Plain Old Onion Soup

I’ve been making my own version of onion soup for years.  I became curious as to why it was called “French” onion soup and not just plain old onion soup.    
I actually didn’t find a satisfying answer, but wikipedia says, “Onion soups have been popular at least as far back as Roman times. They were, throughout history, seen as food for poor people, as onions were plentiful and easy to grow. The modern version of this soup originates in France in the 18th century, made from beef broth, and caramelized onions. It is often finished by being placed under a grill in a ramekin traditionally with croutons and gruyère melted on top.”  

I suppose gruyère is French and thus makes it French Onion Soup.  If you use Swiss cheese instead, it could be called Swiss Onion Soup, or if you’re lucky enough to have local cheese...  I digress.

Superstar onions - 2011 harvest

Last fall, I harvested these beautiful Superstar onions from my garden.  Superstar is a day neutral onion that apparently does well here in the mountains above Missoula.  This box was full and so I’ve used a huge amount of them.  There are still plenty left and I need to do something with them soon before they begin to get the hint of spring and start sprouting.  So, it’s onion soup! 

 

Here’s my recipe.  You can make it from any country or cheese you desire.  Use up those stored onions now before they start sprouting.  If you’re out, look for some organic locally grown onions.

4-6 medium onions - sliced or chopped and drained
2-3 garlic cloves - minced
6 Tablespoons  unsalted butter
4 Tablespoons flour
1-2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 quarts hearty beef stock or 6 Tablespoons of low sodium Better than Bouillon - beef or veggie  in 2 quarts of warm water
1 cup of good red wine (Cabernet, Merlot, Zinfandel - optional but essential in my mind)
2 cups large cubed baguette or hearty toasted bread
1 cup shredded gruyère, Swiss, or cheese of your choice

Raw onions ready to saute'

 Onions have a lot of water in them and they will not begin to caramelize until the water evaporates and so I like to chop my onions rather than slice them.  (I don’t like long stringy onions when I try to take a spoon of soup.) I then lay them out on a paper towel and lightly sprinkle them with salt to help pull some of the water out.  I leave them to drain 20 or so minutes  and then I blot them with another paper towel before I begin.

While the onions are draining, I get the rest of the ingredients ready.  I’ve tried all kinds of ways for preparing the beef stock, from making my own, to buying prepared stock, to my absolute favorite way, organic - low sodium - Better than Bouillon - beef.  You can also substitute the beef with the vegetable variety for a vegetarian version with no loss of flavor.  I do NOT follow the 1 tsp to 8 ounces of water on the label.  I find that this is not rich enough for my taste - thus the 6 Tablespoons in 64 ounces of water.  Put the broth, the bay leaves and the thyme in the soup pot.

Caramelize the onions in the 6 Tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium to medium-high heat. All stoves are different and so I judge the temperature this way; if after 8-10 minutes you are not seeing any color around the edges of the pan, kick up the heat a little.  Keep a close eye on them.  They start out white.  As the water evaporates they become translucent, and then begin to caramelize. You want them to turn golden, not burnt or get crispy.  This can take about 20-30 minutes of your attention.  The pan will begin to pick up the browning as well. This is all good!

Onions translucent and caramelizing

Once the onions are caramelized, add the fresh minced garlic and the flour to the onions and continue to cook for another minute or two to lightly brown the flour.  Transfer the onions to the soup pot and de-glaze the skillet with the wine. If you prefer not to use the wine, you can use 2-3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in a cup of water to do the same.  Scrape all of the little brown bits from the sides and bottom and then dump this into the soup.

De-glazing the pan with red wine

Bring the soup to a simmer for about 30 minutes.  Taste for salt and pepper and season to taste.  Now it’s serving time....

For some reason, I object to being given a delicious bowl of soup that is difficult to eat, so my version began with the chopped onions rather than the sliced ones, I also chop my bread into large cubes that can be balanced on a spoon.  I prefer this over the huge slice that you have to try to cut into bite sized pieces in a steaming hot bowl of soup. And, I put the cheese in the bowl instead of dripping down the sides of the bowl. After all the work is done, is it too much to ask to have it move comfortably from the bowl to your mouth, without the extra effort?

I don’t always broil, but if you want that “look”, make sure your bowls can handle the heat of the broiler before you put them full of soup and goodness under the broiler.  Broil on Med or High for 5 minutes or until the desired color is obtained and serve.

This recipe will make 4-6 generous bowls of soup.  If you have only 1-2 for dinner, refrigerate the rest and enjoy another meal later in the week.  I frequently eat it without the garnishment of the bread and cheese.  It is that delicious all by itself.  Enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Valentine Heart Cookies

Ok, I had decided to go healthy with the broccoli thing... but what’s Valentine’s Day without a little chocolate.  As a general rule, I don’t keep chocolate or cookies around the house. Why, because they don’t stay around the house –  they stay around my waist!

About once a year, I get a craving for those fudgie no-bake oatmeal cookies.  I decided to make a batch in the shape of hearts.  My little grandson has food allergies and can’t have most chocolate or most cookies - no eggs, no dairy, no nuts, no wheat, and so I made these so he could have them using shortening instead of butter and rice milk... awesome!


Start to finish, these are so quick -- no longer than 20 minutes.

The ingredients:
2 cups organic sugar
1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
2 tablespoons barley malt powder (optional)
1/2 cup shortening (or butter)
1/2 cup milk (or rice milk)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups rolled oats

Ahead of time, measure out the oats and set aside.   Place a couple of sheets of waxed paper on the counter for the cookies.
Combine the sugar, cocoa, barley malt, salt, shortening, and milk in a heavy sauce pan.  It’s best to use a 2 quart pan so you have room for the sugar to boil and to add the oats.
Bring the mixture to a boil and closely time the boil for 2 minutes.  The timing is critical because if you boil the mixture too little it doesn't set up and too long you won’t get it out of the pan before it sets up.  While it will still taste great, it’s one huge pile of formless stuff.
Take the pan off the burner and add the vanilla and the oats.  Stir together vigorously and then begin dropping by teaspoons onto the waxed paper.  I used two spoons to shape the hearts.

Delicious and delightful, and they have oats in them so they must be good for you, right?
Happy Valentine's Day!

BMW - (broccoli my way)

I heard there’s a beautiful crop of organic broccoli down at the co-op this week.  I love fresh sweet broccoli and steamed is always good.  A lot of people think just plain steamed broccoli is just too ... well, too green.  If this is you, I have a couple of alternatives that will help you win friends and influence people.  Here is a simple stir fry or roast possibility for that sweet, green, cold weather friend.

The ingredients I use for either are the same and I always tend toward the stir fry because it is so fast.

2-3 pounds broccoli
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 red onion chopped
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice (and a little zest if you have a fresh lemon)
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil (a tablespoon of fresh is even better or if you have some basil pesto* in the frig you can use a tablespoon of that)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To stir-fry:
Cut the broccoli into small florets.  Peel the stalk and chop that into half inch cubes as well.  You paid for the stalk and it is one of the best and sweetest parts of the broccoli, so don’t throw it away!
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and add the broccoli and onion.  Toss it all around to get it coated with the oil and then add a couple of tablespoons of water and put a tight fitting lid of the skillet for a minute or two.  This steam gives a quick cook to the broccoli and will evaporate quickly.
Now add the minced garlic and the sea salt.  Toss that around for a minute or two and add the lemon juice, zest, and the basil or pesto.
This whole process should not take you longer than 5 minutes.  Be careful to not overcook the broccoli - you want it to be tender, but still bright green and not mushy.   
Have some rice, linguine, or fettuccine already prepared and put a helping of this on top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or serve it as a side dish. 

To roast:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the broccoli into florets and chop the stalks, same as above and place in a bowl.  Mix the olive oil, garlic, and salt.  Pour over the broccoli and onion and stir to coat evenly.  Put in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 20-25 minutes, until crisp-tender.  You don’t want it to be brown and mushy. Remove from the oven and toss with the lemon juice, zest, pesto* or basil.  Serve either as a side dish or over rice or linguine topped with the Parmesan cheese.

* some of you have my basil pesto recipe already and you know this as a year round ingredient in a lot of my cooking.  The rest will just have to hang in there until basil season, when I will share it with the world and then you too will always have a supply of the world's best basil pesto on hand.

Now, what are you waiting for?  Head on down to the co-op and pick up some of that delicious organic broccoli today.  Your body will thank you for it.