Pardon Me While We Revert to the 1970's...

I don't know about you, but I was a first-timer the other day when I bought pearl onions at the store.  Yes, pearl onions.  In my mind pearl onions are seventies-tastic.  Right up there with lava lamps and shag carpet.  I feel like they should be served on avocado green plates along with a Gimlet cocktail.  So the question is, what led me to purchase said pearl onions?

Well, I found a recipe on the smitten kitchen (a fun cooking blog you should check out if you're so inclined) for a vegetarian version of Beef Bourguignon using portobello mushrooms that called for the little mini-onions.  It was pretty tasty.  I have a really hard time saying bourguignon.  It's boor-ghee-nyon for those of you who are like me and are a little remedial in the pronunciation department.  Incredibly difficult for me to say - I think because I never took French and it's just an alien way to move my mouth.  That and Gruyère.  SO. HARD. TO. SAY.  (It's Grew-yehr, by the way - but I'll stumble over it every time)  Again with the French thing.  Whatever, I took Spanish in high school.  I'm more of a mantequilla - cuchillo - comida kind of gal.  (Butter, knife, food.  FYI)  Feel free to add your own go-to Spanish word to the mix.  I always liked mantequilla.  And lápiz.  That means pencil.  Let's hear it for a distracted, romance language tangent!

Simmering away

Anyway, the Mushroom Bourguignon. - I'm not a vegetarian, but I'm also not opposed to the meatless Monday.  Or meatless any other day of the week, for that matter.  And considering the hubby is all "meat stuffed with meat, wrapped with meat, with a side of meat" on most days, meatless Monday isn't a bad idea. - And this recipe wasn't missing anything in the flavor department.

You can get the recipe HERE, if you're interested in giving it a go.  The only thing I would do differently, is I would brown the pearl onions up front along with the mushrooms.  Adding them at the end and simmering for 10 minutes equaled a pretty intense onion flavor in those tiny nuggets.  They were like little onion bombs.  Small, but too intense.  I think some caramelizing on the front end of the cooking would mellow them out a little bit.  Other than that, it was really tasty.  I used beef broth, but you could easily substitute vegetable broth to make it a legit vegetarian dish.  Let me know if you give it a try. -  I'd love to hear from you in the comments.  But, I know no one will post a damn thing in the comments.  That's fine.  I'm not bitter.  Much.

Here's my final plated dish of the lovely Mushroom Bourguignon over egg noodles from the smitten kitchen:

Gotta love those meaty portobellos. 

Not too shabby for a hearty, healthy-ish winter dish.  Another one to add to my rotation, I'm thinking.  Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to go put on my mood ring and listen to some Bee Gees.

Ta-ta for now.