quick french onion soup for two

My wife and I love French Onion Soup, but I find that it is usually a sloppy mess at all but the nicest restaurants. Excess salt, excess cheese, or even greasy broths seem to plague this simple dish. I tried to create a recipe that would produce a balanced and flavorful broth with just the right amount of accoutrement. I like to use homemade broth when I can, but in all reality I don't always have it in my fridge. Instead, I use a product called "Better than Bouillon," which is a concentrated paste. It comes in several varieties. I always keep the chicken and beef flavors on hand. Use 1 teaspoon of concentrate for every cup of water.

1 T olive oil
1 small red onion, minced
pinch of salt
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. sweet marsala wine
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. beef broth
black pepper to taste
2 slices of french bread, toasted
2 slices of swiss cheese

Heat olive oil in a heavy 3 quart saucepan set to medium-high until it shimmers. Add the onions, salt, and bay leaf, turn the heat to medium, and saute for 8-10 minutes or until the onions begin to brown (don't let them burn).

Add the marsala wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Next, add the broths and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the black pepper and cut the heat. Set your oven to broil.

When the oven is pre-heated, place two oven-safe bowls on a cookie sheet. Ladle the soup into the bowls. Lay a slice of the toasted bread on each bowl. Place a slice of cheese on top of the bread and place in the oven until the cheese is melted and begins to brown (about two minutes).

Serve and enjoy!

rice pilaf

I used to buy rice pilaf out of a box before I realized that if I kept the ingredients on hand it would cost me about 20 times less money and be just as convenient. The recipe below is for the most basic version of rice pilaf. You can add almost anything to it to customize it for whatever you're serving as a main dish. I'll provide some of my favorite twists as well.

1 T butter
1/4 c. orzo
3/4 c. long grain rice
1/4 t salt
2 c. water (or low-sodium chicken broth)

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the orzo, stirring occasionally for five minutes or until it is lightly toasted. Add the rice and stir until it is coated with the butter as well. Add the water (or broth) and salt; bring to a boil. Stir once. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. With lid still on, remove saucepan from heat and let stand for another 10 minutes. Fluff pilaf with a fork and serve.

Some of my favorite additions include:

Tropical rice pilaf: Add 1/4 t ground cardamom and 1/2 c. chopped mixed dried fruit (apricot, raisins, craisins, etc.) with the water. Stir in 1/4 c. fresh (or canned) diced pineapple before serving.

Savory rice pilaf: Sautee a minced shallot in the butter before adding the orzo. Proceed as directed above.

Broccoli Parmesan pilaf: Add 1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli florets on top of the simmering rice about 10 miutes into cooking. Don't stir them in -- let them steam on top. Stir in 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese before serving.

The variations are limited only by your creativity!