Terrific on Tuesdays: Unsung Kitchen Heroes
This week’s ToT features two ingredients that can truly transform a dish and be used in so many different ways. I think it’s extremely useful to have versatile ingredients in your kitchen as both support players that can also play a starring role.
Shallots
This member of the allium family, which also includes garlic, onions, and ramps, is a versatile and useful item to keep in your kitchen. With a delicate flavor that’s somewhere between the sweetness of onion and the pungency of garlic, it fills a whole multitude of uses. Fry it up for a topping for green beans or mac & cheese. Sauté it with everything from mushrooms to kale. Add it to your dressing or marinade. Roast it with potatoes. Blend it with squash for soup. I’ve mentioned in my posts about beets and about quiche, but here are just a few more ideas for shallot usage:
- For one: Scramble 2-3 eggs with 2 julienned shallots and serve over rice for a very Asian style breakfast. Not quite your speed? Make an omelet with chopped shallots, mushrooms, spinach, and your other favorite goodies.
- For 4 to 8: Caramelize a ton of shallots for a lovely side dish, in which shallots shine their brightest (or their sweetest). Ina Garten has a good recipe.
Quinoa
A South American grain that’s been getting a lot of play recently, quinoa is a versatile replacement for couscous and rice. Mostly protein (instead of carbs), it’s good for you and will keep you full. I like to make veggie pilafs or just serve it plain. Quinoa can also be used in other surprising ways:
- Make breakfast: Try this Sweet Breakfast Quinoa recipe from Food and Wine or this recipe from Whole Living: Black Quinoa with Avocado, Almonds, and Honey.
- Make a burger: Try this gluten-free, vegan Veggie Burger Recipe. I love that this burger is a real protein source for your non-meat-eating friends (since many recipes seem to overlook the main point of the burger patty nutritionally), in addition to a lot of interesting spices for flavor.
What ingredients are your kitchen’s unsung heroes?
[…] Life Up to the Elbows "To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows." – Jean Annouilh's ANTIGONE Skip to content HomeAbout Me ← Terrific on Tuesdays: Unsung Kitchen Heroes […]
[…] Last week, I shared a quick and easy recipe for classic burger patties. Today, for Meatless Mondays, I’d like to share my latest iteration of the quinoa burger. (I had previously shared a recipe I’ve tried here.) […]