Life on the beach

French Onion Soup is the best if your feeling under the weather, bear in mind - everything in the kitchen that can smell of onions will do after you make this soup….
(serves 3-4)
Ingredients

• 5 medium onions (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
• 2 Cloves of garlic (crushed)
• 2 Pints (1.2 ltr) Good Beef Stock
• 70g Butter
• 1 glass (125ml) dry Vermouth

Method

1. In a big enough pan add a lug of olive oil and melt the butter and sugar
2. When this is very hot add the onion and garlic stirring when needed
3. When the edges of the onions start to go brown turn down the heat and leave for about 30 mins
4. Check for brown caramelized onions on the bottom of the pan (if not leave longer or turn up heat a little)
5. Add vermouth to pan and stir, make sure you get all the brown stuff off the bottom of the pan - thats the flavor!
6. Add the beef stock
7. season as needed (if using supermarket stock go easy on the salt as it will be salty enough)
8. leave on a low heat to simmer for about an hour
9. serve with toasted French bread (or make croûtons by rubbing the bread in olive oil and baking them till crispy

To Serve
Sometimes i like to put cheese on my croûtons and melt it in the oven, arrange the croûtons in the bowl and spoon in the soup.

I have a good casserole dish with a lid that can go on the hob and in the oven, I use this pan more than any other I own and its the second best thing I have ever purchased for my kitchen (after my knives). It cost me £25 from Marks and spencers and was a very good investment. I use it for this recipe
Spanish Chicken and Bean Casserole
(serves 4)
Ingredients

• 4 Chicken breasts (with skin)
• 1 medium leek
• 1 medium onion
• 150g chorizo (pealed and cut in to small cubes)
• 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
• 2 heaped tsp tomato puree
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 medium carrot chopped
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• half a handful lemon thyme (leaves only)
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tin butter beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 tin mixed bean salad (drained and rinsed)
• 275 ml hot vegetable stock

Method

1) Add a good lug of olive oil to the pan and get the pan hot.
2) Fry the chicken breasts untill the are cooked on all sides and set aside on a plate for later.
3) Add the onions leek and carrot to the pan
4) Add the bay leaf and put set the heat to low and cover for 10 - 15 mins.
5) Stir in the chorizo
6) Add the paprika
7) Turn up the heat and cook together for 3 - 4 mins stiring when needed.
8) stir in the thyme garlic tomatoes and the tomato puree
9) Season as with salt and pepper to taste
10) Stir in the butter beans and the mixed bean salad
11) Add the chicken back to the pan
12) Pour over the hot stock
13) add the saffron
14) reduce the heat to low and cover, leave to simmer for 20-25 mins

At this point you should be left with a great smelling casserole that is rather orange in colour.

15) to serve, lift out the chicken breasts on to the warmed serving bowls before stirring in the parsley and spooning over the sauce.