Balsamic Caramelized Onions & How to Make Food Less Spicy

Did you get heavy handed with the pepper?  Is your favorite ethnic take out food unusually spicy this week?  Did that jalapeno pepper turn out to be a lot hotter than you originally thought?  Well, fret not! Cooking is an art and you can fix just about anything that isn't burnt.

After having quite a bit of Mexican Pesto leftover from the Hominy and Corn Chowder with Mexican Pesto, I thought I'd remix it by throwing it in the blender with some chipotle peppers and sun dried tomatoes.  I then used the pesto as a sauce for a box of whole wheat spaghetti.  When I tasted the final product, it was hot!  Like, so hot that my nostrils were tingling and I had to add cheese, drink milk, and take breaks to finish eating it.

That night, I went back to the drawing board and thought about how I would salvage this dish. As mentioned in this article, How to Make Hot Peppers Stop Burning, I knew I had the following options:

• Add dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, or sour cream: The casein in dairy products breaks down the capsaicin in spicy food.
• Dilute:  Adding more food will change the ratio of spice to food and reduce the spiciness of the dish.  
• Acid: Acids such as citrus fruits, vinegar, and tomatoes will help to neutralize the alkaline activity in capsaicinoid.
• Carbohydrates: This includes bread, rice, pasta, crackers, tortillas, beer (it's made from grains), potatoes, corn, and sugar.  According to Dr. Helmenstine, "Carbs provide a barrier between your mouth and some of the capsaicin so less of it contacts your tongue, lips, etc. The sugars in the carbohydrates may also help to lessen the activity of the capsaicinoids" (2012, How to Make Peppers Stop Burning).

For my pasta, I decided to add balsamic caramelized onions for sweetness and acid.  I added about 3/4 cup of grated carrots glazed in a tablespoon of vanilla Greek yogurt for my dairy component and to dilute the dish with vegetables.  I added another box of whole wheat spaghetti to dilute the dish with more pasta (carbohydrates).  I added a large can of crushed tomatoes for more acid.  I also added sauteed spinach, diced olives, diced artichokes, and julienned red bell peppers to further dilute the dish.  The final dish was hearty, flavorful, and it wasn't even the least bit spicy.  I offered some to a friend who dropped by my house.  She added hot sauce to hers and raved about how good the spaghetti was.  Oh, the irony...

The methods applied here have universal application for making food less spicy. 

Balsamic Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil.  Add the onion and oregano, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until the onion is caramelized, about 10 minutes (add a few extra tablespoons of water to the skillet if necessary).  Add the balsamic vinegar and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until has evaporated, about 10 minutes.  Season the onion with salt and pepper.

Note: Balsamic caramelized onions are great in sandwiches and pasta, on pizza, mixed in with vegetables, or as a side dish.

Whole Roasted Mackerel and Braised Sweet Potatoes with Mission Figs

Fishmongers and butchers are a great community resource.  The most knowledgeable ones can help you choose the perfect protein for your meal and will ensure you are eating good quality meat.  By taking the time to buy from your local fishmonger or butcher, you will exponentially increase your chances of eating local, which directly translates into fresher, healthier and more nutritious foods for you since food loses nutritional value as it sits around.  You will help to support your local economy by supporting the work of butchers, farmers, and fishers.   You also may reduce energy expenditures required to ship and package food.   For me, it's practical and something that I thoroughly enjoy. Just remember to go lean with your proteins.

As you may have guessed, this recipe started with a trip to my local fishmonger: my very first stop after I returned from Virginia a few weeks ago.  Mackerel jumped out at me as a fresh contrast to the canned Jack Mackerel patties that I remember from my childhood.  I oven roasted the mackerel to develop flavor and crisp up the skin.  The sweet potatoes were simply an afterthought and my experiment with technique and ingredients. The final result was surprisingly delicious, through and through, with 5-star flavor.  It actually reminded me of the whole roasted fish that I had for my 25th birthday dinner at Avec in Chicago.  Bon Appetit!

Whole Roasted Mackerel and Braised Sweet Potatoes with Mission Figs

Ingredients

1 fresh whole mackerel, gutted and cleaned

Extra-virgin olive oil

4-5 sprigs fresh oregano

sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

2 mandarin oranges

2 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon Tamari Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped

4 dried Mission Figs, thinly sliced

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon Triple Sec

1 teaspoon brandy

Directions - Whole Roast Mackerel

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  Put a baking sheet on the rack in the center of the oven and close the door.   Score the fish on both sides.  Sparingly drizzle both sides and cavity of the fish with olive oil and sparingly season with sea salt.  Set aside.

Create marinade by combining juice from half of the mandarin orange, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and 1 sprig of oregano.  Stir to combine.  Set aside.   

Thinly slice the remaining half of the mandarin orange.  Stuff the scored portion with garlic and oregano; stuff the cavity of the fish with orange slices, oregano, and garlic. Generously brush both sides and cavity of the fish with the marinade.  

Open the oven door and transfer the fish to the hot baking sheet in the center of the oven.  Quickly close the oven door and reduce heat to 450 degrees F.   Cook for 20-25 minutes.   Check that it is cooked through.  The flesh should be white and the eyes will also turn white when it is thoroughly cooked.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Directions - Braised Sweet Potatoes with Mission Figs

In a saucepan, bring 1 quart water to a rolling boil.  Add sweet potatoes and quickly blanch for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Drain and allow to cool.  In a heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil  and butter over medium heat.  After oil is hot, add sweet potatoes and Tamari.  Cook for about 5 minutes without stirring or flipping.  Juice the remaining mandarin orange.  Flip the sweet potatoes over and add orange juice, ginger, and figs.  Turn the heat to medium low and cook for an additional 5 minutes. 

Pour in heavy cream, brandy, and Triple Sec.  Bring to a simmer and cover pan.  Cook for 8-10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.  Remove lid and allow the liquid to further reduce until it is thick and luscious, coating the sweet potatoes.