French Style Red Onion Soup

thaw out from this deep freeze with a bowl of steamy soup

An all-time favorite soup of mine (and my husband) is French Onion Soup. I make this for us every winter and it always warms us up. As most of the country has been experiencing a deep freeze, this recipe comes at a great time. It's also easy to make and doesn't require many ingredients.

What makes this version of French Onion Soup different is that I'm using red onions instead of the classic sweet yellow onion. Red onions are still sweet, especially when you allow them to caramelize slightly, but they retain more of their texture and shape in this soup. I actually prefer them over a yellow onion after making this both ways. Because this soup contains few ingredients and is a one-pot-wonder it makes for a great week night meal. Warm up! Make this for dinner. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6
4 T Unsalted Butter
4 Large Red Onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp. Fresh Thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1 Bay leaf
1/3 C Sherry Vinegar
1 Box Vegetable Broth
1 Can Beef Broth
6 Thick Slices Crusty Bread
1 1/2 C Shredded Swiss Cheese (can sub Gruyere)
1 1/2 C Shredded Mozzarella
Salt & Pepper

Directions

In a large dutch oven over med-high heat melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the onions and 1 tsp. salt. Stir and cook until the onions reduce by half and begin to caramelize, about 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Once the onions have reduced by half, add in the chopped thyme, bay leaf, and sherry vinegar. Allow the sherry to cook out and deglaze the pan, about 5 minutes. Then add both broths and cook for another 10-15 minutes to meld the flavors. Note: you can use all veggie broth to keep this vegetarian, but the beef broth is very traditional and helps to balance all of the flavors. Season with salt and pepper to taste, as needed.

While the soup cooks, move the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat the broiler. Toast the bread slices for 1-2 minutes on each side. Also, mix the cheeses together in a bowl; set aside.

Once the soup is done cooking, ladle into 6 bowls, and top each with a slice of the toasted bread and 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture. Arrange the bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beginning to brown. Allow the bowls to cool for a few minutes and then serve. Enjoy!

Meatless Shepherd's Pie

waste not, want not...use up leftovers in a different way

Thanksgiving is only 2 days away and all I can think about are the leftovers. HA! I can honestly say that after all of the cooking on the day of, I'm exhausted and just want to rest. Plus I'm not usually that hungry because I've been tasting things all day as I cook. I find that the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Sure, the meal that day is wonderful, but reinventing and using up all the leftovers gives me great satisfaction.

This meatless shepherd's pie uses up quite a bit of what you might have left after your Thanksgiving meal. From the mashed potatoes, to the roasted root veggies, to the gravy, this pie can be a cinch to make. I've listed out all the steps to make this from scratch here though. So, make this with leftovers or make it from scratch, I suggest just making this dish, period. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6
2 lbs. Russet Potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 T Prepared Horseradish
1/2 C Half & Half

1 Egg Yolk
1 oz. Package Dried Assorted Mushrooms
Olive Oil
2 Carrots, diced (about 12 baby)
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Clove Garlic, pressed
2 (8 oz.) Boxes Mushrooms (suggest baby bella or button)
2 T Unsalted Butter
2 T Flour
2 tsp. Soy Sauce (low sodium okay)
1/2 C Frozen Peas
Salt & Pepper
Parsley, for garnish

Directions
Begin by bringing the potatoes to a boil in a large pot. Salt the water when it begins to boil. Cook for about 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and return to the hot pot. Set aside.

While the potatoes are boiling, combine the dried mushrooms with 3 C of water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, reconstituting the mushrooms.

Meanwhile, heat a large skilled over med-high. Add 2 T olive oil, the carrots, onion, and garlic. Sweet for 2-3 minutes and then add in the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, or until the veggies have softened. Reduce the heat to med-low.

By this time the dried mushrooms have reconstituted. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a cutting board. Roughly chop and then add to the large skillet with the rest of the veggies. Reserve 1 C of the mushroom broth, discard the rest, and wipe out the small pot.

Return the small pot to the stove over medium heat. Melt the butter and then add in the flour to make a roux, whisking to ensure no lumps form. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add the soy sauce and reserved mushroom broth, whisking well. Allow the gravy to cook for another minute, until thickened.

Add the gravy to the large skillet with the veggies. Stir the gravy into the veggies, stir in the peas, and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mash the potatoes in the large pot until there are no lumps. Stir in the horseradish, half and half, and egg yolk. Mix well.

Assemble the pie: pour the veggie mixture into a large baking dish. Then spread the potatoes over top. Try to keep the potatoes from mixing with the veggies and leave a little room around the edges for steam to escape as the pie cooks. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the dish is hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and garnish with torn parsley. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve. Enjoy those reinvented leftovers!