Hearty French Onion Soup

I love autumn in New England, especially because I get to enjoy my favorite soups. This soup is so filling that you can have just one bowl as a meal. It makes a great weekend lunch, or a simple weekday dinner. I just love the pull of the cheese with each spoonful.

The secret to this dish is a rich stock. This time I made it using lamb stock for a full flavor, but you can use chicken, beef, or turkey stock. I also used my Tasty Crouton Recipe instead of toasted french bread to add more flavor.

Ingredients:
For 2 BIG servings

• 1 Cup Dry Red Wine
  
• 2 Quarts Lamb, Beef, Chicken, or Turkey Stock
  
• 1/2 Cup Croutons or sliced toasted French bread
• 6 oz Swiss Cheese, shredded
  
• 2 Cups Mushrooms, sliced
• 1-2 Onions, sliced and separated.
• 1 tbsp Chopped Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 2 pats of butter.
• 1/2 tsp salt, only if the stock has no salt. If you use a commercial stock that contains salt, omit this.
  
• 1 tsp of Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce.
  
• 1 tbsp General purpose flour

Directions:

1. Place the wine and stock into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Keep boiling while you perform the rest of the steps. You will want to reduce it to about half of its original volume.
   
2. Pre-heat a large fry pan and cover the bottom with olive oil.
3. Add the sliced onions and fry until they are golden brown.
   
4. Slide the onions to one side of the and pan melt the butter in the open side.
5. Add the mushrooms to the butter and mix in. Stir in the garlic.
   
6. Saute the mushrooms until brown, mix with the onions.
7. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, mix in and saute until brown.
8. Stir the pepper and cumin into the stock. Add the Soy, Worcestershire and salt (if any) to the stock.
   
9. Pour the mushroom and onion mixture into the stock, bring to a simmer. The flour will thicken the broth.
   
10. Add some croutons (or toast) to each oven safe bowl, sprinkle with some cheese
11. Ladle the soup into each bowl and top with the rest of the cheese.
12. Place the bowls on a cookie sheet and broil on high for 3-5 minutes.
13. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Quick and Easy Chicken Cordon Blue

This is a quick and fast dish that you can have done in about an hour. This dish gives a feeling of gourmet dining without too much trouble. It is also easy to make this dish for a large number of people because you can simply add 1 breast for each two people. Make side dishes of red rice and broccoli florets and you have a complete meal. The amount pictured here feeds 4 hungry people with left-overs. River likes to slice the left-over chicken and take sandwiches to work.

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 boneless and skinless chicken breast
  
• 1 tsp of minced garlic
  
• 1 tsp of paprika
  
• salt and pepper
  
• olive oil
  
• 1-2 slices of thinly sliced smoked or Virginia ham per chicken breast
  
• sharp Swiss cheese
  
• tooth picks
  
  
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place each chicken breast between plastic wrap and using a meat pounder, pound the chicken until thin, about 1/4 inch thick.
   
2. Salt and pepper and season the chicken with the garlic and paprika.
   
3. Drizzle enough olive oil to give the chicken a nice sheen. Set aside to marinade for about 30 minutes.
   
4. Preheat oven to 375F.
   
5. Take one of the chicken and lay it flat on a plate.
   
   
   
6. Cover the chicken with either shredded Swiss cheese or cheese that has been thinly sliced with a cheese slicer.
   
7. Next, cover the cheese with the ham. It may take 1-2 slices of the ham.
   
8. Cover with another thin layer of the cheese.
   
9. Careful take one of the edges and start to roll the layers. You can use your fingers or a fork to help the process along.
   
10. Once you have a roll, carefully place 1-2 toothpicks through all the layers so that the chicken will stay rolled. It doesn't have to be a tight or perfect roll.
    
11. Brush the bottom of the oven proof dish with a little olive oil and place the rolls in it.
    
    
    
12. Bake for about 20 minutes. The chicken will look opaque and you should see some clear juices flowing.
    
13. Remove from the oven and add a layer of cheese to the top.
    
14. Return to the oven and set the oven for broil. Don't put the container too close to the heating element because the cheese will splatter some. Broil for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is a golden brown.
    
15. Turn the oven off and set the chicken on a platter to rest for about 10 minutes. This will help all the flavors to get mingled together.
    
