Leek Croquettes

Happy New Year! I hope you have not yet begun your 2011 resolution of "eating healthy", because I have some cheesy goodness for you today. Fried and crunchy on the outside, the inside remains gooey—filled with buttery leeks, cheese, and spices. I really do love vegetables of all varieties, but put some fried cheese in front of me and you will get no complaints. Plus there are vegetables in these—leeks!

While our plans for tonight include a bit of relaxation after a busy few weeks (and me not going anywhere near the kitchen), I almost wish we were entertaining so I could make these! I can see these becoming my new favorite appetizer in the new year. Nearly all the steps can be done ahead of time, which is a must for me. The croquettes can be breaded and waiting in the fridge for guests (just slide them into the oil at the last minute). I would love to be greeted with warm, bite size croquettes!

Leek Croquettes

3 large leeks, finely chopped (white and light green parts only)
3 T butter
3 T flour
1/2 c milk + 3 T
1 c shredded Gruyere or Parmesan (I used a combination)
2 t fresh thyme leaves
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 c bread crumbs
vegetable oil

In a large saute pan, melt 2 T butter, over medium heat. Stir in leeks, and cook 8 minutes, until beginning to brown. Add in 1 T butter, and melt. Whisk in flour and then milk, to combine well. Reduce heat to low, and stir in cheese, thyme, salt and pepper, until well combined. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl, and refrigerate 1-2 hours, until cold. 



With your hands, form mixture into 24 balls (about 3/4" each in diameter). Place on a flat surface, and transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.



In a large saute pan (with deep sides), add 1/4" vegetable oil. Heat over low, to 340-350F. Meanwhile dip each ball into the beaten eggs, and then into the breadcrumbs, rolling until well coated. Slide all 24 croquettes into the heated oil at once. With a slotted spoon, keep the croquettes turning, until all sides are golden brown. Remove croquettes from oil, and place on a paper towel or in a colander, to remove excess oil. Serve warm.

3-Onion Soup

You might think this soup is another feeble attempt for me to profess my love for the mandoline, and while I couldn't go through this post with out at least mentioning it, I swear I'll keep the mandoline-obsession-talk to a minimum. In reality, my love of onion soup runs deep, holding the torch as my favorite soup for 20+ years running.

These days, it is rarely enjoyed outside my home (as with most soups, which are usually not vegetarian-friendly). Which perhaps making it even more of a treat with each bowl. Hours after meal time, my tongue is still tingling with a bit of pain, from a taste or two I couldn't resist sneaking from the pot. But the punishment is so worth it.

3-Onion Soup
serves 4

4 medium onions, sliced thin
4 large shallots, sliced thin
3 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 c red wine
1 T sherry
1 T flour
4 c water (or vegetable broth)
1/2 t pepper
1-2 t salt
4 one-inch slices Ciabatta bread
1 oz Gruyere cheese, cut into thin slices
2 T chopped chives

In a large pan, heat butter and olive oil over low heat. Add onions and shallots and cook 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown and caramelized. Pour in red wine and sherry, scraping brown pits off bottom of the pan. Whisk in flour, until smooth. Add water, pepper and salt, to taste (add less salt if using vegetable broth). Increase heat to medium-low and allow to simmer 10 minutes.

Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet. Top with Gruyere and broil, 2 minutes, until golden brown and toasted. Divide soup among four serving bowls. Top each with a slice of bread. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.

Flatbread with Gorgonzola, Caramelized Onions & Arugula

You know how sometimes you eat something that is so good you can’t stop eating it, although you know you are going to make yourself sick, but you still don’t care? For me, that is this flatbread. I am lucky I am skilled at one-handed photography, as my other hand was preoccupied with shoveling flatbread slices in my mouth. And forget about “action” shots. The first 30 minutes I was in a caramelized-onion-induced-coma and didn’t know what was going on.

Flatbread with Gorgonzola, Caramelized Onions & Arugula
serves 3-4

1 T olive oil
3 T butter
3 medium onions, sliced very thin
3/4 c water
1/2 t dry active yeast
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
4 c arugula, loosely packed
1 c gorgonzola cheese
black pepper, to taste

In a sauté pan, add olive oil and butter, over medium-low heat, until butter has melted. Add onions and stir well. Let onions cook 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep brown (reduce heat to low or add an additional 1 T butter if onions begin to burn). Set aside.

Preheat oven to 500F. In a small bowl, add water and dry active yeast. Stir well, and set aside 3-4 minutes until yeast has dissolved. In a food processor, add flour and salt. Blend. Through the hole in the cover, slowly pour in the water-yeast. Dough will quickly form into a bowl. Transfer dough to a floured surface and divide into two equal size balls. If needed, knead dough until smooth, 1 minute. Roll each ball out until very thin, but not transparent. Transfer to individual baking sheets.

Bake dough 4-5 minutes, until beginning to brown. Remove from oven. Top each dough with a drizzle of olive oil, arugula, caramelized onions and gorgonzola cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes, until edge begin to brown. To serve, slice flatbread and sprinkle with black pepper, to taste.