Slow-Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

I am lucky enough that I've taken on a really bad head cold and if you are like me I crave soup when I am sick.  I love beef and barley but have never made it so I went to Google for some help and this one is delicious.  I also love that it's for a crock pot to make it easier at the end of the day.

Slow-Cooker Beef and Barley Soup:

1.5 pounds beef stew meat

3 medium carrots sliced

1 large onion chopped

2/3 cup frozen kernel corn thawed

2/3 cups uncooked pearl barley

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes undrained

5 1/4 cups beef broth (I used 6 cups)

1 cup frozen sweet peas thawed

 

 

So easy! Spray the crock pot with some cooking spray and put all the ingredients in the crock pot EXCEPT for the peas.  Turn it on low and cook for 9-10 hours.

 

After it's cooked for 9-10 hours mix the peas in and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.  It says to up the heat to high but I didn't and it seemed to work just fine. 

 

Dish it up and you have a super easy and filling soup for the whole family.  It made a bunch for my family of 4 with leftovers. Simply Delicious

 

 

Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

I was going through a magazine today and came across this recipe.  I decided to make it for myself tonight and of course like usual I tweaked it.  I can't help myself.  I am going to blog the way I made it but if you want the original recipe I got it out of Woman's Day magazine.  The amount I made is half of the original recipe, which made 2-3 servings.  

Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potato Soup: 

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 medium/large carrots

1/2 onion chopped (I used purple but you can use sweet)

1 clove garlic chopped

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (cut in half for less spice or omit all together)

1-1.5 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped

1 tbsp. chicken or vegetable bouillon

3 cups water

1 slice bread cut into 1 inch cubes (I used Ezekiel)

pure maple syrup

 

 

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium high heat.  Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook until the vegetables are starting to brown at the edges, about 8-10 minutes.  When this step was over I removed the garlic.  You can definitely leave it in.

 

After it cooks and the vegetables are browned add the spices and cook for 1 minute more.

 

Then add the sweet potatoes, bouillon and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until sweet potatoes are tender.  About 15-20 minutes.

 

After the sweet potatoes are tender blend/puree the soup.  I used a hand held blender.  You can also decide the consistency you want the texture to be.  I thought the soup was a little too thick so I ended up adding some vegetable broth to thin it out a little bit.  

*To make my croutons I cut up my Ezekiel bread and put it in a preheated pan with 1 tbsp. of olive oil until the bread was toasted.*

I topped my soup with mushrooms, croutons, green onions, parmesan cheese and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.  This soup was absolutely delicious and a little spicy.  Enjoy!  Simply Delicious

 

 

 

 

  

Spring Rolls

Sometimes I start craving some type of food and then think "it can't be that hard to make/create" and I am right.  Making your own spring rolls isn't hard but can be a little tricky when using rice paper but wow! They are yummy!  I have made different ones.  I have made some with shrimp and also flash-fried tofu. Both of these are delicious but you can always omit the shrimp and tofu and just use vegetables.

Spring Rolls: 

Rice Paper (I found it in the grocery store)

rice noodles

red pepper

mushrooms (I prefer baby portobellos or shitake)

English cucumber

radishes

carrot

mint leaves

cilantro

shrimp

tofu

cornstarch if using tofu

sesame oil

Dipping Sauce:

 Almond butter

Soy sauce

sesame oil 

*the ingredients of course are subject to likes/dislikes.  This is just what I make them with.  The picture below doesn't show cilantro only because I didn't have any when I made this batch.*

 

 

 

You want to start by putting the rice noodles in a bowl with extremely hot water.  They soak for about 15 minutes to be fully cook.  Test the texture before making your spring rolls.  If you are using tofu you want to make sure it is cut into slices, all the excess water is out of it and start preheating a pan on med-med/high heat with some sesame oil.  SO.....while the noodles are soaking and the pan is heating up start to julienne all the vegetables.  I also like to lay them out on the cutting board set up in an assembly line fashion.

 

When the pan and sesame oil is hot you want to dip the tofu in cornstarch on all sides and flash fry it in the pan.  When you flash-fry the tofu you want to make sure you rotate it onto every side to crisp up all sides.  When they are done, place them on a paper towel to remove any excess oil and then I line up the pieces on my cutting board.

*If you are making shrimp...you don't have to use cornstarch.  I actually use a little coconut oil and do a quick cook until they are just cooked through and throw them into a bowl of ice water.*

 

When the tofu is cooled and the noodles are done you want to find a plate or skillet that can hold a layer of water and big enough for one of the rice papers to lie flat in.  This is for the rice paper to become pliable.  And the rice paper is really sticky so get a dishtowel and put it under cold water, wring out the extra water and place the towel on the counter to assembly the spring rolls.

 

When I make them I always start with a layer of the rice noodles and then start adding my vegetables.  Place everything towards the edge of one of the papers and roll it up like a burrito, making sure to fold the sides in.

 

Like I said the papers get sticky so after you roll them don't let them touch each other because it will rip a hole in the spring roll.  Even when I store them in the fridge I place a damp towel in the container and keep each one separate.

 

For the dipping sauce I don't have measurements.  I start with about 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of almond butter and add a little sesame oil and soy sauce and start stirring it.  You then need to add some hot water and stir until it gets the consistency you like.  You can also add some red pepper flakes if you want the sauce spicier.  These seem really time consuming, and they are a little bit, but they are so delicious!  It's one of my favorites!  I hope you enjoy! Simply Delicious

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Applesauce

I absolutely love applesauce but quit eating the stuff we buy at the store.  Even though we buy the "natural" there is still some sort of added ingredients.  I decided to google a simple recipe and make my own, but like always I tweaked the recipe and made it with less ingredients but oh so delicious!

Homemade Applesauce: 

I am going to list the amount of ingredients I used.  Adjust accordingly for your family

5 medium/large apples (I used a variety)

1 1/2-2 cups water

sprinkle of cinnamon

 

 

Peel the apples, I left a little peel on them because I like the texture.  After you peel them, remove core and cut them into chunks.

  

After they are cut up place them into a medium saucepan and sprinkle cinnamon on top (optional). Add the water.  I started with 1 1/2 cups and ended up using a little more.  You don't want the water to cover the apples but you want to make sure there is a good layer of water at the bottom.

 

Turn the burner on high until it boils and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  I set the timer and stirred them every 5 minutes.  You also want to make sure that there is water in the saucepan every time you stir so the apples don't burn.

 

After they are completely soft drain off any extra water.  Then depending on the consistency and texture you like will determine how you puree them.  I like mine kind of chunky so I just used a potato masher.  It is really good served warm with some added cinnamon on top or you can put it in the fridge to chill. This would also be really good served warm on top of coconut milk vanilla flavored ice cream with some toasted oats and nuts with a little raw honey.  It would make a "version" of an apple pie. Super easy! Simply Delicious