Roast Beef Vegetable Soup

Fall is just around the corner and we had a slightly cooler day last week so soup was on the menu.  This soup is so quick and easy and it uses up that leftover roast beef.  You could also use roast pork.  

Start out with some leftover roast beef.  There is probably about a pound and a half of meat here.

Gather together some vegetable juice, diced tomatoes and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. 

Pour the vegetable juice into a kettle.  I used the Motts brand this time and it was very good.  Other times I have used the V-8, they are very similar in taste.

Cut the roast beef into small pieces and put into the kettle with the juice.

I like some tomato chunks in soup so add one 15 oz can of diced tomatoes.  Bring to a boil.

Now pour in your frozen vegetables, about 2 pounds of them.

Now you can stop here with ingredients but I like to add about half a cup of barley.

Or you can add these fun little ring pastas or even the little alphabet ones.

A few drops of hot sauce really gives it a great flavor.  And salt & pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil and cook until the barley is done. 

I like to serve it with cheese slices and these wonderful buttermilk biscuits. 

Roast Beef Vegetable Soup
Leftover Roast Beef
1-64 oz bottle vegetable juice
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 lbs frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup barley or pasta
hot sauce
Combine all ingredients in soup kettle and bring to a boil.  Cook until done.

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  2 Corinthians 5:1

RHUBARB TARTLETTES

Recently I stumbled upon a recipe for a Portuguese Tart, formerly called Kuejadas.  I have been looking for recipes to try which have rhubarb in them since my garden is overflowing with rhubarb.  The recipe was for a caramel custard tart but I easily adapted it in order to use rhubarb. 

They are soooooooo good, it is hard to stop at just one.  And it doesn’t help that you can pick it up and in two bites it is gone.

Start with one cup of sugar.  (Note:  I have a new helper in the kitchen.  Biggest problem is that she will not stay down on the step stool.  She insists on being on the counter and up close.)

Pour in 4 Tablespoons of melted butter

Add two eggs

Pour in a can of sweetened condensed milk and one teaspoon of vanilla

And one cup of flour.  Now mix this all together until thick and creamy.

I turned my back just to get the milk out of the fridge and she was scooping the batter out by the handfuls and eating it!  She said it was dewicous.

Pour in two cups of milk and stir.

Grease your muffin tins and pour the batter in with a 1/3 cup measuring cup.  The 1/2 cup was too much.

Now add one Tablespoon of chopped rhubarb to each tart.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 and bake an additional 25 minutes.

Let them cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes and remove with a fork.  They are delicious served warm or cold.

Top with whipped cream.  I learned a new trick when whipping cream.  Instead of using granulated sugar, use powdered sugar to sweeten the cream.  It keeps nicer in the fridge and doesn’t get runny.

See how it forms its own crust and the creamy custard filling cooks up in the middle. 

 

RHUBARB TARTLETTES

1 cup sugar

4 T melted butter

2 eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

2 cups milk

5-6 stalks rhubarb, chopped

This is pretty much a dump it all in and mix recipe.   Mix all except the rhubarb together.  Pour by 1/3 cups into greased muffin tins.  Add 1 Tablespoon chopped rhubarb to each tart.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 325 and bake an additional 25 minutes.  Serve with whipped cream.

 

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and
pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive
their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

CHOCOLATE POWER BARS

I will not deny it, I am a lover of chocolate.  In the past year I have resorted to satisfying the chocolate urge with eating a Dove dark chocolate but these bars are even better and there is no sugar!  You do need a food processor to make them.
Here’s the ingredients:  Almonds, Cocoa  Powder, Whole Dates, Vanilla, Stevia, Agave, Craisins and Coconut.


Start by putting 2 1/4 cups of almonds into the food processor.  I use the raw almonds, not the salted and roasted ones.  You can roast them in the oven for 5 minutes if you want, just make sure you let them cool completely before processing. 

Add 1/2 cup of coconut flakes or unsweetened coconut.

And 1/4 cup cocoa  powder.

Blend until combined and coarsely ground.  It should look like this.  Not fine ground but with some chunks.

