By Sarah Fertsch
Staff Writer
I don’t know about you, but for the past week, I have been bundled under a fuzzy blanket, shivering in the dark as soon as the sun sets.( before 5pm everyday!)
During this cold, dark season, we seek warmth and comfort. No one wants a cold salad or soft serve ice cream; we crave hot casseroles, like Mom used to make.
In this issue of Shore Local, we give you tried-and-true recipes that will put a smile on your family’s faces. They’re simple to follow, quick to make, and truly embody the definition of comfort food. Here are four recipes to warm your bones this winter:
French Onion Soup
Ingredients:
6 large yellow onions
2 tablespoons of butter
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ cup of dry white wine
2 bay leaves
8 cups of beef or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon of sugar
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of freshly-grated gruyere cheese
8 slices of French bread
Salt
Pepper
Peel and thinly slice the onions, or use a sharp mandolin to cut the onion into thin strands. There should be 10 cups in total of onion.
In a large Dutch oven (five to six quarts), saute the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir often until the onion is fragrant and transparent, 20 minutes.
Add the remaining butter and olive oil and cover with a lid. Turn the heat from medium to medium high and let the onions caramelize for another 15 minutes.
Sprinkle the onions with sugar and crushed garlic and let cook for another five minutes.
Deglaze the pot with wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom. Add the stock and bay leaves and let simmer for another 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place sliced bread on a sheet pan. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and let crisp for 5-7 minutes.
Remove bread from the oven and cover each slice with a mound of shredded gruyere. Bake for another five minutes until the cheese has melted.
Serve the soup in the bowls and top with cheesy toast. Enjoy!
Chicken Carbonara
Ingredients:
1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
4 ounces of diced pancetta
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 pound of spaghetti
¼ cup of chopped Italian parsley
8 large egg yolks
2 cups of heavy cream
1 Rotisserie chicken
2 teaspoons of lemon zest
¼ cup of chopped basil leaves
3 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Harvest the meat from the rotisserie chicken, making sure there are no fat, skin, bones or tendons in the meat. Set to the side. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
In a large frying pan, saute the pancetta in olive oil until crispy, five minutes. Add garlic for the last minute so it doesn’t burn.
Fill a large pot two-thirds full of water and bring to a boil over medium heat on the stove. Add spaghetti when it reaches a boil, and cover for about 8 minutes until pasta is al dente. Strain and place to the side.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together heavy cream, parsley, basil, lemon zest, and egg yolks.
Add the chicken to the pancetta and stir. Use tongs to transfer the pasta into the pan and toss with the sauce from the bowl. Add salt and pepper and keep tossing for about three minutes, making sure that the egg doesn’t scramble. Serve warm and top with extra herbs.
Frito Pie
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
2 small cans of pinto beans
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
14 ounces of Frito chips
1 can of enchilada sauce
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 thinly-sliced green onions
Sour cream, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, shredded iceberg lettuce
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large oven-safe skillet, brown the beef and add salt and pepper, five minutes. Stir in drained beans, onion, and enchilada sauce.
Place chips on the bottom of a greased casserole dish and top with meat mixture. Cover with cheddar cheese and bake until melted, 20 minutes.
Serve with add-ons and garnish with green onion. Enjoy!
Soondubu (Korean Tofu Soup)
Ingredients:
12 ounces of soft tofu
1 small package of mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 large egg
6 banana prawns, cleaned and heads removed
1 shallot, diced
½ cup of dried kelp
2 cups of fish stock
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of Korean chili oil
In a medium soup pot, heat the chili oil and saute the shallot, five minutes. Add prawns and saute over medium heat, stirring to cook evenly on all sides, four minutes.
Add fish stock and defied kelp to deglaze the pan.
Add tofu, mushrooms, egg, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer, ten minutes.
Serve over Korean rice and top with a sprinkle of sesame oil. Enjoy!
