French Onion Jam

My favorite food in the entire world is caramelized onions.  They are the perfect combination of sweet and savory and when done correctly make a dish a million times better.  When I was first getting into cooking in high school, I used to make this salad almost every single day with spinach leaves, cucumbers, avocado and a touch of peanut sauce and then top it with a smattering of caramelized onions.  When I finally got a kitchen of my own in college, I would make egg white omelets that started with caramelized onions almost every single day.   If I'm out to eat and there are caramelized onions on a dish, you know that's what I'm going to order.

It is neither socially acceptable nor the basis for a well balanced diet to only eat caramelized onions.  Now, I incorporate them in tarts, pizzas, and anything else I can shove 'em in.  When I'm feeling fancy I pick up a bottle of red (maybe a bottle of white?) and a baguette and make myself a big pot of french onion soup. I've even shared my recipe with you on the blog.  Any time I am dreaming up a recipe or am inspired by something I see or read, there is always a little voice in the back of my head asking "Can this be made better with caramelized onions?"

Last Sunday was no different.  I woke up feeling like I could take on the world and wanted to run every single errand before noon so I could cook all afternoon.  I biked down to my favorite Trader Joe's (to be replaced by the U street TJ's in March!), picked up what I couldn't get there at two other places, and got home in time to force Lisa to go to breakfast with me at our favorite French Bakery.  The just-baked baguettes were calling to me, begging to for some french onion… jam?

Yes, french onion jam!  I did everything I would do to start a french onion soup from cooking the onions low and slow for almost two hours (patience is a virtue), deglazing with red wine, simmering with a little bit of stock to get the flavor of long-cooked soup, and reducing to make the most luscious onion jam I've ever had in my life.  This whole process will take you about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, but I refuse to give you exact times.  Keep the heat low, stay semi-close to the stove (I would check every 5-10 minutes), and trust your gut!

I used the jam in a sort of reconstructed french onion soup sandwich.  Sections of baguette were sliced for sandwiches, slathered with the jam while still hot, covered with thinly sliced gruyere cheese, and topped with a little bit of a baby arugula lettuce mix for some bite.  It could also work at a crostini for a party, like I tried below.  For an extra special touch, you could throw it under the broiler like you do the soup to get the cheese nice and bubbly.

It was a fun and lazy Sunday cooking project that left an almost full bottle wine to be enjoyed with the French Onion Jam sandwiches.  And I am not ashamed to admit that I ate the jam on almost everything for the rest of the week.  Judge me.

Garlic Crusted Pork Roast

When is the last time you really looked in your freezer?  I know you might go in there every day for a few ice cubes or a bit out of the ice cream you try to hide from yourself, but there are probably a few secrets lurking in there.

Last week, when I made my food inventory (seriously, do it.) I found a bag of really good pistachios, a pint of my favorite sorbet, and the melange of meats thrown in when they were reaching expiration.  After getting through the ground chicken with the green curry chicken chili, I decided to make a lovely Sunday dinner with a sirloin pork roast.

For larger cuts of meat, I like to season the outside like crazy.  My pork roast was no exception; mustard seeds with a little bit of dried thyme were crushed in a mortar and pestle and then massaged into the seasoned pork roast.  In order to help the spices adhere, I dried the roast with paper towels.

I don't have a roasting rack, so I engineered one out of a bed of thick cut red onions and granny smith apples.  I propped the seasoned roast on the fashioned rack and then covered it with finely minced garlic and olive oil.  Before putting into a 325 F oven, I made sure to put in a temperature probe.

I cooked it low and slow for an hour plus, until the pork reached an internal temperature of 145 F.  The finely minced garlic crusted the pork roast without burning, thanks to the low temperature.  I was picking them off while slicing, so addictive!

To top the pork, I made a quick honey mustard finished by blending in some of the roasting rack onions and apples.  I think this was Lisa's favorite part!

To accompany, I made a quick side of roasted brussels sprouts with apples while the pork rested.  Hopefully, this recipe will prompt you to dig in your freezer and see what goodies are hiding in there.  I'm certainly pleased!

