French Onion Soup

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We just got back from a week long cruise to the Bahamas. We (all of us – Jon and myself, as well as the boys, and my mom and dad!) left out of Norfolk, VA last Sunday, and had a great trip. We stayed at the gorgeous Atlantis Resort in Nassau overnight – then got back on the ship and went onto Freeport the next day. It’s unbelievably gorgeous down there. I mean, I live at the beach – but it’s just a world apart. We went snorkeling, ate a fresh grouper sandwich right on the beach – washing it down with a local beer. Everyone had a great time!

On the night that we weren’t onboard the ship, one of the starter course selections was French Onion soup. I was bummed that I was missing it – but with this view, I couldn’t really cry into my pillow.

I just resolved to make it for dinner once we got back (food bloggers – forever planning menus!). Which, was a good call. It’s definitely chillier here since our return, and the soup really hit the spot. Plus, aside from caramelizing the onions – it takes care of itself, and does it’s own thing.

I’ve always used Julia Child’s recipe. I mean, why wouldn’t you? She is the one who introduced the dish to Americans. I love addition of white wine, just gives it a lovely tanginess in the background. Vermouth can also be used, if you don’t feel like uncorking a whole bottle. But again, why wouldn’t you? I made some beef broth the day before using some bones I had in the freezer, but Campbell’s makes a really great canned beef broth that I’ll use if I don’t have homemade. The cognac is optional, but I think it really does bring something to the party. I just ladled out some for the boys before I added it. No biggie. This is one of the most comforting and flavorful soups out there, and it’s perfect for any occasion. A simple dinner at home, or as a starter in a fancy dining room on a cruise ship – everyone always loves it!

French Onion Soup

3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar (to help caramelize the onions)
3 Tablespoons flour
8 cups beef or vegetable stock, at a boil
1 cup dry white wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons cognac (optional)
6-8 slices of toasted French bread rounds
1 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Melt the butter and oil over low heat in a heavy soup pot. Stir in the onions, cover, and sweat until they are tender; this will take about 15 to 25 minutes.  Remove the cover, increase heat to medium, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have turned an even, very deep, golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes.

Off the heat, whisk in the boiling stock. Add the wine and rosemary. Season to taste. Place the pot back on the heat, bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, partially covered, for 40-60 minutes or more, skim foam from surface as it appears.  Taste and correct seasonings. At this point you may set it aside, uncovered, until you are ready to serve.

When ready to serve, with the soup at a simmer, stir in the cognac. Turn on oven broiler.

Ladle soup into individual oven-proof bowls. Place a piece of toasted bread on top of sou sprinkle generously with grated cheese and place under broiler until melted and bubbly.

Source: adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

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This cake is pretty much the essence of fall. A moist spice-flavored cake with chunks of apples throughout, and a ribbon of sweetened cream cheese filling in the middle. When Tracey posted it last month for Baked by Rachel’s “An Apple A Day” event, my jaw literally dropped. I knew I had to make it immediately. I only had a 10-cup capacity Bundt pan though, and the recipe called for a 14 cup. I tried to make it using the 10-cup, scaling back the amount of cake and filling – but it just wasn’t right. Turns out the larger pans are harder to find than I though, luckily my mom came across one though – and I made the cake again. Sheer perfection!

And the praline frosting? I was thinking I wouldn’t like it – that it would be gritty. Wrong, on all counts! It was smooth and thick, and complemented the cake perfectly. Not to mention the gorgeous presentation it lended. Will definitely be making this one at least a couple times more before apple season is out! Enjoy!

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

For the cream cheese filling:
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake:
1 cup finely chopped pecans (plus extra for garnish, optional)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples (Gala, Honeycrisp, Rome)

For the praline frosting:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350º.

To prepare the filling: Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. Add egg, flour, and vanilla; beat just until blended. Set aside.

Toast the pecans in the 350º oven for about 8 minutes, until fragrant.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, both sugars, the cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and allspice together. Add the eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla and mix with a rubber spatula until just until combined. Fold in the toasted pecans and chopped apples until evenly distributed.

