Onion Jam

My friend, Sherry, has been using this recipe for ages. I can’t wait to try it. (on a grilled cheese sandwich with thick slices of cheese.)

She uses an Epicurious recipe.  I’ve copied it so I can remember tweaks it I want them, later.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced red onions (about 3 1/4 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dry Sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup raisins

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and dried red pepper. Cover and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add brown sugar, vinegar, Sherry and ginger. Cook uncovered until onions are very tender and mixture is thick, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Add raisins and cook until mixture is very thick and dark, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool completely. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Berbere Spice blend

From https://www.africanbites.com/berbere-spice/

The word berbere means “hot” in Amharic —a spicy and flavorful spice blend. (Pronounced bari baray), somewhat of an all-purpose spice mix, widely used in Ethiopian dishes. A must have for Ethiopian cooking.

• • • • 3 Tablespoon smoked paprika
      • 2 Tablespoons paprika
      • 1- tablespoon ground ginger spice
      • 1 Tablespoon granulated garlic spice
      • 1 Tablespoon dried basil
      • 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
      • ½ tablespoon cinnamon spice
      • ½ Tablespoon ground nutmeg spice
      • ½ Tablespoon Fenugreek
      • 1 teaspoon Cumin
      • 1 teaspoons cardamon spice
      • 1 Tablespoon or more Hot pepper Chili, cayenne pepper

       

      Adjust to suit taste buds

      Since the African market in Greensboro will mix me up a cup for $3, I probably won’t make my own.  It’s interesting to me to know what’s in it, though.

Everything Bagel Seasoning

Proportions found at Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 2 teaspoons flaked sea salt or course salt

Directions: In a small bowl, combine the poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt. Stir until well combined. Store in a sealed jar or container.

I intend to cut the salt in halt the first time I make it. Trader Joe’s is very salty for me.

Cooper’s Country Store Barbecue Sauce

From my sister, Amanda:

3 cups cider vinegar
2 T crushed red pepper
2 T black pepper
3 T ketchup
2 T salt
3 T sugar
3 T dry mustard

“I halve the red pepper, usuallly. Could probably reduce the sugar.”

This is what my family believe barbecue is supposed to taste like.

Cilantro Chutney

Instructions from my co-worker, Vinu Patel, because you cannot stop cilantro from  growing in our herb bed:

Handful of cilantro.  (The way he held his hand looked like about 2 cups.)

1 jalapeno, seeds removed, 2 if you like it hot.  (That’s too much for him.  He thinks one is plenty if you use jalapeno.  If you use the long, red Indian pepper, use 2.  HE thinks they aren’t as hot.)

Little salt.

Little sugar

Little lemon juice. according to your taste. Less salt than lemon and sugar. (I would start with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp each of lemon and sugar.  He held his fingers about an inch apart when he was telling me)

If you have, a little fresh ginger and little cashew nut.

Taste it and adjust it how you like it.

Tex-Mex / Taco / Chili Seasoning

3/4 c.  chili powder  (or 3 scoops from the bulk bin)
3/4 c. ground cumin  (3)
1/2 c. oregano  (2)
1/2 c. paprika  (2)
1/4 c. cayenne pepper  (1)
1/4 c. garlic powder  (1)
1/4 c.  onion powder (1)
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. ground black pepper

Also known as Mom Magick here.

Curry Leaf

Non-Indian cooks trying Indian recipes for the first time will see “curry leaves” in lists of ingredients.

This is what they look like.

The stem isn’t edible, but the leaves are.  I love the flavor.  It is very much its own thing, not like anything else.

Curry leaves are available in the refrigerated sections of Indian groceries and are best kept in the refrigerator, but can be stored in the freezer if you aren’t going to use them up fairly quickly.

If they have had time to turn brown, just trash them.  In my experience, there is not enough flavor to do any good if they have dried out.

Garam masala

I have taken to making my own seasoning mixes and garam masala is frequently used in Indian recipes.

Allrecipes.com is a handy website. I found 4 ways to make garam masala there.  One is easy, the others are more complicated and, I suspect have more dramatic flavor.

Here is the easy one:

1 tablespoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
1½ teaspoons ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Buying it ready made is easy enough, but if you don’t have any in the house and are in the middle of making dinner, this beats running to the store.  Also, if there’s a part you don’t like, you don’t have to have it.  I leave cloves out because Chuck hates them with the heat of a thousand suns.

Cajun Seasoning

Just isn’t that complicated.

2½ tablespoons salt 
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika 
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

 Maybe the big secret is the proportions?

Ranch Dressing Mix

Back in the day when I ate more processed food, Ranch dressing mix was a staple of my cupboard.  They had a recipe on a packet for chicken strips that my son loved.  You put a packet of mix in bread crumbs, coat the chicken and bake it in the oven.  It was easy, tasty and (I felt) a better choice than fried chicken nuggets from a fast food place. Christopher loved it when I made those for dinner.

I don’t want the salt and MSG that’s in those packets, but I do still like the flavor.  So, this morning I searched and found a recipe at Food.com  This is what I modified it into.  It is in a little container in my cupboard and has already been used for vegetable dip.

3 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 Tbsp salt

Stir it up, put it in an airtight jar.

If you want to use this to make salad dressing combine 1 tablespoon mix with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup milk.

Otherwise use 1 tablespoon in any recipe calling for an envelope of ranch dressing mix.

Sprinkle it on popcorn and you will love me.

I was given this variation by my sister (2023):

6 Tbsp garlic powder
3/4 c. dried parsley
6 Tbsp minced onion
3 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dill