Good Things Come to Those Who Wait: French Onion Soup

French onion soup is one of my FAVORITE things to order in a restaurant. But a few years ago, I also started making it at home. It isn't hard, but it does require patience, and attention.

First, slice a whole pile of onions. I normally cut them in half, and then slice into half moons. Note that my pot was almost full at the beginning. (I don't remember exactley but about 8 of those great big softball sized sweet onions would do)

Start a soup pot over medium heat. Add a little oil to the pan, and start cooking.

Stir occasionally. We're trying to both soften the onions and release a lot of liquid.

Keep stirring every few minutes. Note the brown bits I just stirred up. Every time you stir make sure to stir every bit of the bottom of the pot.

Eventually it will become a dark caramel color. Keep cooking, and keep stirring. Once it gets to this stage I add a little liquid each time I stir (apple cider, water, or chicken broth). We still want to get the color a bit darker, but don't want to burn the onions.

Keep adding liquid and stirring:

Once you are satisfied with the deep brown color, add liquid to make broth. I normally use about half apple cider, half chicken broth. Make sure to add some salt if you use apple cider. The flavor of the onions will be the star of this soup, so if you add other spices make sure they are not scene stealers. I added about 8 cups total liquid.

Scoop some hot soup into oven proof bowls. Top with a slice of bread, large bread crumbs, croutons, or toast rounds.

Top with cheese. I like a mixture of cheeses. Any combination of swiss, jarlsberg, dubliner, asiago, or similar cheeses will do. Broil in the oven, or bake at 450 until the cheese melts.

Enjoy!

"Orange" Soup

Preheat oven to about 375. Place in a roasting pan:

3 squash, cut in half with seeds removed (I used two butternet and 1 acorn squash), cloves from 1 head of garlic, peeled

Roast until the squash flesh is tender - test by stabbing with the tines of a fork. To avoid shreiks of burning flesh (YOUR burning flesh), allow to cool about an hour before peeling. Set aside cooked, peeled squash.

Chop 1 large onion or a handful of shallots. (onions will suffice if you didn't get shallots from a CSA share) Sautee in a large soup pot with a few tablespoons of butter. Add about 1/2 pound of shredded carrot, and a few stalks of chopped celery. If you did NOT add garlic to the roasting squash, add some minced garlic now.

Add chicken broth or stock - about 4 cans/8 cups. (tip: for a "hurry up" version of this soup, you could also add canned pumpkin - obviously the unsweetened variety - instead of roasting whole squash)

Grate 1 large piece of fresh ginger (2 or 3 inches square). Retain as much of the ginger juice for the soup as possible. Add the squash and ginger to the pot.

Cook for twenty minutes or so, and then blend with your immersion blender. (if you don't have an immersion blender you'll have to allow the mixture to cool enough so you can put it in a regular blender). Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

I always serve with a splash of cream or half and half.

Mussels in a garlic and shallot wine sauce

I love mussels. I love them even more when I can get a frozen package of two pounds of cooked mussels in their shell for 4.62 at the Super Walmart.

(If you are using fresh mussels, please read my instrustions and precautions here)

To heat the already cooked mussels:

Boil a pot of water, and heat the mussels in their inner plastic bag.

For the yummy, yummy sauce:

Heat pot over medium heat, add 3-4 tablespoons olice oil. Chop about 8 shallots (or 1 large onion), and add them to the pot. Chop 3-4 cloves of garlic, throw them in too.

Add a few tablespoons of butter, some salt, pepper and a cup of white wine. Add two tomatoes, diced, or one can of diced tomatoes. Then you need to add broth. I used the seafood broth concentrate from Penzeys mixed with more wine :)

Open the mussels and add them, with the liquid in their bags, to the mix.

Serve with a crusty baguette!

20 Minute Shrimp and Grits

This is NOT the same as the slow-cooked-all day miracle that is shrimp and grits. But it was pretty tasty.

The 20 minute time was accomplished by:

1. using already slow-cooked grits in a package from my beloved Trader Joes:

2. using frozen already cut peppers and onions from BJ's:

3. Microwaving things.

4. Using thawed already cooked shrimp (bought on sale, of course!):

5. Using marmalade from a jar. (ok, if you factor in the time MAKING marmalade, this would be 500 minute shrimp and grits. But that was back in March. It doesn't count).


Microwave the frozen onions and peppers until they are cooked. Meanwhile pull the tails off the shrimp and set aside. Open the tube of cooked grits, and pour into a bowl. The grits go into the microwave after the onions and peppers.

In a pot, pour about a cup of white wine, 1/2 pint of marmalade, cajun seasoning (a tablespoon?), a tablespoon or two of molasses, and bring to a boil, then immediately turn down. Add pepper/onion mixture and keep stirring occasionally.

Shred some cheddar cheese, and mix into the grits.

Add the shrimp at the last second - just long enough to warm the shrimp all the way through.

Scoop grits in a bowl, and spoon shrimp mixture over top:

Pasta with Fresh Lima Beans and Pancetta

My CSA share this week included fresh lima beans. I've never cared for them much. I remember swallowing them like pills as a child. But I thought I should give them a fare try.

I had some cubed pancetta and prosciutto (the local farmers markets sells the bits too small to slice at a lower price - like cheese ends, only expensive Italian hams)

First, start a pot boiling with water for your pasta. Send your children or husband out to shell the lima beans.

I started by chopping two small onions into thin half moons. Into the hot pan they went, after a bit of oil:

Add the proscuitto and some onion to the pan to brown, then turn to low:

I soaked some dry mushrooms. Dry mushrooms are a great thing to have in your pantry, because they last for years, and can be used in small quantities. Pre soak them to add like a dish to this - just cover with warm water. If adding to soup, you can throw them right in.

