We’re all waiting for the “Dashing Dialog Diner” to get his or her engines running now that we’re into parish “Fish Fry” season, but we thought it was time now to get some food offerings out to our beloved readers planning Easter celebrations.
First, our editor, Joseph P. Owens, has been intending to share a family holiday recipe for some time. It’s a side dish that in generations past was familiar to many, but much like the “Jitterbug” and subway tokens, has fallen into the dustbin of history.
So, here is our first offering. We call it “Owens Creamed Onions.”
The recipe is a secret (unless you have a Betty Crocker cookbook), although in another journalism lifetime our editor has shared creamed-onions joy with readers across the globe each holiday season (the dish is good for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, at a minimum).
Here it is …
Joe and Betty’s Steaming Onions.
1 1/2 to 2 pounds small white onions (they’re called “boiler onions” and they’re not easy to find. Don’t be tricked into pearls).
2 tablespoons margarine or butter (margarine is not allowed in my house)
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (optional; in other words, no)
Prepare (that means peel them) and boil onions. Heat several inches of water to boil, add onions, then cover and boil 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain. DO NOT OVERCOOK! They’ll be mushy. You want a little crunch to ’em.
Heat butter over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly (kind of like me); remove from heat. Stir in half and half. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Stir in carrots (or not) and cook 5 minutes longer. Pour sauce over hot onions.
We will not fib and tell you all of this is easy-peasy. It’s not. But we believe the dish is well worth the trouble. Although we often grumble while peeling the onions.
Lastly, everyone loves potato salad but almost no one likes making it. And not everyone likes mayonnaise. We therefore share the video atop this post as provided by the Catholic News Service of a recipe for mayo-free potato salad.
Here it is spelled out in writing:
Easter Potato Salad
3.5 pounds red bliss or new potatoes or both, washed and quartered
Fill pot with potatoes and water
Bring to boil, then med-high 7-10 minutes or can be pierced with paring knife
Chop 3 ribs of celery, 3 scallions
3 tbs chopped tarragon
3 tbs chopped dill
1/3 cup Italian parsley
Remove ¼ cup cooking water
Drain and cool potatoes
VINAGRETTE
1 tbs chopped shallot
3 tbs rice wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbs dijon mustard
3 tbs fresh lemon
—Blend—
Slowly add potato water while blending
Drizzle over potatoes and mix.
Mix in veggies, herbs
Top with pine nuts, if desired
Enjoy!
