Mommy Dearest's French Onion Soup

I'm pretty sure this is her recipe! Anyhow, this was the best batch yet - must have been the combination of ingredients for the broth, but whatever it was, I was feeling euphoric upon consumption - better than 'oh, the risotto'!

4 large onions 
1/3 cup olive oil
6 cups beef stock
good glug of sherry (I used Madeira)
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic
dash cayenne
3/4 tsp instant coffee (mom's secret ingredient)
dash dry mustard (I never have any, so used a blob of dijon) 
Parmesan cheese
good bread
Swiss cheese (I used Gruyere)

Heat olive oil on med heat - add onions - saute, stirring often until transparent. Add butter, along with minced garlic, and continue cooking until onion is limp. 

In the meantime, heat your stock in a separate pot. Add sugar, cayenne, booze, coffee, mustard, s & p if desired. You'll know what to tweak to your particular taste.

Ladle soup into bowls. Another quick timesaver, is to heat your bread slices in the oven, add slices of cheese on top, heat, then broil - and cut bread into chunks then serve directly onto soup (in lieu of serving in onion soup bowls (which are notoriously small), then adding whole slices and heating in the oven, then struggling with the cheesy bits!); then top with a dusting of Parmesan. This soup will make you weep with joy - trust.

 

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

A true story about bran: The old timers here in Summerland are obvsly taking care of themselves in the ole fibre dept., as there is always a TON of bran, well stocked, at Nesters. Last year, when I wanted to purchase some bran (for muffins, natch) and, um, they didn't have any on the shelf - I was shocked Mr. Williams! It turned out the supplier had majorly screwed up, so I, along with all the other 'braniacs', had to wait a few days for the stock to replenish. This is the shock and awe that is Summerland.

Anyhow, this is different from my usual recipe (which I thought I had misplaced, but later found, but by then it was too late) - this is so much tastier! I don't enjoy baking, its messy and precise - but if I only have to whip this together every few weeks, its totally worth it. These are reminiscent of gingerbread - rich, dense, moist, and although there was no ginger in the original recipe, I've remedied that this, my second time around, and you'd never know there was so much bran involved. I also added a dash of cloves and cinnamon for extra spice. Love them - so easy! (This is the recipe, halved)

2 1/2 c. sifted flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. bran
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
1 c. molasses
2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
ground cloves and cinnamon to taste

Combine wet ingredients, stir well.  In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, then add to above, again, stirring well. Store in covered container in refrigerator (fills an ice cream bucket about half way). Keeps for at least 2 months and improves in flavor. Spoon into lined muffin pans. Bake at 400 for 20 mins.

Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

A classic from The Silver Palate. This one doesn't disappoint - its super easy, big on flavour, and huge compliments from your guests will follow. I omitted the olives (and admitedly, I didn't miss them here) and the dusting of Parmesan (again, no loss of flavour detected - but perhaps the massive serving of rich French cheeses earlier negated the need for more here!). A guaranteed crowd pleaser, that you can make ahead, I highly recommend a try.

For bechamel sauce:

2 tbsp sweet butter
3 tbsp flour
1 cups milk
salt, pepper and ground nutmeg

(this will yield 1 cup heavy béchamel, you will need 1/3 cup for this recipe)

For filling:

2 Italian sausages (about 1/2 pound) (I used HOT)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 cup finely minced yellow onion
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1/3 cup bechamel sauce
salt and pepper
12 large mushrooms

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F/230 C.

For bechamel:

Mix butter in heavy saucepan, sprinkle in the flour and cook gently, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Don't let the mixture brown.

Meanwhile boil milk and remove from heat adding immediately to the flour and butter mixture. As mixture bubbles, beat with a whisk. When bubbling stops, return pan to medium heat and bring bechamel to boil, stir constantly for 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg 

For filling:

I add some water to a pan, add sausages, bring to boil, reduce and cook for 15 mins, cool slightly. Remove sausage from casings and crumble into hot skillet, along with fennel, onion and garlic - saute until onion is tender. Stir in parsley and bechamel sauce. Season as necessary. 

Pull stems off mushrooms. Generously fill each one with filling. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbling and well browned. 

Zucchini, White Bean & Leek Soup

Adapted from a Bitchin' Camero recipe.  Blended soups are like baby food - mushy and comforting, but not always satisfying taste wise. This one's pretty good - all the flavours melded together very well, it was properly seasoned, healthy, and hearty - great for cool autumn evenings. 

