Goat Cheese & Caramelized Onion Quesadillas

The best advice I can give you when it comes to caramelizing onions is low and slow. If you keep the flame low and have patience (and don't forget to stir), your onions will turn a beautiful golden color and taste super sweet. The beauty is you can make them the day before and these quesadillas will take you all of 5 minutes to prep. This is nice for dinner or served as hors d'oeuvres (I don't want to brag, but I spelled that correctly without even looking it up). If you do make them as hors d'oeuvres, you can use smaller tortillas so you get smaller triangles. 

GOAT CHEESE-CARAMELIZED ONION QUESADILLAS

Yield: 40 triangles (6-8 servings)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing tortillas

3 large onions, roughly chopped

10 large flour tortillas

1 (10.5) oz. log fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1.      Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes.  Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 40 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring often to prevent burning.

2.      Preheat oven to 350º F.

3.      Brush one side of each tortilla lightly with oil.  Place oiled side down a baking sheet.  Sprinkle each tortilla with goat cheese.  Then sprinkle with caramelized onions.

4.      Top each with another tortilla.  Brush top lightly with oil.

5.      Bake until the tortilla starts to brown, about 12-15 minutes.

6.      Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut each quesadilla into 8 triangles.  Serve warm.

onions before

caramelized

cheese and onions

tortillas browned and crunchy

these are large triangles (not hors d'oeuvres size)

Garlic Butter & Garlic Bread (& Garlic Popcorn)

not fully mixed yet (or is that obvious)

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: I love garlic! So really it was just a matter of time before I made this post. You might think I originally made this garlic butter with the intention of turning it into garlic bread (but you'd be wrong). Lately I've been trying to make a good garlic popcorn, but wasn't having much luck. I tried popping some in a garlic-infused olive oil, but couldn't get it garlicky enough to really pack a punch (and you've gotta have a punch).

Then I tried adding minced garlic to the oil (only after the kernels had already begun to pop, so it wouldn't burn), but it burned. (Man that was gross.)  So finally I did what I was trying to avoid in the first place and just drizzled melted garlic butter over my popcorn. It was good (although next time I might strain it, pouring it over with the garlic chunks was a little awkward). Then I went ahead and made garlic bread too (you knew I would).

GARLIC BUTTER

Yield: ½ cup

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ teaspoons pressed (or finely minced) garlic

1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan cheese

1-2 pinches salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

pinch of ground paprika

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1.      Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; mix until smooth.

2.      Form into a log and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate (or freeze for up to 2 months).

garlic butter log (double batch)

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GARLIC BREAD

1 large baguette, sliced in half lengthwise

garlic butter, softened

1.      Preheat oven to 350º F.

2.      Spread both halves of the bread with garlic butter.

3.      Bake (buttered side up) until bread is heated through and edges are toasted, about 10 minutes.  Cut and serve.

Tip: Leftover garlic bread makes great croutons.  Just cut into small cubes and toast until crunchy.

I used The Almost-No-Knead Baguette to make this garlic bread.

Baked Cheese Grits

As a Northern girl, I didn't grow up eating grits. I guess that's why I never made them until recently. I really like this recipe, but I wasn't sure how it stacked up against other grits. 

My husband, who did grow up in the South, says these are very good. So we'll just have to trust his expert opinion. Of course he also doused the leftovers with Vietnamese Chili Garlic Sauce the next day, so feel free to take his opinion with a giant grain of salt (which sounds way better to me).

BAKED CHEESE GRITS

Makes 8 servings

6 cups water

1 ¾ teaspoons salt

2 cups yellow grits (not quick or instant), Bob’s Red Mill recommended

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 cups (½ lb.) coarsely grated cheddar (good quality sharp)

3 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1.      Position a rack in middle of the oven and preheat to 350° F.

2.      Bring water and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt to a boil in a 4-quart heavy pot.

3.      Add grits in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring frequently to avoid sticking, until very thick, about 30 minutes. (Use a long-handled spoon or heat-proof spatula to avoid bubbling and popping hot grits.)

4.      Add butter, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, garlic, and cheese, stirring until butter and cheese are melted. Lightly beat eggs and milk in a small bowl, then stir into grits until combined.  Add more salt to taste if desired.

5.      Pour into an ungreased 8” x 8” baking dish and bake until set and lightly browned, about 1 hour. Serve immediately.

adapted from Gourmet Magazine, October 2005

thin (when it first goes into the pot)

thick (before the butter, cheese, eggs, milk etc. are added)

you be the judge