French Onion Soup

1 lb. 6 oz. peeled Onions
3 oz. Butter
1 tsp. freshly ground or cafe ground Pepper
1 tbsp. Spanish Paprika
2 Bay Leaves
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. All-purpose Flour
1 1/2 qt. Beef Bouillon (from cubes or canned) (I used 1/2 beef broth 1/2 chicken broth)

Cut onions in half and slice with the grain about 1/8" thick. Melt butter and add sliced onions. Saute slowly for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add paprika, pepper, bay leaves and flour. Mix well, keeping flame low. Stir while cooking for 5 minutes.

Gradually add hot bouillon while stirring, preferably with a wooden spoon. Simmer soup, covered, for at least 30 minutes.

If a rich brown color is desired, add caramel coloring. Taste soup and season with salt. Yield: 2 quarts.

Serving Suggestion: Heat soup and fill oven-proof casserole or individual oven proof crocks with 8 ounces of soup. Top with thin slices of French bread and cover each serving with 1 1/2 ounces of grated Swiss cheese (Emmenthaler or Gruyere preferred). Place under broiler and melt cheese until golden brown. (I used Mozzarella and Provolone cheese and they both worked fine as well.)

(From Kate Beem)

Boneless Pork Loin Chops with Leeks and Apples

1 TBSP Unsalted Butter
4 4-5 oz boneless center-cut Pork Loin cutlets
2 medium Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 large Leek, white park only, halved, washed carefully and thinly sliced
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 tsp Caraway Seeds
1 tsp Celery Seeds
1 cup Dry White Wine
2 tsp Dijon Mustard

Heat the butter in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Brown the pork loin cutlets and transfer to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Add apples and leeks to pan and saute. Add garlic, caraway seeds and celery seeds into pan. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the dry white wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce the liquid by half. Add the Dijon Mustard into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and return the meat and any juices to the skillet. Cook until pork is 160 degrees. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

4 cups Chicken Broth
4 cups Potatoes (peeled, shredded or cubed (smaller is better) if you like chunkier soup)
1/4 cup Onion, minced
1/2 tsp Seasoning Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Cayenne
8 oz Cream Cheese, cut into chunks

Saute onions in a little bit of oil or a large pot. Add broth, potatoes and spices. Boil on medium until potatoes are tender. If you used cubed potatoes you will need to smash a few to help thicken the soup. (I used an immersion blender to help make the soup a little smoother.) Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese. Stir until cheese melts.

Can also be done in a crock pot by first sauteing the onions in a pan and then adding into the crock pot, adding other ingredients (minus the cream cheese) and put on low for 4 hours. During the last 20 minutes add the cream cheese.

Can be garnished with bacon and shredded cheese and served with a nice crusty bread.