Peas with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

Eric and I just celebrated 4 years together. Four years of awesome food and being in love. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband more than food, but barely. The feeling is mutual I think.

On one of our first dates, Eric took me to en event at BYU called the Hunger Banquet. All the tickets are the same price, but when you arrive you are assigned to 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd world. 1^st world people get seated at a nice table with cloth napkins, multiple forks, and prime rib. 2^nd world gets cafeteria food. 3^rd world people are seated on the floor, where you get a meager plate of rice and beans that you have to share with 5 people, eating with your hands.

Very few attendees get 1^st world treatment; most everyone sits on the floor, representing the high percentage of people who don’t get enough to eat every day. Eric and I were on the floor and each got a handful of rice and beans. It was a very interesting experience that really brought home the point. Talking about world hunger after you have just eaten a meal that did not satisfy definitely has an impact. We both enjoyed the event, and it opened up some good discussion.

But I knew Eric was my kind of guy when he said as we walked back to the car, Do you want to go to IHOP? I of course responded with a heck yes. I guess our sensitivity only goes so far. Here’s to 4 years of togetherness and delicious food, Eric!

These peas represent a failed recipe success story. Originally I was trying to make brussel sprouts with caramelized onions and bacon, but had to get inventive when I realized that my brussel sprouts were less than edible. (I mean less than normal). Since the onions and bacon were already done anyway, I threw them together with some peas on a whim and it turned out to be delicious. The caramelized onions add the perfect amount of sweetness, and of course bacon makes everything taste like magic.

Peas with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

The Food Charlatan

3-4 slices bacon, diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
4 cups peas (I used frozen)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the bacon in a skillet until it is nice and brown. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate with a slotted spoon to cool.

Place the onion slices into the pan with the remaining bacon grease. Reduce heat to low. Stirring often, slowly cook the onions for 30 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and continue cooking until they are soft and brown and caramelized.

Add the peas and the bacon to the skillet and cook until peas are hot. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.