At least most canned tomatoes are actually ripe and have flavor...unlike many (very many) store bought tomatoes, even paste tomatoes. I'm not a fan of how variable in taste canned tomatoes can be depending on when they canned them and what fields they came from. Some brand's tomatoes taste totally different every few months because they're only buying what's on the market cheap rather than holding quality control over the type of tomato grown and it's conditions for growth. Cooking large batches of "general" tomato sauce and freezing them is awesome. You can add bulky/chunk additions to frozen blocks of sauce pretty easily when you reheat so you don't have to freeze mushy veggies into it. You can get silicon baking sheets/pans that hold 2-4+ person sized servings and freeze up blocks for the freezer. IMO, the key to a faster cooking tomato sauce from a fresh source starts with the tomato you pick for the job. If you choose a slicer tomato over a paste tomato it's going to take longer to cook...if you don't remove the seeds/gel it's going to take longer to cook. Compost if you can and you don't have to worry about wasting anything. The skins hurt nothing, but people generally leave those out because of the mouth-feel of a chunk of slimy tomato skin...it's harmless to the taste of the sauce, imo. The person suggesting throwing a thin/quick tomato sauce into a pan finished pasta is right on. There's a lot of gluten/flour thickening going on that will get your sauce to stick to the pasta itself as well as thickening the residual sauce surrounding the pasta.

Household vinegar ( 5% acetic acid ) has a pH of about 2.2 so is the lemon and lime juices. pH is a logarithmic scale. This means when your household vinegar has a pH of 2.2, if you take one part vinegar and add 9 parts distilled water(neutral) to it, its pH will be 3.2 . and now if you take some of that and add distilled water to it until its volume is increase 10 times, its pH will become 4.2. That is even more sour than tomato. and more sour than required for canning. CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG ! P.S. Same is true in soil pH. Say soil "A" has a pH of 5 and soil "B" has a pH of 6. Then soil "A" is ten time as sour as soil "B". That is why it is not recommended to raise soil pH from 5 to 6 in one year. This is just to demonstrate how pH can be altered.

Seysonn,, I don't agree with what you said. Let me give a link that showed that Salmonella, which I referred to above, can directly get into the flesh of tomatoes. I also said it wouldbe rare for Salmonella to do so, but it serves as a protoptype for this. Bacteria, fungi and parasites and viruses and viroids cannot be taken up by the roots b'c they are too big to do so. Root hairs are only several microns wide while what I mentioned above as to bacteria and fungi are MANY microns wide, depends on thes pecific pathogen. The soilborne systemic diseases we know of,like Fusarium and Verticillium attach to specific attachement sites ON the exterior of root hairs but Salmonella and Campylobacter and the enterotoxigenic E.coli s,for example, have no attachment sites on the root hairs. In the link below you'll also read about contamination of Mexican melons. I just got an e-mail yestrday, from George, a tomato friend,who lives near Rocky Ford, CO on the western slope which is reknowned for their melons and also peaches. And I know this b'c I spent many years in Denver and we looked forward to those making it over the Rockies to Eastern CO. Last year George sent me some Rocky Ford melons and they were great. But it's taken quite a few years to get them being popular again when several of the largest lplaces were shut down b'c of bacterial interior contamination of their melons. There were lawsuits and I think deaths as well,I didn't take the time to Google that event. Carolyn Here is a link that might be useful: Salmonella and tomatoes

Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 16:46 Time for a new Cookalong subject. Teresa_nc7 has picked Onions for this Cookalong. The onions can any type of fresh onions (not dried or powdered) including sweet onions like Vidalia/Walla Walla/Texas sweets, pearl onions, scallions or green onions, chives, red onions, yellow and white cooking onions. Onions don't have to be the main ingredient in the recipe but should play a strong supporting role at least. I can't wait to see what all our good cooks come up with, Vadalia onions just started showing up at the grocery stores around here. As always, T+T recipes only. This Cookalong will run through June 3 2012. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #47 ----- Rice Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 16:55 Onions - another great choice. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Roasted Parmesan-Creamed Onions =============================== Rick Tramonto - Osteria Cookbook Talk about succulent! The yellow onions are pretty pungent when you slice them, but surrender their kick when they are roasted and become sweet and tender. When they reach this point, the cream sauce is poured over them, they are topped with shaved cheese, and then the whole thing is returned to the oven for a slow melt. I like to cook these in a wood oven to get some smoke on them, which makes them even better-if that's possible. Great with chicken, lamb, beef-you name it! I also like it served as a first course. Serves 4 4 medium yellow onions 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup dry white wine 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved (about 2 tablespoons) 1 Preheat the oven to 350�F. 2 slices the onions into 1/4-inch-thick rings and lay them in a shallow baking pan, such as a sheet pan or jelly roll pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. 3 Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the cream and wine to a simmer over medium-high heat. As soon as the liquid starts to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat. 4 Spoon about a tablespoon of the cream mixture over each onion slice. Cover with aluminum foil, return to the oven, and cook for about 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450�F. 5 Remove the foil and top the onions with the shaved cheese. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the edges caramelize. Serve hot. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 18:41 Nancy, I'm so "honored" you chose my name from the hat! LOL! Two recipes that I fixed for our Mother's Day dinner recently. Son #2 fixed chicken wings on the grill - 2 ways - and we had these grilled onions, wilted lettuce salad and sliced tomatoes, plus some beer, of course. Vidalia Onions on the Grill 1 large, sweet Vidalia onion per person, plus a couple extra if desired Olive oil Butter Dried thyme or fresh thyme sprigs Salt and pepper Optional: Balsamic vinegar to pass at the table For each onion: peel the outer layers of each onion, slice off the root so the onion sits flat, slice off the top of the onion about 1/4-inch thick (save for another use or discard). With a small, sharp knife, cut a cone wedge out of the center of the onion. Set onion on a large square of foil, drizzle olive oil over (1-2 teaspoons), sprinkle on salt, pepper, and a pinch of thyme leaves. Put a pat of butter on top of the onion and press with a spoon down into the cone that you cut out. Bring up edges of foil to completely enclose the onion. Put foil packets on a medium hot grill and cook for 30-45 minutes until the onions are soft. Serve onions in the foil and pass a bottle or small pitcher of Balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the warm onions if desired. These onions are very good with grilled beef steaks, grilled pork chops, game or grilled Portobello mushrooms. This used to be a rite of Spring, then I realized recently that we can get leaf lettuce and green onions pretty much all year 'round now. These flavors seemed to bring back memories for my sons when I served it this past Mother's Day, that rather surprised me. Wilted Lettuce Salad Green or Red Leaf Lettuce (lots, it will wilt down!) 1 bunch of green onions with tops thinly sliced 4-6 slices bacon 3 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup vinegar 1. Wash lettuce and tear into bite-sized pieces. 2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp and remove from heat. Remove all but about 4 TB of the bacon drippings. 3. Transfer bacon to paper towel to remove grease then crumble. 4. To the hot bacon drippings, add sugar, water and vinegar. Stir until sugar dissolves. 5. Toss bacon, onions and lettuce. Pour bacon dressing over salad, toss well and serve immediately. Teresa o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ynnej (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 18:52 Ann- wow! o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 19:18 Jenny, those onions are really good. I love green onions. They are wonderful with this Halibut. Halibut in Asian Broth ====================== Basic Outline. Adjust to suit own taste. Halibut filets or steaks 2 to 3 cups chicken broth 1 to 2 teaspoons Chili Garlic sauce 1 clove of garlic 1 inch of ginger julienne 2 to 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar Green onions cilantro Rice or rice noodles (optional) Heat chicken broth. Add chili garlic sauce, minced garlic, ginger, and rice wine vinegar. Bring to a low simmer. Add halibut, cover and poach for approximate 5 to 6 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit one to two minutes. Serve in shallow bowls. Sprinkle with green onion and cilantro. May be served with either rice or rice noodles. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 23:27 Onions! Some of my favorite veggies! I like to slice a bunch of sweet onion as thinly as I can, sprinkle lightly with salt, add another sprinkle of sugar....and add cider vinegar to just cover...perhaps some celery seed too. Let sit at room temp about an hour....drain and serve as an add on to hamburger, a pulled pork or BBQ beef sandwich. And an onion pie....Came from someone here....don't remember who....but it's yummy! Sweet Onion Pudding pie 1/4 cup butter 
3 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced 1 cup whipping cream 2-3 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded 
3 large eggs, lightly beaten 
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt little freshly grated nutmeg Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion, and cook, stirring often, 30 to 40 minutes or until onion is caramel colored. Remove onion from heat and allow to cool a bit. Stir together next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients and stir into egg mixture. Stir onion into egg mixture; spoon into a lightly greased pie plate or 8-x8-inch baking dish. BAKE at 350� for 30 minutes or until set. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by nandina (My Page) on Tue, May 22, 12 at 10:53 This recipe was clipped from a South Carolina low country newspaper years ago. Recipe was prefaced with the following: "Locally, this springtime favorite has traveled to the beaches of Pritchard's Island, backyard barbecues and cocktail buffets. The raves and recipe requests will make it a seasonal tradition once you try it." VIDALIAS AND FETA 3 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced 6-8 ounces of Feta cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 tablespoons wine vinegar (your choice, red or white) Juice of one lemon 3-4 tablespoons fresh oregano Salt and pepper Slice onions and place in a container that can be sealed. Crumble Feta cheese over onions. Combine next 5 ingredients in a jar and shake well. Pour above mixture over the onion and cheese mixture and toss to coat onions. Refrigerate for several hour before serving. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by purpleinopp (My Page) on Tue, May 22, 12 at 12:38 A quick "slaw" side: 1 vidalia, chopped 1 cucumber, chopped Add 1 tsp. sugar and enough mayo to lightly coat. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Optional additions - grated carrot, bell pepper, celery... Hope that doesn't violate the rules since you don't cook anything (a blessing when it's 100 degrees.) o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by therustyone (My Page) on Tue, May 22, 12 at 13:37 Bbstx posted a recipe for baked onions on the onion cook-a-long in 2009. It can be found in the cook-a-long FAQs, but I will copy it here for convenience. It has become a real favorite in my family! Rusty Baked Onions For each medium onion 1 Tablespoon butter 1 Tablespoon worchestershire sauce 1 Tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium works fine) Tony Cachere's to taste Peel the onion. Cut off the top. Cut the root end off leaving enough to keep the onion intact. Vertically slice the onion into 8 wedges, but do not slice all the way through. Place onion in an individual ovenproof dish or on large square of foil. Pour the worchestershire sauce and soy sauce over the top of the onion. Lay the piece of butter on the top of the onion. Sprinkle with Tony Cachere's to taste. Cover dish with foil or wrap onion tightly in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Fabulous with steaks...and don't forget to dip your steak in the juice! o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by walnutcreek (My Page) on Tue, May 22, 12 at 14:07 MOROCCAN ONIONS Spiced Oil 1 - 3 tablespoons olive oil (see TIPS) 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ginger 1/8 teaspoon turmeric or 1/4 teaspoon curry 1/4 teaspoon black peppe Onions 4 medium onions (white, red, yellow or sweet) 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon sugar Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, stir together the ingredients for the Spiced Oil and set aside. Wash the onions, slice off the ends, peel and cut into slices about 3/4- to 1-inch thick. Brush both sides with the Spiced Oil, arrange in a baking dish, overlapping a little if needed. Pour over any remaining Spice Oil. Slowly pour the water down the sides of the baking dish, taking care not to rinse the oil and spices off the onions. