Cold winters here in the northern United States call for hearty stews and cobblers. Two of my favorites, Chicken & Barley Stew and Winter Vegetable Cobbler, will comfort and warm you as the snow swirls outside.
Chicken & Barley Stew
This is a delicious and nutritious meal. I prefer its flavors over the taste of beef and barley stew.
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cups reduced-sodium, low fat chicken broth
2 carrots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup pearl barley or quick barley
2 slices of a large onion, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into half-inch pieces
1 ½ to 2 cups sliced mushrooms (can be a combination of your favorites)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Bay leaf
Chopped parsley
Add oil to a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Sauté carrots, celery, garlic, onion and mushrooms until softened, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add barley and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes (10 minutes if you are using quick barley), stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender and the stew thickens. Add chicken and cook for eight minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Top servings with chopped parsley for added flavor and color. Serves six.
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Winter Vegetable Cobbler
This is an adaptation of a recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.
1 turnip, peeled and cut in bite-size wedges
1 potato (russet or baking), peeled and diced
1 small sweet potato, diced
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 parsnip, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
½ cup chopped parsley
1 cup vegetable broth, chilled
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
Cobbler Dough
1¾ cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut in small pieces
¾ cup cream
Put the turnip, potatoes, onion, carrots, parsnip, celery and parsley in a 2-inch deep 8-cup ovenproof baking dish. (You should have about 6 cups of vegetables.) In a small mixing bowl, blend the broth with the cornstarch. Pour over the vegetables and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix to blend. Dot the top of the vegetables with butter.
Preheat oven to 350°F. To make the cobbler dough, mix flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl and blend with a fork. Drop the pieces of chilled butter into the flour mixture and mix with a pastry blender, or large fork, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using a fork, slowly stir in the cream until roughly mixed. Gather the dough into a shaggy mass and knead five or six times. Roll the dough on a lightly floured board to the size of the top of the baking dish. The dough should be about ¼ inch thick. Place the dough on top of the vegetables. Bake 45-55 minutes, until vegetables are cooked through and crust is browned. Test vegetables for doneness with a knife tip or skewer. Serves six.
Tips: To make this recipe more heart healthy, use a butter & canola/olive/flax oil blend like 'Olivio' on the vegetables, and lowfat milk in place of the cream. Real butter works best for the cobbler dough.
I think the parsnip adds an interesting flavor note to this recipe. If you're not fond of the taste, though, simply replace it with another carrot.