Beefy Mushroom Barley Soup

We are just about into soup weather here in the Pacific Northwest. Soon it will be rain, rain, and more rain..or, as we PNWer's like to refer to it, liquid sunshine. When it's cold and dark and dank out there is nothing more comforting than a warm bowl of goodness. My hubby and I love soup. I try to make it as often as possible. But with only two of us at home these days, it takes us awhile to get through a pot. If, on the days I make soup, you can get here you're welcome to some.

Beefy Mushroom Barley Soup is my hubby's favorite, so it gets made often. We prefer it thick with lots of veggies and barley. I am utterly amazed when I read the back of a package of barley, or read some of the barley soup recipes out there and the recommendation is for 1/4 or 1/3 of a cup. I mean, really? What is the point of putting in the barley if you can't even find it in the soup!? So, I am no slouch when it comes to adding the barley...as you will see.

Ingredients

1 lb. stew beef (I had some top round that needed to be used) cut into small cubes

2 TBS. canola or vegetable oil

salt and pepper

1 TBS. butter

1 medium onion chopped

2-3 stalks celery chopped

1 cup sliced baby carrots

1-2 cloves garlic minced or grated

1/2 to 1 lb. cremini mushrooms

1/2 cup red wine

3 qts. beef stock

1 cup barley

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. oregano

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in the bottom of a 6 qt. Dutch oven or soup pot. Season the cubed beef with salt and pepper and c00k in small batches until nicely caramelized. As the beef browns remove to a paper towel and drain.

Add 1 TBS. butter to the drippings. Saute the onion for about 4 or 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute for another 5 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook until tender. Then add the wine and the beef and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the stock. OK, here's a confession. Although I make my own chicken stock, I have yet to attempt making beef stock. And I don't like to spend the money on the boxed stocks. Happily, one day in Walmart, I happened on this little gem.

It really makes a nice rich broth. It is a little more spendy than bouillon cubes but more economical than the boxed stocks. I've been very pleased with the results using this product. I added 3 quarts of hot water and once the soup was boiling I added 4 1/2 TBS. of the paste. I stirred for a couple of minutes to make sure it dissolved properly. I then turned to heat to low and let simmer for about an hour.

After the soup has simmered add the barley and spices. Let cook on low for about 1/2 hour or until barley is tender. If it becomes thicker than you like just add a couple of cups of water. Serve with some yummy bread and you have a warm comforting meal on a cool fall day.

Notes:I have tinkered with this recipe for awhile, and this is the best I have come up with. It's filling and flavorful and reheats well...which is a good thing since we will be eating it for a few days! Enjoy!

Stroganoff and Love

Valentine's Day was lovely except for one thing...my camera died. I am so unhappy about that. I was really looking forward to posting pictures of hubby's and my afternoon with Paul and my stroganoff. Instead, as I often tell my students that I tutor in writing, I will have to paint pictures in words. Besides, you all know what stroganoff looks like, right?

So, first, Paul. He arrived with his movie, "Madagascar 2," and his baby, Michael, diaper bag, and play yard. Here's the story. Paul has 3 older brothers, 2 of whom are married with children. As these siblings have married and produced babies, he began to feel as though he was being denied something. The summer that my oldest daughter was married it all came to a head. Paul was so enraptured with the whole wedding thing that he began to plan his own. He made lists of items he would need, who would be invited, even where the ceremony would be held...on his parents backporch/deck. The one hitch in the plan...no bride. That didn't seem to bother him in the least. He just wanted a wedding. And after that he wanted a baby to take care of. My sis was beside herself trying to figure out how to quash all of this. She finally decided to try doing the baby thing first to see if that would help quell his desire for a wedding. So she bought him a boy babydoll that is very lifelike. And, thus, Michael is born. He is the eternal newborn, and goes almost everywhere with Paul. He doesn't talk wedding plans any longer. But I guess there is going to be a baby shower in June. Hope my sis knows this.

Since Michael was with us yesterday, we had to put the Wiggles dvd that I have for my grandbaby on until Uncle Phil was done at the computer and could watch "Madagascar" with Paul. It was so adorable to see Paul stretched out on the loveseat with Michael on his lap facing the TV. Both were very content and relaxed watching the Wiggles perform their musical magic. (Personally, those guys creep me out.)

Later during dinner Paul kept telling me what a good cook I was. Must have been true. He had two pretty healthy servings of the stroganoff. Unfortunately, he didn't get to spend as much time with us as we would have liked. He had to take his dessert with him. But my sis was sure appreciative of being able to have some grownup time, and I'm glad I could do it for her. Hopefully, things have settled down for awhile so that Paul can spend some more time with us.

Now, on to the stroganoff. This is one of hubby's favorite dishes, which made it a wonderful choice for Valentine's. I don't like to skimp on the ingredients with this recipe. I want the meat as tender and the sauce as flavorful as possible. And I have a particular brand of noodles that I use that I can only find, so far, at Walmart. It's called Country Pasta and you can find out more about these noodles here.

Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2-2 lbs. beef sirloin sliced thin
2 medium onion sliced thin
2 TBS. oil
1 TBS. butter
3 cloves garlic minced
8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
2 TBS. flour
a little broth to mix flour with
2 TBS. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
wide noodles cooked according directions

Season the sliced beef with salt and pepper. Lay out 1/2 the sliced onion on a plate. Lay the sliced beef on the onions and cover with the other half of the onions and let rest for an hour. Go ahead and get the sour cream out and let it warm to room temperature. After the rest period, remove the meat from the onions, and quickly cook the meat in a large saute pan in the oil and butter. Remove the meat to a bowl and put the onion in the pan and cook until pretty well caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Add back the meat and mix together thoroughly. Then add the wine and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the broth. Let heat through. Mix the flour with a little extra broth or water until smooth. Make sure the liquid is boiling in the pan, push aside the meat and veggies and mix in the flour mix in gradually, stirring to keep it smooth. Heat until thickened. Stir in the Dijon mustard. Right before serving stir in the sour cream. Serve over the noodles. This stuff is to die for all. Just ask Paul.