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes until the onions are soft. Remove the onions from the oven, turn on the broiler and place an oven rack about six inches below the broiler. Sprinkle the sugar atop the onions and place under the broiler until the tops brown and caramelize a bit, about 5 to 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes because they can burn fast. May be served hot or let cool to room temperature and serve. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Bumblebeez (My Page) on Tue, May 22, 12 at 17:41 I make this during the holidays, however, for this thread I'll include it. It's special. Onion and Leek Strudel Bon Appetit Oct. 1990 2 1/2 tablespoons dried currants or raisins 2 tab. dry Marsala 6 tab. butter 1 tab. vegetable oil 2 cups (about 2 medium) thinly sliced yellow onions- not sweet onions 2 cups (about 2) thinly sliced leeks - white and pale green parts 1 tab. brown sugar 1 tab. fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 tab. dried summer savory 1 tea. grated lemon peel 1/8 tea. salt pepper 3 slices white bread 5 sheets phyllo pastry Soak currants in Marsala for 2 hours or overnight Melt 1 tab. butter and 1 tab. oil in heavy large pan over medium high heat. Add onions and leeks. Saute until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, lemon juice, savory and current mixture. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until onions are very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat , add lemon peel, salt and pepper. Cool completely, may be made one day ahead. Bring to room temperature before continuing. Toast bread until golden brown, cool, coarsely grind in food processor. Melt remaining 5 tab. butter in heavy small saucepan. Place large sheet of waxed paper on work surface. Place 1 phyllo sheet atop waxed paper, (Cover remainder w/plastic wrap then damp towel to prevent drying out) brush phyllo with butter. Top with second sheet phyllo, brush with butter. Top with third sheet phyllo, brush with butter then sprinkle 3 tab. breadcrumbs over buttered phyllo. Place fourth sheet atop breadcrumbs, brush with butter and sprinkle with 3 tab. breadcrumbs. Top with fifth sheet, brush with butter and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs. Spoon onion filling along one long side of pastry in 3" wide strip. beginning 1 1/2" from one long side and leaving 1" border on short sides. Fold short sides in over filling. Brush folded borders with butter. Starting at filled side, gentle roll pastry up jelly roll, forming strudel. Brush tops, ends and sides with butter. Transfer to buttered cookie sheet, seam side down. use serrated knife to make diagonal slits in pastry 2" but do not cut through to filling. Bake at 375 in center of oven until golden brown and crisp about 30 minutes. Cool 30 minutes on rack before cutting and serving. Notes: I use marjoram instead of savory. I like golden raisins Make adjustments for phyllo which these days frequently is sold cut in two. Some dark green leek is fine. Use fresh toasted bread crumbs- not canned, dried or panko I use salted butter Bourbon or brandy is fine instead of Marsala o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by thatchairlady (My Page) on Tue, May 22, 12 at 19:44 Most times when I fire up charcoal grill, have a BIG sweet onion ready to go on. I usually peel, slice in 3-4 thick slices and stick in a few tooth picks to keep slices together. If meat (chicken, beef, pork) is marinating... usually put in skewered onion slices. I'll get a little color on slices and then set off to side so I dont have to baby-sit them much. Kinda like the "burnt" taste, but like them to get soft with a slower cook. I consider them as a side dish... anything that doesn't get eaten makes a tasty addition to salads. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, May 22, 12 at 20:20 Some great sounding recipes. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by bbstx (My Page) on Tue, May 22, 12 at 21:46 Rusty, I'm so glad your family likes the baked onion recipe. We love it and DD thinks she can't eat steak without dipping each bite in the juice from the onions. The original recipe called for wrapping each onion in foil. I have never done that. It sounds too messy to unwrap. I have always cooked the onions in individual dishes tightly covered in foil. