There’s no doubt about it, me and the Mr. dine well at home. If we go out to dinner (a rarity), it’s because we want good food that someone else serves us, emphasis on the service. Which is why we tend to go to the same restaurants over and over again: we know we’ll eat well and be treated well too.

St. Clouds, Volunteer Park Café and Bistro Turkuaz are three of our favorite places to go out for dinner Seattle. And when we dine at each of them, there are a few tried-and-true-favorite dishes we order over and over. We know a good thing when we see it. Plus it’s comforting to feel confident we’ll have a good experience time and time again.

That said, every now and then I really have a hankering for a couple dishes we’ve enjoyed while dining out. That’s why I recently tried my hand at recreating two of them. They turned out pretty well (albeit the presentation was not nearly as lovely as it is when it’s served to us), so I decided to share. Because good dining, whether dining in or dining out, is meant to be shared.

Walla Walla and Fig Crostini

Thank you St. Clouds for the inspiration!

Ingredients

• Baguette
• Figs, sliced
• Caramelized Walla Walla or other sweet onions (See recipe below)
• Olive oil

How to

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.       Slice the baguette into ½”-3/4” rounds

3.       Brush olive oil onto the baguette slices

4.       Layer about a tablespoon of the caramelized Walla Walla onions on the baguette slices or, alternately, a couple sliced figs (or even both together!)

5.       Place crostini on a baking sheet or metal pan and bake in the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes

Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pounds Walla Walla onions (About 4 medium-sized onions), halved and sliced thin (I like to cut mine “round,” not sliver moon shaped)

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon water
• Black Pepper

How to Caramelize Onions

1. Add butter and oil to a cold non-stick skillet; melt the butter over high heat.

2. Once the butter melts, stir in the onions, brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of salt.

3. Let it cook, stir on occasion until the onion softens down and is slightly wilted. This should take about 5 to10 minutes.

4. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stir often until the onions turn to deep brown color. It usually takes me about 40 to 50 minutes to cook down and caramelize the onion. Patience is a virtue.

5. Once the onions are caramelized and you achieve the color you are looking for take it off the heat. I like mine mahogany colored. Add a dash of water and season it with salt and pepper.

Note: Don’t stare at the clock. Instead pay close attention to the pan. If you want caramelized onions, not burnt onions, keep stirring often and check to make sure it is that the onions are not getting burnt. I can’t stress this enough. Once the onions start to brown, they can burn quickly. You’ve been warned.

Beet and Goat Cheese torte

Thank you Bistro Turkuaz for the inspiration!

Ingredients

• Beets, baked or steamed
• Goat cheese
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• 1 Orange
• Fresh (or dried) thyme

How to

1.       Bake or steam the beets and let them cool

2.       Remove the skin from the beets and slice into ½-inch rounds

3.       Mix together 1/3 cup of goat cheese with juice from ½ orange and about a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves; mash with fork until blended and smooth

4.       Make a layer of beets on a plate

5.       Alternate with a layer of  the goat cheese mixture (about half of the mixture)

6.       Make a second layer of beets

7.       Add a second layer of goat cheese mixture

8.       Add a final, third, layer of beets

9.       Drizzle with a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar

10.   Chill for about 15 minutes (longer is fine) in the refrigerator

Want more tasty creations? Check out Wanderfood Wednesday!