Cheesy Stove Top Barley And Swiss Chard Food

CHEESY BARLEY GRATIN

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter and set aside.
• Fill a small pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the barley and boil until just cooked through but still slightly chewy, about 20 minutes (it will continue to cook in the oven). Drain and rinse.
• Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, about 30 seconds. Combine the Gruyere, mozzarella and parmesan in another medium bowl. Add the panko, 1 cup of the cheese mixture and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the bowl with the melted butter. Use your hands to work the butter into the cheese and breadcrumbs. Set aside.
• Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter in a wide large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. (The butter will start to foam and brown specks will form, but that is okay; this will add a lot of flavor to the finished dish.) Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and thyme and stir constantly until the garlic is just softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until a thin paste forms around the onion mixture, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce is a thin gravy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese mixture and cooked barley. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Spoon into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheesy breadcrumbs evenly on top of the barley and bake until bubbly and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

CHEESY STOVE-TOP BARLEY AND SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet or braiser over medium-high. Add mushrooms and chard stems; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add barley and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 1 minute.
• Stir in tomatoes and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until barley is tender and creamy, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Stir in chard leaves, Parmigiano, and lemon juice; cover and cook, stirring once, until chard is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Season, top with Gruyère, cover, and heat until melted, 2 minutes. Serve with basil.

THE BEST STOVETOP MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and paprika; cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly darker, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and comes to a simmer, 7 to 8 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar, American cheese and cream cheese until melted and remove from heat.
• Add the pasta to the sauce; toss, adding some reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt.

CHEESY CHARD GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Strip the chard leaves from the stalks, then cut the stalks into sticks. Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the stalks for 3-4 mins until starting to soften. Then throw in the leaves for a few moments too so that they just wilt. Drain well.
• Mix the cream with the mustard, then toss through the chard with most of the gruyère. Grease a medium gratin dish, spread the chard mix over, then scatter with the remaining gruyère and the parmesan. Bake for 30 mins until bubbling and golden. Serve straight from the dish.

CHARD-TOMATO SAUTE

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic, tomato, and capers; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add chard and sliced basil; heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with more oil; top with basil leaves and grated Parmesan.