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by paprikash (My Page) on Wed, May 23, 12 at 12:49 This is an unusual way to prepare sweet onions which was created by Chef Lucien Vendome who was the executive chef of Stouffer Hotels and was printed in the Onions Onions Onions cookbook by Linda and Fred Griffith. I don't make it often but, when I do, we love it. Sweet Onions with Balsamic Vinegar Serving Size: 6 2 1/2 to 3 pounds sweet onions such as Vidalia, Texas Sweets or Walla Wallas 1/3 cup olive oil -- or more 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or fruit vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, basil or lemon verbena leaves,minced Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Slice off 1/4 inch of stem end from each onion and discard. Lightly coat the bottom of a large cast iron skillet with olive oil and heat until very hot. Place 2 to 3 onions, cut sides down, on the hot skillet and grill until bottoms are browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Quickly remove onions from the skillet and cut off a 1/4 inch thick slice from browned end of onion. Place slices in a large bowl. Continue grilling and cutting, adding oil to the skillet as needed, until all onions are grilled and sliced. Add vinegar, herbs and salt and pepper to grilled onions and toss well. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ci_lantro (My Page) on Thu, May 24, 12 at 8:26 Rusty, bbstx--Just wanted you both to know that I made the baked onions recipe last night. Good Stuff! DH loved them! I wrapped them in foil since I needed to conserve oven space (just a toaster oven right now). I'm wondering if anyone has tried cooking them on the grill? You'd need to use indirect heat, of course. Think I'll try one next time I grill. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by therustyone (My Page) on Thu, May 24, 12 at 11:12 Ci_lantro, one of our sons does them Wrapped in foil, on the grill. I'm not a 'griller', So I didn't pay any attention when he was cooking. But as he was grilling meat at the same time, I imagine he had the onions off to the side. They were really good that way, too! I've even done then in the microwave, When cooking just for the two of us, And had nothing else to put in the oven. I put them in individual ramekins, And cover with one of those plastic (? ? ) microwave plate covers. That works, well, too! Rusty o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Thu, May 24, 12 at 14:34 Rusty, I'm glad you mentioned the microwave. It's too hot here already to have the oven on and I am dying to try these onions. Thanks so much for posting bbstx's delicious-sounding recipe!! o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by natal (My Page) on Sat, May 26, 12 at 17:25 Linda, we love that Sweet Onion Pudding too. Woodie posted it on the other onion cookalong a few years ago. The original source was Southern Living's November 2000 issue. Here's a link to Carol's (Dishesdone) blog post about it. She made it a little healthier with milk instead of cream. Good stuff, but very rich. Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Onion Pudding on There's Always Thyme to Cook o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by bulldinkie (My Page) on Sat, May 26, 12 at 23:00 I just made pickled red onions.I got them out of fridge about 4 days later omg they were good.I have a nice mandolin /i love.When I make cheeseburg subs I slice vidalia onions thin and does that ever make a difference in taste,I bought more onions this year than ever before love them. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Sun, May 27, 12 at 10:14 We like all the members of the onion family so I use a lot of them. I don't have many set recipes, just slice or dice them and start cooking. I see lots of recipes on this thread that I'd like to make. Here's a side dish I like to serve with roast beef. GLAZED BERMUDAS 6 Bermuda onions, peeled 2 Tbs. butter or margarine, melted 1/4 cup honey 1/2 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 3 Tbs. water Halve onions and put cut side up in large casserole with cover. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over onions. Cover tightly and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 1 1/2 hours, or until cooked, basting with sauce occasionally. We'll soon be making multiple batches of this recipe for our summer church festival as a hot dog topping. We also use it as a side dish at pig roasts. Sauerkraut is the star but the onions are a strong supporting player. SWEET & SOUR KRAUT 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1 large clove garlic, minced 2 medium size onions, halved and cut into thin slivers 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. salt 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste 2 - 1 lb. 11 oz. cans sauerkraut, undrained In a large skillet, melt butter over low heat; add garlic and onions and cook until tender, but not browned. Mix sugar, salt, pepper, tomato paste, and sauerkraut juice in a deep roasting pan or casserole. Add cooked onions, garlic and butter to roasting pan and mix. Stir in sauerkraut. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add water if mixture begins to get too thick. Serve hot over hot dogs in rolls. (Larger quantities can be cooked in an electric roaster pan.) Make 20 topping servings or 10 side-dish servings. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by foodonastump (My Page) on Sun, May 27, 12 at 11:35 I love onions; will definitely be trying out a few of these recipes. Last night was the simplest dinner imaginable, grilled hot dogs, and I was so lazy that I even bought Sabrett's onion sauce. Good, but I was reminded how much I prefer homemade onion sauce. Well, relatively homemade. This recipe comes from, of all places, The Palm Restaurant Cookbook. New York Hot Red Onion Sauce 2T canola oil 2 large Vidalia onions, thinly sliced 12 oz Heinz ketchup 2 oz Tabasco sauce Pinch curshed red pepper 1/4 cup water, if necessary Saute the onions gently with oil on med-lo, stirring occassionally until very soft, about 15 minutes. (I usually go longer.) Add ketchup, Tabasco, and pepper and stir occassionally for another 10 minutes or so, until onions are meltingly soft. Thin with water if needed. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by patti43 (My Page) on Sun, May 27, 12 at 14:41 All your good recipes have made me really hungry for onions! We like these. Sometimes the simplest things are so good. Red Hot Valdalias Several large Valdalia onions, thinly sliced Red hot sauce Olive oil Salt and pepper Make a foil packet. Place onion in foil. Top with several tablespoons of hot sauce and a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper. Seal packet and put on the grill for about 30 minutes or until soft and a nice sauce forms. You can also do these in the oven. They're a little spicy, but really good on top of a steak or burger. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by PattyPeterson2208 (My Page) on Wed, May 30, 12 at 13:05 Here is yet another try at cut and paste on my iPhone. * Exported from MasterCook * French Roasted Onion Soup Recipe By : Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special, page 37 Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Soups And Stews Vegetables Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 4 large Spanish onions -- (4 to 5) cut lengthwise into thin slices -- (about 8 cups) 8 garlic cloves -- minced or pressed 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 bay leaves 1 teaspoon dried thyme 3/4 cup dry white wine -- up to 1 8 cups Dark Vegetable Stock (see separate recipe) 2 tablespoons soy sauce salt and ground black pepper -- to taste Herbed Croutons (see separate recipe) grated Gruyere or Swiss or Parmesan cheese Serves 4 To 6. Yields 10 Cups. Roasting Time: 45 To 50 Minutes. Simmering Time: 30 Minutes Onion soups require a good rich stock for the best flavor. Our Dark Vegetable Stock is a perfect choice and can be made while the onions for the soup are roasting. The sweet, smoky flavor of caramelized onions and garlic lend our soup its special distinction. This beautiful, deep caramel brown soup is appealing next to a colorful salad and makes a very satisfying meal. Preheat the oven to 375F. In two shallow, nonreactive baking pans large enough to accommodate all of the onions in a single layer, combine the onions, garlic, salt, oil, bay leaves, and thyme. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the onions have softened and lightly browned. Remove from the oven, add the wine to the baking pans, and stir well with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Transfer the roasted mixture to a soup pot. Add the stock and soy sauce, cover, and bring to a boil; then lower the heat and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Find and discard the bay leaves and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with croutons and grated cheese. Per 13.5-Ounce Serving: 181 Calories, 3.2 G Protein, 7.5 G Fat, 22.2 G Carbohydrates, 1.3 G Saturated Fatty Acids, 0 MG Cholesterol, 912 MG Sodium. 