Caramelized Onion Bread - February Secret Recipe Club

I'm a bruised up mess, guys.  I tweaked something in therapy and now whenever I use the foot I get black and blue marks all over the inside of my ankle.  Nothing is torn and the x-rays look a-okay but it is so frustrating because just a month ago I really was on my way.  So much so that I thought I could break out the bike again and start getting back my biker muscles (oh how I miss you, defined legs).  Boot and crutches are back in my routine and I'm working hard to slow down a bit and let myself heal.

So here is my monthly Secret Recipe Club culinary lifeline - an easy bread recipe that incorporates my favorite ingredient ever, caramelized onions.  I probably could eat caramelized onions plain for the rest of my life, but I would break more bones since there is not enough vitamin D in that meal.  Oh well, I'll stick to burgers and sandwiches and everything else I can squeeze it into.  Like this bread.  Oh my god, this bread.

This month's recipe comes from Amy at Amy's Cooking Adventures.  She is a stay at home mother who started learning how to cook when her kids started eating with her.  In addition to her ridiculous skills with sweets she has impressive array of breads inspired by her grandmother, the baker of her family.  As I have no yeast bread recipes on here and want to start exploring different types of flour, I decided to tried out her Caramelized Onion Bread.

I switched out the canola oil for bacon fat because I can't leave well enough alone.  A little thyme added to the onions made it a little reminiscent of the flavors I love in french onion soup.  To echo the richness of that soup, I replaced some of the water with half and half.  Because standing for a long time isn't the best thing for me, I used my stand mixer to knead for me for about 8 minutes on medium low, finishing the job on the counter.

This is the perfect twist on the whole wheat sandwich bread, a little sweet from the onions that would complement a strong cheese like brie or cheddar.  Amy originally paired the bread with tomato soup, so I think I need to make a grilled cheese for dinner...

Here are the rest of the reveals for group B:

Savory Strata Cupcakes

Cooking for one is annoying.  I love cooking but I don't always love to eat my leftovers and always end up with a fridge full of things I don't know what to do with.  This means things get shoved to the back or I eat weird little meals of everything together.  I definitely needed a solution when I had a loaf of ciabatta, one too many egg cartons, leftover roasted veggies, 1/2 a red onion, and chorizo.  So I made it fun!

Instead of a giant strata (like this one) I made them in muffin molds!  Spread with a mashed avocado and yogurt topper and a few snipped chives, they look like cupcakes with sprinkles!  Best of all, they are in individual portions perfect for lunch boxes.

Next time you've got leftovers, I challenge you to get creative!  Pull out everything you need to use so you can see what you're working with and start brainstorming.  You might surprise yourself!

50 Women Game Changers in Food: #43 April Bloomfield - Roasted Red Onions with Green Pea Pesto

April Bloomfield is #43 on the list of 50 Women Game Changers in food and in my opinion she is a lady chef badass.  Her cookbook A Girl and Her Pig features April with a pig slung over her shoulder on the cover.  AND She believes in the snout to tail philosophy, only for the brave.  While I'm not that adventurous (yet, hopefully), I really admire the respect she has for great ingredients prepared simply.  I found one of her recipes for roasted red onions with sage pesto perfect for Thanksgiving.  Intrigued since caramelized onions are my favorite food, I decided to adjust the recipe for spring based on her pea and ham soup with mint.

Thus, roasted red onions with green pea pesto was born.  I combined slivered almonds, mint, basil, and thawed frozen peas with a little bit of chili powder and oil from sundried tomatoes for depth of flavor.  It was bright and a little sweet, perfectly paired with slow roasted onions and slices of sundried tomatoes on top.  Colorful and flavorful, a lovely homage to another lady game changer.

