Pink and Purple

 

Onions, that is…. Ina Garten’s Salad with roasted balsamic onions and blue cheese is a favorite and as I was sorting through pictures, I had an “aha” Pink Saturday moment as I saw these purple onions ready to go into the oven. The recipe is from Ina’s Barefoot Contessa Parties. I am joining Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday and Michael Lee West Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday. Be sure to stop by and see what wonderful things are happening on these 2 special and popular blogs!

 

To roast the onions, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

3 small red onions

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar

1 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 tablespoons minced shallots (2 large)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup good red wine vinegar

3/4 pound or a little more blue cheese (I bought some at Fresh Market already crumbled)

2 heads red-leaf, washed and spun dry and then torn (I used 2 bags of a spring mix)

Cut the onions in half and slice 1/4 inch thick. Place on a baking sheet and toss with 1/4 cup balsamic, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the onions are tender. Remove from the oven and toss with the 2 tablespoons of balsamic.Let cool to room temperature,

To make the dressing, whisk together the shallots, mustard, red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. While whisking, add 3/4 cup olive oil and continue to whisk until dressing is emulsified. Mash 1/4 pound of the blue cheese and add to dressing.

When ready to serve, toss lettuce with enough dressing to taste. Place lettuce on plate and arrange the onions on top. Add more blue cheese. Salt and pepper if desired.

I had dressing and roasted onions leftover. The onions were wonderful on grilled hamburgers and the salad dressing did not last very long.

Have a wonderful weekend!