Caramelized Onion Dip

It’s summer! Go make yourself some onion dip. Not the salty, fake onion flavored one made out of soup mix, but one made from cooking loads of onions in butter and olive oil until they are sweet and caramelized and then swirling them into sour cream and cream cheese.

I made this onion dip when I had some friends over the other day and served it with crackers, cut up vegetables and smoked salmon. Everyone kept scooping up the dip and salmon on the same cracker (Yup, right out of the bowl. We’re classy like that.). I would have never thought of mixing the two but it was really good. I think next time I might make the dip with some smoked salmon mixed in as a variation on the typical cream cheese based smoked salmon dip.

What makes this dip so good is the deeply caramelized onions. It takes a bit of time but it’s worth it.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs butter

1 Tbs olive oil

2 large yellow or sweet onions, finely diced

1 tsp black pepper (I like this dip with a peppery kick. Use less if pepper isn’t your thing)

1/2 tsp salt

a pinch of red chili flakes

8 oz cream cheese

16 oz sour cream

1 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tsp soy sauce

Directions:

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, salt, pepper and chili flakes and sauté until onions are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let onions cool completely.

Puree 1/2 of the onion mixture in a food processor. Add cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice and soy sauce and process until combined and smooth. You can also use an electric hand mixer but the dip won’t be as smooth.

Spoon dip into a container. Stir in remaining onions and taste for salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour but over night is better.

Vodka Infused With All Sorts of Good Stuff

I’ve been horrible about posting. I know. I moved. It’s summer. There’s a lot going on. I have been sewing and doing a ton of baking and cooking, I just haven’t been telling you about it. Maybe you’ve enjoyed the break from my blathering?

The other day some friends and I got together and made a dozen quart jars of infused vodka. It’s ridiculously easy, although we all agreed it’s a little anticlimactic since you spend all of this time cutting and mixing and then have to wait a couple weeks for the actual cocktail.

To make infused vodka, simply gather the ingredients.

Cut the ingredients into manageable pieces and stuff them into the jars.

Fill each jar with vodka and screw the lids on. Let them sit for a few days (spicy mixes) or a couple of weeks (everything else).

Some of the flavors we chose were:

pineapple habanero

jalapeno

strawberry basil

bay

ginger

cucumber basil

lemon lime

ginger orange

peach

peach mint

Gluten Free Black Forest Cupcakes

Tomorrow is my boyfriend’s birthday! Yay! He requested a black forest cake but like any baked goods he gets a hankering for they have to be adapted to a gluten free version.

The frosting looks all wonky because I couldn’t find my decorating tips and had to use a plastic bag with the corner cut off. Don’t judge.

I opted for a dark chocolate cupcake filled with cherry and topped some with cherry mousse and some with whipped cream.

I only had 4 eggs and the recipe requires 5 (Okay, so I know I said before that I detest using a recipe but since I’m putting it out here for you guys I followed the recipe. I’m nice like that). On the way back from the egg run I had to get some of this:

You know, so I wouldn’t be tempted to down a bunch of cupcakes while they’re still hot and have another finger burning incident. Don’t worry that’s fat-free yogurt under all that candy. Ha!

Ok, on to the cupcakes. I tweaked this recipe a bit and they are scrumptious.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour

1 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

1 large can cherry pie filling (or homemade if you’re feeling ambitious)

2 cups heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbs sugar, more if you like your whipped cream sweeter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 muffin pans with paper liners (24 cupcakes).

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat butter and sugars with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and yogurt.

Mix dry ingredients into wet in 3 batches. Beat until well combined.

Fill each paper liner 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched. Let cupcakes cool on a wire rack.

Drain as much syrup as possible off of cherries. Reserve the syrup.

Use a wooden spoon handle to poke a hole in each cupcake.

Fill each hole with cherries.

Beat the cream, vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form. For cherry mousse-like frosting, mix the reserved syrup into the whipped cream. Or leave it plain. Or just eat it right out of the bowl with a spoon.

A Different Kind of Egg Salad

Tis’ the season for egg salad as I’m sure most of you will have a lot of these soon.

This is not a typical mayonnaise and mustard egg salad. It starts with toasted mustard seeds, followed by caramelized onions and curry powder and then finished with fresh cilantro. It’s tangy and a little spicy – perfect piled on a hearty cracker or slathered between a couple slices of toasty bread.

Last week I had some girlfriends over to dye Easter eggs and to sample some recipes from Super Natural Every Day, the new cookbook by Heidi Swanson of the blog 101 Cookbooks. I made the avocado salad from her book, which is what this egg salad recipe is based on. I simply subbed eggs for the avocados and tweaked the ingredients a bit.

Note: I don’t recommend putting both your dye and your cocktail in Mason jars. It can lead to a mouthful of vinegar.

Dying eggs was awesome, even more fun than I remember as a kid.

The dyed eggs are so cheerful. I had to peek in the carton every time I opened the fridge.

Ahhh, they just make me smile. If you find yourself with a surplus of these lovelies give this unique egg salad a try.

Ingredients:

6 hard boiled eggs

the juice of one large lemon

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped

2 Tbs olive oil, divided

2 tsp black or brown mustard seeds

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp Indian curry powder

2 small serrano chiles, minced

Instructions:

Peel and roughly chop eggs. Place eggs, lemon, salt and cilantro in a medium bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add mustard seeds and cover. Heat until mustard seeds stop “popping”, about a minute. Add the onion and saute until translucent and starting to brown. Add garlic, curry powder and chiles. Cook another minute until curry is fragrant.

Remove onion mixture from heat and gently stir into egg mixture along with additional tablespoon of oil.

Serve with crackers, over greens or in a pita or sandwich.

Serves 4-6.

DIY Pink and Orange Brunch Reception

My mom got married over spring break to the love of her life. After a concise but personal ceremony, we headed over to the community center in their little town for a brunch reception. The community center was built in the 40’s and was a skating rink in its previous life.

Elderly ladies were popping by throughout our preparations to check out our progress. It’s amazing to think about all of the events this little building has witnessed.

The theme of the reception was loosely, “spring brunch”. We made a kazillion poofs out of tissue paper and tulle.

This little lady was the poof queen. She made poofs tirelessly long after we were completely sick of it.

The poofs were strung from fishing line back and forth across the room.

My mom made buntings out of sparkly scrapbook paper and strung them on thin strips of tulle. We hung them with hook and loop Command hooks.

The tables were topped with vases of white roses, a bright fabric runner and boxes of chocolates.

My mom’s friend made the chocolates and packaged them up in individual boxes for guests to take as favors.

I made labels for all of the food.

We used yellow metal tubs to hold all of the goods on the mimosa and Bloody Mary bar.

For the younger guests, we topped the table with sand buckets overflowing with toys and craft supplies. We also set up a bowling lane in the back corner of the room. The kids LOVED it and were fully entertained so their parents could relax a bit.

The star of the reception, besides the bride of course, was the photo booth. The guests could choose from all sorts of silly props including chalkboard thought bubbles. These served as a guest book as everyone could write their well wishes on the bubbles.

Yes, even a palm tree. All of the high class toys were purchase from Oriental Trading Company.