Roasted Pears And Red Onions Recipes

CARAMELIZED PEARS AND RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle pears and onions with oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Spread mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning pieces occasionally, until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

PEAR AND RED ONION GRATIN

Steps:

• Bosc pears are strong-flavored and hold their shape when cooked, making them well suited for this savory side dish. It's a terrific accompaniment for a glazed ham or grilled sausage or most any roasted meat or poultry.;
• Fill a large bowl three-quarters full with water; add a handful of ice cubes. Cut onion into 16 wedges, place in a strainer and lower into the water. Let stand for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400degreesF.
• Halve and core each pear; cut each half into 6 slices. Drain the onion wedges well and place them in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish along with the pear slices, 1 tablespoon oil, thyme, salt and a grinding of pepper; toss to combine. Cover with foil.
• Roast for 30 minutes, stirring twice.
• Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil; stir to combine. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the gratin, return to the oven and roast until the breadcrumbs are well browned, 20 to 30 minutes more. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• Recipe Tips & Notes:
• 1. Note: We like to use the Ian's brand of coarse dry breadcrumbs, labeled "Panko breadcrumbs." Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets.
• 2. To make your own breadcrumbs: Trim crusts from firm sandwich bread. Tear the bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice makes about 1/3 cup. Spread the breadcrumbs onto a baking sheet and bake in a 250degreesF oven until dry and crispy, about 15 minutes.
• Recipe Nutrition:
• Per serving: 188 calories; 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 4 g mono unsaturated fat); 3 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 4 g fiber; 225 mg sodium; 215 mg potassium
• Nutrtion Bonus: Vitamin C (15% daily value).
• 2 Carbohydrate Servings
• Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 1 fat

ROASTED PEARS AND RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss pears and onion with butter and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange pears and onion in a single layer (they should fit snugly in dish) and top with rosemary. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake until pears begin to soften, 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until pears are golden brown on bottom and tender when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes more. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary leaves if desired and serve warm or at room temperature.

RED-WINE-BRAISED DUCK LEGS WITH ROASTED PEARS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from duck legs, reserving fat for the sautéed kale. In a large bowl marinate duck legs in wine with bouquet garni, covered and chilled, 2 hours.
• Transfer legs to a plate, reserving wine and bouquet garni. In a heavy kettle large enough to hold legs in one layer heat oil over moderately high heat until hot. Pat legs dry with paper towels and season with salt. Cook legs, skin sides down, 20 minutes, or until skin is crisp and mahogany-colored, removing fat from kettle as it rendered with a metal bulb baster (or very carefully pouring it off). Turn legs and cook until browned on other side, about 2 minutes, transferring as browned to a plate.
• Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons fat from kettle and sauté vegetables with salt to taste, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add duck legs, skin sides up, with parsley sprigs and reserved wine and bouquet garni and simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Braised duck legs may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat mixture over low heat, adding 1/3 cup water, before proceeding with duck preparation.
• Make roasted pears and onions during last hour of duck braising:
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a shallow baking pan large enough to hold onions and pears in one layer melt butter in oven and swirl pan to coat. Add onion halves, cut sides down, and quarters, and bake 30 minutes. Add pears, cut side down, to pan and bake 20 minutes, or until pears and onions are tender and lightly browned. In a cup stir together lemon juice, honey, and salt and add to onions and pears, tossing to coat.
• Transfer duck legs to a warm plate and keep warm, covered with foil. Discard parsley sprigs and bouquet garni and strain liquid into a 1-quart measuring cup, reserving vegetables. Let liquid stand until fat rises to top and skim and discard fat. Return liquid to kettle and simmer until reduced to about 2 cups. Add beurre manié, a little at a time, whisking, and boil 2 minutes. Stir reserved vegetables and minced parsley into sauce and heat through if necessary.
• Serve duck legs, with sauce spooned over them and garnished with parsley sprigs, with roasted pears and onions.

OVEN-BRAISED PORK CHOPS WITH RED ONIONS AND PEARS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat to a gentle boil, and boil until the vinegar is syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 425° F. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet with a flame proof handle over medium-high heat. Whack the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and scatter them over the oil. Cook, shaking the skillet, until brown, about 2 minutes. Lay the pork chops in and cook until the underside is browned, about 6 minutes. Remove and reserve the garlic cloves if they become more than deep golden brown before the chops are fully browned.
• Turn the chops, tuck the onion wedges into the pan, and continue cooking until the second sides of the chops are browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. About halfway through browning the second side, tuck the pear wedges in between the chops.
• Stir the red-wine vinegar and honey together in a small bowl, until the honey is dissolved. Pour the vinegar-honey mixture into the skillet and bring to a vigorous boil. Return the garlic cloves to the skillet if you have removed them. Place the skillet in the oven and roast until the onions and pears are tender and the juices from the pork are a rich, syrupy dark brown, about 30 minutes. Once or twice during roasting, turn the chops and redistribute the onions and pears. Handle the skillet carefully-it will be extremely hot.
• Remove the skillet from the oven. Place a chop in the center of each warmed serving plate. Check the seasoning of the onion-pear mixture, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Spoon the pears, onion, and pan juices around the chops. Drizzle the balsamic-vinegar reduction around the edge of the plate.