Here are the other wonderful lady bloggers following the 50 Women Game Changers:
Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed, Susan - The Spice Garden, Heather - girlichef, Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Amrita - Beetles Kitchen Escapades, Mary - One Perfect Bite, Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts, Linda A - There and Back Again, Nancy - Picadillo, Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen, Annie - Most Lovely Things, Jeanette - Healthy Living
Claudia - Journey of an Italian Cook, Alyce - More Time at the Table, Kathy - Bakeaway with Me, Martha - Simple Nourished Living, Jill - Saucy Cooks, Sarah Everything in the Kitchen Sink

Toasty Burgers

Sarah is a common name.  Tostanoski is not.  I love my last name, it means I always get to talk about pierogis when people try to pronounce and it lends itself to some great nicknames.  From Big Toaster to just a bunch of i's added to the back by my high school swim coach, the one that has stuck is Toasty.  So, my burgers will hence forth be called Toasty Burgers!  (They sound like super hero burgers, love it)

Alton Brown is my burger hero, but I feel like I'm not allowed to say that because it was on his man episode.  He made really simple burgers on a flat top, smeared toasted buns with a little mayo, and topped with slow carmelized onions.  DROOL!  I first recreated his delicious burger, topped with my homemade mayonnaise.

But I can't do anything without making it a project.  So I made a tangy barbecue sauce to baste the burgers, added melty baby swiss cheese, and topped with pea shoots, which can be found on the cheap at trader joes as a great alternative to lettuce on a burger.  Am I the only person who hates lettuce on a burger?  There is always too much, slopply placed, and doesn't stay crunchy, all of these problems solved by crunchy pea shoots.

So this was my attempt to tackle the burger, and I think I definitely nailed it!

Brie Creamed Spinach and Mushrooms

Years of spinach salads for lunch has left me wanting more from my spinach experience.  I ate it for the nutritional value (vitamins! iron! antioxidants!) and got bored along the way.  There's only so much vinaigrette a girl can eat.  But cheese?  And caramelized onions and mushroom?  Always room for more!  So to get a little more spinach in my life, I added brie to the steak house classic creamed spinach.

My version of creamed spinach starts with red onion, cremini mushrooms, garlic, and lemon zest.  Brie is melted into 1/3 of a cup of half and half and allowed to reduce until there is almost no liquid left.  Baby spinach is added and delicately wilted into the creamy cheesy sauce.  Nutmeg complements both the cream and the leafy green flavors.  The result is a delicious twist on creamed spinach any steak house would be proud to serve!  I know I was proud of myself when I was eating it . . .

French Onion Soup

My favorite food, hands down, is caramelized onions.  I don’t care what it’s on, I will eat it.  So it’s no surprise that one of my favorite soups is french onion.  Tons of onions carmalized until they turn a deep brown color, half a bottle of wine, and gooey melted cheese on top?  Done and done.

This is a lazy weekend project; after adding the wine and stock it sits simmering for a few hours to intensify the flavors.  I like to use a mix of sweet yellow onions, red onions, and shallots with a slightly spicy Shiraz (3 buck chuck brand works fabulously).  Sprigs of thyme leaves are tossed in with the onions, balsamic vinegar is used to sweeten the base, and Dijon mustard adds a hmmm what’s that flavor to the dish.  While beef stock is used traditionally, I only ever have chicken stock on hand in my pantry so this is how I’ve been making it for years and I love it anyway!

After the soup has simmered away, it’s topped with toasted baguette slices and shredded gruyere cheese, melted under the broiler.  This is the epitome of comfort food for me: complex reduced flavors topped with carbs and cheese.  What’s not to like?

Spinach and Goat Cheese Pizza with Roasted Garlic

I recently joined a yoga studio next to a whole foods (cliche, I know).  This is a dangerous combination, but it reminded me of this AMAZING frozen pizza crust they sell.  It's a great versatile product that doesn't have the typical preservatives found in ready-made crusts.  I created a "white sauce" with crushed roasted garlic and topped it with caramelized onions, spinach, and goat cheese.

Onion and Green Apple Quick Pickle

Like Snooki, I am a giant fan of pickles.  While I don't deep-throat bread and butters on the regular, I do quick pickle.  Tangy and crunchy quick pickles are perfect for cutting rich dishes while maintaining the crunch and freshness of the fruits and vegetables.  The basic formula is any crunchy veggies and/or fruits, an acid like citrus or vinegar, and any other flavors you want to add.

Today, I tried out an onion and granny smith combo with Latin American flair to go with the roasted duck leg and summer creamed corn.