Couscous is worth the price of herbs, olives

Here's the recipe I used Sunday for couscous with Greek olives. It is delicious. This recipe makes enough to serve eight or so. We had the last of the leftovers at supper tonight. I know this is not the best time of year to use fresh herbs-- they're not growing in the garden, and are plenty pricey in the produce aisle. But I splurged and bought what I needed for this. I also indulged in a nice jar of pitted, halved Kalamata olives.

Couscous with olives and fresh herbs

1 stick butter
3 large onions, chopped
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2-1/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup pitted halved Kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups couscous

Melt butter in deep saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions, stir and cook, covered, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. Add ginger and turmeric. Add broth, olives, basil, mint and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Add couscous. Cover pan, turn off heat. Let stand until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender, about 10 minutes.

Inspired by cafeteria fare: Greek chicken

I'm blessed to work for a company that provides first-rate fare in the employee cafeteria-- a good selection of healthy, nicely prepared dishes. One day last week the menu featured delicious Moroccan chicken with couscous, which inspired me to try something similar at home. I found a good recipe in "The Bon Appetit Cookbook" for chicken wth artichoke hearts (Greek, not Morrocan) and also a recipe for couscous with Kalamata olives and fresh herbs. With a simple spinach salad, this made for a nice dinner tonight just for the two of us.

Here's how I cooked the chicken. I'll blog about the couscous in my next post.

Greek chicken and artichokes

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts and 4 thighs, with skin and bones
2 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 15-ounce can chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute chicken until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Drain artichokes, saving marinade in a small bowl. Add to the chicken: 2 tablespoons marinade, broth, lemon juice, lemon peel and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer about 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Stir in artichokes and 2 tablespoons of the oregano. Simmer about 5 minutes longer. Stir in remaining oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Up for some variety? Try barley casserole

Craig Claiborne's "New York Times Cookbook" is an excellent resource. For years I kept a copy at my mom's vacation place in Florida, and when I was there with her last week, she insisted I take it home, since we don't use it as much as I'd thought we might when we're at the beach. It's got no glossy photos, just really lovely recipes, many of them pretty simple. So I packed it into my suitcase and brought it home where I can put it to good use.

Yesterday we invited friends over for Sunday dinner, and then circumstances dictated I had to work most of the day. So I didn't have much time to prepare anything. Dave agreed to grill pork chops, one set of guests agreed to bring a salad and our other guests agreed to bring a dessert. So my only responsibility was a side dish. Potatoes? Rice? Pasta? No, I wanted to do something more interesting. I thumbed through Claiborne's cookbook and found a recipe for barley mushroom casserole that was delightful. I love barley. It deserves better than its status as just something to throw into soup. And this was very easy to put together in the short time I had between work and my party. I used twice the barley and broth that Claiborne recommended , so we'd have enough for our party of six. Here's my adaptation of his recipe:

Barley mushroom casserole

2 cups pearl barley
1 large onion, chopped
5 tablespoons butter
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Melt butter in a deep skillet. Cook onion and mushrooms until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add barley and cook until slightly browned. Add two cups broth. Bring to a boil. Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, add remaining broth. Cook, covered, another 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and barley is tender.

The world is my oyster, nicely breaded

I love oysters. Our church, St. James Episcopal in Wichita, celebrates Mardi Gras with an amazing all-you-can-eat oyster and beer fest. It's a tradition we wouldn't miss. Last night, after Dave and I had our fill of all manner of oysters (cooked, raw and swimming in steaming cream with fresh leeks and tabasco) we helped with post-party clean-up. And before the night was over, we scored a bucket of fresh oysters to cook at home for our Ash Wednesday supper.

Tonight I dipped my stash of oysters in ice water and then coated each in cornmeal. I heated about a cup of vegetable oil in the wok on high heat, threw in oysters about a half dozen at a time, and fried for just a couple minutes, 'til they were nicely browned. After moving the oysters to a plate, and soaking up the excess oil with a paper towel, I served them with lemon and tartar sauce. Dave made a nice salad to go with. Nice way to kick off the Lenten season, I'd say.