Simple Onion Jam

Simple Onion Jam
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons honey
two large white onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

Bring the vinegar, water, maple syrup, and honey to a boil. Add the onions and garlic. Simmer until onions are softened and liquid is reduced. Add a little more water as needed to keep the pan from going dry. 

Roasted Baby Potatoes with Mustard Aioli & Onion Jam

White baby potatoes. Cut an "X" in the top of each potato. Do not cut all the way through the potato, just enough to make a small crown-like opening. You can also cut a small slice off the bottom of the potatoes if they are really round and roll too much. Drizzle the potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper and roast at 425◦F until tender. They can be prepared ahead of time up to this point.
Fill the centers of the potatoes with onion jam and pop back in the oven to heat through. Remove from oven and top with a dollop of mustard aioli and two thin slices of chives.

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

Caramelized Apple and Red Onion

Caramelized Apple and Red Onion
oil
red onion, thinly sliced
apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
salt
pepper
nutmeg

Heat the oil in a shallow pot over medium heat and add the onion. Cook slowly, covered, stirring occasionally until onions are very soft but ensure not to let them brown. Add the apples and cook until softened but not mushy. Add in seasonings.
It seems very simple but is incredibly delicious - it makes a great condiment or side dish or pork, blue cheese toasts, toast, aged cheddar, etc. Add some honey, molasses, brown sugar, or maple syrup to make more of a "jam" or compote, and add extra spices and seasonings as desired. 

Roast Pork Loin Dinner

• Spiced roasted pork loin
• Sour cream and grainy mustard mashed potatoes
• Honey glazed carrots
• Caramelized apples and red onion
• Roasted patty pan squash
• Brown sugar apple cider gastrique

Champ

Champ are a delicious version of mashed potatoes. They are of Irish origin and are really only mashed potatoes with the addition of thinly sliced green onions but they are really delicious! Maybe it's because the Irish really know how to make a good mash! After having worked in Ireland a couple times, I learned the tricks to excellent mash. Here is my version of champ, which adds some garlic and browned butter for extra mashed potato yumminess!!

Champ
potatoes, peeled, boiled, drained well, mashed, and still hot
thinly sliced green onions (or spring onions, or scallions, they're all the same)
minced garlic
brown butter (melt unsalted butter, then continue cooking it until it turns golden brown)
whipping cream, heated until warm
black pepper
salt

Ensure the potatoes are well mashed and smooth. Then add remaining ingredients, gradually. You want the potatoes to be thin and creamy, but not soupy. And you should be able to taste the garlic, pepper and salt so no flavor overpowers the other. The onions should appear quite prominently throughout the mix. The hardest part is knowing the proper ratios of cream and butter and this comes with practice. Both serve to add richness and thin out the potatoes, but too much butter makes them greasy and too much cream makes them gummy or soupy.
I was taught that after adding enough liquid, the potatoes should be able to be mixed with a whisk until smooth. The process goes a lot smoother if the potatoes, cream, and butter are all hot to begin with!

Braised Baby Onions

We got some adorable little local baby onions in last week and I wanted to prepare them in a way so as to showcase them, and not just chop them up like any other onion (also because small onions are a pain to chop!). We had some little white onions, yellow, greenish, and purple. They are kind of similar to pearl onions but pearl onions are usually sold in a jar of brine, already peeled.
Anyway, I decided to peel them and trim them up, but leave them whole and braise them.

Braised Baby Onions
baby onions, peeled and bottom root sliced off
butter
brown sugar
red wine vinegar
red wine
water
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the butter in a pan, add the onions, and toss to coat them. Sprinkle on some sugar and stir to coat Pour in a little vinegar and deglaze. Then pour in enough wine to cover and simmer until wine is reduced and no liquid remains Pour in a little extra wine and some water, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until onions are very soft and almost falling apart. Check on them periodically to make sure the mixture doesn't run dry. You want the braising liquid to be sticky and thick at the end but you don't want it to burn! Season as desired.

