Beef Barley Meets Wedding Soup

So I had some ground beef out thawing. I wasn't sure of the way I would go. I wasn't interested in a pasta and meatloaf just wasn't cutting it for me. So I starting thinking of beef barley combos. Most of the beef barley soups use stewing beef and not ground beef. I didn't want a chili type dish either. So I thought that making a barley soup and using the idea of wedding soup, with mini-meatballs would be the best way to go.

Meatballs
1.5 lbs of Ground Beef (I only get super lean)
Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 egg (beaten)

Mix all together and form into mini-meatballs and set aside

Soup
All soups I make (and most people make) start this way

1Tbs Butter, 1 Tbs Olive Oil
Add the butter and oil to a heated dutch oven (medium-high heat)


1 1/2 Cups of Diced Onion (I used a red onion)
1 Cup Diced Celery
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 Cup Diced Carrot

Add the onion and simmer for a minute or so and then add the celery. Let these cook for about 5 minutes. Add the S&P, Garlic and Carrots and sautee everything for about 10-15 minutes.

6 Cups of Chicken Broth
1 Cup of Water
1 Cup of Pearl Barley

Add the above ingredients and let the soup come to a little boil and simmer for about 45 minutes.

I am still learning how to use spices. So I added the following in various amounts until it achieved the right flavor.

Dried Basil, Salt and Pepper, Penzey's Italian Herb mix

Heat a large skillet with 1 Tbs Canola Oil
Cook the meatballs until lightly browned.
Add the meatballs to the soup and cook another 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy!

Butternut White Bean Soup

I got the idea to make some butternut squash soup earlier in the week from chatting with some "what's cooking" nesties What's Cooking on the Nest Cara and Joelen. Joelen (Joelen's blog) mentioned having a fantastic butternut soup at a restaurant and Cara mentioned making a butternut soup with black beans (Cara's Blog)
I wanted to use white beans and thought that red peppers would be good too. Trader Joes sells prechopped butternut squash. So when I was there the other day I bought 2 packages. This morning I wasn't sure how I wanted to make the soup.

I googled butternut soups and couldn't find one to try, but did confirm that it should be made similar to potato soup, and I learned how to roast red peppers. So I kind of just threw something together.

2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs Olive oil
1 1/2 Cups of diced yellow onion
1 1/2 Cups of diced celery
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Cups of diced carrots
4 Cups chopped butternut squash
4 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Water
2 Roasted Bell Peppers (followed the recipe steps 1-5) http://www.recipezaar.com/131936
3 (4 would be better) cans of white beans

Heat the butter and oil in a large dutch oven on medium heat. Add the celery and onions and cook down for a few minutes. Add the spices and combine well. Add the carrots and cook for a few more minutes until the celery and onions are soft. Add the squash and heat for about 5 minutes. Add the Chicken broth and water and cook until the squash falls apart. Add the roasted peppers and cook for another ten minutes.
Puree with a food processor. Add back into the pan with rinsed and drained beans. I could only find 3 cans of white beans in the pantry. I think that 4 would have been better.
Enjoy!

Soup Soup

I again wanted to spend some time in the kitchen making some soup. I saw this tomato soup recipe and thought it sounded amazing. I had some red skins left from Thanksgiving so I did a little altering to my regular potato soup.

Roasted Tomato Soup

(From the "What's Cooking" Nest Website)

3 lbs ripe tomatoes cut in half
1/4 c. plus 2 T. olive oil
1 T. kosher salt
1.5 t. pepper
2 c. chopped onion
6 garlic cloves
2 T. butter
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
3 c. chopped (canned) tomatoes, with their juices
1 28 oz. can of peeled Plum Tomatoes with basil (I added this not on original recipe)
2 c. fresh basil leaves
1 t. fresh thyme leaves (I omitted and added some pasta seasoning in it's place)
4 c. chicken stock

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Toss tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread tomatoes in 1 layer baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
3) In an 8 quart stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with 2 T. olive oil, butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes until the onions start to brown
4) Add the canned tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock.
5) Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 min.
6) Pass through food processor.

Red Skin Potato Cheddar Soup

8 slices of Bacon diced

1 C Onion diced

1 C Carrot diced

1 C Celery diced

5 Garlic Cloves

8 C Red Skin Potato (cut into chunks)

4 C Chicken Broth

2 C 2% Milk

¼ lb Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cook the diced bacon in large pot until crispy. Add onions, garlic and celery and cook until onions are slightly browned add carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and mix well. Add chicken broth and cook until potatoes are tender. Place mixture into food processor in batches. Add milk and cheese and heat until cheese is melted in.

Salt and Pepper to taste (will need quite a bit). Serve with shredded cheddar sprinkled on top.

Potato Soup

Potato Soup

8 slices of Bacon diced

1 medium Onion diced

1 C Carrot diced

1 C Celery diced

5 Garlic cloves minced

8 C Potato cut into small pieces (5-6 medium)

4 C Chicken Broth

2 C 2% Milk

1 ½ C Flour

Cook the diced bacon in large pot until crispy. Add Onions and allow to cook for a 2-3 minutes. Add Celery, Carrots and garlic. Sautee for 5 minutes. Add the Potato and Chicken broth. Cook until potatoes are tender (about an hour). Add Milk and Flour and blend with immersion blender (or hand mixer). Allow to cook for about 10 more minutes.

Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve with shredded cheddar sprinkled on top.

Chicken 5 Bean Chili

I have made this before with rotisserie chicken but never recorded the recipe. I used chicken breasts this time.

Chicken Chili
4 Chicken Breasts cut into bite sized pieces
(I sprinkled with 2 tsp of Emeril's Southwest seasoning to marinate)
Saute the chicken in some olive oil
After chicken is cooked add the following
1 can each chili beans in sauce & diced tomato "chili ready"
1 can each chili beans & Garbanzo beans
2 cans each diced tomato, tomato paste, black beans, red kidney beans & white beans
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp green pepper sauce
Simmer for 2 hours.

Cream of Broccoli & Asparagus Soup

So I had some fresh broccoli and asparagus that I didn't think I would use before it went bad. So I got to thinking and thought that the combination would be good. This is the recipe.

Cream of Broccoli & Asparagus Soup

¾ cup diced red onion

1 cup diced celery

(sauté for a few minutes in butter and olive oil and salt & pepper)

Add

4 cup broccoli pieces

2 ½ cup asparagus pieces

Cook for about 5-10 minutes

Add

5 cups chicken broth

Simmer for about 30 minutes until the veggies are tender

Place all ingredients in blender (in batches)

Add

2 cups milk

1/3 cup flour

Simmer for 10 minutes

Add some pepper to taste

Add ½ package of cream cheese