Caramelized Onion Dip

2 small onions, diced

2 tbsp. olive oil 

2 tsp. kosher salt

350 g. (about 1 1/2 c.) sour cream

125 g. (about 1/2 c.)  mayonnaise

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4-1/2 tsp. garlic powder

dash of Cajun seasoning 

dash of Mrs. Dash

1 tbsp. parsley

Caramelize onions with olive oil and salt over medium heat. Stir occasionally. This will take 20 to 30 min. Allow to cool. 

Then, stir all ingredients together. Store in refrigerator. This dip is best the next day. I found it still a bit heavy on the mayo still. I may use even less next time. 

Great dip for veggies, chips, crackers, etc. 

Inspired by Alton Brown's Onion Dip from Scratch.

Quinoa & Roasted Root Vegetables

Warm Quinoa Salad with Roasted Root Veggies and Ginger-Scallion Dressing

Adapted from a chow.com recipe. Original found here.

This claims to make 6 to 8 servings, but that must be if you eat only this salad and in a very large portion! I think it would serve 12 people as a side dish! Needless to say, we had leftovers, and it was good the next day served cold. This is really easy to make.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and place the rack in the middle.

For the salad :

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 large carrot or 2 small
• 1 medium parsnip
• 1 small turnip
• 1 medium rutabaga
• 1/2 an onion

Peel and chop all of your vegetables into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes.
(Uniformly chopped veggies will cook at the same speed!) Place into a large bowl and toss together with:

• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 1 clove of crushed garlic
• parsley to taste (fresh is better, but I didn't have it so a few shakes of the dried)

Cover a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil or a silpat and place the veggies on the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the vegetables, stirring every 5 minutes, until they’re tender and cooked through. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, cook the quinoa according to package directions.

• 1 1/4 cups quinoa, any color or variety

Man, I love this stuff! Makes clean-up easy! 

Now it’s time to make the dressing!

For the dressing :

• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger  (or I use the Ginger People Grated Ginger if I don’t have any fresh)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Whisk the liquids together in a salad bowl. Then add in the scallions (green onions) and ginger. I reserved some scallions to place on top. Taste the dressing and adjust as necessary.

Time for assembly !

When your quinoa is ready, drain any remaining liquid from it through a fine-mesh strainer (Mine never has left over liquid, but this is a step they suggest. ???) Add it to the bowl with the dressing. Add the roasted vegetables and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Like I said, it was good cold, too.