THIS ONION JAM MAY WELL become your secret weapon in the kitchen!
the second in My New(ISH) series I’m calling ‘add a vegetable’.
You Can find the first one in the series – my simple Carrot salad here.
I struggled a bit with what to call this little easy-peasy number. It was almost ‘This is the bomb!’ onion jam. As you can see, I also considered ‘O for OARsome’ onion jam. And then, I toyed with Miss Ellie’s Onion Jam after my step-son’s gorgeous girlfriend absconded with one of my experimental batches! In the end, ‘Add a vegetable’ onion jam won. Because when you add onion jam to your plate, you’re not only boosting flavour, you’re also boosting nutrients.
The longer I follow my AIP way of life, the less interested I am in fussy recipes with a bazillion ingredients and the more focused I become on adding nutrient density. At least for my everyday eating. It seems a little counter-intuitive doesn’t it? It’s true, though.
When I was a child growing up in New Zealand, my mum would layer up these salad plates – a little taster of lots of bits and bobs on a plate. At the time, for her, I suspect it was a great way to use up leftovers. Now, I think a play on Mum’s salad plate is actually a genius way to increase the variety of nutrient-dense goodies in your diet.
So, in this new series, I share ways that you can easily add a vegetable to your meal. One of the best and simplest strategies for eating for health.
Over time, I hope to have a repertoire of add a vegetable recipes for you to draw on so that a play on the ‘Christa Salad Plate’ can be reimagined in an AIP-friendly kind of manner.
Onions for nutrient density:
Having a jar of homemade onion jam in your fridge has got to be one of the easiest ways to zhuzh up your meal when it needs a wee flavour boost. You can add it to all manner of things…
Ways to use your onion jam:
- Add it to your burger
- Or, your sausages and mash
- Or, as a way to elevate your liver and bacon to another level
- Better yet, make a wee snack by adding a little onion jam to liver pâté schmeared on cucumber slices
- Use it as a nightshade-free alternative to tomato sauce on your pizza base
- It makes a fab’ addition to a vegetable frittata
VARIATIONS
Onion jam tastes great as is in this easy-to-whip-up, unadulterated state. If you’re in the mood for something a little sexier, why not try:
- Adding some herbs. Change the flavour profile by adding thyme, rosemary or bay leaf
- Add some citrus zest
- Change up your vinegar. Play with your favourite balsamic or red wine vinegar
- For an even more caramelised flavour, use brown sugar instead of coconut
A couple of pointers
- Slice your onions as evenly as possible. This helps for even caramelisation and cooking time.
- The secret to a most excellent jam is to cook your onions long and slow.
- Onion jam will last in an airtight container in the fridge for a few weeks – if it lasts that long.
- Can be frozen
- 4 red onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- a generous pinch of salt (+ more for seasoning)
- ¼ cup of coconut sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- Peel, halve and finely slice your onions.
- Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat before reducing the heat to low. Add the onions. Sweat until white, translucent and soft. Take your time. About an hour on low heat, stirring regularly should do ity.
- Add the salt, sugar and quarter cup of vinegar. Continue cooking over low heat until your mixture reaches a dark, jam-like consistency is achieved. This will take about 20 minutes.
- Check for balance of flavour and add more salt, or even coconut sugar, as needed.
E N J O Y !
