The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (43 page)

¹
/
₄
cup dried cranberries

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole.
   
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and toast the almonds and pine nuts until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and add the barley and green onions; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the green onions are soft, but not browned. Add the broth, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat. Transfer the barley mixture to the casserole dish and mix in the toasted nuts, the apricots, raisins, and cranberries.
   
3. Cover and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the barley is tender.
   

You can throw this casserole together and bake it alongside roast pork, chicken, or turkey. Add Brussels sprouts to the menu in the winter, and some steamed asparagus in the spring.

•••••

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup thinly sliced shallots, or
¹
/
₂
cup thinly sliced onions

2
¹
/
₂
cups boiling water

1
¹
/
₂
cups basmati rice

³
/
₄
cup frozen peas

³
/
₄
cup golden raisins

1
¹
/
₂
teaspoons salt

³
/
₄
teaspoon
fennel seeds, lightly crushed

¹
/
₄
teaspoon freshly ground pepper

¹
/
₈
teaspoon crushed saffron threads

¹
/
₈
teaspoon ground cardamom

1 cinnamon stick, 1 inch long

1 bay leaf

¹
/
₂
cup
chopped pistachios, toasted

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 8 minutes, or until softened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
   
3. Combine the water and rice in a deep 2- to 3-quart casserole. Stir in the peas, sautéed shallots, raisins, salt, fennel seeds, pepper, saffron threads, cardamom, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Cover and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf and garnish with the pistachios.
   

•••••

NOTES:
To crush fennel seeds, place them in a mortar and grind with a pestle. Or put them in a clean coffee grinder or spice grinder and grind for about 3 seconds.

To toast pistachios, spread out the nuts on a cookie sheet and place in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pistachios are aromatic and lightly browned.

Bulgur is made from cooked wheat berries, which are dried and then cracked. It is not the same as cracked wheat, which is made by cracking uncooked wheat berries. In this casserole you can use either, although bulgur tends to have a nuttier flavor. The toasty flavor of the wheat blends well here with fruit, a bit of butter, and nuts. Serve this as a base for curries or stews, or as a side with roasts and poultry dishes. It is also wonderful as a breakfast dish. Assemble the casserole the night before, if you wish, and bake it in the morning. I love it with cream poured over my serving. For breakfast I might eliminate the basil.

•••••

2 teaspoons butter, plus extra for the dish

1 cup bulgur or cracked wheat

2 cups boiling water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

¹
/
₂
cup golden raisins

¹
/
₂
cup dark raisins

¹
/
₂
cup dried cranberries

¹
/
₂
cup
slivered almonds, toasted

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Butter a 1
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   -quart casserole.
   
2. Combine the bulgur, water, salt, basil, raisins, cranberries, and the 2 teaspoons butter in the casserole and stir to blend well. Cover and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the bulgur is tender and has absorbed all the liquid. Before serving, fluff with a fork and garnish with the toasted almonds.
   

•••••

NOTE:
To toast the almonds, spread them out on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned.

I particularly like this grainy casserole with grilled or broiled salmon. Instead of cracked wheat, you can use kasha, which are roasted buckwheat groats.

•••••

2 cups cracked wheat or kasha

1 large onion, minced

3 tablespoons butter

4 cups beef broth,
homemade
or prepared

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

Salt

Pepper

Sour cream for serving

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 2
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   -quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Place a large, heavy, dry skillet over medium-high heat and add the cracked wheat or kasha. Stir and toast until fragrant and nutty. Transfer to the casserole.
   
3. In the same skillet, cook the onion in the butter until wilted and aromatic. Mix in with the cracked wheat in the casserole. Add the beef broth and mushrooms and cover the casserole.
   
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with sour cream spooned on top.
   

This makes a lovely vegetarian main dish. If you like, you can assemble the casserole several hours ahead and bake it just before serving.

