French Onion Soup

It's a cold, gloomy day in Boston, with snow in the forecast, and not much on the schedule. Perfect, in other words, for this soup. This is not a quick one; the original version is lying when it says you will get caramelized onions in a half hour. Budget at least an hour for that stage.

On the other hand, the ingredient list is short, and this soup will look after itself for most of the time it's cooking. I have altered this recipe somewhat from the original Cooking Light version, but you are welcome to try to caramelize onions in a whisper of olive oil. I usually make a half recipe of this, since the kids aren't yet to an age where they like this kind of thing.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

8 cups sliced onion; I use a mix of yellow, sweet, and red, and slice them thickly
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry white wine
8 cups less-sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 oz French or other sturdy bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 slices Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in sugar, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low and cook for an hour or so, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a deep golden brown. 
2. Stir in wine, and cook for 1 minute. 
3. Add broth and thyme; bring to a boil. 
4. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours. 
5. Preheat broiler. Place bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes or until toasted, turning after 1 minute.
6. Place 8 ovenproof bowls (if making the full recipe) on a jelly-roll pan. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Divide bread evenly among bowls; top each serving with 1 cheese slice. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Open-Faced Jerk Vegetable Sandwiches

This is an oldie -- I still have the physical clipping from Cooking Light -- but I haven't made it in a while. It's an excellent light recipe to make in the summer. A quick saute for the vegetables and a quick run under the broiler is all the heat you need. It's also flexible; you can use literally any vegetables in this, although you should make sure that they'll all cook in roughly the same amount of time; save the carrots and butternut squash for another day.

Ingredients: 

• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (1/8-inch-thick) diagonally cut zucchini
• 1/2 medium onion, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
• Cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons mango chutney
• 1 teaspoon light mayonnaise (Note: I don't use this, and I don't know why anyone would, but if it sounds good to you, hey, go for it.)
• 4 (2-ounce) slices diagonally cut French bread
• 3 ounces thinly sliced Muenster cheese, cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips
• 1 cup gourmet salad greens (I normally just use spinach.)

Instructions:

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add zucchini, onion, bell pepper, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil; seal and shake well to coat. Let stand 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight. (If you're pressed for time, it's still quite good even if you make it right away.)
2. Heat remaining 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add vegetable mixture, and sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and begin to brown. Remove from heat and keep warm.
3. Preheat broiler.
4. Combine chutney and mayonnaise. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted on each side; remove from heat. Spread each slice with about 1 tablespoon chutney mixture; top evenly with cheese. Broil 1 minute or until cheese melts. Place 1 cheese toast on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup greens and 1/2 cup vegetable mixture.