Roasted Onions with Balsamic-'Honey' Drizzle

I love roasting vegetables in the winter - not just for the way it deepens their flavor, but also for the way it warms up the whole apartment! This side dish is a snap on a busy night.

The original recipe called for 4 (6-ounce) sweet onions, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia. My supermarket always seems to carry huge sweet onions, though (I don't know if anyone else has noticed this trend...). The smallest I could find were 8 ounces each, so instead of 4, 6-ounce onions I bought 3, 8-ounce onions, and the math still worked out perfectly. Instead of peeling and quartering them, as directed, I peeled my onions and cut each into 6 wedges, to make up for their larger size.

Place the onion wedges in a baking sheet or baking dish coated with cooking spray. Add 1 tablespoon melted vegan butter (such as Earth Balance), 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (use 1/2 tsp. dried thyme if you prefer), 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper; toss to coat.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring half way through cooking time.

Pour 1/2 a cup of vegetable broth over the onions, then return to the oven for a final 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon agave nectar (in place of honey), stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over the onions once out of the oven, and toss gently to coat.

Divide the onions into 6 side servings of about 1 cup and 80 calories each. Try these alongside stuffed baked potatoes or any other warming winter entree you can think of!

Cost:
fresh thyme $2.49
sweet onions $3.34