Alla Checca: Using Up Those Gorgeous Tomatoes

So....last summer I was really really industrious and I was all about preparing for the following year so I proposed saving your seeds. And then this spring, I really got a jump on things by planting those seeds so I could have a patio full of beautiful tomato plants. Ready to see the bounty of my hard work?

it's almost overwhelming, huh?

When you have finished laughing, we'll get on with the rest of the post, ok?  Actually, I kind of feel like that scene at the end of 28 Days with the guy who can't keep the plant alive or take proper care of the dog and is getting desperate....

*this was the best clip I could find *

My brain sounds something like this: I have 3 kids and a dog and run a household on many levels and can't seem to grow a decent tomato to save my life.  *cue crying like above*


Enter wonderful parents with mad skills for growing things and keeping children and dogs alive.  So then I had a box full of gorgeous home-grown tomatoes that looked like this:

hells yeah, Mom and Dad

To say that these beauties are utterly delicious is a major understatement. However, to say that we could use them up just making salsa and sandwiches before they turned was rather unlikely as well and I was NOT about to waste a single one.

Hence search engine to compensate for mommy brain....uncooked sauce? Sure!

This recipe is (1) soooo easy (2) time flexible and (3) really pretty--try it for company or a stay-in date for instance.

Basically, if you can cut things and boil pasta, you can make this.  Which pretty much covers how much brain power I have to devote to making dinner at this stage in the game anyways.

Stage 1:

Dice 5 tomatoes, removing the seeds

Chop 1/2 cup of fresh basil (one plant I did manage to grow properly this summer)

Stir together in a non-metal bowl along with 

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tbs minced garlic

pretty

yes, it sits on your counter
all day--no one will die,
I promise

Stir this all together and cover with plastic wrap. This is now going to sit, on your counter at room temperature for at least 2 hours and up to 10 hours. See? easy. 

Stage 2: 

Boil one pound of pasta-shape and size of your choice. Drain off water and pour the tomatoes over the hot pasta and toss--along with some parmesan cheese. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

pasta and sauce

pasta

pasta, sauce and cheese

Stage 3: 

Eat.  Possibly with a bit of crusty garlic bread. This will serve four generous portions by the way so if you are feeding more people, just  double as needed. 

See what I'm saying here? Easy. Simple. Good. 

And no mothers were stressed in the making of this dinner.

Chorizo Black Bean Pockets: Easy Betty Says It's Too Hot To Work

Last week, my little crew escaped to the Old Country (aka Pennsylvania) for a week to be spoiled rotten by the grandparents. Considering that the Dev's and I haven't been alone together for over two years and I hadn't had a moment to really get ready for Baby Boy, a week without Thing 1 and Thing 2 was a gift, plain and simple. Your mother in law may drive you crazy, showing up at your house all the time, taking the kids blah blah blah. You bless that woman right now. You don't know what a gift you have having family near you.

Needless to say, after we (kind of) adjusted to the quiet in the house (and the fact that we could eat candy for dinner and watch movies really loudly at night with no fear of waking the sleeping dragons), we transitioned beds and cribs and moved around bedrooms and painted stuff and scrubbed carpets and washed baby clothes. And after a baseless meltdown about the state of my body, the hospital bag is also packed and ready to go. So while I have no idea who is going to watch the girls while I'm actually at the hospital birthing their brother, everything else is ready for this child to actually enter the world (knock on wood).

I don't need to tell you it's blistering hot outside--yes, it's summer and it should be hot; but this is like "I'm sorry, I repent" hot out. And as I'm nearing the final stages of this pregnancy--this long and difficult pregnancy--I've reached that point where I don't leave the house unless absolutely necessary. If not because the cashier at my local grocery store can't keep her annoying comments about my appearance to herself, then because the heat index is in triple digits by 9 am.

And since I'm avoiding said grocery store, I need to get a little more creative with dinner around here. This is what I came up with tonight:

You'll need:
2  8-oz cans crescent rolls (shut up, they were on sale and I had a coupon)
1 pound chorizo sausage (I used mild for the sake of the children)
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, diced
1 cup cooked or 1 can rinsed and drained black beans
8 oz shredded cheddar

Preheat your oven to 375 and prepare a baking sheet. While your oven heats, use a skillet to cook the chorizo (remove the casing) with the black beans, adding in the tomatoes once everything else is cooked through. Cut the heat and taste your filling to see if it needs something more. If you like spicy, add in some hot peppers or some chili powder.  Mexican sausage is pretty flavorful though so you may not even need salt and pepper.