Sunday Roast

At the restaurant where I work, Sundays are always special. We have a live Irish music session, as well as a big, special Sunday roast dish which is unique each week. Last Sunday was my first time doing the roast, and I was super excited. This is what I came up with:

• Irish style prime rib roast (flavored with rosemary, thyme, garlic, and black pepper)
• Brown butter champ mashed potatoes (green onion, garlic, brown butter, cream, black pepper, salt)
• Yorkshire pudding
• Red Wine Jus
• Braised baby onion and shitake mushrooms
• Roasted colored cherry tomatoes
• Creamed spinach

Grilled Ratatouille

Grilled Ratatouille
2 large eggplants, halved lengthwise
2 large green zucchinis, halved lengthwise
3 red onions, halved
15 roma tomatoes, halved
2 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
2 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 bunch green onions

Drizzle all the vegetables lightly with oil, then place on a preheated grill. Char them until visible grill marks appear and the vegetables are tender, flipping them as necessary. Cool vegetables until they can be handled, then cut into a large dice. Toss all together and season with additional oil, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. 

Grilled Swordfish with Grilled Ratatouille

• Honey coconut marinated swordfish, grilled
• Grilled ratatouille with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, green peppers, red peppers, red onion, and green onion
• Garlic and herb roasted baby red potatoes
• Basil lime pesto
• Purple basil garnish

Crispy Fried Onions

These fried onions are one of my go-to garnishes. Fast, easy, and always tasty. Simply slice an white onion (or more than one, depending upon how much you want) into thin rounds (or half rounds, if you prefer). Place them in a plastic bag and coat them thoroughly with a small amount of all-purpose flour. You can also add any spices and seasonings to the flour as you wish. Drop the onions (in batches as necessary) into hot oil. I always use a small amount of oil in a pot on the stove to do this. A deep-fryer could also be used. I don't know what temperature the oil should be and I don't think it matters too much. As long as it sizzles when you drop an onion piece in it it is good to go. Stir the onions around very once in a while so they cook more evenly. Drain them on paper towels once they are golden and crisp. Sprinkle with a little salt and enjoy as a snack, side, or garnish.

On The Fly Pork Dinner

Seared pork tenderloin, Creamy potato gratin, Roasted broccoli and zucchini, Crispy onions, Cilantro walnut pesto, Mushroom maple sauce.

All prepared within an hour using a small, limited kitchen and some random ingredients bought at the store plus a small pantry supply. It isn't complicated or time consuming to make some really tasty, balanced, meals at home. I will be sharing the individual components of this dish in the coming week.

Exploring The City

Today I did a big walking tour of the downtown city area. I got to see lots of sights - historical structures, buildings of interest, nature sights, shops, restaurants, businesses, cultural hubs, and so much more!

Mountains still in view

Big city hotel

View out the sky train window

home cooked supper

I also cooked dinner at the house tonight which was fun to use a kitchen I wasn't familiar with and had limited equipment/pantry. I kind of made the meal up on the fly using a few key ingredients and came up with this...
Seared pork tenderloin, Creamy potato gratin, Roasted broccoli and zucchini, Crispy onions, Cilantro walnut pesto, Mushroom maple sauce.

Onion Rings

Onion Ring Batter
125 grams all-purpose (plain) flour
550 grams cornstarch
7.5 grams baking powder
8 grams salt
water, as needed

Whisk the dry ingredients together, then gradually whisk in water until it forms a smooth, thick batter. If I had to estimate, I'd say begin with 1/4 cup of water and go from there. For the consistency, you want the batter to be thick but just thin enough that it can easily coat something that is dipped in it, and the batter clings to it.

For onion rings: Peel one large onion and slice into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Separate the individual slices into rings, discarded the cores. This batch of batter is the perfect amount for one large onion, but can easily be multiplied up to make more batter.

To fry: I find the easiest way to do this is to dip the rings one by one, coating them fully and allowing the excess batter to drip back into the bowl. Then carefully drop into the fryer. You can also throw a few at a time in the bowl of batter and place them one by one in the fryer, cooking in batches. The batter will likely drip a bit so plan your workspace accordingly and prepare for snackers to be eating the little crispy bits of batter that will end up in he fryer. Fry at 375◦F until golden, flipping rings halfway so they cook evenly on both sides.

To serve: A little sprinkling of salt and these are ready to serve immediately. If they are to be served later, they can be reheated in the oven. An even better method is to fry them in advance, until light in color, then refry them later until golden and crisp and serve.

