Well, I probably shouldn't do this, but I've started another Blog. Like I don't already spend too much time at the MacBook. As some of you might have guessed, I like to cook and I love to eat. So I thought I'd share my recipes, humble as they may be and a look at "What's for Dinner at Our House." The plan is to be discovered by the Food Network for my cooking show, which hubby has titled: "Cranky Franky's in the Kitchen".
Am I ready for critics? Probably not. I know my instructions are not always clear or precise. Let me know if something doesn't make sense. Anyhow, if you're interested, check out "Dinner's Ready"
COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Vegetarian Onion Soup au Gratin



Start by listening to k.d. lang's rendition of Roy Orbison's "Crying" while peeling and slicing about 2 1/2 pounds of onions. (about 8 cups, sliced longitudinally). This makes 4 to 6 servings of onions soup au gratin, depending on the size of your soup bowls and how much bread in the bottom.

Saute the onions in two batches or use two skillets. Use 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil for each batch.  Saute over high heat for as long as it takes to caramelize the onions.  When they are a nice golden brown with a little bit of almost burnt color, combine all the onions in one skillet, add 1 1/2 cups of dry white wine and 2 teaspoons of salt and simmer for a few minutes.
Transfer the onions to a soup pot or large sauce pan and add about 4 cups of water. Let simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes to an hour, adding a little water to maintain about 6-7 cups of soup.
Meanwhile, grate some cheese or buy some pre-shredded - about 2 to 4 ounces of cheese per bowl. Sharp Cheddar, Muenster and Swiss make a great combination for this soup. Or try some Gouda, Asiago, Jarlsberg, or other cheese of choice.
Place a piece of crusty French or Italian bread on the bottoms of four oven-safe soup bowls. Ladle about a cup and a half of the soup in each bowl, distributing the onions and the broth evenly so no one gets cheated. Put a good heavy layer of cheeses on top and place the bowls on cookie sheets and into a 400 degree oven. Wait 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown on top.

Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes - they will be HOT and the cheese will burn your mouth if you are too impatient. But really, can anything with melted cheese be bad?
While the soup cools, listen to k.d. lang again, then holler: Dinner's Ready!
Serve with nice white wine like Pinot Grigio or Soave or an Apple Cider, hard or sweet. With a salad, it's a meal in itself.

3 comments:

Russ Manley said...

OMG this looks great. French onion soup is one of M.P.'s specialties, you guys should compare notes.

I'm going to tell him to add more cheese next time. Grin.

Davis said...

We make ours with vegetable broth instead of water. Try it sometime.

Frank said...

That sounds like a great option. Will do.