Off of Daylight Savings Time and a Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

So last night we gained the hour, and this morning it was light earlier.  I'm glad I went to bed early and got up with the start of daylight.  At 5pm tonight it was dark, and by 6pm absolutely "pitch black". Soup for a Sunday:

• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 1 cup onion, sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini)
• 1 can (15 1/2 oz.) chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-2 TBS rosemary (1 sprig fresh)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 TBS parsley flakes
• 1-2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
• 1 cup barley
• 2   32 oz. cartons chicken broth (or I used 1 carton chicken broth, 1 carton mushroom broth)
• salt and pepper to taste (I also threw in some whole peppercorns. Remove them and bay leaf before serving.)
• OPTIONAL: grated cheese sprinkled on top bowl when serving, or TBS of sherry in bottom of bowl before spooning in soup

I put it all in a crock pot and cooked on high for about 4 hours (or until carrot and barley are done). So good.

New Year's eating for good fortune

LUCKY FOODS TO EAT

Epicurious writes about what foods get eaten for luck around the world.  In Italy it's cotechino (zampone) con lenticchie or sausages and green lentils.  Here's a recipe that I got from Vietri, who are the North Carolina women who import Italian dinner and house wares; I'm on their email list:

 

Sausage with Lentils

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups green lentils
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 pound prosciutto, pancetta, or bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 small fennel bulb, diced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage with fennel
• 1 medium can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 small dried chili pepper, or red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions

1. Place lentils in a pot of boiling, salted water; when the water boils again, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Sauté bacon, onion, carrot, fennel, shallot and garlic in olive oil in a large skillet. Remove vegetables from skillet when soft and brown sausage in the same skillet. Set sausage aside on paper towels.
3. Remove all fat from skillet and return bacon and vegetables to pan; add tomatoes, hot pepper, and bay leaf, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sausage and heat through, simmering for 5 minutes or more.
4. Season with salt and pepper and serve on a large platter accompanied by mashed potatoes.
   

Chianti is a good wine to enjoy with this dish. Enjoy!
Serves 4 to 6 people

I was a Phyllis and Jeannie's for the holidays, and with some leftover lentils from Aladin's Mediterranean, Phyl whipped up a similar version for us to have with rice at New Year's Eve.

While we are on the topic of lentils, here's an Epicurious lentil stew recipe I made for my staff before the holidays:

Lentil Stew with Spinach and Potatoes

I subbed the kale for the spinach, and doubled the recipe. I made it in the crock pot which meant no early saute, and I held back the kale, lemon juice, and lemon peel until after 8 hours on low. One hour or less on low at end was enough to cook kale. Don't over mint and don't over cook kale.


You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/349

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 cups canned vegetable broth
• 1 cup lentils, rinsed, picked over
• 8 ounces red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 lemon
• 6 ounces torn fresh spinach leaves (about 8 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• Crumbled feta cheese (optional, though I think it's essential)
  

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add vegetable broth and lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add potatoes; cook uncovered until potatoes and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, grate 1/2 teaspoon peel from lemon; squeeze enough juice from lemon to measure 2 tablespoons. Add lemon peel, lemon juice, spinach and cayenne to stew. Cover and simmer stew until spinach wilts and is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Mix in mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat before serving.)
3. Spoon stew into large soup bowls. Sprinkle feta cheese over, if desired.
   

Bon Appétit
May 1995

Soup's On - Crock Pot Golden Chicken and Crimini Mushroom

I awoke one day this week to the wonderful smell of soup.  Okay, I didn't think when I started this blog, that it would show me out as a foodie, but I can't resist sharing this recipe I concocted with the items on hand:

CROCK POT GOLDEN CHICKEN AND CRIMINI MUSHROOM

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 stalks celery, sliced to the size you like in soup
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced (I bought them already sliced)
• 1/3 cooked chicken, cut in bite size pieces (I used leftover from rotisserie chicken I bought at market)
• 8 cups broth (I used half chicken and half vegetable, because that is what I had on hand)
• 1 tsp garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 TBS thyme (I had some freshly dried thyme sprigs and just loaded it in.  I liked the result)
• 1 can evaporated milk

Directions

1. Put all ingredients but milk into crock pot.  Cook on low for 8 hours or until celery is done or done slightly less than you like.
2. Pour in evaporated milk and let cook for another 30-45 minutes on low.
3. Enjoy with some toasted crusty bread.  YUM
   

Yes, I had this soup for breakfast and for lunch.  First time I have had soup for breakfast I think.  But I could not resist.