Vegetarian Barley Risotto

We have started using pearl barley in recipes and really love it! If you have a pressure cooker, this risotto takes practically no time at all to prepare and cook.

Serves 4

2 TB olive oil
1 cup pearl barley
50 grams TVP cutlet (or large chunks)
3 cups vegetarian stock (we have used McCormick's in the past, which are vegetarian, but nowadays we make our own vegetable stock)
2 oz sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (soft & pliable, not dried out and hard)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small cooking onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped (white & tender green parts - well cleaned of sand & grit)
sea salt to season
2 cups thinly chopped carrot slices
5 fresh sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped fine
a few fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 TB dried thyme leaves

1 oz butter
1 oz parmesan reggiano cheese, grated (or a 3-yr old cheddar that bites back)

Pre-soak TVP for 5 minutes in 3 cups of water that has been brought to the boil, drain and discard liquid (we use a bodum coffeemaker in order to submerge the TVP completely).

Saute onions & garlic in bottom of a pressure cooker with olive oil.
When onions are softened, add leeks, when softened, add everything else except butter and parmesan cheese.

Cover pressure cooker with lid and cook for 10 minutes (after it comes up to pressure).

If you don't have a pressure release valve, let it set until the pressure releases before opening.

Add cheese and butter and mix well (if you had to wait for the pressure to come down, you may need to reheat in order to get butter and cheese to melt and mix together).

Tofu and Kale Quiche

Serves 4 to 6

1/2 teaspoon canola oil
3/4 cup chopped green onions
12 ounces firm tofu, crumbled (Sol brand is just right)
1.5 cup packed finely chopped kale or turnip greens
1.5 cup grated soy cheese
3/4 cup chopped red bell peppers
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
One 9-inch store-bought pastry pie shell (thawed) – make sure to look for vegetarian pie shells (Tenderflake deep dish)

In a small, nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add green onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add red pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Add all remaining ingredients except cheese, and mix together, sautéing until the kale starts to slightly wilt. Remove from heat and mix in cheese.

Transfer mixture to prepared pie shell (see package instructions). Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes - you'll have to experiment with your own oven - ours runs hot so we did it at 250 Fahrenheit.