Sweet Onion Dip, I Love You.

Ask me what I had for breakfast.
Really, I'm serious...go ahead, ask me...

Oven Roasted Sweet Onion Dip,
with potato chips and carrots.

Bah. So freaking delicious.


Chef Ro

Rochelle & Brad had Mom, Dad, Shawn and I over for dinner last night. Brad and Ro have been feeding me for years now - and Mom & Dad have had a few of their meals as well - but this was a first for Shawn, and he had NO idea that he was in for such a treat! They have spoiled me rotten with good wine, top-notch beer, and the most delectable food for such a long time now. Whatever they produce looks straight out of Gourmet magazine- perfection, all the way down to the garnish. They cook everything - Greek, Mexican, Italian....all of it. I would say though that Ro's specialty is simplicity. Simple flavors, combined to make something outrageous. She uses salt, pepper, lemon and olive oil for most everything. And don't get me wrong, I'm not "simplifying" her cooking because she uses simple ingredients - the genius of her food is that she only uses a few things...and the food is heavenly. She tends to cook French when it comes to appetizers, dips and aperitifs, which was the case last night. Rich & Delicious. Last night we had baguettes with a mild and creamy bleu cheese spread on them - baked and then drizzled with honey. Another baguette was done with a thin slice of fliet mignon, drizzled with a red wine cooli (this is red wine and sugar that has been reduced over the stove, down to a honey-like consistency). Ro roasted shrimp in the oven, with salt, pepper, lemon and olive oil and served these jumbo-delights with some homemade thousand island-like dressing. She made a scrumptious sundried tomato dip that was served alongside veggie crudites and some home-grown radishes. She made her signature hummus with pita bread to accompany, and as always - she had a big bowl of some fantastic marinated olives on the table. My FAVORITE of the evening was Ro's HOMEMADE potato chips - sliced, cooked and salted to perfection - that were served with a OVEN ROASTED SWEET ONION DIP. Oh-My-God. Let me say that again - OH-MY-GOD. It was creamy and salty and sweet and just the most fabulous dip I have ever tasted. I put it on veggies, on chips, on crackers and just on a fork.

The Chef and I - with sundried tomato dip and hummus.

And not only does Rochelle do food - but she also works in the wine industry, so we were sipping on some fantastic top-notch Merlot, in some very-fine wine glasses. Whenever I dine at their house it's like I have died and gone to heaven.

I have to get the recipe from Ro for her outstanding onion dip, but in the meantime I found a somewhat-similar recipe online.

Ingredients:
• 2 large sweet onions (Vidalia or Walla Walla), peeled and quartered
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 whole garlic head
• 1/3 cup nonfat sour cream
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, packed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place onion in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Toss to coat.

3. Remove white paper skin from garlic head but do not peel or separate cloves. Wrap and seal garlic head in foil.

4. Place onion and garlic on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

5. Chop onion and place in a medium bowl. Separate garlic cloves and squeeze out pulp then discard skins.

6. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, sour cream, cilantro and lemon juice to onion mixture and mix well. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Shawn, a SUCCESSFUL first meal @ Casa de Brad y Ro.