Showing posts with label french. Show all posts
Showing posts with label french. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Cheeseburger and French Fries Need I Say More
I guess there really is not much I need to explain...this picture speaks for itself. I really do love a cheeseburger and while, clearly, this is not a dinner one should indulge in more than occassionally, on that occassion you may as well do it right!
This time, I used ground sirloin. I used to be fond of ground beef with a higher fat content, but I found them too greasy and I really like the flavor of sirloin. I made a 1/4 pound patty and, in order to avoid the hockey puck effect (when it shrinks up and domes in the center), it is helpful to form the patties into a flatter disc shape that is a bit thinner in the center. Another good tip is to keep the edges nice and thick and not tapper them off. Think pizza crust, not pie crust. I do not add anything to ground beef except for salt and pepper on the outside of the patty. Grilling was out of the question...it around zero and snowing last night....so I heated a large sautee pan over medium high heat. Add the burgers and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. During the last minute or so of cooking add the cheese to the top of your burger while it is still in the pan so the heat will allow the cheese to melt down over the sides. Make sure to toast the bun in the oven for a few minutes, first. Add your favorite toppings. I opted for traditional fast food type toppings including ketchup, yellow musted, diced sweet onion and a spoonful of dill relish. Top with the cheesy burger patty and finish it off with the to of the bun.
The fries were frozen Ore Ida shoe string fries. I find that frozen fries are a delicious home cook alternative to restaurant fries if you follow a few tips. Heat your oven based on the thickness of the fry, a hotter oven for thicker steak fries (around 425 - 450 degrees) and a cooler oven for thinner fast food type fries (400 degrees). Lay your fries out on baking sheet and coat with just a little bit of canola oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. Cook for about half the total cooking time in the lower half of the oven. Then remove the tray of fries, toss them around to ensure even browning and allow them to finish cooking in the upper part of the oven. The technique will allow the fries to cook through without burning on the edges and then crisp up for the final few moments. Top with another sprinkling of salt and serve hot!
Please share you tips and ideas...I would love to hear then. I hope to inspire those of you who dont know what to have for dinner to fix something easy and delicious for you and your family!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
American French Onion Soup – Easy Just Got Easier
Instead of going “French” on the onions, and cutting thin slices, we’re doing more of an extra large dice. I like the flavor and texture this cut provides, and there’s no danger of being chin-slapped by a long, steaming strand of onion.
To make the caramelizing step a bit easier, we’re going to use the oven. You can just toss the onions in, stir it once in a while, and wait for them to brown. You don’t have to stand there and watch as closely as you would on the stovetop, and since the oven is blasting the pan with heat from all sides, you get a nice even color.
The last Americanization is a departure from the classic gruyere cheese. My love for gruyere is borderline inappropriate, but keeping with the theme, I decided to go with a 50/50 blend of extra-sharp New York cheddar and mild Monterey Jack. It was wonderful, and a nice change of pace.
Regarding the ominous vinegar warning in the video – I think a little touch of sherry vinegar really balances the flavors perfectly, but like salt, everyone’s palate is different. So, if you haven’t used it before, it may be a better to just add the vinegar, to taste, to the finished soup. Drip a little in, taste, and adjust.
Anyway, spring weather means plenty of cool, rainy days, and what better way to enjoy those than with a nice bowl of onion soup? Whether American, French, or some other yet-to-be-discovered cultural variation, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 2 1/2 quarts of soup:
6 large yellow onions, cut in large dice
6 large yellow onions, cut in large dice
1/2 stick unsalted butter salt and pepper to taste
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 or 2 tsps sherry vinegar, or to taste
3 tbsps dry sherry wine (do NOT use “cooking wine”)
4 cups high-quality beef broth
4 cups high-quality chicken broth
buttered croutons
shredded extra-sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese (you’ll need about 1/3 cup per bowl)
View the complete recipe
View the complete recipe
Saturday, March 15, 2014
SILKY FRENCH ONION SOUP
Prep: 5 Mins. | Cook: 45 Mins.
Posted: by Sandra at: http:///
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons light olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 spanish onions, julienned
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
kosher salt and ground pepper
½ cup quality red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup (Heinz recommended)
¼ teaspoon sriracha sauce (hot sauce)
1 baguette, sliced
1 cup mozzarella, grated
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
DIRECTIONS
Melt the olive oil and butter in a dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and salt and ground pepper, and reduce the heat to low and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes.
Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are nearly dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Dust the onions with the flour, and stir to evenly incorporate. So the flour does not burn, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Add the beef broth, worcestershire sauce, sriracha sauce, and ketchup; bring the soup back to boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low to simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasonings, adding additional kosher salt and ground pepper, if desired.
Preheat the broiler.
Meanwhile, place the bread slices on a foil-lined baking sheet, and broil until lightly browned and crispy, for about 2 to 3 minutes, and set aside.
Once soup is done, ladle into four ovenproof bowls and top each with 2 slices of bread, sprinkle equally with mozzarella, and then parmesan cheese. Place the bowls onto a baking sheet, and then under the broiler to melt the cheese until bubbly and golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with remaining bread slices. – Enjoy!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
French Dip Sandwiches
French Dip Sandwiches
1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns (or more...6 would be VERY generous servings!)
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.
When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. Youre not cooking the meat, youre just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.
Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.
Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. Its hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know its done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When meat is ready, shred with a fork.
Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for
a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty.
Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!
1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns (or more...6 would be VERY generous servings!)
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.
When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. Youre not cooking the meat, youre just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.
Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.
Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. Its hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know its done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When meat is ready, shred with a fork.
Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for
a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty.
Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!
Optional: Saute some mushrooms and onions for some extra yumminess
we got this recipe from our best bites. its one of our favorites
Were Courtney and Hillary from The beauty Mark. Come check us out for a nice little giveaway going on right now
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Viewer Submission French Vanilla Banana Caramel Crepegasm
A viewer named Aga was inspired by the crepe video, and made this very delicious looking crepe dessert. Unfortunately, Aga didn’t tell me exactly what was in it, so my CSI-like food analysis team enhanced the photo, and ran a few tests, like a color spectrometer pixilation frequency scan, as well as a algorithmic variable waveform extraction.When neither test resulted in a positive ID, they just looked at the photo and guessed it was ice cream, bananas, whipped cream, and caramel sauce. Thanks to Aga for sending in the photo, and if you have pictures to share of your Food Wishes inspired recipes, please send them in!
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