5 unexpected ways to cook familiar foods

Onion jam

Why

Onion jam is a very unusual dish. It goes well with meat (for me there is no better accompaniment to a steak) and can act as a filling for a pie. Many canned it along with regular jams.

Ingredients

1 kg of onions;
500 ml of white wine;
50 ml balsamic vinegar;
2 tablespoons of sugar;
spices, vegetable oil, salt - to taste.

Preparation

Peel and cut the onion into thin half rings. You can use not only onions, but also red.

Take a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Put on low heat. Heat the oil in it. Add the onion and fry until transparent. Add spices. You can choose those that you like. For example, I like to add thyme, black pepper, a little chopped cumin.

When the onions are soft and translucent, turn on a high heat. Add wine and sugar. Stir well and let the alcohol evaporate. The jam will begin to thicken and darken.

Add balsamic vinegar and salt. Stir the jam constantly: if the onion burns, the dish will be spoiled. When the jam is thick and dark brown, remove from heat.

Can be served on a toast or in a gravy boat. It goes well with meat or cheese plate.

Brownie with avocado

Why

I'm not going to lie: the avocado brownie tastes a bit different. However, traditional chocolate sweetness has an incredible amount of calories. And those who love brownies usually cannot limit themselves to one bite. Therefore, the avocado option can be a good and healthy butter substitute for sweets and chocolate addicts.

Ingredients

250 g avocado;
4 eggs;
2 cups sugar;
1 ¼ glass of cocoa;
½ cup flour;
½ teaspoon salt;
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanillin
some sunflower, butter or coconut oil.

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar and whisk well until smooth. Add cocoa, flour, salt, vanilla extract. Stir again.

Place the peeled avocado in a separate bowl. Mash it well with a fork until smooth. Add the fruit to a large bowl of brownie dough. Stir everything again with a whisk. The consistency of the finished dough should be similar to thick sour cream.

Pour the dough into a greased baking dish. Smooth it out thoroughly with a spatula.

You need to bake brownies for 50-60 minutes at a temperature of 150 ° С. Before serving, cut the pie into small portions and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Candied cucumber

Why

Despite the fact that the dish may seem completely unearthly, it takes pride of place in Russian cuisine. Candied cucumbers have been cooked for a long time, so they can be a great way to try something new that is actually well forgotten old. For candied cucumbers, large cucumbers that are lying in the garden are perfect.

Ingredients

1 kg of cucumbers;
½ kg of sugar;
spices;
½ liter of water.

Preparation

Heat water in a saucepan over medium heat and dissolve sugar in it. Peel the cucumbers with a peeler, cut them in half and core. Cut vegetables into cubes or oblong sticks.

The sugar and water should turn into syrup. Add spices. Grated or dried ginger and cardamom are good choices. You can add quite a bit of cloves.

Reduce heat. Put pieces of cucumber in the syrup and cook until they become transparent. Remove the candied fruit with a slotted spoon, wait for the syrup to drain off, and transfer to a ceramic baking dish.

At a low temperature (150–180 ° С), but with good convection, dry the candied fruits in the oven. After that, sprinkle with powdered sugar or sugar and place in a container.

Caramel potatoes

Why

Caramelized potatoes are an unusual treat: they are often prepared in Chinese restaurants. It is also a traditional Christmas dish in Denmark. It is worth trying it, the treat is unusual, but tasty. Perfectly complement a chilly autumn evening.

Ingredients

small potatoes;
butter;
sugar;
spices;
salt.

Preparation

Boil the potatoes. When ready, remove from water, peel and set aside. The amount of potatoes doesn't matter: cook as much as you like.

Melt the butter in a thick-walled skillet. Then add sugar. We calculate the proportions as follows: the melted butter should abundantly moisten all the granulated sugar. If you take two tablespoons of butter, they are enough for 1, 5–2 tablespoons of sugar.

You can add spices to the caramel to taste. But only a little to emphasize the taste. A pinch of chili, sage, black pepper works well. You can also add a little salt: it will brighten the rich caramel taste.

Place vegetables in caramel. Gently shake the pan and stir and move the potatoes to coat each sugar mixture. Do this for 8-10 minutes.

Sprinkle the finished dish with toasted sesame seeds or chopped nuts. But only a little bit.

Lavender syrup

Why

Lavender syrup is hardly an unusual dish, but many still haven't tried adding it to drinks or desserts. But in vain. On the basis of lavender syrup, you can make lemonade, coffee, use it as topping for ice cream, cake or pastry. And if you add a little lavender syrup to milk, you get a delicious drink.