Home-made Onion Dip

As I have mentioned more than a few times on this blog, I have a problem with using MSG in my cooking. I just don't like it. It is a chemical that shouldn't be ingested, in my opinion. I recently realized that almost all of those soup packets and soup cubes that you can buy at the grocery store contain MSG. In the past, I always made dip with packets of soup mix. At the beginning of the summer, I met a neighbor of mine who gave me a recipe for onion dip from scratch. I lost her recipe but I found it again on the Internet. My neighbor likes the Barefoot Contessa's recipe. I made Alton Brown's Onion Dip and that was also really good. Either recipe would be perfect to bring to a party. You'll definitely be invited back, if you do. I brought Alton Brown's version to our neighborhood get-together on Friday night and everyone seemed to enjoy it. My neighbor brought The Barefoot Contessa's dip to my get-together back in June and there wasn't any left! I am even going to suggest that making either of these onion dips for a party or get-together is SO much better for you since they don't contain MSG. You can also control the fat content by using lower fat sour cream or mayo. Although, The Barefoot Contessa's recipe calls for regular mayo why not try it with light and see how it tastes to you?

Onion Dip from Scratch
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups diced onions
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

In a saute pan over medium heat add oil, heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add the cooled onions. Refrigerate and stir again before serving.

Pan-Fried Onion Dip
from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

40 min/10 min prep

SERVES 12

Ingredients:
2 yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise, not light

1. Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds.
2. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
3. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, pepper and saute for 10 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized.
5. Allow the onions to cool.
6. Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth.
7. Add the onions and mix well.
8. Taste for seasoning.
9. Serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Molasses-and-Mustard-Glazed Ribs

I have been holding out on you. I made the BEST ribs in my slow cooker last week. I bought two racks of ribs from Market Day before the school year ended. I figured it was about time I made them. This recipe popped out at me. I was reading the August 29, 2008 issue of All*You magazine and they had a feature called "Feel-Good Food." This recipe is one of the recipes featured in that article. They are easy to make and very yummy to eat. My favorite part of this recipe is that it doesn't call for bottled barbecue sauce which frequently has high-fructose corn syrup in it and sometimes even has MSG in it. Also, read the ingredients on your mustard. I like to buy it from the organic section of the grocery store. So read the recipes and make your own barbecue sauce when you can. Sorry for preaching!

Molasses-and-Mustard-Glazed Ribs

Prep. 15 minutes Cook: 6 hrs.
Serves: 6

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dark (not blackstrap) molassas
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 lb. bone-in country style pork ribs or baby back ribs, cut into 4 rib sections

1. Combine mustard, molasses, sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, garlic powder and cayenne pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Brush rib sections thickly with sauce and arrange in slow cooker. Cook on low until meat is tender and easily removed from bone, 4 to 6 hours. Skim fat from sauce and spoon sauce over ribs before serving.

Kitchen Tips - Watch the Time - baby back ribs need less time in the slow cooker than other types, so if you're using them, be sure to start checking them after 4 hours.

The magazine suggests serving this with light side dishes. We took their advice and ate corn on the cob and steamed broccoli. It was great. Other side dish recommendations are: cole slaw and frozen corn.

This recipe is a keeper. Enjoy!

The Creative Cook