Beef Barley Stew

2 Tbl oil
1 lb beef stew meat
2 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 can tomatoes (or use 2 whole tomatoes & dice)
3/4 cup barley
salt & pepper to taste

Cook stew meat in oil till browned on both sides, not cooked through. Do not drain drippings, but set aside meat on a plate or bowel. Add vegetables (minus tomatoes) to remaining drippings and saute for 5-8 minutes (on medium heat). Add remaining ingredients and allow to simmer. Cut meat into bite sized pieces and add to stew. Simmer for as long as you like keeping in mind that the barely will suck up all juices and you may need to add more broth as needed.

Meatball Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef
2 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion
2 Tbs flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp worchester sauce
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups cooked egg noodles (we also use elbow)

Cook meat and onion through & set aside on a plate. Do Not Drain! Add flour & olive oil to skillet, mix well and cook till brown. Add beef broth, still well & cook till thickened. Add pepper, worchester sauce and mushrooms, cook till mushrooms are tender. Stir in beef, add sour cream and mix well. Serve topped over noodles.

Dumplings

If you have a favorite Chicken Soup recipe you can alter it a bit to add in dumplings.

2 cups flour
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk (whole tastes better)
3 Tbl reserved chicken fat (or butter)

Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Warm up the milk and fat till just warm. Stir the milk & butter into the flour mixture until smooth. Drop by spoonfuls into your chicken soup, set on a medium/high heat (not boiling), and cook for 20 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe was given to me by a friend a very long time ago and has been used so many times. We love it.

1 Whole chicken slow cooked or 2 lbs chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup (or use your own white sauce and add in chicken broth, this is what we do)
8 oz. sour cream
1 Tbl. minced onion
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheese
6-8 medium tortillas
1 cup *add-ins like corn, black beans, etc..

Cook and cup up chicken. Combine soup, onion, salsa, and sour cream. Spread a couple spoon fulls onto each tortilla, a hand full of chicken and sprinkle cheese on top. Roll tortilla up and place in a 13x9 baking dish. Keep doing till you are out of room (you may have enough for a second pan). Spread the rest of the filling and cheese on top of tortillas, cover with tin foil and bake for 30 min. at 350F. Serve with a salad.