Rants, Recipes and Ruminations: March 2011

Onion Jam

I stole this idea from Bon Apetit magazine. I had to modify it due to lack of ingredients, so this is not really what the authors intended. It is, however, delicious next to grilled steaks or chops, or on top of a burger.

3 lbs onions, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Saute the onion and garlic until onions are translucent and beginning to soften.

Add:
1/2 cup port
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup creme de cassis
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar(spend the money, buy the good stuff! How often are you planning to use it anyway? Should resemble a thin syrup, and the flavor is amazing. The cheap stuff WON'T do.)

Cook until liquid evaporates and the whole mixture takes on a jammy consistency. Add water if needed to prevent sticking

Chicken with Harissa and Curried Cauliflower

Harissa Chicken
Rub 6 chicken legs with 2 Tbsp harissa and a little salt, and allow to rest in the fridge overnight. Saute 1 cup chopped onion, add chicken, cover, and cook thoroughly.

Curried cauliflower
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 heaping Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt

The sour cream tones down the heat of the harissa and the curry.

Frito Pie Casserole

This one's inspired by one of my favorite treats from south Texas. For the uninitiated, a Frito pie is a very simple and delicious concoction: chili and cheese slathered over a bed of Fritos, preferably garnished with several pickled jalapeno slices. It's also an example of "rescuing" a dish. The chili for this was left-over, and was a little too salty. The Cornmeal base toned down the salt, and the result was great.

Cornmeal base:
1.5 cups cornmeal
1 can whole kernel corn
6 cups water
1 tsp salt
Combine all the above, bring to a boil, and spoon into greased baking dishes.