Category: Vegetables

Onion Rings/Mushrooms Thanksgiving 2017

After several years of researching the perfect onion ring recipe – we think we finally got it.  Thanksgiving turkeys at the Consortium are deep fried.  Before the turkeys go in we have onion rings and mushrooms.  YUM!

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs onions – choose large ones
  • 1 lb mushrooms – choose small ones – cremimi work best
  • 4 c flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • salt
  • pepper
  • cayenne
  • 2  1/2 bottles beer
  • paper towels

Directions:

  1. Heat the oil to 350°.
  2. Slice onions 1/2 inch thick.
  3. Separate rings.  Save smaller ones to use elsewhere.
  4. Wash and dry mushrooms.
  5. Trim stems – save for other use (Try mushroom puffs).
  6. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  7. Stir in the beer.
  8. Drop the onion rings, a few at a time into the batter.
  9. Remove, allow to drip, and carefully drop into the oil, one at a time.  Fingers work best for this.
  10. Check for browning and turn after a few minutes.
  11. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  12. Sample to determine if they need salt.
  13. Repeat with mushrooms.
  14. Serve hot.

Serves:  1 – 8 How many onion rings/mushrooms can you eat?

Source:  Creativity and trial and error.

 

 

Balsamic Cippolini Onions

  Good as an hors d’oeuvre or addition to salad.  Frozen pearl onions are a little too small and tend to be too soft.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound fresh cippolini or pearl onions
  • 2 c balsamic vinegar (not the best stuff)
  • 2 Tab olive oil
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 whole garlic cloves
  • 1 c water
  • 1/4 c sugar

Directions:

  1. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat oil.
  2. Saute onions in oil until browned but not cooked
  3. Add remaining ingredients.
  4. Simmer for 20 minutes or so until onions are soft but not falling apart.
  5. Cool in liquid.

Lasts about three weeks refrigerated.

Serves:  about 2 cups

Source:  Greg Strickland, Executive Chef, Vi Highlands Ranch
True balsamic vinegar is made by aging boiled Trebbiano grape juice in barrels for 12 to 25 years and can cost $50 to more than $200. Many versions at supermarkets are made from regular wine vinegar with added sweeteners — they cost $3 to $14.

Potato Bar

We do this with the salad bar -a lot of ingredients work on both salad and potatoes.

Ingredients:

  • 50 small potatoes (can be baked at home and kept in an ice chest)
  • *Chili Love  (6 times the recipe on the blog or see below for large quantity.)
  • ½# onions, chopped
  • 4 c sour cream
  • 1/2 c chives
  • 1 1/2 lbs grated cheese

Directions:

Lay it all out after the salad bar.  People can double back to the salad bar if they want some of the other stuff.

Chili  Love

Ingredients:

  • 90 oz chili with meat (beans or no beans – your choice.  No meat would make it vegetarian.)
  • 48 oz cream cheese – softened, cut into cubes
  • 4 c chopped onions (you can buy these already chopped you know)
  • 90 oz diced tomatoes (canned)

Directions:

  1. Mix and heat.
  2. Stir a lot!

Or, if you have electricity, use a crock pot.

Serves: 50

Source:  Many camp-outs.

Margie’s Mushrooms – the Original Way

This is what Margie really does.  The other Margie’s Mushrooms is what happens when recipes are given verbally – slight variation on a theme.  Both are good.

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs  mushrooms
  • 2 Tab butter
  • 2 Tab olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 Tab soy
  • 1 Tab Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 c red wine
  •  1/2 c brandy or Marcella
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg.
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper

Directions:

  1. Wash mushrooms
  2. Slice mushrooms ¼ inch thick.
  3. Heat butter and oil in heavy pan.
  4. Saute mushrooms until they are dry.
  5. Add garlic. Saute 1 minute.
  6. Add wine, soy, and brandy.
  7. Cook down to semi dry.
  8. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

Serves:  3 cups

Source: Margie, the daughter.

 

Caribbean Black Beans

Ingredients:

  • 1 1⁄2 medium sweet onions, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
  • 2 Tab olive oil
  • 1 Tab fresh grated ginger
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme or 1⁄2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1⁄2 tsp ground allspice
  • 4 1⁄2 c drained cooked black beans or 3 (16 ounce) cans black beans
  • 3⁄4 c orange juice
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper
 Directions:
  1. Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until barely soft.
  2. Add the spices and sauté until very soft.
  3. Stir in the beans and orange juice and sauté for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
  4. Mash a few of the beans with a fork or the back of a spoon.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Adjust the consistency to your liking by adding orange juice or mashing more beans. You can also blend the beans with additional orange juice to make an excellent bean dip!

Servings: 5 cups

Source:  Food.com  Recipe by CheCheCherie

KOA BBQ Beans

When you are dealing with a large crowd –  simple is best.  Quick to put together – An hour and a half to cook!  Really delicious and worth the wait.

Ingredients:

  •  1 10 can  pork & beans
  •  4 Onions, large  –  coarsely chopped (or use 4 c frozen diced onions)
  •  1 c  brown sugar
  •  2 tsp yellow mustard
  •   2 c catsup
  •   4 tsp. Worcestershire

Directions:

  1. Mix it all together in a large pot.
  2. Heat, stirring occasionally.

Or –

  1. Remove 2 cups of beans.
  2. Set aside.
  3. Add other ingredients to the remaining beans in the  can.
  4. Set the can in a large pot.
  5. Fill the pot with water within a couple of inches of the top of the can.
  6. Heat, stirring occasionally until warm. (No danger of scorching /burning – good for those who are easily distracted.)
  7. When hot, stir in remaining beans.

Serves:  25

Source:  Cathy Painter/Allison  Painter

For a smaller crowd not camping out.

Ingredients:

  • 2 16-oz. cans pork and beans
  • ¼ c brown sugar
  • ½ tsp. mustard
  • ½ c catsup
  • 2 small onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Mix all ingredients.
  3. Baked in an oiled casserole covered for 1 hour.
  4. Uncover and bake for another ½ hour.

Serves:  10

Source:  Cathy Painter/Allison Painter

Cooler Corn

Am I the only person who hasn’t heard of “cooler corn”?  What is “cooler corn”?  It’s corn cooked inside an ice chest! This is the best way to make corn for a crowd. And you save grill, oven, and stove-top space!  You can even fix it before you leave home and have it ready when you are ready to eat.

What you need:

  • Clean cooler, any size works but don’t use Styrofoam.  It will warp when you pour in the boiling water.
  • 8 – 12 (or more) fresh ears of corn, (depending on how big your cooler is)
  • Boiling water, (about 2 quarts per 12 ears of corn)

Directions:

  1. Shuck all the corn and rinse thoroughly.
  2. Place the shucked corn inside the clean cooler. It doesn’t matter how you put it in, as long as the water can cover it.
  3. Boil the water. You’ll need about two quarts per 12 ears. Make sure the water is at a full boil before you pour it in.
  4. Add water to cover all pieces of corn. Snap down the lid and let stand for 30 minutes, undisturbed.
  5. Drain the water, either by dumping it out, or through the drain spout.
  6. Enjoy! With the lid on, the corn should stay hot for about two hours. Make sure people put the lid back after they take a piece.

Yields: 8 – 12 ears of corn (depending on size of cooler)

Source:  Bon Appétit, Sept. 9, 2011, Scott Desimon

 

Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings

 There are several variations of this on line but there is nothing wrong with an un-enhanced treat.  If you want to try some different treatments try brushing the onions with Shiraka sauce, BBQ sauce, or soy sauce.  
Ingredients:
  • 3-4 sweet onions, large (the flater the better – like Maui onions)
  • 2 lbs bacon, not thick sliced
  • Toothpicks
Directions:
  1. Cut the root end and stem end off the onion.
  2. Peel the skin from the outer layer of the onion.
  3. Cut the onion into ½ inch slices and remove the centers to only leave about 2 layers.  (If your onions are large enough you may get another two layer piece from the center.)
  4. Wrap strips of bacon around the edges of the onion slices. Expect to use about 2-3 slices each.
  5. Lay the bacon wrapped onion rings onto a lined rimmed pan.
  6. Bake at 300° for 30 minutes.
  7. If the bacon is not quite done, turn the rings over and finish in the broiler.
  8. Serve immediately when finished.

Serves: 4-6

Source:  Several internet recipes – modified by Donna Barasch

Pickled Haricot Vert (thin green beans)

These were a huge hit at Thanksgiving.  And, you do them the day before.  Also good with Pickled Garlic.

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 2 lbs haricot vert
  • 1/2 c white wine
  • 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 c white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp white peppercorns
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 sprig dill
  • a wide mouthed jar tall enough to hold the beans upright.

Directions:

  1. Pack the beans in the jar standing upright, filling the jar completely.
  2. Add dill and garlic.
  3. Bring wine, vinegar, and pepper corns to a boil.
  4. Simmer for about 5 minutes.Serves:
  5. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the beans.
  6. Refrigerate overnight.

Serves:  How big are your friends on pickled things?

Source:  Margie’ kitchen

Note:  If you use regular beans, simmer them in the vinegar for a minute or blanch them first.

 

Scalloped Tomatoes

This was the result of not reading the recipe carefully.  I used 3/4 pound cheese instead of 3/4 cup.  TOO delicious!  Especially with those fresh tomatoes in summer.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb can tomatoes, about 2 cups (or 2 lbs peeled fresh)
  • 4 slices toast, buttered and cubed
  • 1 Tab minced dry onions
  • 1/4 c butter, melted
  • 3/4 lb jack cheese, cubed
  • 3/4 lb cheddar cheese, cubed
  • salt and pepper

pinch of sugar (because anything with tomatoes needs a pinch of sugar)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 375°.
  2. Mix in 2 quart casserole.
  3. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Serves: 4-5

Source:  Some newspaper long ago – but Ginger claims it .