Lyn got the Flu, you know the one that they just declared an emergency in Boston for the over 700 reported cases, have tents set up outside hospitals in the south you know the Flu that is taking over our nation as the global warming (is real, no it’s not) affects our weather. I am sure that if you listen close enough to the talk shows and pretend real new stations you will hear something like it’s not actually a flu that is causing this it is more that the cost of oranges has risen effecting the supply of vitamin C and if the government would just stop taxing orange skins this would not have happen. Anyway…….

I bought a rotisserie chicken the other day was running late and needed a quick meal when I gazed the aisle of fried food or old pasta dishes and the thought of well-preserved food in the frozen aisle I settled for the rotisserie chicken with the thoughts of making a quick soup for Lyn with the leftovers. The time came to make it and when I pulled it out of the frig noticed the left over brisket the gears started to turn. Chicken soup and beef barley soup.

Note: I really did not measure anything

Chicken Soup

• Chop a few stocks of celery
• Chops a small to medium onion
• A couple of carrots sliced bite size
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic
• Small handful of dried Basel
• Couple of bay leaves
• Salt and pepper ( I start with a little and add to taste when done)
• Large can of low sodium broth
• Cut up the chicken into 4 pieces
• Water

How:

Sauté the onions, carrots and celery in olive oil until the onions are tender

Add the garlic stir until you can smell about 30 seconds

Add basil and stir then add broth

Add chicken

Add water to cover

Bring to boil and simmer until done at least 45 minutes

You can cook rice or noodles to serve with

Freezes great

Beef barley soup

• One carrot rough chopped
• A few mushrooms rough chopped
• Small Onion chopped
• 1 clove Garlic chopped
• About 1 teaspoon dried oregano it was a good pinch
• Left over brisket about 1 to 1 ½ cup chopped
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/4 heaping cup barley

How:

Saute the onion in olive oil until soften add garlic until you smell about 30 seconds.

Combine everything else in a pot bring to boil reduce to simmer for about an hour

Serve with cilantro on top cause my wife like that

Add barley and simmer for about 30 minutes

You could ad any vegetable you want and if you like crunchy add last 30-20 minutes of simmering.

Barley

Barley is a wonderfully versatile cereal grain with a rich nutlike flavor and an appealing chewy, pasta-like consistency. Its appearance resembles wheat berries, although it is slightly lighter in color. Sprouted barley is naturally high in maltose, a sugar that serves as the basis for both malt syrup sweetener. When fermented, barley is used as an ingredient in beer and other alcoholic beverages.