Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Corn and Vidalia Onion Soup

Here's another tasty recipe I whipped up after cleaning out the fridge. This was pretty darn good, even though my roommate talked me into going to Sweet Tomatoes that night. :p


Corn and Vidalia Onion Soup

1 Vidalia onion (or any sweet onion)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
6 ears of corn
1/2 gallon milk
Salt and pepper to taste


Chop onion finely and add to large pot. Saute over medium heat in vegetable oil and butter until translucent. Cut the kernels off the ears and add them as well. Pour in milk, add salt and pepper, and cook till corn and onions are tender (about 15-30 minutes). Milk level will have dropped, which is fine. Serve by itself or with sandwiches.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Oyster Soup

So I'd said something about being veggie for about a month, right? Well, that was before a dear friend gave me a copy of M.F.K. Fisher's "Art of Eating". One chapter is called "Consider the Oyster", which left me drooling for big, fat, fresh ones. So as soon as I got some money, I went to the store and bought a dozen for six bucks (an absolute steal, since a few years ago they were $1.50 each). I brought them home, and made the soup below. I'd forgotten that my roommate hates oysters, so she ended up with something else for dinner--and there was more for myself and my husband.


Oyster Soup


1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk

one dozen oysters

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes

1 tablespoon onion flakes



Shell the oysters over a bowl to catch the juices. Take a few of the smallest oysters and chop them up. Set the oysters and juice aside. Melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a roux. Add the milk slowly, then the garlic and onion. and stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly. Add the oysters, turn off the heat, and call everyone to dinner (by the time they're seated and ready to go, the oysters will be done. Otherwise, wait ten minutes.)Serve, if you can, with French bread and white wine, or throw some potatoes in after the milk is hot, cook them for 10 minutes, and drink the wine anyway.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Grilled Portobellos and Grilled Corn

Hey, folks. It's been a while--haven't really had too many interesting food adventures to post about, plus it's been a harrowing year. At any rate, we've been having a problem with running out of groceries during the last two weeks of the month. I decided to take charge of the finances and our nutrition, at least for a while, and go veggie. After all, vegetables are cheaper than meat, and all of us are supposed to be on a diet anyway (SUPPOSED to be, mind you.) The first run of the black eyed pea burgers didn't go so well, but I'll post about that later. To make these, make sure you spray the everlovin' snot out of your grill. Remember, mushrooms have no fat, and the marinade WILL make them stick.


Grilled Portobellos


4 portobello mushroom caps

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4 hamburger buns

Cheese and condiments (optional)


Combine the portobello mushrooms and spices in a ziploc bag and let them marinate for an hour or so. Heat up the grill (and oil it THOROUGHLY), then place the mushrooms on it. Grill for five minutes on each side. Place mushrooms on buns and add condiments. Serves four.


Grilled Corn


3 ears of corn

1/4 stick of butter, softened

salt and pepper and garlic flakes to taste


Mix the butter, salt and pepper into a paste. Peel down (but don't remove) the husk from each ear of corn. Rub the silk off each ear, then rub the seasoned butter onto the ears. Carefully pull the husk back over the ear, rubbing into place (the butter will help the inner husk stick). Grill on medium heat for about five minutes per side, or until tender. Serves three hungry people, or six as as side dish.