Best of Both Worlds: Barley & Split Peas

Barley? Check. Split peas? Check. I love both... and this soup combines the two. This is another from the Top Secret Recipe site (or is it Copy Cat recipes??). It has been a while since I snagged this recipe for split pea-barley soup. It is hearty and mild at the same time-- but definitely not bland.

Apparently the technical name is 'Dakota Smashed Pea & Barley Soup' and it espouses to be a take off of the one that CPK serves. I don't think that I've ever had the original, so I can't attest to its authenticity- but I can testify to the deliciousness of the take-off version! Enjoy this recipe!

ps- still needing to play catch up a bit.. this soup was from last week. It is Tuesday and I need to select a soup for this week...

Peanut Butter + Sweet Potatoes= YUM!

So Mike held true to his promise and polished off the minetrone soup, even taking it for lunch one day- hooray! So, last night I made a stew recipe that my friend Sarah created and we re-created while in Hawaii. This is a basic adaptation of the recipes out there for African Sweet Potato Stew. Here's her version:

-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
-15 oz. can fire roasted canned tomatoes, undrained
-1 red bell pepper, cubed
-1 onion, diced
-ample fresh ginger, minced
-1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 Tbl. olive oil
-1 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
-1/2 cup crunch natural peanut butter
-1 tsp. ground cumin
-hearty dash of cinnamon
-cilantro

Saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic in oil. Add spices and stir. Add tomatoes, jalapeno, and sweet potato. Add ginger. When potatoes are mostly cooked, add zuchinni, and PB. Stir and cook until potatoes and zuch. are cooked. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve over brown rice.

This is delicious! Mike liked this one too. Score for a double vegetarian meal for him and another good one for me.

Minestrone Mix

I've not given up on my soups this year-- just have had a few busy weeks. That, and the warmer weather, have made my soup challenge... well, a challenge!

In any case, I was already a few soups 'ahead', and I have plans to make up for my lack of cooking since St. Patrick's Day (less than a full month). Today is rainy and dreary, so I am making a big pot of Minestrone. Mike has agreed to eat this with me all week- so here's hoping that he comes through on that promise, else I'm going to have a giant pot of soup to eat by myself.

I don't have an awesome recipe for minestrone-- so I just sort of start with the basics and then mix it up as I see fit. Here's what's in my pot today:

-an onion
-a zucchini
-leftover shredded carrot
-2-3 garlic cloves
-a celery stalk
-about 1/3 cup (whatever was left in the bag) of frozen white corn
-1 red skinned potato
-a can of kidney beans
-a can of navy beans
-a big can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes
-dried basil
-dried oregano
-a large bay leaf
-about 1/3 cup little pasta stars
-about 1 cup of chopped spinach (had been frozen)
-water/broth

Basically I chopped the veggies, sauteed the onion and garlic in olive oil, and then dumped the rest in the pot (adding the pasta and potato a bit later) to simmer.

I may add some tomato paste (even though I don't tend to like it, in a dish this big I may appreciate the acidic flavor it imparts). I also have fresh parmesan to grate over top, and I may try tossing some of that rind in too.

Oh- I may toss in some peas too-- maybe some green beans if I have any of those chilling in the freezer.

Assuming we may good progress on this GIANT pot of soup (it really is that big...), I'll have a stew in store for later in the week.