Mushroom, Barley, Vegetable Soup ..RECIPE for THE GREAT GRANNY Diet

This soup has been around for thousands of years, in the Middle Ages in Europe is was known as Groats soup, where it was cooked on an open hearth and any food that was available was added to the pot.
Odd then, that barley which is so very good for the body and easy to digest, only a few years ago was being labelled the wonder grain!..It has been a mainstay of European cooking for generations!!
Here the groats I prefer are the pearled barley, which has had the outer bran covering removed, and has been polished.

If barley is unavailable then you may use hulled wheat  (faro) or brown rice.


PREPARE ALL VEGETABLES AS STATED IN THE GREAT GRANNY Diet before cutting This serves 4

1/2 cup pearled barley
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup chopped rutabaga/turnip/sweet potato or yam
1 cup finely sliced leeks
5 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 cup sliced mushrooms
salt & pepper to taste
3 tsp butter ( optional)

Thoroughly wash the barley, and soak overnight in clean water.
Next day wash again and drain well.
Place in a saucepan and cover with clean water, cook for 15 mins on low heat, then drain and set aside.

in a heavy  bottomed saucepan Cook as stated in Soups and Stews THE GREAT GRANNY Diet
Cover with vegetable stock and add the barely.
Bring to boil, and reduce to high simmer and cook, lidded for 30 mins, until barley is soft.
Add salt & pepper to taste.
Add the minced parsley and butter if using.

This is a wonderfully hearty soup ..serve with crusty breads for a great easy to digest meal.


Variations..add whatever vegetables are in season and available, if using any greens ensure that the soup is eaten fresh as they can sour a soup.
For extra richness add grated cheese to each bowl or top with fresh cream and fresh herbs.

Nutritional facts about barley..it does contains small amounts of gluten, however it is very good for the stomach and digestion.
If you suffer from indigestion, barley can make a difference.

Happy New Year to all my regular readers

Happy New Year to all  my  regular readers in 104 countries, and thanks for all your past support.
Wishing you health, wealth and prosperity and lot's of healthier eating.
John Nigel

To al my Readers in Russia

I am so very sorry to hear about the bombings in your country.
I, like the rest of the world am sending you love and light and hoping that the culprits are brought to justice soon.
May your country heal and your people live in peace.John Nigel

Green Minestrone; yam & carrot soup; Enchiladas; Broccoli & Brussels Sprouts; whole wheat sourdough waffles..photos & info

We are still in the midst of a very Warm end of December, with many days records broken, in Los Angeles in a very dry year.


Even for Southern California, it is hard to believe it is the end of December.

The menu for tomorrow's delivery is a good mix
2 soups one all green vegetables (and carrots) in a great vegetable broth..Green being the color of money for prosperity in the New Year

 and a good blended carrot & yam soup..a big favorite of my clients

Green Minestrone with fresh basil leaves & olive oil

The entrees are both meat, one roast chicken and ground turkey enchiladas..the photos I will upload on Chorley Cakes Blog, tomorrow.

The sides are Sauteed Broccoli and baby Brussels Sprouts with nutmeg

Roasted potatoes with scallions

I will post photos tomorrow.


the bread are the banana-walnut sourdough waffles

Sour dough whole wheat caraway breads and apple bar cookies PHOTOS

THESE ARE ALL BUTTER, APPLE BAR COOKIES THE RECIPE IS ON chorleycakes.blogspot.com

                                              Dec 25th Post (yesterday)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY REGULAR READERS IN OVER 100 COUNTRIES

THANKS TO THE OVER 700,000 REGULAR READERS, FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS (with this blog AND NOW chorleycakes,blogspot.) AND FOR DOWNLOADING OVER 2 MILLION PAGES, OF RECIPES

I WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR

AND TO ANY NEW READERS,

MANY, MANY THANKS, JOHN NIGEL

leek and vegetable soup, Sourdough Christmas Breads, banana-walnut sourdough waffles, Green Split Pea Soup..PHOTOS

the flaxseed-wholewheat banana batter for the waffles

Green split pea soup

Potato, carrots, leek & onion soup to be blended..this is Mr David Hockney's favorite soup

Wholewheat sourdough bread dough with cinnamon for the Christmas Breads

The cooked green split pea soup..scum removed while boiling

Cooked waffles

The blended potato-leek vegetable soup I also added some Italian zucchini and almond milk

Green split pea soup packed

Finished with  thyme before blending

Here is my partially prepped menu for delivery tomorrow also on the menu is "Cashew Paella" and a pear and vanilla cake.
I will photograph the breads when they come out of oven...cranberry walnut and mixed fruit with amaretto.
I will post more photos tomorrow, but here is something interesting why Americans are so fond of pancakes and waffles for breakfast.
When the first pioneers came over,to America, they found that transporting their weighing scales was impossible as they easily got broken when being transported by ship or covered wagon, instead they learned from the old gold prospectors and miners, to measure everything with an enamel coffee mug.

As they were very often in transit somewhere on the plains, it became impossible to make breads from yeast as there was no where to safely prove & bake them, so quick breads came into fashion...pancakes, waffles and what are now known as hotcakes or biscuits...the original scone, mostly minus the eggs, made with soured buttermilk, flour and baking powder.
Biscuits and pancakes helped feed crowds for pennies as did the humble dried bean/split pea.

