sweet and simple: honey mustard
September has blown in like the winds of a hurricane, gusting and squalling, with the eye of the storm not yet in sight. I was gone for the first two weekends of the month, and while I’m not complaining, it really was a lot all at once. Madeline started first grade, and with first grade came her first experience with homework. Which means…OUR first experience helping her with homework. Swim practice for both kids – twice a week – started in the midst of all of this chaos, as did our beloved college football season with home games most of these first Saturdays in September.
So, really, it’s all good stuff. Seriously.
But, the icing on the cake — the bitter icing, the rancid buttercream frosting that you just DON’T want to eat – is that we lost our afternoon babysitter. Now, maybe I’m putting too much emphasis on how much help she was, but I don’t really think so. She was a huge help to me. And I miss her. Dearly.
But we’re working through it. I’m working through it. So, in the spirit of finding simplicity again, and in trying to center myself, I’ve made a very simple recipe. Yes, friends, I’ve made honey mustard. Never thought honey mustard could be soothing, could you? Well, it is. I promise. The simple acts of chopping sweet Vidalia onions into perfect slices, stirring those slices slowly in the pan, swirling the whole melting mess together with the honey – these are the things I needed.
Honey Mustard
This recipe is only just tweaked from the recipe in Barbara Lynch's Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very tender, about 20 minutes. Add the honey and mustard and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the pan before the onion is fully cooked, you can add up to 1/4 cup water. [Note: I did not need to add any water to mine.] Let cool a bit and then transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Oh how I can relate… peace and chaos. We are more chaos than peace around here lately, but at the end of the day when we can all sit down and enjoy dinner together as a family, there is a moment where peace wins 🙂
I love that time around the table. It may not last long, but when it happens, it’s pure bliss.
Looks great! My family loves mustards and I love vidalia onions. Perfect match. I’m going to try this. Thanks for sharing!
can totally relate and I do think chopping and cooking are mediation.
So simple, yet so peaceful, right? I really needed to chop an onion this morning. It would have gotten my day off to a better start. 🙂
Happy sigh. After the crazy days we’re having — all of it lovely, but still too much — this looks like just the thing. In fact, I need to go cook right now. thank you.
Ah, thank YOU, Shauna. Always lovely to have you comment here.
I love Vidalia onions. Oh, and I love the South too! Great post. The honey mustard looks so good.
This is just one more reason why I must get Barbara Lynch’s “Stir”. I’m a sucker for honey mustard.
Thank you, thank you for such a great post!
I know just what you mean, and gravitate to simple recipes when life gets hectic. It’s all good stuff, I agree, and it’s what we signed up for in having a family. But it is a bit overwhelming at times. Especially when it involves who is taking care of our kiddos – I hope you can find someone dear to fill in your vacant afternoon spot. Your honey mustard looks so yummy, I’m building a sandwich in my mind!
We just made our first batch of homemade ketchup – and now I think I need to make your honey mustard too. How delightful this would be at a fancy picnic!
Jenny
I strive for simple pleasures and this is certainly one of those. OK, I admit I’ve made honey mustard. Add honey to mustard. Period.
So, this simple recipe is simply perfect…I have a bunch of Vidalia onions just dying to be used and now one of them has a purpose.
The art of stirring and chopping is indeed relaxing – and this time of year we parents are surely in need of a little of that!! Love the recipe for honey mustard – I am a mustard fiend myself so I will definitely be making some of this!!
I hope you find someone wonderful to help out in the afternoons!!
This is a great recipe, we all need some simple recipes in our lives!
Simple is not surprisingly the frequent fit. My wife is going to love the honey mustard. I’m not telling her until I have a dish planned with it.
Thank You
Jason
MJ, what a lovely recipe – so simple yet complex, I can totally see how this was comforting for you. Good luck with the crazy month of September….
I can’t say I’m the world’s biggest mustard fan. Actually I’m not, I’m just a dijon-mustard over-drizzler. But this recipe is bookmarked! I’m going to add it to my “i love mustard” affair, and i’m thinking it could doll up a lot of dishes really quickly, really nicely =)