when i tell people that i am a cook, they naturally assume that i'm eating like a king. and when people come over to our house for dinner and we make them a decadent meal, i often receive comments of disbelief that we eat that way every night. 

well guess what? i surely do not eat like a king every day and daily dinner's at my house look a lot more like a combo of left over food made for others and reheated trader joe's meals. 

even the cook has a busy life and has a hard time getting in tasty, satisfying meals. 

so i try to do the little extra things when i have some down time that will make my meal prepping easier when i'm really in a pinch. 

one of my go to items to have in the house is caramelized onions. they can be added to pasta, burgers, sandwiches, eggs and you get the point. caramelized onions are versatile. they are easy to make ahead and will keep through out the week in the fridge for quick and easy use. 

many people will give you different trips and tricks on how to best caramelize onions, but here is what i think is the easiest way to get the most flavor and bang for your buck. the major key in my mind is the type of onion you select. yellow or brown onions are often lower in price then their white or red friends and they have a higher sugar content so you don't need to add sugar to them to get them to caramelize. 

caramelized onion
serves: about .5 cup caramelized onion
prep time: 1 minute
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 31 minutes
ingredients: 1 yellow (some stores will call them brown) or spanish onion. 2 tbs olive oil. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp fresh pepper. 

start by slicing your onion in half, and then cutting it into .25 inch strips. 

add all your ingredients together in a large pan. toss well till the onions are lightly coated with olive oil, salt and pepper. 

now here is the key... patience. 

cook your onions, stirring every few minutes till they are caramelized. this will take 20-30 minutes. 

first they will become translucent. 

then they will start to brown. 

and before you know it, they will be nice and caramelized.

enjoy however you like, but i highly recommend this grilled cheese as a good place to start. 

xo, a

caramelized onion
serves: about .5 cup caramelized onion
prep time: 1 minute
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 31 minutes
ingredients: 1 yellow (some stores will call them brown) or spanish onion. 2 tbs olive oil. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp fresh pepper.
start by slicing your onion in half, and then cutting it into .25 inch strips.
add all your ingredients together in a large pan. toss well till the onions are lightly coated with olive oil, salt and pepper.
now here is the key... patience.
cook your onions, stirring every few minutes till they are caramelized. this will take 20-30 minutes.
first they will become translucent.
then they will start to brown.
and before you know it, they will be nice and caramelized.
enjoy however you like, but i highly recommend this grilled cheese as a good place to start. 

yes, it is still technically summer, but that subtle autumn change in the air has already settled over costa mesa. while i'm sure that come october the temp will jump back up to scorching, at the moment i've got some cozy boots on and i'm loving it. bring on the fall colors, cozy sweaters and comfort foods! 

since we live somewhat close to the beach, they don't believe that an air conditioner is necessary. so now that the temperature is changing, i am finally able to start using my oven again. and brussels sprouts are my go to roasted veggie. 

i know, i know. some of you loath brussels sprouts. but ask yourself this... 

is it brussels sprouts i detest? or is it the stinky smell and soggy product i get from a steamed brussels sprout that ruins it for me? 

sometimes a simple change in cooking method can change our perspective on an ingredient. adding bacon and caramelized onions to a dish doesn't really hurt its chances of success either. 

whether your a sprout fiend or you are just now giving them a second chance, this dish is sure to please you and your fall dinner guests. 

roasted brussels sprouts + caramelized onions & bacon
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 40 minutes

ingredients: 1.5 lbs brussels sprouts, stems removed and quartered. .5 spanish onion, sliced. 2 slices bacon (preferably one with a sweet flavor like maple or applewood). 3 tbs olive oil, divided. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp pepper. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 d F. 

you have two choices on how to cook your bacon. you can either cook it in the oven on a rack over a baking sheet for 20-24 minutes in a 400 degree oven. OR you can cook them in a pan over medium heat for about the same amount of time. in this method you will need to flip the bacon once or twice. either way, when the bacon has been cooked, blot it dry with a paper towel and roughly chop. 

after you get the bacon going, combine the onions, 1 tbs of olive oil and 1/3 of the salt and pepper in a medium pan. cook the onions over medium low heat, stirring every few minutes until they caramelize. about 20-25 minutes. 

once you get the onions cooking, combine the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper with the brussels sprouts. toss the sprouts well to coat them with the oil, salt and pepper.

place the sprouts on a baking sheet and roast them for 20 minutes. stir them once about half way through. 

when the sprouts and onions are done, toss together with the bacon and serve hot. 

xo, a
roasted brussels sprouts + caramelized onions & bacon
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 30 minutes
total time: 40 minutes
ingredients: 1.5 lbs brussels sprouts, stems removed and quartered. .5 spanish onion, sliced. 2 slices bacon (preferably one with a sweet flavor like maple or applewood). 3 tbs olive oil, divided. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp pepper.
start by preheating your oven to 400 d F.
you have two choices on how to cook your bacon. you can either cook it in the oven on a rack over a baking sheet for 20-24 minutes in a 400 degree oven. OR you can cook them in a pan over medium heat for about the same amount of time. in this method you will need to flip the bacon once or twice. either way, when the bacon has been cooked, blot it dry with a paper towel and roughly chop.
after you get the bacon going, combine the onions, 1 tbs of olive oil and 1/3 of the salt and pepper in a medium pan. cook the onions over medium low heat, stirring every few minutes until they caramelize. about 20-25 minutes.
once you get the onions cooking, combine the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper with the brussels sprouts. toss the sprouts well to coat them with the oil, salt and pepper.
place the sprouts on a baking sheet and roast them for 20 minutes. stir them once about half way through.
when the sprouts and onions are done, toss together with the bacon and serve hot.