By Request...My Savory French Onion Soup

By Request…My savory French Onion Soup

Every day ,For the last two months ,my friend Toni has been eating French Onion Soup.(no joke…EVERYDAY)I thought it would pass but alas it continues still! And we calculated that she has spent over $200.00 on Soup in November and December. (Which is absolutely ridiculous) Obviously I have mentioned quite a few times that it would be super easy and considerably less expensive to just make it herself and she has pretty much brushed me off..UNTIL NOW! After all the money she has spent on Christmas eating out everyday is no longer an option. So she has put in a request for the recipe that I am going to share with you today.

French onion soup is extremely easy to make and the cost is minimal. But just because it is easy as far as a skill level, there is an art to it.. The trick to a good French Onion Soup is to layer the flavors. Traditionally you would use a red or white wine. I Like to use beer in place of the wine and of course brandy. It is important to use a good beef stock as well. If you use the cubes or granule packets it can turn the soup into a one note salt lick! Most of the ingredients you probably already have in your house. As far as the booze if you don’t usually have beer or brandy on hand you can purchase a single beer and a nip of brandy and this will cut the cost big time. Steve’s Market and liquor store makes running out for these ingredients super convenient. They sell single beers and have a pretty extensive “nip” selection. Any time I have a recipe that calls for a spirit I don’t typically have on hand I will just grab a nip or a single bottle of beer etc. instead of purchasing the full bottle that I will never drink. Steve’s market also has a great deli and the prices are phenomenal. Considering that French onion soup is really just an excuse to eat a big glop of cheese it is key to go somewhere where the prices are reasonable. If you have a slow cooker I would recommend making a big batch of the soup and then letting it slow cook on low all day. The longer it sits the better the flavors develop. Bon Appetite!

4 cups onions (mix it up grab different variety’s of white and yellow onions)

4 cans of beef stock

4 table spoons Butter

1 tsp sugar

Bay leaf and a pinch of thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of  beer(keep it light)

1nip of brandy

8 slices of toasted French bread

8 Slices of Swiss Gruyere cheese

In a large non stick pot melt butter and add the onions. Sautee for about 20 minutes on med high heat stirring often. Add the sugar salt and pepper stir another minute add the stock and brandy bay leaf and beer. Bring to a boil then turn heat to low and simmer for another 20 minutes. Ladle soup into crocks . Put one toasted piece of French bread and then cover with the cheese and place in the oven under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes until the cheese melts and .

Pollo Con Ricotta Di Basil

 

 

    

 

      

 

Ughhhhhhhh…I feel gross!! Between Thanksgiving and a High School reunion I have been pigging out all weekend. This week I have something very special for you ; Pollo con Ricotta di Basil( chicken stuffed with a basil ricotta). It’s a very simple ,fragrant, light Italian dish that will cost you all of $10.00 to make and serves 4!! These cheese stuffed pockets of love are baked in the oven and then served over some lightly fried eggplant and topped with a tangy tomato balsamic salad .( If you are not feeling the eggplant go with a fresh salad and use the tomato salad as your dressing… or if you need a meal with a bit more of a substance you can always serve with some simple bow tie pasta tossed with some olive oil and left over basil..)

This is a dish I have served many times when I have my friends over for dinner…the prep time is nothing!!!Also, they can be made a day in advance!! So you can have them ready to cook the night before and ready to throw in the oven just as the guests arrive! I would recommend going to market basket for this dish… The basil , which can run you 2-3 dollars for a bunch can be bought for a mere 99cents as well as the ricotta and eggplant both for 1-2 bucks! That can cut your costs down significantly. I would pretty much recommend market basket for any ethnic recipe that requires ingredients you may not have on hand. You can go into the Goya section and buy spice packets for under a dollar and that’s better than 4-5 dollars for some spices you may use once or twice this year!!

Ingredients:

4 chicken cutlets

1 egg plant (sliced into 8-12 slices)

1 small container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 bunch basil

4 eggs (one for ricotta/3 for eggplant)

1 tsp garlic

2 cups dried bread crumbs Italian style

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

PREP(can be done the night before)

1-In a food processor mix together egg, basil, garlic and ricotta cheese. Spoon about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on each chicken piece. Fold in long sides of chicken piece, then roll up from short end. Place chicken rolls, seam side down into a baking dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.

2-Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in crumbs, and place in hot oil. Fry 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Place on plate and wrap tightly until needed)

3-Dice 1 large tomato place in bowl with sea salt and ground pepper to taste, and ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp olive oil. Cover and chill overnight.

 

Before serving, bake, covered, in a 375 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until no longer pink… Plate 2-3 egg plant slices on each plate then top with hot chicken rolls and top with tomato salad.

