Leek and Onion Jam

Name: Date Sweetened Leek and Onion Jam
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 tsp avocado oil; 1 large red onion (, sliced); 1 leek ((white parts only), sliced); 2 garlic cloves (, minced); ⅓ cup pitted and packed dates ((I like to use medjool)); 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 tsp rice vinegar; ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper; ¼ tsp sea salt (, plus more to taste)

Print recipe

Fall, Winter, Christmas/Thanksgiving, Inspired by Travels

GF NF RSF

35 mins Prep: 5 mins Cook: 30 mins

Serves 10

Lightly sweet, savory, rich and decadent, this date sweetened jam is the perfect side to any cheese platter and holiday meal. It is also wonderful on a slice of sourdough alongside a creamy cultured vegan cheese.

Ingredients

1 tsp avocado oil
1 large red onion , sliced
1 leek (white parts only), sliced
2 garlic cloves , minced
⅓ cup pitted and packed dates (I like to use medjool)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp rice vinegar
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
¼ tsp sea salt , plus more to taste

Recipe

Step 1
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, red onion, and leek.
Step 2
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3
Add garlic and dates and stir.
Step 4
Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the onions have caramelized. Stir occasionally.
Step 5
Turn off the heat and add balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, pepper and salt.
Step 6
Enjoy on toasts with vegan cheese, in burgers, sandwiches or even in a mac and cheese.

Onion jam on a toast with vegan cream cheese

About 10 days ago, I decided I would take part in the Eat Capture Share Winter Food Photography Challenge, hosted by the lovely Kimberly from the Little Plantation.

Every week for whole month, she would send us 3 themes to respect for the 3 images we were to post on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

I was super excited to take part of this challenge as I had never done anything like it before. I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to get outside of my comfort zone and challenge myself creatively speaking.

When I got the first email detailing the first 3 themes of the week, my heart started beating faster in excitement… then… I read that the first theme was LEEKS and ONIONS and Kimberly encouraged us to create a moody image.

My heart dropped.

Moody… Me? Most of my images, as you might have notice from navigating through my website, are very far from moody. I tend to create images that are brighter, with a blue tint and very often a pop of color.

Let’s just say my experience in terms of moody photography is very limited to say the least. So how did I tackle this challenge? I hopped on my favorite online learning platform: YouTube. I started watching all the moody photography video tutorials I could find, trying to learn as much as I could about how to recreate this type of ambiance.

After I gathered a couple of key points to keep in mind, I started to brainstorm how to bring this theme to life. After half an hour or so, I had made a choice: leek and onion jam!

How did I come up with this idea? Umm.. I knew I wanted to make a recipe and not simply shoot the ingredients as they were. I also knew I wanted to create something that would highlight the rich, caramel like flavour of onions. I used some balsamic vinegar to add a deeper flavour profile and balanced out the sweetness of the jam by adding an acidic element: rice vinegar.

When I put this jam together, I had honestly no idea how delicious it would turn out! I say this rarely, but I feel like this jam is one of the best things I have EVER made… Yes, it’s that good! I love the fact that you can have it with some crackers or on a toast with some vegan cheese. Add it to your burgers or sandwiches. I think it would even be delicious mixed into a creamy mac and cheese.

The possibilities for this spread are truly endless.

I really hope you guys try this recipe as it is absolutely AMAZING! If you end up making it, please share your creation on IG and tag me in your post (@muriellebanackissa)