Pantry Challenge Day 10 - Beans, Greens, and Barly Soup and some Doggie Treats

This really is day 10 of the pantry challenge we started the first week of January. It's crazy how little we have actually spent on groceries in the past two weeks. I am beginning to suspect, however, that once I decide to actually grocery shop normally, I'm gonna be out of EVERYTHING! Either way, it's been fun!

It's a cool, rainy Sunday. For lunch we had Amy's No-Cheese Pizza with shredded mozzarella-style Follow Your Heart cheeze. That doesn't mean I didn't cook today, though! Still in pantry challenge mode, I used a bunch of leftovers to create this soup, and from initial tasting, it's a keeper!

I cooked a big pot of dried beans last week and had a bunch of those left. I also had some leftover tomato soup, a couple of carrots and the end of a stalk of celery. I used all of these plus a bag of frozen collards.

When I cook dried beans, I usually do it in a crock pot on low for 5-6 hours (or while I am at work). I season them with 2-3 dried chipotle peppers and don't salt them until they are done cooking. I'm sharing this with you now because the flavor of these beans really contributes to this soup. Here's how it went together:

Beans, Greens, and Barley Soup

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (fire roasted, of course)
5-6 cups water
3 Rapunzel vegetable bullion cubes
1 cup pearled barley
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup chopped celery
1 onion, chopped (or 2 tbs onion flakes)
1 bag frozen greens (I used collards)
3-4 cups cooked beans
salt and pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes, water, and bullion cubes in a dutch oven or soup pot. Bring to a boil and add barley. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20-25 minutes.

While the barley is cooking, slice the carrots and chop the celery.

After cooking the barley, add the carrots, celery, onion, and greens. Return to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Stir in the beans, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed. Cook for another 10- 15 minutes. For a beefier flavor, add a couple teaspoons of marmite and a couple teaspoons of Kitchen Bouquet.

This is gonna make some killer lunches this week!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats
Now for something that's just fun! Here is the recipe for the treats I give to our poodles, Winston and Wesley. They love, love, love these things and beg (politely, of course) for them!

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 1/2 - 2 tbs unsulphured molasses
2-3 tbs canola oil
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a food processor, combine everything except water. Process until the mixture is fine and crumbly.

While food processor is running, add the water, a little at a time, until a dough forms and no longer sticks to the sides of the food processor bowl. Add a bit more water or flour as needed.

Roll the dough out to about 1/2" thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut into the size squares you desire. If you're really cool and have a bone-shaped cookie cutter, use that!

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 20 minutes, turning after the first 10 minutes. Cool. Let the begging begin!

NOTES: Some dogs are sensitive to wheat. The whole wheat pastry flour can be replaced with brown rice flour or cooked quinoa. If you use cooked quinoa, reduce the amount of water you use in the recipe. For a little variety for your puppers, the peanut butter can be replaced with the same amount of steamed sweet potato.

"Treats, please......"