Party Pumpkin Custards With Spiked Whipped Cream and Belgian Almond Crisps

 

 

 

It is no coincidence that the majority of my dessert recipes tend to be flourless,custards,mouses and pies. There is a reason for that… while I am known for being a creative talented chef. I cannot bake to save my life. It’s too much with the measuring and the separating. It’s just too time consuming and there’s little room for creativity. The chemistry I think is too restricting so I have subconsciously and consciously made the decision that I just can’t do it. ( But I really just can’t be bothered).

So this weekend between Turkey day and my high School  Reunion my home will be inundated with guests. I have over 12 invitations to various parties etc and several have requested that people just bring a dessert and while I believe that booze is the best dessert I will concede and bring a sweet yummy!…

For my dessert I wanted to do something that has the fall feeling but looks fresh and wont completely steer me off course with my eternal diet…

About two weeks ago my friend Michael turned me onto Belgian Butter cookies. They are like Shortbread’s skinnier less fat cousin! And I was playing around with making some type of a small dessert that I could use that cookie as a base for…along the lines of an amuse bouche but slightly bigger.   Well I went back to buy more inspiration(because I had polished off an entire box) and they were sold out of the regular Belgian butter cookiesL, But they did have an almond version! One bite on this salty savory sweet almond confection and I immediately saw a pumpkin custard with a cinnamon whipped cream topped off with one of these delicious crisps. So off to the market I went to get the rest of the ingredients to try the idea out. I ran down to Crosby’s Market in Salem. And for less than $6.00 I bought one box of the almond cookies one can of pumpkin , whipping cream and fat free condensed sweet milk! This recipe  literally takes three minutes to whip together and then just bakes for 30 min. It serves 12 people!*less than 50 cents a person! (if you have the other ingredients on hand) and you can make it up to a week in advance (just freeze if you are going to pre make and thaw 1 hour before serving)I used a silicon heart shaped muffin baker A great trick is to cool in freezer for at least 1 hour and then the custards pop right out and retain their shape. Make the whipped cream just before serving…and then top with the almond butter cookie.

Ingredients Custard:

4 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tbsp pumpkin spice
1 small can fat free sweet condensed milk

1 box Belgian Almond Butter Crisps.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream:

Heavy whipping cream tsp. Vanilla and cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees .Set aside the cookies and chill the cream. Lightly butter (or use non-fat vegetable spray) a muffin tin that makes 12 muffins.. In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add sugar, pumpkin, salt, pumpkin spice and beat until Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set around the edges but still loose in the center. back regularly. When the center of the custard is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken, that's when you can remove it Remove from oven cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to a week. Just before serving whip the heavy cream and vanilla and plate the custards top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon and top with an almond crisp.

 

 

It is no coincidence that the majority of my dessert recipes tend to be flourless,custards,mouses and pies. There is a reason for that… while I am known for being a creative talented chef. I cannot bake to save my life. It’s too much with the measuring and the separating. It’s just too time consuming and there’s little room for creativity. The chemistry I think is too restricting so I have subconsciously and consciously made the decision that I just can’t do it. ( But I really just can’t be bothered).

So this weekend between Turkey day and my high School  Reunion my home will be inundated with guests. I have over 12 invitations to various parties etc and several have requested that people just bring a dessert and while I believe that booze is the best dessert I will concede and bring a sweet yummy!…

For my dessert I wanted to do something that has the fall feeling but looks fresh and wont completely steer me off course with my eternal diet…

About two weeks ago my friend Michael turned me onto Belgian Butter cookies. They are like Shortbread’s skinnier less fat cousin! And I was playing around with making some type of a small dessert that I could use that cookie as a base for…along the lines of an amuse bouche but slightly bigger.   Well I went back to buy more inspiration(because I had polished off an entire box) and they were sold out of the regular Belgian butter cookiesL, But they did have an almond version! One bite on this salty savory sweet almond confection and I immediately saw a pumpkin custard with a cinnamon whipped cream topped off with one of these delicious crisps. So off to the market I went to get the rest of the ingredients to try the idea out. I ran down to Crosby’s Market in Salem. And for less than $6.00 I bought one box of the almond cookies one can of pumpkin , whipping cream and fat free condensed sweet milk! This recipe  literally takes three minutes to whip together and then just bakes for 30 min. It serves 12 people!*less than 50 cents a person! (if you have the other ingredients on hand) and you can make it up to a week in advance (just freeze if you are going to pre make and thaw 1 hour before serving)I used a silicon heart shaped muffin baker A great trick is to cool in freezer for at least 1 hour and then the custards pop right out and retain their shape. Make the whipped cream just before serving…and then top with the almond butter cookie.

