Replies

I love to do this, because you have so many options. If I’m going to use them for onion soup, then I caramelize them with only salt and pepper for 4 hours. (yep four hours.) Use at least 6 large Spanish onions. You can even add a white, a purple and a sweet too. For the soup you will use a beef or chicken stock or better yet your homemade chicken broth from boiiing a chicken.

If I’m going to use them as a base for a chili* or a pasta sauce, I’ll caramelize for at least an hour adding the spices early on, oregano, chili powder, cumin, curry and turmeric. I love using curry. Then maybe a can or cup of fresh mushrooms, and anything else you want to put in like chopped bell peppers, green and a red, some zucchini and squash and of course the garlic.

Then you add the tomato sauce. I will buy it when on sale, or make it from scratch. I found Barilla’s roasted garlic sauce on sale a Publix, so I’m using a 24 oz bottle. You can find some really nice sauces at TJ Max. And so what if it’s expired before you use it.) You must add at the end a small can of tomato paste, and also a good cup of a good red wine that you’re drinking that day.

*I know for all the chili purists, you should not add fillers, like peppers, and mushrooms and such to real texas chili. I like to do a vegetarian chili. If you’ve never tried it, it’s out of this world. Here is the basic recipe. The smell is incredible. If you caramelize the ingredients it’s even better. This is also my basic sauce recipe. But over the years I’ve taken it to another level with the curry and anchovy or fennel or whatever. I won’t add corn or beans to this today. You can always serve this with a meat. Chicken or something ground like lamb, beef and pork mixed, or I’ve added scallops or shrimp. I love love love this. LIke I said, just make it like they say here the first time, (caralmelizing the onions at least an hour or more, and you won’t believe the smell.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/vegetarian-chili-recipe.html