Winter Vegetable and Barley Soup

I decided to make this soup after picking up my CSA box and looking in my fridge to see leftovers. In the fridge was a bag of leftover crudites from New Year's, a red onion from a friend's garden, squash and kale from the CSA, and broth and barley from the well stocked pantry.  No matter how you come to this find the ingredients, make it and enjoy.  This recipe is vegetarian but can be made using chicken or beef stock if you have that on hand.  I like to make large batches of soup so I can give it away to friends or freeze it for future use.  This recipe can be cut in half to make less.  I use organic ingredients in this soup but conventional is OK too.

Makes 4-5 quarts

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion or 1 small white onion, small diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBS tomato paste
20 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
96 oz low sodium vegetable broth, canned, boxed or homemade
2 cups pearl barley (1.5 cups if you like a thinner soup)
1 Parmesan cheese rind
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried Marjoram
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 TBS kosher salt
1 tso fresh ground black pepper

Here's how:

In a large soup pot, saute on medium heat the onion, celery and carrots for 7 minutes.

Add the garlic, saute for 1 minute.

Add the tomato paste and cook it in for 1 minute.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Bring the soup to a boil.

Once it boils, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the barley is soft.

Remove the bay leaves and cheese rind.

Serve.

How to Clean and Cut a Butternut Squash

My Winter CSA share has been giving me Butternut Squash. It is a great winter squash that stores well and tastes great.  I decided that it would be a good idea to share with you how to clean and cut up the squash for use.  It is an unusual shape and it should not scare you.  Just follow this instructions and you can do it.

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash, whole

Here's how:

Wash the squash and remove all loose soil and dirt.  Place the squash on a cutting board.

 

 

Cut off the top and bottom of the squash.                                                                                                             

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the entire squash.

 

Cut the squash in half by removing the round part from the straight part, cutting as low as possible.

 

 

Cut the straight part of the squash in half from top to bottom.

 

Cut it in half again, from top to bottom.

Cut those halves into one inch by one inch cubes.  Do this for all the halves.  Set aside.

Cut the round part of the squash in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

Place the squash face down on the cutting board and cut it vertically into once in slices.

Cut the slices into one inch pieces by now cutting horizontally.

Use the squash cubes in soups, risottos or roast and eat on its own or any way you like.

Beef Barley Soup

I made this recipe using Prime Rib Beef Stock.  I had never made beef barley soup before so when I saw the leftover bones I figured they would be a great start to the classic soup.  You can use store bought stock or other homemade beef stock as well. I also used the meat leftover from the making of the stock in the soup.  You can use any leftover beef you have in the fridge or leave it out entirely.  All of the ingredients for this soup were in my fridge or pantry and should be in yours too.  I always have the veggies in my crisper drawer and the barley is part of my well stocked pantry. All of my ingredients are also organic and local where possible.  If you like hearty soups that are easy to make you will love this soup.

Makes:  7 pints

Ingredients:

1 TBS olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 leek, cut into half moons
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1 cup beef, precooked and diced
1 cup pearl barley
1 TBS salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning
7 cups beef broth

Here's how:

Heat the oil in a soup pot.

Add onion, carrot, celery, shallot, garlic, leek and parsley and saute for 5 minutes until soft, but not brown.

Add in the beef and barley and saute for 1 minute.

Add in the remaining ingredients and bring the soup to a boil.

Once it boils, reduce to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the soup from sticking to the bottom.

After 30 minutes, check to make sure the barley is soft. If not, keep cooking for a few more minutes until it is soft.

Eat and enjoy right away, refrigerate for one week or freeze for up to one year.

Prime Rib Beef Stock

This Christmas we had a prime rib roast.  The roast had 4 bones and lots of delicious flavor.  I decided to use those roasted and seasoned bones to make homemade beef stock and not let anything go to waste.  I had all of the ingredients in the house and used the stock to make beef barley soup.

Makes 3-4 cups stock

Ingredients:

Bones from a prime rib roast
5 celery stalks, cut in half
4 carrots, cut in half
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, smashed and skin removed
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp peppercorns
12 cups cold water

Here's how:

Add all of the ingredients into a large stock pot.

Veggies in the pot

Leftover beef bones

                                   

         

Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 2 and a half hours.

                                                                       After one hour

                                                                        After 2 1/2 hours                           

Remove the bones from the stock and remove the meat.  Set it aside to use in a soup later.

Place a large mesh strainer or strainer lined with cheesecloth over a large bowl.

Pour the contents of the pot into the strainer.

Discard the contents of the strainer and pour the liquid into a container.

Refrigerate or freeze the stock.

After it is completely cool, there will be a white layer of fat on the top of the container.

Remove the fat and discard.

Cover and store the stock for future use or use right away.

 

Gingerbread Martinis

                                                    
I love flavored martinis.  I especially love martinis that are seasonal and are only enjoyed at certain times of the year.  This recipe makes a pitcher of martinis that can be poured and enjoyed for a party.  They are delicious.

Ingredients:

8 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream
8 oz. half and half
6 oz. Monin Gingerbread flavoring
4 oz. vanilla vodka (plain is OK too)
4oz. Kahlua
Whipped Cream (optional)
Small gingerbread men cookies (optional)

Here's how:

Optional:  Process some gingerbread men cookies in a food processor until crumbs are made.   Pour the crumbs out onto a small plate.  Moisten the edge of a martini glass and then dip it into the crumb mixture.  Set aside while you make the drink.

Combine all ingredients except cream and cookie in a pitcher and stir to combine.

Fill a martini shaker with ice and pour the mixture over the top.  Cover and shake vigorously.

Pour the mixture into a martini glass with the crumb mixture rim.

Optional:  Place some whipped cream into the middle of the glass and top with a gingerbread man.

Drink and enjoy! 

Chicken Sausage with Tomato Sauce, Pasta and Mozzarella

A recent trip to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx inspired me to create this recipe.  I went to a great meat market that sold homemade sweet and hot styles of chicken sausage. It was juicy and not dry the way chicken sausage often can be.  You can use your favorite brand.  This recipe makes a delicious sauce to put over pasta, if you use whole grain, you have a healthy version of your favorite pasta dish.  I tripled the recipe in order to make extra freeze for future dinners.  I like to use Bow ties to make the dinner look great.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

3 Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage
3 Hot Italian Style Chicken Sausage
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 28 oz. can tomato puree, with basil or Italian Style
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
salt and pepper
1 lb bow tie pasta
1/4 lb fresh mozzarella, cut into small pieces

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the sausage on a baking sheet (I use my pizza stone).

Bake the sausage in the oven for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.  It should be browned but still a bit pink inside.

Remove the sausage and slice it into 1/2 inch rounds.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil. 

Saute the garlic for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, sausage, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer the mixture for one hour, until the chicken sausage has cooked through and the sauce has taken on some of the sausage flavor and the sausage has taken on some of the tomato flavor.

While the sauce is simmering, prepare the bow ties according to the directions.

Once the sauce and pasta is done, combine 3/4 of the sauce,  add the cheese and stir.

Use the remaining 1/4 of sauce to add extra sauce to your individual plates.