Archive for September, 2007
I whipped up this fresh salad for myself yesterday at noon. Not normally a tomato eater, I was hungry for a salad but was without greens for it. I was surprised to really enjoy this dish!
Fresh Tomato Salad
serves 1
1/4 c. red onion, diced
1/4 c. red pepper, diced
1 T. olive oil
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, cut into chunks
6 green olives, sliced
Italian dressing
salt
I’ve been buying mozzarella in chunk form at Wal-Mart. This is softer and milder-tasting than shredded mozzarella, more like fresh. It’s not ideal for pizza, but it’s great for salads.
Saute the onion and pepper in olive oil until soft. If you like, you can leave them fresh and skip this step. Personally, I don’t like fresh onion very well - it’s often too hot for my tastes.
Next, toss together the cooked onion and pepper with the tomato, mozzarella, olives, dressing, and a sprinkle of salt. That’s it, folks. After that, it is ready-to-eat.
I ate this with a few crackers to kick-start a weight-loss diet. I think it would be great on Melba Toast. However, this would be really good on bruschetta, too, if you want to go to the extra effort.
September 18th, 2007
This is a soup that I often forget about until I see it on a restaurant menu. One my mother never made and I didn’t know even existed until well into my adulthood.
Made with hearty-tasting beef broth and loads of sweet onions, this soup is a delight to serve. Pour it over crusty French Bread and top with cheese — you have yourself a tasty light meal or an appetizing pre-dinner soup.
I didn’t have a recipe for French Onion soup, I meant to search for one and then got in a rush and just threw it together. Now I’m glad I did because it turned out exactly the way I imagined it. It was rich-tasting, full of onions, with a hint of Worcestershire sauce.
(For the wrinkly noses in our family, I also made Creamy Tomato Soup and served it with Grilled Cheese sandwiches.) One of my children said, “It smells really good, Mom, but it looks like the onions are really slimy.” Indeed, the onions were really slimy and if that turns your kids off, I say don’t bother fighting with them. Give them the Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup or whatever.
So here we have it, French Onion Soup, enough for 6 servings.
French Onion Soup
2 large yellow onions - Vidalia or other sweet onions if possible
4 - 6 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
3 cans beef broth
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
French Bread
butter
cheese - Swiss or Provolone
First off, you have to slice the onions. Traditionally, they should be sliced thin and kept in rings. For ease of eating, I sliced thin and then cut the rings into quarters. In a large stock pot, place 4 Tablespoons of butter and the onions. Place over medium heat and cook.
And cook.
And cook. They should turn soft and you may have to add more butter so they don’t stick and burn. When they begin to turn golden brown, you can lower the heat.
Open the cans of beef broth and have them ready. Add the flour to your buttery onions and stir. They will become pasty and thick, this is when you add a little broth. Keep adding broth, a little at a time, and stirring well with each addition.
Finally, add the seasonings - Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. When this is done, turn the heat down as low as it will go.
Prepare the bread - Slice a loaf of French Bread and lightly butter each side of every slice. Place in the oven at 350 and toast. You can top the bread with cheese and toast until melted, or you can leave the toast as-is.
Finally, to serve this soup properly, place a piece of toast in your bowl, pour the soup over it, and top with shredded cheese (unless you decided to put cheese on the bread.)
Bon Appetit!
September 13th, 2007
This is my husband’s favorite way to have a hamburger. It may not be much of a recipe, but I feel the need to share it with you…
First, you must start with a Fire-Grilled Hamburger. The last time we have fried-in-the-skillet burgers it was because I ran out of propane in the middle of the grilling process. We didn’t eat many of the fried hamburgers. When compared to grilled burgers, they suck.
When your Grilled Burgers are done or nearly so, place a slice of cheese on top. For us, this can be one of several kinds of cheese - Colby Jack, Mozzarella, Provolone, Cheddar, even Velveeta. Leave the burgers on the fire until the cheese melts.
The next important part is the bun - my husband believes it must be toasted for maximum pleasure. He simply puts it in the toaster.
Now for the toppings… Bacon, if available, is a must. A slice of sweet onion is also of great value. But his very favorite burger topping is Cole Slaw. I have always considered Cole Slaw to be a very good side dish for Grilled Burgers and other grilled food, but Pat likes to put it directly onto the burger. When this is all assembled, I always question his ability to get it into his mouth, but he manages without fail. 
Never be afraid to create something new in your kitchen or on your plate. And, as always, Enjoy!
September 10th, 2007
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