The wife wants the weekend coming up to be casual and full of trying new meals, so we are gonna give brew burgers and french onion soup a shot to start;
BREW BURGERS
Oil to sauté
2½ pounds of ground beef
1 onion, diced
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons thyme, dried (30ml)
1 tablespoon oregano, dried (15ml)
1 egg
1 bottle of stout beer
¼ cup parsley, chopped (60ml)
1 teaspoon of salt (5ml)
1 teaspoon of black pepper (5ml)
In a small saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion, jalapeno peppers, garlic, thyme and oregano until onions are translucent (about 3 minutes).
In a large bowl, stir together ground beef, onion mixture and egg, blend thoroughly. Slowly stir in stout beer. Add parsley, celery salt and black pepper and mix well.
Preheat grill to 375ºF.
Form meat into 6 patties. Place on grill and cook, turning until well-done throughout (about 8-10 minutes per side).
Yield: 6 servings
Michael Smith's French Onion Soup
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons oil
* 5 large onions, peeled and sliced thinly
* Splash of water
* Salt
The Soup
* 1/2 cup brandy
* 3 sprigs fresh thyme
* 6 cups Homemade Chicken Broth (recipe from this episode)
* Salt and pepper
* 4 slices slices multi-grain bread, cut into rounds to fit bowls, toasted
* 2 cups Swiss, Gruyere or emmenthal cheese, grated
Directions
1. Toss the butter, oil, onions and water into a large soup pot with a few pinches of salt.
2. Cover with a tight fitting lid and let the onions soften over a medium high heat, about 10 minutes.
3. When the water has evaporated, remove the lid, turn heat to low and begin to slowly caramelize onions, stirring frequently. This will take about one hour.
The Soup
1. When the onions are a deep golden colour and have shrunk dramatically, add the brandy, thyme and broth.
2. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Preheat your oven's broiler. Ladle the soup into 4 onion soup or ovenproof bowls and fit a slice of toast over each bowl.
4. Sprinkle each evenly with the cheese and place bowls onto a baking sheet.
5. Place under the broiler and broil until the soup is bubbling and the tops are golden brown.
------------------
These are straight from 2 shows I watch on Canadian Food Network, License To Grill (dont think this one is in the USA) and Chef at Home, Michael Smith gives me wood with the way he talks about food.