For the love of onions

Do you like using onions in your cooking? I use them a lot, so when they are on sale I buy a couple net bags that hold 3 or 4 lbs. And when you’re peeling them do you cry? One way to keep the tears away is to keep 1 or 2 unpeeled onions in the fridge. If you slice or chop an onion when it’s cold, you’re less likely to shed tears. Or, eat a soda cracker or piece of bread while you’re chopping. It works for me.

A few onion tips for you. When dicing an onion I always dice more than the recipe calls for, then put the rest in a glass container in the fridge to be used in 2-3 days. I also freeze measured amounts. Mark the measured amount  on the wrap and you’re good to go when needed in a recipe. One small onion equals 1/4 cup diced and 1/2 lb. of onions will give about 2 cups sliced or chopped. Store onions in a cool, dry place where there’s plenty of air circulating around them. Keep onions far from potatoes...they don’t like each other and will spoil.

Don’t pass over this recipe. It’s very good and something a little different

CHEESY ONION CASSEROLE

2 T. butter or margarine

3 large sweet white onions, peeled and sliced

2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Pepper to taste

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

2/3 c. milk

1 t. soy sauce

8 slices French bread, buttered on both sides

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onions and saute until clear and slightly brown. Layer onions, 2/3 of cheese and pepper to taste in a 2 qt. casserole. In a saucepan, combine soup, milk and soy sauce; stir to blend. Heat until hot but don’t boil, stirring constantly. Pour soup mixture into casserole and stir gently. Top with bread slices. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Using a spatula, push bread slices down under sauce; sprinkle with rest of cheese. Bake 15 minutes more. This is very good served as a side dish with pork or beef.

Makes eight servings.

+++++

This is a good recipe for lunch for two people

ONION POTATO

PANCAKES

1 egg

1 small onion

1 T. flour

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 t. baking powder

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2” cubes (about 3/4 lbs.)

3-4 T. vegetable oil

Applesauce - optional

Put the first 6 ingredients plus 1/3 cup potatoes into a blender or food processor. Cover and process on high until smooth. Add rest of potatoes; cover and pulse 2-4 times (not minutes) until potatoes are coarsely chopped. Pour 1-2 T. oil onto a hot skillet or griddle. Pour batter by 1/3 onto griddle; flatten slightly, to a 4 to 5” diameter. Cover over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Add oil as needed until all cakes are cooked. Serve a little side dish of applesauce with the cakes if you wish.

Makes about six cakes.

+++++

CHEESY ONION SOUP

1 large onion, diced (about 1-1/4 c.)

3 T. butter or margarine

3 T. flour

1/4 t. salt

Pepper to taste

4 c. milk, warmed

2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Colby/Monterey-Jack cheese

Seasoned salad croutons

Parmesan cheese - optional

In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until soft but not browned. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Serve with croutons or oyster crackers. Pass Parmesan if you wish.

Makes six servings.

+++++

These bars were “kitchen tested” by some of the neighbor gals and everyone thought they were delicious. They are!

CAN’T LEAVE THEM ALONE BARS

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/3 c. canola or vegetable oil

1 regular size pkg. white cake mix

1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 c. butter or margarine

In a mixing bowl, combing eggs and oil, mixing well. Stir in cake mix with a big spoon, mixing until all of the cake mix is blended in. (I always put cake mixes in another bowl and stir in with a wire whisk to get the small (lumps broken). The mixture will be very stiff. Measure out 1/3 c. + 1/4 c. of mixture; set aside. Press rest of mixture into a greased 9x13” baking pan. In a microwave safe bowl, combine last 3 ingredients. Micro, uncovered, on high for 40 seconds; stir. Micro 40-50 more seconds longer or until chips and butter are melted; stir until smooth. Set aside to cool a bit. Pour over unbaked crust. (After making this mixture I pour it into a 4 c. measuring cup with a spout. It’s easy to pour onto the crust this way).

Using a teaspoon measuring spoon; scoop a small amount of the remaining cake mixture in the spoon and level off. You should have about 34 blobs. Put them, one by one, setting them here and there, onto the chocolate layer. Don’t push them into the chocolate. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until blobs are light brown. The bars test done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let sit for 15 minutes. Using a dinner knife, go around edges of pan to loosen bars. Cool completely. 

Makes about 30 bars. The blobs look like vanilla wafers when they’re done. I know it sounds really putzy but it’s worth it.

Thought for the Day: Old age is having too much room in the house and too little room in the medicine cabinet.