16. Serve with rice and veggies.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Boeuf au Champignon (Beef with Mushrooms)

Pronounced Shamp-Pin-Neon. This satisfying dish helps take the bite out of a winter night. It is also great re-heated as or taken in a thermos for a hot work day lunch.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs of lean beef cubed
  
• 12 oz of mushrooms (cremini or white)
  
• 1 medium white onion
  
• 2.5 cups of red wine
  
• 1.5 tsp of salt
  
• 2 tsp garlic
  
• 1 tsp paprika
  
• 2 tsp of dried oregano
  
• black pepper to taste
  
• olive oil
  
• 6 oz of skim milk
  
• 1 tbsp of flour
  
• 1 cup of low fat sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. 
   
   Pat dry the beef.
2. Coat bottom of a saute pan with oil olive and heat on medium.
   
3. Add beef when oil is hot, just shimmery. Brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
   
4. Remove from pan and set aside.
   
5. Add a little more oil and saute mushrooms until lightly brown, about 6 minutes.
   
6. Add the onion and saute until wilted.
   
7. Stir in browned beef with any juices that have formed.
   
8. Add garlic, paprika and salt. Cook until garlic is fragrant.
   
9. Add the wine and turn up the heat until the wine begins to simmer hard.
   
10. Continue to stir the contents periodically and let it all gently simmer for about 5 minutes.
    
11. Turn the heat down and simmer gently until the meat is tender, 2 hours or so. Cooking time will depend on beef used.
    
12. While the beef is simmering, using a 1 cup mason jar, pour milk and add flour. Cover and shake vigorously until the flour has incorporated into the milk.
    
13. Turn the heat up and slowly pour the liquid into the pan. Continuing stirring until the liquid has fully incorporated into the dish.
    
14. Continue to cook at the higher temperature for about 5 minutes. Do not let the contents boil, a light simmer.
    
15. When the sauce has thickened, the sour cream can be incorporated which will added richness to the sauce.
    
16. Taste and add more salt if need. Added freshly ground pepper to taste.

Can be served over wide noodles or with rice and green salad.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Salad Nicoise

Pronounced neess-waz, this salad is a favorite on the French Riviera. It's name literally means salad from Nice, the famous Cote d'Azure resort city.

Ingredients

• salad greens such as mescalin mix, Boston lettuce or baby spinach
• 1 medium boiled potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2cup of green beans
• 2 small cucumbers
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of pitted black olives
• 2 boiled eggs, peeled and thinly sliced
• thinly sliced red onion
• 8 oz of leftover grilled swordfish or salmon ( can substitute 1 can of tuna, drained)

Instructions

1. 
   
   Chop the green beans into 2 in long pieces and blanch by placing them in boiling water for about 30 seconds. 
2. 
   
   Remove immediately and drop them in cold water. 
3. 
   
   Remove from the water and add vinagrette.  Set aside.
4. 
   
   In a small mixing bowl, mix potato with vinaigrette dressingand set aside.
5. 
   
   In a separate bowl, using a fork, flake the salmon or swordfish. Add vinaigrette dressing and mix. Set aside. (If using tuna, mix it with vinaigrette and set aside)
6. 
   
   Place salad greens in a nice salad bowl.
7. 
   
   Slice cucumbers diagonally and add to the salad.
8. 
   
   Add olives and red onions.
9. 
   
   Place the tomatoes that have been quartered along the edges.
10. 
    
    Line the thinly sliced eggs along the bowl.
11. 
    
    In the center of the bowl, add the dressed potatoes and on top of that add the dressed fish.

Additional dressing may be added to the salad. Salt and pepper the salad to taste. Serve 4.

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Mustard-Oregano Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients:

• 
  
  1/4 cup of dijon or grainy brown mustard
• 1 tbsp of finely chopped fresh oregano
  
• 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar (may need additional to get desired consistency)
  
• 1/4 cup of first pressed olive oil
  
• 1/4 tsp of salt
  
• 1 tsp of garlic

Instructions

1. 
   
   Place mustard in a small mixing bowl.
2. 
   
   Add oregano and garlic, mix thoroughly with mustard.
3. 
   
   Slowly whisk in vinegar. Check consistency as you go. If you like it on the thinner side, add more vinegar.
4. 
   
   Once the vinegar is thoroughly incorporated, beginning to whisk olive oil, by drizzling it as you whisk.
5. 
   
   Check for consistency as you go. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.
6. 
   
   Keep refrigerated and it will stay fresh for about 5 days.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved