Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

1 cup slivered almonds

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped carrots

5 cups diced red potatoes

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 1/2 quarts chicken broth

1 cup quick-cooking barley

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

salt and black pepper to taste

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spread slivered almonds evenly over a baking sheet. Toast in preheated oven until golden brown and fragrant.
2.	Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Cook onions, celery, mushrooms, and garlic in oil until onions are tender.
3.	Stir in carrots, potatoes, chicken, and broth. Bring to a boil, then stir in barley. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Leave covered while simmering so liquid isn't lost.
4.	Remove from heat, and stir in butter, parsley, and toasted almonds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Leave covered while cooling.

 From:  allrecipes.com 

I made this today & enjoyed it for dinner.  It was easy & delicious.  Not so quick, but when is making soup quick?   I'm currently letting it cool off & marinate.  I think I will need to add more salt/pepper.  Plus, it seems like the barley is soaking up a lot of liquid, so I will have to add more broth.  I didn't add the almonds, just didn't feel like it.  And I used a roaster chicken all ready cooked from the supermarket - lots of flavor & easy to pull apart into chunks.  I made plenty; so I will have some for lunches this week, some for a few work friends, and some to freeze for another time.

Balsamic Grilled Vegetables!!

Balsamic Grilled Veggies!!

I'm thinking about making these this weekend for a Hanukkah Dinner.  Still looking about.  So, if I don't make them now, will make them another time.

           

This recipe is really easy. There’s a little bit of chopping and a little bit of combining, but otherwise, it’s a “set it and forget it” kind of recipe! The best kind! We used one of my favorite blends from Penzey’s – Florida Seasoned Pepper. It’s like lemon pepper but it has a kick of orange peel in it as well. It also happens to be good on fish. But that’s not what we’re here to talk about!! Veggies! These veggies, to be specific… aren’t they pretty! And they scream summer! Delish!

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or use 2 tsp fresh)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or use 2 tsp fresh)
1/2 teaspoon Florida Seasoned Pepper (or you can use regular black pepper)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
Combine all ingredients in a zip top bag. Marinate for a 30+ minutes, turning the bag occasionally to make sure all of the veggies get a good soak. Remove the vegetables from the marinade and save the liquid for later. Grill the vegetables over medium-high heat until they are tender (about 10 minutes). You can brush the veggies with the reserved liquid if your heart desires.
These vegetable are great straight off the grill, room temperature, or even cold! (I had them cold in a wrap with some hummus – excellent!) Enjoy!!!

From:  1messychef.com