“The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I’d made my teammates play.” – Bill Russell
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
We are in the midst of birthday season and at the end of basketball season. Last week we celebrated our daughter-in-law’s birthday… she asked for a Napoleon from Patrick’s Bakery, so of course Papa John had to pick up an assortment of pastries… yummmm! The last couple weeks have marked the end of our grandson’s travelling basketball career… next year he will be in high school! They won 3rd place in the out-of-town Rochester tournament and 4th place out of about 60 teams in the state tournament last weekend. But perhaps the biggest thrill was beating the Minnetonka team on the Timberwolves court! Our grandson even got a 3-pointer on that professional court!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Since our daughter-in-law asked for French pastry for her birthday ‘cake’ it seemed only right to have something French for main course. She loves soup… so French Onion Soup Gratinee seemed a good choice. I was even more excited when I found this recipe for preparing the soup in the slow cooker. It was simple and delicious… the key ingredient was time… start cooking the day before you plan to serve!
FRENCH ONION SOUP in the slow cooker
- 3 pounds yellow or sweet onions, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 10 cups reduce-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons brandy (optional)
For serving
- Oven-safe individual serving bowls
- 2 toasted baguette slices per bowl
- 1 thick slice Gruyere cheese per bowl
Place the onions in a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir in the butter, oil, salt, and a generous amount of pepper.
COOK ON LOW FOR 12 HOURS. Cover and cook on low overnight until the onions are dark golden-brown and soft.
Add the broth and vinegar and COOK ON LOW FOR ANOTHER 6-8 HOURS. This time is flexible. As long as your slow cooker holds moisture well, you can cook the soup for hours. Longer cooking will only intensify the flavors.
Toast baguette slices in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until crispy.
Portion the soup into oven-safe bowls on a large baking sheet. Top each bowl with 1-2 slices of toast to cover the top of the bowl and a large slice of cheese.
Bake for 20-30 minutes on upper rack of oven, until cheese is completely melted.
Broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubbling and browned. (I forgot this step… oops, was still really good!) Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes before serving.