Potato and Green Onion Latkes With Ranch Sour Cream

Preparation Time 20 minutes
Cooking Time 25 minutes
Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

3 pounds Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled and rinsed under cold water
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (including green tops)
1 1-ounce packet Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Peanut or grape seed oil, for frying

Preparation

1. Fill large bowl with cold water and have a colander ready. Using box grater or food processor fitted with coarse grating disk, coarsely grate potatoes.

2. Place in cold water 1 minute then drain potatoes in colander. Rinse potatoes under cold water once or twice until water runs clear. This removes starch and keeps potatoes from turning a reddish color. Use your hands or back of broad spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as possible, and then roll grated potatoes in clean dish towel or several layers of paper towels to completely blot them dry. Dry bowl and transfer potatoes to bowl.

3. Mix green onions with potatoes. In small bowl, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons seasoning mix with flour, baking powder and pepper. Mix flour mixture into potatoes. (Use immediately or cover and set aside at room temperature up to 1 hour.) Just before frying add beaten egg and mix to combine.

4. Combine remaining seasoning mix with sour cream and stir until smooth and completely combined. Set aside up to 1 hour or refrigerate until ready to serve as a topping for latkes.

5. Preheat oven to 250°F. Have large wire rack set ready in rimmed baking sheet. Pour enough oil into 1 or 2 large, heavy frying pans, preferably cast iron, to cover bottom of pan by 1/4 inch. Heat oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Scoop about 1/4 cup potato mixture and gently place in pan. Use spatula to lightly flatten and form pancake. Form as many pancakes in pan as will comfortably fit without crowding. Fry on one side until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and brown other side, about 3 minutes longer. Adjust heat and add more oil as needed to fry additional batches. Transfer latkes to wire rack and keep warm in oven while frying additional batches. Serve immediately or continue to keep warm until ready to serve. Serve with Ranch Sour Cream.

Recipe created by cookbook author Diane Morga

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Late-summer green salad

Ingredients

6 green onions , trimmed
140g runner beans
3 x 2cm-thick slices olive bread , cut into 2cm-square dice
5 tbsp olive oil , for frying
2 knobs butter
2 medium courgettes
1 large green pepper , deseeded and thinly sliced
handful basil leaves
85g baby spinach leaves, washed, trimmed from stems
parmesan shavings

FOR THE DRESSING
1 large shallot , finely chopped
1 garlic clove , crushed
9 tbsp olive oil
2 red peppers , deseeded and cut into 5mm dice
1 bay leaf
sprig of thyme
¼ tsp caster sugar


Method

1. For the dressing, lightly cook the shallot and garlic in 4 tbsp of the olive oil, without allowing them to colour. Add the red peppers, bay leaf and thyme and gently simmer for a further 5 mins until the peppers have softened. remove from the heat, stir in the sugar with the remaining 5 tbsp oil and transfer to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to infuse until needed.

2. Finely shred and chill the spring onions. Slice the runner beans into long, thin strips. cook the beans briefly in boiling salted water until just softened. drain and cool. Fry the bread in 4 tbsp of oil until lightly golden and crispy, add a knob of butter and toss. drain on kitchen paper and season well. Can be done up to 2 hrs ahead. Peel courgettes into long strips.

3. Just before assembling (if serving warm), heat a frying pan with the remaining tbsp olive oil and knob of butter. Briefly stir-fry the green peppers until beginning to soften. Add the beans, toss to warm through, tip out into a bowl and season. If serving cold, this can be done up to 1 hr ahead.

4. Now finish it in style. Arrange some of the veg over a large platter. Scatter the courgettes, spring onions, basil leaves, baby spinach and bread croûtons in a casual arrangement over and among the vegetables, along with the remaining veg. Spoon enough of the dressing across the top to moisten, then finish with parmesan shavings. Serve any extra dressing separately.

Nutrition Per Serving
350 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 13g, fat 31 g, saturated fat 6g, fibre 3g, salt 0.37 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2006.

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Beef, feta and green onion rissoles

Ingredients (serves 4)

750g lean beef mince
1 egg
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
150g feta cheese, crumbled
olive oil cooking spray
1 loaf Turkish bread, cut into 4 pieces, halved
1 cup tabouli,
1/2 cup Greek-style yoghurt and lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Combine mince, egg, onions, breadcrumbs, cumin, parsley and feta in a large bowl. Season with pepper. Mix well. Using 2 tablespoons mixture at a time, roll mixture into balls to make 16 rissoles. Flatten rissoles slightly.