•••••

³
/
₄
cup green lentils

3 cups chicken broth,
homemade
or prepared

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, or
¹
/
₂
teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon leaves, or
¹
/
₂
teaspoon dried tarragon

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

³
/
₄
cup bulgur

2 cups canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

Chile-garlic paste or red pepper flakes (optional)

•••••

1. Put the lentils and broth in a large saucepan, add the rosemary, tarragon, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 2-quart casserole.
   
3. Heat the sesame oil in a skillet and add the carrot, garlic, and onion; sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Then add the bulgur and chickpeas and the chile-garlic paste or red pepper flakes to taste, if desired.
   
4. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish. (At this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated for several hours. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.) Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
   

Hazelnuts (also called filberts) have an earthy flavor that goes well with barley. For the most flavor, texture, and fiber, I prefer to use whole barley, but in a pinch, pearl barley will do. (Quick-cooking barley, which has a pasty, starchy texture, does not work very well in casseroles.) Cumin and coriander enhance the flavor of the hazelnuts. This recipe is adapted from one from the Oregon Hazelnut Grower’s Association.

•••••

6 tablespoons butter

¹
/
₂
teaspoon ground cumin

¹
/
₂
teaspoon ground coriander

¹
/
₂
cup chopped hazelnuts (filberts)

1 cup whole or pearl barley

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

¹
/
₄
cup thinly sliced green onions (white and green parts)

¹
/
₂
teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

¹
/
₄
teaspoon salt

¹
/
₄
teaspoon pepper

3 cups
vegetable
,
chicken
, or
beef
broth, homemade or prepared, heated until boiling

3 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

Parsley for garnish

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and add the cumin, coriander, and nuts. Stir until lightly roasted and aromatic; remove nuts and set aside.
   
3. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the skillet and add the barley and yellow onion. Sauté, stirring, until the onion is tender and the barley is lightly browned. Add the toasted nuts, green onions, five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Pour in the broth and stir to blend.
   
4. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and barley is cooked. Sprinkle with crystallized ginger and parsley.
   

I love the flavor combination of mushrooms, butter, and sage. In fact, when I have sage in the garden, I’ll add a whole bunch more to this recipe because it is so fresh and aromatic.

•••••

4 tablespoons butter

2 medium onions, chopped

¹
/
₂
pound mushrooms, sliced

¹
/
₄
cup chopped fresh sage leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried sage

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1
¹
/
₂
cups whole or pearl barley

3 cups
chicken
or
beef
broth, homemade or prepared

¹
/
₄
teaspoon salt

¹
/
₄
teaspoon pepper

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Melt the butter in a flameproof 2-quart casserole over medium heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, sage, and thyme and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the barley and stir until kernels are coated with butter. Add 2 cups of the broth, the salt, and pepper.
   
3. Cover the casserole, place in the oven, and bake for 45 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup broth, return to the oven, and bake, covered, for 30 minutes longer. Stir and garnish with the chopped parsley.
   

Although we know millet primarily as a cereal grass seed used in bird feed, it is a staple for almost one-third of the world’s population. Millet is rich in protein, with a mild flavor that takes to lots of different seasonings.

•••••

2
roasted red bell peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of saffron threads

3 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup millet

2 cups water

¹
/
₂
teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried basil, plus extra for the garnish (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for the garnish (optional)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, or
³
/
₄
teaspoon dried marjoram

Pepper

•••••

1. Roast the red peppers as directed, removing the skins, cores, seeds, and veins. Cut into small squares and put in a buttered 2-quart casserole.
   
2. In a small skillet, warm the oil and saffron threads over low heat for 1
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the saffron to the roasted peppers.
   
3. Melt 1
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   tablespoons of the butter in the skillet, add the onion, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the onion to the casserole.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
5. Melt the remaining 1
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat, add the millet, and stir until the grains begin to color and pop, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir the millet into the ingredients in the casserole and add the water.
   
6. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until the millet is slightly chewy, but not crunchy. Stir in the salt, basil, parsley, marjoram, and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional chopped basil or parsley, if desired, and serve hot.