It’s no secret that Youville Centre’s Collective Kitchen classes are among our most popular credit-worthy lifestyle programs. A component of our  “A Leader in Your Own Life” course, Collective Kitchen allows our young moms a chance to learn how to cook affordable, healthy meals for themselves and their children. We also factor in the items our clients are grateful to receive from the Ottawa Food Bank, for example: bread, canned foods and eggs.

Recently we had a guest chef come in to teach our young moms a couple of tasty recipes. Chef Andree Riffou of C’est Bon Cooking was our special guest, and she taught our students how to cook an omelette, and french onion soup, showing them some helpful techniques that resulted in a tasty lunch!

She taught Youville’s moms how to carmelize onions, deglaze a pan, use proper knife skills and make a perfect omelette!

Thank you, Chef Andree for sharing your talents with Youville Centre’s moms. We are grateful for your support and your generous donations!

Chef Andree was gracious enough to share these recipes with all of you who are reading this blog as well! Have fun in the kitchen!

French Onion Soup
Makes 4 servings

1 tbsp (15 g) butter + a bit of vegetable oil
5 cups (450 g) onions, sliced thinly
3 cups (750 ml) water or broth or wine
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Garnish
4 slices (100 g) French bread
¼ cup (40 g) Gruyère cheese, grated

Instructions:

1.    Add butter and a bit of oil to a frying pan.
2.    Add onions and caramelize them for at least 20-25 minutes, it may be as long as one hour.
3.    Add liquid (could be 2/3 red wine if you were in burgundy mixed with 1/3 veal stock).
4.    Add salt and pepper and 1 bay leaf.
5.    Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately one hour.
6.    Slice French baguette and toast in the oven at 375°.
7.    Season to taste.

To Serve:
1.    Fill ¾ of each bowl with some soup and place bread on top.
2.    Add shredded cheese to each bowl.
3.    Set bowls on cookie sheet and broil until cheese is golden brown and soup is bubbling around the edges.
Cheese Omelet
Serves 1

3 Eggs
2 TBSP Butter
1 Shallot, thinly sliced
4 TBSP Cheese, grated (cheddar, gruyere or goat cheese)
2 TSP Parsley
Salt and pepper

Instructions:
1.    Add butter to a heated skillet. Sauté shallots and set aside.
2.    In a bowl, beat eggs. Add shallots, parsley, ham and cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
3.    In the meantime, in a non-stick sauté pan, heat butter. Pour in egg mix.
4.    Let eggs set in the pan. Using a spatula, lift edges and tilt sauté pan, until uncooked egg-mix portion flows underneath.
5.    Using spatula, fold the other portion over top.
6.    Serve omelet upside down.
www.cestboncooking.ca