Braised Onions With Raisins And Almonds Food

GLAZED PEARL ONIONS WITH RAISINS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Boil onions for 3 minutes to loosen skins. Cut root end from onions and squeeze out onions. Combine onions, sherry, raisins, honey, water, butter, and thyme in heavy large skillet. Boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to very low; cover and simmer until liquid evaporates and onions begin to carmelize, stirring often, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Stir in almonds and sherry wine vinegar ( and a few teaspoons of water if dry), and serve warm.

BRAISED ONIONS WITH RAISINS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• In a coffee mill or using a mortar and pestle, grind the cinnamon, cloves, and allspice to a fine powder. Place the spices and onions in the cooker and add the water or chicken stock.
• Cook on low for 6 hours, or until onions are tender. Add the tomato sauce, salt, and raisins and cook for 30 minutes more. Top with the almonds and parsley and serve immediately.

GLAZED PEARL ONIONS WITH RAISINS AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add onions, and cook 3 minutes to loosen skins. Drain, and cool slightly. Cut root ends from onions. Squeeze onions at stem end (onions will slip out of skins). If using frozen pearl onions, skip this step and simply defrost them.
• Combine pearl onions, sherry, raisins, honey, water, butter and thyme in a heavy large skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until liquid evaporates and onions begin to caramelize, stirring often, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove from heat and stir in almonds and vinegar. Add a few teaspoons of water if mixture is too dry. Serve warm.

BRAISED RED CABBAGE WITH RAISINS

Steps:

• Cook 2 strips chopped bacon in olive oil in a pot over medium heat until crisp. Add 1 chopped onion; cook until softened, 4 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken broth, 1/2 head sliced red cabbage, 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 30 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup golden raisins and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.

BRAISED BEEF AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Pat meat dry. Stir together allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl and rub all over meat.
• Spread half of onions and half of garlic in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan and arrange meat on top. Spread remaining onions and garlic over meat. Tightly cover pan with foil and roast, turning meat over after 1 hour, until meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours total.
• Skim fat from pan juices. Slice meat across the grain and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with onions and pan juices.
• note:.
• Beef can be braised 2 days ahead. Cool meat in juices, uncovered, then slice and chill in juices, covered. Reheat, covered, in a 350°F oven 30 to 40 minutes.

BRAISED SWISS CHARD WITH RAISINS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Tear Swiss Chard leaves into medium pieces.
• In large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Stir red onion in and saute for about 5 minutes or until the red onion slices are soft.
• Turn heat up to medium-high heat; add raisins and pine nuts, stir to toast the nuts.
• Add swiss chard, give it a couple of stirs to incorporate it with the other ingredients. If you are using the spinach, add it at this point instead of the Swiss Chard.
• Add water and cover the pan so the swiss chard will wilt. Usually takes about 3 to 4 minutes for this to happen. Even if you are using the spinach that you have cooked, cooled and strained of extra water - DON'T SKIP THIS STEP WITH YOUR PRE-COOKED, STRAINED SPINACH - if you skip this with your spinach, the texture will be "gummy." Trust me - I tried it.
• Put individual servings on plates, use salt and pepper to your taste and then, (my favorite part) - sprinkle with balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.

BRAISED ONIONS A LA JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• If you are using fresh pearl onions, they are easier to peel if you blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then run them under cold water to cool.
• If you are using frozen pearl onions, make sure they are defrosted and drained.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
• Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible without breaking apart.
• Pour in the stock, add the herbs, and cover.
• Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
• Remove the herbs, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

RICE WITH ALMONDS AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the onion, stir and cook until wilted. Add the rice, raisins, almonds, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir and blend well.
• Add the broth, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 17 minutes or until tender and all the liquid is absorbed.
• Stir in the butter and coriander and serve.

COUSCOUS WITH LAMB, ONIONS, AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Prepare the couscous in a large, round, ovenproof dish as described on page 112, leaving the final heating in the oven to be done 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
• Prepare the meat broth in a large pan. Put in the meat, with about 1/2 pound onions, chopped, and cover with 7 1/2 cups water. Bring to the boil and remove the scum. Add salt and pepper, the ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and the cloves. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. At this point, add the saffron and more water, if necessary, and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is so tender you can pull it apart with your fingers.
• At the same time, prepare the honeyed onion tfaya. Cut the remaining onions in half and slice them. Put them in a pan with 1 cup water. Put the lid on and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the onions are very soft. Remove the lid and cook further, until the liquid has evaporated. Add the butter and oil and cook until the onions are golden. Stir in the honey and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, the drained raisins, and a pinch of salt. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until the onions caramelize and become brown.
• Fry the almonds in a drop of oil until golden, turning them over, then drain on paper towels. Coarsely chop about half of them.
• About 20 to 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, put the couscous in the oven, preheated to 400°F, and heat through until it is steaming hot, fluffing it with a fork after about 10 minutes. Before serving, fork the butter, cut into small pieces, into the couscous and again fluff up the couscous as it melts in.
• To serve, moisten the couscous with a ladle of broth and mix in the chopped almonds, and leave it in the baking dish or turn it onto a large, round platter; shape it into a mound and make a wide shallow hollow in the center. Put the meat in the hollow, cover with the onion and raisin tfaya, and sprinkle with the remaining whole, fried almonds. Serve the broth separately.

MOROCCAN LAMB TAGINE WITH RAISINS, ALMONDS, AND HONEY

Steps:

• Whisk together ras-el-hanout, salt, pepper, ginger, saffron, and 1 cup water in a 5-quart heavy pot. Stir in lamb, remaining 2 cups water, onion, garlic, cinnamon sticks, and butter and simmer, covered, until lamb is just tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Stir in raisins, almonds, honey, and ground cinnamon and simmer, covered, until meat is very tender, about 30 minutes more.
• Uncover pot and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until stew is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more.

BROWN BRAISED ONIONS (JULIA CHILD)

Steps:

• When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions andd saute over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown evenly. Be careful not to break the skins.
• Pour in the liquid and season to taste. Wrap the herbs in cheesecloth and add the herb bouquet.
• Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and serve them as they are or in another recipe.