On the sheet pan, separate out the first can of crescent rolls so you have 8 triangles.









Now top them with a heaping tablespoon of the filling and top with the shredded cheese. Leave the edges clear.










Using the second can of rolls, top the triangles and seal the edges with a fork. You may need to stretch out the top piece a little to cover the filling but since it's not a super-wet filling, you shouldn't have to worry about them exploding open.

 Now you have 8 triangles....and also about half the filling left-freeze it for later or use up 4 cans instead of 2 and feed the neighbor kids that just got out of your pool.

Pop the pockets into the oven for 12-15 minutes and bake until golden brown. I served these with a little salsa and sour cream for dinner. Fruit salad on the side and you have a full meal. Easy peasy. Dinner in less than half and hour.

The filling on these could be anything really. Leftover chicken with some spinach and feta? Mozzarella, pepperoni and mushrooms with a marinara dipping sauce? A little ground beef with diced carrots and peas? Look around in the your fridge or pantry and use up that stuff that's just sitting around.  If you add cheese to it, I guarantee you can slip in some veggies without the kids caring.

Basic Homemade Pizza Dough

There's a saying--if everybody has the best way to do something, nobody does. I find this is especially true with any form of yeast dough, pizza dough included. It's why I will rarely ever tell you that my way is the best. What I can tell you is that everything I post, I've tried so I can at least tell you if it's edible and/doable.

This dough is very easy and not at all fussy and I like how it is portioned. A single batch makes either 2 medium pizzas or 4 individual pizzas or calzones. Right now, we're a 4 person family....er, well, four of us have teeth and can pick up a pizza to eat, how 'bout that?

But because it's so easy to mix up, I made a batch for dinner and then turned around and made a double batch (which fit in my Kitchen Aid mixer just fine) to put up in the freezer for later.

Here's what you need:

1/2 cup of warm water (nothing below 80 degrees and nothing above 120)
2 1/4 tsp (1 pkg) instant yeast

Put these two together and let them slow dance for 10 minutes while you get everything else ready. Remember, if you see no bubbles or change in your mixture in the next 5-10 minutes, your yeast is dead and you need to throw it out and start over with different yeast.

Now you need to add

4 cups (approx) of flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 tbs olive oil

I usually add my dry ingredients, turn on the mixer to slow and add the wet stuff to keep the flour from trying to fly out of the bowl.

Use your dough hook attachment on your mixer to bring it all together. If it seems sticky, add more flour. If it seems too dry, add a bit more water. yeast is a living thing and will change your recipe on any given day depending on heat, humidity, type of flour, color of your shirt, etc

If you wish to burn a few extra calories, you can pull your dough out and hand-knead it for about 5 minutes on your counter until it's smooth and stretchy.

Spray a bowl with pan spray and toss in your dough ball--pour a little oil or spray a little more pan spray on the top of the dough, cover it it with a damp towel and set the dough someplace warm (yeah, like you have a cool spot right now) for about an hour to double. If you are experiencing a really warm, humid day, it may not take a whole hour to rise.

Once doubled, "punch" down the dough (get the bubbles and air out) and either freeze it in a ziploc bag for later or prepare it for cooking.

Preheat your oven to 400 and prepare what ever baking surface you are using (cooking sheet, sheet pan, baking stone) with a dusting of cornmeal to keep the crust from sticking.

I found I could hand-toss this dough pretty easily, if you're in to that sort of thing. Regardless, make sure you always (1) "dock" your dough (pierce it with a fork evenly)--this keeps it from bubbling up (2) spread a little olive oil over the surface before adding your sauce and toppings.

This dough is a good one for calzones too so if you are in the mood, divide the dough, flatten it out, fill (don't over-fill) with your meat, cheeses and veggies, fold over to form a pocket and seal the edges. Don't forget to cut a few slits in the top for steam vents and bake away (you may need to drop your oven temp to 375 for these babies).

