Beefy Vegetable-Barley Soup

This is a great slow cooker recipe, the type that is pretty much ready for you when you get home from a long day at work.

Beefy Vegetable-Barley Soup
1 1/2 lbs. stew meat
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup uncooked barley
2 cans (14 oz.) beef broth
1 cup water
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Cut stew meat into bite-size pieces. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, except vegetables. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

Add mixed vegetables. Increase heat to high. Cover and cook 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are crisp tender. Serves 6.

Tortellini Lasagna

This recipe is not a true lasagna, but it has the same delicious flavors. It's easy to prepare and goes great with salad and bread. I suggest using seasoned spaghetti sauce and/or cheese to add a bit more herb flavor.

Tortellini Lasagna
1 jar spaghetti sauce
4-5 cups frozen cheese tortellini
2 cups cottage cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella

Cook tortellini following package directions and drain. Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Layer with half the tortellini, half the remaining sauce, 1 cup cottage cheese and then 2 cups mozzarella. Repeat layers.

Bake uncovered at 350ºF for 30 to 40 minutes. Turn oven to broil until cheese is golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream Torte

This turned out fantastic. It is one of the best, if not the best, frozen desserts I've ever had.

Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream Torte
3 cups (approximately 20) peanut butter sandwich cookies, crumbled
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 jar hot fudge topping
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream (I used a praline flavor that worked fantastic!)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup peanut butter
5 medium bananas, sliced 1/2-in. thick
1/2 cup chopped peanuts or cashews

Combine crumbs and butter and mix well. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Top evenly with banana slices and then 1 1/4 cups of hot fudge. (Heat the fudge to make it easier to spread.) Freeze 1 hour, until firm. Let ice cream soften slightly while combining peanut butter and honey together. Swirl peanut butter mixture into ice cream, but do not mix completely. Spoon evenly over hot fudge layer. Drizzle remaining hot fudge topping and sprinkle with nuts. Freeze overnight. Serves 16.

Oatmeal Seed Bread

This is definitely a hearty bread loaded with delicious flavors and textures. This is the type of bread that stands alone ... it needs no jam, soup, peanut butter or any of the other things that make a bread shine. (Of course, the bread isn't ruined if you accompany it with any of those things.)Oatmeal Seed Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. active dry or rapid-rising yeast
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. flax seeds
2 tsp. sesame seeds
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp. cornmeal
1/2 cup thick rolled oats
1 cup wheat flour
2 1/3 cups bread flour

Heat water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into warmed bowl with yeast and let stand 5 minutes. Add oil, salt, sugar, seeds, cornmeal, oats and wheat flour. Beat well. Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Slowly add bread flour until a soft dough forms. Knead until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and is soft and springy. Cover and let rise about 1 hour.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. Punch dough down on lightly floured surface. Divide and shape into 2 round loaves. Place loaves smooth side up on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Glaze loaves with egg and water wash and sprinkle with rolled oats. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until loaves are golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Buckwheat and Cracked Wheat Bread

This bread is an excellent sandwich bread since it's one of the few breads I bake in a loaf pan rather than a round loaf. It's a soft bread with a bit of texture thanks to the cracked wheat. The buckwheat gives it a grayish color and nice flavor.

Buckwheat and Cracked Wheat Bread
1 1/3 cups water
2 tsp. rapid-rising or active dry yeast
3 Tbsp. canola or corn oil
3 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cracked wheat
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3 1/2 cups bread flour

Heat water until warm, between 105ºF and 115ºF. Pour into warmed mixing bowl with yeast and let stand 5 minutes. Add the oil, honey, salt, cracked wheat, buckwheat flour and half the bread flour. Beat until a smooth dough forms. Let stand 15 minutes.

Knead the dough on medium, adding the remaining flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and is smooth and springy but soft to the touch. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Lightly grease a 4 x8 or 5 x 9 loaf pan. Punch down the dough on lightly floured surface. Shape into an oblong loaf and place smooth side up in pan. Bake at 375ºF 25 to 30 minutes until loaf is golden. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.