Re-purposed Onions! LOL

Have you ever pulled out your onion drawer, bag or basket and found they all have sprouted green tops? Sure! What do you do? If the onion isn't rotten in spots, I go ahead and use/cook it. What if it's a little too far gone for that? I peel the dead pieces away until I get to the last green stalk. Sometimes one onion will yield several sprouts. I did this today. The pieces of onion that I peeled away are going to be caramelized and added to gravy and topped on hamburgers and hot dogs. Nothing goes to waste here!

I harvested 7 onion plants from 3 onions.

I used empty water bottles cut in half for the taller shoots

and one about 2 inches deep for the smaller shoots.

Sit the shoots in water.

In a few days, the shoots will have roots!

This one should have been planted a few days ago,

but we got sidetracked. It will be planted today!

These are the peelings I got from the "rotten" onions.

I cut them up and sauted them for burgers.

Quick Pickled Radishes

This month the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge was Quick Pickles. Quick pickles are also known as refrigerator pickles. They are simply vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar) solution and stored in the refrigerator.Quick pickling is also a brilliant solution for preserving a variety of vegetables from the market or your own garden. Quick pickling doesn't require canning or a bushel of vegetables. Best of all, you can adapt this simple formula for any fresh vegetables; try a mixture of vinegars and spices for a truly custom pickle pleasure.

I like to use up leftovers for this method, this passed weekend I made some cucumber and radish appetizers for our Annual Easter Party and had a bag of radishes left over. I decided to quick pickle them since I'm the only one here that eats them.

Quick Pickled Radishes

1 cup white or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water (optional... I like stronger vinegar flavor)

1 tablespoon sugar (also optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 small bag radishes, thinly sliced

Whisk first 4 ingredients in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Place red onion in a jar; pour vinegar mixture over. Cover and chill. Store in the refrigerator. 

Quick Pickled Garlic

This month the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge was Quick Pickles. Quick pickles are also known as refrigerator pickles. They are simply vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar) solution and stored in the refrigerator.Quick pickling is also a brilliant solution for preserving a variety of vegetables from the market or your own garden. Quick pickling doesn't require canning or a bushel of vegetables. Best of all, you can adapt this simple formula for any fresh vegetables; try a mixture of vinegars and spices for a truly custom pickle pleasure.

I like to use up leftovers for this method, but this time, I bought a pound of garlic and decided to quick pickle it to have it on hand for months to come. I pop a couple of cloves out the frig and run them through my press and add them to sauces, dips and dressings.

It all starts with:

1 pound of garlic

 Separate the cloves...

 This yields about 3 1/2 cups of garlic cloves...

 Next, peel the cloves. Do not smash them.

If you'd like, you can blanch them for about 2 to 3 minutes,

and then transfer them to an ice bath.

The skins should peel right off.

 Peeled garlic cloves...

 Divide the garlic between 2 clean prepared pint jars

or 4 half pints... Depending on how often you use it.

I use bunches, so I used pints.

Quick Pickled Garlic

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water (or more to taste... I like stronger vinegar flavor.)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 lb Garlic Heads

Whisk first 3 ingredients in a small bowl until salt dissolves. Place garlic in a jars; pour vinegar mixture over. Cover and chill. Store in the refrigerator. 

Cucumber and Radish Appetizers ~ Two Ways

This passed weekend was our Annual Adult Easter Egg Hunt Party, and the food was always a hit. We did an informal hamburger and hot dog spread, but had a little of the fancy-shmancy stuff too. There was potato salad, slaw and deviled eggs to name a few of the sides, but the appetizers were a hit. Here are the recipes for the Cucumber ~ Radish Bites.

Herbed Cream Cheese Cucumber and Radish Appetizers
(on the long tray)

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons mayonaise
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
2 teaspoons ranch dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon table salt
Pinch of cayenne, or to taste
1-2 medium pickling cucumber
3 medium radishes
1 teaspoons minced fresh basil

and Kosher salt for sprinkling

Stir together cream cheese, herbs, zest, lemon juice, table salt, and cayenne.
Slice 32 (1/8-inch-thick) rounds from cucumber with a mandolin. Trim bottoms from radishes, then slice into 32 (1/16-inch-thick) rounds with a mandolin. Top each cucumber slice with 1/2 teaspoon herbed cream cheese and top with a radish slice. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and basil serve immediately.

Pimento Cheese Cucumber and Radish Appetizers
(on the small plate)

1 lb Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 8oz package Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup diced Pimento
1 cup Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons onion, grated
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and Cayenne Pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients, mixing well. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours for flavors to mix.

