French Onion Soup

This is fairly time consuming as the onions do have to be cooked till they are gorgeously caramelly and sticky. But once that's done, the rest of the soup is remarkably easy to put together and uses minimal ingredients. I tend to use the healthier olive oil instead of butter, but if you prefer, you can use butter to caramelise the onions.

This recipe is from Raymond Blanc, but I have adapted it to suit us. I still use the wine (even with a little one, as the alcohol is boiled away), but you can substitute a medium sherry instead which adds more sweetness to the finished soup. We eat this with French bread and grilled cheese and its a lovely, satisfying lunch!!

Recipe:

4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
Around 1/2 kilo of Spanish onions, sliced
2 tbsp plain flour
100 ml dry white wine (boil to get rid of the alcohol)
Around 900 ml vegetable stock
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt (adjust, as the stock can be salty)
Pepper
Slices of French Bread
Cheese

Method:

Put the olive oil and butter into a heavy pot, heat for a few minutes and toss in the onions. Cook, stirring ocasionally for about 30 - 45 minutes, don't rush this part, as the onions do need to be caramel and sticky and sweet. The colour is up to you, I like it fairly light, but if you want a dark colour keep cooking. Take care not to burn the onions. Add the sugar and flour and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the white wine and the stock, and bubble for another 10 minutes or so. Season with the salt and pepper. Grill the cheese on the French bread. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the toasted bread and cheese.

Enjoy!

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British Classics - A Recipe for English Baked Beans (Just Like Heinz Makes)

These are English baked beans, and very different to the North American versions. I really really wanted baked beans on toast, but the first time I tried the Canadian version, I was just like... no, I need the Heinz Beanz. They are fairly difficult to get here, so I decided to try and make my own, as a bit of a challenge.

So I looked all over for a recipe, but to no avail as there didn't seem to be any around with the taste I was looking for. I tried Heston Blumenthal's version (all of it, followed faithfully) but did not like the finished version, and it didn't taste anything liked the tinned version [I know, I know, it tasted awesome, actually, but just not what I wanted :)] So I took some elements from him and cobbled together my own, which to my surprise, did actually taste like a version of the famous Heinz ones. Of course it doesn't taste identical [husband says they taste like Heinz, but with some complexity of flavour, don't know if he's being sarcastic or complimentary :)]. So its up to you to make it taste like you want it to by varying the different seasonings, but as a first attempt, this wasn't a bad one at all.

I used plain Italian strained tomatoes (also known as passata) in this version. The measurements are fairly approximate, as I threw in things rather than measured them out. So you do need to use your discretion and not take this recipe word for word. When mixing the beans with the sauce, you have to make sure that the beans are just covered with the sauce, as there may be a bit too much sauce for the beans. You don't want them too saucy. Any left overs freeze very well, just take out, defrost and reheat to serve again.

 

Recipe:
(Printable Recipe)

750g white beans (haricot or navy, I used small white beans)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb of soda) 

2 tablespoons unscented oil

1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon chopped thyme or sage (or both)
2 cloves garlic, crushed

5 cups crushed tomatoes  [I used passata or Italian strained tomatoes, plain, without any herbs
2 cloves
4 tablespoons Worcester sauce
1 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the beans in cold water overnight. The next day wash and drain them, then cover with cold water, add the baking soda, and cook them for about 1 hour on a medium heat till they are tender, and just beginning to split. Drain and keep aside.

Note: Here's an alternate method, if you aren't organized enough to soak overnight - Pick over and wash the beans, cover with cold water. Then bring to the boil over high heat, let boil for 4 minutes, then turn off the heat. Cover and soak for 1 hour, then cook as normal.

In a big, heavy pot heat the oil and toss the onion in it. Sauté for about 5 - 10 minutes on a medium heat and then add the chopped herbs and the garlic. Stir and cook for another minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up a bit.

Add the Worcester and Tabasco sauces, cloves, sugar and salt. Stir and simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes. Let cool completely.

When cool, puree well in a blender till it turns to a smooth sauce. Return to the pan, taste and readjust seasoning.

Add the beans to the sauce mixture and cook on a low heat for at least 30 - 45 minutes, or more, until the beans are very soft. The beans taste better the next day when they have had a chance to absorb the flavours better, but they're not bad on the day either.

Alternatively, mix the sauce and beans in a heavy pan, cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake in a low oven (around 125 degrees C) for about 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are soft. If making the oven, keep checking to see that the beans haven't dried out. It may be a good idea to reserve some sauce to add to them if they are drying out.

Serve with a full English breakfast or on toast.

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Tuna Vegetable Casserole

Remember that lovely sunny weather I mentioned in my last couple posts? Guess what! It's changed... again!! Its been - 8 and heavy, heavy snow. In May!

Aditi enjoyed it and she made a snowman and had fun making snow angels... but not moi. I detest cold wet snow, even if its pretty :-)

So as a direct result of the weather, I decided against the salad and opted for a one pot comforting tuna casserole instead. Its hard getting fish into Aditi, as she just does not like it. So I need to disguise it and this casserole works very well, as its creamy and has pasta and vegetables and crispy stuff in it, which masks the sometimes overpowering taste of tinned tuna. Fresh tuna would be great for this dish, but the whole point is that its quick and easy to make, ergo, tinned fish.

Its a really easy, one pot meal, and you can vary it according to what you have in the fridge or pantry. The original recipe asks for penne or rigatoni, but I've found it works well with fusilli, macaroni or even egg noodles. Same with the vegetables. I have used olives, tomatoes and marinated artichokes for a more mediterranean feel and always use the veggies that need using up. So feel free to play around with the recipe and come up with the one that suits you best. I had left over peppers and carrots from the famer's market that needed to be used up, which is what I did in this recipe.

I use my Le Creuset to make this dish, but you can cook the dish in a different pot and assemble in a baking dish if you like. I also use cheddar, but again, any melty cheese will work. The cornflakes add a crisp top, but this will work with a mixture of breadcrumbs and grated cheese as well.

Here's the recipe to serve 4 (or one and and a second greedy pig!):

2 tins tuna in water (if you're using fresh, poach in a little veg or fish stock till cooked through, and then flake; but the point of this recipe is 'easy!')
2 tbsp or so of olive oil
About 250 ml frozen peas
1 or 2 carrots, diced
1 red or yellow pepper, diced
2 cans mushroom soup, or around 350 - 400 ml (use low fat, for, well, a low fat meal!)
Salt and pepper to taste
About 150 g cheddar or swiss cheese, grated (you can use less, if you wish) [reserve some for topping]
About 2 cups cooked al-dente pasta
1/4 cup plain crumbled cornflakes
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

In a pan, over a medium heat, heat the olive oil and toss in the diced peppers and carrot. Saute for about 3 or 4 minutes, then put in the peas. Stir for another minute. Then pour in the mushroom soup, and season with pepper to taste. Heat the mixture, stirring ocasionally until the soup thickens. Then take it off the heat, and add the cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted completely. Taste and add salt if you think it needs it. Then stir in the tuna and pasta, and mix well.

If you are using a LeC, cover with the lid and pop into the oven at 200 C for 25 minutes. Otherwise, pour into a baking dish, cover and do the same. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together the reserved grated cheese, cornflakes and breadcrumbs. Season with a little pepper.

Take the casserole out of the oven, and sprinkle the topping over it. Return to the oven for another 5 - 10 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown and crisp.

Enjoy!

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