Caramelized Onions

A slow cooker does all the work for you here, so I almost hesitate to call it cooking, but the end result is delicious.

Peel 4 medium sweet onions, such as Vidalia (about 3 pounds total). Place the onions in a slow cooker with 1/2 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance). Cover, set to LOW and cook for 24 hours - yes 24! You could cook them less, but the full 24 hours ensures maximum flavor - although I confess to taking mine out at the 23 hour mark.

Remove the onions with a slotted spoon. They are delicious as an earthy side dish in their own right (alongside stuffed baked potatoes or a hearty bowl of soup, for example), but they are also be great cut up as a pizza topping, chopped and tossed with pasta and herbs, or used in a risotto.

1 onion is 180 calories.



Note: don't throw out the melted 'butter'! Transfer it from the slow cooker to a bowl; cover and chill. Skim the layer of fat from the surface, then use in an variety of ways - drizzled over steamed veggies or as a dipping sauce for bread!

Cost:
Vidalia onions $3.55