Red French Onion Soup

So French onion soup is another one of those dishes that can be very expensive but doesn't have to be.  It is always an elegant meal, and only moderately time consuming.  Whether you are pairing it with a grand main course, or it is the main course, just remember to have a little fun with it too!

Ingredients:

1 red onion

1 white onion

1 can beef consume

1/4lb soft white cheese (mozzarella will work fine)

6 slices white bread (preferably a french loaf)

seasoning (see directions)

Serves: 2 for dinner

Time: 1 hour

Directions:

1) Start with a little olive oil or butter in your pan, to help the sliced onions brown.  This always take more time than you think-- And being French Onion soup, is really important. Feel free to season as you like as well.  Black pepper and a little salt are always good places to start! Garlic and a splash of wine are classics too.

2) While you are turning the onions over until they are soft and well seasoned you can prepare the bread and cheese.  The cheese needs to be in large slices, as with the bread.  If you have a true French loaf, cut the bread at an angle so make the slices seem larger.  I used Italian sliced bread because it was on sale, but any soft white bread will work well enough.  Just make sure you cut off the crust!

3) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

4) Add one can of beef consume and 2 cans of water to the cooked onions.  You can also preheat the consume mixture in a sauce pan to safe time.

5) Once everything is hot, included the oven, start to layer the bowls with your soup. First add some of the onions and consume to the bottom of the bowl.  Then add a piece of the bread.  Then cover in cheese slice(s).  repeat until the bowl if full.  About three slices makes for a filling and beautiful dinner!

6) After you have finished layering the soups, place on a baking sheet and then into the oven!  back for 15 to 20 minutes.  Serve hot!

Note: Onions are not traditionally on top of the bread.  I just think it's a pretty finish :)

Cost:

onion                   $0.75

beef consume      $1.20

cheese                 $1.70

bread                   $0.60

butter                   $0.10      

Total                   $4.35

Per serving         $2.17

Comfort Food For the weekdays: Itlain Sausage in Angle Hair Pasta

Pasta is one of those dishes that can be quick and pretty good, or slow and Mama Mia good.   I offer a weeknight compromise: Quick pasta, slow rest-of-the-ingredients, and dinner is served on time!

Ingredients:

1lb Italian sausage
1 red onion
4tbs olive oil
1 jar red sauce
2tbs basil
1tbs oregano
1tsp black pepper
1/2 package angle hair pasta

Serves: 4+

Time: 35min

Directions:

1) Start boiling the water.  You will need about 4 cups.  Feel free to add a little salt and olive oil as well, as discussed in prior posts :)

2)Add the olive oil to the pan and turn onto medium heat.  Give extra time to warm up if using an electric oven.

3) Add all the sausage, pre-chopped or separated in the pan.  I prefer to separate in the pan, personally.  Also add your sliced onions at this time.

4) If you choose to use all the spices listed, add them now, so they have time to soften and mellow.  If you are using less spices than listed above, you may want to add them later on so they will taste more potent. Yes, spices are always optional.  Well... usually.

5) While you are cooking the meat thoroughly, and keeping a close eye on it, add the pasta to the boiling water.

6) Add most of the the jar of red sauce to the pan.*

*The reason for "most of the jar" is you may want to save a little out for making pizza!  Its super easy to do with pasta left overs.  Just save a little of the sliced onion, and a little of the meat too-- all in separate baggies of course.  We will come back to this at a later post ;)

7) Angle hair pasta cooks quickly, making it both elegant and time efficient.  After about 5 to 7 minutes, you should be prepared to drain the pasta and add it directly to the pan of yummy stuff.

8) Mix everything well and serve hot!

Cost:

Italian sausage    $3.56
red onion            $0.50
olive oil              $0.20
red sauce            $2.00
spices                 $0.35
pasta                   $0.50      
Total                  $7.11
Per serving         $1.77

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

The wonder of the fall is upon us, and with it the warm fuzzy feelings that come with the holiday season.  One of my favorite for these family times is butternut squash soup!  I hope it keeps you as warm as has kept my family :)

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash

1 large red onion

2 large bake potatoes

2 small apples

16 oz concentrated chicken stock

1tbs cinnamon

1tsp paprika

1tsp nutmeg

1tbs black pepper

1tbs basil

1tsp thyme

1/2c butter

Serves: 8+

Time:

To prepare         20min

To cook             4 hr on high, or 6 hr on low

Total                 1 day

Directions:

1) Peel the uncooked butternut squash and potatoes.  You will also need to slice the squash down the middle so that you can scoop the seeds out.

2) Chop all ingredients into large chunks and fit into the crock pot.  Play tetris with the food if need be!

3) Add the chicken stock and 8 oz of water over the top.  Now you can add your spices as well right to the top!!