3.3 G Total Dietary Fiber - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by PattyPeterson2208 (My Page) on Wed, May 30, 12 at 13:45 YA it works this smart phone is not getting the best of me. The crouton recipe is to die for so much better than any ones you can buy. Just be careful not to burn the garlic as it becomes bitter. Tried to copy crouton recipe. OK my iPhone is smarter than I am. Patty o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Fri, Jun 1, 12 at 8:56 Well, I'm not a fan of onions on their own or as the star of a dish, all that much. BF has an onion and cheddar omelette every Sunday! I just do scrambled eggs, lol! The best tip I can share is to make caramelized onions in the crockpot. I made up a big batch of those and froze them in individual serving sized containers, they were great! Particularly in soups, pastas and casseroles. A time saver too. Just take a small/average bag of onions, cut them up into slices, and mix them with either EVOO or a mix of EVOO and butter. You just want a light coating, I've seen recipes that vary from 1/2 cup to a couple TBLSP, so use your own judgement. Then cook on low. Directions say 8-10 hours but my crockpot like most modern ones cooks hot so your onions may be done in as little as six hours. The house smells great while you are making these! o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 12 at 11:31 Lpink, I've seen a recipe the other day that called for that same thing. I think that would be a great base for onion soup, but what other uses that these be used in? Sure sounds good! o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Lindac (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 12 at 14:41 What uses for caramelized onions? On top of a burger On top of a brat On top of a scrambled egg Under ( fooled you didn't I!) a grilled chicken breast Tossed with pasta with a generous grating of Parm reggiano cheese. As the start of a stew Tossed in with a braising pot roast On top of a hot roast beef sandwich On top of pulled pork! And the list could go on.... o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by triciae (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 12 at 14:56 Frequently, in the summer, I mix some caramalized onions with torn fresh basil, diced garden tomato, roasted garlic, S/P, and add a few shavings of fresh parm as a topping for bruschetta to munch while DH grills dinner after being in the gardens all day. For the two of us, I keep 1/2 cup serving sizes in baggies in the freeze year around. LOVE caramalized onions. /tricia o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 12 at 15:23 I put them in a lot of soups, (like a soup I make with acini de pepe, peas, bacon and a few other things), casseroles like baked spaghetti, enchiladas (those are the two I make the most), chili, roasted eggplant dip, I'll bet you could even use them to make sour cream onion dip. I don't make that though, it's too sinful. Oh, as for a couple more onion things, I'd like to put in a good word for chives!! Chives are about the only onion things I knew as a child, since my dad is very intolerant of onions in most dishes, but he seemed to be OK with chives. Here's my mom's famous cucumber salad (famous because she's the only one I know who makes it this way and it always got raves when she'd bring it to a picnic.) Cucumbers in Sour Cream salad (from Phyllis Pinkmountain!) 1 cup sour cream (Lpink uses "lite" sour cream) 2 TBLSP lemon juice 3 TBLSP minced chives or green onions 3 thinly sliced and pared cucumbers (Lpink leaves a few strips of green skin on for color) 1 1/2 tsp. of salt (Lpink may use a bit less) 1/8 tsp. pepper Mix all together and marinate for at least an hour. Adjust seasonings afterwards. Note, this doesn't taste like much of anything when you first mix it up, it needs to marinate for the flavors to come out, particularly the chives. Garnish with some chive blossom bits before serving if you want to get fancy. If I think of it and have time, I like to salt the cukes and let them sit for a good while to sweat them and then rinse them and pat them dry before adding them to the salad. This makes the salad dressing stay thicker longer. Otherwise the cukes give up their juices and the dressing gets a bit runny. Still good but then when you serve it it leaks all over everything else on your plate with its cucumber sour cream yumminess. Also, if your cukes have a lot of big seeds, scrape those out with a spoon before you slice them. My other favorite summer salad featuring scallions, is tabouleh. I don't use a recipe, but here's an approximation of how I make it. Mix a cup of bulghur wheat with a cup of boiling hot water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Let it sit until it is cool and until the water is all absorbed. If you are a no wheat person, try using one cup cooked red rice and one cup cooked red quinoa. To the cooked and cooled bulghur, add: 1 bunch fresh parsley, rinsed and stemmed and diced fine about 1/2 cup fresh mint, or use about 2 heaping tsp. dried. Can add more to taste later. 