BAKED CARAMELIZED ONIONS(Whole onions baked with garlic-butter-thyme mixture in center.)
"I prefer red onions, but Vidalia or Maui onions will also work well. The balsamic vinegar and wine cook down to a sweet syrup."
8 small onions (preferably sweet onions, such as Maui or Vidalia, or red onions)
4 cloves garlic
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 bunch fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups red wine
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the skins from the onions. Trim the base of each onion so it can sit upright without falling over. Cut a deep cross on the top of each onion, slicing about midway into the onion. With an apple corer or the tip of a potato peeler, carve a small piece from the center of each onion to create a cavity. Be careful not to carve all the way through to the bottom of the onion. Set aside.
Slice each clove of garlic into 4 slivers, creating 16 slivers.
In a small dish, mix together the butter and thyme.
Place 2 slivers of garlic and 1 tablespoon of the butter-thyme mixture in the cavity of each onion. Transfer the onions to the prepared roasting pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle 3/4 cup of the balsamic vinegar and 3/4 cup of the red wine over the onions.
Roast the onions in the preheated 350 degree F oven until they are soft, about 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Continue to roast for another hour, basting frequently with the pan juices. When the juices begin to dry up, add the remaining 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 3/4 cup red wine. The onions are ready when they look slightly crispy and caramelized on the outside edges and are soft on the inside. The pan juices will be thick and caramelized.
Makes 8 servings
Per serving: 181 calories, trace protein, 12 gm carbohydrates, 11 gm fat, 31 mg cholesterol, 7 gm saturated fat, 185 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber
Source:
Get Skinny on Fabulous Food by Suzanne Somers