Mediterranean White Bean Salad With Balsamic Caramelized Onions Recipes

MEDITERRANEAN WHITE BEAN SALAD WITH BALSAMIC CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Marinate mushrooms in balsamic vinegar and set aside while preparing other ingredients.
• In large pot, add white beans, sun dried tomatoes, basil (if desired), and artichoke hearts. Oil from sun dried tomatoes should be sufficient to keep mixture from sticking to the pot. Cook on low heat while carmelizing onions.
• In a frying pan, add peanut oil and cook on medium-high heat for a minute or two until oil is heated to desired temperature (when the fat begins to "ripple").
• Add chopped onions and stir to coat with oil. Add a pinch of salt to absorb water from onions and to speed up caramelizing.
• Continue to stir the onions. Onions will begin to stick to the pan a bit (which is good) and will begin to darken. If the onions are sticking too much, add a small amount of water to deglaze. Keep stirring.
• Continue the deglazing process until onions are a deep, rich brown. Adjust heat if onions seem to be cooking too fast, starting to burn rather than brown.
• Add garlic to onions (if desired) and cook for an additional minute only (garlic will become bitter if overcooked).
• Drain balsamic marinade from mushrooms into the frying pan with garlic and onions. Also add the raw sugar. Cook over a medium heat for a few additional minutes, stirring frequently, to completely dissolve sugar. Add marinated mushrooms and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are well heated.
• Add onion/mushrooms mixture to the pot of white beans, sun dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. Simmer for several minutes to allow flavors to combine.
• Serve hot or chilled.

MEDITERRANEAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups of the broth to a boil in a large saucepan.
• Add potatoes and carrots, cover, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
• While potatoes cook, place oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add onions, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
• Add 1 cup of broth and bring to a boil.
• Add the cooked potatoes, carrots, and their liquid; stir in thyme and rosemary.
• In a food processor or blender, purée the beans with the final cup of broth.
• Add to the soup and bring to a boil.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper and adjust thickness with additional broth, if necessary; stir in the lemon juice.
• Serve with croutons or toasted bread as garnish.

MEDITERRANEAN MARINATED SALAD

Steps:

• Combine all vegetables and cheese in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, then vinegar. Toss until vegetables are coated, and serve.

GREEN BEANS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Cook green beans in boiling water.
• Drain.
• (This can be done ahead.).
• Cut onions into thin slices, and cut each slice in half.
• Cook onions in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until onions are golden brown.
• (Original recipe says do not stir onions first 5-10 minutes.) Reduce heat to medium; stir in butter and brown sugar.
• Add green beans; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
• Toss with vinegar.

DILLED WHITE BEAN AND GRAPE TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Toss all ingredients in a large bowl.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Cover and chill.
• Return to room temperature before serving.
• Cooking time is marinating time.

GARLICKY (OR NOT) CHARD AND WHITE BEANS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• 1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan, and cook onions on medium-high heat, until caramelized. This can take a couple hours if you have the time. You can sprinkle a bit of sugar or brown sugar on the onions to speed up the process. Here is a great resource for how to do the onions: http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Caramelizing-Onions-Step-by-Step/Detail.aspx.
• 2. Once onions are caramelized, or to your liking, stir in the white beans. Let cook on low for about 5 minutes, stirring to coat beans with onions. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• 3. In a large saucepan, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add garlic (as much as you like) and stir for about 30 to 45 seconds, until fragrant. Add chard, and cook until wilted and stalks are soft, about 5 minutes.
• 4. Add beans into chard mixture and stir to combine all ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately if you choose, but I like to let it rest about 10 minutes, or cover it for a bit if I am still preparing other dishes.