The Main Menu: Some winter warmers to get you cooking in advance of Valentine’s Day
By JAN MAIN
We are well into the deep freeze of winter with Valentine’s Day just around the corner. It is the perfect time to pull out recipes that welcome, suggest warmth and invite fellowship.
There is nothing like a delicious meal shared with friends and loved ones to say Happy Valentine’s!
Old Fashioned Onion Soup
More than “just a bowl” of soup this hearty classic is a meal in itself. Simply add crusty bread, a special salad and a decadent dessert and you will more than warm the hearts of those around your table!
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter
6 cups (1 1/2 L) thinly sliced cooking onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour
6 cups (1 1/2 L) beef stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
3/4 cup (175 mL) dry white wine
Topping:
6 sliced 1/2 inch French bread toasted
1/2 -2 cups (500 mL) shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese
Sprinkling grated, Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese
In large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic together, stirring often to prevent burning but cook gently until a deep golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
Sprinkle with flour and stir in to combine.
Gradually stir in beef stock, cooking until thickened slightly. Add bay leaf, salt, pepper and wine, stirring to combine well. Discard bay leaf.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 325 F (170 C) to toast bread in oven until golden.
Spoon onion soup mixture into 2 cup (500 mL) oven proof dishes; top with a slice of toast, Swiss and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Bake in oven until cheese is melted and soup is heated through, about 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.
Boston Salad with Cucumbers, Dill and Smoked Salmon
Boston lettuce (soft rounds leaf lettuce) is readily available now as a product of Ontario greenhouses.
Their buttery leaves have a delicate flavour, and are a perfect backdrop to smoked salmon or shrimp.
3 heads, Boston lettuce washed, dried, leaves separated
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced and cut in halves
1/4-1/2 cup (50 mL) Fresh dill, washed, dried and finely chopped
12 slices of smoked salmon, each slice rolled into rosettes
Lemon Dill Vinaigrette
1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
2 tbsp (25 mL) fresh dill leaves, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup (375 mL) vegetable oil
2 tbsp (25 mL) liquid honey
1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) fresh black pepper
Leave the lettuce leaves whole and combine in a mixing bowl with cucumber slices and chopped dill.
Make the vinaigrette: In a blender add lemon juice, dill leaves, oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Combine until well blended. Pour into jar. Just before serving salad, pour over just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat leaves. Refrigerate remaining vinaigrette for future salads.
Arrange the lettuce, dill and cucumber on 6 individual plates garnished with 2 smoked salmon rosettes each. If you prefer, cooked shrimp could be substituted for the salmon. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Salad may be made about an hour before serving but should be dressed with vinaigrette just before serving to prevent being wilted and limp.
To make rosette: Starting from the short end of the smoked salmon slice roll the salmon evenly from the one end to the other; pick it up at its base and shape top of salmon to look like petals. Nestle it amongst the lettuce and cucumber.
Makes 6 servings.
Chocolate Truffle Torte
Surprisingly easy to make, this torte is a decadent treat!
1 pkg imported Amaretti biscuits, use about 20
8 oz semi or bittersweet quality chocolate
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
1/4-1/3 cup rum, brandy, Amaretto or Grand Marnier
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
Garnish:
1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream
1/4 cup (50 mL) icing sugar
2 tbsp (25 mL) rum, brandy or vanilla
Line the bottom of an 8- inch (20 cm) cake pan with parchment paper. Take about 20 Amaretti and crush them with a rolling pin or hands to coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over the bottom of the cake pan. Set aside while making torte.
Break chocolate into chunks and place in a mixing bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water. Add the butter cut into cubes and allow to melt together stirring often.
Chocolate does not need a great deal of heat to melt. This will only take a few minutes. Stir to assist melting until smooth. Remove from heat.
Cool slightly and stir in liquor of choice. Cool on counter. Meanwhile whip cream to stiff peaks. Once chocolate is cool, fold in whipped cream until an even chocolate colour.
Spread chocolate mixture evenly over the amaretti crumbs.
Cover and refrigerate until firm. May be made several days in advance, cover and refrigerate or freeze for longer storage. (more than 1 week)
To Serve: Unmold on serving platter, crumb side up.
Beat remaining cream until stiff. Gradually beat in icing sugar then liquor or vanilla. Spoon cream into piping bag and pipe decoratively around the base of cake. Alternatively, serve a dollop of whipped cream with each slice of torte.
Makes 8-12 servings.
