These pickled onions are transformative

If you haven’t, then the problem must not be that serious.

I am willing to bet that one of my kids, probably the littlest, will one day consider a “we are a solution-based people” tattoo after hearing versions of that phrase so frequently throughout his childhood. I really hope he doesn’t go through with it and instead invests in therapy like the rest of us.

Right now we all have a shared problem. Okay, we have many shared problems. But, there is one we can easily agree on. Groceries are expensive.

Berries used to be a snack and are now a luxury. Eggs are for special occasions. Avocados are precious. Meat at every meal? Do we look like royalty?

Over the course of many years and many different financial situations, I’ve created a litany of meals that don’t require a second mortgage. It started in college with boxed macaroni and cheese, tuna, and a can of peas.

Around 2 a.m. I’d mix this three-ingredient meal together in a hotpot while whispering to my boyfriend on the phone — hoping to not wake my roommates who took college a little more seriously. In my first apartment I’d regularly microwave one can of black beans and stir in about a quarter cup of Frank’s Redhot. If it was pay week, I’d add sour cream.

If you think about it, that was all valuable R&D. Luckily, we’ve graduated to things like my signature black beans and rice, which incidentally was the first recipe I ever formally recorded. I also make vegetarian chilis, lentil soup and different dals when we’re stretching the grocery budget. These spiced mixtures often get repurposed into bowls, tacos, burritos, and nachos. The point is there’s a lot of beans and a lot of rice in different formats.

One32-ounce Ball jar tucked away in the refrigerator holds the condiment to take all these legume-laden dishes from tolerable to freaking fantastic. These pickled onions are transformative. They deliver brightness, color and crunch to third-day leftovers without even trying. They breathe life into the boring.

They’re the star garnish to all our economically conscious dishes. And you can add them to egg salad, sandwiches or plop a couple on top of most everything you’re reheating. Steaks, salad s… now that I’m thinking about it, there’s nothing they’re not good on.

They’re a culinary boredom cure-all.

These pickled onions are a magic trick to make anything taste good, and restaurants have known it for years. Now it’s time to bring that briney magic into your own kitchen.

One 99-cent red onion and 15 minutes of your time yields a batch that will last weeks if you’re normal, days if you’re me. So, you can keep soaking your dried beans to stretch that grocery budget, but now you won’t dread eating it.

See, problem and solution, as promised.

“But First, Food” columnist Whitney Kling is a recipe developer who lives in Southwest Ohio with her four kids, two cats and a food memoir that’s ever-nearing completion. If she’s not playing tennis or at a yoga class, she’s in the kitchen creating something totally addictive — and usually writing about it.

Pickled Red Onions

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 32 oz jar

1 red onion, cut in half stem to stem, then sliced in ⅛ inch rainbows

2 cups water

½ cup red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves

1 T whole peppercorns

3 T cane sugar

1 T Kosher salt

Place the sliced onion in a clean 32 oz jar. Add the remaining ingredients to a small pot and place over medium high heat. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into the jar. Let cool and cover with a lid. You can use these onions almost immediately but as they sit, the pickle flavor becomes more tangy. Store in the fridge somewhat indefinitely.