DH has been eagerly anticipating this bowl of beef, barley and mushroom soup – one of his favorites. I don’t make it often, mostly because I don’t think of it, not because I don’t like it. There are so many delicious things to make that the rotation of any one given item comes along fairly seldom.
After having taken the requisite photo yesterday of my lunch, I was looking at it on the iPad, and noticed how, completely unintentional on my part, that the avocado, the lemon, the watermelon, and the plate were all in perfect synchronicity with each other – colorwise. That was totally unintentional, but made me very happy. I had just grabbed the top plate out of the cupboard to put the toast and avocado on. I have three different patterns in that size, so this was an entirely random choice.
It doesn’t take much to amuse me! ;->
Adventures of Dorrie Anne 
Dear “Easy to Amuse,”
Can you give me a brief recipe for the beef, barley & mushroom soup?
I’m on a barley kick.
Thanks.
Bruce
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Sure, Bruce. Heat up a ten-inch frying pan with a bit of coconut oil in it. Slice an onion – mostly the long way, if you can – and toss them in to soften a bit. Put a cover on the pan and let them sauté very gently for about ten minutes, giving them a toss now and then so that they get nice and golden on all sides and don’t burn on the bottom. When they are done, put them in a holding bowl, and toss in a handful of thickly-sliced mushrooms into the same pan. Same procedure with the mushrooms.
Presuming that you have some leftover roast beef from a luncheon a few days before (!), dice that up into bits the size that suits your taste, and toss them into the pan. Also return the onions. I probably put Montreal Steak seasoning in it about the time I was cooking the mushrooms, but it doesn’t really matter when you put it in. I just happen to like the aroma of it as it hits the mushrooms. Something magical about that.
If you have some nice broth, this is the time to drag it out and heat it in with the meat and veggies. If you don’t, then you’ll have to use canned broth, or one of the bouillon pastes. In a jar, put either more broth or some water, and a few tablespoons of flour (~one tablespoon for each cup of fluid). Shake the jar like crazy to make sure all the flour is absorbed by the fluid. Pour it into the pan and stir very gently, letting it barely boil, until it is the thickness you prefer. Serve over a bit of barley that you have previously, or concurrently, cooked in your rice cooker.
Gary doctored his up with all manner of things, but a bit of black pepper was all I added to mine at dine time.
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