French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup

Slice onions. I used three, for two servings.
Caramelize onions. Put them, with a drizzle of vegetable oil, in a heavy pot over low heat and leave them alone.

You can push them around every so often. They will get nice and soft and brown.

Add beef broth (4-6 cups, depending on how thick you like your soup) and a bouquet garni. This one used tarragon, rosemary, and thyme, all from the garden.

Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, tasting occasionally and adjusting seasoning as needed.
Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls, and top with a slice of French bread and cheese. Havarti, Swiss, orFontina are all good to use. Set the bowl under the broiler for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and brown and soup is bubbling up around the edges.

One year?

It occurred to me, in planning this year's Valentine's meal over the weekend, that this bloggy thing is just about a year old now. The first real post was February 10 and the first recipe was the amazing beef tenderloin we had last year.
It also occurred to me that I have cooked much more than has appeared here, and photographed almost as much of those meals. Over the next few weeks, I will go through and feature some of the better dishes and pictures, only without much of a detailed review. If it's posted, it was good.
Here's a sneak peak:

It would be nice to revive some features I tried to start during the year, like Friday Favs and Tuesday Treats, but I was not as diligent as I had hoped with them. Maybe soon I can continue them.

I also plan to update and continue with my 30 before 30 list. On that note, and knowing I will be home for at least a month (no major travel plans scheduled, amazingly), I will begin a 30 posts in 30 days mission.

January Vegetable: Brussels Sprouts (#2)

For the second round of Brussels sprouts, I tried a simple preparation method. I drizzled them with a little olive oil, then roasted them in the oven until they were slightly browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes. I did toss them around about 10 minutes into the roasting time. Once out of the oven, they got a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of white balsamic vinegar.
The roasting brings out a sweetness to the Brussels sprouts, and the white balsamic takes that sweetness to the next level with a zing. The Husband agreed we could have used a little more white balsamic, but he did eat (and kind of enjoy) most of his serving.

Next up, I am interested in trying the sprouts directly from the stalk. They are available at Central Market this way, and apparently taste better because the stalk tricks them into thinking they are still growing and continues to provide some nutrients to them.

Ingredients
Brussels sprouts
Olive Oil
White Balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Method
Spread Brussels sprouts on a cookie sheet or baking pan, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until desired amount of cooking is reached. Move them around the pan about halfway through the cooking time.
Once cooked, transfer them to a bowl. Drizzle them with white balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

February Vegetable #1: Kale Chips

Happy Valentine's Day!
So thrilled I finally tried kale chips. I plan to keep a lot of these on hand to satisfy late evening munchies. The ongoing attempt to enjoy this leafy green is progressing... this recipe certainly helps the relationship.

Kale Chips
Preheat the oven to 250. Start with a bunch of kale. Remove the ribs and leave the leaves whole, or break them up, That part is up to you. Toss the kale with some olive oil, and sprinkle salt and pepper (and any other herbs or spices) on them. Arrange them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and bake for about 30 minutes, until they are crispy. Let them cool, then enjoy!

MRIs of Food

Check out these cool food images on the Inside Insides blog.