French Onion Soup

I love french onion but every time I try to make it the soup is just too sweet. That doesn't deter me I keep trying it but I always have the same issue. This one was too sweet too.

I caramelized about 4 cups of onions to a rich brown and then added garlic and cook that for a few minutes. then chicken broth and a little white wine, season with salt and pepper and let it cook for 40 minutes I then toast baguette with some Swiss or Gruyere cheese and I browned some cheese on the soup too. Finally I float the baguette on the soup and serve. Not very good, maybe I have to use beef stock.

Menu 1/11/08-1/17/08

Calzones using crust recipe from taste and tell

Lamb made in my now clay pot

Stuffed peppers

Bacon and eggs

Ratatouille with some kind of roasted meat or maybe left over lamb

Tacos

Leftover creation

Sesame Seed Crusted Tuna Steak

1/4 cup olive oil
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon ginger, minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemongrass

course sea salt
pepper

1/2 cup sesame seeds

Olive Oil for frying (yes, I fry with olive oil)
Tuna Steak

I cut my Tuna Steak into about 4 oz pieces so I would not have to think about at serving at the table, but you may keep your steak whole if you like.

Combine the first 5 items in a shallow bowl and let set for about 15 minutes.

pour the sesame seeds into another shallow bowl and set aside

Wash Tuna under cold water and dry with a towel and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet (I use Cast Iron)

brush the Tuna with the flavored oil and sprinkle with seeds until covered on bother sides (I laid the tune in the bowl of sesame seed and I think too many seeds stuck to it and they all came off int he pan and became a burnt mess to deal with).

Pour enough oil in hot pan to over and let heat for a few seconds, if pan is hot this will be fast. Lay crusted tuna in pan to sear on both sides, cook tuna to desired doneness, I like mine medium.


I served with Brown Basmati Rice and Zucchini sauteed with onion and garlic.

And with the left overs I made Thai Fried Rice.

Orange Banana Muffin with Nuts

Every Friday the kids and I do the grocery shopping for the week; however, before we start shopping we stop at Tim Horton's for muffins, bagels and coffee. My DD orders banana nut muffin every week. Unfortunately, there are not always banana nut muffins, I try to explain to here that these things happen but to her it is the end of the world for her (after all this is the child that told herself that she was the princess of all the beautiful things, yes she said that).
This week I came up with an idea. Before we went in I told her that if they were out of banana nut muffins we will make some at home, all the while knowing that I had 2 very ripe bananas at home, she agreed and they were out of banana nut muffins.
Friday afternoon while baby brother was taking his nap DD and I made Orange Banana Muffins with nuts (and a few had Hershey's kisses). the muffins are quite nice but the kisses can go.

3/4 Cup boiling Water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, well beaten
2 cups A/P flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400F
Combine the first 7 ingredients and beat thoroughly. Sift the flour, measure, and resift with salt, sugar, baking powder and soda. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until it comes together. Fold in fold nuts. Turn into muffin cup paper lined muffin tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. let cool completely before pulling muffin cup papers off of muffin.

Menu 1/4/08-1/10/08

My menu is oh so uninspired, so much so that I only came up with 3 things. I wanted to make some leg of lamb with my new clay pot that I got at IKEA yesterday for $14.99 but the store was out of lamb so I guess I am left with fishing through the deep freeze for what ever meat I have and trying out my new toy.

I am also going to make Roast Chicken, Chicken soup, and spaghetti. How is that for being original.

I am including a few photos I took on New years day after a night of beautiful snow fall.

Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry

10 oz Pork loin, cut into thin postage stamp pieces
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. Brown Sugar
1 T. Rice Wine
1 T. ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic Minced
sesame oil
1 T. corn starch paste (made with a mix if Cornstarch and a little water)
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup red and orange bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion cut in half and sliced
1 handful peanuts
water

Marinate the pork in 2 T soy sauce, sugar, rice wine and cornstarch.

combine ginger and garlic in a bowl

have all ingredients with in reach of a wok that is heating. Add 1 T of sesame oil to hot wok and then half of the pork and stir fry it for 30 seconds add in 1.2 teaspoon garlic ginger (gg) mix. cook for 1 more minute, remove from wok and set aside. do the same with the other half of the meat.

Stir fry the cabbage in the hot wok for 2 minutes (Add water if needed) then set aside with pork.

Add a teaspoon of sesame oil to hot wok and then add in the bell peppers and stir fry for 1 minute then add the onion and stir fry for 30 seconds (ish).

Combine all elements of the dish in the Wok with the remaining soy sauce, peanuts, ginger and garlic and fry for 1 more minute and put in a serving platter.

Serve with brown rice.