Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup

from: bernadette lowe

½ stalk celery

3 carrots

Beef Base

3 tablespoons salt

3 tablespoons pepper

Beef Shank

3 cups Barley

Fill Pot with water and cook for couple of hours til beef is done.  Add 3 cups Barley and fill pot with water, boil 45 minutes til barley is cooked. 

Notes: 1 onion see Box of Barley & improvise.

Oat Banana Bread

Oat Banana Bread

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Oatmeal Banana Bread

(read the directions the whole way through) 

from: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2012/07/dark-chocolate-raspberry-oatmeal-banana-bread/

To make oat flour:
About 3 cups oatmeal {gluten-free oats}

Other ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 egg whites
1 cup smashed raspberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9×5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Make oat flour: Place oatmeal into blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour. You may need to stop blender and stir oats a couple of times to ensure that all oats have been blended.
3. Measure out just 2 cups of the oat flour and place in a medium bowl. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
4. In a separate large bowl, beat mashed bananas, dark brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs for 1-2 minutes until the consistency is smooth and creamy. Slowly add in flour mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Gently fold in raspberries and dark chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10-15 minutes, then remove from pan and place on wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes (this is the important part)

• It typically takes 2 1/2-3 cups of oatmeal to make 2 cups of oat flour, so you may have some leftover. This recipe only calls for 2 cups.
• To ensure recipe is gluten-free, use gluten-free oatmeal when making your oat flour
• this is also low sugar... and if you wanted to make it even lower sugar - use brown sugar splenda...
• Be Careful not to overcook or else it gets dry, remember it's going to keep cooking in the container when it comes out.
• oh..and mine turned a WEIRD color...but it was till YUMMY...but green. Maybe a good st paddy's day bread??

Ropa Viaja

Ropa Vieja - from Food Network

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (with seeds)
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green), sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives, plus 1 tablespoon brine from the jar
Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions
Combine the tomatoes, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add the steak, bell peppers and onion and toss to coat. Cover and cook on low, undisturbed, 8 hours.

Uncover and skim off any excess fat. Coarsely shred the meat with 2 forks, then stir in the olives and olive brine. Serve over rice.

Okay...sooo lesson learned on this one.... don't forget that spicy stuff gets hotter as it cooks in the slow cooker...i used an extra large Jalapeno and it was tooo Spicy for me!

Beef Bread Revised

Beef Bread Revisited.....

So tonight we were visited by 3 generations of the Meyer Family (thanks for coming over!)
and I made this: http://redboxrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/03/friday-family-favorite-beef-bread.html
and realized....that's not how I make it anymore....

So here it is revised:

Beef Bread...adapted from the recipe (Brunaladi?) given to us by Mary Lou Churchill

I find that if I make this in batches, it goes quick and freezes well...enjoy! Take note on the time needed to defrost the bread...this is def a Sunday night recipe!

3 frozen loaves of bread
3 lbs ground meat ( I use turkey and beef mixed)
1 red pepper diced
1 yellow pepper diced
1 orange pepper diced
3 tomatoes diced
1-2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning (mix w/diced vegetables)
Mozzerella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Follow the directions on the bread to have it rise.

Once its risen, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookies sheets with foil and spray with Pam. Roll the dough out in a big oval on a floured surface. Once its been rolled out, spread the meat over the dough, sprinkle with peppers and tomatoes if you are using. After this, roll it up like a log (use the widest side to start rolling). Now slice the log into about 1 in pieces and put onto your cookie sheet, once its full put it in the oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on how stuffed it is. The meat will be brown and the bread will be light brown.

I eat mine with ketchup...because ketchup makes everything better!
Enjoy!!