Espresso-Braised Spring Onions + some pretty major news!

It was just a normal Thursday afternoon, actually I remember feeling quite uninspired and blah. I was alone when the email came in. I saw the subject and thought, well this just has to be a mistake. Some kind of cruel joke maybe? I opened it, I read it ten times exactly. And then, I ran around my house like a full-on lunatic. My heart was racing, I was screaming/gasping for air. I think I did like a crazy little dance for a few minutes. I definitely scared my cat. I read it once more, out loud for final confirmation, and then I immediately starting calling all of my essentials.

You guys, I’m a finalist in the 2015 Saveur Blog Awards. What. The. Hell. My heart is overflowing and my brain feels like it might explode. I’m just totally {still} trying to wrap my mind around all this. For the most part I have been floating on cloud nine. My hard work has paid off with such esteemed recognition. But, some days I’m like how did this even happen? Wait, maybe this is a mistake and they haven’t caught it yet. I have so deeply admired the work of both the present and past year’s nominees and winners. I just can’t believe I’m among this group of superbly talented people.

It is with the most sincere gratitude that I thank you for reading and supporting my blog. Seriously, without you guys following along I wouldn’t be able to do the work that I love. Thank you if you nominated me. Thank you for your kind words. Thank you for your emails and messages and real life hugs. Just, THANK YOU.

If you could take a moment and vote for With Food + Love in the Special Interest category, I will love you forever! It takes just a sec, I promise. Get your vote on by clicking HERE!!

As I mentioned in my previous post, spring really is here in St. Louis! My backyard is turning into a crazy jungle, the spring vegetables are slowly trickling in and I’ve begun to really embrace my new home and make it mine – especially my kitchen. I’ve got my new knife strip up and I potted up a bunch of little buddies. With each passing day I’m feeling more and more like myself here in the Midwest.

There are so many spring veggies that I adore, but I’m a total sucker for spring onions. My love affair for their deep, vibrant, purplish-red hue {although sometimes they’re white} runs deep. I can spot them from across the room and when I do, I’m sold. These beauties are utterly irresistible. Their delicate profile, especially when slow-cooked and caramelized is intoxicating. They’re similar to scallions so you can eat their greeny-parts. But, they also have a bulb, so they’re a meatier somewhat more versatile choice.

The earthiness of the espresso really brings out a smoky, rich flavor in these spring onions. They’re awesome as a side, but they’re even better chopped up, tossed with pasta and a sprinkle of cheese. This post is brought to you by Lavazza, a brand I have a real affection for. When I travel to Italy to visit my in-laws we drink this coffee/espresso all, day, long. This is the first post of a four-part series. Over the course of the year I’ll be bringing you creative ways to cook with and drink coffee. And to get psyched up the fine folks are Lavazza are giving away some fresh roasts to one of you lucky ducks.

If you want to win {4} full size bags of coffee {in various roasts} delivered to your front door then head to the Lavazza website and check out their coffee line. Then drop me a comment below, I wanna know which roast sounds the best to you. Contest is open until noon CT on April 17, 2015; winner will be notified via email.

Espresso-Braised Spring Onions {print me!}

Notes: I used my percolator to brew the coffee. Feel free to use whatever method is comfortable to you. The dish takes about 30 minutes to make and it will serve about 4 people as a side.

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches of spring onions
• 2 tablespoons of espresso roast coffee {or any dark roast}
• 3/4 filtered water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• handful parsley, chopped
• sea salt + pepper to season

Preheat your oven to 375.

Brew the coffee and allow it to cool a little bit and then add in the honey, stir to dissolve. The honey {or other sugar source} is key to bring out the natural sweetness of the dish and caramelize the onions.

Snip the roots of the spring onions, trim back the greens slightly and slice in half lengthwise. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Once the pan is really hot {be careful not to burn the oil} sear the onions {cut side down} until golden brown.

In an dish lay the onions cut side up. Pour the coffee over top, sprinkle on the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and allow the onions to braise in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes or whenever they become soft and tender and a beautiful shade of deep brown.

{{this giveaway is closed}}

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This post is sponsored by Lavazza; all opinions are my own.