Kitchen Basics: Slicing and Dicing an Onion

I've been wanting to put together a series of posts explaining some kitchen basics for a while now, and for some reason I've never gotten around to it! I get a lot of questions regarding some of the easiest skills in the kitchen. For me, these seem basic and easy, but as I've had conversations with many, I've realized that not knowing how to do these tasks keep women out of the kitchen and intimidated of cooking! 

Because of this I'll be sharing some practical how-to's with you through this series! I'll be posting periodically (weekly? bi-weekly?) with simple skills to make your cooking experience more enjoyable and boost your confidence as you learn! 

I know I've had my share of light bulb moments when reading recipes or cookbooks and noticing something being done differently. I've been taught by so many, and have picked up a lot over the years. So let's get started with the first topic: how to slice and dice an onion! 



Here's what you'll need:

A regular ole onion and a large chef knife. I'm using an 8 inch knife. You could use a smaller knife, just be a bit more mindful of your fingers and how close you're getting with the blade ; )

TO SLICE 

Step 1: Turn onion on it's side and cut off tops. I always save veggie scraps, including onion tops for when I make homemade chicken broth. Just throw them into a plastic bag and freeze them until you need them. 

Step 2: Turn the onion flat on it's top (or bottom) and cut down the middle. 

Step 3: Peel onion. 

Step 4: Lay each onion half on it's flat side and run your knife along it length wise, from right to left. You can differentiate with how thick you would like your slices to be. Just remember, go SLOW, no cook's a happy cook when she slices her finger.....trust me. 

TO DICE

 

Simply do Steps 1-4, then...

Step 5: When you are slicing, hold each sliced piece together with a free finger so they stay together. Move so the cuts face horizontally, and run your knife through it again in the same manner, creating small diced pieces! 

See, easy peasy! Sliced onions are great sautéed or caramelized and topped on a burger, or used in sauces. Diced onions are great in just about anything else. My forever motto is that anything good always, always, starts with onion and garlic.....In fact, I'll cover garlic next time! 


Share with me in the comments or on Instagram if you have any requests for kitchen skills that you'd like to learn. I want to share what will be helpful for you! : )

Get Dinner on the Table!

I'm super excited to be joining the writing team at Grace for Moms. Y'all know I want to help women get in their kitchens with more joy and less fuss and stress. Because, who wants to sit down to dinner when they are frazzled and mentally spent? Not me. I've gathered up my best and simplest tips for getting dinner on the table. I'd love it if you would hop on over to their blog and be blessed by it. 

PS: Jessica Wolstenholm created a fabulous printable and is offering it for FREE on the blog post....go check it out! 

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Oh gosh....what more can be said for a warm bowl of pumpkin spice oatmeal. My house is frigid in the mornings, just the way I like it. It makes curling up on the couch with my journal, Bible, coffee and oatmeal (or other warm breakfast variety) that much better. Here's a simple recipe for your Friday morning -- enjoy :) 

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

1 cup old fashioned oats*

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

A splash of almond milk (or any kind of milk)

1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark, either work perfectly)

*note: the oatmeal I buy calls for 1 cup of oats to make two servings of oatmeal. Check the back of your oatmeal container for proper measurements of water to oats. Cook enough for two servings. 

Cook oats in water as directed on it's packaging. I always salt the water first with a bit of salt. 

Whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Once oatmeal is cooked, stir in the pumpkin mixture and combine well. 

Finish off with any toppings you like! I love shredded coconut and sliced banana, and I always end up splashing in some almond milk as well for extra creaminess. 

Pineapple Chicken Skewers with Sherry Reduction

Skewers are really one of the most versatile meals out there. It's perfect to pack in a summer picnic. Since the temps are getting a little bit cooler in the evenings here in Texas, I think we'll take these to our picnic this weekend with friends! They pack well and are simple to make. 

Feel free to change up the combination to whatever suits your taste! Have some bell peppers on hand? Chop them up and stick them on! I would have done the same if I currently had them in my kitchen ;) 

Serves: 2 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sherry cooking wine
4 tablespoons worcestershire
1/3 cup bbq sauce 
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper
1/2 a pineapple, chopped
1 onion, quartered
1 pound chicken tenders
Olive oil

Start by chopping your pineapple. I am not a pro at cutting them (so if you have tips, leave them in the comments!) so I always seem to have a little bit of flesh left on the skin when I slice it off with my large chef knife. Since I hate wasting anything in the kitchen, I use 'em up, like in this here recipe. Continue to slice pineapple down into bite sized pieces. Keep in a bowl and set aside. 

Alternatively, if you're lazy (like I usually am) you could buy the already chopped up pineapple that come in little containers at the grocery store. In that case, buy 1 cups worth and use a few in the marinade. 

To make your marinade, combine sherry wine, worcestershire, bbq sauce, garlic and some salt and pepper in a zip-loc bag. Swish it around with your hands from the outside of the bag, and drop your pineapple skins along with chicken tenders in the bag. Seal it up and place in the refrigerator for 10 hours. This could be something you do before you head off to work in the morning (maybe chop that pineapple the night before) and you'll be set to go when you get home for dinner. 

When you're ready to grill, peel the skin off your onion and quarter it. Remove chicken tenders from the marinade and slice in half on a cutting board. Sprinkle evenly with more salt and pepper. 

Next, get a little station going with your skewers, chicken, pineapple chunks, and onion. Heat up a grill pan to medium-high heat, pour some olive oil over the pan and let it get hot, but not smoking. While you're letting your pan heat up, start assembling your skewers -- a slice or two of onion, pineapple chunk, chicken, repeat. Place on the grill and rotate evenly until you see grill marks on all sides. 

For the reduction, take the marinade and pour it into a large pan. Remove pineapple skins and discard. Bring it up to a boil, add a 1/2 cup of warm water and let it boil for at least 5 minutes. This will kill any of the germs from the chicken, but make sure to let it boil completely! Lower the heat and let it simmer for another 10 minutes until it starts to thicken up. 

 

Pour over skewers before serving and enjoy!

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