Caramelized Onions | 20something cupcakes

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goat cheese mac with caramelized shallots.

June 7, 2012 — 8 Comments

Is it annoying for me to say that I’m pretty sure this is the best mac and cheese ever?

Goat Cheese Mac + Cheese with Caramelized Shallots

I can’t decide. But I’m thinking yes.

I’m now imagining every mac and cheese I’ve ever had, and I want to revise that statement to the best mac and cheese that I’ve ever made.

See, mac and cheese is probably my favorite dish EVER, like in the world … so I’ve had my fair share of it. And the thing about mac and cheese, for me, is that I love it every time. No matter which way it’s made – truffle this, lobster that, three-cheese, four-cheese, any cheese … I’m in.

We should discuss the fact that even though this is my favorite food, I’ve shown it virtually no love here on this blog. You need to know that I’m aware of this, and I do realize the asininity of the situation.

{Yes, that is a word. I just looked it up to be sure … I wouldn’t say it out loud, though – because it definitely doesn’t sound real}

It’s asinine! It is. There’s just no other word to describe it. And I blame Ina.

In Dinner Party Worthy, Obsessed caramelized onions, goat cheese, mac and cheese, macaroni, parmigiano-reggiano, pasta, shallots, thyme

{tree-trimming} onion soup.

December 8, 2011 — 2 Comments

If you’re in need of something to get you into the holiday spirit, nothing gets the job done quite like tree trimming.

{Though I can imagine, if you’re not in the holiday spirit, you might not be looking to get into it}

I think tree trimming needs to happen the weekend after Thanksgiving, and here’s why: I want to get the most out of my tree, my decorations – my favorite time of the year. I totally get it if you’re exhausted after Thanksgiving and the last thing you want to think about is
Christmas decorations…you know, getting those life-sized boxes from the attic, lugging them down and…

In Main Dishes caramelized onions, celebrate, christmas recipes, comfort food, gruyère, soups, thyme

caramelized onion dip.

August 19, 2011 — 2 Comments

I hope you’re not one of those people who buys pre-made tubs of onion dip. Or the packets. Those are bad, too.

I take that back. I do hope you’re one of those people. Because now, I have the chance to convert you.

Listen, it’s not that I won’t chow down on a tub of overly-processed “French onion” dip and a bag of Ruffles if that’s what’s in front of me. I’ve been known to do it, and I won’t say I’ll never do it again. Today, for instance, I ate a piece of cake with canned frosting. Just because I wouldn’t make it, doesn’t mean I won’t eat it.

Having said that – if you’re an onion dip kind of person, and you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re at least somewhat interested in cooking. So you should probably try out this dip. It takes a little more time than buying something pre-made at the grocery store but it is infinitely worth it.

In Fabulously Simple, Obsessed, Starters american classics, caramelized onions, dips + spreads, football fun-day, ina garten, potato chips

truffled cauliflower + caramelized onion tart.

June 7, 2010 — 6 Comments

Allow me to introduce to you to the best tart I’ve ever made.

{Or eaten}

Truth be told, this is the first tart I’ve ever made – and what a delicious introduction it was.

Now when you think of a tart, you might first think of those fabulous little confections of fruit and custard that frequent the counter of your favorite pâtisserie or bakery; but here – we’re talking savory tarts. I made this particular one for a couple of extra-special girlfriends who were down visiting me from NYC last month. I had some mascarpone and store-bought pie crust in the fridge that I needed to use, and after carefully scouring the web for the perfect recipe, I found this tart.

And it was just that – perfect. From the roasted cauliflower drizzled in truffle oil, to not one – but three fabulous cheeses {mascarpone – which is an Italian cream cheese, Gruyère – one of my favorite cheeses ever, and Parmesan}, to those perfectly sweet + slow-cooked caramelized onions…do I need to say anything more?

YOU.JUST.HAVE.TO.MAKE.IT.

On the side, I served Ina’s green salad and creamy vinaigrette. This is my favorite go-to salad to serve alongside a more complex main dish. The dressing is light and creamy, and coats the greens so beautifully. The champagne vinegar does give it some bite, which I love – but be careful because there are raw egg yolks in it, so if that freaks you out, you may want to go with something else. If, however, you’re anything like me – and you tend to eat high quantities of any type of cookie/cake/brownie batter – you shouldn’t be too worried about it, right?

Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart

Found on Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2007

1 small head of cauliflower (about 1 pound) or 1 pound of a larger head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon truffle oil or a few pinches of truffle salt – I used oil
1 refrigerated pie crust {worked out great, though next time I’ll likely make my own – it’s not that difficult – see the Smitten Kitchen link above}
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
1 (7- to 8- ounce) container mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

*I caramelized my onions and roasted my cauliflower at the same time, the night before. If you have some free time, I recommend doing it this way – it broke everything up nicely. Have a glass of wine {or two} and make a little night of it. Just make sure to store the cauliflower and the onions in different containers in the fridge. You can also bake the entire tart up to one day beforehand, reheating in a warm oven the day of.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil in large bowl. Spread on rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast 15 minutes before turning florets over and roasting until brown and tender, another 15-20 minutes. Cool cauliflower then chop or slice and drizzle with truffle oil or sprinkle with truffle salt. Reduce temperature to 350°F.

Press your pie crust dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Line crust with foil, fill with pie weights (I use uncooked rice or beans – you just need something to weigh it down) and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights then bake until crust is golden, about 5 additionally minutes. Press crust back with the back of a fork if bubbles form. Cool crust and maintain oven temperature.

Heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until onion is a deep golden brown, stirring occasionally. This should take between 30 to 40 minutes – and for that reason, I recommend doing it the day before.

Use a knife or brush to spread the bottom and sides of crust with mustard. Spread onion over crust. Arrange cauliflower over the onion. Set the tart on a rimmed baking sheet (to protect against leaks). Whisk eggs, mascarpone, cream, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Stir in Gruyère. Pour mixture over filling in tart pan, sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until tart is golden and center is set, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

In Dinner Party Worthy, Obsessed caramelized onions, cauliflower, creamy vinaigrette, mascarpone cheese, roasting veggies, smitten kitchen obsessed, store-bought pie crust, tart, truffle oil, worth the effort

weekend brunch: scrambled egg quesadillas.

April 13, 2010 — 4 Comments

There’s nothing better than a good weekend brunch.

{Except for sharing it with even better friends}

I decided to make these breakfast-friendly quesadillas after seeing them on one of my favorite blogs. I owe you a back-story here, as this was the very first food blog I ever discovered – and partly what inspired me to start my own. I was watching Ina on the Barefoot Contessa one day, and she had a special guest on the show. Her name was Phoebe, and she was was a writer for a fabulous food blog all about cooking in the quarter-life. I didn’t really know what a food blog consisted of at that point, but the idea seemed really cute so I went to check it out online. I probably don’t have to tell you that I have since fallen in love – but I will anyway. I was so into all of their great recipes, and most of all the fact that it was solely dedicated to cooking for women in this stage of life. After exploring more food blogs, and eventually other fashion and lifestyle blogs, I had an idea.

I thought, wouldn’t it be great if there was a blog that combined all of this *fabulousness* into one place for women exploring this stage of life? I thought about the quarter-life, and how so many call it a crisis – and I thought about how I couldn’t disagree more. I wanted to share that. And thus, 20something cupcakes was born.

I digress. But you did desperately want to know, didn’t you?

So. The quesadillas. As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to make them. Not only am I a huge quesadilla fan, but I’m a huge breakfast fan, so the combination is kind of ridiculous. And what’s even better is you can totally play around with the ingredients. That’s what I did on the second variety – they had used caramelized onions (which is always delish and since I usually have onions on hand, easy) and mushrooms, and as Daniel doesn’t eat mushrooms, I decided to throw in some prosciutto and switch up the cheese to Gouda. Still, I totally recommend making the first one just as they did. SO yummy. D-I-E for the chipotle crema.

Note: In case you’re interested, “crema” is a Mexican version of sour cream, kinda like the French have their version called “crème fraiche.” It can be difficult to find, so you can easily use regular sour cream, like I did.

I made 4 servings of each of the below quesadillas for a total of 8 servings. We had one couple over, so there were only 4 of us, but extra food is better than not enough (and we happen to love leftovers in our house). Quesadillas aren’t the greatest for large groups, as they’re best when made to order, but you can always keep them warm in your oven (at 200 degrees) if you want to make them ahead of time.

What’s brunch without the perfect cocktail? We enjoyed my deliciously spicy Bloody Mary’s with our quesadillas, of course. And it was pure perfection.

Scrambled Egg Quesadillas with Cilantro Chimichurri and Chipotle Crema

Recipe courtesy of Cara & Phoebe, the Quarter-Life Cooks

Makes 4 servings

6 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne
4 8-inch tortillas*
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

For the chimichurri:

2 cups cilantro
2 garlic cloves
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Olive oil
Salt

For the crema:

1/3 cup sour cream (I use light, always)
2-3 small canned chipotle chilis, minced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can (I may have added a little extra – I like it hot)
Pinch of salt
Hit of lime juice

Combine the ingredients for the crema in a small bowl, set aside. This can be done days in advance.

In a mini food processor, pulse the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and vinegar until roughly chopped. Add the olive oil in a stream until the mixture becomes a finely chopped paste, but not too thin. Taste for seasoning and add salt accordingly. This can be stored in the fridge for a day or so.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the salt and cayenne. On a cutting board arrange the tortillas side by side. Slather the chimichurri on each round, just enough to cover them with herbs but not make them soggy (you may have leftovers). Divide a 1/2 cup of cheese between two tortillas.

In a small non-stick sauté pan, scramble the eggs over low heat until just coming together (they should still be pretty wet and gooey). Spread half the eggs between the two tortillas, cover with another 1/2 cup cheese, and fold them in half, pressing down so they are glued together.

Clean out the pan and return it to the stove over high heat. Get the pan hot, then toast the tortillason both sides, until dark and crispy with cheese oozing out the sides. Serve immediately with a generous dollop of chipotle crema and some extra cilantro leaves for garnish. Repeat the process with the other 2 tortillas.

Scrambled Egg Quesadillas with Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, and Prosciutto

Makes 4 servings

2 cups chopped cremini, white button, or portobello mushrooms
4 ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 eggs, beaten
4 8-inch tortillas*
2 cups Gouda cheese, shredded

For the caramelized onions:

2 onions, thinly sliced (I like to make extra and use for other things like burgers or sandwiches)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Caramelizing onions is super easy, it just takes a few minutes. Melt the butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add your onions, brown sugar, and vinegar; sauté until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes. Try to keep them spread about the pan as they’re cooking. Remove from the heat, and let them cool to room temperature.

Add the mushrooms to the pan with a little additional butter or olive oil and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the onions back to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a couple more minutes, allowing the flavors to combine. Now your filling is done.

In the meantime, arrange two tortillas side-by-side on a cutting board. Divide a 1/2 cup of cheese between them. Add the eggs to the pan and toss until just combined—they should be very moist. Spread half of the egg-onion mixture over the two tortillas in one layer. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese over the top and fold in half, pressing down so the sides adhere.

Clean out the pan and return it to the stove over high heat. Toast the tortillas on both sides, until dark and crispy with cheese oozing out the sides.

Repeat the process with the other 2 tortillas. Serve immediately, and enjoy.

*Note: I use Mission Carb Balance Plus Flour Tortillas. They taste absolutely identical (we did a taste test to prove it) to regular flour tortillas, only they have 5g of protein and 11g of fiber per tortilla. Kind of obsessed.