4) Start the crock pot on low-- Then move to high as you need to for timing.  

5) Puree the cooked and hot ingredients.  You can do this literally in a blender-- works great!-- or with a hand held blender, such as Cuisinart's 2 speeder.

6) Spoon the soup into a bowl.  The soup should be pretty thick-- So think that you can draw a swirl in it with the back of a spoon.

7) Melt, SLOWLY, the 1/2c of butter in the microwave.  It's best to do this in many intervals of short time. So 10-15 seconds a go.

8) Give the butter a minute to settle before straining through a cheese cloth-- or paper towel.  The paper towel honestly doesn't work as well, but I for one do not have cheese clothes on hand. 

9) Congrats-- You have just made clarified butter!  Now spoon it into the soup swirl and serve warm.

Cost:

butternut squash       $2.00
red onion                  $0.50
bake potatoes           $1.00
apples                       $0.50
chicken stock           $1.20
spices                       $0.60
butter                        $0.50      
Total                        $6.30
Per serving               $0.78

Marbled Quiche with Potato Crust

Although the name "cobalt" may make you think of blue, this quiche is pretty much all the warm colors that warm colors could be ;)  Quick, easy, cheap, and transports well-- Quiche is another one of those meals for the weeknight that make you feel like you are living in style while on a budget!  It then transports well to work the next day for lunch as well :)

Ingredients:
filling
12 eggs
2c marbled cheese chopped
1/2c broccoli, fresh or frozen
2c celery, chopped
crust
1/2c potato flakes
1/2c flour
1/5c water
1tbs oil

Time: 
                    12 min to prepare
                    45 min to cook        
Total            about an hour

Serves: 8+ servings


Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Combine all the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl, and mix until all the ingredients are well coated with the broken eggs.

3) Mix the crust in another bowl, (or right in the mixing cup as pictured to the left and right)! You can easily mix the crust with a fork.

4) With your fingers, coat the bottom of all the future quiche pans with a thin layer for the crust mixture.  Take you time- There is no baking soda in this recipe!  If you run out of crust, you can make more.   You do want the bottom covered, or serving could be difficult.

5) Add the filling mixture to the dishes and pop in the oven! I like to keep the cheese chunky, because as it cooks the cheese will darken first, giving the finished result of a marbled look-- To go with the cheese!

6) Bake for 45 min, or until above mentioned marbled look is achieved.  Serve hot or chilled!

Cost:
eggs                $3.00
cobalt cheese  $2.00
broccoli           $0.50
celery              $0.50
potato flakes  $0.50
flour               $0.50
oil                   $0.10   
Total              $5.10
Per serving     $0.63

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Sunflower Seeds!

Banana bread is always a classic, as a snack, desert, or breakfast!  However, this recipe has been update for the more health conscious.  Also- This recipe makes two to there loafs, as banana bread freezes fantastically well! I hope you enjoy this easy and tasty recipe :)

Ingredients:

3 very ripe bananas

1/3c melted butter

1c of white sugar 

(can easily use 3/4 cup, or drop it down to 1/2 cup if you want it less sweet)

2 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour

1c unsalted sunflower seeds, shelled

Time:

Make the dough   7min

Bake                  45-60 min

Total                 About an hour

Serves: Varies

Although I did make this recipe in a mixer, that is far from necessary with this recipe. However, if you do not have an electric mixer of some kind, hand held or otherwise, then you would want to pre mash, shift and melt ingredients.

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F 

2) In a mixing bowl, add the ingredients, except the baking soda and the sunflower seeds.  You actually don't need to pre melt the butter, or smash the bananas, but you are welcome to.

3) Grease the baking dish.  I prefer more smaller loafs, but it is your personal preference. mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.

4) Carefully add the baking soda to the mix, covering as much of the surface as possible with the baking soda. Mix into the dough.

5) Add about 3/4c of the shelled and unsalted sunflower seeds to the mix, and mix in as well.  Keep a 1/8c of sunflower seeds to the side to decorate the loafs. 

6) Fill baking dish 1/2 to 2/4 full of the dough and back for 45 min to an hour. Add the sunflower seeds to the top of the loafs-- Just for fun!

7)  Remove from the oven when the loaf is firm and a slightly darker brown, and let rest on it's side.  This will help with the removing of the bread later.

8) Once cool- remove the loafs.  Serve as is or warmed up!  Wrap whatever is left in aluminum foil before freezing.  I hope you enjoy!

Cost:
bananas              $0.60
flour&sugar         $1.00
butter                  $0.30
eggs                    $0.30
sunflower seeds  $0.70
baking soda        $0.10
vanilla                  $0.10
salt                      $0.01       
Total:                  $3.11
Makes three small loafs :)