Friday, October 30, 2009

Onion Pie and Garlicky Kale


I have had in mind to do an onion pie for a while. I was browsing through my recipe books and magazines in search of inspiration. I found a few but they were or too long or not healthy enough. So I added a bit of this, removed a bit of that, replaced this with that and...Voila! There it was, my very own onion pie :0). Like Julia Child used to say: The only real stumbling block in cooking is fear of failure. So I say; don't be scared to transform a recipe to your liking. I do it all the time. What are they going to do?? Fire you?? :)

Garlic: it is primordial in the kale recipe (and all recipes actually) that the garlic is added at the end and that it is not browned or burnt or it will loose it's flavor. Cook it on medium-low heat and add it only in the last 30-60 seconds of cooking.

For the Onion pie

Crust
1 1/2 cups of Spelt flour (or whole wheat or even white if you insist)
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

Place flour in food processor. Add butter. Pulse 4-5 times or until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add egg yolks. Pulse a few times until dough gathers together. Place dough on floured surface and form a ball. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes (but you can also cook it right away if you're in a rush - you just have better results when chilled). Pre-heat oven to 400F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to line a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, creating a border with the edges by folding dough over. Bake for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 325F and bake for about 15 minutes more or until the pastry is nice and gold. Remove from oven.

Filling
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 pound yellow onions, finely sliced
2/3 cup light cream
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Celtic salt and fresh ground pepper

Melt butter. Add onions and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Do not let onions brown (not too much anyways). Mix the cream, eggs, nutmeg and seasonings. Place cooked onions in the baked crust, carefully pour in the egg mixture, and then return the pie to the oven to cook for 25-30 minutes. Server warm or cold.

For the kale
2-3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp red crushed chili pepper
1 bunch of kale
1-2 tbsp dark balsamic vinegar
1 big garlic clove, minced
Celtic salt and pepper

Heat coconut oil in skillet on medium heat. Add chili pepper, cook for 20 seconds or until oil is flavored. Add kale. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until completely wilted. Add balsamic vinegar, cook until vinegar is evaporated. Add garlic, cook for 30-60 seconds (do not let the garlic brown). Add salt and pepper. Serve with onion pie.










4 comments:

Sherri said...

Ohhh...Onion Pie. I'm intrigued:) Looks delicious!

Anonymous said...

I just bought kale last week to roast but unfortunately burnt it on my first attempt. I will have another go at it and use your recipe. Thanks! Nice to see you again.

My best, Lynn

Debbie said...

Yum! Sounds wonderful and perfect for this time of year.

Janice said...

I made the kale a few nights ago and it was delicious. It didn't turn out looking like yours in the picture though. I came out more like crispy spinach and I loved it!