Curried Barley Veggie Salad

A hot summer afternoon, do not feel like turning on the stove, yet craving for a hearty lunch…..I bet many of you feel the same way sometimes.  Well, today was definitely one of those lazy days.  I knew I had a cup of cooked barley and some veggies.  Barley, two little eggplants, one red bell pepper, some scallions, cilantro, fresh garlic and ginger….I knew I could come up with lunch, but yes, the stove must be turned on.  And, this is how the colorful barley salad became lunch with leftovers for another day!I find it easier to write an unscripted recipe, because that is how I cook most of the time.  A little of this, a pinch of that, some broth, etc. etc.  Here I chopped some scallions and tossed into a hot pan with olive oil, followed by minced ginger and garlic.  A couple of minutes later in went the diced red bell pepper followed by the diced eggplant.  Sprinkled some salt and red pepper flakes.  When the veggies were softened, I added some curry powder and gave it all a good stir.  I let the curry do its magic and when the aroma had wafted all over the kitchen, added the cooked barley and heated it through.Garnished the salad with some chopped cilantro and toasted cashews.  It was delicious at room temperature. The cashews were an afterthought — but absolutely worth it.

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Stuffed Sweet Peppers

The weather has already turned balmy in NY and spring is in the air, golden yellow daffodils blooming, trees and shrubs flowering, and the pollen causing allergy sufferers to suffer very early in the year.  Yesterday afternoon was particularly warm for March, and I decided to go for a long walk and soak in some gorgeous afternoon sun.  Walking in the neighborhood, these beautiful sweet peppers caught my attention.  I knew I had to take some home with me and wondered what was I going to make with these lovely peppers, they looked too beautiful to leave behind.  So, an hour later, a pile of beautiful red and orange peppers sat on the kitchen counter, waiting to be dressed and served.

Just the other day I had seen Freshly Pressed Sweet Mini Peppers by We Call Him Yes! Chef! and checked it out again.  Hmmm, what else? And suddenly I knew I could stuff them with some cheese and herbs.  As always, the pantry and refrigerator are great inspiration for a recipe.  Are you like me who can stand and stare at the items on the shelves for several minutes?  Nothing new has mysteriously appeared on those shelves, yet I keep looking.  A few minutes of searching and moving cans and other items, I had some feta cheese, black pitted olives, fresh cilantro (had no fresh parsley), scallions, some leftover salami, bread crumbs, and parmesan cheese.  After some dicing, mincing, grating, and crumbling, everything went into a bowl.  A quick toss and swirl and the filling was ready.

It took some time to slit the peppers lengthwise and remove the stems and seeds – then they were ready to be filled.

The peppers were stuffed with the filling.  I did not add salt but some freshly ground black pepper and grated parmesan cheese was sprinkled on top followed by a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  The peppers went into a 400-degree pre-heated oven until the cheese was melting and gooey. 

It was tasty – olives, cheese, salami, breadcrumbs – can one go wrong with this combo?  It is a perfect appetizer – I know for sure that I’m buying more peppers before the store runs out of it.  Now, let me finish off the last few peppers – why save them when they are delicious warm and toasty?

Salami is optional – sausages would be ideal too.  Or, you could have a vegetarian filling and leave out the salami/sausage.  The next time I would try some other ingredients for a twist on this recipe – any suggestions?

 

Quinoa Split Pea Salad

Quinoa and split peas make a wonderful combination, chewy quinoa and the soft peas tossed with sautéed onions, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno.  A pinch of turmeric gives the salad a vibrant yellowish tinge.  Freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt round off the salad.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

I have no particular measurements here, just half a cup of cooked quinoa, half a cup of cooked split peas, a little diced onion, a clove of garlic – minced, and a few sprigs of fresh cilantro.