Ingredients Custard:

4 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tbsp pumpkin spice
1 small can fat free sweet condensed milk

1 box Belgian Almond Butter Crisps.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream:

Heavy whipping cream tsp. Vanilla and cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees .Set aside the cookies and chill the cream. Lightly butter (or use non-fat vegetable spray) a muffin tin that makes 12 muffins.. In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly; add sugar, pumpkin, salt, pumpkin spice and beat until Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until set around the edges but still loose in the center. back regularly. When the center of the custard is just set, it will jiggle a little when shaken, that's when you can remove it Remove from oven cool on wire rack until room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to a week. Just before serving whip the heavy cream and vanilla and plate the custards top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon and top with an almond crisp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DON'T MESS WITH MY TURKEY!

I’m standing in line at the grocery store and I’m looking at all the magazines advertising “fresh , new, exotic” ways to do Thanksgiving dinner. And while they all look absolutely amazing and mouth watering ,the only thing running through my mind is “ Do these people have families? Seriously…what would Nana do if instead of her Traditional Turkey and stuffing with Bells Seasoning (a family tradition for like 100 years that she carefully passed on to you and your mother) you presented her with a spread of  Orange Salted Pineapple Roast Turkey with a Wild Mushroom Spinach and Oyster Stuffing and Curried Sweet Potato casserole?” She would immediately call the family attorney and have you written out of the will!( *Unless you’re looking to get out from having Thanksgiving at your house FOREVER then go right on ahead and mess with tradition! J )Thanksgiving is the one time of year to eat Turkey and lots of it!…In the over 50 people I polled and asked 48 all said “don’t not mess with it! “ So if you want to try out a new turkey recipe ..try it in February when you have nothing better to do and you are not in danger of crushing month long dreams and cravings for Nanas turkey stuffing and mashed potatoes! PLAIN just the way we like it!

So today I offer you not another Turkey dish that you will NOT make on Thanksgiving but a little gourmet treasure to have around the house this weekend after the left overs have been riffled through and picked at until there is that one  piece of dried out turkey sitting alone on the huge platter in the middle of the fridge half wrapped in saran wrap because someone couldn’t be bothered to take the time to properly wrap it ….the final sign that turkey and Thanksgiving dinner and all it’s glory has run it’s course! (lol)

This weeks recipe couldn’t be further from turkey dinner!! This is my version of a Croque Tartiflette (basically a French ham potato and cheese sandwich). Perfect for the cold damp weather. Totally inexpensive and utterly mouth watering! I tweaked the Béchamel sauce just a bit and added some white wine cayenne pepper nutmeg bay leafs and rosemary ham for a more layered flavor. The ingredients are super inexpensive they should run you $10 for everything and this serves 4!!The final result is your new week before Thanksgiving tradition! If you are looking for a phenomenal brunch idea make my Croque Tartiflette and serve topped with a poached egg!J

Thanksgiving Week Croque Tartifillet

Prep : 15 min Cook: 10 min Total: 25 min

Ingredients:

·         2 tablespoons mustard (spicy dijon)

·         8 tablespoons Béchamel sauce(see below)

·         8 slices sandwich bread

·         4 ounces Deli sliced Rosemary ham

·         8 thin slices cooked red-skinned potatoes (about 2 potatos)

·         8 slices swiss cheese

·         4 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat the broiler to the lowest heat setting. Prepare the Béchamel Sauce and set aside. On a cookie sheet divide and spread the mustard on 4 slices of bread. Place a few slices of ham, followed by 2 slices of potatoes, 2 slices cheese, and 1 tablespoon of Béchamel on the mustard-side of the bread. Cover the cheese with the remaining slices of bread and spread the butter on the outside surfaces of the sandwiches.
Place the sandwiches under the broiler for about 5 minutes, turn them over, and continue cooking until they are crispy and golden brown, about 5 additional minutes. Spread the top of the sandwich with 1 tablespoon Béchamel and serve while hot.
This recipe makes 4 sandwiches.

               *(Jade’s Béchamel Sauce)

Over low heat  in a sauce pan melt 5 tbsp. butter .Stir in 2 tbsp. flour till thick. Add 1 tbsp. finely diced shallots, a bay leaf, 1/8 tsp. cayenne, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg, ½ cup white wine and 1 cup cream and stir. Continue to stir until sauce thickens then remove from heat.

 

 

 

 

 

Scary Good Halloween Sausage Ricotta And Pumpkin Pasta!

