A Little Wine & Dine

Yesterday, in my daze of not having a valentine for Single's Awareness Day, I decided to pool my loneliness into making dinner for my parents. Ain't I sweet? Yea, I thought so too until I noticed my efforts to make my family a "simple," dinner turned into me conjuring all types of comfort food in my mind. However, I settled on a filling, cheesy, and savory meal that me and my parents could agree on.

Homemade Carmelized French Onion Soup.

I've made French Onion Soup before, but as soon as I got myself into the kitchen and chopped away at the onions, I noticed why I haven't made French Onion in a bit. The sting of onion stench kills my eyes! Yet, as soon as I had the marvelous meeting of tantalizing cheese, soft savory onion, and soup soaked bread into my mouth, I knew that French Onion Soup is a meal worth having my eyes on fire for.

Yes, I care more for eating then having my eyes.

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

*3 tablespoons Olive Oil or Butter

*3 pounds Sweet Onions (Vidalia Onions, Walla Walla Onions, or Maui Onions opt.)

halved and thinly sliced

*6 1/2 inch slices French Bread (French Italian or Challah Bread opt.)

*12 medium Shallots, sliced

*4 cups Vegetable Broth 

*1 1/2 shredded Gouda Cheese (Edam Cheese opt.)

*2 tablespoons dry White Wine opt.

*Salt & Black Pepper

*Sliced Green Onions opt.

Directions:

1. In a large pan or pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil /butter over medium heat

2. Add 1/2 cup of sweet onions, spread in a single layer. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until brown, stirring occasionally.

3. Drain the cooked onions on a paper towel.

4. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil/butter to pan. Stir in remaining sweet onions and shallots; cook over medium heat for 20 ti 25 minutes until onions are tender or brown, stir occasionally.

5. Increase heat to medium-high; cook about 5 minutes more or until golden, stir occasionally.

6. Stir in broth and wine (the wine is optional, but seeing how I enjoy a bit of bubbly my 2 tablespoons of Wine turned into 3...oops!). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Preheat broiler. Place bread slices on rack/broiler pan. Broil about 1 minute until brown; turn bread over, top with cheese, broil for 1 to 2 minute until cheese melts.

8. Ladle soup into bowls; add cheese toast. Top with reserved 1/2 onions and green onions.

Here's the Results:

I decided to add some Gouda Cheese inside of my soup, and it was even cheesier than I originally thought. The wine wasn't a strong note in the soup, but it was subtle. The Gouda Cheese has a powerful, flavorful combination with the chopped sweet onion that made a warming pool in my stomach as I ate the soup. However, my favorite part of Carmelized French Onion Soup is the vegetable broth soaked bread that has the delicious melted cheese embedded in each crevice of the toasted bread. I used a Baguette for the soup (I questioned whether it would taste as great as Challah bread), but the Baguette turned out to be an enjoyable addition to the recipe this time around.

My mother and father raved about the soup...and my father stuffed himself full, and tried to steal my Gouda covered bread slice.

I stabbed his hand with my fork...no one messes with my food.

Mansard Roof- Vampire Weekend

Love Always, LoneStyle Tribe