Easy Betty Strikes Again: Corn with Bacon and Mushrooms

It's summer time and the livin' is easy.....well, it should be because I'm really really lazy right now. That said, all the recipes that are being posted right now for easy sides and dinner ideas are catching my attention as much as the articles on how to wrangle 3 kids.



This particular recipe was a no-brainer for us because the ingredients are staple items in this house ("fat and fungus" is it's own food group around here).  Throw in the corn and suddenly I believe it's healthy.



I actually made this as part of Mr. Devlin's Father's Day meal. The Dev's is a notorious meat and potato man, eating veggies only to show he can be a good role model when little eyes are upon him. But it's not like I was going to put him to the brussel sprout test on his special day (that's what Monday's are for).



Naturally, after scanning the recipe, I pretty much did what I wanted with it. Having some bacon already cooked off for a batch of bacon cheddar scones, I could easily skip that step of cooking it in a skillet but that also meant I wouldn't have the necessary fat required to saute the mushrooms in. Also not a real problem for me because I save my bacon fat.  I told you-fat and fungus are taken seriously in this house.



Ok, so basically, all you need is:

bacon--cooked or not is up to you but you'll want about 6 pieces for 4+ servings, chopped
chopped onion, shallots or chives-- I have chives so that's what I used (about 1 heaping tablespoon) but if you are using onion or shallots-about 1/4 cups, chopped fine
mushrooms--button, bella, porcini, oyster, shiitake--entirely up to you but you'll want about 3 cups, sliced or chopped
corn kernels--1 1/2 cups-2 cups frozen or maybe you want to shave off some from some leftover ears if you have some laying around
salt and pepper--totally to your taste



Saute the bacon, adding fat if you need it. If you don't have enough to saute mushrooms in, add a pat or two of butter. Now toss in the mushrooms and onions, stirring now and then as they soften and absorb all the bacony goodness. Adjust your heat as well-medium is a good place to be. When the mushrooms have a bit of browning and softening going on and the onions are somewhat softened, toss in the corn and season to your taste. This is really all there is to the recipe.



I served this as a side to steak and potatoes but I'd easily whip up a bit of this to put over scrambled eggs or hash browns in the morning as well.

Who's The Dip? How to Make Hummus

As the heat rises, my laziness extends in all directions. That's not to mean I don't have weird moments of nesting, like the other night when-instead of tucking my eldest into bed-I cleaned her room top to bottom (even dusting!). But I'm not so very interested in cooking every meal right now. We've been doing a lot of this actually. Which led me to whip up a large batch of hummus to dip and spread on everything (even in the middle of night apparently).

According to Wikipedia--

Hummus is high in iron and vitamin C and also has significant amounts of folate and vitamin B6.^[16] The chickpeas make it a good source of protein anddietary fiber; the tahini consists mostly of sesame seeds, which are an excellent source of the amino acid methionine, complementing the proteins in the chickpeas. Depending on the recipe, hummus carries varying amounts of monounsaturated fat.^[17] Hummus is useful in vegetarian and vegan diets; like other combinations of grains and pulses, it serves as a complete protein when eaten with bread.

I--per usual--used dried chick peas for my hummus, soaking them overnight and boiling them until they were soft before continuing. You can, however, use a couple of cans of chick peas if you so desire, making sure to drain and rinse them.

This recipe makes a fair amount of spread so it's great for parties too. I've been spreading it on wraps and crackers for Thing 1 and Thing 2. Thing 2 in particular is pretty fond of the stuff, licking it off chips and crackers, then handing them back to me for "re-fills."



Ok, so back to the hummus. If you are using dried, figure half a bag. If you are using canned, 2 15 oz cans should do the job. Here's what else you'll need...

Stir up your tahini
before using it. It will
be thick, like
peanut butter.

2 lemons or 1/2 cup of lemon juice
2-5 cloves of garlic, based on your preference. I used diced garlic and I like a lot so I had about 2 heaping teaspoons
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt (and pepper if you like)
1/2 (approximate) cup of water (this is more a give or take based on how thick your hummus is)
1/2 cup tahini (look in your Ethnic food aisle at the grocery store--it's ground roasted sesame seed ground up like peanut butter and it's WONDERFUL).

why, yes-those are finger marks
from me "testing" the hummus

Pull out the food processor and dump in the peas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, half the oil, salt and pepper and blend it all up smooth. Remove the top of the processor and stir so you know you are getting the top and bottom blended well. Check the flavor to see if you want more of anything and add in some water before blending again.



