Uncle Bills French Onion Soup Food

UNCLE BILL'S FRIED POTATOES AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Peel and slice potatoes about 1/8 inch thick or thinner.
• Slice onion thinly.
• In a large frying pan on medium-high heat, melt butter, add olive oil.
• Add sliced potatoes and onions, cover and fry for 10 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the potatoes and onions over so they do not break apart. If potatoes appear too dry, add some additional butter.
• Sprinkle with granulated garlic powder, dried dill weed, salt and pepper and continue to fry with cover removed for another 5 minutes or until potatoes begin to turn slightly brown; turning occasionally.
• Serve hot with your meal.
• Note: You may use 2 or 3 large garlic cloves (chopped small), instead of granulated garlic powder. Add to the potatoes after the first 10 minutes of cooking time.

UNCLE BILL'S FRENCH DIP AND ROAST BEEF SANDWICH

Steps:

• Process dry onion soup mix in a coffee grinder until fine.
• In a one quart microwave safe casserole dish or glass measure, add water, instant beef bouillon and dry onion soup mix.
• Microwave on HIGH (full power) for 4 to 5 minutes until mixture has fully dissolved, stirring at least once.
• Remove, cover and set aside to keep hot.
• If you are using your own cooked roast beef, use an adjustable mandoline set on very thin, slice the amount of meat as required. You may also use a very sharp knife to slice the meat very thin.
• If you desire the meat warm, place the thinly sliced meat on a micro-safe plate, cover with a paper towel and microwave on MEDIUM-HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes or until meat is just warm.
• Cut buns partialy through lengthwise, leaving a hinge.
• Butter each piece and spread some horseradish over each half.
• Layer warmed sliced beef into buns; about 1/4 pound for each bun.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Close sandwich bun and place on individual plates and cut sandwich in half.
• Pour beef broth mixture into individual small bowls.
• Dip sandwich into beef broth mixture and enjoy.

UNCLE BILL'S BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter.
• Add onions, carrots, garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• In a medium size cooking pot, add water and chicken soup base and bring to boil.
• Add precooked onion/carrot/garlic to soup.
• Add broccoli florets, reserving (6- 8 pieces) of broccoli florets to be added near the end of cooking.
• Reduce heat and simmer covered, until broccoli is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a blender or food processor, puree' soup in batches and return to cooking pot.
• Stir in half and half cream and remaining broccoli florets.
• In a cup, mix together flour and 1/4 cup water to form a thin liquid.
• Bring soup to boil; add flour mixture to thicken soup as desired, stirring constantly.
• Add soy sauce, black pepper and stir well.
• Garnish with chopped parsley when serving.
• You can also use some carrot curls for garnish.
• Serve soup hot or cold.

FRENCH ONION SOUP: THE COOK'S ILLUSTRATED WAY

Steps:

• For the soup:.
• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400°. Generously spray inside of heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place butter in pot and add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume).
• Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.
• Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat.
• Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing heat to medium if onions are browning too quickly.
• Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.)
• Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown.
• Stir in wine and balsamic vinegar, stirring frequently, until wine evaporates, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in broths, 2 cups water, the thyme, bay leaf and parsley (tied with twine or wrapped in cheese cloth for easy removal from pot) and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.
• Increase heat to high and bring to simmer.
• Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
• For the croutons: While soup simmers, arrange baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in 400-degree oven until bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• To serve: Adjust oven rack 4 to 6 inches from broiler and heat broiler.
• Set heat-safe soup bowls or crocks on rimmed baking sheet and fill each with about 1 1/2 cups soup.
• Top each bowl with two toasted baguette slices (try not to overlap) and divide Swiss cheese slices, laying them in a single layer, if possible, on bread.
• Sprinkle each serving with about 2 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese and broil until well browned and bubbly, 7 to 10 minutes.
• If using regular soup bowls, broil the toasts and the cheese only and then place the toasts on top of the soup.
• Cool 5 minutes and serve.

DAD'S FAVORITE FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• In a big saucepan, melt the butter; add the onions, salt and pepper, and mustard.
• Saute over low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned (20-30 minutes).
• Add the flour and stir until smooth.
• Add the stock and wine; stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Note: can be made in the crock-pot and cooked on LOW all day after the ingredients are browned.
• To serve: place French bread slices in oven-proof bowls, add cheeses over the bread.
• Pour soup over the bread and place bowls under the broiler until the cheese melts.
• Note: I put the bowls on a baking sheet then place them in the oven under the broiler.

UNCLE BILL'S VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add chopped onion and sauté for 4 minutes or until just lightly browned.
• Add water, zucchini, carrots, canellini beans, celery, basil, oregano salt, pepper, tomatoes and garlic.
• Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add macaroni, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.
• Adjust spices to suit your taste.
• Serve hot.

UNCLE BILL'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy bottom cooking pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.
• Add onions, leeks, carrots celery and garlic and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are slightly softened but not browned.
• Add chicken broth, water, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary.
• Bring to boil.
• Cut chicken into bite size pieces and add to soup along with the diced mushrooms.
• Add noodles and bring soup to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove bay leaf and discard.
• Stir in parsley, salt and pepper.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Serve soup hot.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.
• NOTE: Homemade Chicken or Turkey Stock is so much better than purchased broth.

UNCLE BILL'S FRESH YOUNG PEA & VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• In a cooking pot on medium-high heat, melt butter and add olive oil.
• Add chopped onions and saute' on medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and saute' for another 2 minutes.
• Add chicken broth and water and bring to boil.
• Add chicken soup base, cubed nugget potatoes, and cook for 4 minutes.
• Add carrots, dill weed, parsley and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until carrots are just tender, but still firm.
• Add cauliflower, celery, young peas, red pepper, green onion, white pepper, seasoning salt, Idaho potato flakes and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Reduce heat and add whipping cream slowly, stirring all the while when adding.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Remove soup from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.