Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons - Food Network Magazine

(sorry the picture is messy - this is a picture of seconds, it was so good!)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Grilled Cheese Croutons (see below)

Directions

In a large pot or Dutch oven (such as Le Creuset), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. (It will finish cooking in the soup.) Drain the orzo and add it to the soup. Stir in the cream, return the soup to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve hot with Grilled Cheese Croutons scattered on top.

Grilled Cheese Croutons
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices country white bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
Heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with the melted butter, being sure to butter the corners. Turn the slices over and pile Gruyere on two of the slices. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the Gruyere, buttered sides up.
Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Place on a cutting board, allow to rest for 1 minute and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Please don't be put off by the  expensive sounding ingredients/cookware. I bought the Food Network Magazine because there were pumpkins on the cover and I realized I'm going to miss fall. I found this recipe and definitely made some changes. It did, however, make me miss my mom :) be warned.

I bought low-sodium chicken stock, which worked fine. I'm not big on using a lot of salt or pepper - I add them of course but I think people should add it as needed when they are served. (My sister hates pepper so I did get used to only adding a little). Also, I did not use saffron or the orzo. Saffron is expensive, it will run you probably $15+ for a small amount. Since I'm not working full time, $15 is an insane amount to spend on a spice for one time use. I decided not to use the orzo - I really wanted the croutons to stand out and be the only texture in the soup. I did splurge on the Gruyere cheese, it was so good in the soup. Definitely make the grilled cheese croutons (I should've cooked mine a little longer!). They melt into the soup and are worth it.

This is a soup I plan on making again. While San Diego doesn't get "cold" we will have some chilly nights and I'm looking forward to enjoying this soup again.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie - Everyday Food

Ingredients

• 4 flour tortillas (10 inches)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add beans and beer, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
4. Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove side of pan; sprinkle pie with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.

As you can see from the picture, I slightly over cooked it (by slightly I mean way overcooked it). I should've watched it more closely. I also wasn't using a springform pan, I don't own one. I think having that pan would've been helpful in cutting the pie and serving it.
I also used a more "hoppy" beer. I think I used an IPA. I've made this before and next time I'll use a more neutral flavored beer. Other than that, I followed this recipe as is. This wasn't my roommates favorite dishes so far but they did eat all of it. Its a great vegetarian dish and those meat eater men I live with seemed to miss the protein :)
REALLY IMPORTANT - Do not touch the seeds or ribs of that jalapeno with your hands. I did it once before and it burns like you would not believe. If you happen to tempt fate, keeping your hands in milk will help. I know - I happened to do this when I first started cooking.

Hands in Milk - circa 2005

Chili-Rubbed Pork with Corn Salsa - Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 1/2 lb. total
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp. ancho chili powder
• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
• 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro 

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 425°F.
Rub the pork tenderloins with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the chili powder.
In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the tenderloins to a shallow roasting pan just large enough to hold them. Reserve the fry pan and drippings.
Transfer the pork to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 145° to 150°F and the meat is barely pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pork to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the corn and cumin to the drippings in the fry pan and set the pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the corn is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the onion, tomato, lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut the pork into thin slices and serve with the warm salsa. 

I served this with pre-made crescent rolls and sweet potato fries. For the sweet potatoes: I peeled them, cut them into fry size, put them on a rimmed sheet, sprinkled them with olive oil, pepper, and salt. I cooked them at 425 for about 25 minutes with the pork.

I was really excited to make this, because I've never cooked with pork loin before. My mom and Aunt have, it always turned out well so I was ready to take on the challenge! I went out and bought an inexpensive meat thermometer, I wanted to make sure the pork was cooked enough. I kept checking it and, of course, the thermometer didn't work. Knowing that our oven range is not quite as hot as it should be, I cooked it longer. It was slightly annoying and I will be sure to buy a mid-priced item next time, but the pork and corn salsa came out delicious! Brad had seconds which is always a good sign :)