2 tbsp. olive oil
3 large leeks, thoroughly rinsed and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
2 smallish organic zucchini, diced
7 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 15 oz. cans cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. sherry vinegar
1 tsp. smoked paprika
s & pepper to taste
homemade croutons, homemade pesto, Parmesan cheese

Set a large pot over medium heat, once it’s hot, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks & saute for about 5 mins, or until soft. Add the zucchini, garlic & stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 6 mins, or until the zucchini is tender, but not mushy. Add the beans, then transfer the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree. Return the soup to the pot and add the vinegar and smoked paprika. Mix well and add s & p to taste.  Ladle into bowls and top with croutons, a dollop of pesto and a dusting of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.  

Chicken, Black Bean, and Brown Rice Burritos

This is another 'recipe' I made up - I just love anything with any of the above, throw mexican flavours into the mix - and I love it even more!

These are very reminiscent of the Steamworks burritos in Vancouver (what, do I sense some melancholy for the west coast today?). Also, lunches in my home are as important as dinner - so I'm always thinking about things to freeze, remove in the morning, and heat for lunch. These freeze really well, and heat up nicely in the microwave - really satisfying.

I took some chicken tenders, and gave them a mexican rub with some cumin, ancho chilli powder, and cayenne. Chopped some red peppers and onions, and threw all into a pan to cook. Added a big blob of salsa, a can of drained black beans, and some leftover brown rice. Simmer.

Add a dollop of slightly cooled mixture onto your tortilla, add a bit of shredded cheese, roll - lather, rinse, repeat. Ole!

Kimchee Beef

I 'created' this 'recipe' back in Vancouver, when we could buy kimchee at the corner store on Davie & Thurlow - oh those were the days! Winters in Vancouver are notorious - while they don't get the snow of the prairies (or here!), the rain is incessant, and the wind blowing off the ocean was just cruel. This recipe was the result.

Now we've resorted to paying an exorbitant price for our kimchee, from a Korean lady at a Japanese restaurant in Penticton! Note to self - next time we're in Kelowna (which is rare), look for Asian market.

This is all done in the slow cooker - add a bunch of stewing beef (2 packages?), the kimchee (about 3 cups worth?), a bunch of shredded cabbage, and a large can of chopped tomatoes - stir, cover and simmer for ages. I know, it reeks of laziness and goes against the rules of cooking (what, she didn't brown the meat?) - but seriously, that's how simple it is - and the end result is outstanding - serve over brown rice, and enjoy! (If you don't have a slow cooker, I'm sure you can attain similar results in a dutch oven)

Spaghetti with Braised Kale

From Epicurious.com.

I'm a huge kale fan - its my fave go to green - it has a great texture, that doesn't break down in the cooking process; and it retains its gorgeous colour. This recipe was quick and easy, perfect for weekdays, and it used two bunches of kale - upping the vitamin quotient considerably.

I should be a shareholder in 'Tinkyada' pasta, as I consume enough to keep them in business. They make incredible brown rice pastas, with a dizzying array of varieties - I found some Spinach Spaghetti which I hadn't known existed, so I thought green on green might be dramatic in our wonderful white pasta bowls (and it was - thanks J for the gift that keeps on giving!).

2 bunches kale large center ribs and stems removed, torn
3 tbsp olive oil, divided 
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used a white one)
8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (oops, I finely chopped mine, habit)
340 g (1 package) of spaghetti 
2 tsp fresh lemon juice 

Finely grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse kale. Drain; transfer to bowl with water.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion & cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 mins. Add sliced garlic and sprinkle with salt; cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 mins. Add kale and remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and toss until wilted, about 3 mins. Cover pot & reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking until kale is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding water by spoonfuls if dry, about 20 mins. (I used a tiny bit of chicken stock).

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add cooked spaghetti to kale mixture in pot. Add lemon juice and 2 tbsp reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more liquid if needed. Sprinkle spaghetti with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Acorn Squash Hash

Eww, doesn't sound very appealing - but it was tasty! Had some leftover baked acorn squash from the other night, so had a big 'fry up' on Saturday morning, before doing our usual myriad of chores.

Rummage around the fridge - I had some plump brown mushrooms, peppers, green onions and eggs - so those along with the aforementioned squash (which is really a potato at this point), were my ingredients.

Saute the mushrooms with the peppers in a bit of olive oil, add the chopped acorn squash, let it brown, toss, add the eggs and green onions, season with s & p, serve with Heinz chilli sauce - good to go!