March 11th Workshop: MENU - Barley Borscht, Chickpea Curry Empanadas, Potato Leek Soup, and Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

(Picture of Barley from: FreeFoto.com)

Barley Borscht (Serves 16)

• 1½ lbs. of beets (chopped)
  
• 2 onions (chopped)
• 6 c. water
  
• 4 carrots (chopped)
  
• 1¾ cup of medium pearl barley
• Salt and pepper
  
• 4 tomatoes (chopped) OR use a 798ml can of crushed tomatoes
• Lemon juice (or white vinegar)
• Dill, dried or fresh when serving
  
• Yogurt OR sour cream to add when serving.

Put everything - except tomatoes and lemon juice - in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hr or so until veggies are tender and the barley is cooked. Add tomatoes and lemon juice and heat through. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle with dill.

EMPANADAS (makes about 24 small ones)
Dough*:

We didn't make the dough for this workshop due to time constraints, and used ready-to-bake pie shells instead. However, here is the recipe for the dough for your reference.

• 4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (can use 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup ice water
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Egg Wash:

• 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Make Dough: Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. (Mixture will look shaggy.) Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. (If you use a large-ish bowl, you can do this step in-bowl.) Form dough into two flat rectangles and chill them, each wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour. Dough can be chilled up to 6 hours total.

*This dough recipe taken from Smitten Kitchen where you can also find pictures of the most beautiful empanadas I've ever seen.)

w/Curried Chickpea Filling*

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1¾ cup diced onion
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cup water (approx.)
• 2 small diced red bell peppers
• 2 c. frozen peas
• 2 c. frozen corn (optional)
  
• 2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in turmeric, cumin, cinnamon. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp (15 mL) flour. Add water, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. Add red pepper and peas; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, adding more water if sauce is too thick. (If it's too thin, add the remaining flour, mixed with a little water.) Add chickpeas and broth; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until chickpeas are heated through.

*This recipe is a pared down version of one given by a registered dietitian.

Form Empanadas: Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Divide first dough and half of second dough into 18 equal pieces and form each into a disk. (The remaining dough can be stored in the freezer for future use.) Keeping remaining pieces covered, roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 5-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick).

Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling onto center and fold dough in half, enclosing filling. Press edges together to seal, then crimp decoratively with your fingers or tines of a fork. Transfer empanada to a baking sheet. Make 17 more empanadas in same manner, arranging on 2 parchment-lined, or lightly greased, baking sheets.

Lightly brush empanadas with some of egg wash and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer empanadas to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Leek Potato Soup*

• 6-8 leeks
• 2 onions
• 10-12 potatoes
• 8-10 c. water
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup cream
  

Peel potatoes and onion. Chop potatoes, onion and leeks discarding tough dark green portion. Boil in water 20-30 minutes until tender. Puree the soup with blender or mixer. Return to boil, add cream.

*This recipe from Cooks.com

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 10-12 small yams (unpeeled)
  
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 4 carrots (diced small)
• 2 cup frozen corn
• 2 cup dried lentils
• 2 small oniona (diced small)
• 2 cans tomato paste
• Salt and pepper
  

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400°F.

-Simultaneously cook lentils, yams (unpeeled), and veggies in separate saucepans.

-Boil the yams for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. They are easier to peel when cooked. Then simply mash them.

-To cook lentils: simply pick over to remove debris or shriveled lentils, rinse, and drain. Cover with water or broth and boil for 2 to 3 minutes (to aid in digestion). Reduce heat and simmer until tender. 10-20 minutes.

-Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until golden. Add cooked lentils, and cooked veggies; stir in tomato paste.

-Transfer mixture into the bottom of a 2-quart casserole or glass baking dish.

-Spread yams on top of mixture.

-Bake 12 minutes or until heated through.

Chocolate and Pear Tart*

• 5 very ripe small bartlett pears (to test ripeness, press your finger gently against the pear, the more it gives, the more ripe it is); sliced; peel or leave skin on depending on preference.
• ¼ cup butter**
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• Chocolate chips (optional)
• 8 tbsp of cream or milk

-Preheat oven to 400°F.

-Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

-When melted, turn heat to low and add sugar and cocoa and stir until well mixed over low heat.

-Add 4 tbsp milk or cream to thin out the mixture.

-Arrange the pear slices into the pie crust.

-Pour the chocolate mixture evenly over top.

-Pour 4 tbsp of cream evenly over top.

-Sprinkle with chocolate chips for a more chocolatey pie.

-Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

*We used one of the ready-made shells from the empanada recipes above, but for the keen, underneath is a very easy recipe to make your own pie shell pastry that's also very versatile.

**You can omit the butter, cocoa powder, and sugar if you buy baking chocolate. In which case, substitute with 80 grams of dark chocolate.

Quick n Easy Quiche Crust Recipe*

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil or canola oil
• 1/4 cup ice water(I use refrigerated water)

1. Mix flour and salt with fork.
2. Beat oil and water with whisk or fork to thicken.
3. Pour into flour and mix with fork.
4. Press into 9" pie crust.
5. Fill with quiche mixture and bake at 400F until done.
6. NOTES: I've never made this with canola oil.
7. You can double the recipe, divide dough in half, and roll out into a pair of rounds for two-crust pies.
8. This recipe is not suitable for baked pie crust shells.
9. It makes a nice, flaky crust that's suitable for everyday use.

*Recipe from Recipezaar.