Tag Archives: onion

Alex Boake’s Gluten-Free Onions au Gratin

Posted on May 24, 2012 by | 3 Comments

When we first started this blog, it was hard to imagine that anyone would see it except our friends, who could be subjected to nagging and arm-twisting until they clicked on the links we sent them to our creations.  Thanks to blogging “tools”, we could even track where the 20 or so hits we were getting each day came from.  Then one day a kind soul, unknown to either of us, commented on a recipe!  Someone in Toronto somehow stumbled onto She Cooks, He Cleans and thought enough of our Eggplant Casserole to say something nice about it!  We had international acclaim!  There was rejoicing!

Of course, when a “new” person comments on your blog and they provide a link to their blog, you must go check out who this person is.  That is how I was introduced to the illustrations of Alex Boake.  Alex is not only an incredibly talented illustrator and comic artist – she is a wonderful cook!  Her blog, which you should visit frequently, is a happy marriage of food, recipes, and creative illustrations.

Recently Alex contacted us with a proposition for a “recipe swap”, in which she would prepare one of our recipes and illustrate it, and we would prepare one of hers and photograph it.  I was very excited and thrilled with her suggestion – since I had been following her blog, I knew she had swapped recipes before with The Domestic Man and Jan’s Sushi Bar (two excellent blogs, by the way).  Those swaps turned out beautifully!  I picked Alex’s Onions au Gratin  – I am a sucker for anything with cheese and I loved that she adapted her grandmother’s recipe, a family favorite, to be gluten-free.  I can see why it is a favorite – it is fantastic!

Image courtesy of alexboake.com

This dish is perfect with roasted or grilled meats; its creamy cheese sauce and crisp, buttery crumb topping provides a decadent contrast to the simply prepared meat.  It would also work as a vegetarian entree, provided of course that dairy is not a problem.  Hoping that Alex will forgive me, I’ve taken a few liberties with her original recipe (found here) – mostly due to what ingredients I had on hand, but also because I have a compulsion to tinker with things.  However, I think the result is still true to her creation.  Thank you, Alex, for including us in the recipe swapping!

Ingredients:

  • 2 large sweet onions (or onions equal to ~4 generously-packed cups of sliced onions)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 cup water

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (pastured)
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour or tapioca flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup of onion cooking liquid
  • 1 cup half and half, or whole milk
  • 16 ounces grated organic cheese (I used mixture of sharp cheddar and smoked gouda)
  • a few grindings of black pepper
  • dash or two of cayenne pepper
  • dash or two of Spanish hot, smoked paprika

Topping:

Preheat oven to 375F.  Butter a 1-quart au gratin dish or 9×9 baking dish.

Peel the onions and cut in half, lengthwise.  Cut into slices, crosswise.  (I used sweet Vidalia onions which are plentiful around Georgia; any sweet onion or yellow onion should work.)

Put onions, water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a deep pan.  Bring the water to a boil; cover and cook for 10 minutes.  The onions should be limp, but not mushy.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid for the sauce, then drain the onions into a colander.

Using the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the flour and allow it to cook for about a minute in the butter, stirring constantly.  Add the reserved onion cooking-liquid and the half and half.  Stir well to eliminate any clumps, reduce heat, and cook (continuing to stir) until the mixture is thick.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until it melts.  Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and smoked paprika.  The sauce should be VERY thick.

Stir the cooked onions into the cheese sauce until thoroughly mixed; pour into the prepared au gratin dish.

Crumb the bread by pulsing in a small food processor, or cut it into small cubes by hand.  Toss in the melted butter until well mixed.  Arrange the breadcrumbs on top of the onion gratin.  (You may want to hold back some of the crumbs to scatter over the gratin later in the baking stage, since bubbling will cause spaces to form in the crust.)

Bake uncovered for around 45 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and bubbly, and the crumbs are golden brown.  Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

We were recently at a yard sale for some good friends and family, and came away with a box of records! Whatta mean I have too many already? Ha! Here’s a few from the haul. First up, the one, the only Ella Fitzgerald with Whisper Not . Pretty much anything she did was stellar, and this one is a good one. Her “Sweet Georgia Brown” or the great “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” just move me.

I know we’ve mentioned Gerry Mulligan here before, but his output was so great- and varied- no reason not to take another look. Getting At the Village Vanguard on LP was a real treat. Mulligan leads a big band here, and the results are just as swinging as you’d expect. How can you resist an album with “Lady Chatterley’s Mother” on it? You can’t!

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Pork Chops with Sweet Potato and Fennel Hash

Posted on December 11, 2011 by | 4 Comments

Pork chops are so easy.  They cook up quickly without much fuss, which makes them great for mid-week dinners.  I especially like pork paired with something that has a little sweetness.  Fruits like apples, cherries, and apricots are clear winners – but so are the sugars from slowly caramelized fennel, onion, and sweet potatoes in this hash.

Brining the pork chops not only infuses more flavors into the meat, but it helps ensure that the meat will stay moist and juicy when cooked.

This recipe is part of our feature on U.S. Wellness Meats, “Music and Meals to Warm You Up“.  Visit their website for free-range chicken, grass-fed beef, and other great products!

Ingredients:

  • 4 bone-in pork chops from U.S. Wellness Meats
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 bulbs fennel
  • 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch dice
  • 1 sweet onion, cut into large dice
  • 3 slices bacon from U.S. Wellness Meats, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper or pepper blend

In a one-gallon resealable bag, mix 3 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt with the maple syrup and water.  Shake well until the salt has dissolved.  Place the pork chops in the bag, seal, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Remove the outer, tough layer from the fennel bulbs.  Cut each bulb in half lengthwise (top to bottom). Place cut sides down, then slice the bulbs lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips.

Place the fennel, sweet potato, and onion into a shallow roasting pan.  Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Gently toss with just enough olive oil to coat the vegetables and the pan.  Arrange the bacon pieces over the vegetables.  Roast at 400F, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned in places and bacon is cooked (approximately 40 minutes). 

Dry the pork chops with paper toweling.  Season with freshly ground black pepper.  (No additional salt should be needed due to the brine.)

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a thin layer of olive oil to the skillet, and sauté two of the pork chops for approximately 4 minutes per side, until nicely browned.  (You don’t want to crowd the pan or the chops will not brown quickly and will get overdone.)  Set the cooked pork chops aside in a warm place, and repeat for the last two pork chops.  Note: Take care not to overcook.  Pork chops are done when they reach 145F, if you have a meat thermometer, and are safe to eat even if slightly pink in the center.

Serve the pork chops with the sweet potato and fennel hash…and enjoy!

Dire Straits kicked off the 1980′s with what many feel is their masterpiece, Making Movies. Guitarist Mark Knopfler hit the mark on such songs as “Romeo and Juliet”, “Tunnel of Love” and “Skateaway”, which still sound fresh 30 years later.

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Pork Roast with Apple and Bacon Stuffing

Posted on September 23, 2011 by | 5 Comments

Modified from Food Network Recipe by Paula Deen

Roasted pork with apple and bacon stuffing. Served here with roasted delicata squash.

Finally, the first day of fall!  My favorite time of the year, but it’s hard to pick a single reason why I love fall so much.  It’s not simply the demise of summer, with its heat, humidity, bugs and glaring, harsh sunlight.  The cooler temperatures, beautiful colors of changing leaves, golden afternoon sunshine, and the wonderful late harvest fruits and vegetables are all welcome.  However, I think my fondness for fall comes more from a feeling of “winding down” and being able to enjoy simple things -  like a stroll through the woods, a crossword puzzle on the porch, eating a crisp apple off the tree, sitting on an empty beach, getting warm beside a campfire.  What a relief it must bring for nature – time to stop producing and let go of the leaves!  Autumn’s bounty is a joy – so let’s slow down, relax and appreciate.

We drove up to north Georgia a couple of weekends ago and came back with lots of apples, peaches, and vegetables.  The peaches were eaten up pretty fast (and were oh, so delicious and juicy), but I still have about a half bag of Winesap apples.  Time to stuff another pork roast!  Apples, bacon, onions, and sage….a classic combination that just can’t go wrong.

I forgot to brine this roast ahead of time.  It was still very good, but I would recommend using a brine to bring out more of the pork flavor and to lessen of possibility of drying it out.  The steps for brining are described here, in our recipe for Stuffed Pork Loin with Apricots.

Ingredients:

  • One 2 1/2 to 3 pound pork loin roast, butterflied (Need instructions on butterflying a roast?  Check out this excellent demonstration.)
  • 4 strips of bacon, and reserved bacon drippings/rendered fat
  • 2 apples, cored and chopped (a crisp, tart variety would work best)
  • 1/2 large, sweet onion, chopped
  • ~10 fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 cup grain-free bread crumbs (optional  – I used trimmings off this quick grain-free bread)
  • Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a roasting pan with foil, and insert a metal roasting rack.  Spray with non-stick spray or oil lightly.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy.  Reserve bacon for later.  Drain all but 2-3 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan.  Add the onion to the skillet and cook for a few minutes, until onions are softened.  Add apples and sage, and cook until apples are starting to get soft, but are not mushy.  Remove from heat.  Chop the bacon into small pieces, and stir into the apple mixture.  Stir in the bread crumbs, if using.

Lay out the butterflied pork roast on the counter or cutting board.  Cut several pieces of butcher’s twine, long enough to tie around the roast.  Season the inside of the roast with salt and pepper (you may omit the salt if you brined the roast beforehand), then smear with a thin layer of Dijon mustard.  Spread the apple stuffing mixture over the roast.  Carefully roll the roast up and secure with kitchen twine.  I tie the ends first, then the middle, then fill-in so that is it tied in about 1 inch intervals.  Poke any of the stuffing back in that came out when you were rolling and tying.  Season the outside of the roast with salt and pepper.

[Note:  I never get all the stuffing into the roast.  I lightly oil a small baking dish and put the remainder of the stuffing in the dish.  Add broth, if needed to moisten it, or top it with a little butter.  Bake it near the end of the roasting time until hot throughout.]

Wipe out the large skillet and add a little more of the bacon fat (or olive oil).  Heat to medium-high.  Sear the roast on all sides in the skillet until well browned.  Transfer roast to the prepared roasting pan on an oiled rack.

Roast at 375F until the temperature in the thickest part of the meat is 135-140F, around 80-90 minutes.  Remove from oven, tent with foil, and let rest for about 15 minutes.  The temperature of the roast will continue to rise during this time, and it also gives the juices a chance to redistribute.  When ready to serve, slice into thick pieces (1 to 1 1/2 inches).

How about some blues from the ladies? I recently got Alberta Hunter’s Downhearted Blues, and even coaxed out of retirement — in her 80s!– this live set from Greenwich Village club The Cookery smolders. Hunter’s career spanned generations, from Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, and she lost none of her talents along the way. From a moving “Georgia On My Mind” to the randy “You Can’t Tell The Difference After Dark”, the entire set amazes.

She was the inspiration for Janis Joplin, and was one of the greatest, and most popular blues singers of the day. This set from Bessie Smith, Queen of the Blues gives a welcome overview to her rowdy ways, with “Beale Street Mama” and “Weeping Willow Blues” among the highlights. Essential!

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Roasted Figs and Fennel

Posted on September 11, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Roasted Figs and Fennel...perfect with pork!

The last week has been blessedly fall-like with cooler temperatures.  Time to start thinking about all the wonderful meals of the harvest season!  Roasting vegetables in the oven is one of my favorite cooking methods – because it’s easy, sure, but also because the high heat caramelizes whatever natural sugars are present and transforms about anything into tender morsels of sweet and savory goodness.

I wanted to try something a little different than my usual mixture of carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes, so I picked up some fennel.  I also had some figs that I intended to grill, but decided to throw them in the roasting pan to add more sweetness and a little color.  Now I wasn’t sure I would like this; raw fennel has a licorice taste and I’m not a fan.  However, once it was cooked, there was no licorice taste at all!  I wished I had doubled the recipe (and next time I will).

Ingredients:

  • 2 fennel bulbs, sliced into eighths
  • 1/2 sweet onion, sliced lengthwise into strips
  • 6-7 fresh figs, halved
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.  Place fennel, onion, and figs into shallow roasting pan.  Toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat pan and vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper.

Roast covered with foil for 15 minutes; remove foil.  Roast for an additional 20-30 minutes, with occasional stirring to allow even roasting.  Fennel is done when it’s tender and lightly caramelized around the edges.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

How about we get a bit funky in here? New Orleans has always been about the funk, and one reason is examined here, The Cosimo Matassa Story. Cosimo produced everyone- Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Little Richard and more. This set gets you four cds, and boy, does it sizzle!

And now, the genius of P-Funk, with One Nation Under a Groove from Funkadelic. No matter what combination you find him- Parliament, Funkadelic, P-Funk Allstars or solo, George Clinton is the baddest purveyor of the funk. Any record that proclaims “Think! It ain’t illegal yet!” gets my vote!

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Onion Strings (gluten-free)

Posted on August 1, 2011 by | 8 Comments

Modified from The Pioneer Woman

I have a confession to make – I completely suck at frying.  One might wonder why I’m even allowed to reside in Georgia, since fried chicken is the most hallowed food around.  Although several generations of my family were born in the southern part of the United States, including myself, I apparently am missing the gene responsible for being able to prepare fried foods.  I am truly dreadful at it – consequently, I just don’t fry things.  Ever.  It puts me in a horrible mood that ends with me tossing cooking implements down on the grease-soaked stove-top in exasperation and dumping oil-laden globs of burnt food in the garbage.  It’s an ugly scene.

I first got the inclination to try, again, to fry something around the time I started making zucchini strings.  I have delicious memories of zucchini fritti from a delightful West Village Italian Restaurant, Antica Venezia, which I was hoping to duplicate.  Delicate tendrils of julienne zucchini with a light batter, flash fried to a crisp. Then onion rings came to mind – thinly sliced, sweet onions with a spicy coating.  Now I’m really getting ambitious!

Another reason that fried foods have been off the table, aside from my ineptitude, is they generally are coated with flour containing gluten.  We are trying hard to eliminate gluten completely from our diet, since it contains anti-nutrients and, being indigestible by humans, provides unwanted irritation to the digestive system.  I’ve used almond meal as a flour substitute with success in other recipes, so I thought I would give it a try.  The other major ingredient in frying, the choice of oil, is something I still am struggling with.  After reading up on “good” and “bad” oils, I came to the general conclusion that there’s not a perfect choice for high-heat frying.  All the oils with high smoking points were flawed in some way.  I decided to go with Spectrum organic high-heat sunflower or grapeseed oils.  These oils are at least organic, 100% expeller pressed, and refined for high heat (up to 460F).

This recipe is adapted from The Pioneer Woman – the frying instructions were invaluable (and amusing…go visit)!  This recipe also works with zucchini strings!

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole large onion, peeled
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • generous grindings of black pepper, or pepper blend
  • a few dashes of smoked paprika
  • 1 quart of oil (give or take some), suitable for use at 375-405F

Slice onion very thin.  Separate the rings and place in a shallow baking dish.  Cover with buttermilk and soak for at least an hour in the refrigerator.  (It’s okay if the rings aren’t completely submerged, they just need to have contact with the buttermilk.)

Combine the dry ingredients and mix with a fork; set aside.

Line a tray or large plate with lots of paper towels.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pan (such as a cast-iron skillet or a Dutch oven) to 375F.  A candy thermometer will come in handy here.  If you’ve got a deep-fryer, well, good for you!

Throw a handful of onions in the flour mixture and toss around to coat the onions pretty well.  Shake off excess flour, and plunge them into the hot oil.  Carefully!  Don’t burn yourself!  Stir the onions around a little, fry for a few minutes, then remove them as soon as they are golden brown. Place the onions on the paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

Repeat using small portions of onions until they are all done.

[Aside - Help me, I am still doing this wrong!  The first 2 or 3 batches are lovely, but after that everything starts going downhill.  My flour starts getting wet and won't stick to the onions.  If I correct that problem, the oil seems to either be too hot or not hot enough, or foamy...the fried onions get too dark, or they all start globbing together.  Should I be adding more oil?  I need frying pointers!]

I know I lean toward older music here, forgive me, but I’m pretty much of the “Hey you kids! Get off my lawn!” generation when it comes to music, but I occasionally listen to music released within the last few years. First up is a record that hasn’t even come out yet…how new is that! Formed by a former member of the Felice Brothers, The Duke & The King is in the running for my favorite of the year so far. This is a beautiful, soulful record that manages to invoke everything from Neil Young to Stax, Gram Parsons to Soul Coughing, while being utterly original. Can’t stop spinnin’ it!

From the same area that gave us She Cooks is Lost in the Trees with All Alone in An Empty House. I’m a sucker for “chamber pop”; the mixture of strings and rock, and this is a grand example, with the songs of Ari Picker woven thru with cellos and such. Gorgeous!

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Product Review: Bilinski’s All Natural Chicken Sausages

Posted on June 24, 2011 by | 1 Comment

If you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner idea, these sausages could be just what you need!  I found these at Whole Food and picked them up to have on hand for one of those days you just don’t feel like cooking from scratch.  Whether it is a long day at work, you forget to thaw the roast, or your neighbor’s Rottweiler runs off with your pork chops, it is good to have a back-up plan!

Bilinski’s has been making all-natural chicken sausages since 1989 and traditional sausages since 1929, according to their website.  They have both “all natural” and “certified organic” chicken sausages available in a variety of flavors.  All of the chickens for the sausage were raised humanely in Lancaster County, PA, and were not given antibiotics or growth hormones.  The sausages are preservative-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, and made only from skinless leg and thigh meat from the chickens.  Now that we have all that data out of the way, I bet you’re wondering “how did they taste?”

