Foodie Friday (On Saturday, Oops!)- Hearty Bean & Barley Soup

I scheduled this to post yesterday because I've been so incredibly busy lately but I guess it didn't work! Sorry about that.

This recipe comes directly from Campbells (with a few tweaks of my own) and let me tell you it is oh so delicious and the perfect soup for chasing away fall chills.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 an onion, chopped (about 1/2 a cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 1/2 cups beef broth
• 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 1/4 uncooked pearl barley
• 2 cups firmly packed chopped fresh spinach leaves (there are some pretty picky eaters here so I didn't put this in, but I think it would be delicious with it!)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender.
2. Stir the broth, beans, tomatoes, and barely into the saucepan. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until the barely is done.
3. Stir in the spinach and cook until the spinach wilts. Season to taste with black pepper.

Hmm...I really need to work on taking pictures of food don't I? Oh well, happy cooking! :)

I don't often link up recpies, but I'm link this up to:

Foodie Friday- Pasta Salad

This is another one of my "trying to put structure in my blog" attempts. For "Foodie Fridays," I'll be featuring a recipe that I have personally made and love! One of my favorite things is to try out a new recipe, and I'll be passing on my favorites to you! This week it's pasta salad.

I know it's fall, but here we are still clinging to the last few moments of summer over here. This week has been so gorgeous (mid seventies, light breeze, not a cloud in the sky!) so I celebrated with a light and delicious dinner yesterday. A very simple pasta salad. Seriously, it's so simple and requires almost no cooking.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups of your favorite raw veggies (cut up)
• 1 lb box pasta (I always use rotini, but shells, macaroni, penne and ziti would work nicely. Longer pastas like spaghetti and linguine don't work well here)
• 8 oz of your favorite meat (I use pepperoni, but leftover chicken or steak, deli ham, salami, anything works!)
• 1 bottle of italian/vinaigrette dressing

Directions:

1. Start a large pot of water boiling, salting the water liberally. When it reaches a rolling boil, add pasta and cook according to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, cut up all your veggies into bite sized pieces. I use a mix of tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, celery, olives, cauliflower, broccoli, those kinds of things. Cut up meat (if needed.)
3. When pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cold water.
4. Toss pasta and veggies and meat together with the bottle of dressing.
5. Chill at least two hours before serving. 

Lots and lots and lots of veggies!

It is soooo yummy. It makes a great side dish at a picnic but we usually eat it as the main course. :) The best part is that it's totally customizable to your family's tastes and it's still always delicious!

Happy cooking! And happy Friday!

Mexican Lentil Stew

As promised (well, kinda) here is a wonderfully delicious recipe. This one is tried and true, I make it at least once a month, usually more! It's hearty and light at the same time, a little spicy and a little tangy, and overall really delicious! I wish I made this up but I didn't, it's from my favorite cooking blog, Budget Bytes. If you have a minute check it out, she has a ton of really great recipes that are made on a budget, so they are not only delicious they are also affordable!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry lentils
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 3 stalks celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• two 14.5 oz. cans fire roasted diced tomatoes (regular diced is fine, but the fire roasted really adds an amazing flavor!)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp each turmeric and cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 10-15 dashes hot sauce
• 1 medium lime
• 1 handful cilantro

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, bring the 2 cups of lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and let sit with a lid on for about 20 minutes.
2. While the lentils are cooking, begin the stew. Finely dice the onions and cook over medium heat in 2 Tbsp of olive oil. While the onions begin to cook, finely dice the garlic and add to the pot. While the onions and garlic cook, finely chop the celery and then add to the pot.
3. Cook the onions, garlic and celery until they are soft but not brown. Add the cans of diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, turmeric, cumin, chili powder and the hot sauce. Continue to cook over medium heat until hot.
4. At this point, the lentils should have absorbed the water and become soft. Add the lentils and any remaining water to the soup mixture. Stir well and slightly mash using the back of your spoon.
5. Once the entire mixture is hot, add a handful of chopped cilantro and taste test to see if you want any more heat (hot sauce) or salt and pepper.
6. You can either add the juice of lime to the pot or serve the bowls of stew with a wedge of lime. I like the wedge of lime because it makes for a pretty presentation and that way people can choose whether or not they want it.

I love adding some tortilla chips to it too. :) This recipe makes 12 1.5 cup servings so if you have a small family I recommend halving it. :) Enjoy!

Edited to add: Oh my goodness I forgot the picture!!

Much better. Sorry folks! Carry on with your regularly scheduled Saturday.

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

I have a side dish for you that will wow your family! I adapted this recipe from Ina Garten's roast broccoli recipe and everyone in the family really liked it! Even my picky husband who doesn't like veggies.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 large florets of fresh broccoli (a few pounds worth)
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• Olive oil
• Non-stick spray
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1/4-1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

(for this recipe I also cut the kernels off of four ears of fresh corn and it was a great addition to the dish.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Cut the florets into bit sized pieces, about the size and length of your thumb (not too small, otherwise they'll burn).
3. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. 
4. Place the florets on the sheet in a single layer. 
5. Sprinkle the slices of garlic all over the broccoli and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (This is where I added the corn on mine.)
6. Roast the broccoli at 425 for 20-25 minutes. The florets will be tender and slightly brown at the tips.
7. Take out of oven and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice and Parmesan cheese.

And enjoy! Mmm, just looking at it make me want to make it again. I bet if you added some roasted chicken strips and served it over a bed of pasta drizzled with olive oil it would make a great meal instead of just a side dish!

Happy cooking! Later I'll teach you how to make the main dish this sided with. :)