Murphy's Onion Soup

We've talked about my love affair with onions. 

And of course that translates to a love of onion soup.

And obviously, I'm always up for a new type of onion soup. 

I work at a library and this book and I have been skirting each other for months.

Almost all of the recipes use alcohol, but those pictures? *swoon*

(What can I say? I'm a visual gal)

I'm also a bit of a history nerd, so I love all the little Irish and brewing history facts in the book.

(Did you know the term "honeymoon" comes from the amount of mead made to last a month after the wedding? Or that the word "whiskey" actually comes from the Irish words for "water of life", uisce beatha, pronounced isk'ke ba'ha?

And fitting folk music to go with it:

Celtic Woman  "At the Celli"

Adapted from The Irish Spirit by Margaret Johnson (Serves 8 as a starter)

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted Kerrygold butter (or just unsalted butter)
3 large yellow onions, sliced
2 large red onions, sliced
4 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
3 cups homemade beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
1 cup Murphy's Irish stout
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Kerrygold Swiss or Blarney cheese for topping (instead of the usual Gruyere)

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, shallots, and garlic, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the onions are soft but not browned. Add the bay leaves, basil, thyme, brown sugar, stock or broth,and stout. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the onions are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler. Arrange 8 flameproof crocks on a baking sheet. Ladle the soup into the crocs and sprinkle with the cheese. Place under the broiler 4 inches from teh eat source and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese melts and starts to brown. Remove from the oven. Using oven mitts to protect your heands, place a crock in the center of each of 8 serving plates and serve immediately.

Fajita Mac and Cheese

Well, as a senior just graduating high school moving away from home for the first time in a few months, I've been trying to savor the homely comforts: AKA mac and cheese. 

In case you didn't know, beef, bell peppers, and cheese are one of my favorite combos, and they make this comfort food even more homely.

Also, with the chilly weather here this week, (winter in June anyone?) baked mac and cheese is just the thing to warm you up.

So there are three perfectly good excuses reasons to eat this mac and cheese. 

Besides, it's delicious.

Noah and the Whale "Shape of My Heart"

Ingredients 

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 small onion, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 1 clove
• 1/2 pound macaroni
• 1tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick)unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
•  4 oz jalapeno Jack, grated, divided
• 8 oz sharp Cheddar, grated
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• lime wedges and tortilla chips for serving

Directions

Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent it from boiling over. Add the onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cloves to the milk. Allow the milk to steep for 30 minutes. Strain the milk, and discard the solids.

While the milk steeps, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta until it is just beginning to soften to the al dente stage. Drain the pasta, run it under cold water, and return it to the pot.

Combine the chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Mix well, and set aside.

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute, or until the mixture turns slightly beige, is bubbly, and appears to have grown in volume. Increase the heat to medium, and slowly whisk in the steeped and strained milk. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer the sauce for 2 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the jalapeño Jack. Add the remaining cheeses to the sauce by 1/2 cup measures, stirring until the cheese melts before making another addition. Stir in two-thirds of the seasoning mixture and all of the nutmeg.

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 2 garlic cloves, and cook, stirring frequently for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is browned. Add the red pepper and remaining seasoning mix.

Pour the sauce over the pasta, add the onion mixture, and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer the pasta to the prepared pan.

Combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, and remaining garlic, and remaining olive oil in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the dish, and then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.

Bake the casserole for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese sauce is bubbly and the crumbs on the top are deep brown. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then serve, garnishing each serving with lime wedges and a few tortilla chips.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

As you can probably tell from the complete scarcity of posts, this winter has been completely crazy! Between school, work, college applications, and scholarship applications, cooking and blogging have fallen to the wayside. 

Snow days have come to my rescue! We've gotten about 6 inches of snow the past couple days, and that combined with plunging temperatures, well-timed wind, and President's Day has caused this to be most likely a one day school week. Hooray!

"Opus 28: Opus 28" Dustin Ohalloran

Ingredients

• beef, chopped into one-inch pieces
• broccoli, cut into florets
• peppers, julienned
• zucchini, julienned 
• onion, diced
• soy sauce
• vegetable oil
• red pepper flakes, optional
• garlic
• ginger

Directions

Heat oil and soy sauce in saute pan and add garlic, ginger, red pepper and onion. Cook until onion is translucent. Add zucchini and broccoli. Cook until broccoli florets have turned bright green. Add peppers. Cook until soft. Remove pan from heat and put vegetables in a bowl.

Add beef to saute pan and cook until desired doneness. Combine vegetables and beef. Serve with rice. 

Beef Fajitas

This beef was so good. We got it at Whole Foods and the combination of the marinade and how tender the meat was... just so good. 

Sorry salivating over here.

Metro Station- "Seventeen Forever"

Ingredients

• 1 whole Beef Flank Steak
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/3 cup Lime Juice, Fresh Squeezed
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 2 whole Medium Onions, Halved And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced
•  Oil, For Frying
•  Flour Tortillas, Warmed
•  Cheese (grated Cheddar/jack Or Crumbled Queso Fresco)
•  Salsa
•  Sour Cream
•  Cilantro Leaves

Directions

In a dish, mix together olive oil, Worcestershire, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and sugar until combined. Pour half of the marinade into a separate dish. In one dish, place the flank steak, turning it over to coat. In the second dish, place all the veggies, turning to coat. Cover the dishes with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Prepare tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and cilantro.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle in some oil. Add the veggies and cook them for a few minutes, until they're cooked but still slightly firm and have nice black/brown pieces. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Heat the same same skillet (or a grill pan if you have it) over high heat and drizzle some oil. Cook the meat for about 2 minutes per side until medium rare. Remove and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes.