MAHIMAHI WITH CHARRED ONION, TOMATOES, AND TAPENADE VINAIGRETTE

SERVES4

• ACTIVE TIME:10 MIN
• START TO FINISH:25 MIN

• 1 medium red onion, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 3/4 lb cherry tomatoes
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 (6-oz) skinless mahimahi fillets (1 inch thick)
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons black or green tapenade (olive paste)

• ACCOMPANIMENT:

  plain or parmesan couscous

• Preheat broiler and line a large shallow baking pan with foil.
• Toss onion and tomatoes with 3 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in lined baking pan, then spread evenly in one half of pan.
• Pat fish dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then arrange, skinned side down and spaced apart, next to vegetables in other half of pan. Drizzle fish with 1 tablespoon oil and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until vegetables are charred and slightly wilted and fish is just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, tapenade, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
• Serve fish and vegetables over couscous. Stir pan juices into vinaigrette and drizzle on top.

Savory Pie with Onion, Mushrooms and Cheese

Ingredients: puff pastry, 2 onions, thyme, 150 grams mushrooms, 3 eggs, 100 ml milk, grated cheese, 1 tablespoon mustard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, 4 tomatoes,

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Coat a pie tin with a puff pastry. Bake in hot oil on medium high heat 2 sliced onions with thyme until golden brown. Add 150 grams sliced mushrooms stir fry until the mushrooms have softened. Beat 3 eggs with 100 ml milk and grated cheese, 1 tablespoon mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cut 4 tomatoes into slices. Sprinkle the bottom of the puff pastry with grated cheese. Put in the onion-mushroom mixture. Put in one layer of tomato slices. Then put the other half of the onion-mushroom mixture in and cover with a layer of tomato slices. Pour the egg-mixture in and sprinkle grated cheese over in. Put the pie tin about 35 minutes in the preheated oven. Serve with a salad. Enjoy!

Steak with Onion Sauce

Ingredients: 2 onions, 330 ml ale, salt, pepper, 1 bay leaf, worchester sauce, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 2 steak,

Number of persons: 2

Bake on medium heat 2 onions sliced in rings in butter about 10 minutes until the onion is light brown. Add 1 bottle ale and let the alcohol evaporate and thicken. Bring to taste with salt, pepper, 1/2 tablespoon sugar and a dash worchester sauce. Add 1 bay leaf and leave for 10 minutes on low heat simmer. Meantime grill 2 steaks. Serve the steak with onion sauce, French fries and a salad. Enjoy!

Pizza with Onion and Bacon

Ingredients: 200 gram diced bacon, 2 onions, 3 spring onions, 1 green pepper, pizza dough, 250 ml crème fraîche, 1 egg, salt, pepper, grated mature cheese,

Number of persons: 4

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Bake in a hot frying pan 250 gram diced bacon until crisp. Add 2 onions cut in rings, 3 chopped spring onions and 1 chopped green pepper and fry until the onion is soft. Let it cool down. Roll the pizza dough on a baking tray. Beat 250 ml crème fraîche with 1 egg and bring to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the pizza dough with this mixture. Put the bacon and onions on the pizza dough. Sprinkle grated mature cheese over it. Place the baking tray about 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Enjoy!

Chicken Breast with Tomatoes and Red Onion Sauce

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts, salt, pepper, 1 red onion, 250 grams cherry tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar,

Number of persons: 2

Make 2 chicken breasts as flat as possible and season with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken breasts on both sides golden brown. Remove from pan and keep them separate. Bake in the remaining fat 1 chopped red onion to soft. Add 250 grams halved cherry tomatoes and stir fry for a minute or 4. Add 1/2 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Bake briefly. Place the chicken breasts back in the pan for a few minutes. Serve with potatoes and salad. Enjoy!

Oven Baked Sausages with Tomato and Red Onion

Ingredients: 4 sausages, 2 red onions, 2 garlic cloves, 250 grams roma tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, basil,

Number of persons: 2

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Put in an oven proof dish 4 sausages, 2 sliced red onions and 2 chopped garlic cloves. Turn the oven proof dish about 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the dish from the oven and add 250 grams roma tomatoes and basil. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and place the oven proof dish another 15 minutes in the oven or until the sausages are cooked. Enjoy!

Mushroom Onion Soup

Ingredients: 4 red onions, 250 grams mushrooms, 1 liter beef stock, grated cheese,

Number of persons: 3

Cook 4 in rings sliced red onions on medium heat in 8 minutes to soft. Add 250 grams sliced mushrooms and stir fry until the mushrooms have softened. Add 1 liter beef stock and let it simmer for about half an hour. Put on your plate some grated cheese to it. Serve with French bread. Enjoy!

FUN YOUNG ONION RINGS

Become the Lord of the Onion Rings

It’s hard to say no to someone who is fun and young (and legal, obviously). The same goes for a delicious side order liked baked onion rings. These finger foods are lower in fat so it doesn’t feel like a brick floating in your rotting guts. That’s one less reason to not get laid. These will keep you satisfied, but limber enough to make your move. Your date won’t complain about these rings being too oily and ruining their favorite outfit when you put your ungreasy paws all over them. So grope away like Frodo, the Lord of the Onion Rings.

Total time: approximately 30 minutes
Projected cost: $4
Drinking Buddy: Beer or soda

Ingredients:
1. 1 cup of cornflakes
2. 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
3. 1 tablespoon of sugar
4. ½ teaspoon of salt
5. 1 egg
6. 1 onion cut into ½ rounds, then rings separated

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. First crush the cornflakes without pulverizing them. Combine together with Cajun seasoning, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat an egg thoroughly. Dip the separated onion rings in the egg and then the cornflake breading.

Step 2
Lay each dipped onion ring on a greased baking sheet. Throw into the oven and cook until the breading is crispy and clings to the onions (approx 20-25 min). Use a spatula to pry each onion ring off. Serve them up on a plate with your favorite condom-ment

Pan-Seared Scallops on Red Onion Marmalade

Another special treat, but quick at the same time. Taylor wasn’t a fan of the lemon/ginger combination on the scallops, and thought garlic would work better. We both agreed, however, that the marmalade was fabulous and gave the dish great flavor. Pretty too. :)

Pan-Seared Scallops on Red Onion Marmalade

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
16 large sea scallops (about 1 3/4 lbs)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 medium red onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
chopped fresh chives

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Toss scallops, 2 tablespoons oil, lemon peel, and ginger in medium bowl. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until brown and opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to small baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm.

Add 3 tablespoons oil to drippings in same skillet; place over high heat. Add onions; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, and sugar. Cook until onion marmalade is thick, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon marmalade onto plates. Top with scallops and any juices, then chives

Bistecca with Balsamic-Roasted Onion Crostini

We’re back! And what a great time we had! I better watch out or Taylor will want to move to New York. And can I say how amazing the food is there? From the roasted almonds off the street to frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity3 to tapas at Pipa (honestly one of the best dinners we’ve had in our lives), New York City is one big culinary adventure. Next time we visit, forget the sights, we’re eating our way through the city. :)

While it was nice not to have to cook for a week, we’re glad to be back in our own tiny kitchen. We both loved this recipe, it worked great for us as a main course but would also be fantastic as an appetizer. Is it just me or have we been using tons of red onions lately?

Bistecca with Balsamic-Roasted Onion Crostini

Recipe from Michael Chiarello. Makes 6-8 servings.
We used a tenderloin steak, and it was delicious. Just whatever cut you use, be sure it’s nice and tender. It’s a bit tough to bite through the crusty bread and steak all at once, next time we’ll slice the bread a bit thinner and not toast it quite so much. This one’s a keeper for sure!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large porterhouse steak, about 1 1/2 pounds and 2-inches thick, at room temperature
Salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 large red onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 loaf crusty bread, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until very hot. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Turn on the exhaust fan and put the steak in the pan; stand back to prevent being splattered. Cook until the steak is brown on the first side, about 2 minutes; brown on the other side. Remove the steak to a rack or baking pan until you are ready to finish cooking it. When ready, put the steak into the oven and cook until done to your liking, about 10 minutes for rare. Remove the steak to a carving board and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Peel and cut the onions into thirds or quarters, depending on their size. Leave as much root on as possible to keep the wedges from falling apart. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in the same skillet used to cook the meat over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Season them with salt and pepper. Place the pan of onions in the oven and roast until tender and very browned (the onions tend to char around the edges), 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the onions from the oven, add the garlic, and cook briefly until light brown. Add the thyme and stir. Add the vinegar (stand back so as to not get splattered) and toss well with the onions. Stir and scrape up all the browned bits clinging to the bottom of the pan.

Reduce oven to 400 degrees F. Place the bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the bread is golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 9 minutes.

To serve, cut the meat off the bone, then carve it into thin slices. Put 1 slice of meat on each crostini and top with the roasted onions. Pour any juices from the carving board over the crostini. Serve immediately.

Note: In order to cook the meat in the shortest amount of time and thus extract the most flavor, the meat must be at room temperature. Afterward, the meat must rest before carving. If this procedure is followed, the carving knife glides right through the steak.

Roasted Shrimp, Asparagus, and Mushrooms with Ginger and Green Onion

This one was good. Quick and easy, and downright delicious. We tend to cook a lot of things sautéed on the stovetop, so roasting was a nice change of pace. Plus, Taylor loves it because he can get all of the dishes done before we even start eating. What a concept!

The recipe called for Oyster mushrooms. Which we couldn’t find. And would probably have been expensive if we had. So we used crimini instead. Portobello or even shiitake mushrooms would be delicious as well!

For the shrimp, if your shells don’t stay intact easily or you can’t get under the shells, it works just fine if you simply smother the naked shrimp with the onion mixture. Make it easy on yourself. :)

Roasted Shrimp and Mushrooms with Ginger and Green Onion

Makes 2 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
10 uncooked deveined large shrimp, shells left intact
4 ounces oyster or crimini mushrooms
1/2 lb asparagus

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 500°F. Mix canola oil, onions, cilantro, garlic, vinegar, ginger, and sesame oil in medium bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Pull off legs from shrimp. Rub most of onion mixture under shells of shrimp. Arrange shrimp in single layer on large baking sheet. Add mushrooms to remaining onion mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Arrange on same baking sheet.

Spread out asparagus on another baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put in the oven at the same time as shrimp and mushrooms, or 3-4 minutes before if your asparagus is thick.

Roast shrimp until opaque in center and mushrooms until tender, about 7 minutes. Divide between 2 plates.

Potato Leek Pancakes with Red Onion-Apple Compote

Another recipe discovered while ogling the images over at tastespotting…

If only potato pancakes didn’t take so long to cook, I’d make them every week. Every day even! But seeing as the act of cooking dozens of hockey-puck size pats of potatoes takes upwards of an hour and a half, we’ll save these for the rare occasions when we make the conscious decision to stand in the kitchen for that long.

That said, these were well worth the extra effort. They are a ‘twist’ on the typical latke – with leek instead of onion, and a sweet and sour compote that becomes beautifully pink.

Potato Leek Pancakes with Red Onion-Apple Compote

Makes about 15 pancakes. Recipe from Marcias Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS
Compote:
1 large Granny Smith apple
1 small red onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
splash of brandy

Pancakes:
3 large Idaho (russet) potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and shredded
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, trimmed, cleaned, and sliced very thin
1 egg
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2- 3/4 fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS
To make compote:
Slice the onions as thin as you can, Core, but don’t peel the apple. Chop it into a small dice- about 1/4 inch.

Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan. When it starts to bubble add the onions. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes until limp. Add the apples, liquids, and sugar. Continue to cook for a couple minutes until the apples start to caramelize a bit. Will keep for several days in the fridge.

To make pancakes:
Put the shredded potatoes into an (old) dish towel. Wrap and squeeze all the water out of the potatoes. Combine in a large bowl with everything but the oil and butter. Mix very well.

Heat a griddle or sauté pan over med high heat and add enough oil and butter to coat the pan.

Working in batches, place small portions, about 2 tablespoons of the potato mix onto the hot griddle. Flatten the pancake with the back of a spatula. Repeat. Add more butter/oil as needed. Cook until bottom is golden, then flip.

To serve, add a little finishing salt and a grinding of pepper- then place a small dollop of the red onion-apple compote on each pancake.

Bell Pepper Red Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza

Pizza again! We’ve definitely been exploring the nearly-cheeseless pizzas lately, as they satisfy both of our constant cravings for pizza. My cravings because pizza is something I can’t have unless it has very little or no cheese (rare), and Taylor craves it because I can’t have it he doesn’t get it often and goes through withdrawal. Poor guy. All he wants is his pizza. Lucky for him, I found this recipe, which is mozzarella free, only boasting a sprinkling of my favorite, goat cheese. And while there are no eggs on this one, it’s still a feast for the eyes and the stomach.

My favorite pizza of all time just might be Pizza Bianca from this recipe. Seriously, the best pizza ever. But it has slightly too much cheese for me, the mozzarella really puts it over my cheese tolerance level. But, I did steal one thing from that recipe and have adapted and claimed it as my own: the crust. It’s perfect. Delicious. Crisp. And with the addition of some fennel and thyme, this is not your plain old pizza crust. If you’ve got the time, definitely give the from-scratch crust a go. It’s well worth the extra effort.

Bell Pepper, Red Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Makes 2-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are and how big you roll it). Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Topping:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves (1 1/2 to 2 ounces)
1 1/2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms (5 to 6 ounces)
1/2 cup drained roasted red peppers from jar, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup paper-thin red onion slices
8 large fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
5-ounce package soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

DIRECTIONS
For crust:
Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil, salt, and herbs, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.

Mix olive oil, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic in small bowl, and set aside.

Bake crust for 5-7 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and brush 2 tablespoons garlic oil evenly over crust. Top with spinach leaves, then sprinkle with sliced mushrooms, roasted red peppers, red onion slices, fresh basil, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle pizza evenly with remaining garlic oil.

Bake pizza until crust is crisp and cheese begins to brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer pizza to board. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Turkey Onion Soup with Thyme and Gruyère Crostini

A rare indulgence… Taylor decided he wanted to make French Onion Soup, with all it’s rich cheesy goodness. And yes, that cheesy goodness was indeed delicious.

Topped with crusty bread and broiled until the cheese is melted and bubbly, this soup is perfect when you really just want to sit back and savor something warm and satisfying.

I also have to comment on the adorable serving vessels… perfect mini-replicas of our beloved Le Creuset, and in the exact colors to match our rainbow kitchen appliances. A gift from Auntie Sal… we’ve been waiting for the perfect dish to use these, and I think we’ve found it!

French Onion Soup with Thyme and Gruyère Crostini

INGREDIENTS
1 pound yellow onions, halved and thinly cut lengthwise
3 to 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups beef stock
1 cup water
1 1/2-inch-thick slice of ciabatta bread cut in half
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups grated Swiss Gruyère cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a heavy 5-quart pot melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions, thyme, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until the onions are deep amber and exceedingly soft, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the wine, increase the heat, and let the wine bubble away for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef stock and water, and let the soup simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to broil. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven.

Place the ciabatta on the middle rack of the oven and toast until crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the soup and discard. Pour the soup into two ovenproof bowls, float the toasted ciabatta on top, and cover it with a thick layer of the Gruyère. Put the soup bowls under the broiler on the middle rack and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and golden.