over christmas i had plenty of parties to host and attend so during my exam period i did some browsing of recipes i would like to try. but as always recipes for me are like guidelines. my philosophy is like the instruction manual in a monopoly box, recipes are there to be glanced at briefly but generally one should make up the rules as they go.
this is my version of caramelized onion dip
recipe:
- 5 or 6 onions (red or yellow are fine, i used a mixture of both)
- one tub of soft cream cheese (i use either fat free or a reduced fat one)
- a couple cups of light mayonnaise
- a cup of sour cream or fat free plain yogurt
- a handful or two of a white cheese like mozzarella, sharp cheddar, swiss or gruyere
- tons of black pepper
- stick of butter
- half a cup of brown sugar
- balsamic optional
-slice all onions into rings and place them onto a baking sheet (this method means you don't have to be hovering over a stove while doing this, it works)
-dice up the butter into cubes and place in tray with sugar, toss with hands
-place them into the oven at 350C and stir every 10-15 mins until soft and tender (if you like just before you take them out the oven which should take about 40 mins, add a dash or two of balsamic vinegar which adds both to the flavour and colour
-put onions in a small to medium casserole dish and add all other ingredients. stir well
-bake before serving for 15 mins at 350C and if you like grate some more cheese on the top and pop into the oven on broil for ten more minutes to get a bubbly brown top.
this dish is full of calories but there are options to cut corners. you can skip the sugar on the onions. brown onions are full of natural sugars and can caramelize all by themselves. all dairy products can be fat free including the cheese which you can substitute with fat free ricotta. just remember if you are taking out fat you must put something back in to make up for the flavour loss. always use salt in those instances. always taste before you serve if you are experimenting with substituting ingredients.
happy cooking xoxo
