Meatless Monday - French Onion Dip Pizza (MAKE THIS NOW)

Am trying to eat healthier.  You know, embrace the Meatless Monday thing.  Spring is here (although, here in Wisconsin, Mother Nature appears to be bi-polar), and we all need to get it together for beach season....blah, blah, blah.  WHAT. EVER.

Anyway....

If you like French Onion Dip, and really, who doesn't, you NEED to make this.  Is so NOT healthy, but, hey - it's meatless, so there.

French Onion Dip Pizza
Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 ball fresh pizza dough
• 1 cup crme fraiche or sour cream
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Place a large skillet over medium heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and gently cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Stir in the garlic the last 8-10 minutes of cooking time.

While the onions are cooking, stretch the pizza dough out to the size of your pan (you can use a baking sheet or round pizza pan, whatever you have). Transfer the dough onto the pan and bake until set and very light golden brown, about 15 minutes.

When the onions are ready, season them with salt and pepper, and stir in the crme fraiche or sour cream. Spread the mixture over the pre-baked pizza crust. Sprinkle the cheeses and thyme over the pizza and return it to the oven. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Sustenance In a Hailstorm

Spring is here.  Finally.  The Winter With No End appears to, very possibly, have ended.  Let us rejoice in Brewers baseball, Amen.

With Spring comes rain.  And, because we GO BIG OR STAY HOME here in Wisconsin, today's rain brought hail.  Of course it did. 

Rainy cold days call for one thing:  homemade soup.  I'm not a huge soup fan, but The Roommate and The Oldest?  LOVE IT.  I had homemade chicken stock in the freezer (thanks, Roommate!), some chicken and veggies hanging out in the fridge.  Because I do what I can for Marital Harmony....I made soup.  As per usual, my girl Ina does not disappoint here.  I messed with it, as that's what I do.  You do as you do.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

Deb's additions in italics

Yield:
6 servings

Ingredients:
1 whole (2 split) chicken breast, bone in, skin on
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts Chicken Stock (homemade is awesome, boxed from a shelf works just fine)

1 cup medium-diced celery (2 stalks)
1 cup medium-diced carrots (3 carrots) 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced leeks

Parmesan rind (save rinds from blocks of cheese in a ziplock in the freezer - add them to soup & stews)

Squirt of Sriracha
2 cups wide egg noodles
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken breast on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred or dice the chicken meat.

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a large pot and add the celery, carrots, leeks, garlic, parmesan rind, Sriracha and noodles. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the noodles are cooked. Add the cooked chicken meat and parsley and heat through.  If parmesan does not dissolve into the soup, remove before serving.

Season to taste and serve.

If You Love Mushrooms....Make This.

Mushrooms are funghi....and I don't care.

Mushrooms are delicious and good for you.   Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free and very low in sodium.  They're an excellent source of selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin D.

Next time you're craving comfort food - make this.  Alton Brown's my boyfriend and his recipes are solid.  This is a great "meatless Monday" recipe if you use vegetable broth, but Deb goes all in and uses beef stock...and throws in pancetta because, really, why not? Shallots work great in place of the green onions, but, you do as you do.

Alton Brown's Mushroom Stroganoff with Goat Cheese

Yield:
6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

12 ounces extra-wide egg noodles
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 portabella mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bunch green onions, sliced and white bottoms and green tops separated
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
14 ounces beef broth
8 ounces sour cream
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground, plus more for garnish

Directions:

Add the noodles to 4 quarts of boiling water. Cook to al dente, stirring occasionally.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch straight-sided saute pan set over medium-high heat. Increase the heat to high, add the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt. Saute until they darken in color, soften and give off their liquid, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the white bottoms of the green onions and saute 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir to combine. Cook until the flour disappears and the fond on the bottom of the pan turns dark brown, about 1 minute. Deglaze with the beef broth. Bring to a simmer and decrease the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, and then add the sour cream, goat cheese and black pepper. Stir to combine, and then partially cover and bring to a simmer to warm through, 2 to 4 minutes.

Drain the noodles, add to the pan and stir to combine. Garnish with the green onion tops and additional black pepper. Serve immediately.

Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, and very low in sodium, yet they provide important nutrients, including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D - See more at: http://mushroominfo.com/benefits/#sthash.dZADJBuA.dpuf

Mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, and very low in sodium, yet they provide important nutrients, including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D - See more at: http://mushroominfo.com/benefits/#sthash.dZADJBuA.dpuf

Blood Orange Cosmopolitans (Or, How to Make the Most of the Winter that Never Ends!)

Children's birthday parties.  They are all kinds of fun and fabulous.  I absolutely adore kids and wish I'd had more.  I always say that kids are brilliant and we just get dumb as we get older. 

Friends' children (TWINS!) turned one not long ago and we were fortunate to be part of the festivities.  When I asked the lovely mother of the children "what can I bring?", she responded, as exhausted, working mothers of one year old twins do, "Alcohol.  Mommy needs a cocktail.".  Not one to disappoint - I did as I was told. 

Blood oranges are in season in the U.S. from December through March.  They are delicious and I'm always looking for ways to use them in the short time they're available.  Plus, with the brutal Polar Vortex laden, Mother Nature is being a bitch Winter we've had, I felt a little sunshine was necessary.  Here's the result:

Blood Orange Cosmopolitans

Ingredients:

3 parts orange flavored vodka
1 part Triple Sec
3 parts cranberry juice (100% is best, cocktail will work - you do as you do)
1 part orange juice (100% fresh, not from concentrate is best - you do as you do)
Juice of one blood orange (3 or 4 if you're making a pitcher)
Juice of one lime (3 or 4 if you're making a pitcher)

Combine all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker.  Shake the H@LL out of it.  Serve cold in a chilled martini glass with a fruit garnish.