I started the pasta (1/2 pound) in the water, and then added the lima beans:

I added about a cup of white wine to the onion mixture, as well as the reconstituted (but drained) mushrooms. Boil off about half the liquid from the wine.

Add a large spoonful of sour cream:

and some shredded cheese. I used some parmesan, some asiago and a little bit of Chevre from my cheese drawer. You can't see it, but I grated fresh nutmeg on top of the cheese as well.

Drain the pasta and beans, and stir into the creamy onion mixture. Serve with a fork!

I'm very sorry that this mixture didn't show how PRETTY this dish was, with the vibrant light green of the beans.

Open Faced Turkey Meatball Sandwiches with Fresh Tomatoes and Peppers

Someone asked me recently if I could do a meal in twenty or thirty minutes. So I decided to set the timer and see if I could!

Ingredients:
1 onion
2 bell peppers
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen turkey meatballs
3 large tomatoes
handful of fresh basil
salt, pepper
oregano, garlic, thyme
2 rolls, or 4 slices of toast

First I set the timer:

Then I started the pot on the stove, and added some olive oil.

I peeled an onion, chopped it in half, and sliced the halves into slices:

Into the pot went the slices.

Then I roughly sliced the bell peppers:

Meanwhile, the meatballs went into a bowl and into the microwave. (just to warm - these were fully cooked ones. I think these came from Aldi. Other stores carry similar products)

Stir the onion and peppers, and season with salt and pepper.

Then chop the tomatoes:

Add the tomatoes to the pot, along with about 2 teaspoons of oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, and a few cloves of garlic (or the frozen or dried equivilant).

I cut the meatballs in half. Then add them to the pot.

Add some chopped basil (or dried).

Scoop mixture over an opened roll. Top with some shredded cheese.

Sausage & Zucchini Casserole with Garlic Bread

I'm still trying to find all my kitchen tools after moving, so the leftovers are long ago consumed for each recipe this week, but hopefully still useful!

Note: the pictures are from a double batch of this recipe.

1 - 1.5 pounds italian sausage (I used hot - it made for a zippy final product)

4 or 5 zucchini and/or yellow squash, cut into bite size chunks

1 large onion, diced

16 oz ricotta cheese

2 small cans tomato sauce

1 15 oz can diced tomato, drained

basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley (dried or fresh)

garlic powder




Brown the italian sausage in a large pan. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon into a bowl, and discard the liquid from the pan.























Add a few tablespoons of oil to the pan, and add the onion. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Add squash, and continue to cook. Salt and pepper to taste.














If using fresh herbs, wash them, remove the leaves from the stems, and roughly chop them. Stir into sausage along with tomato sauce and drained diced tomatoes. Stir in cooked onion and squash mixture.





















Layer in casserole dish with dollops of ricotta cheese, and top with a sprinkling of romano or parmesan. Bake at 400, just until the cheese on top begins to melt. Remember, everything is already cooked. If you're in a hurry, skip the baking and just scoop the mixture right into a bowl. Serve with garlic bread, if desired.























Garlic Bread:
1/2 loaf french bread (day old will be fine)
1/2 stick butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped (or 3 of my beloved frozen garlic cubes)
a bit of dried basil or parsley, for color
a teaspoon or two of romano or parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in the microwave. (the defrost button works best for me). Mix in the garlic, green spice and cheese. Brush onto opened halves of the french bread. Place in oven under broiler - about five minutes but keep an eye on it!

French Bread Pizza

Crust:

1 loaf French bread

Sauce:

2 small cans tomato sauce (or 2 cans tomato paste and some water)

basil, oregano, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, onion

cheese:

mozzarella

(add any other varieties you like: havarti, asiago, parrano, romano, parmesan, cheddar)

toppings:

sky is the limit! I used zucchini, salami, tomatoes, chicken and carmelized onions on this batch

Cut the French bread in half horizontally, and then in halves lengthwise. Lay on a baking sheet.

Make sauce (or open a jar of pizza sauce - we won't tell!). If you have pesto in the fridge, just mix a couple of tablespoons of that into the tomato and forget the spices. Spread the sauce on the bread.

Add cheese(s) and toppings.

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

Chicken w/ creamed spinach, artichoke and peppers

Last night's dinner (this is a rather inprecise recipe, but I don't think the exact quanitities will matter much):

~ 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breasts
~ 12 oz fresh spinach
~ one slightly mushy green pepper, bad bits removed (if you only have a fresh one, I suppose it will do)
~ 1.5 cups chopped artichoke (frozen, fresh or from a jar)
~ one large onion, chopped
~ garlic - fresh minced, from a jar, or frozen minced cubes from Trader Joes
~ 8oz. block cream cheese
~ a few tablespoons of pesto, homemade or from a jar
~ olive oil
~ salt & pepper
~ romano, parmesan or a similar flavorful hard cheese

Sautee spinach in a bit of olive oil until fully wilted - turn a few times while cooking:


















Set aside the surprisingly small quantity of spinach which results. In the same pan, sautee the onion, and when that is almost cooked (translucent) add the chopped pepper and garlic. Once the vegetables are soft, turn the heat down to medium, and add the cream cheese. WATCH THIS CAREFULLY, stirring frequently until completely melted. Add a few tablespoons of pesto, and some romano cheese. Stir the wilted spinach back in, as well as the artichoke hearts. Turn to low, stirring occasionally.

















Meanwhile, cut the boneless chicken breast into quarter size pieces. Cook in a separate pan in a bit of olive oil. Add salt and pepper.

Once the chicken is cooked, pour the contents of the pan into the vegetable mixture, including the (cooked) juice from the chicken.

Serve with french bread to be able to eat all the yummy sauce!

The Southern Resident specifically told me to tell all of you that this was VERY good - that's a first!