Salsa Shrimp Dip
4 ounces (half of an 8-ounce package) Philadelphia Neufchatel Cheese, softened (Neufchatel is used because it has less fat than cream cheese, which can be used instead)
1 16-ounce jar chunky salsa
1 6-ounce can tiny shrimp, drained
½ cup chopped celery
ADVERTISEMENT
¼ cup sliced green onions
Wheat Thins (reduced-fat) crackers
Beat Neufchatel cheese in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
Gradually beat in salsa until well blended.
Stir in shrimp, celery and green onions until well blended. Cover.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Serve as dip with crackers.
Yield: Serves 20.
ADVERTISEMENT
Approximate nutritional information per serving: 29 calories, 3 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram fat (0.8 grams saturated), 19 milligrams cholesterol, 0.4 grams dietary fiber, 205 milligrams sodium.
Green Onion Biscuits
3 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tablespoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/3 cups chilled whipping cream
1½ cups thinly sliced green onions
ADVERTISEMENT
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) butter, melted
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Mix cream and green onions in a medium bowl.
Add cream mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until moist clumps form.
Transfer dough to floured work surface. Knead just until dough holds together, about 8 turns.
Shape into 8-inch square. Cut out 16 2-inch-square biscuits. Transfer biscuits to large baking sheet, spacing 1½ inches apart. Brush top of biscuits with melted butter.
Bake biscuits until golden and cooked through, about 18 minutes. Serve warm.
Note: Can be made eight hours ahead. Cool. Wrap in foil. Store at room temperature. Rewarm wrapped biscuits in 350-degree oven until heated through, about 8 minutes.
Yield: Serves 8.
Approximate nutritional information per serving: 205 calories, 3 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, 13 gram fat (8 grams saturated), 44 milligrams cholesterol, 0.8 grams dietary fiber, 359 milligrams sodium.
Fried Shrimp and Onion rings
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup Martha White's Buttermilk Cornbread Mix
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon each garlic and onion powder
Seltzer water, enough to make medium thin batter
Shell-on Shrimp to fry
Oil for deep frying
Heat oil to 365 degrees. After oil comes up to approximately the correct temperature, test it by frying one shrimp. One shrimp should take about 2 to 3 minutes to be golden brown. Adjust heat accordingly.
Prepare batter by stirring all the dry ingredients together until mixed well. Add the seltzer water in a thin stream in the center, mixing with a whisk to avoid lumps. Stir until smooth but do not overbeat. The batter should be similar in consistency to pancake batter.
If you have a tendency to make tough tempura, use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Dip the shrimp in the batter, drain for 10 seconds and drop in hot oil. Remove the shrimp when golden brown, season to taste, drain on paper towels, and serve with cocktail sauce or tartar sauce for dipping.
You can use this same batter to make great onion rings with Vidalia onions sliced ½-inch thick. Sprinkle with onion powder before they cool.
If you can't find the corn meal mix at your store, substitute fine corn meal (1/3 cup), 2 tablespoons of dry buttermilk powder and a half teaspoon baking powder and continue to use the other ingredients listed above.
Chicken Livers with Bacon, Onions and Apple
1 pound chicken livers
1 8-ounce package sliced bacon
2 medium onions, sliced
1 large red cooking apple, cut in wedges
½ cup water and ¼ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon apple jelly
Cut bacon into 1-inch pieces. Cook bacon until browned, drain bacon on paper towel. In drippings remaining in skillet, cook onions 5 minutes over medium heat. Add apple wedges, cook 5 minutes longer or until onions and wedges are browned and tender. Remove from skillet. Cook chicken livers in remaining drippings until livers are lightly browned, but still pink inside. Stir frequently. Combine livers, bacon, onions and apples, add water, wine, jelly, salt and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer over medium heat.
Scallion Pancakes
2/3 cup flour
¼ cup warm water
3 to minced scallions
¼ teaspoon onion powder
Sesame oil
Salt
Combine flour, water and onion powder to make a dough, and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth.
Cover dough with an inverted bowl or damp towel and allow to rest for 45 min to an hour. Divide into 6 pieces and roll each into a 4 inch ball.
Spread each with a thin coating of oil and sprinkle with the minced scallions and salt. Flatten and roll up jelly roll style. Stretch and pull lightly on both ends to form ropes. Coil ropes around rolls and tuck ends under. Place in oil for 20 minutes. (You may store dough in refrigerator for up to 2 days.)
Drain on paper toweling. Roll into flattened pancakes. Saute in a skillet, browning slowly on both sides, adding oil as needed. Cut into wedges to serve.
