French Onion Soup

Since fall is slowly creepy up on us, I figured it was time to make a soup. My options were chicken noodle, corn chowder and french onion. The choice was left up to the roommates as I will make all 3 eventually. the winner was french onion (which I have never made on my own before eeekkk!)

Not only have I never made it on my own, I also dont have a specific family recipe for it either! So first step was to find a recipe that not only sounded tasty but reasonably easy and cheap. Just a heads up all the recipes I found were for at least 6 servings so you should be prepared to share or eat nothing but french onion soup for days!

so because of my lack of recipe I turned to foodnetwork.com and decided to use paula deans (yum!)

Ingredients:

8 onions sliced

2 cloves garlic minced (I use the pre-minced store bought kind so about 1-1.5 teaspoons of that)

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

8 cups of beef stock (2 boxes)

1/4 cup dry wine (I used Trader Joe's Chardonnay..its only $3!)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

french bread

cheese (swiss, guyere, provolone...they all work!)

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saute onions and garlic in oil on low heat until tender and golden.

add beef stock and wine and bring to boil

add thyme and bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

add bread and cheese and ENJOY!!

Directions

saute onions and garlic in oil over low heat until tender and golden yellow. sprinkle flour over onions, cook for a few more minutes. add stock and wine and bring to a boil. add thyme and bay leaf. reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so. add salt and pepper to taste.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/french-onion-soup-recipe/index.html

Mac and Cheese It's Easy as ABC...

One of my all time favorite things to eat as a kid was my grandmother's mac and cheese. She always made it from scratch meaning it tasted wayyyyyy better than anything out of a box. Some pretty decent boxed mac and cheeses have been released since I was a child, that are actually quite delicious. For the most part I am not a start from scratch kind of gal esp when there is a box alternative, however tonight I decided to try it the old fashion way.

this is my own variation of a recipe I found on a blog called macaroni and cheesecake. It was cheap, easy and reminded me of the homemade mac and cheese from my childhood.

Ingredients (makes about 2 servings)

2 cups uncooked pasta

1 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)

1 1/2 tablespoon of all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon of salt

a few dashes of black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika (for taste)

cook pasta in a medium sauce pan as directed on box (I usually add a little bit of butter for taste), strain and set aside.

In the same pan combine milk and flour, stir with whisk until mixture thickens (about 2 minutes)

add cheese, salt and spices

Continue to stir until cheese is fully melted. Stir in pasta, add more seasoning as needed. Let stand on low for a few minutes.

Recipe:

Ingredients (makes about 2 servings)

2 cups uncooked pasta

1 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)

1 1/2 tablespoon of all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon of salt

a few dashes of black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika (for taste)

• cook pasta in a medium sauce pan as directed on box (I usually add a little bit of butter for taste), strain and set aside.
• In the same pan combine milk and flour, stir with whisk until mixture thickens (about 2 minutes)
• add cheese, salt and spices
• Continue to stir until cheese is fully melted. Stir in pasta, add more seasoning as needed. Let stand on low for a few minutes.

Ravioli: A Quality Store Bought Meal

Lets face it: as college students we dont always have the time or the money to make a fancy home cooked meal every night. And eating out all the time can get super expensive (not to mention unhealthy) as well. So what are you supposed to do? go semi-homemade!

The grocery store (as well as places like Trader Joes) have tons of options for semi-homemade meals.

One of the easiest is Ravioli! Usually when one thinks store-bought ravioli you go straight to chef Boyardee. the Chef Boyardee worked when we were 7 but now we have (or at least pretend to) more refined pallets which leave us wanting more.

You can find some ravioli's in the freezer section however when I am shopping for ravioli I head over to the cheese section. Located somewhere around the cheeses (depending on the store) there will be a large selection of Buitoni Ravioli's and Tortellini's! With flavors like: quatro formaggio (4 cheese), spinach cheese, chicken and prosciutto among many more, their products come extremely close to homemade/restaurant quality pasta!

Just combine with your favorite sauce (mine are Delgrosso Family marinara or Bertolli alfredo), throw in some frozen meatballs (the ones from trader joes are great!) or fresh veggies and maybe some garlic bread (which you can also buy by the loaf for super cheap in the freezer section) and you will feel great about what you just cooked without putting in a ton of effort or money!

Ciao Bella... Amore Bruschetta...

My Italian is a little weak but you get the point!! After a summer in Italy one of my favorite foods is definitely bruschetta! I order it everywhere I go and I love to make it!! This is a great recipe and its super simple! It works well if you need something quick to take to a party or just want a snack! Its also great if you are hosting a party with a lot of people and want a simple app that wont break your bank account!!

PS: sorry for the horrendous picture quality, I am without camera right now so I am using my phone!! Dont worry it should be fixed soon!!

this dish has so few ingredients and steps!

vwahlah deliciousness!!

Recipe:

makes about 24 pieces (adjust for portions)

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes

8 leaves of basil

fresh mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 teaspoons of olive oil

salt and pepper (for taste)

1 french baguette

Directions:

• dice tomatoes and cheese and combine into large mixing bowl
• chop basil leaves
• add basil, garlic powder, olive oil to mixture
• add salt and pepper (I usually add a dash of paprika as well) for taste
• stir well
• slice baguette into about 1 inch thick slices
• top with mixture
• ENJOY!