French Onion Soup

Need some lovin'? A little comforting? Have some soup!

About a year and a half ago I had the pleasure of having lunch at the International Culinary Center in New  York. My friend Devin and I enjoyed some great food, French Onion soup being the highlight. Ever since then I've been waiting to make it myself. And now, here it is, my attempt at the Frenchman's staple.

This soup is rather simple. You need lots of onions - I apologize for the tears you will shed when the slicing and dicing portion comes around - and beef broth. That's pretty much it.

Hope you enjoy this delicious soup! I know I am!

French Onion Soup

    from Winter Monroe

**I chilled the soup over night and then reheated it 20 minutes before serving. Really brought out the flavors.

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter

4 large yellow onions, julienned

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup red wine

3 heaping tbsp flour

2 quarts beef broth

thick slices of French bread or croutons

½ lb. grated Gruyere

Directions

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions. 

As the onions begin to caramelize, add in the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and golden, about 25 minutes.

Add the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs.

Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 5-10 minutes. 

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

Before serving, preheat the broiler. Ladle the soup into bowls, ramekins work perfectly,  top each with a slice of bread (or some croutons) and grated cheese. Place the ramekins below the broiler and cook until the cheese has melted and it browning.

I am going to pat myself on the shoulder for this one. 

The soup is so flavorful, it smells amazing, and it's really not that hard to make. 

This would make a great first course, 

or pour yourself a large bowl, grab a hunk of bread and settle down for a comfy, cozy night in.

J'espère que vous apprécierez!

Happy Pi(e) Day!

PPPIIIIEEEEEEE!

Well, not that kind of pie exactly. 

As it's March 14, 3.14, all the mathematics types have declared today Pi Day which made all of us food types declare today Pie Day! In honor of 3.14 I made a Chocolate Cream Pie.

This pie is rich and creamy - decadent even. Not for the faint of heart.

Chocolate Cream Pie with Cookie Crust

     from Cooking Light

Ingredients for the Crust

20 Oreos

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 tbsp canola oil

For the Filling

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch, plus more for thickening, as needed

¼ cup cocoa powder

¼ tsp salt

1¾ cups whole milk, divided

2 egg yolks

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tsp vanilla

For the Topping

1 cup heavy whipping cream

spoonful of powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

For the crust, ground the Oreos in a food processor. Add in or stir in the melted chocolate and oil. Pour out into a 9-inch pie pan and press down and up onto the sides. Freeze until set, 15-30 minutes.

Melting the chocolate

For the filling, whisk together the sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt, transfer to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add half of the milk and both egg yolks, stirring until smooth. 

Whisking in the milk and egg yolks

Add in the rest of the milk and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the chopped bittersweet chocolate and vanilla. Stirring until smooth. If the custard is not thickening, return to the stove and add 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Keep stirring until the custard is very thick, adding a dusting of cornstarch, if needed. Remove from heat and stir until the custard is cool. Pour into the perfectly set cookie crust, smooth the top, and freeze for 4 hours or over night. 

Secret weapon: Madagascar Vanilla

You want the whipped cream to chill (on top of the pie) for about 20 minutes. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a standing mixer and beat until peaks form. Top your pie with a hefty dollop of whipped cream and return to the frig for 20 minutes or so then, serve it up.

My pie had a rough night in the freezer but it doesn't matter as it will be covered in lovely whipped cream :)

This pie is rich, smooth, and chocolaty. All you chocoholics will be in heaven.

Happy Pi Day!

Vegan Coconut Cupcakes

We have a vegan recipe that is a winner!

This recipe is really just an egg-less cupcake recipe that calls for milk so I substituted coconut milk for the real stuff and it worked like a charm. Soft, moist, and coconuty but not overpowering. It's delicious!

Vegan Coconut Cupcakes

     yields 14 cupcakes

     from Chef Chloe

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose or cake flour (I used a combo of the two)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup coconut milk

½ cup canola oil

2 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with 14 liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium sized bowl stir the wet ingredients together. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined and there are no lumps.

Filling ⅔'s of the cupcake will give you a nice rounded top.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. 

FROSTING TIME!

In keeping with the coconut flavor, and also because I'm not a fan of soy and almond milk, I'm using coconut milk again. You will see this recipe calls for coconut oil which can be found at Trader Joe's and Safeway. Now, get ready, because these frosted cupcakes taste like Hawaii.

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup unrefined coconut oil, warm only slightly, do NOT melt it

4+ tbsp of coconut milk

splash of vanilla, optional

1½ - 2 cups shredded coconut, toasted

**this makes more than enough frosting for the 14 cupcakes.

Directions

Using a standing mixer, whip the sugar, coconut oil, and coconut milk together, adding in the vanilla if you wish. Whip together until the frosting is complete smooth. If the consistency is not to your liking, add in a little more milk or powdered sugar.

Turn on your oven broiler. Spread the shredded coconut out on a cookie sheet and toast in the broiler for a couple minutes, checking every 2 minutes and stirring the coconut so as not to burn it. Coconut toasts very fast. Keep your wits about you. 

Also, don't forget to turn off the oven and broiler.

Now, add a dollop of frosting to the top of each cupcake and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Done!

I'm really pleased with this recipe. I can now say that this vegan naysayer might be changing her tune. 

Hope you enjoy these tropical tasting treats!

This was my breakfast. I have no regrets.