2. Preheat a greased barbecue plate on medium heat. Cook rissoles, turning occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Spray both sides bread with oil. Barbecue for 1 to 2 minutes each side or until toasted. Transfer to a plate.

4. Place bread on serving plates. Top with tabouli and rissoles. Serve with yoghurt and lemon wedges.

Source
Super Food Ideas - October 2006, Page 65
Recipe by Annette Forrest

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Green onions

Uses
Green onions, also known as scallions, are members of the onion genus, Allium, which tend to have a milder taste than other, “true” onions. The term green onions generally refers to Allium fistulosum, the Welsh onion. Occasionally people will refer to shallots, Allium ascalonicum, as scallions, but the term is generally reserved to describe green onions themselves. The plant has small bulbs, often barely discernible as separate from the stalk, and long stalks which change from white at the bulb to a rich green at the top.

Throughout the world green onions are eaten in a number of different dishes, and so there are many cuisines to choose from when determining how to use your green onions. In the United States, green onions are generally used as a lesser ingredient in dishes, although their flavor is strong enough that it shows up even when small amounts are used. Often they are simply diced and added raw to top salads or soups, but they may be grilled or fried as well, or cooked into soups to add a bit of spice.

On their own, green onions can be quite tasty baked and served alone. To serve, most people slice them lengthwise to bruise the flesh, then chop them into more manageable chunks. Then you can coat them with olive oil, and bake them slowly in the oven at around 300° Fahrenheit (150° Celsius). Once slightly golden they can be removed and enjoyed hot, or added to salads or other dishes as a spicy, crisp topping.

Scallions are also used in scallion pancakes, where they are the star of the show. These are simply flour, salt, scallions, ginger, garlic, and oil, fried in oil. To make a large batch of dough, simply take one cup (237 mL) of flour and mix it in a bowl with a pinch of salt, then pour half a cup (118 mL) of boiling water into the flour and mix it, letting it cool in the bowl for a bit before flattening it out like a pie crust. The dough should then be brushed with oil, and then the green onions, ginger, and garlic can be added. The dough can then be refrigerated in a bag with a bit of oil, until it has cooled and soaked up the oil.

This mixture can be frozen in small batches to keep for extended periods of time, or pancakes can be made right away. To make the pancakes themselves, take a small ball of dough and roll it out into a flat pancake, then fry it in a bit of oil until golden brown, then flip over and fry again. Although very simple, scallion pancakes allow the flavor of the green onions to really come to the forefront, and are an excellent way to use large amounts of green onions from the garden.

Other dishes made with green onions include paijori, which is a spicy Korean salad made with green onions, roasted calcots in Spain, where they are served with a dip, and Bosnian mladi luk where they are combined with cottage cheese as a side dish. Green onions are also used extensively as a garnish throughout South East Asia, both on soups and noodle dishes. They are also used in stock preparations around the world, giving a slightly more gentle and greener onion taste than other varieties of onion.

Carbohydrate and Fiber Counts for Green Onions

• ½ cup chopped green onion: 3 grams effective (net) carbohydrate plus 1.5 grams fiber and 16 calories
• 1 medium green onion (about 4" long): ½ gram effective (net) carbohydrate plus ½ gram fiber and 5 calories
• 1 ounce chopped green onion: 1 gram effective (net) carbohydrate plus 1 gram fiber and 9 calories
  

Health Benefits of Green Onions
Nutritionally, green onions have a combination of the benefits of onions and greens. They are an excellent source of vitamin K and vitamin C, and a very good source of vitamin A and folate. They probably have some of the other health benefits of regular onions, but in a less concentrated form.

Recipes
Potato and Green Onion Latkes With Ranch Sour Cream
Late-summer green salad
Beef, feta and green onion rissoles

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Onion

Uses
Onions, one of the oldest vegetables, are found in a large number of recipes and preparations spanning almost the totality of the world's cultures. They are now available in fresh, frozen, canned, pickled, powdered, chopped, and dehydrated forms. Onions can be used, usually chopped or sliced, in almost every type of food including cooked foods and fresh salads and as a spicy garnish. They are rarely eaten on their own but usually act as accompaniment to the main course. Depending on the variety, an onion can be sharp, spicy, tangy and pungent or mild and sweet.