You're done. Yep, that's what the lady said.

I pretty much can't get enough of this stuff.

When serving hummus, feel free to drizzle a bit of nice olive oil over the top-this serves two purposes really-flavor and keeping the top from drying out. You can also sprinkle a bit of fresh chopped herbs for a pretty display for parties.



Refrigerate any leftovers. In the meantime, dip or spread your hummus everywhere--pita chips, multigrain crackers, cucumber slices, carrot sticks, salad wraps--go on with your bad self.

Summer Food: Basic Baked Beans

Yeah yeah, I know-you could pick up a few cans of this stuff for nothing at the store and save yourself the hassle....but do you really think that hunk of blubber in the can really passes for pork? Wouldn't you rather know what really goes into this summertime classic?--you know, just in case the zombie apocalypse makes getting to the store difficult.

Besides that, I know I have mommy readers who are WIC mommies and now have a stockpile of monthly bean rations in the pantry with no idea what to do with them next. Seriously, how much bean salad and soup can you really eat?

beans-soaked, rinsed,
simmered and drained
They lose some of their
color at this point.

This is a one-bag recipe, using one pound of dried small red beans (yes, that's what they are called).  You can also use pinto beans but I prefer the red beans (not kidneys).



This will give you enough for at least 10 servings-in other words, enough to take to the next family picnic or Sunday school cookout without breaking the bank....and somebody always brings a pot of beans so why can't it be you this time?



Soak your bag of red beans over night in cool water in a large bowl. 8 hours later or in the morning, drain off that water and rinse off the beans in fresh cool water.  Place the beans in a large pot and cover with more cool water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat once the water boils so the beans can simmer until they are soft enough to smoosh (* technical term). Drain off the water at this point.



Now, you can cook your beans in the oven or in a crock pot at this point. I like the crock pot because then I really don't have to think about them and it's nigh on impossible to burn them but if your party is in a couple of hours and you need to get this show on the road, then pick out a large casserole dish with a lid and preheat your oven to 350.



You will need the following staples to make some classic baked beans (*note: all measurements are approximate since it's based on preference)

1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups  brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
ketchup
yellow mustard (less of this than of the ketchup-just a decent squirt)
salt and pepper
I also like a dash of bbq sauce in mine as well.

You can also add in a package of sausages, chopped hotdogs, mini weenies or crumbled bacon. The last time I made this, I added a package of stadium brats and we had a full meal in one pot.




In the crock pot, put on high for 3-4 hours. In the oven, one or two, stirring either occasionally. Taste the beans to see if the flavors need to be adjusted. For instance, I felt mine needed closer to 2 cups of brown sugar in the end and less mustard.

just beginning to cook

And now you know a classic summer dish and a great way to get your kids to eat beans...go ahead-teach them "the song."

Some Like It Hot: Cuban Black Beans

I'm in the advanced stages of pregnancy brain here. I start things and forget them. I buy things and don't want them. I stand in front of the pantry and forget what I'm there for. (I've also screwed up the directions to dr's offices my husband is trying to drive me to and forgotten on several occasions that I am, in fact, pregnant.) Needless to say, things are a little our of hand in my normally organized world.

As such, I'm on a bit of a campaign to use up some of the dry stock in my pantry before I enter another grocery store (I do hereby solemnly swear).

I found this recipe somewhere online (because, yes, I forgot to write it down) and cooked it up tonight for dinner. I think it's a keeper....and by putting it on my blog, I don't have to worry about losing the scrap of paper I jotted it down on.

This recipe uses dried black beans so if you are also using dried beans, you will need to soak your beans over night and rinse them before cooking to soft for this recipe. If you are using canned beans, be sure to rinse them first before adding them to the recipe. I'm going to proceed using the dried bean method.

This recipe yielded enough for 4-5 main portions, so if you have a larger crew, it doubles easily.

Prep 1/2 pound of dried black beans according to directions. (I did this ahead of time in the morning which shortened the time I needed to make the actual meal).

