Lentil and Chicken Sausage Stew

Hmm...when I am going through my magazines, cookbooks and loose recipes, I often think about what I have in the house for a particular recipe and what do I have to buy.  Right now, I am missing lentils and celery for this recipe.  I will solve that by a quick trip to Caputos tomorrow.  I think this will turn up on the menu this week.  It sounds too good to me to pass up.

1 carton (32oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 28oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 fully cooked spicy chicken sausage links cut into half inch slices
1 C. dried lentils, rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme

In a 4 or 5 qt. slow cooker, combine all ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until lentils are tender.

Beef and Barley Soup

Soup season has arrived.  While the gazillion or so chicken soup recipes I have are good...sometimes you need something a little heartier.  This looks like it will do the trick.  I am guessing it would be delicious if you swapped out the barley for noodles...it would probably also be beef and noodle soup then!  LOL

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1lb. London broil cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
8oz. cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced (I may use button mushrooms, they are my favorite!)
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. tomato paste
3/4 C. dry red wine
4 C. chicken stock
3 C. water
3/4 C. hulled or pearl barley, rinsed and drained
1/4 C. coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
Garnish: grated fresh horseradish

Heat 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. oil in a medium Dutch oven or a large pot over medium high heat.  Season beef with salt andpepper and brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. 

Reduce heat to medium.  Add remaining oil and cook onion, carrot and mushrooms until golden, stirring occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes.  Season with salt.

Add garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, and add wine.  Return to heat, and bring to a boil, scrapong up brown bits from bottom using a wooden spoon.  Cook until  reduced by half, about 5 minutes. 

Return beef to pot, and add stock and water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. 

Add barley, and cook, covered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and cook until beef and barley are tender, 20 to 25 minutes more.  Stir in parsley.  Divide soup among 6 bowls and serve.

Roasted Garlic Butternut Soup

I discovered that I like butternut squash last fall when I made soup.  I do love my soup.  Here's another one that uses an entire bulb of garlic...can't go wrong there.  A cup of this soup with 1 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese is 144 calories.  I may also try it with feta cheese because I like feta better than blue.

1 whole garlic bulb
1 tsp. olive oil
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
l large onion, chopped
2 tbsp. butter
3 1/4 C. water
1 14.5oz. can low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
9 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese

Remove papery outer skin from garlic.  Do not peel or separate cloves.  Cut off the top of the garlic bulb.  Brush with oil; wrap in heavy duty foil.  Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until softened.  Cool 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute the squash, sweet potato, and onion in butter until crisp tender.  Add the water, broth, paprika, pepper, and salt; squeeze softened garlic into pan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Cool slightly.

In a food processor, process soup in batches until smooth.  Return all to pan and heat through.  Ladle into bowls, top with blue cheese.