French Onion Soup

I really have a hard time resisting "buy-one-get-one-free" deals at the grocery store.  At some stores, you can just buy one and still get it for 50% off, but at our local grocery store, you have to get two in order to get the deal.  So, when I saw the bags of onions with the sale sign on them, I grabbed two without thinking about how hard it would be to use them all.  I hate to admit, but more often than not we end up throwing food away when I buy more than we can use before it goes bad.  And that pretty much ruins the idea of getting it on sale.  So with several onions on the verge of dying, I knew that French onion soup would be a great way to use them up.  We picked up a baguette from the French bakery to use as the perfect topping, underneath the melted Gruyere cheese.   This recipe came from Tyler Florence on food network.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

5 onions, sliced (we used a mixture of yellow and red)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

2 fresh thyme sprigs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup red wine

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 quarts beef broth (or less if you want it a little thicker)

1 baguette, sliced

1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Directions:

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, a teaspoon of salt, and some pepper and stir until combined.

Cook, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 30-40 minutes. 

Add the wine, reduce the heat, and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Sprinkle in the flour, and stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for about 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. 

Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 more minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. 

 When the soup is almost done, preheat the broiler.  Ladle the soup into oven-save bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. 

We stacked the bread because the openings of the mugs were so small.  Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.  Watch carefully so it doesn't burn!

If you don't have oven-safe bowls, you could arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer, sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere, and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Tomato Rice Soup

Soup is a great way to use up rice when you are down to the end of a bag and it's not quite enough to make by itself.   It also makes your average soup a bit more filling.  This time we decided to do a tomato rice soup to have along side grilled cheese.  We used canned tomatoes to make it easier, and fresh oregano to give it a little depth.  I blended the soup slightly with an immersion blender to thicken it up, but that step is entirely optional.  It was perfect for dinner with our grilled cheese sandwiches!  We had it again for lunch the next day with some crumbled bacon on top...  so delicious!

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 large can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)

6 cups chicken broth

1 T fresh oregano leaves

1/2 -3/4 cup rice

salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large pot over medium, heat the olive oil and when hot, add the onion.  Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt in, and saute for about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes longer until onions are soft and translucent.  

Pour in the tomatoes, chicken broth, and add the oregano.  Bring to a simmer. You could blend the soup here, before adding the rice if you don't want to see any chunks of tomato or onion in the final product.  

Add 1 teaspoon salt, and the rice.  Stir, and cover.  Let the soup simmer, covered, for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.  Taste for more salt and pepper.  I blended the soup at this stage for about 10-15 seconds, until it thickened slightly.

Meanwhile, we made grilled cheese sandwiches using fresh brioche bread, and a combination of blue and cheddar cheeses.  We used mayo on the outside of the bread instead of butter because it is easier to spread, and turns golden brown quickly when cooked in a non-stick skillet. 

Enjoy your soup and sandwich!

Scallops with Lemon Asparagus Risotto

Scallops are a special treat for us, mainly because they are so expensive, and you never know how fresh they are when you get them at the grocery store.  With a few more $25 off coupons to use with Arganica (organic food delivery service) I didn't feel so bad about spending $16 for a pound of fresh sea scallops.  One pound got us 18 scallops, ranging in size.  To go along with them, I wanted something that wouldn't out shine their fresh flavor, but still delicious in it's own right.  I decided on a lemon asparagus risotto that would be a creamy and bright contrast with the rich flavor of the scallops.   It was a great combination, the risotto was so good it could easily be a meal in itself.  But the scallops added another layer of decadence to the dish- they were amazing!  They got a nice brown sear using the cast iron skillet.  This isn't your average dinner... it takes time and special attention, but it is totally worth it in the end! 

Ingredients:

1 lb asparagus

fresh sea scallops (the number is up to you... we did 10 for two servings but it was a lot)

3 T grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

2 shallots, minced

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

1 lemon, zested and juiced

6 cups low sodium chicken or seafood stock

1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Wash the asparagus, trim off the tough ends, and cut the stalks into 2 inch pieces.  Heat the chicken or seafood stock in a medium pot  with 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil.  Blanch the asparagus in the boiling stock for about 2 minutes, and drain it with a slotted spoon.  Set it to the side. Turn off the heat and leave the stock covered so it will be hot for the risotto.

In a large sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat and add the shallots and a sprinkle of salt.  Saute for about 5 minutes until they are soft and translucent.  Add the rice, and stir until all of the grains are coated in oil.  

Let it toast for a couple minutes, and then add the wine and stir, turn heat to medium-low.  Add half of the lemon juice to the mixture.  Once the wine has completely evaporated, begin adding the stock, one ladle-full at a time.  

Stir the risotto frequently.  Once each ladle-full of stock has been absorbed by the rice, you know to add another one.  Continue adding stock and stirring until the risotto is al dente.  I used just about all 6 cups of stock.  You may need slightly more or less to reach your desired consistency.  (Use water if you run out of stock).  The risotto should be very creamy- if it is a little stiff, just add a bit more of the stock to loosen it up.  It takes about 25-30 minutes to reach this final stage.  

Stir in the cheese, lemon zest, and asparagus.  Taste for salt and pepper. 

When your risotto is about 5-7 minutes away from being done, begin cooking the scallops.  Pat them dry with a paper towel.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.  Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high.  Turn it down to medium right before placing the scallops in.  Let them sit without touching for about 3-4 minutes.  

Carefully check to see if they are brown on the bottom before flipping.  Cook the other side for about 2 minutes and they should be done.  

Remove from the pan, and serve over a mound of risotto with some extra cheese and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  This combination of flavors is so amazing- enjoy!