Prepare the cucumbers and radishes as in the recipe above, but use my pimento cheese spread instead. (With this recipe, you will have a generous plenty of pimento cheese for sandwiches or as a dip for crackers.)

Shared on Meal Plan Monday 

Quick Pickled Red Onion ~ Food in Jars Mastery Challenge

This month the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge was Quick Pickles. Quick pickles are also known as refrigerator pickles. They are simply vegetables that are pickled in a vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes sugar) solution and stored in the refrigerator. 

Quick pickling is also a brilliant solution for preserving a variety of vegetables from the market or your own garden. Quick pickling doesn't require canning or a bushel of vegetables. Best of all, you can adapt this simple formula for any fresh vegetables; try a mixture of vinegars and spices for a truly custom pickle pleasure.

Preparing Vegetables for Pickling

• Thinly slice: cucumbers, summer squash, radishes and red onion
• Cut into spears: carrots or cucumbers
• Peel: carrots
• Blanch: green beans (optional, but helps preserve their color)

Brine Basics

For quick pickles, a basic brine is equal parts vinegar and water, but you can adjust the ratio to your preference. Any basic vinegar is game — white vinegar, apple cider, white wine, and rice vinegar all work well. You can use these vinegars alone or in combination. Steer clear of aged or concentrated vinegars like balsamic or malt vinegar for pickling.

Quick Pickled Onions

1 cup white or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water (optional... I like stronger vinegar flavor)

1 tablespoon sugar (also optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Whisk first 4 ingredients  in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Place red onion in a jar; pour vinegar mixture over. Cover and chill. Store in the refrigerator. 

Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry

When I made the stuffed flank steak rolls, I had marinaded steak left over from the trimmings. So I decided to use it in a stir fry. When starting from scratch, use the marinade recipe below.

Marinade:
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

1 lb Sirloin, Chuck or London Broil, sliced thin against the grain

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 sweet onions, chopped

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cup carrots, cut into thin strips

Freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup water

In a small bowl, add marinade and beef. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat about 1 minute. Add beef, breaking up clumps of beef with wooden spoon; cook 1 minute without stirring. Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until beef is browned around edges. Transfer beef mixture to clean bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet; heat over medium-high heat about 1 minute. Add vegetables and cook until tender-crisp. Return meat to skillet. 

In a small bowl mix sauce. Add sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil until thickened. stirring constantly. Serve over rice.

Shared on Meal Plan Monday 

Stuffed Flank Steak Rolls

This one has sauted Mushrooms and Onions
with Provolone Cheese!

These have onions and Swiss cheese.

I saw one of those videos out there that showed something like this, but prettier and very easy and simple looking. So I gave it a shot. It is NOT simple or easy or pretty! They leave out a lot of steps as always. I changed a few ingredients. (Only because I did not have them on hand. It didn't make a difference in the difficulty.)

I tried to get a step-by-step photo shoot. The quality isn't that great on the poor old camera I'm using, but you'll get the idea! 

 No mushrooms or spinach this time, but it will next time.

Spread out the vegetable mix.

Slice the cheese into strips so it will roll easier.

I used Swiss this time.

 Carefully roll from the narrow end 

holding the stuffing in and keeping it even.

Secure with skewers. I had to use two per roll.

Slice into rounds. I got 6 out of this one.

 Over high heat, sear for 1-2 minutes per side.

 Then into the oven for 10-15 minutes.

 All done! Oops, the flash was on!

Wonderful taste! I will be making it again!

Stuffed Flank Steak Rolls
Marinade:
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce

Stuffing:
3 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia, chopped

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced

½ tablespoon kosher salt

½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds flank steak, pounded to an even thickness, if needed

9 slices Provolone, Swiss or Colby-Jack Cheese 1 bunch of baby spinach leaves (optional)

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl combine the ingredients for the marinade. Coat meat and remove resting it on a plate. Combine stuffing ingredients in the bowl with remaining ingredients.

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute the stuffing mixture until just starting to soften. Do not overcook. They will continue to cook in the steak. Remove from heat and set aside.

Lay the flank steak on a cutting board. Spoon the mushroom and onion mixture on top, spreading it evenly across the steak. Sprinkle the spinach on top (optional), followed by the slices of provolone. Starting at the bottom, or the narrowest end, of the flank steak, roll it up tightly, making sure the grain of the meat is running horizontally. Use skewers to secure the steak roll. Slice the steak roll into equal rolls.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan over high heat. Sear the steak rolls on one side for one to two minutes, then flip. Sear the second side for about one minute, then bake for 10–15 minutes, until medium rare.

Shared on Meal Plan Monday