French Onion Soup

I was feeling a little under the weather earlier this week and my appetite ran away from home for a couple of days. When I finally started to come around, I was in dire need of a little comfort food so Spouse whipped me up my favorite soup. This simple dish is a great example of how simple, quality ingredients can transform into something far greater than the sum of its parts. The key in such dishes is to be uncompromising in the quality of what goes into them.

Although I love French Onion Soup, I rarely order it except in very good restaurants. It appears on the menus of many mid priced eateries but most often bears no resemblance to a properly executed version of this soup. Good beef stock is essential; either make your own or purchase the best quality available. Fresh herbs make a big difference, as does the quality of the red wine. Use some good crusty bread for the the toasted croutons; the exceptional Belgian loaf from Georgestown Bakery, an artisan bread bakery in my neighbourhood is the perfect choice in this neck of the woods. Finally the cheese should also be the best quality you can afford. Some restaurants pile on great gobs of cheap commercial mozzarella when a smaller amount of a quality cheese would be much better. Gruyere is traditionally used but I like smoked Gouda as well and I do like to blend in a little mozza myself, just because I like the texture it adds.

It may be a 70's and 80's restaurant menu cliché item to many but once you've tasted a really well prepared version, I promise it will move from cliché to classic in a single bowl. This one breathed life back into my beleaguered belly this week.

Serves 3 - 4

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 quart/liter low sodium beef stock
1 cup red wine
1 medium Spanish onion
1 large red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp ground thyme (or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme)
½ tsp fresh ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to season
4 slices crusty French bread, toasted and cubed.
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda or Gruyere cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan and add the garlic and onions. Cook until the onions soften.

Meanwhile boil the beef stock until the volume has reduced by about ¼ , then add the red wine, sautéed onions and garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper to season. Simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Ladle the soup into 4 medium oven-safe bowls, top with the toasted bread and then the grated cheese. Place under the broiler for just a couple of minutes until the cheese melts and is slightly browned. Serve.

A Gower Street Christmas Construction Slideshow

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For a look at the comprehensive instructions for my method of constructing gingerbread houses please check out this link
http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/11/detailed-instructions-for-making.html

Thanks for all the great email feedback from the photos I posted of this year's gingerbread house project. Many readers asked if there would be a construction slideshow this year as well and I've finally found a little time to throw a simple one together.

I'm re-posting the links to my previous gingerbread house posts for readers who may not have seen them yet and for those who requested them to be posted with the construction video.

http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/11/gower-street-christmas.html

http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/11/another-circular-road-christmas.html

http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/11/original-circular-road-christmas.html

http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/11/another-circular-road-christmas_29.html

Chocolate Orange Muffins

I was up early this morning in time to make these deadly chocolate orange muffins for breakfast. The wife and kids will follow their noses downstairs this morning for sure.
Sift together:

2 ½ cups flour
¾ cup sugar
½ tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder

Set aside.

Whisk together

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
Zest of one orange, finely grated
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend in the dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the batter; do not over mix. Fold in:

¾ cup dark chocolate chips

Spoon batter into 12 well greased muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

A Gower Street Christmas

A great slideshow of the construction of this year's house can be seen by clicking on the link below:

http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/11/gower-street-christmas-construction.html

Lighted and Decorated Gingerbread House, Gower St. in St. John's, Newfoundland

After two years on Circular Road, our gingerbread project moves a little closer to the harbour, this year landing on the east end of Gower Street to feature these three traditionally colorful row houses.

For the sixth year now, this gingerbread creation was raffled off as a fundraiser to benefit Bishop Feild School in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland.

If you are interested in photos of our other annual gingerbread house projects or would like detailed instructions on how to build your own gingerbread house, you can find them here:

http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/11/detailed-instructions-for-making.html

Pineapple Ginger Salsa

Shown here with herb roasted pork tenderloin on a bed of basmati rice, this is a very versatile salsa that goes well with grilled chicken or fish. We also serve it with pan fried cod or on it's own with baked corn tortillas for a healthy party snack. Using fresh golden pineapple is essential to the sucess of this salsa; canned just won't cut it here!

Makes about 2 cups.

1 ½ cups fresh pineapple, diced small
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp lemon zest, finely chopped
½ red onion diced
2 green onions chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño pepper
1 tsp salt
½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp brown sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ red pepper diced small

Toss all ingredients together well in a glass bowl. Let stand for about 2 hours before serving, stirring occasionally.

Strawberry Chocolate Truffle Tuxedo Tarts

Thanks to Janette who suggested a garnish of White Chocolate Whipped Cream to my Strawberry Chocolate Truffle Tarte; it inspired this little invention. I previewed these photos over on the Rock Recipes Facebook group as I often do with completed recipes that I haven't gotten around to actually writing yet, and I got so many message responses from it that I decided to post it here right away. Really, it is just a variation on the Strawberry Chocolate Truffle Tart that was posted a couple of weeks back. Find that recipe here: http://nlrockrecipes.com/2008/11/strawberry-chocolate-truffle-tarte.html

These do present nicely as individual tarts which are a great idea for the upcoming holiday entertaining season. I made them in 4 inch individual tart pans but they could easily be made in muffin tins if you don't have such pans. The baking time has to be adjusted of course; I found that these tarts only took 15 minutes in the oven after baking the pastry shells. I'd estimate about 10 minutes if baked in muffin tins.