Next we add the dates.  The recipe calls for 15 but I usually throw in a couple extras because I love dates!    Use the whole dates that are pitted of course.  I tried the chopped ones one time and it was a big mistake!

Process again until the dates are chopped up.

Add one Tablespoon of vanilla and 10 drops of stevia.

Now put in 2-3 Tablespoons of Agave.  You could also use honey if you don’t have any agave.  I use the 3 Tablespoons because it makes them a little gooier, chewier, which is how I like them.

Blend again until it all starts sticking together.

Dump in 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and just pulse a few times to combine them into the mixture.

Grease an 8 x 8 glass pan.  I like to use coconut oil because I love the taste of it.  Otherwise use some butter.  Either way make sure you grease it generously.

Press the mixture into the dish and freeze for one hour, just until firm. 


Cut into small squares.  Store them in the refrigerator and eat them when you need that chocolate fix. 



CHOCOLATE POWER BARS
2 1/4 cups Almonds, (or pecans)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup cocoa  powder
15 whole pitted dates
1 Tablespoon vanilla
10 drops Stevia
2-3 Tablespoons Agave
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Blend almonds, coconut and cocoa powder in a food processor until combined and coarsely ground.  Add dates and process again.  Process in vanilla, stevia and agave until well combined.  Pulse in cranberries.  Press mixture into a well greased  8x8 glass dish.  Freeze for one hour until firm.  Cut into squares.

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.  Philippians 2:14-15

BISCUITS AND GRAVY

When it comes to Biscuits and Gravy, you are either a lover of it or a hater.  I love them but would never order them at a restaurant because you never know what they are really made of.  So when I make them at home they are consumed in large quantities.  A single batch is never enough to go around. 

Start out with a good quality sausage.  I use the country mild or regular but if you like it to have some extra kick they make the hot kind.

Brown the sausage in a large pan.  Break the pieces up so there are no large chunks.

Add 1/4 cup chopped onions.  I had an onion hater in the group so I didn’t really dump these in.

Instead I fried them in a  separate pan and added them at the end after taking some out and setting it aside for him.

Add 6 Tablespoons of flour to the meat.

Stir and let this cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.

It should look like this, the flour is cooked into the meat.

Pour in 4 cups of milk.  Please use whole milk, its the right thing to do.

Add 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Now a couple dashes or worcestershire sauce.

And last a few dashes of hot sauce.  Put in as much as your taste desires, or none at all if you don’t desire it.

Stir together and cook over low to medium heat until it thickens.  Try to keep the heat on the lower side or it will start to stick on the bottom of the pan. 
While the sausage & gravy is cooking you have time to mix up the biscuits. 

Start with 2 cups of flour in the food processor.

Add 4 teaspoons of baking powder to the flour.

Now 3 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Cube 1/2 cup of cold butter (1 stick) and put in processor.

Blend until butter  chunks are gone.  If you do not have a processor you can just cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.

In a mixing bowl, pour 2/3 cup of buttermilk.

Add one egg and whisk until combined.

Dump the flour mixture into the bowl and mix with a spoon just until moistened.

The dough will be very sticky.
 
Generously flour your counter and dump the dough from the bowl onto the counter.  Now put a generous amount of flour on top of the dough.  Knead the dough about 20 times.

You should end up with a nice ball of dough. 

Roll out to 3/4 inch thick.

Cut with a round biscuit cutter.

And place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

To serve, place biscuits on plate and pour gravy mixture over top.  This isn’t a very good picture but my company had arrived and they were all hungry so I had to hurry to finish it up. 

BISCUITS AND GRAVY
1 pkg Jimmy Dean sausage
1/4 cup chopped onions
6 Tablespoons flour
4 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash Worchestershire sauce
dash hot pepper sauce
Brown sausage and onion.  Add flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.  Stir in milk.  Add seasonings and cook over low heat, stirring until thickened.

Biscuits
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter in food processor.  In separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg.  Add flour mixture and stir just until moistened.  Turn onto a well floured surface and knead 20 times.  Roll to 3/4 inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter.  Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 12 biscuits
This recipe makes enough to serve six people.  I usually have to double it.
The Law of Perseverance
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  Matthew 7:7