  Anyone who knows me is well aware of my almost certifiable addiction to anything pumpkin. This is my most favorite time of year.... So much so, that I sing "It's the most wonderful time of the year" as soon as I leave my house and the cool crisp Autumn air hits me and the trees shimmy in the wind blowing my skirt up and amber and scarlet leaves into my perfectly quaffed hair.
I am the first person in line at Brooksby Farms when and they release the pressed cider and don't even make it to my car before I am devouring the delicious apple cider doughnuts!!!
So who doesn't love a good pumpkin ravioli?...but who seriously has time to make them from scratch? Certainly not this busy gal!...So here is my solution...one of my all time favorite fall recipes "Sausage Ricotta and Pumpkin Pasta" Its  yummy, inexpensive  and so easy to make. this is definitely something that celebrates the fall and is ideal to serve company this Halloween weekend before the Trick or Treating festivities begin! I recommend Roasting the Pumpkin the night before and then pureeing when cooled off. And I like to take the seeds toss them with a little butter brown sugar Worcestershire sauce and cayenne for a sweet and spicy treat to serve my guests as they arrive along with some mulled wine or cider!
1 cup roasted pureed pumpkin*
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup hard apple cider
1 condensed chicken stock
garlic(1 tsp diced)
1tsp shallots
1bay leaf
1 tsp sage
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
2 tbsp Butter
1 pound Pasta cooked
1lb sweet Italian sausage pulled out of the casings

Over medium heat brown the sausage add onions garlic and butter cook 3 minutes. Add the cider,sage, bay leaf and condensed chicken stock. Bring to a boil add the pumpkin reduce heat by 50% and stir.Add heavy cream and simmer 5minutes.Add the cheese. Stir well. Toss with cooked pasta.Top with fresh basil.

"Caccaitore" Me Im falling!(Autum Chicken caccaitore with veggie ribbons)

As you know I recently had strep and for two weeks now I have been living on a diet of Wendy's frostys and ice cream because I was unable to swallow anything else...while delicious and soothing I also gained 7pounds! 
I am feeling 10x better and now of course all I am craving are veggies and fruits! This week I'm working some pretty long hours so I wanted to make my "Slow -Cooker Chicken Catcciatore". It's easy fresh, full of flavour and will definitely aid in some much needed quick weight loss! I really wanted to showcase and take advantage of the beautiful Autumn veggies that are readily available at any grocery store..or even better most farmers market. this dish feeds like 6 people and will cost you under 10 bucks!
I will be serving it over my ribbons of Zucchini and Summer squash. The trick to the ribbons is poaching them in chicken broth rather than regular water. It helps mellow out the flavor and really can be a surprising replacement for pasta.
 This best part about this dish is you literally throw everything in the slow cooker before you leave for work and when you get home its done. Italian food is best when its been slow cooked. You really allow the flavours to marry and the meat to become tender and just fall apart. Then when you get home it's simply a matter of poaching the ribbons and serving!
 The best approach to this dish is prep everything the night before and then just throw everything in and your off to work! Enjoy!
Slow cooker Chicken Caccaitore
2 lbs boneless chicken breast
15 oz diced ground peeled tomato's
2 Orange peppers sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 onion finely diced
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp olive oil;
1tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh cracked peppers
1 tsp finely diced garlic
Put all ingredients into slow cooker set to low cover and cook 8 hours. Serve:)
Veggie Ribbons
1 large zucchini
1 large yellow summer squash
1 packet knorr chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
With a potato peeler peel ribbons of zucchini and squash. In Large saute pan bring to boil wine and chicken stock add the ribbons and cover . Stir and cook 3 minutes until tender. Then cover and set aside.

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....Im so sick :(

Soooo..........here I am another year older. Work is crazier than ever and I get nailed with strep throat. And thanks to the advice of the nurse at the hospital I decided to enjoy some dry toast to take with my antibiotic so to not upset my stomach.
Well, that same toast , while delicious, also caused me to break a tooth. One root canal later I am on soft foods. And the one saving grace is my mothers chicken soup. If any of you are feeling the pain of the strep or the virus thats going around and cherish your teeth I would recommend making a big pot of chicken soup and take that sinister dry toast and dip in the broth and call it day.
Sorry this isnt the most creative or gourmet recipe...but if you would understand if you saw the condition I am in. Get well!

1 split chicken breast (skin and bones)
1 can college inn chicken broth
2 celery stalks coarsely chopped
1 onion  diced
1 carrot chopped
1 bay leaf
1 package egg noodle
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground pepper
8 cups water
Sautee onions  in the olive oil with garlic salt and pepper...3 minutes add water bay leaf and chicken and boil for an hour. Strain broth into a pot. Remove the meat off the bones and add back into strained broth. Add another 2 cups of water bring to boil add egg noodles carrots and celery until noodles are soft and serve. Then go back to bed :)