Last week I was getting through my produce from a shared CSA box. So far I’ve received asparagus, lettuce, radishes, kale, spinach, eggs, golden beets, shiitake mushrooms and rainbow Swiss Chard. For the kale in the box, I found a recipe on Lidia Bastianich’s website, www.lidiasitaly.com for Barley, Kale and Butternut Squash Risotto. The spinach was used in a recipe from the website www.modernproper.com for Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Spinach, Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. For the radishes and the arugula, I prepared White Beans with Radishes, Miso and Greens, a recipe by Colu Henry via The New York Times and their column, “Five Dishes to Cook This Week.”
 
Although risotto can be filling, using pearl barley made for a lighter tasting risotto. For the recipe you’ll need kosher salt, fresh bay leaves, pearled barley, chicken stock, extra-virgin olive oil, a carrot, two stalks of celery, dry white wine, one bunch of kale, butternut squash, butter and Grana Padano cheese.
Both of these recipes were delicious. Although, I had written a more definitive description, somehow I copied and pasted the first two paragraphs of my essay and missed the balance. I've scrolled through my documents and emails and can't locate the balance of this recipe review. However, pasta/risotto and chicken are always favorites of my husband and I. ​
Barley, Kale and Butternut Squash Risotto
Risotto d’Orzo, Cavolo Nero, e Zucca
By Lidia Bastianich, www.lidiasitaly.com
 
Servings: 6 to 8
 
Ingredients
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the cooking water and to taste
2 fresh bay leaves
2 cups pearled barley
8 cups chicken stock
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 medium bunch kale (about 1 pound), stemmed, leaves coarsely chopped
4 cups ½” cubes butternut squash
3 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
¾ cup grated Grana Padano
 
 
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the bay leaves and barley, and simmer until the barley is about halfway cooked (just beginning to become tender on the outside, hard in the center), about 30 minutes. Drain well.
 
Bring the stock to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan over low heat; keep it hot. Add the olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and about ⅓ cup of the hot stock. Simmer until the stock reduces away, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot and celery, and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
 
Add the drained barley, and toss to combine. Let the barley dry in the pot for a minute, then add the wine. Simmer until the wine is absorbed, then add enough of the stock just to cover the barley. Add the kale and butternut squash, and stir to combine. Simmer until the first batch of stock is absorbed, about 7 minutes. Season with the salt, and keep adding stock to cover, until the barley is creamy and the vegetables are cooked, about 15 minutes more.
 
Off heat, add the butter and grated cheese, mix well to combine, season with salt if necessary, and serve.
Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Spinach, Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
From the website “The Modern Proper”
 
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time” 30 minutes
 
Ingredients
4 large chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup pesto
4 tbsp cream cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup sundried tomatoes
½ cup spinach, roughly chopped
2 tbsp parsley, minced, optional
 
Preparation
  1. Heat your oven to 375° F.
  2. Place the chicken on a cutting board. With a small sharp knife, carefully cut a pocket into the side of the chicken breasts. Take care not to cut all the way through. You are creating a "pocket" for all the filling to bake in.
  3. Season the chicken with salt, inside and out.
  4. In a small bowl, mix the garlic, pesto, cream cheese and mozzarella. Set aside.
  5. Layer the inside pockets of your chicken with the cream cheese mixture, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Secure the opening with toothpicks if desired.
  6. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron pan, or oven proof skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken on both sides for 3-4 minutes each, until golden brown.
  7. Place all four breasts back into the pan (or on a baking sheet if you are not using an oven proof skillet) and place them in the oven until the internal temperature of the chicken breast is 165°F. This takes about 16-18 minutes longer depending on the size of the breast.
  8. Sprinkle with parsley (if using) and serve.
White Beans with Radishes, Miso and Greens
By Colu Henry
The New York Times, “Five Dishes to Cook This Week”
April 11, 2021
 
Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 to 4 Servings
 
Ingredients
 
2 tablespoons white miso
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, like cannellini or butter beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups pea shoots, arugula or other baby greens
3 to 4small radishes, thinly sliced
Fresh lemon wedges, for squeezing
Black pepper
 
PREPARATION
  1. In a small bowl, whisk the miso with ¼ cup water until dissolved. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until it foams. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  3. Add the beans and toss to coat with the garlic butter. Add the miso mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the beans are warmed through, about 2 minutes. The beans should be a bit saucy, so thin it out with a tablespoon or so of water if needed.
  4. Remove from the heat and stir in the greens and radishes. Gently toss until the greens are just wilted. Squeeze with lemon juice, season with pepper and gently toss again.