Carmelized Onion Dip

So I took a cooking class the other day. One of the recipes that they showcased was this recipe. While this one takes a little patience (caramelizing the onion), it is full of flavor and a great dip for everything from chips to veggies (raw and/or grilled).

Ingredients

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 med white and/or yellow onion, any variety, chopped

1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary

Vinegar or Wine as needed

1 cup Sour Cream

1/4 cup Mayonnaise

2 Scallions or green onions, white and green parts, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

• Over medium heat, heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
• Add the onions and chopped rosemary. Admittedly I didn't have fresh rosemary (because I am a jackass and went to the store to GET fresh rosemary and got home and realized that I did not actually buy the fresh rosemary that I needed) so I used dried rosemary and things turned out fine, although not quite as flavorful as the sample I had in the cooking class! Anywho...reduce heat to LOW and cook until onions are caramel colored and very soft, about 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure onions get cooked evenly.
• If you find the onions are browning too quickly or starting to burn, reduce the heat a little and add a splash of vinegar (I used Red Wine vinegar) or wine. I also found that placing a piece of parchment paper tightly over the onions will trap their own moisture and ensure they don't cook too quickly or dry out in the pan.
• Remove onions from heat and let cool.
• In a food processor, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, chopped scallions and caramelized onions in a food processor. Puree until smooth.
• Salt and pepper to taste and puree until combined thoroughly.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• The recipe says it keeps for up to 4 days...mine is already half gone and I just made it tonight!

Serving Suggestions

• I just served this with some Sweet Potato Chips that I found at the grocery store and it was fabulous!
• This dip could easily be served with other veggies, raw or cooked. Some suggestions would be: grilled asparagus, grilled sweet potato sticks, sweet potato fries, french fries, carrots...
• It can also be served with tortilla chips.

Alternatives

• For a healthier version, you could easily substitute the soy versions of sour cream (Toffuti offers a sour cream alternative) and/or soy or canola mayo.

Grilled eggplant rolls with ricotta and basil

1 large eggplant thinly sliced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
12 oz ricotta
1 cup fresh shaved parmesan
1 bunch basil Chiffonade
1 jar tomato sauce
6 cherry tomatoes quartered
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Cut top and bottom off eggplant. Peel skin off two sides and thinly slice leaving skin on outer edge of eggplant to help it stay together during cooking. Thinly slice eggplant, a mandoline works nicely, or you can use a knife. Combine olive oil and vinegar and brush eggplant on both sides. Season with salt and pepper. Heat grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Put thin layer of olive oil in pan. Place single layer of eggplant in pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side until eggplant beds with out cracking. In bowl combine ricotta, 2/3 Parmesan, 1/2 of basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Lay eggplant flat and place aprx 2 tbsp cheese mixture one inch from bottom of eggplant. Roll eggplant and place seam side down on baking sheet. Cover with tomato sauce, tomatoes and remaining Parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes and top with remaining fresh basil.

Skin left on outside