Warm n’ Cozy Mushroom, Bean & Barley Soup

****please see an updated version of recipe below***

I recently started buying soup by the liter from a cafe on Queenmary road called Cafe Pelligrino. The chef makes the most incredible soups that you can purchase fresh or frozen. Im a big fan of her Bean & Barley and I was determined to replicate her recipe, well I’ve come close - its not an exact but its a great first shot! This recipe is an adaptation from Seriouseats.com blog which was originally adapted from Arthur Schwartz's Jewish Home Cooking cookbook.


serves 10 to 12

Ingredients
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 large carrot, peeled
2 outer ribs celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 1/4 cups barley (1/2 pound)
1 1/2 cup dried baby lima beans
1 ounce dried mushrooms, coarsely crumbled
12 cups (or more) chicken soup
4 cups (or more) water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a larger pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat; sauté the onions until tender and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.


2. Put the sliced carrot and chopped celery into the pot, Sauté vegetables 3 to 4 minutes more.


3. Add the barley, lima beans, dried mushrooms, broth, and water.


4. Bring to a boil, then partially cover the pot; reduce heat to low so the soup simmers gently.
 Cook at a slow, steady simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, until the lima beans and barley are tender. After about 45 minutes, add the salt and pepper.


5. At the end of cooking, add a little more water or chicken soup, as necessary, to bring the soup to a thickness you like. Then taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

Enjoy!
Chef Cara

***UPDATE*** I have made another batch of this soup and made a few modifications, the final results were top notch! Instead of using two yellow onions, I only used one and substituted the other onion for a leek. Instead of using croyden house to create my chicken stock, I used 4 cups of Campbells Chicken Broth and 8 cups of water. For the spices, I used 3 bay leafs which I put into the pot when I added the liquid and I spiced the soup with Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning, Ground Pepper, Salt and McCormicks Mixed Spices (not the same as Allspice). I also added a few baby potatoes!

Ratatouille (pronounced ra-ta-twee)

“What is Ratatouille?” is a very common question. 



Yes, it is a highly entertaining children's movie produced by Disney that features a rat as a chef. It is also, for the purpose of this Blog, a fantastic meal or side dish that is very healthy and easy to make! It’s a great alternative to soup when you need something warm and cozy on a cold day.

The recipe makes 8 to 10 serving and it can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a week! 

You could be boring and freeze the leftovers OR you can think outside of the box and try using it on top of pasta, as a pizza topping and inside lasagna.

If you're trying to be skinny a.k.a carb cautious, try tossing it in with some spaghetti squash and crumbled Feta or use it as a sauce for a grilled fish like halibut.


3 cloves fresh Garlic

1 large Yellow Onion

1 Green Pepper 

1 Red Pepper 

1 Orange Pepper

1 Package of Mushrooms

2 Zucchinis
1 Eggplant

1 can of Tomato Paste with herbs and spices
1 can of Diced Tomatoes with herbs and spices

 1/2 tsp dry Basil
1 tsp Oregano

 2 Tbsp Balsamic Oil

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
 Salt & Pepper

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil



1. Cut Yellow Onion, Peppers, Mushrooms, Zucchinis into large chunky pieces. Peel the Eggplant with a potato peeler and cut it into large chunky pieces.



2. In a large soup pot, cover the bottom of the pot with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and add the onions and the peppers and simmer with the lid on until the onions become transparent. Mince the garlic cloves and add to the pot.



3. Add the Mushrooms to the pot and sauté all of the vegetables on medium heat for 7-8 minutes with the lid on.



4. Add the Eggplant and Zucchini to the pot and sauté for 10 minutes.


5. Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste to the pot and let simmer for 30 minutes. While the pot is simmering, add brown sugar, balsamic oil, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning according to taste.



Assuming you have Garlic, Oregano, Basil, Balsamic oil, Brown Sugar, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper in the house - you probably do if you are reading this blog since they are the basics - then the rest of the meal should cost you under $15.

Enjoy!


 Chef Cara

Deep Purple Smoothie

I've been making this smoothie for a couple of months. It's a quick, healthy snack made with ingredients that can stay in your fridge for a while...It's also the "recessionista" version of the $5 I used to blow at Jamba Juice...impressive, right?

All you need is a blender. Blend these ingredients together:

1/2 cup mixed frozen berries
1/2 cup orange juice (as you can imagine, I will recommend the orange juice of champions: Minute Maid or Simply Orange)
lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
1 Splenda or 1 tsp of sugar
2 ice cubes
1/4 cup plain fat free yogurt (today I used Fage greek yogurt cause I like their magazine ads!)

You can throw in some flax seed, change the fruit used...ENJOY!