Simple Pleasures

It's really cold here, very Midwestern...so last night I made this yummy Beef Mushroom Barley Soup. I got the original recipe from allrecipes.com and then tweaked it...

1 Lb. Beef for stewing

1 onion chopped

4 cloves garlic

3 large carrots chopped

4 stalks celery chopped

1 lb chopped mushrooms-I bought the pre-sliced kind

3 cans beef broth

1 can chicken broth

2 cubes beef bouillion

1 cup red wine

3/4 cup pearl barley

some cornstarch to thicken broth

1/2 cup sour cream

In a large pot start by browning the beef...when it starts to cook add one cup of beef broth and one cup of red wine...let this simmer or slow boil. In a seperate pot saute the celery, carrots, onion, mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper with a little bit of olive oil. Let the veggies start to cook...once the beef looks nice and done (about 10 minutes) add the beef to the veggies along with 2 cans of beef broth, the chicken broth and the 3/4 cup of barley. Let this come to a boil for about 45 minutes for the barley to cook. Add the cornstarch (I used about 3T mixed with water) to the broth to slightly thicken. Once thicken, add the 1/2 cup of sour cream and stir in. This was delicious and made a nice amount...enough for 2 people for dinner and then probably 4 leftovers...it was delicious and very easy to make!