Spoon two-thirds of apple mixture into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan. Spoon cream cheese filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around edges of pan. Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife. Spoon remaining apple mixture over the filling.

Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours).

To make the praline frosting, bring 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 3 Tbsp. milk to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Pour immediately over cooled cake.

Source: Southern Living, September 2011 via Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

Pepper Steak

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We have stir-fry. Alot. It’s such a quick and easy healthy weeknight meal, it’s rare we make it through one week without having one in one form, or another. That’s the wonderful thing about them, they’re so versatile. Chicken, beef, shrimp (whatever protein floats your boat) – any veggies you have hanging out in the fridge, and dinner is done in under 30 minutes.

One we hadn’t tried at home yet, but is a favorite of mine when we order take-out,  is Pepper Steak.  There’s something about those tender strips of beef, sweet sauteed peppers, in that rich brown sauce that I just love. Came across Martin Yan’s recipe for the dish (if Yan can cook – so can you!), and set to make it. I was super-stoked actually, because who doesn’t love Yan Can Cook? I vividly remember watching him on TV with his flaming wok when I was just a little girl, and always loved him.

The recipe was a winner, better than any version I’d had in a restaurant. And, as I mentioned before – took no time at all. Marinading the beef takes longer than it does to cook the dish. And, don’t be afraid of the heat. Bell peppers aren’t spicy at all, and the chile on top is optional. Although, I must admit – those zesty little bites of heat were just perfect sprinkled on top. Another one to add to the stir-fry rotation!

Pepper Steak

Marinade:
2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 pound flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain

Sauce:
1/3 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Stir-Fry:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1″ squares
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1″ squares
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch + 2 tsp cold water
1/2 fresh Serrano chili, thinly sliced

Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for sauce in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Set aside.

Place a wok over high heat until very hot. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons oil, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add beef and stir-fry until no longer pink, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove meat from pan.

Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to wok, Add bell peppers and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until started to char around edges. Add water and stir-fry until peppers are tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Return meat to wok and add sauce; bring to a boil. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens.

Serve on a bed of rice, and sprinkle on chile peppers as garnish.

Source: adapted from Martin Yan’s Feast via The Global Gourmet

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

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Now that the cooler weather has settled in, I’m going to try to make a conscious effort to use my slow cooker more often. It’s so wonderful to put something in, switch it to “on” – and then hours later, a meal is hot and ready for you after a long day. My problem seems to be that I get in a rut with the recipes I make with it.

When Josie posted this a couple of weeks ago, I immediately put it on our menu plan for the following week. Couldn’t have been easier, and the results were phenomenal. A little bit of peeling and chopping, cooking the bacon, then sauteing the onion in some of the bacon drippings. That really helps to deepen and layer the flavors – something that’s not typically found in Crockpot recipes. Leave it to our friends at America’s Test Kitchen to share such a great recipe. I’ll definitely be adding their slow-cooker cookbook to my wishlist for Santa this year! Can’t wait to give some of the other recipes a try.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

8 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 lbs Russet potatoes (about 6  medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
sliced scallions, sliced

Cook the bacon in a large over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and refrigerate until serving.  Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.

Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and thyme, and season with salt and pepper, cook for an additional minute or so.  Add the flour, and allow to cook for a minute or so, whisking constantly. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook until the mixture is starting to thicken, then transfer to the slow cooker.

Stir in the remaining 3 cups of  broth, potatoes, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper into the slow cooker.  Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, 6-8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).

Transfer 3 cups of cooked potatoes to a medium bowl with the cream and mash until smooth using a potato masher.  Return the potatoes to the slow cooker, along with the shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.  Stir to combine and let the soup sit until heated through, about 10 minutes.

When ready to serve, microwave the bacon on the plate until hot and crispy, about 30 seconds.  Season the soup with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls and top with bacon, shredded cheese, and scallions.

Source: adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution via Pink Parsley