1 bunch of scallions, finely diced the juice of about 2 lemons 1/2 cup of EVOO or more (use Extra virgin!!) a liberal sprinkling of salt. At this point it is ready to serve. It goes fantastic with the cucumber salad, BTW!! You can add chopped red or green pepper and chopped celery if you want more crunch and color, which I almost always do. It's great with tomatoes but best to add right before serving since the tomatoes go kinda soggy when left in the salad overnight, for example. Adjust the lemon, onion, EVOO and mint flavors to suit your taste. I like my tabouleh on the "piquante" side! I have also added cooked garbanzo beans, some feta, and some cumin for something more substantial. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 12 at 16:47 I used to fequent a little breakfast place that served something called "Dream Eggs" which I often replicate at home. It's just scrambled eggs with bits of cream cheese (I use neufchatel) and chives thrown in. You can also use other types of herbs like a little lemon basil, dill, thyme or something like that, whatever you like. My favorite way to make these actually is to use Penzey's "Mural of Flavor." It's one of those unique spice blends Penzeys offers and it includes dried shallots and chives. Or you can use sauteed shallots and fresh chives in the dream eggs. When I make it, I scramble the eggs, keep them in a bowl separate from the diced bits of cream cheese and chives. You could also probably use goat cheese crumbles for this or a creamy feta. Put the eggs in the pan and when they are about halfway cooked, thow in the cheese and sprinkle with chives and maybe some dill weed. Cook through until the cheese gets melty. How much cheese you use depends on how "dreamy" you want your eggs to be! :) I made these once for my BF, he said they were OK but he is such a creature of habit, he needs his onion cheddar eggs or it just isn't Sunday as far as he's concerned. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Bumblebeez (My Page) on Sat, Jun 2, 12 at 17:31 I've been making scallion pancakes since this video- I don't remember who posted it though- But thank you! Here is a link that might be useful: scallion pancakes youtube o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Jun 3, 12 at 20:10 Yesterday we decided to try grilled pizza for the first time. Our grill doesn't always work, and unfortunately, yesterday was one of the times it wasn't working well. I wanted to caramelize some onions, and then add some mushrooms to them. DH has a grill wok kind of thing that I was able to use to saute the onions over the grill. After a while, they were good and tender, so I added the sliced mushrooms. It took a long time, but both the onions and the mushrooms finally were tender and sweet and oh so good. Sadly, the grill never got hot enough for pizza, so I turned on the oven and cooked the pizza the normal way, with the grilled onions and mushrooms topping one of them. DH took pictures of the partially consumed pizza. The onions don't show up much, but they were there. He hasn't downloaded the pictures yet, but when he does I'll post them. Mushroom and onion pizza is one of my favorite pizzas. This with the grilled mushrooms and onions was divine. Sally o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jasdip (My Page) on Sun, Jun 3, 12 at 21:18 With the caramelized onions do you use sweet onions? The only ones that I every buy are the yellow cooking ones, but I've seen recipes that specify sweet ones. Sally, your pizza sounds delicious. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Jun 4, 12 at 8:21 Thanks, Jasdip. I used yellow onions. They were what I had. I like the flavor of them. I like red onions, too. The best sweet onions in Texas are the 1015's, which are also yellow, but they are huge - softball size and bigger, so I don't buy them all that often. Sally o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Jun 5, 12 at 12:49 ***************** Bumblebeez ********************* I just pulled your name for the next Cookalong!!! Any great ideas???? The email is on the way.. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Jun 5, 12 at 20:39 Thank you Bumblebeez! Fish is the next Cookalong. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #49 ----- FISH!!! o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by Bumblebeez (My Page) on Tue, Jun 5, 12 at 21:01 Thank you, Nancy! I need some good fish recipes, we eat lots. o RE: Cookalong #48 ------- ONIONS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Tue, Mar 26, 13 at 12:12 I thought I'd post on this thread because Walnutcreek's Moroccan Onions have become one of my favorite side dishes for baked ham.