Odd Pairing, Awesome Outcome : "Fickled" Onions

I take NO credit for the creation of this one.  This is something I discovered about a year ago at a pot-luck Christmas dinner.  I'm not entirely sure of it's origins, the only thing I'm certain of is that the woman who brought it was Colombian and it's something she's been making and eating most of her life.  I also never got the actual name of this.  Sorry.  It was a pretty straightforward and self-explanatory thing, so I didn't have to ask what was in it.  I did, however have to develop the method.

Basically it's like a pickle, but it's not cucumbers.  It's onions.  Red ones.  "Say whattt?"  Yep, red onions and it's not vinegar based either.  "Ok, now I'm confused, how do you pickle something without using vinegar?"

Lots of lime juice and a little salt.  "But lime juice is gonna break down, vinegar is to preserve, if you're not using vinegar, it's not gonna keep long, amirite?"  You are, and I never said it was going to keep like that 5 year old jar of peppers in the back of your fridge that the Scoville scale couldn't even rate by now.  I just said that it's basically a pickle.  Same principle, different execution.  "Red onions are so strong, that doesn't even seem edible."  Dude, trust me, it is.  Most of the Latin/South American/Hispanic/however you want to categorize them dishes that I've had, had some SERIOUSLY bold flavors in it.  Ever bitten straight into a wad of cilantro?  Instantly, you either love it or hate it and I for one, love it.  Huge fan of cilantro AND lime. But that's another story.

If you wish to try this, and I HIGHLY suggest that you do, here's what you'll need:

2 med-large red onions, peeled and thinly sliced into rings or half-moons
5 limes, (These can be hard to squeeze, so roll them on the counter with gentle pressure, then microwave for NO MORE than 30 seconds to help release the juice.)
Approximately 1-2 tsp of kosher salt, depending on how much onion you have 
Cracked black pepper, to taste
Large bowl or container with a TIGHT fitting lid (chinese take out soup/sauce containers are great for this)

Slice your onions and separate them into individual pieces as best you can in your bowl or container, making one layer at a time, sprinkling your salt and pepper for each layer.

Cut limes in half and start squeezing!  You want enough juice that you can shake it around like a marinade.  About 1 inch of standing juice on the bottom of your container, depending on how much you're making, is a good way to measure it. If you're only using 1 medium onion, you'd only want about 1/2 inch of standing juice.  Unless you're a lime freak like I am, then add as much as you'd like.

This is a small batch after about 4 hours of sitting. 

Once you've added your desired amount of juice, mix it through with your hand or a fork to get it started, then cover your bowl/container and SHAKE IT!  Just like you would for a dressing.  You want every single piece of onion to coat itself.

Place in fridge for at least 20 minutes.  Come back and check on it after that time is passed and you should notice that the onions have started to turn clear, wilt and turn the juice purple. SUCCESS!

This will keep for about about a week, if it lasts that long.  After that time frame has passed, it's no longer food, it's Darwinism.  You wouldn't think that it's that good, but you'd be surprised.  Somehow, the salt and the lime cuts the super strong flavor in the onion down a notch or two. 

You can eat it as an accompaniment like you would banana peppers, make it a side dish, or a topping.  My favorite use for it is on steak or a piece of grilled chicken.  The liquid works WONDERS on Spanish rice (I'll have a recipe up on that one later) or even plain white rice! 

"How did you make these?!" Turkey Burgers

I rarely eat ground beef anymore, I switched to ground turkey for three reasons: 1. I don't have to strain/drain grease out of the pan after I brown it.  2. It's just better for you.  3. IT'S SO MUCH CHEAPER!

"But they have extra lean ground beef now, that doesn't put off grease either."  Again, TURKEY IS SO MUCH CHEAPER.  With the way that prices are, I can buy four 1lb rolls of turkey for the price of ONE pound of ground beef.  I don't see how anyone can argue with that.  Turkey has gone from that enormous yard-bird in the middle of the table at holidays to an every day meat.  It's not just legs, wings and breasts anymore.  There's even turkey chops!  I haven't found a pack of those yet in my wally world adventures but I'm always on the lookout.  Either way, it's a much more versatile meat than it used to be and like chicken, it only has the flavor you give it.  So you're gonna have to church it up a bit first.  I church mine up to taste like steak burgers and no one is the wiser unless they see the packages or I tell them.

This recipe calls for the No-Salt seasoning discussed/reviewed in my previous post, but if you don't have that (yet) then I'm sure you can just sub in the old standbys of garlic, onion and pepper and probably get the same result. 

2lb ground turkey
1 tblsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tsp Montreal Style Steak Seasoning
1 tblsp Big Lots Brand No Salt Seasoning
1 tblsp Your Favorite Brand "Bold and Spicy" style steak sauce

Mix to combine ensuring all seasoning has been evenly distributed and start making your patties.  Now I caution you, these are gonna shrink up, so I would make your patties a decent size.  With these measurements I can get 4 small burgers or 2 large burgers, so adjust your meat amounts according to how many plates you're setting.

Cook these the same as you would any burger.  If at some point you find your pan to be too dry, you can totally get away with adding a little water and covering it for a minute or two.  This will not only steam your burgers but it kinda helps them cook quicker, I find.  It also helps keep them from the possibility of burning.  So if you have to walk away for a quick bit, add a little water to your pan for a safety safe.

Serve as you like and enjoy!

The Greatest Seasoning $1 Can Buy

As I mentioned in my last post, I've cut back or out my salt since I've changed the way I eat.  It's hard to find a good seasoning that's NOT loaded with sodium or MSG.  McCormick has a few no-salt options out there that I've found so far.  I've tried their garlic and herb version and while I liked it, I quickly learned that a LITTLE goes a LONG way! The garlic granules they use in it are huge and strong.  Liberal application highly UN-recommended.  A sprinkling however, is perfect.

While trying to find the happy medium with that and getting over the odd after-taste of salt substitute, my friend told me about a no-salt seasoning that she had found at Big Lots and couldn't stop raving about.  I was intrigued, even more so when I found out that it was only $1 as compared to the name brand stuff at $2.75 a pop.  So I picked up a bottle of it the next time I was there.

I should have gotten two or three.

It's that good.

I went back 2 weeks and an almost empty bottle later and bought two more.

That's it over there, to the left, in all of it's "best dollar I ever spent" glory.  I actually have NO clue what all is in this.  I know it's got the basics, garlic, onion and pepper. There's also some dehydrated onion and celery seeds. I don't know and almost don't care what else is in there, I just know that with this I MUST SEASON ALL THE THINGS!  I put this on my eggs, people.  Yes. Eggs.  Scrambled OR fried, it doesn't matter, it works.

Other than the fact that it's beyond amazing, it's not overpowering unless you use 1/4 of the bottle at a time.  I can use this liberally and not regret it.  My favorite application so far is on steak.  Sprinkle a little coarse salt onto a ribeye followed by a good coating of this stuff and throw it in a hot pan to sear.  -wipes drool-

If you're looking for a way to control your sodium intake AND keep/enjoy the taste of the food on your plate, this is the way to go.

We've got two different Big Lots in my area and both of them have this on a regular basis.  It's in the same aisle as the rest of the spices and obscure sauces that only Big Lots seems to find.  Go out and grab a bottle!  It's only $1!