honey

Beet, Cucumber, & Sweet Onion Salad with Dijon-Honey Dressing

Ingredients
6 medium beets, trimmed
1 large English hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1/2 sweet onion (such as Maui or Vidalia), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
4 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup corn oil

Method
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet in foil, enclosing completely. Place on rack in oven and bake until beets are tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool in foil. Peel beets, then cut each into 6 slices.

2. Arrange beets, slightly overlapping, on half of large platter. Arrange cucumber slices on other half. Scatter onion in center. (Can be made 4 hours ahead; chill.)

3. Whisk honey, vinegar, and mustard in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over vegetables.

Honey Roasted Cipollini Onions

recipe and image via Stephen Cooks!

Serve warm as a vegetable side to roast meat or at room temp, cut up in a salad. Cipollini can be prepared ahead and kept refrigerated for a few days.

Ingredients
1 1/4 lb cipollini onions, unpeeled
four sprigs fresh rosemary, thyme or oregano, chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey

Method

1. Place enough water in a sauce pan large enough to comfortably hold the cipollini. Bring the water to a boil.

2. Score an X in the root end of each onion and boil them in the water for 60 seconds. Drain and allow to cool. (This step makes peeling them a bit easier). Once cooled, cut off the roots and stems and remove the onion peels.

3. Preheat the oven to 450º.

4. Place the onions in a shallow dish or pan big enough to hold them all in one layer without crowding.

5. Combine the wine, soy sauce, vinegar and olive oil. Pour the mixture over the onions. Scatter on the herbs.

6. Roast in the preheated 450º oven for about 40 minutes, turning twice.