Caramelized Onion and Old Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Caramelized Onion and Old Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
large white onions, thinly sliced
oil
salt
cracked black pepper
potatoes
butter, melted
cream
grated old cheddar cheese

Heat a little oil in a large, wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until onions are caramelized. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until tender, drain, and mash. Stir in the onions along with some melted butter and cream. Stir in the cheese, then additional salt and pepper to taste.

Roast Beef

• Roasted hip of beef
• Caramelized onion and old cheddar mashed potatoes
• Wilted spinach
• Roasted cherry tomatoes
• Spaghetti squash
• Dijon sauce
• Watermelon radish

Thanksgiving Dinner Canapés

Thanksgiving Dinner Canapés
caramelized red onion biscuits
butternut squash purée (or alternately sweet potato purée)
cranberry chutney/sauce (chunky, whole berry, not jelly and preferably homemade)
pickles

I baked my own vegan biscuits, adding in caramelized red onions to the dough for more flavor. I put my purée in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and piped a swirl onto each biscuit. Then I topped with a dollop of cranberry chutney, and cut my pickles into little half-moon shapes for a garnish.

I think this canapé is quite colorful and something different - more rustic ingredients presented in an elegant way. They were very much appreciated. The flavors balanced very well together - the purée and onions were sweet, the biscuit and pickle salty, the chutney tart, and the pickle acidic. Someone told me the pickle absolutely makes the canapé. I got inspiration for this hors d'oeuvre from Thanksgiving dinner ingredients.

Caramelized Onion Dip

Caramelized Onion Dip
4 large white onions, thinly sliced
salt
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 Tablespoon spice mix (see http://bexysbakingblog.blogspot.ca/2015/11/spice-mix.html)
1 Tablespoon tahini paste
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

Lay the onions out on a baking sheet and drizzle with the oil, then season with spice mix and salt. Cook at 400◦F for 30 minutes or so until well darkened and caramelized. 
Transfer to a food processor with the remaining ingredients and pulse until just combined, leaving it slightly chunky.

Serve immediately warm, or chill and allow flavors to blend.

Homemade Noodles With Tomato Sauce and Caramelized Vegetables

These are the homemade noodles I made from yesterday. I guess if you were to put a name to them, they are closest to fettucini noodles, though they definitely are not perfectly consistent. I did all the work by hand, no pasta maker, and this was my first time, so overall I thought they turned out pretty well. I decided to serve them with simple toppings, so I paired the pasta with a simple tomato sauce, then caramelized some fresh thinly sliced mushrooms and onion rings in a little butter and olive oil. A turn of cracked black pepper and a shaving of Parmesan cheese was all that was needed to round out this dish. Serve as a light lunch, or make it a complete meal with a light salad, garlic bread, and perhaps a bean salad or grilled meat for some protein. 

Browned Onion With Potatoes

This is a quick and easy recipe I found in a cookbook dedicated to potatoes, Company's Coming "The Potato Book". I have made a caramelized onion and potato flan, and a fried potato with caramelized onion dish, and they were both big hits. So I decided to try this recipe too, which is a bit different because the potatoes are mashed. Essentially, this is just a dish of mashed potatoes to which caramelized onions are added. The onions are caramelized in a frying pan, and then stirred into the mashed potatoes. This would be extra good if you added some mushrooms along with the onions, and if you really want to make it special, stir in a little cream cheese or sour cream with the potatoes. 

Browned Onion With Potatoes
4 medium white potatoes, peeled
water
2 small onions, sliced into thin rings
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter
1/3 cup milk
salt, pepper, and any other seasonings, to taste

Boil the potatoes in water in a medium saucepan until tender. 
Meanwhile, heat the oil and one of the tablespoons of margarine in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sautee, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. The heat may be turned down if onion becomes too brown. 
Once tender, drain and mash the potatoes with the remaining margarine, milk, and seasonings. Stir in the onions. This can be kept warm in the pot for up to 20 minutes until diner is ready.

Paré, Jean. "Browned Onion With Potatoes." Recipe. The Potato Book, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 2004. 106.

Potatoes Lyonnaise

I found the idea for this simple potato side dish in one of my many cookbooks. It seemed very simple, not too complex in flavors - so quite versatile, and a nice change from the usual potato dishes we eat around here. Frying the potato with caramelized onion in a little margarine gives a lot of flavor, without all of the fat of deep frying. It is also a tasty change from plain baked potatoes. They can be seasoned and dressed up any way you want; cheese would also be a welcome addition. Although these potatoes require a bit more prep time, because they must be pre-baked and then allowed to cool, this may easily be done a day in advance. Once this step is done, the assembly of the entire dish only takes about 15 minutes, and does not require constant attention.