In a large skillet:

3-4 Tbs olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine (or a heaping Tbs of minced from a jar)
3 ancho chilies in sauce, finely chopped (if you like spicy, add another but this has some good heat)

Saute these ingredients over medium heat until the onions are soft.  If you want a main dish, this is a good time to add in a pound of sliced sausage of your choice. If you want vegetarian or a side dish from this, skip that step and move on.

Add 1 cup of water and stir in:
1 bullion cube of your choice-chicken, ham or veggie
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
A pinch of sugar
All the cooked beans.

Stir everything together and simmer over a medium low heat; if it seems the moisture is cooking off too fast, add more water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Using a fork or potato masher, mash some of the beans to create a thicker consistency.

Stir in:
2 tsp of vinegar (any kind seems fine)
1 Tbs dry white wine

Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Remember to remove the bay leaf before serving over rice.

I served this with a big bowl of fruit salad and Thing 1 and Thing 2 took turns eating the beans and then the fruit to cool their baby tongues from the spicy, which was just funny to watch. The important thing is, though, that they ate it.

Happy Anniversary to Me (Us?)

A year ago, I took the plunge into the literary pool of blogging and started this site. At the time, I had an infant, a kindergartner, a husband with a new business and an overwhelming sense of personal craziness.




It's possible that all have managed to do is branch out to find new things to stress over...because I'm like that.


There are a few things I feel I need to address first, for those of you who happen upon here at random.








Through this year, I know many have hit this site due to my blog name. And I have messaged the brave few who questioned just what *exactly* my deal is. I've considered changing the name a few times for fear that my macabre sense of humor is a mockery of the knife of illness that stabs at our numbers seemingly randomly. It's simply not true. The bottom line is that I chose the name 3 years before I started blogging after a long night in the kitchen,  so I could comment on my sister's blog, never intending to publish...and then I woke up a year ago and decided to publish, assuming the only people who would ever read this would be my mom and siblings. Man, was I wrong. Lesson learned....but I'm keeping the name because BB still sums up the duality of my existence, the ups and downs that are my every day. Extreme to no one but me, I am sure.

research

 Love me through this, dear reader, I evolve slowly sometimes.



Also, I would like to mention that just because my nickname is Betty Crocker, not every recipe listed here under that name is affiliated with the corporation that employs that imagine. In fact, very very few of them come from THAT Betty. If I ever publish an actual book (not that I plan to), I won't be able to use most of this site. Another lesson learned.





That said, I wanted to give some updates on some of the posts from this past year....things that worked out, stuff that didn't...











For instance, Thing 1 and Thing 2 are still alive and thriving despite all the recipe testing. No longer an infant and a kindergartner, they are a wall-climbing toddler and not-for-long 1st grader who has legs like a colt and the eyes of ancient soul.







The most popular post I've written was also one of the most painful. Who knew anyone still wanted another chicken soup recipe.



The second most popular post was for no-bake bar cookies that I still love so much I could eat a whole pan.

it's like a metaphor

I am still using homemade laundry detergent. Despite having dirty children who are learning to feed themselves and to not act like wild dogs, I have clean, fresh-smelling laundry that I am very happy with. I have not noticed any graying or fading and I'm spending less than two pennies a load AND I only have to make the soap every 3 months or so. I call that success.



Likewise, the all purpose cleaner is still getting a workout here. I use it for pretty much everything-including removing spots from the carpet. Mr. Devlin gave it a solid testing and gives it his seal of approval as well.  It's worth the effort.



Yes, I still make my own donuts....if you fill them with Nutella, it's possible you may fall into a coma--you've been warned.



Thing 1 has already put her vote in for another round of Easter peeps. Homemade marshmallows are within your grasp-don't be scared.

yes, the tomatoes worked

Likewise, homemade preserves are not just for over-achievers. I'm currently preparing to make the season's first batch of strawberry jam this weekend actually.



I'm proud of how far my homemade tortillas have evolved...enough so that I'm willing to serve them friends. Honestly, I can't begin to explain how having fresh tortilla changes even a simple quesadilla--Alice Waters would be so freakin' proud of me.

pot scrubbers

I'm still looking for more ways to recycle baby food jars but this certainly has helped....and Thing 1 loves them.



