French Bread Pizza with Sausage, Clams, and Mushrooms

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 piece).

Ingredients
1 (4-ounce) link sweet Italian sausage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (6 1/2-ounce) can chopped clams, undrained
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (16-ounce) loaf French bread, cut in half horizontally
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.

Remove casing from sausage. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add flour, and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms, milk, oregano, pepper, and clams; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese.

Place bread halves on a baking sheet; spread clam mixture evenly over cut sides of bread. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese and parsley. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cut each half into 3 pieces.

Nutritional Information
Calories:363 (28% from fat)
Fat:11.3g (sat 4.7g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.3g)
Protein:19.3g
Carbohydrate:44.8g
Fiber:2.7g
Cholesterol:35mg
Iron:4mg
Sodium:1mg
Calcium:276mg

French cooking@home
by cooking mania

French Onion Soup with Beef and Barley

Yield
6 servings

Ingredients
1 cup boiling water
1/2 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, divided
2 medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup chopped shallots or onion
2 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 (12-ounce) lean boneless sirloin steak, cut into 2-inch strips
4 cups water
2/3 cup uncooked pearl barley
1/4 cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can beef consommé
12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese

Preparation
Combine boiling water and shiitakes in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain the shiitakes in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid. Slice shiitakes, discarding stems.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, shallots, ginger, and garlic; sauté 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the shiitakes, button mushrooms, sugar, and beef. Sauté 10 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add reserved mushroom liquid, 4 cups water, and the next 4 ingredients (water through consommé); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir in 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

Preheat broiler.

Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 ovenproof soup bowls; top each serving with 2 bread slices and 2 tablespoons cheese. Broil 3 inches from heat 1 minute or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Note: This soup will freeze well for up to two months. Pour into an airtight container, leaving enough room for expansion (usually an inch or two at the top). To reheat, thaw completely in the refrigerator; then place contents in a saucepan over low heat, adding some liquid if necessary.

Nutritional Information
Calories:351 (27% from fat)
Fat:10.7g (sat 4.3g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.7g)
Protein:24.6g
Carbohydrate:40g
Fiber:6.2g
Cholesterol:50mg
Iron:3.7mg
Sodium:676mg
Calcium:196mg

French cooking@home
by cooking mania

Introduction

For how small France is on a global geographic perspective, the diversity of their cuisine can only be match by a few other large countries. Much of the exquisite cuisine served in fine restaurants around the world can be attributed to the art of French cooking. France is known for their world renowned wines, breads, and cheeses.

As mentioned above, Fresh cuisine is diverse and is not all about cream and butter. That rich style was usually attributed to those in the higher classes. To the East you can find many dishes that are similar to Western Spain with the heavy use of tomatoes and peppers. To the West near Germany you can find popular dishes with sausages and sauerkraut.

Here you can learn how to cook French food at home by yourself from many popular French recipes. Let's do it and enjoy the great foods now!

French cooking@home by cooking mania