The addition to these tarts is a white chocolate flavoured whipped cream that I piped on top to envelop a fresh, ripe strawberry, the recipe for which follows.

White Chocolate Whipped Cream

Scald to almost boiling in the microwave

1/4 cup whipping cream

Pour immediately over

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Let stand for five minutes to allow the chocolate to melt, then stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, beat to firm peaks

1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk in the white chocolate mixture in three equal portions until well incorporated. Chill for an hour or two before piping the cream on top of the tarts. Store in the refrigerator.
Makes a very nice garnish for many other desserts as well.

Chicken Chorizo Lasagna

Chicken Chorizo Lasagna

This recipe comes courtesy of Spouse (who I'm told by my 9 year old, doesn't get enough credit for her part in contributing to this blog). Spouse is an excellent cook in her own right and kitchen collaborations are a rule rather than an exception at our house. There are few collaborations in the clean-up department though, as my participation in tidying up the considerable mess I can inflict on a kitchen is rather lacking. She gets full credit for that part of the process! ;)

It was her idea to add chorizo to a lasagna recipe and this one is the result. I love chorizo sausage and it does add great flavor to this delicious lasagna. You can use either fresh chorizo or finely chopped cured chorizo. Other spicy sausage can also be substituted too. (You can also very easily make your own just click here for our easy homemade Chorizo Sausage recipe.) Sometimes like in the photo above, we even use leftover diced grilled chicken instead of ground chicken which I actually prefer.

You can use store bought lasagna noodles (fresh if possible) or make your own from the recipe provided below. If using dry lasagna noodles, I par boil them for 5 minutes before assembling the dish.

Homemade Pasta

4 cups durum semolina

2 cup all purpose flour

8 large eggs, room temperature

Combine flour and durum semolina and make a well in the center. Crack your eggs into the well and using a fork to beat the eggs, slowly begin to incorporate the flour into the eggs until everything is combined into a very stiff dough. You may add a little water to incorporate the dry ingredients if necessary but be careful not to make your dough too loose; it should still be quite a dense dough. Add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky. The dough should be slightly stiffer than play dough.

Knead for 5 -10 minutes on a bread board, cover in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes , then knead again and allow to rest again.You can use a pasta machine to roll the dough into sheets about 1/8 inch thickness or just a regular rolling pin on a well floured surface.

Boil pasta sheets for 1-2 minutes in salted water before using in the lasagna assembly.

For the sauce:
In a large saucepan sauté for 1 minute:

3 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic

Add:

1 ½ pounds ground chicken (or pork or beef if you prefer)
½ pound chorizo sausage
1 small red onion finely diced

Cook until the meat has slightly browned. Add:

2 large cans (32 oz can) crushed roma tomatoes
½ bunch fresh basil
1 tbsp ground or crushed fennel seed
1 tbsp oregano
1 whole bay leaf
1 large carrot finely grated
½ cup finely diced celery
2 tbsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper to season
½ tsp chili flakes (optional)

Slowly simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.

Ricotta Filling:
16 oz tub ricotta cheese
1 beaten egg
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Mix together well.

Start constructing the lasagna by adding a cup of sauce to the bottom of a large lasagna pan. Add a layer of pasta, half the remaining sauce, another layer of pasta, then the ricotta filling, another layer of pasta and the remaining sauce. Top with a final layer of pasta and

1 pound grated part skim mozzarella cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour depending on the size of your lasagna pan. Let stand for 15- 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

The Original Circular Road Christmas

So many readers emailed about the last gingerbread house slideshow that I decided to upload a slideshow from our 2006 project. Have a look!

I'm still working on this year's "Gower Street Christmas" and hope to finish it on the weekend.

Grilled Sausage Spaghetti Puttanesca

Everyone needs a quick supper idea from time to time and one of my favourites is this particular pasta dish. A puttanesca sauce is very quick and easy to make with some great flavours melding together in it. You may prefer to leave out the anchovy paste or capers if you dislike them and still have a very tasty dish. This one is paticularly fast to put together if you have leftover sausages from the grill to work with; I can have mine on the table in 20 minutes! Grilled fish or chicken also go well with this sauce.

Serves 4

6 large spicy Italian sausages, grilled and sliced
6 medium tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion diced
12 ounce package dry spaghetti
½ cup chopped fresh basil
2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 red pepper diced
½ tsp chilli flakes or 2 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
3 tbsp chopped capers (optional)
Salt and pepper to season
1 teaspoon anchovy paste ( optional)
Parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta in well salted water for about 8 minutes or until al dente.
Grill sausages until completely cooked. Slice.

Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and sauté for about a minute. Add the olives, tomatoes, chilli flakes, anchovy paste and capers and cook until the tomatoes just start to break down. Add the red pepper and basil and cook for an additional minute. You can add the sausage to the sauce at this point if you prefer, or just serve it on top of the finished pasta. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too thick you can add a little of the pasta water to thin it down.

