Barley and Beef Soup

BARLEY AND BEEF SOUP

I made this soup on Sunday. It was so, so good and made great leftovers.

BARLEY AND BEEF SOUP
(Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled carrot (about 4)
1 cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
5 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup no-salt-added tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chopped onion and beef to pan; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender and beef is browned, stirring occasionally. Add chopped carrot and chopped celery to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in barley and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until the barley is done and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 275, Fat: 5g (sat 1.6g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.5g), Protein: 21.8g, Carbohydrate: 36g, Fiber: 8g, Cholesterol: 43mg, Iron: 3.1mg, Sodium: 649mg, Calcium: 57mg

Curried Beef and Lentil Stew

CURRIED BEEF AND LENTIL STEW

It's been a while. Things have been so hectic around the house and work has been keeping me busy. Weight Watchers is going great! I'm sooo close to goal! YAY!

Anyway, on to the recipe. This is another Cooking Light recipe. This was a great weeknight dinner. The flavor was great and it was super easy to put together.

CURRIED LAMB AND LENTIL STEW

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds lean boned leg of lamb (I used beef stew meat)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup lentils
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
3 1/2 cups chopped collards or spinach (1/4 pound) (I omitted)
1/2 cup diced carrot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Trim fat from lamb, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Set lamb aside.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion, celery, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add lamb; sauté 5 minutes or until browned. Add curry, cumin, and pepper; stir well to coat. Add broth, lentils, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add greens and carrot; simmer 10 minutes or until lamb is tender. Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Note: The purchase weight of lamb is 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds to equal 1 pound, trimmed.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 309 (26% from fat), Fat: 8.8g (sat 2.2g,mono 3.9g,poly 0.9g), Protein: 33.7g, Carbohydrate: 25g, Fiber: 5.7g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Iron: 6.9mg, Sodium: 311mg, Calcium:
115mg

**NUTRITIONAL INFO IS FOR THE ORIGINAL RECIPE AND DOES NOT INCLUDE MY CHANGES**