Beef Stew on a Cold East Coast Night

I recently spent a week on the East Coast visiting my extended family. I also spent a good portion of that bracing myself against the harsh winter weather. Thankfully multiple kitchens were at my disposal so I was able to warm up by the stove as I cooked. 

Here you have a cold weather classic, beef stew. How can you go wrong with a hot n' hearty stew? 

Answer: You can't.

This is a great one pot dinner dish and it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. 

Beef Stew

     adapted from The Pioneer Woman

     serves 6

**Marinate beef overnight. Cooking time takes a couple hours but you won't need to be over the stove for the majority of it.

Ingredients

2 lbs stew meat, lean beef, large chunks

10 oz. red wine, for marinating, give or take

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red wine or 1 can of beer

4 cups beef stock, or 4 cups water with 4 beef bouillon cubes

Water, as needed

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

½  tsp paprika

1 tbsp sugar

Salt & Black Pepper

4 carrots, roughly sliced

5 potatoes, quartered

Directions

Place the meat in a large oblong pan and cover with red wine. Wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator overnight, turning in the morning.

Start three + hours before serving. Pat the beef dry of excess wine. Discard the wine used for marinating.  

In a large pot heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. In small batches brown the meat on all four sides. Set aside and let the browned meat cool.

Working in small batches ensures the meat browns evenly.

Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic, cook for another minute. Pour in wine/beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar.

If you don't have beef stock you can make your own using beef bouillon cubes.
Add the cubes to the 4 cups of water and let dissolve.

Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and let simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it does not thicken, use 1-2 tbsp of flour and a couple spoonfuls of water to make a roux and add to the stew. This acts as a thicken agent. If your stew gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.

Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. 

The goodness.

Grace is a wonderful kitchen model!

Season to taste and serve hot!

Stay warm!

D'Anjou Pear & Pesto Pizza

As I sit at the kitchen table writing cover letters, looking out on the cold, gray, rainy day I decide it's time to spice up my afternoon and make... pizza! A quick jaunt down to Bi-Rite for dough and this pizza is already halfway done.

Basil is back on the shelves at the store so the pesto pizza options are endless!
I bought a couple pears earlier in the week and decided to make a sweet-meets-savory pizza for myself and my roommates - depending on how generous I want to be. This simple pizza will have you and your lunch mates/dinner guests/fellow Super Bowl viewers watering at the mouth.

D'Anjou Pear & Pesto Pizza

Ingredients

Pre-made pizza dough, I used whole wheat dough from Bi-Rite

Pesto, my homemade recipe is here

1 D'Anjou pear, thinly sliced

Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Directions

**Follow directions according to your specific pizza dough label.  

Preheat oven to 500°F. Lightly flour your pizza stone or work surface and roll out the dough. 

Add a hefty dollop of pesto to the center of the dough and spread the sauce outwards, using the back of a spoon and working in a circular motion.

Layer the pear slices onto the pesto. This doesn't need to have any rhyme or reason to it, I just started in the middle and made a sunburst.

Next, add as much or as little cheese as your heart desires and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

And here is the finished thing!

Thin crust, flavorful pesto, sweet pear, and a little tang from the cheese... mmmmmmm

Hope you enjoy! 

Vegan Baking Experiment: Lemon Cake

The vegan wedding cake challenge is on. And so far I am not impressed. BUT - but - that does not mean this first cake was a disaster. It was just not up to my standards.

Here is a faithful narrative of my dealings with the Vegan Lemon Cake.

 

Vegan Lemon Cake with Lemon Icing

    slightly modified from Vegan Feast Kitchen

**This particular cake, being vegan and a little more temperamental than your average cake, does not rise 
so I recommend doubling the recipe in order to have a taller, more lofty looking cake.

Ingredients

2½ cups plus 2 tbsp cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp faux butter, I used Earth Balance, room temp

2 tbsp lemon juice

1½ cups sugar

1 cup water

grated zest of 1 large lemon

¾ cup almond milk

1½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp pure lemon extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease two baking pans, 9 or 8 inch. Set aside. 
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Using a standing mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and then add in the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in thirds. Fill pans half way and bake in the center of your oven for 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in pans before turning out onto a wire rack. Make sure cakes are completely cooled before frosting.

Vegan Icing

**These are all eyeball measurements.

faux butter, Earth Balance for example

powdered sugar

almond milk

lemon juice

Directions

Using a standing mixer, cream about ¼ cup of faux butter. Slowly add in powdered sugar until the two are thick and combined. Carefully add in a couple tbsp of almond milk, enough to make the icing runnier, and a splash of lemon extract for flavor. Add as much or as little of the sugar and milk as you see fit.

Assemble

Add a spoonful of the icing to the center of a cake stand, this will keep the first cake layer from moving around. Spread an even layer of icing on the cake and then add the second layer. Frost the top of the second layer, allowing for excess icing to spill down the sides of the cake. Decorate with sprinkles or flowers. 

NOTES

• The lemon flavor is delicious, not overbearing but rather delicate. This is good news.
• The texture is similar to a sponge cake. This is not great news because I want a cake that will rise, layer well, and look like a wedding cake.
• Overall, the cake is tasty and looks cute but lacks the gusto of a main attraction. And I want my friend's wedding cake to be a main attraction.
  
  

   

Thank you to my guinea pigs, Aunt Cathy, Sarah, and Elizabeth! You will be called on again 
to test more cakes very soon! xo