First, since the sausages are fully cooked, you only need to reheat them.  I put them in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, just enough to brown the outsides a bit while rolling them around in the pan.  You don’t want to overcook them, so just get ‘em hot.  To accompany the sausages, I sliced up some red and yellow bell peppers and onions, and cooked them over medium to medium high head until they were soft and lightly browned. 

The sausages we tried were “Apple Chardonnay” and “Roasted Red Pepper and Asiago”.  They were very mild sausages with subtle flavors.  I can’t say that I could pick out the chardonnay or asiago, but the apple and roasted pepper flavors were notable.  The apple sausages were a little sweeter, the pepper sausages were a little more savory – but both were delicious.  Leftover sausages were also great with eggs for breakfast!  I look forward to trying out more of the chicken sausage products by Bilinski’s! 

It’s friday, been a long week…so as ZZ Top sang, it’s time to “mellow down easy…”. I’ve got just the stuff. First up, one of my favorite Muddy Waters albums, his mid-’60s release Folk Singer. Muddy going unplugged long before such a term existed. Featuring Waters with Buddy Guy on guitar and the great Willie Dixon on bass, this is a bewitching take by Muddy on some of his greatest songs. Mellow might not be the right word- this record smokes, but softly.

Next up, Blues & Ballads from Lonnie Johnson and Elmer Snowden. Most folks aren’t familiar with them, but one listen and I think this could be a favorite. Two great guitarists, singing the blues, slow and easy. Don’t get much better than this!

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Savory Apples with Sage and Onion

Posted on March 18, 2011 by | 3 Comments

Wow, it’s been a busy week and I am falling behind on blogging!  Days ago, there were apples in the fruit bowl that needed to be consumed.  With the possible exception of apples dipped in caramel (oh, the sugar!), my favorite way to eat apples is after they are cooked.  Apples pair well with onion and sage, so I decided to do an easy pan-saute to accompany a bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin.  Wow…a marriage made in heaven!

Ingredients

  • 2 apples, cored and sliced into wedges
  • 1 sweet onion, sliced thin
  • 2-3 T butter or bacon drippings*
  • ~ 1/3 cup Applejack or apple brandy
  • ~ 6 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped, or a big pinch of dried sage
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

* If making with bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, use same pan after browning the roast to take advantage of the resulting bacon fat and fond from the pork.

Heat pan with butter or bacon-drippings to medium heat.  Add onions and cook until soft and just starting to caramelize.  Toss in apples, sage, and applejack; cook stirring occasionally until apples are soft but not falling apart, and the liquids in the pan have cooked down.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bonus!  Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin! Bacon wrapped around anything is good, but it really zips up the flavor of this lean and mild-tasting cut of meat.

  • Pork tenderloin
  • 2 T whole-grain mustard
  • Sage leaves
  • Salt & pepper
  • 6-7 slices of bacon

Preheat oven to 400F. Slather the pork tenderloin with the mustard; season with salt and pepper (take it easy on the salt because of the bacon.)

Start wrapping the pork from one end with slices of bacon, inserting sage leaves here and there while wrapping the bacon around the roast.  You could also lay the bacon on a flat surface in rows, place the roast on the bacon, and fold the bacon around the pork.  Whichever is easier for you!  I find it helpful to also tie the roast with butcher’s twine in 1 to 2 inch intervals to  keep the bacon from falling off while browning.

Brown the bacon-wrapped tenderloin on all sides in a large saute pan.  (Remember to use the fond from the saute pan for the apples!)

Place the tenderloin in a shallow roasting pan and cook in oven for 18-20 minutes total, turning once or twice.  Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Don’t know if you’d call Tom Waits savory…but he’s a good apple indeed…and a newly minted member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Congrats Tom! We had the unique experience of seeing him a few years ago and loved it. If you get the chance to see him perform, do. Nothing else like it anywhere.

So in honor of Tom Waits, here’s a few favorites to get you started. There are two periods of Waits, the first being a boho singer/songwriter who seemed to channel the

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Beat Generation. His songwriting is so sharp on Closing Time, with moments like “Martha” and “I hope I don’t fall in love with you”. Classic stuff.

Tom Waits version 2, which began with Swordfishtrombones is a crazed musical lunatic, blazing new paths with each album. This one features moments such as “Shore Leave” and “16 Shells From A 30.6″. No one else sounds like this, trust me.

tw1

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