Portland Foodie

Blueberries and Barley

Blueberries and barley are more than a fun alliteration, they are a magic combination. Though the pair could easily be used to create a yummy breakfast treat, this recipe makes a great side dish for chicken, fish or pork.

Here's what you need:

Barley

1/2 cup dried blueberries

1/2 cup Parmesan

1 tbsp butter

Chicken or vegetable stock

Zest of 1/2 of a lime

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the barley according to package directions, substituting stock for water. Adjust ingredients to fit the amount of barley. Once cooked, add blueberries, Parmesan, butter and lime zest. Add a very healthy dose of high quality sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir and serve.

It really doesn't get much easier...and the barley stores well, too. You can have it as a side dish for multiple dinners.

 

photo by pfala

"Crustless" Apple Pie

Seems like it was just yesterday when my apples were nothing more than a blossom in their parent's eye..or something like that...the point is, they were just beautiful blooms on the trees in my yard...

And now, they are buckets and buckets of apples...apples everywhere...so many apples, that I am now working on creative apple recipes. Here's the easiest to make, terrifically delicious "crustless" apple pie...I would have called it apple pie filling, but that reminds me of the canned apple pie fillings from the store...and I just don't find those appealing. At all. Seriously.

Soooo, I decided to call it Crustless Apple Pie. Who needs the hassle of making a crust, anyway? So, here we go, you need:

• 4 medium apples, cored, (you can peel if you like, I usually just leave it on)
• 1 Tbs Unsulphured Molasses
• 1 Tbs Brown Sugar
• 1/2 t of Cinnamon
• 1/2 inch of fresh ginger, sliced (no need to peel this, either)
• a quick zest of nutmeg
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1/3 C of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum

Throw this all together in a pot. Bring to a light boil over medium low heat, reduce and let it simmer until the apples are soft, but definitely not mushy. Pick out the ginger slices and serve.

Watermelon Sorbet, Worth the Hassle

Alright, let me start with a couple of disclaimers...1) I am an impatient cook, so I like recipes that are easy and terrifically yummy. 2) My least fave part of cooking is the veggie and fruit prep.

So, it will come as no surprise to you that making watermelon sorbet was somewhat frustrating. First of all, the fruit is huge! Secondly, it is messy...but the final result was unbelievably yummy!

But, there are some things you can do that will make it an easier process. Start by prepping the watermelon in a planned way, not in a "we are at a picnic, let's just get a spoon and dive in" way. Check out my prep tips here.

Once you have cleaned and cut the watermelon into manageable chunks, you need to remove the seeds. Now, you can do that by hand, if you are patient and have a lot of time on your hands, or you can do what I did...throw the whole mess into a blender and whir away.

The key to this method is then using a food mill to strain out the undesirables. Here's a fancy one I found at the Chef's website. However, mine is just a one setting, $14 dollar version I found at Bi-Mart.

By running the processed watermelon through the food mill, you end up with a smooth juice that is ready for a sorbet!

The good news is once the prep is over, all you have to do is put it in the ice cream machine and let it run for 30 minutes...voila! Watermelon sorbet is born...If you don't have an ice cream machine, pour the liquid into a pan and set it in your freezer. When it is frozen, scrape with a fork to loosen, then serve or store.

A couple of tips: One, I think most watermelon is plenty sweet, so I don't add simple syrup to this recipe. If you want to, though, you can add equal parts water and sugar to a sauce pan and reduce by half. Then add to taste.

Two, sorbets created at home are often much harder than the varieties you buy at the store. Just let it sit on the counter a few minutes before working with it, and it will be just fine.

When I tasted my watermelon sorbet, it was like an explosion of summer...truly divine...and I can imagine it would make some wickedly good drinks...

Watermelon Quick Prep Tips

Sometimes the idea of prepping a watermelon, or any other melon for that matter, can seem daunting. Here's a quick, step by step guide to dispatching the inedible parts of the melon, so you can get to the good stuff faster!

Start by cutting the melon in half, then flip the melon on its cut end for greater stability.

Working from the top down, remove the rind from the melon.

 

Finish by cutting off the top of the melon to remove the stem end.

Slice the melon in half again, creating a flat side. Flip the melon over with the flat side on the bottom, again, creating stability.

Slice the melon in half lengthwise, then, cut across the melon, parallel to the lengthwise cut.

Voila! Cut melon...took almost no time at all. Now, pop into a container and store in the refrigerator for easy use and snacking!