Julia's French Onion Soup

Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking
French Onion Soup
5 c. sliced yellow onions
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
3 tbsp flour
2 quarts boiling beef stock
½ c. white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz swiss cheese, slivered
1 tbsp grated raw onion
Several rounds of hard-toasted French bread
1 ½ c. grated swiss and parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
In a large OVENPROOF pot, heat the butter and oil on medium low. Add the onions and cover, cook for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium, add salt and sugar. Stir frequently for 30-40 minutes, until the onions are deep brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes. Off heat, blend in the boiling stock and wine and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer partially covered for 30-40 minutes more.
Preheat the oven to 325. Stir the slivered cheese and grated onion into the soup. Float the rounds of toast on top, and spread the grated cheese over them. Sprinkle with the oil. Bake for 20 minutes, and set for a minute or two under a broiler to lightly brown the top. Serve immediately

Rating: B.

Notes: This sounded so good, and the final product was yummy… but it was not-homemade tasting. It almost tasted like French onion soup from a can! Next time I would add herbs and spices and skip the last bit with the grated onion and all that—just serve the soup with toast on the side.

Deceptively Delicious Macaroni and Cheese 2

Deceptively Delicious Macaroni and Cheese 2
1 ½ c. whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 c. milk
½ c. chickpeas (or other light-colored bean)
1 ½ c. shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey jack)
Pinch salt
pinch paprika
pinch pepper
Cook and drain the macaroni. Meanwhile, puree the chickpeas and milk.
Cook the milk mixture in a large saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes, until it’s smooth. Add the cheese and cook until melted and creamy. Stir in the seasonings and then add the macaroni.
Rating: B. Yummy.

Deceptively Delicious Baked Egg Puffs

Deceptively Delicious Baked Egg Puffs
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
¼ c. carrot puree (recipe calls for yellow squash or butternut squash, but use what you got, right?)
2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 400. Cut 4 ramekins or tiny coffee cups with cooking spray and set on a baking sheet.
In a large bowl combine the ingredients. Divide the mixture—at a scant ¼- ½ c. each—between the four mugs. Bake for 13-15 minutes, when they are puffy and the eggs are no longer runny.
Rating: B
Notes: Yummy! This didn’t turn out like the picture, which looks like an ethereal angel food cake. Mine looked like puffy scrambled eggs with bits of carrot. But they were very tasty!

Deceptively Delicious Oatmeal (with Sweet Potato)

Oatmeal (with Sweet Potato)
From: Deceptively Delicious

1 c. milk
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sweet potato or pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon to taste
1 c. old fashioned oats (I shamelessly endorse Coach's Oats)
2 tsp peanut butter
dried fruits and nuts
pure maple syrup, for serving

Combine the milk, sugar, sweet potato, vanilla, and spice. Bring to a boil, then add the oatmeal. Simmer until the oatmeal is soft, 2-5 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter. Serve with fruits and nuts on top, milk, and warm maple syrup.

Rating: B
Notes: Good, but kinda like eating a delicious brick. I would leave out the peanut butter next time, or seriously reduce it.

Joy's All-Whole-Wheat Bread Cockaigne

Joy's All-Whole-Wheat Bread Cockaigne
Combine in a large bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes

1/4 c. warm water
2.25 tsp yeast
1 tbsp brown sugar

combine:

6 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c. dry milk powder

combine, and then add to the yeast mixture:

2 cups warm water or miolk
1 tsp salt
1-3 tbsp melted butter or bacon fat
4-6 tbsp molasses or honey

Gradually add the flour to the yeast and butter mixture. Knead briefly. Allow dough to rise covered until doubled, and once in greased loaf pans, about an hour each.
preheat the oven to 350, bake about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and bottom sounds hollow. Cool completely on a rack.
Rating: B Good, but not really inspiring. I like that it's all-wheat, though...

