Mediterranean Barley-Stuffed Peppers

I tried meal planning this week. In my house growing up there were about 10 different dinner options, including three different "casseroles" that start with a box of mac' and cheese. Every day about 5:00 pm, my dad or my mom or my sis, whomever happened to be home, would say "what do you want for dinner?" and on we went. My husband, however, grew up with the week's meal plan taped to the fridge, something I thought went out of fashion the same time as the "no white after labor day" rule. In the spirit of compromise, I tried it last week and it turns out I love it.

I had to get used to shopping with a list. When I shopped just for myself I would go shopping on Sunday afternoons when they make all the markdowns, buy whatever was on clearance, and that's what I'd eat for the week. Yes, I'm that crazy lady at the grocery store with a cart full of markdowns simultaneously trying to rifle through her coupons and steer her cart at the same time.  I also ate more meat last week than I have in the last month. I have that old American mindset that it doesn't look like a "real" meal without a hunk of meat on the plate. Weird, because on my own I rarely eat meat. Last night Jim was working late and my dinner was two pieces of toasted Italian bread with hummus and bruschetta and a glass of wine. So simple and so satisfying.

In that spirit, I've toned down our meat for the upcoming week in an effort to cut costs and get back to my veggie-loving roots. Here's a lovely recipe that reflects that, Mediterranean Barley-Stuffed Peppers. They would be delicious with some herbed goat cheese, good bread and a salad. Actually everything would be delicious with herbed goat cheese, good bread and a salad. But we're here to talk about the peppers.

Mediterranean Barley-Stuffed Peppers

 1. Wash two bell peppers (I used one green and one red) and cut in half through the stem from top to bottom. Empty out the seeds and ribs inside. I like to cut off one small slivery from the back of the pepper half so that it will lie flatly on my baking sheet.  Set these aside while you prepare the filling.

(That bowl on the left is some bread cubes for a panzanella salad to go with!)

2. Chop one onion and get that started sauteing in a skillet over medium heat. Cut two zucchini into medium chunks (they're the only thing with any texture in the finished dish). Add to the onion in the pan and stir everything around. I used a nonstick pan so I actually did not use any oil at all, but feel free to use a tablespoon of olive oil if you're not using nonstick. Add some salt (1/2 tsp) at this point for seasoning. I think it's important to season + taste at every level of a dish so the finished dish is well-balanced and well-seasoned. I also added a splash of red wine at this point, cuz that never hurts. It just adds a little depth of flavor. I would add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar if you don't use the wine.

3. I usually have a big bowl of cooked whole grains in the fridge. This week it was barley. I get pearled barley from the story because it's so cheap! Once your onions are translucent add 1 1/2 cups of cooked barley. If you need to cook the barley from scratch, bring one can of reduced-sodium chicken broth (or 1 3/4 cups of water or homemade chicken broth if you'd prefer) to a simmer and add 1 1/4 cups of barley and simmer for 40 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

Yup. That's how I add the barley. What can I say? I like to cook with my hands.

4. I had half a jar of spaghetti sauce in the fridge, so I added that. If I hadn't had the spaghetti sauce in the fridge I would have opened up a can of tomato sauce (8 oz) and used that.

At this point, the mixture tasted much better than I expected, but I added about 1/2 tsp. each of dried basil and dried oregano for a little freshness.

5. Fill the peppers! I took a little spoon so I could pack as much filling as possible in there.

5. I baked these guys at 400 degrees for 35 minutes, until set, browned, and bubbly.

Let me know how yours turns out!

Rustic Bruleed Oatmeal with Caramelized Bananas

Life doesn't always go as planned, nor is it always perfect. I'm just a font of wisdom this morning, eh?  I mention it because the last week of my life has been absolutely perfect. I didn't have to worry about a thing the day of my wedding. I only pulled my bridal diva card once, when my sister and maid of honor couldn't find a Starbucks for my latte and so got me a Dunkin Donuts latte. Don't worry, the other bridesmaids pitched in and soon got me my grande soy latte. Funny, it makes me sound like a Starbucks person, which I'm not particularly. I'm priviliged to live in an area with an abundance of quality independent coffee shops but I wasn't about to send my bridesmaids 20 minutes to the next town over for a soy latte, although I considered it.

My wedding day was perfect.  It was followed by a week of this:

It's really hard to miss the lack of internet access at times like these. 

Suffice it to say that this week of perfection has served like a camera flash to obscure the other details of my life. As my eyes readjust to the light of normal life all the little things are slowly coming to light. For now, though, I'll relive one perfect morning with you.

Make this oatmeal the next time you're in a cabin with no internet access and an unobscured view of the mountains outside your bathroom window, for heaven's sake. Or make it for yourself and your loved ones in your pajamas as soon as the weather turns chilly.

Bruleed Steel Cut Oats with Caramelized Bananas

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 3 cups water
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup dairy (I used hazelnut half and half, which was delicious, and milk)
• Sugar for bruleeing (turbinado would have been ideal but I only had granulated. Use turbinado if you have it, the textures will be great.)
• 1 banana, cut into thick diagonal slices
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar

1. Preheat your oven broiler. Move your oven rack to the topmost position where your baking dish can still fit under the broiler element.
2. Bring the oats and water to a boil in a 3 quart saucepan. Turn the heat to low so that the oats are just barely simmering and simmer for 20-30 minutes, depending on how "al dente" you want your oats.  Start tasting after 20 minutes. Stir in the dairy and bring back to a simmer.
3. Transfer the oats to a cast iron pan or other oven-safe pan.  Broil for 8-10 minutes, checking often so that the sugar does not burn.
4. While the oatmeal is broiling, melt the butter and sugar together in a small (8 or 10 inch) skillet over medium heat.  Lay your banana slices in a flat layer in the skillet and do not disturb for 3-4 minutes so that they get a lovely golden brown color.  Flip the bananas and continue cooking.  
5. Serve your oatmeal with the bananas, some warmed milk or cream, and whatever fruit you have on hand.