Chicken Fricasse

Chicken Fricasse
1/2 cup butter
2 medium onions, small diced
3 medium carrots, small diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup leftover cooked potatoes (mashed or small cubes)
liquid from 1 can of peas
3 chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 can peas
butter, as needed
milk, as needed
salt and pepper, to taste

 Heat the butter in a large frying pan or pot over medium heat.
Add the onion and carrot, reduce heat and sweat until vegetables are tender.
Stir in the flour to coat.

Pour in the milk and stir until thickened.
Stir in the pea liquid.

Allow stew to simmer and reduce.
Add in the chicken, heat through, then stir in the peas.
Adjust consistency and richness with additional butter and milk.
Season to taste.

Best served as vol-au-vent. See tomorrow's post. 

Bean Salad

You've heard of three bean salad. Well this is one of my combination of beans salad. I think it includes white navy beans, turtle beans, orange lentils, green mung beans, and split peas. Along with that, I put in chopped yellow, red, and orange bell peppers, pickled cucumber, pickled red onion, pickled mustard seeds, and some green curry seasoning. 

People's Choice Award: Cheesy Pasta with Bacon

This is the dish from yesterday's blackbox competition I promised I would share. In the limited time, space, and pantry I had, I tried to create a dish that the spectators would love, but also one that was refined enough that the judges would enjoy too. It seemed to be successful, I god a gold in the People's Choice Award and silver with the judges. Here is a general recipe as to how I remember making my dish.

1. Grab A LOT of bacon and quickly chop it up. Throw it in a hot pan.
2. Meanwhile, peel and dice five small red onions. Toss it in with your bacon.
3. While that sweats down, mince up some fresh tarragon.
4. Strain the bacon and red onion, reserving the bacon fat. Return the fat to the pan and add a cup of salted butter. Melt it.
5. Add about a cup or two of all-purpose flour and whisk until you have a thick roux.
6. Gradually whisk in one to two liters of whole milk and keep the heat on high, stirring often, to thicken the sauce.
7. While sauce is on the go, cook your pasta noodle sin boiling salted water.
8. Season your sauce with salt, black pepper, dijon mustard, tabasco sauce, garlic seasoning mix. Through some worchestershire and more tabasco sauce into your bacon and red onion.
9. Cube up some cheddar cheese and throw into the sauce, reserving some cheese for the end. Melt it down a bit, then throw in some parmesan flakes as well.
10. Melt the cheese into the sauce, and season it again.
11. Strain your pasta and stir in the sauce and bacon and red onion. Stir in the extra cheddar and tarragon, reserving a little of each for garnish.
12. Taste and adjust seasoning, consistency, and cheesiness and enjoy!!!

Truffle And Saffron Scented Risotto

Truffle And Saffron Scented Risotto

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 small onion, small dice

1/4 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

1 ½ - 2 cups vegetable broth

¼ cup thinly sliced chanterelle mushrooms

1 Tablespoon shaved black truffles

Truffle oil

salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon saffron

cooked quail eggs (poached or boiled), sliced thinly

minced parsley, for garnish

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes without browning until translucent.

Stir in the rice and cook for two minutes to toast kernels.

Stir in 1/4 cup wine and allow rice to fully absorb it.

Add the broth, 1/4 cup at a time, allowing the rice to almost fully absorb it before adding more. Stir often. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup wine. Cook to desired consistency, risotto usually tends to remain al dente. If you prefer a thinner risotto, use more broth.

Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chanterelles and sauté for a few minutes until softened. Stir in the truffles. Spoon into risotto, reserving the liquid.

Marinate the quail eggs in the reserved liquid to flavor them.

Season the risotto, transfer to a serving dish, garnish with truffle oil. For an attractive presentation, use a ring mold. Place the quail eggs around the risotto. 

This is an upscaled version if the plain risotto dish I often make for my family at home. Luxury ingredients such as white wine, truffles, saffron, and quail eggs instantly increase the value of this dish. Use the best quality ingredients you can afford. You will taste the difference. This makes a nice appetizer or side dish portion, to bulk it up for a main course, you could easily add in some protein.

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.