I do believe that green split pea soup is in every European descendants DNA along with lentil and buckwheat in some fashion.

the REAL ..... WELSH RAREBIT RECIPE Perfect for any teatime by the fireside

This is sometime called Welsh Rabbit, but it is really called Rarebit..done well and it is a creamy delicious savory topping to hot toast, done badly and it is stringy, gelatinous,grilled cheese..here is the correct recipe:


For 2-3 portions
1 cup shredded/grated Cheshire, Lancashire* or White Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tbsp softened butter
3 tbsp milk (or traditionally ale or beer)
1/4 tsp prepared mustard (usually English, hot mustard)
ground white pepper

In a small heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat the ale, butter and cheese, add the mustard and pepper and cook very slowly over very low heat until the mixture resembles thick cream.
have some slices or squares of hot buttered toast ready and pour the cheese on top.
Serve immediately.

* Lancashire cheese is very crumbly and melts wonderfully well

HEART SHAPED CINNAMON ROLLS -BATTER BREAD RECIPE

Great moist warm and delicious cinnamon rolls ..great to share at a weekend brunch or just to treat yourself makes  15-20

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour (50:50 with whole wheat)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
5 1/2 tsp active yeast or 2 pkts
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 large eggs

filling:
1/2  cup butter melted
2 cup sugar
2 cup chopped nuts -pecans/walnuts/almonds (your choice)
4 tsp ground cinnamon

IN A LARGE MIXING BOWL :
 combine  1  1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and dried yeast..mix well.

In a saucepan heat the milk to luke warm with the butter, add this and the eggs to the dried ingredients and blend in on low speed  then beat on medium speed for 3 mins.
Turn into a greased bowl and turn to grease the top, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. (approx 1 hour)

Punch down the dough and divide in half.

On a floured board roll a piece into a 15 x 10 inch rectangle
brush the top with half the melted butter and half the nuts, sugar and cinnamon, roll jelly roll fashion from the 15 inch side, and  place seam side up on a floured board/cookie sheet

Do the same with the other piece, place side by side and press together  both of the seams ( you will have to unroll slightly each roll to do this).

roll back together again so both pieces are completely rolled up and side by side.

Cut into  generous 1 inch slices place each half on a greased cookie sheet.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, bake in preheated 375F oven middle shelf 25-30 mins  until golden brown

serve warm..cool on a wire

RUM GLAZED COFFEE CAKE & CASSEROLE BATTER BREAD..RECIPES

VERY EASY RECIPES:
BATTER BREADS DON'T NEED ANY KNEADING LIKE REGULAR BREADS, THEY ARE A SOFTER MIX, ALMOST LIKE A CAKE BATTER.
THEY PROVE VERY QUICKLY AND BAKE IN APPROX 40 MINS.
SO THEY ARE HANDY FOR EXTRA NUMBERS IN PARTIES.


RUM GLAZED COFFEE CAKE

makes 1 cake

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour ( or 50:50 with whole wheat)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp active dried yeast ( or 1 packet)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 large egg

 In a large bowl, mix 1 cup flour with the sugar, salt, and yeast.
In a a saucepan heat the milk, and butter until the milk is warm ( do not boil), the butter does not have to be melted.
Add the egg and warm milk to the flour mix and blend until smooth.
Stir in to combine the rest of the flour.
Spread into a greased 9 inch square pan.

Topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2tbsp softened butter
1 tbsp flour 
1 tbsp sweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2tbsp rum

Mix well together,to form a crumbly topping and top the bread batter.


Cover the bread dough and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size ( about 1 hour)

Bake in a preheated 375F oven, middle shelf for 30-35 mins. until golden brown.
remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack.
When cool enough to handle, remove from pan and cool on wire rack.


Drizzle with rum glaze while still warm:
2tbsp butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2tbsp cream
2tbsp rum

heat in a sauce pan then drizzle over bread

CASSEROLE BATTER BREAD (above)
2 1/2 - 3 cups all purpose flour ( or 50:50 with whole wheat)
2tbsp sugar
1/2 cup minced onion
2 tsp dill seed/caraway seed/cumin seed
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 tsp active dried yeast ( or 1 packet)
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup water
1tbsp butter
1 large egg


for garnish..softened butter and coarse sea salt

In a large Electric mixing bowl combine 1 cup flour, sugar, onion, dill seed, salt, soda and yeast.
In a saucepan slowly heat the water, cottage cheese and butter until luke warm, then add this and the egg to the flour mix and beat for 3 mins on medium speed.
Slowly with a wooden spoon add the rest of the flour to form a stiff dough.
( this dough is more like a traditional bread dough and stiffer than the previous recipe)
cover with a cloth and allow to double in size in a warm place ( approx 1 hour).

Stir down the dough, and place in a well greased 2 quart ( 8 inch round) casserole dish, cover and let rise for 35 mins in a warm place, until the dough is light.

Then bake in a preheated 375F oven for 35-40 mins until golden brown..
Remove from oven and brush with softened butter while still warm and sprinkle with salt.
unmold when cool enough to handle.

All the Christmas Breads are ready...mixed fruit soaked in amaretto, apricot-almond, cranberry-walnut, Brown basmatti rice pudding (scented with vanilla extract, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg, brown sugar) with fresh raspberry & strawberry Coulis PHOTOS

Black sesame seeds, own dried currants,  dried fruit soaked in black tea and amaretto liqueur ( almond flavored) whole wheat sour dough breads

all the breads are fat free, sugar free, milk and egg free

Almond and coconut milks, brown sugar, brown basmatti rice pudding with nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice

Fresh frozen for this summer, raspberries and strawberries with powdered sugar served with the rice pudding