Recipe: Caramelized Onions Stuffed with Sweet Potato-White Bean Ragout

CARAMELIZED ONIONS STUFFED
WITH SWEET POTATO-WHITE BEAN RAGOUT

6 large sweet onions, about 3 inches in diameter, unpeeled
1 sweet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup cooked white beans*
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the sweet onions in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 1 hours. Remove from the oven and let sit until the onions are cool enough to handle. Peel the onions and cut about 1 inch off the tops and enough from the bottoms that the onions will sit upright. Using a paring knife, extract the flesh from the center of the onion, leaving the edges about 3/8 inch thick. (Save the flesh to make stock or soup.)

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and blanch the sweet potato for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the broiler.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil until lightly smoking. Add the diced yellow onion and saute over high heat for 3 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic and chili and saute for 1 minute longer.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Reduce the liquid for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is almost dry.

Add the blanched sweet potato, beans, peppers, pumpkin seeds, marjoram, parsley and thyme, and heat through.

Add the bread crumbs and cheese, stir to combine, and season with salt.

Stuff the onions with this mixture, place under the broiler, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the top of the stuffing turns brown.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
The onions can be prepared 1 day ahead, but should be warmed for 10 minutes in a 350 degrees F oven before broiling.

*TO COOK WHITE BEANS:
1/2 cup dried white beans, soaked overnight and drained
6 cups vegetable stock or water
Salt to taste

Rinse the beans and place in a saucepan. Add the vegetable stock or water and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Makes about 1 cup

Makes 6 servings
Source: Southwestern Vegetarian by Stephan Pyles