French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 large onions
• Olive oil
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups of beef stock
• 1/2 cup of dry vermouth or dry white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Toasted slices of French bread
• 1 1/2 cups grated Swiss Gruyere
• Parmesan Cheese

Method:

Peel onions and slice thinly.

In a large stock pot, saute the onions in the small amount of olive oil on medium high heat until well browned (not burned), about 30-40 minutes (longer if necessary). Add the sugar a few minutes into the process which will help with the carmelization.

Once onions are nicely browned, add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add stock, vermouth or wine, bay leaf and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, slice French bread in 1/2 to 1 inch thick slices. Place on cookie sheet until toasted. Flip and toast on the other side.

Assemble & Serve:

Use oven-proof or microwave safe individual bowls. Ladle the soup into the bowl. Cover with 1-3 slices toast .

Sprinkle with cheeses.

If using oven, preheat to 350 degrees and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese melts, bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!!!

Chocolate Pie

The Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

6 tbsp butter, melted

My favorite appliance for the graham cracker crust is my food processor.

Place the crackers in the processing bowl and with a few pulses of the blade, you have perfect crumbs.

Add sugar and pulse a couple more times to blend thoroughly.

With the processor running, slowly pour the melted butter in through the feeding tube.

Press the crumb mixture into a 9" pie pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes.

Cool completely.

The Chocolate Pudding Pie Filling

1 pkg. (5 oz) Cook and Serve Chocolate Pudding

1 egg

2 1/2 cups milk

Place egg in saucepan. Add milk.

Whisk this together thoroughly.

Add package of chocolate pudding and pie filling.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Be careful not to scorch your pudding.

When the pudding bubbles and thickens, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Spread into cooled crust.

The Whipped Topping

Prepare whipped cream or use a prepared whipped topping.

Add a dollop to each individual serving or

"frost" your entire pie.

This is perfect for summer, 

as you need to have the oven on for just a short time.

This, by the way, is my hubby's all time favorite dessert!

Bar-be-Que Ribs

(This photo is courtesy of About.com

All other photos were taken by me)

There is a small window of time in the Spring and early Summer when the weather is perfect for making BBQ Ribs.

It is cool enough to have your oven on...

and nice enough to be out on the patio, at the grill.

I like to keep summer cooking as easy as possible.

Use a good quality Rib Rub and sprinkle over your rack of pork ribs.

Cut up a medium size onion into eighths.

The bottom of my oven broiler pan was the perfect size.

Onions in first...

Next the rack of ribs with rib rub...

Pour chicken broth in around the edges to add about 1/4" of liquid in the pan. Seal tightly with foil.

This will keep your ribs nice and most.

Place on center rack of oven.

325 degrees for about 3 hours.

They will be nice and tender, so carefully lift them out of this pan 

to a baking sheet to take out to your patio.

Slather with your favorite BBQ sauce.

Ol' West BBQ Sauce is made in Mellette, SD...

right down the road from us!

Grill long enough just to brown the surface,

as they are already fully cooked, moist and tender.

Happy Weekend!

Weekend Hashbrowns

My Hubby has mastered the art of making Hashbrowns.

We often have them for brunch on the weekend.

HASH BROWNS

6 potatoes

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

optional:

Onion

Garlic

He prefers to use potatoes that are peeled...

He makes 2 or 3 per person (depending upon the size of the potatoes)

Part of his secret may be in this vintage electric frypan.

It was a wedding gift 31 years ago.

Coat the bottom of your pan with olive oil.

Layer the potatoes in the pan.

The other part of his secret is this little vent.

Cover the pan and keep the vent open to allow the steam to escape.

The prevents the hash browns from getting soggy.

When the undersides are browned,

divide into manageable sections to turn over.

Place the cover back on the pan and this time close the little vent.

Season with salt and pepper.

Happy Weekend!