Toss the sauce with the pasta and serve with freshly grated or shaved parmesan cheese.

Roasted Tomato Jam and Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Balsamic Reduction

This is one of my all time favourite appetizers or hors d'ouevres or even as a great simple lunch. It is so good, because it relies on simple, highly flavourful ingredients that compliment each other very well. This is a particular favorite recipe when the summer tomatoes are at their best when we serve it often. Spouse, in particular, really loves these Bruschetta.


6 medium vine ripened tomatoes diced
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Toss together in a shallow baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour stirring occasionally until most of the liquid has reduced off the tomatoes are the consistency of jam.

Toast small slices of baguette and warm the goat cheese in a 300 degree oven. (Do not try to warm goat cheese in the microwave.) You can spread the goat cheese on the toasted baguette and top with a little of the tomato jam or just present the jam, goat cheese and toasts separately on a serving platter or individual plates as an appetizer and let your guests assemble the Bruschetta themselves.

In a very small saucepan boil ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar until it reduces and begins to thicken to a syrupy consistency. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the Bruschetta.

Curry Radicchio Chicken Salad Sandwiches

The busy work and school week, combined with extensive chauffeur duties to our kid's activities, leaves us with a tight schedule to fit an evening meal on many occasions. One solution is to have a quick meal in the fridge that is on the table in a couple of minutes. These Curry Radicchio Chicken Salad Sandwiches fit that bill nicely; we served these with the cold Lemon Spaghetti Salad that was featured earlier this week on this blog. The Chicken Salad and pasta salad can easily be prepared quickly the evening before. I plan to have a grilled chicken dish the day before and grill extra chicken breasts to make these sandwiches for lunch or dinner the next day. Sometimes, even I am forced to be organized!

We served these particular sandwiches on some toasted fresh rolls from Manna bakery here in St. John's.

4 mini baguettes or Kaiser rolls
4 grilled chicken breasts, cubed
8 slices crisp cooked bacon
1 cup shredded radicchio
½ cup lemon mayonnaise
3 tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 ½ tbsp curry powder
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper to season

Toss together the cubed chicken, radicchio, mayo, red onion, curry powder, mint, salt and pepper. Serve on the toasted rolls and top with the crisp cooked bacon. Serves 4.

Strawberry Chocolate Truffle Tarte

Strawberry Chocolate Truffle Tarte

This is an idea that I had based upon my Tarte au Chocolat recipe. When I make Chocolate Dipped Strawberries I usually use chocolate ganache instead of plain melted chocolate because it melts in your mouth faster making the flavours combine better. So... a chocolate truffle tarte with strawberries on top seemed like a natural. It was well appreciated by the in-laws who came for Sunday supper this weekend. The leftovers were divided between three friends who were lucky enough to find a surprise on their doorsteps yesterday.

Strawberry Chocolate Truffle Tarte

A word about the chocolate for this recipe before you begin. Good quality chocolate is essential for this recipe. I use chocolate that has an absolute minimum of 50 % cocoa. I think darker is better but tastes vary.

For the pastry:
½ cup butter, cut in small pieces
1 cup + 1 tbsp flour
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives, leaving small peas sized pieces of butter throughout the mixture. Add egg and vanilla and mix together only enough to make a dough form. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for a half hour before rolling out.

You can make your dough the previous day but make sure you take it out of the fridge for 10 minutes to warm slightly before rolling out.

Roll the dough into a 12 inch round and place in the bottom of a 9 inch tarte pan or pie plate. You will need to blind bake this crust for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F before adding the filling. Blind baking is essential so that the bottom crust will not get soggy. Let the dough hang a half inch past the rim of the pan to allow for shrinkage as the pastry shell bakes. Any excess can be trimmed off when the shell is still hot out of the oven.

To blind bake a crust, simply place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil over the dough and cover the bottom of the pie plate with baking weights. (Marbles, dry beans, peas, rice or barley work just as well as anything else.)

For the chocolate filling:

7 ounces (by weight) dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
7 ounces whipping cream
3 ounces milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 large beaten egg

Bring the cream and milk just to boiling and pour the hot liquid over the chopped chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes and whisk together until smooth. Cool for about 10 minutes before whisking in the beaten egg and vanilla.

Pour into the blind baked shell and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. The center can still be a little wobbly at this point. The surface should still be shiny. Cool thoroughly before topping with fresh strawberries. Garnish with a drizzle of melted chocolate if desired.

Lemon Spaghetti Salad

This is a simple but versatile recipe for a tasty side dish. We serve this one hot or as pictured here, as a cold pasta salad. It's a great pot luck or picnic dish as well.

1 pound package of dry spaghetti
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Juice of 3 lemons
Zest of one lemon, finely grated and minced
¼ cup chopped fresh mint (fresh tarragon or basil make good substitutes)
Salt and pepper to season
½ cup chopped green onions

Boil the spaghetti to al dente in salted water. Drain the spaghetti. Whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the dressing, and then toss together with the cooked spaghetti and serve hot or cold.