Onion Soup

Onion Soup

Marian Morash, author of the 1982 Victory Garden Cookbook, has created the best onion soup I’ve ever eaten. I've modified this recipe to include more onions and less broth so you get onions in every bite.

5 lb bag of large sweet onions

4 tbs butter

1 tbs oil

1 tsp sugar

Salt

3 tbs flour

1 qt beef stock

1 cup dry vermouth or white wine

Freshly ground pepper

¼ cup cognac or brandy (optional, but not for me)

Grated Swiss Cheese

Croutons made from toasted French bread

Finely slice the onions. Melt the butter and oil in a large heavy saucepan. Stir in the onions until coated with butter, cover the pan, and slowly cook for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Uncover, stir in the sugar and 1 tsp salt, and cook about 30 minutes  longer until the onions turn a rich brown color. Regulate the heat and stir frequently so that the onions brown, not burn. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the broth and wine. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer partially covered, for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in the cognac or brandy. Top with Croutons and sprinkle lavishly with the grated Swiss Cheese. Brown/melt  the cheese under the broiler.

Gratineed Onion Soup
Butter individual oven proof tureens. Place a toasted slice of French bread in the tureen. Cover with grated Swiss Cheese. Pour in the soup, top with another slice of French bread and sprinkle with grated Swiss cheese combines with some grated Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with 1 tbs of olive oil and bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sausage Sampler Kabobs

3     slices bacon

1/3 c. chopped onion

¼ c. chopped green pepper

1 tbs. flour

2 tsp. sugar

Dash pepper

½ c. beer

¼ c. water

2 tbs. vinegar

8 small new potatoes

2       fresh bratwurst links

       3 fresh Italian sausage links

3      fresh or smoked kielbasa links

For sauce, partially cook the bacon in a skillet. Drain bacon, reserve drippings in skillet. Crumble 
bacon and set aside. Add onion and green pepper to skillet and cook until onion is tender but 
not brown. Stir in flour, sugar, and pepper. Add beer, water and vinegar. Cook and stir til 
thickened and bubbly. Reserve.

Peel a strip from the middle of each potato. In a saucepan, precook the potatoes, covered, in enough boiling water to cover, for 5 min. Drain and set aside.                                                            

Cut each sausage link crosswise into 4 pieces. On 4 skewers alternately thread potatoes and sausage pieces. Place on a grill and cook 20-25 min or until sausage is done and potatoes are tender, turning once and brushing with sauce halfway through grilling time. Add bacon to the remaining sauce, heat through and pass with kebabs. You can use any combination of sausage of your choice. We always double the sauce so we have enough!

Kansas Fried Steaks with Milk Gravy

3     eggs

3       tbs. milk

     1 1/2 c Flour

4     cube steaks 

1 tsp. Creole Seasoning

Salt and pepper

2      tbs oil

     2 tbs butter

       
In a shallow dish beat eggs with milk. Dip steaks in mixture and coat with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute the steaks in oil and butter, turning once after two min and then cooking another 2 minutes. Remove to serving platter.

Milk Gravy

Discard all but 2 tbs of fat from the skillet. Sprinkle with 2 tbs. flour, and 1 tsp Creole seasoning. Whisk over medium high heat until smooth. Stir in 2 cup of milk until thickened and smooth. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste and serve over the steaks. If you are serving mashed potatoes with the meal, double the gravy recipe. 

Dan Dan Noodles

Peter Chang's great recipe!

·         8 ounces Shanghai-style noodles (cu mian) or udon

·         2 tablespoons vegetable oil

·         12 ounces ground pork

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         2 tablespoons chopped peeled ginger

·         3/4 cup chicken stock

·         2 tablespoons (or less) chili oil

·         2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

·         2 tablespoons soy sauce

·         4 teaspoons tahini (sesame seed paste)

·         1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

·         Pinch of sugar

·         2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts

·         2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until just tender but still firm to the bite. Drain; transfer to a large bowl of ice water and let stand until cold. Drain well and divide between 2 bowls.

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pork, season with salt and pepper, and stir, breaking up pork with a spoon, until halfway cooked, about 2 minutes. Add ginger; cook until pork is cooked through and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and next 6 ingredients; simmer until sauce thickens, about 7 minutes. Pour pork mixture over noodles; garnish with peanuts and scallions.

Grilled Chicken with Arugula, Black Olives, and Tomatoes

 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)                  Extra-virgin olive oil                                                                                     1 lemon, cut in half                                                                    

      Salt                                                                                                                 Freshly ground black pepper                                                                     2 large, ripe tomatoes, cored and diced                                                   1 bunch arugula, stemmed, and torn into small pieces                         1/4 cup chopped red onion                                                                       1/2 cup pitted black olives

Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of parchment or waxed paper and pound thin with a rolling pin. Put them in a shallow bowl; add enough olive oil to cover (1/2 to 3/4) cup), the juice of 1/2 lemon, and salt and pepper, and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Place a large grill pan on 2 burners over medium-high heat, or preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill.

Stir together the tomatoes, arugula, onion, olives, 1/4 cup of olive oil, the juice of the remaining lemon half, and salt and pepper; set aside while you cook the chicken.

Fold a few paper towels into a thick square. Blot some oil on the paper towels and then carefully and quickly wipe the ridges of the gill pan or the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken on the hot grill and cook 3 to 5 minutes on each side until charred and firm. Transfer to plates and spoon the tomato mixture over. Serve hot.

Korean Style Beef Tacos

1/3 c sugar

5 tbs low sodium soy sauce

1½ tbs sambal oelek

1 tbs dark sesame oil

4 cloves minced garlic

1 lb flank steak, slice against the grain into thin strips

1/8 tsp salt

Cooking spray

Eight 6-inch corn tortillas

Quick pickled cabbage

2 tbs sliced scallions

Combine first 6 ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Add steak and sip. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat grill to med-hi heat.

Remove meat from marinade and skewer. Place skewers on grill rack coated with spray. Grill 2 min per side.

Grill tortillas 30 sec until lightly charred and keep warm.

Place meat in tortillas and top with the cabbage mixture, sprinkle with the sliced scallions.

Quick Pickled Cabbage

(to be served with Korean Style Beef Tacos)

Place 4 cups of sliced Napa cabbage in a medium bowl with two minced garlic cloves.

In a small saucepan, bring the following ingredients to boil:

 ½ c rice vinegar

2 tbs low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbs sugar

2 tsp sambal oelek

Pour hot vinegar mixture over cabbage and toss. Let stand at least 30 min.

Tomato-Basil Soup

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 - 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

1 - 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes

2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)

1 tsp of sea salt

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup of heavy cream

3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned

parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute - being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the crushed tomatoes.  Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the pan to break them up.  Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well.  Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar.  Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.  

To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in heavy cream and basil.  Serve topped with a little parmesan cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich.