Tag: Onions

  • Pickled Shrimp and Peppers, Onions, Green Beans, Asparagus, Carrots!

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    IMG_6023
    Original recipe makes 8 – 1 quart jars
    4 Tablespoons old bay seasoning
    2 pounds Shrimp Large (26-30 count per pound with tails on)
    8 cucumbers, thinly sliced
    2 onions, thinly sliced
    48 green beans
    32 small asparagus spears
    16 small peeled carrots trim to jar size.
    2 green bell peppers, diced
    8 cloves garlic, chopped
    1 bunch of seedless green grapes
    1/2 cup salt
    Brine
    3 cups cider vinegar
    3 cups white sugar
    3 tablespoons mustard seed
    1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
    1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
    1 tablespoon ground turmeric
    If you want them spicy….
    1 tsp chili pepper flakes or you can use sliced jalapeno peppers

    If you have fresh shrimp, peel and clean leaving the tail on. Boil for 2 minutes with Old Bay Seasoning. Place in ice water to chill.
    While you are heating the brine, pack your jars with shrimp, onions, peppers, garlic, stand the green beans, asparagus, carrots upright, top each with a few grapes.

    Pour hot brine over your packed jars to 1/4 inch of top.
    Place lids on and allow to cool on your counter.

    Keep refridgerated. Eat early at 2 days 3 weeks.
    Enjoy on toast or over a Caesar Salad. Awesomebites!

  • Coq Au Vin

    Coq Au Vin

    My sister-in-law once said she loved Coq Au Vin. I had never made it, but the thought was stored until the other day. The time was now. So, I put this together. Husband Dennis loved, loved, loved it!

    Since all my kids have flown the coup, my office is the lucky group that get my leftovers. I think they are goin’ like it!

    4 pieces of bacon or ham slices, coarsely chopped
    2 chickens
    2 chopped onions
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thyme
    Salt and Pepper
    16 ounces large crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, halved
    8-12 carrots, chopped into 1 inch chunks
    1 fennel bulb chopped into quarters
    4 whole garlic cloves
    2 bottles red wine. Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah all work.)
    1 small can tomato paste
    1/4 cup beef gravy mix

    Instructions
    Preheat oven to 300°F. Sauté bacon or ham in large cast iron pan that will hold two chickens. Add all ingredients except the gravy mix.

    Bake for 4 hours at 300 degrees. Move the pot from the oven to the stovetop.
    Add Gravy mix to 1/2 cup water, stir to mix and then add to drippings.
    Let simmer 5 minutes and serve over mashed potatoes.

    If you do not have gravy mix, use flour. Place flour in small cup.
    Add 1/4 cup water, stirring until smooth. Add flour mixture to sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on platter; stir juices from dish into sauce and spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon fresh thyme.

    I started this at lunch time, and finished it off by making mashed potatoes when I got home from work. This is a keeper.

  • Roasted Tomato Fennel Soup

    Roasted Tomato Fennel Soup

    Roasted Tomato Fennel Soup

    I woke up this morning wanting to make soup for my office luncheon meeting. Up at 5:00 AM, roasting vegetables. Husband looking at me oddly, and finely asking, “What are you making?”. As the vegetables roasted I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down with Dennis for a few minutes of morning chit chat. I love the mornings, lighting the fireplace, having coffee, talking about the day ahead of us.

    27 years married, work in a business together, we have much to discuss.
    We discussed issues quickly and made decisions and moved from topic to topic. This is our time to discuss our calendars, potential conflicts, kids, vacation ideas, work strategy.

    I learned a long time ago to keep our discussions for the morning. Discussing issues at night when we are both tired, just led to a restless, sleepless night for both of us. Everything is shelved when I come home until the morning. It makes for a harmonic evening.

    My tomato plants are nice this year. Already have quite a few tomatoes, so soup has been on my mind. My fennel is also ready to pick. And lucky me, someone gave me some fresh squash. Happy girl I am!

    1 pan of quartered fresh tomatoes, 6-8
    2 yellow onions sliced
    2 cups squash, sliced
    2 bulbs fennel, sliced
    1/4 cup olive oil
    Drizzle olive oil over vegetables on separate sheet pans – one layer 400 degrees for 40 minutes

    8 cups chicken broth
    3 cans diced chopped tomatoes
    1/2 tsp red chili flakes
    1 tsp tarragon
    juice from 2 lemons
    Bring broth to a boil and add the vegetables after roasting. Simmer for 20-30 minutes allowing the soup to reduce. Using a stick hand blender, puree the vegetable soup.
    Serves a crowd 15-20 friends.
    Pour soup into crockpot to keep warm and take to your office and serve them lunch.
    Serve with grated parmesan and croutons.
    Excellent soup. You’ll love it!

    Order a cheese pizza and serve with the soup. You office mates are goin’ love you.
    Want more? Serve with Chicken Ceasar Salad.
    Awesome!

  • Eggs, Onions and Hot Links

    Eggs, Onions and Hot Links

    Beat eggs

    Slice onions

    Slice hot links

    Grated Cheddar Cheese

    In a frying pan, saute the onions and hot links slices, add beaten eggs, cover with lid and reduce heat to low for 3-4 minutes or until eggs are set.  Salt and Pepper, sprinkle with cheese of your liking.

    Eggs, Onions and Hot Links
  • Brussel Sprouts with Carmelized Shallots

    Brussel Sprouts with Carmelized Shallots

    Brussel Sprouts with Carmelized Shallots

    6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided

    • 1/2 pound shallots, thinly sliced
    • Coarse kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 4 teaspoons sugar
    • 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed
    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 cup water

    Preparation

    Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes.

    Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin (1/8-inch) slices. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown at edges, 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter. Sauté until most of water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 minutes. Add shallots; season with salt and pepper.

  • Pearl Onions & Portabello Mushrooms

    First time I had this was New Year’s Eve dinner and dance at the Casino while in Avalon, Catalina 2008.

    Servings: 4-8 people

    Ingredients

    Olive Oil
    Salt & Pepper
    Pearl Onions – blanch and peel
    Portabello Mushrooms, ribs and stems removed. Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

    Preparation

    Arrange one layer of onions and one layer of mushrooms on their own cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Olive Oil and season with Salt and Pepper.
    Roast until onions are carmelized and mushrooms are tender. 400 degree oven.
    Combine on a serving tray.
    Serve warm.

  • Molasses Baked Onions

    Rich and sweet, these onions are adapted from Angela Shelf Medearis’s recipe for Honey-Baked Onions in The African-American Kitchen. They’re… more ›

    Ingredients

    • 4 large sweet onions such as Vidalia, Walla Walla, or Oso Sweet (3 to 4 lb total)
    • 1 1/2 cups tomato juice (12 fluid ounces)
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 tablespoons molasses (regular or robust; not blackstrap)
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
    • 8 bacon slices (1/2 pound), halved crosswise

    Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

    Peel and trim onions, keeping root ends intact, then halve each lengthwise. Arrange, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish or other 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish.

    Bring tomato juice, water, butter, molasses, and salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, then pour over onions. Bake onions, uncovered, basting with juices every 30 minutes, until tender, about 2 hours.

    Lay 2 pieces of bacon side by side over each onion half and continue to bake onions, basting once with juices halfway through baking, until onions are very tender, bacon is browned, and juices are thickened, about 1 hour more.

    Cooks’ note: Onions can be baked 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat, covered with foil, in a preheated 350°F oven 20 to 30 minutes.