Szekely Gulyas
2 pounds pork, cubed
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons lard or butter
½ teaspoon paprika
Water
1½ pounds sauerkraut, drained
½ pint dairy sour cream
Saute onion in lard or butter until golden. Add meat, paprika and enough water to barely cover pork. Cover and cook over low heat until meat is tender. Add the drained sauerkraut. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add sour cream. Heat through without boiling.
Egyptian Potato Onion Beef Casserole
1/8 cup vinegar (to soak beef/lamb)
5 medium-sized potatoes
1 stick butter
1 pound frozen cubed beef or lamb without bones
3 large onions
1 small can tomato paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
Salt, freshly ground pepper, salt substitute (potassium chloride)
You also will need a ladle, two stockpots, 1 large casserole dish or 2 to 3 smaller ones, a peppermill or mortar and pestle.
FOR THE BEEF (OR LAMB):
Defrost the meat in a large pot or bowl. Cover with cold water and add vinegar. Allow to defrost in refrigerator overnight. If already defrosted, let marinate for 1 hour.
Pour off the vinegar mixture and rinse the beef or lamb in cool water. Cut off and discard any excess fat. Place meat in a pot. Add enough water to cover, and boil on medium for 15 minutes.
After the meat has boiled, put the can of tomato paste into the pot and dissolve it into the beef broth. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the meat mixture in the pot.
Add ½ tablespoon or more of ground pepper. Add ½ tablespoon of salt and ¼ tablespoon salt substitute. Mix and taste. If needed, add more salt.
FOR POTATOES AND ONIONS:
Peel the potatoes and onions into ¼-inch-thick rounds.
Put the potatoes and onions into another pot, cover them with water. Bring to a boil and cook on medium for about 7 minutes.
FOR THE CASSEROLE:
You will need 1 to 3 casserole dishes depending on their size. Put ½ to 1/3 of the stick of butter into the bottom of the dish.
Put some drained beef or lamb into the dish. Put some Drained potato and onion into the dish. Then put some more meat and repeat the process until the dish is about two-thirds full.
Then ladle the tomato-meat sauce from the pot into each dish until the potatoes, onions and meat are completely covered. If you run out, then use the potato water.
Bake the dishes uncovered at 375 degrees for 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Fiesta Onion Soup
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
3 tablespoons sliced black olives
3 tablespoons chopped green chili peppers
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1½ teaspoons wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
½ teaspoons Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.
Southern Onions and Cucumbers
2 to 3 medium or 2 large cucumbers
1½ cup white vinegar
1½ cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon red pepper
1 medium Vidalia sweet onion
Peel cucumbers, peel onion. Slice cucumber into a large bowl with lid. Dice onion and add to cucumbers. Add vinegar and water to bowl. Add salt and red pepper. Mix well, let stand 1 to 2 days depending on your preference.
Onion Dill Bread
1 package dry yeast
3 1/3 cups bread flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1/4 cup water, lukewarm
¾ cup cottage cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons dried onions, minced
2 tablespoons dill seed, whole
1½ tbsp butter
¾ cup sour cream
Place all ingredients into bread machine in order given or follow directions in user's manual. Select correct bread cycle and crust color and press start.
Hot Dog Onions
1½ cups water
½ cup ketchup
½ tablespoon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch crushed pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch dry oregano and dry basil
3 sliced onions
Boil 1½ cups water, then add all ingredients. Cook over low flame for 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve on hot dogs.
Vidalia Onion Quiche
1 cup cracker crumbs
5 teaspoon butter, melted
2½ cups Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
¾ cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup Swiss cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper
CRUST:
Combine cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press firmly into a 9 inch pie.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
FILLING:
Saute onions over medium heat in olive oil until translucent.
Spread onions evenly across baked pie crust. Combine milk and eggs; pour over onions. Sprinkle with cheese; season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool 10 minutes before serving.
Onion Focaccia
1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached bread flour
6 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Cornmeal
Combine both flours together thoroughly. You may optionally use entirely bread flour (4 cups) eliminating the whole wheat flour.
Stir yeast into warm water in a large mixing bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in 2 cups flour and beat until mixture is sticky.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in remaining flour until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover and allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk.
Punch down, pour over 4 tablespoons olive oil and add salt. Knead once more, until smooth.
Roll into a circle 10 to 12 inches in diameter.
Place on a well oiled 15-inch pizza pan dusted with cornmeal.
Let rise till nearly doubled.
Heat remaining olive oil in a frying pan and gently saute the onion for 8 to 10 minutes.
Spread onions over dough (allow them to cool slightly first) and sprinkle with pepper.
Bake at 425 degree for 30 minutes.
