a quick and easy dinner

christmas is over and we’re back home and very exhausted! every year we get kitchen items as gifts. this year was different. i specifically told both sets of parents, as well as andy, that NO KITCHEN gifts were allowed. it’s not that i don’t want more toys for the kitchen, it’s that we have simply run out of space. we literally have to close cabinets with our hips, place things precariously on top of each other, and basically make sure that there are always dishes in the dishwasher otherwise we’d really be in trouble. our families stuck to my plea (for the most part). in christmases past we’ve received beautiful staub and le creuset pots that seem too shiny and colorful to ever get dirty. we’ve gotten copper-wear, all-clad pans, and shun knives. We have every kitchen-aid utensil you can think of and when andy builds me a house with an enormous kitchen, i’ll ask for more of these things again someday. this year, we received one kitchen item: a strikingly sleek crème brulee blow torch (thanks, mom!). i also got a cookbook solely dedicated to pies (recipes to come. Again, thanks, mom!). oh yeah, we also got a pasta-maker. ugh, i guess no one really listened to my request.

i had all intentions of making crème brulee today, however our lazy day-after-christmas didn’t quite go as planned. our precious baby (dog) millie had to take an unexpected visit to the vet today and we didn’t get home until late. neither of us felt like making homemade pasta or crème brulee, so andy made french onion soup, courtesy of his dad, chris. chris loves to cook and he sent andy home with all of the fixings and the recipe for this delightful soup. it’s a great way to end a long day. andy also made a few of my favorite snacks: white bean dip and sautéed mushrooms. these recipes are super easy and quick!

french onion soup:

1. sautee two chopped onions with 1 tbs of butter and one tbs of olive oil. cook until caramelized (andy added about one tbs of honey with this mixture)

2. bake bread (we used a french loaf) and leave it out until the slices get hard (we obviously didn't do this part)

3. add 1 can of onion soup broth to the caramelized onions, three cans of water, and 4 bouillon cubes. let simmer for about 30 min.

4. broil with bread topped with shredded swiss and mozzarella in croc for about 3 minutes or until brown. Let sit for two minutes. (WE USED OUR TORCH INSTEAD OF THE BROILER! YIPPIE!)

white bean dip:

1. drain one can of cannellini beans

2. add beans and one clove of chopped garlic, salt, and pepper to a food processor. process on high while slowly adding oil (we used homemade porcini oil, but any olive oil will work). process until smooth.

sauteed mushrooms:

1. chop baby-bella mushrooms and salt and pepper them

2. add to a hot, oiled frying pan

3. half way through cooking, add 2 tbs of balsamic vinegar. put a lid on the pan and cook the mushrooms the rest of the way.

4. to finish, take the lid off of the pan and let the moisture evaporate. serve hot

the soup is super easy and there’s actually very little cooking involved. the dip is so yummy and it will keep for at least a week. now all I have to do is get through the night with my dog who is wearing a cone around her head and is running into everything, including the christmas tree. good food, andy, and millie…i wouldn’t want to spend the day-after-christmas any other way.

here is millie with and sans cone for your viewing pleasure...