Guaranteed to cure scurvy, or mid winter blues, or provide fun to a party.  Friends were very kind at the party, drank them and asked for the recipe.  One of my "bonus nieces" asked that I make them for her upcoming birthday party, so I'm thinking it's a winner. 

Just doing my part to bring warmth to the Winter, People.

A Barefoot Contessa Moment.....

Ina Garten is one of my culinary heroes.  I watch her show, "Barefoot Contessa" on FoodNetwork religiously and own all eight of her cookbooks.  I even went to her book event with a couple of girlfriends last year...you'd of thought I had died and gone to Heaven.

The thing about Ina's recipes - THEY WORK.  You don't need 9000 ingredients or need to visit 700 grocery and specialty stores to find them.  Her direction is easy to understand, even for a novice like me.  Ina doesn't just make up a recipe and throw it into a book.  She tests her recipes over and over and over to make sure they WORK.  I love her.

Anyway.....

The Roommate LOVES soup.  He'd eat it seven days a week, in subzero temperatures, or when it's ridiculously hot.  He doesn't care.  So, in an effort to maintain marital harmony, I make soup for him.  This recipe is based on Ina Garten's "Easy Tomato Soup", however, as I can't leave well enough alone - I messed around with it and came up with this.  The Roommate inhaled two bowls and has plans for the rest.  Harmony in La Casa prevails.......

Creamy Tomato Soup with Pesto, Crab and Parmesan

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons good olive oil
3 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups chicken stock

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, but anything works

1 5.5 ounce can V8 vegetable juice
Large pinch of saffron threads
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup orzo
1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons prepared pesto

1/2 pound lump crab meat - fresh if you can swing it, canned will do 

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved, for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, V8 juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. (It will finish cooking in the soup.) Drain the orzo and add it to the soup. Stir in the cream, pesto and crab and heat thru, stirring frequently.

Serve hot, with parmigiano reggiano shavings on top.

Winter Will Never End? AKA: A Soup Recipe For You....

Jeebus, has this been the worst winter ever?

Probably not, but, for my friends in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia - it's really looking that way!

I mentioned this soup on FB a couple of days ago and a friend at The Day Job asked about it.  She had a horrendous day today, as some work days do.  This post is for her. 

Make this.  Eat this.  You are welcome.  XOXOXO

Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostini
    -Giada DeLaurentiis

Ingredients

Soup:
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crostini:
1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 cup (2 ounces) grated fontina cheese
Kosher salt

Directions

In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.

For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.

Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Sort of Review....of Old Town Inn - Germantown

Had the opportunity to try out the new Old Town Inn in Germantown last night.  Friends scored a dinner reservation for Inn's soft opening and were gracious enough to invite me and The Roommate along.  For those in the Germantown area, the Old Town Inn is the former Jerry's Old Town - a legendary restaurant known for their ribs.  Jerry sold it years ago, then the place wasn't what it used to be and it closed a couple of years ago. 

The Inn's remodeled space is beautiful.  Lots of hardwood and stone.  Great, roaring fireplace (very welcome on a cold night), open concept.  High ceiling.  Tables spaced well apart.  The only issues I had with the space was, because of the open space and virtually no soft surfaces - it was loud in the dining room and bar.  Seriously LOUD.  So loud it made it difficult to talk at the table....which involves raising your voice....which makes it louder...and, well, you get the picture.

The other space issue?  The ladies restroom.  I know, I know, but hear me out.  The ladies room was very clean, nicely decorated, well stocked, plenty o' stalls.  However, there was no heat in the bathroom.  None.  Zero.  Really.  It felt like I went outside to pee in a snowbank.  Bad move, Old Town.  Given that we here in Wisconsin are sick of this Polar Vortex and Mother Nature is being a real bitch - get some heat in the damn restroom!

Onto the food - keeping in mind, this was the place's soft opening.  First up, the pretzel knots = awesome.  So good, we ate them all, got some more and didn't touch the rye bread that was brought along with them.  For dinner,  I had the grilled chicken & goat cheese macaroni and a side of creamed spinach.  The macaroni was delicious - chicken well seasoned, yet not overly so, a bit dry, but not to the point of dehydration.  The goat cheese cream sauce was mild and flavored the macaroni well.  I split my spinach with a friend and tossed the rest into the macaroni dish.  Portion size was perfect - I even brought some home.  I'd order it again.  The Roommate ordered half a rack of famous ribs & sausage with a baked potato and spinach.  The only issue he had with his food was the portion size.   His half rack o' ribs = four ribs the size of his index finger for $25 bucks.  Our friends had the ribs and a fish fry.  My friend reported that her fish was OK, but, again - portion size.  Three small pieces of fish and the rest of the plate filled with mediocre french fries. If you're going to do a fish fry - make it memorable.  This IS Wisconsin, land of the fish fry all year round, not just during Lent.

Service was warm and friendly, both at the bar and the table.  Obviously, this being the first Friday, there were a few missteps in timing and such, but I give it a pass as they're still getting their rhythm.  A cocktail at the bar was served in a chipped glass, but after I pointed it out, the bartender graciously replaced the drink and, as expected, did not charge for the drink.  The bar has three large, flat screen TV's on the walls, which was perfect for watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics.

All things considered, I believe the new Old Town Inn will be a success once they get their feet under them and get the front of the house and kitchen in sync.  I'll give it a few months and revisit.  When it's warmer.  Or there's heat in the ladies room.