Mushroom Barley Soup (#7)

Soup is always on our menu lately. Why? Because it's cheap and easy to make. We've been trying to watch our food budget lately and I've been trying to step out of my comfort zone and use things I never have used before. I actually had all the ingredients on hand for this soup except mushrooms and pearl barley. I was pleasantly surprised by this hearty soup. It was bursting with flavor, yet was light and filling at the same time. I found the recipe here at $5 Dinners

Mushroom Barley Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 carrot stalks, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
About 8 oz. of mushrooms, chopped and sliced
 2 cups water
4 cups homemade chicken broth
1 cup pearled barley
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Add butter or margarine to large saucepan and let it melt.  Saute the chopped onions, diced carrots and garlic.  Once onions become opaque, add in the sliced and/or chopped mushrooms.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add water and broth and bring to a boil.  Add the pearled barley, dill, parsley, salt and pepper. (Add cooked chicken or turkey here if you wish!). Reduce heat so the soup cooks at a rolling boil.  Cook for 45 minutes, or until barley has cooked through.  (Note: I used pearled barley, not quick cooking barley.  Follow time directions on package if using quick cook barley!)
3. Serve Mushroom Barley Soup with Rolls and Jam.

Toasted Orzo with Peas and Parmesan (#1)

First recipes that makes the list is Toasted Orzo with Peas and Parmesan. This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. She has a ton of great recipes on her site and this one will not be the last one I promise. I made this as a vegetarian main course and it was so creamy and yummy!

Toasted Orzo with Peas and Parmesan
Serves 4-6 (as a side dish)

*Be careful when adding the broth to the pan, because it will create a lot of steam.
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 ¼ cups orzo
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley leaves
Ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving (optional)


Directions:
Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the orzo and cook, stirring often, until most of the grains are golden, about 5 minutes. Carefully stir in the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the orzo is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. (Be careful not to cook at too high of heat at this point because the liquid will evaporate instead of cook the orzo and you’ll be left with undercooked pasta.)
Off the heat, stir in the peas, Parmesan, and parsley and let sit until the peas are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the lemon wedges.
Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Best Skillet Recipes