Cooking at home has never been something I really love. Now, if someone else wants to cook for me, that’s another story. I can, of course, cook and cook decently. However, I am spoiled and Mr. Hangry does most of the cooking around here. And, obviously, I love to eat out and explore the talents of local chefs.

Coronavirus Stay Home Order in North Carolina

With Coronavirus keeping us in North Carolina on official lock down starting today, I know that I need to start eating at home more and not wasting the resources we have. IE letting the spinach and cucumbers in my veggie drawer turn into unrecognizable mush.

So, again I turn to my personal expert in this field. My bestie Jessica, who is, in fact an awesome cook and should probably set up her own food Instagram account for us all to follow.

Pickled red onions:

From Jessica: Everyone needs to stop what they are doing right now, pick up a red onion or two and make this super easy recipe. Trust me. It’s the perfect way to preserve a red onion and make it last longer. (Which is the idea now that we are trying to combat Covid19 by staying at home) These onions go great on salads, sandwiches, and are a great way to liven up pantry meals that can often lack crunch and freshness.

This recipe takes about 10 minutes to make. (To give you an idea of how simple this is, I was able to do it all while my toddler rearranged my spice cabinet for me.)

What you’ll need:

• 1-2 red onions
• 1 1/2 c Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 c water
• 1 tbsp peppercorn
• 2 tsp salt

What you’ll do:

1. Slice the onions into thin strips and fill a glass container with them. I used a quart sized mason jar. If a few stick out of the top, its okay, when the hot liquid is poured in you will be able to push down a few more.
   
2. Combine the red wine vinegar, sugar, water, peppercorn, and salt in a sauce pan.
   
3. Bring to a boil while stirring until the sugar dissolves.
   
4. Lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.
   
5. Pour the hot mixture over the onions. I put the mason jar in a bowl to catch any liquid that spills. Make sure the onions are fully submerged in the liquid and walk away until the jar is cool. It was about 2 hours for me.
   
6. Once cool, put the lid on the jar and refrigerate. The onions are best if they sit for 24 hours, but you can start using them once they are chilled from the fridge.