Category Archives: Recipes

French Onion Soupppppppppp

So, yesterday, Craw was feeling under the weather, so I thought I’d make some soup. I’ve been craving French Onion Soup lately, no clue why, but thought I’d make it. I was so tired that I forgot that he doesn’t like onions. Wife fail. He ended up eating it, so it definitely doesn’t taste like b.o. raw onions, so wife check on that. Boom.

Final Product

Final Product

French Onion Soup

  • 2 boxes beef broth—reduced sodium
  • 6 yellow onions (small-medium sized)
  • 2 white onions (small-medium sized)
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 2 tbs light butter spread
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1.5 cups white wine (whatever you have in your fridge)
  • 2 dashes Worcester
  • Grated gruyere cheese
  • Any type of crusty bread—I used a loaf of French bread, toasted

 

Heat oven to 400. In a large tall pan—I used my le Creuset big pot, melt the butter, light butter and olive oil. Thinly slice the onions (I used a mandolin), and sauté them in the butter for 10-15 minutes on low-medium heat. The onions should go from taking up half the height of the pan to barely 1.5 inches–they will reduce. They should start to get see thru and a little brown. Babysit them. Usually you would have to sit here for an hour, but the Pioneer Woman (my idol) taught me a handy oven trick. After 10-15 minutes, transfer the pot, with the lid cracked, to the oven. Cook for 25ish, stir and cook for another 25-30. They should go from smelling raw oniony to smelling incredible. Take the dish out and put back on the stove on low-medium heat for another 5-10 minutes, then add the wine and cook for another 10 minutes. Now, add all that beef broth and some Worcester. This should cook together for at least 45 minutes, but the longer the better. When you’re ready to eat it, ladle it into a bowl an put the toasted bread on top and smother with gruyere. Broil it (while watching) until it looks as good as mine!!

 

Onions on onions on onions

Onions on onions on onions

adding wine

adding wine

reduced down

reduced down

Easy Halibut

Miso-Garlic Halibut

  • 1 lb halibut, cut into two filets
  • 1.5 miso paste (picture below)
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • ½ shallot, thinly sliced
  • Pepper

Ok, I don’t have a pic of this one, but people have been asking how I like to cook fish. The pic below is a little different from this preparation, but you’ll get the jist. Get two pieces of foil, about 16 inches long. In the middle of each, place your sliced shallots in the same shape as the fish. Lay the halibut on top and drizzle w/ olive oil. Rub the miso paste over the top and add the sliced garlic. Add as much pepper as you’d like—you’ll notice that I don’t call for salt, because Miso paste is suppppper salty. If you want to look like a sumo wrestler tomorrow, be my guest and salt away. Fold the foil into a pouch (tutorial here- http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/how-to-cook/how-to-make-foil-packets). This will steam the fish in the oven and keep it super juicy. Oh ya—right before you close the packet, pour like a tablespoon of white wine (any type) into the packet—it makes it even juicier. Cook in a 425 degree oven for about 8-12 minutes. Check it after 8, and if its super see through, cook a little longer, until flaky. You can sub any thick whitefish for halibut—I just use a lot of halibut because it’s the only fish that they have in Midland that is not previously frozen that I trust. I get it—I’m spoiled. I don’t care.

Miso Paste-In the Asian aisle

Miso Paste-In the Asian aisle

Miso style Halibut without the garlic or shallots and wine

Miso style Halibut without the garlic or shallots and wine

simple seared halibut w/ garlic salt and petter

simple seared halibut w/ garlic salt and petter

 

Crawdad wanted Crawfish

So Craw’s bday was on Tuesday, and he always talks about how his mom makes the best crawfish ettoufee. Blech-not a fan of etoufee, but I refuse to believe that someone makes something better than I can, so I decided to make it for his birthday dinner. I cooked for him and 3 other boys, and all the plates were licked clean, so I’d say I pretty much kicked ass.

Crawfish

the final product.

Crawfish Etouffee

  • ½ cup of a well browned roux (see here to make- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/how-to-roux-recipe/index.html) You don’t have to do this, just adds a little depth
  • 24oz frozen Louisiana crawfish (they aren’t in season, and even so, I still am not willing to peel that many crawfish to get that much meat-sue me)
  • 1 ½ Sticks salted butter
  • 1 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 cup Mexican chicken broth
  • ¾ cup chopped celery
  • White rice
  • Parsley
  • Spices – creole, paprika, cayenne, chili pepper—you choose which one

 

Melt the butter in a large heavy bottomed skillet. I used a le creuset braising skillet. Once the butter is melted, add in the veggies, and cook until they are translucent. Add in the crawfish and sauté until they are cooked—they take about the same time as shrimp, so like 5-10 mins. Add in the broth and simmer for a few minutes. This is when I added in the roux to thicken the cooking liquid. Once it tastes good to you, serve over white rice and sprinkle with parsley. Not hard at all! PS-I am told that it was delicious, but frozen seafood sicks me out, so I made myself halibut—I’m not a brat.