My post scrubbers went through a small makeover when I figured out how to work in an abrasive side by using a packet of hem tape as the starting circle. Hem tape is basically straight lace, generally in all kinds of colors, 3 feet long. It's the perfect amount to give the scrubby some, um, scrubby. Plus, these bad boys are so durable- I just throw them in the laundry and they are back to new.






After giving me crap over the first batch, Thing 1 started referring longingly to her blueberry poptarts as some kind of special treat that I withhold from her for spite. There is no winning as a mother, really, I guess the best I can hope for is that my grandbabies will someday ask me to make poptarts for them like I did for their mother....it's true, I totally can't wait to be that grandma that bakes all the really good stuff..





Despite the break in our routine due to my morning sickness, we still eat a fair share of muffins and scones so check out those recipes if your looking for something new.




I had a lot of fun with the Christmas baking this year- I hope next year's wow's you...and inspires you to try a few batches of this or that.





I am brain-sketching new ideas to bring to you to make your lives easier, to spark some creative action on your part or to give you something really easy to make for dinner because you've run out ideas today.  If nothing else, I hope you get a chuckle.




So, send me an email or leave a comment if I missed something you were wondering about or if there is something you'd like me to cover (I PROMISE I'm still trying to find more one-pot meals and the how-to's on artichokes).



I'll be taking a small break in September for Baby #3...while we have chosen REAL names for this little person, I need something clever for here...I don't really think I can call them the Lorax, you know?


...17 weeks and counting.

Every day is a gift. Even when I'm cranky. Even when I have no way to plan for what is coming next. I'm only human and my family loves me despite that and because of that....and I love them for the same reasons. My job is to do the best with what I've got and never stop learning or growing or trying. And God will take care of us--He always has.


....that's what I've learned this year...I can only wonder what this next year holds.

IT'S SPRING!! Eat Some Asparagus

I am feeling better....not great, but better. As such, I've actually been able to get back to some cooking and baking. It's amazing how much attention my little family has given a batch of cookies or muffins now; when I baked all the time for them, they never seemed to care. Now some chocolate chip cookies makes me a rock star (although NOT from Mars--curse my lack of tiger blood).

Anyways, as I emerge from the tunnel of my self-absorbed state, I find it is spring. I couldn't be more excited about the coming fresh produce at the farmer's markets. And the first fresh thing I like to snatch up is asparagus.

We never ate much asparagus when I was a kid but I suspect that has more to do with the fact that it's a bit time consuming to grow and we never ate vegetables we didn't grow. After I got married, I assumed my health-hating husband would balk at the idea. I was wrong. It's one of the few vegetables he actually seems to like. And that good example has carried over to Thing 1 and Thing 2 (who got mad the other day because I cut hers up-she wanted it long and whole like everyone else's).






Asparagus is easy. Look for crisp stalks that aren't discolored (read: funny looking) on the tips. Green asparagus is supposed to be green; white should be white.  Neither should be yellow or grey. The end where they have been cut will be snapped off so don't worry much about that part. Also, the thinner the stalk, the more tender. The later into the spring you go, the less fantastic the asparagus.

When you are ready to cook the stalks, try this:

Rinse and shake off any excess water. Instead of cutting the ends off, bend the bottom of the stalk-it will snap off at the optimal point--meaning anything below that snapping point wouldn't really taste good. And if it just bends and bends and doesn't have a "snap point" toss it.










Place the stalks on a cookie sheet (I line mine with some foil for easy clean up). Drop a few pats of butter on the top and a sprinkle of kosher salt. That's all.








Pop into a preheated oven that's at 425. The thinner the stalk, the faster they will cook. Just check in every 5 minutes to stir up a little. A pound takes about 10 minutes to cook. The butter will melt all over and the asparagus will still have a little crunch. It's ready to serve.

Happy Spring, everyone....

Last Soup Recipe of the Winter: Beef and Barley Soup

My month of soup and muffin recipes is coming to a close. I think the worst part of the winter is over. My proof of this is when I went out the door this morning to get Thing 1 to school, I could smell skunk so it's really only a matter of time. We are supposed to get a huge snow storm this week but I think it's the last hurrah, if you know what I mean.

And so, the need for a big pot of soup won't be so great as we progress into warmer weather.

