Beef Barley Soup

It's a rainy and cool Sunday morning and I decided to make some soup. Just felt like a good meal to go with the day. So I decided some Beef Barley Soup would be just the thing. It was pretty good and made our tummies happy. As summer comes our way we have less and less days that feel like soup days. So I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to make this great pot of soup.


Beef Barley Soup:
2 Tbl. evoo
4 lbs. stew mean (I usually buy a lean roast and cut my own. But whatever works for you is ok.)
Salt and Pepper
4 Cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts only. Make sure to clean them well. You don't want sand in your soup)
2 Cups chopped onions
4 Cups sliced carrots
2 Cups sliced celery
4-6 garlic cloves minced
4-6 springs fresh thyme (you can tie them together for ease of removing later if you want.)
5-6 bay leaves
4-5 (32oz.) boxes of beef stock or broth (msg. free)
1-2 Tbl. kitchen bouquet (optional)
2 Cups pearl barley

Heat 1 Tbl. evoo in big pot. When oil is good and hot add half the meat and 1/2 tsp. salt and a good pinch of pepper. You want to brown your meat. You want to get a good sear on the meat (this is where you get good flavor.) Once this is done pour the meat and any juice from the pan into a bowl and set aside. Now add another 1 Tbl. evoo and the rest of the meat and another 1/2 tsp. salt and a good pinch of pepper cook the rest of the meat the same way. Pour the meat and all juice into the same bowl as your first batch of meat and set aside. Now let pan heat up and add leeks,carrots,onion,celery, and garlic to pan. Stir and cook for about 5-10 minutes till veggies have cooked down some. Add the meat back in with all the juice, 4 of the boxes of stock (save the other one for adding to the soup if you need it later. I didn't end up needing but 4 boxes.) Add the thyme and bay leaves. cover and bring to a boil and turn down to a hard simmer till the meat is tender, stirring occasionally. When the meat is tender add the kitchen bouquet. In another stock pan bring 8 cups of water to a boil and add 2 cups of barley and a good pinch of salt to the boiling water. Cook barley for 30 minutes and drain. At this point remove the thyme stems and the bay leaves from the soup. Add the drained barley (barley will not be completely done yet) to the soup and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Home Made Caramel Sauce

This is unbelievabley delicious and simple. Once again PW is my hero.

1 Cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 Cup half and half

4 Tbl. butter

pinch of salt

1 Tbl. pure vanilla 

Mix brown sugar ,half and half , butter, salt in saucepan over med heat. Bring to a simmer/low boil and cook for 5 minutes whisking or stirring constantly. This is to bring the sugar to a high enough temperature to allow for the sauce to thicken as it cools. When it has semi boiled for about 5 minutes add vanilla and cook another minute. Shut off heat and allow to cook and place in jar. You can serve it like this (it will be a little thin) or put in fridge to thicken up. 

This is just divine.

Rustic Flat Apple Pie with Home Made Caramel Sauce

Oh, my goodness, this is sooooo good. Once again I have gotten my inspiration from my idol Pioneer Woman. She made a similar pie and I took the inspiration and her recipe. Adapted it to our liking and came up with something pretty special.

One pie crust recipe (below, makes two flat apple pies)

5 grannysmith apples (peeled and sliced thin)

1/2 Cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 white sugar

2-3 Tbl. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

juice of 1/2 lemon

6 Tbl. butter (divided into 3Tbl. per pie)

Extra large cookie sheet/sheet pan/jello roll size

Peel and slice apples thin. Place in bowl. Pour juice of 1/2 lemon on top and toss. Add brown sugar, white sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon and toss till apples are completely coated.

Roll out half your dough on well floured surface. Transfer to large sheet pan and pour half of apples onto crust. Spread apples out leaving 2-3 inches of pie dough edges. Take 3 Tbl. butter and cut into 5 pats. Place four pats of butter evenly on top of apples and one pat in the middle. Carefully as to not crack the dough. Fold edges up. Don't do this too tightly or you will puncture the dough and all the great juice will leak out. Carefully slide the pie to one side of the sheet pan. Prepare the next dough the same way and transfer to the sheet pan next to the pie in there. The dough will have to lay over the top of the existing pie till you have it finished and wrapped. Then they will sit next to each other just fine. Follow the same steps filling the second crust. 

Place in 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. I cook mine closer to 40 minutes. When done let cool and slice. Serve with caramel sauce (See Caramel sauce recipe on my blog) and vanilla ice cream for a great treat.

Perfect Pie Crust: Makes two crusts (Thank you PW)

3 Cups flour

1tsp. salt

11/2 sticks cold butter cut into cubes

3/4 Cup vegetable shortening

1 egg beaten

5 Tbl. ice water

1 Tbl white vinegar

Place flour in bowl and add the salt and blend. Add cold butter and shortening and cut with pastry cutter till it resembles course meal or small peas. Add beaten egg, water and vinegar. Blend together till it forms a ball. You may have to use your hands to help bring it together. Separate in to two equal sizes and wrap in siran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. When you roll it out make sure the surface is well floured. With all the butter this has it will stick if you aren't careful.