Do you like using onions in your cooking? I use them a lot, so when they are on sale I buy a couple net bags that hold 3 or 4 lbs. And when you’re peeling them do you cry? One way to keep the tears away is to keep 1 or 2 unpeeled onions in the fridge. If you slice or chop an onion when it’s cold, you’re less likely to shed tears. Or, eat a soda cracker or piece of bread while you’re chopping. It works for me.

A few onion tips for you. When dicing an onion I always dice more than the recipe calls for, then put the rest in a glass container in the fridge to be used in 2-3 days. I also freeze measured amounts. Mark the measured amount  on the wrap and you’re good to go when needed in a recipe. One small onion equals 1/4 cup diced and 1/2 lb. of onions will give about 2 cups sliced or chopped. Store onions in a cool, dry place where there’s plenty of air circulating around them. Keep onions far from potatoes...they don’t like each other and will spoil.

Don’t pass over this recipe. It’s very good and something a little different

CHEESY ONION CASSEROLE

2 T. butter or margarine

3 large sweet white onions, peeled and sliced

2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Pepper to taste

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

2/3 c. milk

1 t. soy sauce

8 slices French bread, buttered on both sides

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onions and saute until clear and slightly brown. Layer onions, 2/3 of cheese and pepper to taste in a 2 qt. casserole. In a saucepan, combine soup, milk and soy sauce; stir to blend. Heat until hot but don’t boil, stirring constantly. Pour soup mixture into casserole and stir gently. Top with bread slices. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Using a spatula, push bread slices down under sauce; sprinkle with rest of cheese. Bake 15 minutes more. This is very good served as a side dish with pork or beef.

Makes eight servings.

+++++

This is a good recipe for lunch for two people

ONION POTATO

PANCAKES

1 egg

1 small onion

1 T. flour

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 t. baking powder

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2” cubes (about 3/4 lbs.)

3-4 T. vegetable oil

Applesauce - optional

Put the first 6 ingredients plus 1/3 cup potatoes into a blender or food processor. Cover and process on high until smooth. Add rest of potatoes; cover and pulse 2-4 times (not minutes) until potatoes are coarsely chopped. Pour 1-2 T. oil onto a hot skillet or griddle. Pour batter by 1/3 onto griddle; flatten slightly, to a 4 to 5” diameter. Cover over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Add oil as needed until all cakes are cooked. Serve a little side dish of applesauce with the cakes if you wish.

Makes about six cakes.

+++++

CHEESY ONION SOUP

1 large onion, diced (about 1-1/4 c.)

3 T. butter or margarine

3 T. flour

1/4 t. salt

Pepper to taste

4 c. milk, warmed

2 c. (8 oz.) shredded Colby/Monterey-Jack cheese

Seasoned salad croutons

Parmesan cheese - optional

In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until soft but not browned. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Serve with croutons or oyster crackers. Pass Parmesan if you wish.

Makes six servings.

+++++

These bars were “kitchen tested” by some of the neighbor gals and everyone thought they were delicious. They are!

CAN’T LEAVE THEM ALONE BARS

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/3 c. canola or vegetable oil

1 regular size pkg. white cake mix

1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 c. butter or margarine

In a mixing bowl, combing eggs and oil, mixing well. Stir in cake mix with a big spoon, mixing until all of the cake mix is blended in. (I always put cake mixes in another bowl and stir in with a wire whisk to get the small (lumps broken). The mixture will be very stiff. Measure out 1/3 c. + 1/4 c. of mixture; set aside. Press rest of mixture into a greased 9x13” baking pan. In a microwave safe bowl, combine last 3 ingredients. Micro, uncovered, on high for 40 seconds; stir. Micro 40-50 more seconds longer or until chips and butter are melted; stir until smooth. Set aside to cool a bit. Pour over unbaked crust. (After making this mixture I pour it into a 4 c. measuring cup with a spout. It’s easy to pour onto the crust this way).

Using a teaspoon measuring spoon; scoop a small amount of the remaining cake mixture in the spoon and level off. You should have about 34 blobs. Put them, one by one, setting them here and there, onto the chocolate layer. Don’t push them into the chocolate. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until blobs are light brown. The bars test done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let sit for 15 minutes. Using a dinner knife, go around edges of pan to loosen bars. Cool completely. 

Makes about 30 bars. The blobs look like vanilla wafers when they’re done. I know it sounds really putzy but it’s worth it.

Thought for the Day: Old age is having too much room in the house and too little room in the medicine cabinet.