Onions

Caramelized Onions

Spend some time to caramelize onions and enjoy the sweet reward. Here are some cooking tips from http://www.sheknows.com to caramelize onions:

Cooking tip #1: Choose the right onions
Technically, any onion can be used, but you want to pick ones that are naturally less sweet. Standard yellow or brown onions are the best kinds to use, even better than “sweet onions” which can become bland after cooking. Sweet onions should be saved for raw eating.
Cooking tip #2: Slice
To get your onions ready for cooking, you want to slice the top and bottoms off and peel and slice them. You can decide which thickness you want. The thinner slices will cook quicker and become more jam-like than thicker slices.
Cooking tip #3: Use a sharp knife
When working with onions, you are bound to tear up while cutting. There are many methods to reduce tearing that people swear by, but there is no proven method. Some people think that the sharper the knife, the less you cry, meaning use the sharpest knife possible to avoid cutting the onion cells and releasing the scent that makes your eyes tear.
Cooking tip #4: Keep it simple
Caramelizing onions requires only a few ingredients: butter or oil, salt and the sliced onions. If you want, you can add black pepper or sugar.
Cooking tip #5: Use the right pot
Use a large, heavy bottomed pot, which will more evenly and effectively cook the onions.
Cooking tip #6: Cook over low heat & stir often
For the best caramelized results, keep the heat low and stir often, cooking for a while (at least an hour, sometimes more).
Cooking tip #7: Adjust your cooking time
The longer you cook onions and the thinner they are, the more they will break down and become jam-like. Or, if desired, you can slice onions thicker, cook them less, and keep them a little more structured.
Cooking tip #8: Be creative
There are multitudes of ways to use caramelized onions. They can garnish just about any meat or fish, top a soup or pizza, fill in a sandwich, partner with pasta, be pureed into a dip, or eaten simply atop some crispy bread. The possibilities are near endless, just be creative.

Caramelized Onions

3 T vegetable oil or butter
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
A pinch of salt
1. Heat the oil or butter in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over low heat until the fat ripples.
2. Add the onions and stir a pinch of salt in. Make sure all the onions are coated with the fat. Continue stirring over low heat and after a few minutes the onions should begin to become darker. Make sure they do not burn or stick to the pan. If they do stick, add a little water or wine to loosen them.
3. Continue stirring the onions until they reach the texture, taste, and color you wish. Use immediately or let cool and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days.

Baked Caramelized Onions

5 pounds yellow (brown-skin) onions (about 5 to 6 large onions)*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
* You can use any large onion variety, but the yellow (brown-skin) onions are cheaper and actually work the best. Some onions caramelize more quickly than others, and the standard yellow onion (brown-skin) actually contains more sugars than “sweet” onions.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the stem and root ends of the onions, then halve then lengthwise, and peel away the dried brown skin. Cut the onions into 1/4-inch slices. It is important to have all the onion slices roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
Place all the onion slices in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven (I like to spray the inside of my pot with non-stick vegetable spray).
At this point, your pot will be full of sliced onions, but the onions will wilt and shrink dramatically during the cooking process. Toss the sliced onions with the vegetable oil and salt to help draw out the moisture and to keep them from sticking to the pot. Cover the pot and place in the preheated oven.
Set your timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, open the oven, remove the lid, and the stir the onions well (scrape all sides of the pot and make sure you get all the bits and pieces - stir the onions well). Cover with lid and return to the oven. Repeat this 15 minutes process for approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Watch the onions shrink and the color change to a reddish-brown.
After you reach the 2-hour point, your onions will have almost no water left and will have darkened and taste sweet. NOTE: If you feel you have too much water left in the pot, place the pot back in the oven with no lid for an additional 15 minutes to evaporate the excess water.
To store the caramelized onions, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Optional Idea: Add a little Balsamic Vinegar during the last 15 minute cycle. The balsamic vinegar adds a little sweetness and balances it with some tartness.
Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups.

Caramelized Onion Dip

4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large onions, caramelized
Beat cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and cayenne. Gently stir onions into mixture. Chill before serving.

Bread Stuffing with Caramelized Onion, Bacon, and Apples

Serves 12 servings    
1 12 lbs sourdough bread
8 bacon (slices chopped)
2 cups pearl onions (peeled about 8 ounces)
1 T sugar
cooking spray
3 cups granny smith apple (chopped peeled, 2 large)
1 12 cups chopped celery
23 cup flat leaf parsley (finely chopped fresh)
2 t. chopped fresh thyme
2 t. sage (finely chopped fresh)
12 t. salt
12 t. black pepper (freshly ground)
3 12 cups fat free less sodium chicken (broth)
2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
Preheat oven to 400°.
Remove crust from bread; cut bread into 3/4-inch cubes to measure 8 cups. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on 2 jelly-roll pans. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted; cool. Place bread in a large bowl.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Drain bacon on paper towels. Add onions to drippings in pan; cook 3 minutes or until soft, stirring often. Sprinkle sugar over onions; cook for 3 minutes or until onions begin to brown, stirring frequently. Add bacon and onion mixture to bread.
Return pan to heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add apple and celery to pan; cook 6 minutes or until lightly brown, stirring frequently. Stir in parsley and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); cook 1 minute. Add apple mixture to bread mixture; toss to combine.
Combine broth and eggs, stirring with a whisk. Add egg mixture to bread mixture; toss to coat. Spoon bread mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until browned. Print this post