So let me give you an easy beef and barley soup recipe. This is another good one for the crock pot as barley needs to absorb lots of moisture to soften properly. That doesn't mean you can't make it on the stove top but be prepared to let it simmer for a few hours to get an edible texture.

For my soup, I am using a pearled barley. It's about $.85 for a pound bag, which would easily make two big pots of soup.

mirepoix

Remember when we talked about mirepoix? This is another soup that gathers its flavors from the blend of carrots, onions and celery.

You will need:

1 heaping cup of pearled barley (this is about half a pound bag)
3-4 carrots, diced
1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion, diced
2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1 can diced tomatoes, optional (if you don't use the tomatoes, the soup needs a dash of acid, like a bit of lemon juice or vinegar to balance the flavor)
6-8 cups water with 6 bullion cubes (beef or vegetable) OR 6-8 cups of beef or vegetable stock
1 pound of stew meat or beef tips
salt and pepper to taste; parsley

I like to sear my beef in a skillet first to give it a nice caramelization on the outside instead of just boiled meat. After searing the beef and removing from the skillet, though, I add about a half-cup of the stock or water to the pan to deglaze any of the little bits of flavor that are stuck to the pan. You really don't want to lose them.

To the crock pot, add the broth/water, followed by the veggies, the meat and the barley. Cover and let cook on low for 4+ hours or on high for 2+ hours. Stir occasionally and taste once everything is warmed up to see if you need a bit of this or that for the flavor. As I said, if you don't use the tomatoes, add a bit of acid to balance out the flavor. I used a dash of balsamic vinegar this time because I was also using beef stock so it seemed to work well but that's just me.

When the barley softens, it will also add starch to the soup which thickens the soup a bit so if you would like more broth, add a bit of water as you go.

The soup is done when the vegetables are pleasantly soft and the barley is soft and kind of creamy.

Orange Chicken

orange soy chicken
with crispy skin

So, obviously, the end of last week took a little detour. I meant to finish up my exploration of using up oranges on Friday.

Nevertheless, we march ever forward!

"Now we take the bird..."

This recipe is good for either a whole chicken or for parts--as in a bag of wings or a bag of legs et al. I chose to use a whole chicken but I cut it down the center (using my best Julia Child voice, I assure you) and laid it flat in a large pyrex casserole dish.





Regardless of what you choose to use, you will need to marinate the meat for a few hours with one part and mix a second part for brushing on the meat as it cooks.





Now, if you are using a bunch of pieces, you can simply marinate them in a ziploc bag for a few hours before roasting.  Stuffing a whole chicken into a bag isn't as easy. I placed mine in the dish I planned to bake it in, covered it with the marinade and chilled it for a couple of hours before cooking.



In a bowl, whisk together
the juice of two oranges (keep the rind)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp fresh diced garlic
pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar

Pour this over the raw meat. If you are making more than 4 pounds of chicken, double or triple this amount, of course.

Cover and chill.



I'll explain what I did from here with a whole chicken, which took approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to cook at 350. If you are doing pieces, it will take less time so adjust how long you cook the meat, covered and then uncovered accordingly.



Before cooking the chicken, mix up a second batch of the marinade. Take the rinds from the oranges you have juiced and either stuff them into the bird's cavity with 1/2 an onion, roughly chopped or-if your bird  is in half like mine was, place them under the bird. Brush the chicken with the marinade it has been soaking in and cover with foil.



Cook the whole chicken, covered for 45 before removing the foil and brushing with some of the second batch of marinade. Repeat this step every 10-15 minutes for the next hour. Because you are opening up the oven so often, you are losing heat which is why it takes so long to cook the chicken properly but you are also getting a nice, dark crispy skin on your chicken.



Ah, yes, crispy skin. Look, I don't recommend anyone eats unhealthily all the time but, good grief, if you can't indulge a little here and there, what's the fun? I'm not your doctor.

Be sure to use a meat thermometer to test the doneness of the meat before removing. Chicken should be above 160 degrees (F) to ensure you've killed any bad buggies that could make you ill. And speaking of stuff that can make you sick, be sure to clean your basting brush in boiling water and wipe down any surfaces that raw meat or it's juices may have been exposed to.

Let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Leftovers from this  are perfect for stir fry or for wraps (a little spinach, some orange slices, some shredded carrot mmmmmm).