French Onion Soup & Pressed Caprese Sandwiches

What goes better together than soup and sandwiches? This is a great quick dinner, and no complaints from the kids (well at least no complaints about sandwiches). The french onion soup is a recipe that I have been using for a while, straight from the Food Network - Tyler Florence's recipe actually, and I have found very little that needs to be changed. In fact, I would recommend leaving it as is, but sometimes it is nearly impossible to find or afford Gruyere cheese, if that is the case then just go with Swiss (if you like the sharp flavor) or Muenster (if you like it a little more mild).

French Onion Soup

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 fresh thyme sprigs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle

3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 quarts beef broth

1 baguette, sliced

1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Directions

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

Pressed Caprese Sandwiches

These are also called Pannini's but since I don't have a pannini press I prefer to call them "pressed". I am weird I know. I love the simplicity of the caprese match up - thick ripe tomato slices, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil..... mmmm... For the bread - you need a heartier bread than a french or Italian loaf. Look for a pugliese or something similar in the bakery department of the grocery store and the bakery people will slice it for you with their handy dandy slicing machine if you ask nice.

Ingredients:

1 loaf crusty artisan bread
3 Ripe red tomatoes (never refrigerate, unless you like mealy flavorless tomatoes)
1 pkg FRESH mozzarella (don't buy precious brand, it is strangely bitter, and mozzarella should be almost     sweet)
12 Leaves of fresh basil
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Heat a George Foreman grill, or whatever you would use to make a grilled cheese sandwich. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella to the same thickness, about 1/8" thick. Wash and dry the basil leaves. Using a basting brush lightly coat one side of a slice of bread and set on the hot pan or griddle. Layer the cheese,then basil then tomato, lightly salt and pepper the tomatoes, then put on the top slice of bread, that has also been oiled. Press the sandwiches with the lid of the foreman or with the back of a heavy spatula. You want then to look a little flat and semi-smashed. Cook until both sides are a beautiful golden brown. Cut down the middle and enjoy. 
Small variation: One day, I was feeling especially creative and I put these sandwiches on our gas BBQ, and let me just tell you - it was the best way I have ever had these sandwiches! If you are up for it - try it!

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

This recipe is an adaptation from a Rachael Ray recipe. My family loves sandwiches - so of course anything between two pieces of bread is delicious. This recipe feeds 4.

For the onions:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or enough to lightly coat the bottom of a skillet 

2 large yellow skinned onions, sliced very thin

Coarse salt and pepper or steak seasoning blend

For the steak:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds lean beef tenderloin or sirloin, ask butcher to slice the meat very thin

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 slices provolone cheese, from the deli counter

4 Italian sandwich hogie rolls 

Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add onions and season with salt and pepper or steak seasoning blend. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until onions are soft and caramel in color.
Heat a heavy griddle pan over medium high to high heat. Wipe griddle with a drizzle of oil using a paper towel. Sear and cook thin sliced steaks until brown but not crisp, about 1 minute on each side. Cook steaks in single layers in 2 batches and tenderize by cutting into meat with the side of your spatula while they cook. When the steaks are browned, just before you remove them from heat, sprinkle them with garlic salt and pepper. When all of the steaks are cooked, line each of your split rolls with 2 slices of provolone cheese. Put under the broiler to melt the cheese, but don't brown the cheese. Pile 1/4 of your meat and onions on to the griddle and mix together with your spatula. Pile the meat and onions into rolls on top of the cheese.  Repeat for remaining servings and serve

Steak & Onion Sammy's

This recipe, I once again cannot take credit for, it's actually a weight watchers recipe (shhhhh... I won't tell). My younger kids are not big fans of the onions on the sandwich but they do love the steak, so I will usually have some sort of veggie side dish so they are not just eating beef for dinner.

3 Large Onions (if you can find Vidalla's - they are the best)

1 Flank Steak

Salt & Pepper

Thyme

1 T. Balsamic Vinegar

2 T. Sugar
Marble Rye Bread (or regular rye)
Dijon mustard
Lettuce & tomato
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cut the onions in half then use a mandolin (or your super handy knife skills) to slice the onions into paper thin slices. Heat a tiny amount of the olive oil (or you can even use cooking spray) over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the onions, sugar and 1/2 t. thyme. Allow to cook until golden brown and caramelized.

While the onions are cooking:
Pre-heat the oven to Broil or start up your BBQ. Season the steak liberally with salt & pepper (and maybe a dash of cayenne pepper is you like a little heat). Cook the steak for about 7-8 minutes per side for medium doneness.  When the steak is cooked, let it rest on the cutting board for at least 5 minutes so the juices don't run when you slice it.

Once the onions are golden add the balsamic vinegar and a dash of salt & pepper. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated.

Slice the lettuce & tomatoes and thinly slice the steak. 

Layer the steak, onions, lettuce & tomato on the rye bread that has been slathered with a thin layer of Dijon mustard.

makes 6 hearty sandwiches - depending on size of steak.