Joy's Bean Tomato and Sausage Gratin

Bean Tomato and Sausage Gratin
This is in the "Brunch, Lunch and Supper Dishes" section of the book, which gives all the recipes an illusion of simplicity and speed. Hah! This was ultimately delicious, but waaaay too complicated. The same result could come much easier with a few cut corners. But here it is:

Soak overnight:

2 cups pinto beans

Drain the beans. Transfer to a large pot and add:

8 cups water
1 onion, halved, each half stuck with 1 clove
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bouquet garni

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Add salt, then simmer until beans are tender, another 30-60 minutes.
While the beans are simmering, heat a heavy casserole over medium heat. Add:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 oz pancetta or bacon, diced.
Cook, until it renders its fat. Add
1 pound sweet italian sausages, casings removed and crumbled.

Cook, stirring until the meat loses its color, about 5 minutes. pour off most of the fat. Add, stirring for two minutes:

1 onion
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste.
2x28 oz cans of whole tomatoes with juice
1 tsp fresh thyme or oregano

Add the beans and 2 cups of the beans' cooking liquid to the sausage and tomato mixture.
Simmer it all for 30 minutes. Mean while preheat the oven to 400. Grease a casserole dish, add the mixture. Top with

1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups grated swiss cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned and bubbling.
Rating: B

Joy's Brown Beef Stock

Brown Beef Stock

5 lbs meaty beef bones
2 onions with skins on, quartered
2 carrots cut up
2 celery ribs cut up
2 c. cold water
cold water to cover
1 leek split lengthwise and cut up
1 bouquet garni, including 1 whole clove
tie together:
3 or 4 sprigs parsley
1/3 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
1 leek
2 cloves

Preheat the oven to 425. roast the bones for 15 minutes, then add the onions, carrots and celery. roast for 40 minutes, until the bones are well browned. Transfer to a stockpot. Add 2 cups water to the roasting pan, scrape up any delicious brown debris, then add the liquid to the stock pot. Add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer gently for 30 minutes, skimming off the foam. Add the leek and the bouquet garni, and simmer uncovered for 6-8 hours, adding water as needed to cover. Strain and cool uncovered, then refridgerate covered.
Rating: B for basic, useful, pretty simple.
Note: I like to add a splash of apple cider or balsamic vinegar to the stock

Roy's Grilled Pork Medallions with Watercress Salad and Shoestring Potatoes

Roy's Grilled Pork Medallions with Watercress Salad and Shoestring Potatoes

Marinade:
warm water
1 chopped green bell pepper
1/2 chopped onion
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
1/2 cup sugar

1 boneless pork loin, about 1 3/4 lbs
1 large potato

Mushroom-watercress Bed:
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic
4 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms (I used dried)
1/2 c. watercress stems
1 c. julienned red bell pepper
2 c. bean sprouts
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 quart canola oil for deep frying

Watercress salad:
3 tbsp olive oil
pinch ginger
pinch garlic
pinch chile paste with garlic
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 c. julienned red bell pepper
1/2 c. julienned yellow bell pepper
8 oz watercress leaves
3 tbsp crushed toasted mac nuts.

Marinate the pork over night in the fridge.
julienned the potato and soak in water for up to an hour.
Shortly before you're ready to cook the pork, prepare the grill. To assemble the mushroom-watercress bed, heat a wok and stir fry the ginger, garlic, mushrooms, watercress stems and bell pepper over medium heat for 1 minute. Add bean sprouts and oyster sauce, saute for 30 seconds longer, add sesame seeds and remove from heat.
Grill pork, 7-8 minutes per side over high heat for medium doneness. Cut into 12 slices.
Drain potatoes and dry thoroughly. heat the oil and deep fry the potatoes over high heat until browned and crisp, (*toss with salt) and drain on paper towels.
To make the watercress salad, heat the olive oil, lightly brown the ginger and garlic over medium-hihgh heat. stir in chile paste, vinegar, bell pepper. Put into a large salad bowl and toss with watercress leaves and mac nuts, and 1/4 of the shoestring potatoes.
Arrange a mushroom watercress bed in the center of each serving plate, top with three slices of pork. Place the watercress salad on top of the pork and remaining potatoes on top of the pile.

Rating: B for excessive fussiness.