BEST Beef Barley Soup

It would putting it mildly to say that "pregnancy nesting" has kicked in. I am BEYOND nesting and I cannot stop cooking and freezing food. Jer thinks it's hilarious and has been (nicely) teasing me that I am preparing for a seven year famine! What can I say?! Welcoming this third baby just might bring exactly that! :)

Anyway, in in effort to multiply the fruits of my labor, I've been pouring through gads of recipes in search of tasty meals that freeze and reheat well. This King Arthur Beef Barley Soup fit the bill but beyond that, it was amazingly good! Nothing like the canned stuff! Although it was a bit cumbersome to make (lots of cooking/cutting/and clean-up) it made about 2 gallons of soup. Definitely worth it's work in finished weight!

If you're interested, I chose to pair it with King Arthur Flour's Soft White Dinner Rolls, but any soft dinner roll or crusty loaf would be just great!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise

2 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks and patted dry (I increased this to 3 lbs because we like more meat!)

1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 quarts beef stock or broth

1/2 pound medium pearled barley, rinsed in cool water and drained (NOT THE QUICK COOK!)

2 yellow onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch slices

6 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices

6 large potatoes, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained (I cut these up before adding)

DIRECTIONS:

NOTE: I didn't want to use my 10 quart stock pot-I feel like it takes too long to cook in and it cooks unevenly. Instead, I chose to use 2-5 quart stock pots. I cooked half of the meat in each pot and then added 2 1/2 quarts of broth to each pot. I split the rest of the ingredients between the pots as well and it worked just great!

I also chose to dredge my meat in flour (seasoned with s&p) which the recipe does not call for. I liked the end result. The broth seemed thicker than it would have otherwise been. I would definitely do that again!

Heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat in a 10- to 12-inch skillet. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the garlic. Working in batches, add a single layer of beef cubes to the skillet and sear on all sides. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle with black pepper. Leave the remaining oil in the skillet, and set it aside.

In a 10-quart soup pot, bring the stock or broth to a simmer. Add the browned beef and rinsed barley, cover, and return to a full simmer. Reduce heat and cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat and add the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in the oregano and thyme. Cover the skillet and cook over very low heat for about 15 minutes.

Transfer the vegetables to the simmering soup, then add the chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes before serving. Yield: about 22 servings.

Neiman's $250 Cookies

These are a childhood favorite of Kurt’s and definitely one of the most delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever tasted! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
1c. butter (2 sticks)
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 1/2 c. blended oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
12 oz. choc. chips
4 oz. grated Hershey bar
2 c. chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS:
Cream margarine and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix with butter/sugar mixture. Add chips, candy, and nuts. Roll into one inch balls and place 2″ apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 min. at 375. Makes 5 – 5 1/2 doz.

If you are interested in how these cookies got their name, check it out: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/fooddrink/a/cookie_recipe.htm

Bueno Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Everyone has their favorite "go-to" enchilada recipe. This just happens to be our family's favorite! It used to be on the back of the Bueno Green Chile container and for some reason, they removed it. For fear of losing it, I figured I better immortalize it by putting it on the web!

INGREDIENTS:
3-5 chicken breasts, boneless

1 medium onion, chopped

3 Tbsp. margarine

1 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup

1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1 ¾ cups frozen BUENO® Chopped Green Chile, drained

½ cup broth saved from chicken

1 12 ct. pkg. BUENO® Corn Tortillas

1 lb. cheese, grated (Cheddar, Jack or mixture)

DIRECTIONS:

Boil chicken, cool and shred (save broth). Preheat oven to 325º F. Saute onion in margarine until slightly soft. Combine onion with soups, chile, broth and stir. Tear 6 tortillas into small pieces and cover the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. Spread ½ the chicken over the tortilla pieces, then ½ the sauce, and ½ the cheese. Repeat layers.Bake 30-40 minutes, until very hot, bubbly and slightly browned. Makes eight to ten 8 oz. servings.

I usually double this recipe and freeze one pan of enchiladas for a crazy day! Just assemble and freeze without baking. Cooking instructions are the same for frozen enchiladas, however, you may have to adjust the baking time slightly to make sure they're warmed through.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I LOVE fall! So much, in fact, that I have been cooking and baking like a fool and still had the inspiration to blog it out. (You'd be shocked how much is intended for the blog but never makes it!) Anyway, my canned pumpkin stock has been beckoning from the cabinet and after seeing Dani's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies this weekend, I was inspired to whip out this quick bread. And, in my opinion, the best part about this recipe has to be that it makes 2 loaves. One for now and one for later, baby!

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
1-1/2 cups canola oil
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves.

Aunt Debbie's Jumbo Cherry Chip Muffins

Just like the Chocolate Chips ones, only with a few different ingredients! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
1 package white cake mix
1 package vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
¾ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups cherry chips (I found mine at Albertson's)

DIRECTIONS: Combine cake mix, dry pudding, eggs, water, oil and extract. Mix until smooth. Beat in chips by hand. Pour the batter into lined muffin tins, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake, as the muffins will be dry. Store in airtight container or wrap individually and freeze. Makes 12 jumbo muffins.

Grandma Joycie's Zucchini Soup

Don't let the blah color fool you. This soup is inexpensive, freezes well, and goes along great with a BLT or as a first course for a fine meal!

INGREDIENTS:
4-6 slices bacon, chopped (use gluten free for a GF meal)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2-3 1/2 cups of water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6-8 medium zucchini, sliced
1 16 oz. container sour cream*

DIRECTIONS: Cook bacon in large pot until light brown. Add onion and garlic, saute lightly in grease. Add remaining ingredients except sour cream. Simmer, uncovered, until zucchini is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool about 15 minutes and blend 2 cups at a time. Return to pot. Mix in sour cream* and reheat. Serve warm. Serves 4

NOTE* I opted to double the recipe and freeze half. In the event that you would like to do the same, refrain from adding the sour cream until you are ready to serve it.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello All! I am Dani Sorenson. Sarah has asked if I would like to contribute to Chow City! Besides being slightly intimidated to be on the same page as these two Masters of Deliciousness, I am giddy with excitement at being allowed to post some of my favorites! Hope you enjoy!

Fall is in the air in Albuquerque! In our house this means all things PUMPKIN! These cake-style cookies are delicious right out of the oven, room temp or chilled in the refrigerator. Though they are cookies, do not be surprised if they find their way onto your breakfast plate alongside your morning coffee...yum!



INGREDIENTS:
1 (heaping) cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups mini-semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add vanilla and chocolate chips. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.