RUSSIAN PEA AND BARLEY SOUP

This thick and warming soup, Grochowka, makes a substantial appetizer, or it may be served as a meal in its own right, eaten with hot crusty bread.

This recipe originally called for bacon and butter, but I omitted both. Between the marjoram and the celeriac it still retained an interesting and tasty flavor.

Serves 6

1-1/4 cups yellow split peas, rinsed in
cold water
1/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed in cold water
7-1/2 cups vegetable stock (I used Vogue)
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 oz celeriac (celery root - can be found
at Fresh Market) small cubed
1/3 tbs dried marjoram or a bit more to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Corn or vegetable oil

1. Put the peas and barley in a bowl, cover with
plenty of water and leave to soak overnight.
2. The next day, drain and rinse the peas and
barley. Put them in a large pan, pour the stock
and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and
simmer gently for 40 minutes.
3. Saute the onion and garlic in corn or vegetable
oil and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the
celeriac and cook for a further 5 minutes, or
until the onion is just starting to color.
4. Add the softened vegetables to the pan of stock,
peas, and barley. Season lightly with salt and
pepper, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or
until the soup is thick. Stir in the marjoram, add
salt and black pepper to taste.

Recipe from 400 Soups (www.hermeshouse.com; www.
annesspublishing.com) Cookbook bought at Costco.

EASTERN EUROPEAN CHICKPEA SOUP

Chickpeas form part of the staple diet in the Balkans, where this soup originates. It is economical to make, and is a hearty and satisfying dish. It's an easy simple dish to make.

Serves 4-6

2-1/2 cups dry chickpeas, soaked overnight
4-1/2 cups of vegetable stock (I used Bouillon
veg stock as it is darker and richer than Vogue
veg stock)
3 large potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks
Just under 1/4 cup olive oil
8 0z spinach leaves
salt and ground pepper to taste
spicy vegan sausage (I used Tofurky Kielbasa and
fried it till nice and crispy brown and added to the
soup at the last minute so that it would retain the
crispiness and not get soggy. I'm not sure if it makes
a huge difference, but I think if not laying in broth
too long it will stay more tasty.)

NOTE: DO NOT ADD SALT & PEPPER UNTIL YOU TASTE
THE SOUP. I THINK THE SAUSAGE MAKES IT SALTY.

1. Drain the chickpeas and rinse under cold water. Place
in a large pan with the veggie stock. Bring to the boil
then reduce the heat and cook gently for about 1 hour.
(In the end, add more broth if you want more liquid.)
2. Add the potatoes and olive oil. Cook for 20 minutes
until the potatoes are tender.
3. Add the spinach and sliced, cooked sausage 5 mins
before the end of cooking. Serve.

Recipe from 400 Soups www.hermeshouse.com
Published 2005, 2008 www.annesspublishing.com

OLD COUNTRY MUSHROOM, BEAN, AND BARLEY SOUP

Wow, it has been vitually impossible to find vegan recipes for German month. Luckily, I found a few hearty soups from Russian or Jewish heritage which I included in the German food. We ate lots of vegan hot dogs and sausage this month, which went very well with these types of soups/stews.

Mushroom barley soup is found in most Jewish homes and restaurants. This was the best I ever tasted.

Serves 6-8

2-3 tbsp small navy beans (haricot beans), soaked overnight
3-4 tbs green split peas
3-4 tbs yellow split peas
6-7 tbs pearl barley
1 onion chopped
2 carrots sliced
3 celery stalks, diced or sliced
1/2 large baking potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 oz mixed flavorful mushrooms (I used half shitake
and half regular cremini white mushrooms)
5 garlic cloves, sliced
8 cups water
2 vegetable stock cubes or 2 tsps of veggie broth
(I used Vogue vegebase)
salt and pepper
3 tbs chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

1. In a large pan, put the beans, green and yellow split
peas, pearl barley, onion, carrots, celery, potato,
mushrooms, garlic and water.
2. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat,
cover and simmer gently for about 1-1/2 hrs, or until
the beans are tender.
3. Crumble the stock cubes or add the tsps of stock
into the soup and taste for seasoning. Ladle into
bowls, garnish with parsley and serve with rye or
pumpernickel bread.

PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT ADD THE STOCK CUBES UNTIL
THE END OF COOKING AS THE SALT WILL STOP THE
BEANS FROM BECOMING TENDER.

Recipe is from 400 Soups (http://www.hermeshouse.com/)
Published 2005, 2008 http://www.annesspublishing.com/

GARDEIN BEEF, BARLEY, AND SWEET POTATO STEW

This is a great stew that sounded very German to me. I guess it was the barley. I used Gardein Beef Tips. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I don't eat too many fake meats. I think they are a good transitional food for meat-eaters wanting to go veg, but not nutritional enough to be a main ingredient in my diet. I think Gardein Beef Tips are a really good substitute for beef and I usually rinse them before using in a recipe.

Serves 4

1 tbs olive oil
1 package Gardein Beef Tips (cut each chunk
in half while semi-frozen, rinse)
1 cup chopped onions (plus 1/2 small onion for
flavoring for beef tips)
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 cups veg stock (Better than Boullon is more
like beef broth than other brands)
1 bay leaf
A little less than 3/4 cup hulled barley, rinsed
and drained (original recipe called for 3/4 cup,
so since I cut recipe in half you will need half of
3/4 cup)
2 cups peeled sweet potatoes ( 1" chunks ) About
3/4 lb
1 cup sliced carrots, 1" rounds
3/4 cup cubed parsnips
1/4 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes in juice, broken up
3/4 cup frozen peas

Heat oil in large pot on medium-high. Saute onions
and celery for 5 minutes or until onions are soft.
Add veggie broth and bay leaf. Mix well, than add
the sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Worcestershire
sauce, and oregano. Cover and simmer for about 1
hour or until veggies are tender.

In the meantime, saute 1/2 small chopped onion.
Add thawed Gardein Beef Tips. Half-way through
the stew cooking, add the tips to the stew. I did
the onion thing feeling that it would flavor the
tips more, but this step is optional.

As the stew is approaching completion, add the
tomatoes and peas. Reheat and simmer another
10-15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe adapted from Delicious Living Magazine,
January 2008

SAUTEED KALE WITH GARLIC, SHALLOTS, AND CAPERS

This recipe was in a gourmet food magazine along with other German recipes in the month of October, celebrating Oktoberfest. I love finding recipes for greens such as kale, spinach, collards, etc. For so many years I've been eating them either plain or with just garlic and/or onions. Such a nice change.

Serves 2

1 bunch of Kale, any kind
(thick bottom stems and center stems
removed
1/8 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (1 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs drained capers, chopped
salt (I didn't chop them, but think it
would have been more tasty had I done so)

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add
kale and cook until almost tender, about 5
minutes. Drain. Rinse kale under cold
water. Drain again. Coarsely chop kale.
(Can be made 6 hours ahead and chilled)

Heat oil in large skillet (preferably nonstick)
over medium heat. Add shallots and saute
until tender but not brown, about 3 mins.
Add garlic and capers; stir 1 minute.

Stir in kale and saute until tender and heated
through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt
and pepper and serve.

Recipe from Bon Appetit, October 2009

POTATOES WITH CABBAGE

It has been difficult finding green vegetable recipes for German food. There are however, lots of recipes for potatoes, beets, and cabbage. I've been trying to eat less carbs, but I will have to make an exception this month with potatoes - at least, they are healthier than pasta and bread. And I do love them.

The original recipe calls for savoy cabbage. I used regular cabbage because I don't care for savoy, unless it is in Asian food.

Serves 6 to 8

3 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1-1/4 lbs)
1/2 of a large head of cabbage (about 2 lbs)
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbs of soy butter (I added one tbs while cooking
and one after it was cooked.
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Peel potatoes and cut into quarters.
Remove core of cabbage and discard. Cut
cabbage into 1" chunks.

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil; add potatoes
and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add
cabbage to potatoes and cook until both
vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain vegetables thoroughly. In a 12"
skillet, cook crushed garlic in hot oil for one
minute.

Add potatoes, cabbage, butter,
crushed red pepper, and salt. Cook and
stir over medium heat about 15 minutes
or until veggies are very tender, using your spoon to
break the potatoes into lumpy chunks.
Serve immediately.

I think this recipe is from Traditional Home and
and I have no idea how old it is.