I remember now you mentioning before about the polenta product there -
here's another idea, nothing fancy, but oh so good! I just love the combination of barley, mushrooms and beef!!
* Exported from MasterCook *
BRAISED BEEF WITH MUSHROOMS & BARLEY
3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast -- trimmed
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms -- halved
1 medium onion -- chopped
3 GARLIC CLOVES -- CRUSHED
1 1/4 cups Beef broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup medium pearl barley (not quick barley)
1 cup frozen & thawed green peas
Heat oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven till hot.
Add beef; brown evenly; remove from pan.
Season w/salt & pepper, In same pan, add mushrooms, onion & garlic.
Cook & stir 6 to 8 min. or till lightly browned.
Add beef, broth & bay leaf.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover & simmer 1 1/2 hrs. Add barley.
Cover & continue simmering 45 to 60 min. or till beef & barley are tender.
Remove beef to cutting board; keep warm. Discard bay leaf.
Add peas to barley mixture. Cook & stir 3 min. or till heated thru.
Slice beef into thin slices; serve with barley mixture.
Source:
"7-Day Menu, 1/10/01"
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and here's one Tammy posted a while back -
Mushroom Croustades
24 slices firm-textured white bread
3 tablespoons chopped shallots or onion
1/4 cup margarine or butter
3 cups finely chopped fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 Dash ground black pepper
Dairy sour cream (optional)
Snipped fresh chives (optional)
1. Lightly grease twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups. Cut a 2-1/2-inch round from each slice of bread.* Carefully press each bread round into one of the prepared muffin cups to form a shell. Bake in a 400 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium saucepan cook shallots or onion in hot margarine or butter for 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms; cook, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in flour. Add whipping cream all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more; remove from heat. Stir in the 2 tablespoons chives, the parsley, lemon juice, salt, ground red pepper, cheese, and black pepper.
3. Remove bread shells from muffin cups. Place bread shells in a shallow baking pan. Spoon filling into shells. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes. If desired, top with sour cream and additional chives.
Makes 24 appetizers.
*Note: You can use the bread scraps to make soft bread crumbs for casserole toppings or meat stuffings.
To Make Ahead: Prepare the baked bread shells as directed. Place in a freezer container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw bread shells. Fill and bake as directed.
Leftover filling, if there is any can be thinned with milk or cream to make a yummy soup. My brother crushes Ritz crackers in it and says it's awesome. It's also good served with chunks of bread, like a fondue. Heck, it's good no matter how you eat it!
Description:
"Better Homes and Gardens
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As soon as everyone else wakes up, I'm sure you'll get lots more ideas.