Potatoes Lyonnaise
4 medium potatoes, peeled
2 - 4 Tablespoons  hard margarine or butter (butter will brown faster)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
any other seasonings you would like (salt, pepper, chili powder, parsley, etc.)

Cook potatoes in a pot full of water on the stove until just tender. Drain and cool until cool enough to handle. Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. In a large frying pan, melt the margarine. Add the onion, and caramelize for five minutes. Add the potato slices and fry until browned, about ten additional minutes. Season with seasonings, as desired. Dish can be kept warm over low heat for another 10-20 minutes or so if the main is not quite ready.

Caramelized Mushroom & Lobster Risotto

Risotto is one of my signature supper dishes. The entire family enjoys it, and it is relatively quick and simple for me to make anytime. It is also a convenient dish because we usually have all of the ingredients on hand anyway. My regular risotto is just plain, but contains onion of course, and that is what I usually make. However, sometimes I make different types of risotto or even just serve some additions on the side, so that way family members can create their own risotto to suit their personal tastes. Tonight I sauteed up some caramelized mushrooms, and we also had some lobster on hand to serve with the risotto. This made quite a tasty risotto. There are so many different risotto combinations out there, actually you could put just about anything you want in risotto. Some classic risotto additions are peas, asparagus, saffron, mushrooms, butternut squash, prosciutto, and salmon. Risotto can be a simple side dish, or a hearty main dish. It is nice served with a side of protein or fish and some vegetables, and a piece of crusty bread. Simple, but always pleasing, flavors to add to risotto are olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.

Blow Torch

I was absolutely delighted on my last birthday when I received a mini kitchen blow torch as a birthday gift from my dear friend. Blow torches may sound dangerous, but they are actually quite safe when used properly. Many blow torches include safety features such as automatic shut-off, child-lock, and a safety trigger. They produce only a short, thin flame, and the torch itself does not get incredibly hot. They are small, not too expensive, and have various uses. They can be used for Crème Brulee, Flambee, broiled toppings, caramel sauce, brown sugar glazes, marshmallow frosting, s’mores, meringue, baked Alaska, and even pizza! Of course be careful not to confuse mini kitchen blow torches (sometimes called crème brülée torches) with industrial sized blow torches used for soldering and other such things. There is another option for most dishes if you do not happen to have a blow torch. You can put the item on the highest rack in your oven and put the broiler on high, watching carefully as it cooks fast, until carmelized to the desired colour. However, this method is not nearly as fun!

PHOTO CREDIT:"2" http://pursuitofhappieness.wordpress.com/. Pursuit of Happiness, n.d. Friday, December 2, 2011

Turkey Soup With Oat Dumplings

What could be better to warm you up on a crisp fall day other than a hearty bowl of soup? I got this recipe from a cooking magazine, although it used chicken. Since we had some leftover turkey pieces in the freezer and a few cups of stock I made with that turkey, I decided to make turkey soup. This is basically a traditional soup recipe with onions, carrots, and potatoes. Here, you also get the bread and soup all in one dish with the oat dumplings. The soup gets added flavor and tenderness from initially sauteeing the vegetables in butter, instead of just adding water/stock and boiling them. This also makes for quicker preparation, so the soup doesn't have to be simmering on the stove all day. Only for an hour or two. The soup turned out warm, spicy, and delicious; and the dumplings were tender and fluffy.

Carmelized Onion and Potato Flan

Yesterday I made this potato dish to go with our dinner. It was quick to prepare, easy to do, and quite good. We will have the leftovers today with our meal. It is sort of like Scalloped Potatoes, but a little different. I can't remember where the recipe came from because I had copied it into my own writing, and I just found the recipe in my collection.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. butter (not oil or margarine)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
6-8 medium potatoes, peeled, washed, and thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup grated cheese (I used mozzarella)

Directions
In a large frying pan, cook the onions over medium high heat in the butter just until they begin to brown. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook sowly for about 20 minutes, to carmelize and release their juices.

Arrange half of the potato slices shingle-style in the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch metal baking dish. Season, top with half of the onions and half of the cheese. Repeat layers.
Cover with foil, bake at 375◦F for 50-60 minutes until potatoes are tender.