Cooking food in parchment seals in the flavor. Also, the food steams in its own juices, requiring less fat than pan cooked vegetables. If you wish to adapt this recipe for the grill, use heavy-duty aluminum foil in place of parchment and cook the packets on a preheated grill for about the same time as the oven-cooked version. These should be served alongside a main dish of choice.
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tbsp. soy margarine
- 24 baby onions or shallots, quartered
- 4 small sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp. sugar
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 4 (12-inch) square pieces of parchment paper
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Melt the soy margarine in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the quartered baby onions or shallots to the pan, shaking well to coat them evenly in margarine.
- Place one-quarter of the onions and a sprig of thyme in the center of each parchment paper square.
- Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar over each onion packet.
- Sprinkle sugar, sea salt, and black pepper over the onions.
- Fold up the parchment paper squares to create sealed packets. Ensure that the seams are well rolled to prevent steam from escaping during cooking.
- Place the sealed packets on a baking sheet and transfer them to the preheated oven.
- Cook for 15 minutes, then gently shake the packets to move the contents around slightly.
- Continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until the onions feel soft when carefully squeezed through a cloth.
VARIATIONS:
CARAMELIZED ONION & POTATO PACKETS
- Prepare the basic recipe, with 12 baby onions and 12 small potatoes, scrubbed and quartered.
MUSHROOM PACKETS
- Prepare basic recipe, but omit the sugar. Use 1 pound of mushrooms, quartered or sliced if large, in place of the onions. Bake for 15–20 minutes.
ONION, BELL PEPPER & PEPPADEW PACKETS
- Prepare the basic recipe, but replace 12 of the onions with 1 red bell pepper, cut into 8 pieces; 4 quartered tomatoes; and 8 halved peppadew peppers from a jar. Omit the sugar.
CARAMELIZED RED ONION PACKETS
- Prepare the basic recipe, using 8 small red onions, quartered, in place of the baby onions or shallots.
