside.  Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.  Add rice and stir until completely coated with oil.  Add 1/2 c chicken stock to rice, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed.  Repeat with remaining chicken stock until only 1/2 c remains.  Add mushrooms back to pan.  Add remaining chicken stock and stir until absorbed.  Add Parmesan cheese and cream, stirring gently until cheese is melted and cream is absorbed.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving bowl with a drizzle of white truffle oil.