Tag Archives: hearty

Russ’s Beef and Barley Soup

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We had recently purchased some beautiful beef shanks — which we hardly ever find at the supermarket — and being in the grips of a prolonged deep-freeze, a comforting beef and barley soup seemed like a no-brainer. It was also an opportunity to use up some herbs that were nearing their expiration date (if you know what we mean).

Now you can do it the old-fashioned way, or use a slow cooker or pressure cooker to streamline the process. Here, The Hubs opted for the quick method, which is ideal for busy individuals, as it allows for hands-off cooking and produces incredibly tender and juicy beef shank.

In the world of culinary arts, beef shank holds a revered position due to its delectable taste and versatility in a wide array of dishes. From hearty stews to succulent braised dishes, beef shank has long been cherished for its ability to transform humble ingredients into gourmet delicacies. It contains a high amount of connective tissue, which breaks down during the cooking process, creating a velvety mouthfeel and added depth of flavor.

The small amount of fish sauce added at the end is optional, but we urge you to use it. It adds a good dose of umami.

Russ's Beef and Barley Soup

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. meaty beef shanks, trimmed of excess fat
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 Tbsp. (1/4 cup) neutral oil, divided
  • 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
  • 4 large carrots (15 oz.), 3 diced and 1 left halved, divided
  • 2 large yellow onions, diced, and 1 small yellow onion, halved
  • 3 large ribs celery, 2 diced and 1 halved, divided
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 quarts beef broth, preferably homemade, or use chicken stock
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or more to taste
  • 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp. of fresh, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup pearled barley, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 tsp. Asian fish sauce (optional), or more to taste

Directions

  1. Season shanks generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In a pressure cooker, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Working in batches if necessary, add shanks and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a large platter.
  2. Add diced carrot, diced onion, diced celery, and chopped mushrooms to pressure cooker and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and combine well with the vegetables. Cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Scrape vegetables into a heatproof bowl and set aside.
  3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pressure cooker and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add remaining carrot halves, halved onion, and halved celery rib, along with garlic cloves, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Add wine to pot and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot, until wine comes to a simmer and alcohol smell cooks off, about 4 minutes.
  4. Add stock, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, reserved beef and any accumulated juices, to pressure cooker; the liquid should just cover all the other ingredients. Close cooker, bring to high pressure, and cook for 45 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure using pressure release valve. Remove beef and set aside to cool. Using a spider or similar tool, remove and discard the herbs and vegetables.
  5. While the beef is cooking, bring 3 cups of water (or a combination of water and broth) and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the barley and stir. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook the barley for 30 minutes. Set aside off the heat. If there is any liquid remaining in the pot after cooking, be sure to drain it off before adding it to the soup.
  6. When the shanks are cool enough to handle, remove the bones (be sure to scoop out the marrow to add to the soup!) and discard any large pieces of fat. Cut or shred beef into bite-size pieces.
  7. Bring the broth in the pressure cooker back to a simmer. Stir in reserved diced vegetables, meat, and barley. Stir well and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add fish sauce, if using, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Stuffed Eggplant Extraordinaire!

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Baked Stuffed Eggplant with Italian Sausage is described by Food & Wine as over-the-top stuffed dreamboats. Well “dreamboats” may be a stretch, but they were very good indeed! Ripe tomatoes and roasted eggplant come together to yield a hearty filling, made even better with the addition of Italian sausage (sweet or hot, your choice). Combined with a bright and lemony breadcrumb topping and a quick-fix tomato sauce jazzed up with fresh herbs, this makes a stunning summer main dish.

OK, first glance at the list of ingredients and I hear a few of you sigh an audible groan. But please don’t despair, yes the process is a bit time-consuming, but so worth it! Just be sure you have enough time on hand. It’s rare that we ever follow a recipe exactly due to inability obtain the needed ingredients, or because the amounts of some of those ingredients just don’t seem adequate.

For example, the smallest eggplants I could get were 10 ounces each, while the recipe called for smaller ones. Then, the original amount of sausage was only a 1/4 pound—barely a tablespoon per serving, so we doubled the amount to a 1/2 pound. Finally, the marinara sauce at only 8 ounces again seemed inadequate, so a 14-ounce jar was our choice; in which case the fresh herbs were increased to counterbalance the adjustments.

When it came time to cooking the eggplant and onion, I increased those cooking times because as noted at only 2 or 3 minutes, the veggies weren’t as far along as they should have been. All of our changes are noted below.

It’s important to get eggplants that are all the same size. Here, at 10 ounces each, they were bigger than the recipe called for so we made some adjustments.

Baked Stuffed Eggplant with Italian Sausage

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 7 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
  • Zest from 1 lemon (about 2 tsp.)
  • 1 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
  • 3 small eggplants (about 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. altogether)
  • 1/2 lb. Italian sausage (sweet or hot), if necessary, casings removed
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 small onion)
  • 1 lb. plum tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper 
  • 8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about 2 cups), plus more for garnish
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano, divided
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint, divided
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
  • 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 14 oz. jarred marinara sauce

Directions

  1. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add breadcrumbs, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.
  2. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Chop pulp into 1/2-inch thick cubes. Sprinkle eggplant shells with 1 teaspoon salt, and invert onto a clean, dry towel. Let stand 30 minutes to drain. 
  3. Preheat broiler to high with oven rack 5 to 6 inches from heat. Pat eggplant shells dry, and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Place eggplant shells, cut side up, on a baking sheet, and broil just until tender, about 5 minutes. (I did this in two lots, 3 at a time.)
  4. Remove from oven, and reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Place in a single layer in a 10- x 14-inch baking dish.
  5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage, and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon to break up large pieces, until sausage is browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a large bowl. Reserve drippings in skillet. 
  6. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium-high. Cook reserved eggplant cubes in hot oil, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes.
  7. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. 
  8. Transfer tomato mixture to the large bowl with sausage. Add feta, 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture, egg, 2 tablespoons oregano, 2 tablespoons mint, 2 tablespoons parsley, and vinegar; toss until combined. Divide mixture evenly among eggplant shells. Top evenly with remaining breadcrumb mixture, and place stuffed eggplants in oven. Bake at 375°F until filling is golden and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. (Because our eggplant were larger, I cooked them for 40 minutes.)
  9. Meanwhile, stir together marinara sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon of the oregano, mint, and parsley in a small saucepan. Heat over low just until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Drizzle over baked stuffed eggplant just before serving. Sprinkle with remaining sauce and additional feta, if desired.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe loosely adapted from Food & Wine