Pickled Red Onions

January 22, 2020 by Maria Almeida in cooking, maria

Do you ever use pickled red onions? If you don’t, you’re missing out. If you do, you know how good they are - how much they add to such a wide variety of dishes. They are magical. I can’t technically call them a secret ingredient because they’re added after the fact, but they really do an amazing job of ramping up flavor and providing a delightful contrast and bite to an otherwise muted or rich or creamy dish. Off the top of my head, I put them on: bagels and cream cheese; scrambled eggs; toast with goat cheese; sandwiches; salads; most any Mexican food (put them on carnitas!) or Mediterranean food or Middle Eastern food. Need I go on? You can change up the pickling spices a bit if you wish to adapt them to a particular flavor profile, but the recipe I have below is basically good for everything. Also, sometimes I add thinly sliced carrots and/or jalapenos. The carrots keep their crunch a bit more and the jalapenos add some kick.

kale cabbage and chopped broccoli slaw with red onion poppyseed dressing

March 15, 2019 by Maria Almeida in cooking, maria

I love this kind of salad so much. It’s colorful, it’s hearty, it’s nutritious, and it tastes delicious on top of all that. I serve a basic old house salad with every dinner, so a salad like this is kind of like a treat. It’s also a perfect side salad to fill out a meal that needs just a little more substance on the side.

Alternatively, you can throw grains (like farro, barley, or quinoa) or roasted veggies (Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes are my personal fave) and make this a legit meal. It makes a delicious lunch or a lighter dinner. With all the different elements and flavors you end up feeling totally satisfied.

Butternut Squash, Chickpea, & Red Onion Couscous Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

March 07, 2019 by Sophie Barrows in cooking, sophie

I was inspired to make this dish after trying a recipe from this Food52 cookbook. The squash & chickpea salad/side recipe was delicious, but lacked enough “oomph” to pass for a meal on its own (at least in our house). So I added in couscous, tweaked the proportions, and discovered a few toppings that paired nicely. The result: a delicious, filling and surprisingly fresh dinner, sometimes hard to come by in the winter with no garden fresh produce.