Friday, September 28, 2012

Beef and Barley Soup

1 lb stew meat cut small
1/2 cup cooking sherry

Braise meat, then de-glaze pan with sherry.  Move to soup pot.

a bit of olive oil.
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
3 large carrots - diced or minced
3 stalks celery - minced

Sweat in the same pan as the meat, move to soup pot.

2 quarts beef broth
1 cup of pearl barley
1 cup copped celery

Add these things to soup pot.

1 cup of shredded cabbage

Pinches to taste:
Oregano
Rosemary
Parsley
Thyme
Salt
Pepper

Then these things too.

Cook at low to medium for 1 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is to your liking.

The barley sort of expands.  I did find I had to add a bit of water to the left overs.  This is an extremely filling soup.








Monday, July 2, 2012

No short cut crock pot stroganoff

When I found this recipe for crock pot stroganoff I knew it had promise.  Here is how I changed it up:

Ingredients:

2-3 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 small yellow onion - diced (or diced big if you like onion)
A little butter
A little olive oil
1 1/4 lb flank steak cubed
A little salt and pepper and flour (to dredge meat in)
1 lb baby portobello mushrooms - thickly sliced or just cut in half
cup of a water and 2 tsp bullion paste
a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of thyme
Pinch of parsley
1/2 cup of sour cream

Sweat onion and garlic in a pat of butter until a little see through

It is super easy to put the flower and salt and pepper in a zip log bag and throw the cubed meat in there and mix.  I do it in a bowl.  Coat the meat lightly in olive oil.  Dredge in flour.

Put the garlic and onion aside and braise the meat in a bit of olive oil until seared but not done.  It will cook plenty in the crock pot.  Put the meat in the pot.  Braise about half way and then throw in the mushrooms.  By this time there are some great pan bits,  deglaze the pan with a bit more water with the bullion stock in it.  Don't go nuts on the water.  (Wine would be good here too.)  Mushrooms are full of water.

In the crock pot combine onion, garlic, spices and hot water with the bullion paste in it.

Leave it all alone in the crock pot for 5-6 hours.
Right before serving, gently fold in 1/2 cup of sour cream.
or if it's too thin, make a roux of flour, and butter.  Add before the sour cream.

Serve with wide egg noodles, some sort of green veg, and a nice roll.









Saturday, June 30, 2012

Food Quotes

"We have to convince the little housewife out there that the tomato that ate the family pet is not dangerous!" - Al Sklar in The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Food Quotes

"Annie, there's a big lobster behind the refrigerator. I can't get it out. This thing's heavy. Maybe if I put a little dish of butter sauce here with a nutcracker, it will run out the other side." - Woody Allen in Annie Hall

Friday, June 15, 2012

Food Quotes

"Sometimes the spaghetti likes to be alone." Stanley Tucci in Big Night

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Food Quotes

"What's tiramisu? Some woman is going to ask me to do it to her and I'm not going to know what it is." - Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle




Friday, June 1, 2012

Juice!!!

Yeah for fresh fruit!!!!

Juice:

6 strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
2 huge hunks of fresh pineapple
1 banana
cup of orange juice

Blend with or without ice.

Yummy and plenty for 2 people.  Fresh pineapple is amazing and easier to cut than one would think from it's slightly intimidating exterior.