Onions pickled in vinegar are eaten as a snack. These are often served as a side serving in fish and chip shops throughout the United Kingdom and are referred to simply as "Pickled Onions". Onions are widely-used in India and Pakistan and are fundamental in the local cuisine. They are commonly used as a base for curries or made into a paste and eaten as a main course or as a side dish.

Tissue from onions is frequently used in science education to demonstrate microscope usage, because they have particularly large cells that are readily observed even at low magnifications.

Availability
Dry and spring onions are available all year-round. As a result, there is usually little need to resort to onion powder (ground dehydrated onion), onion salt (onion powder and salt), onion flakes or onion flavoring cubes, which are of inferior quality to the real thing. Pickled onions are also available.

Choose the best
Look for firm onions, with no soft spots, damp or mouldy patches. Choose from the following, according to your recipe:

• White onion: medium to large in shape, with a white papery skin and evenly white flesh. They have a strong flavour and are good for stuffing or baking; only use raw in salads if you want an assertive onion flavour.
• Yellow/brown onion: a good all-purpose onion, with a light golden skin and yellow flesh.
• Spanish onion: has a similarly coloured skin to a yellow/brown onion, but is usually bigger, as well as sweeter and milder - good for omelettes, salsas and stir-fries.
• Red onion: varies in size, but has a distinctive red/purple skin, and the edge of each of its white rings is tinged with red. The flavour is mild and quite sweet. Good for salads, marinades, salsas and roasts.
  

Prepare it
First slice off the top of the onion (leave the root on for the moment), then remove the papery skin and any brown outer layers. To chop the onion, cut in half from top to bottom. Put the cut side down and make a number of horizontal cuts towards, but not quite reaching, the root. Then make as many vertical cuts through the onion, again not quite reaching the root. Holding the onion very firmly and with the knife blade at right angles to the first set of cuts that you made, slice down vertically - the onion will fall away in small pieces as you go. Continue cutting until you reach the root, which you can now discard.

To slice, trim the root off, then cut in slices moving from the root end towards the top. Leave as slices or separate each one out into rings.

All onions are best prepared just before you use them.

Store it
Depending on their condition when purchased, dry onions will keep for several months. Store them in a cool, dry place (not the fridge as they will go soft). Once cut, wrap them up in the fridge and use within two or three days. Spring onions can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Cook it
Gently fry chopped or sliced onion (7-10 minutes) then use as the base for pasta sauces, soups and stews. Cut into wedges and roast (40-50 minutes). Cut into rings, batter and deep fry (3 minutes). Bake (20-30 minutes).

Health Benefits
Onions have a variety of medicinal effects. Early American settlers used wild onions to treat colds, coughs, and asthma, and to repel insects. In Chinese medicine, onions have been used to treat angina, coughs, bacterial infections, and breathing problems.

The World Health Organization (WHO) supports the use of onions for the treatment of poor appetite and to prevent atherosclerosis. In addition, onion extracts are recognized by WHO for providing relief in the treatment of coughs and colds, asthma and bronchitis. Onions are known to decrease bronchial spasms. An onion extract was found to decrease allergy-induced bronchial constriction in asthma patients.

Onions are a very rich source of fructo-oligosaccharides. These oligomers stimulate the growth of healthy bifidobacteria and suppress the growth of potentially harmful bacteria in the colon. In addition, they can reduce the risk of tumors developing in the colon.

Nutritional Analysis
Good points

• Very low in saturated fat
• No cholesterol
• Very low in sodium
• High in dietary fiber
• High in manganese
• High in potassium
• High in vitamin B6
• Very high in vitamin C
  

Bad points

• Very high in sugar

Recipes
French Onion Soup
Caramelized Onions
Red Onion Soup with Goats Cheese

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French Onion Soup

A regular on bistro menus, this hearty soup gets extra flavor from fresh thyme sprigs. Easy to make, and very authentic French onion soup.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 tbs olive oil
60g butter
1kg brown onions, halved, thinly sliced
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbs plain flour
750ml (3 cups) salt-reduced beef stock
125ml (1/2 cup) white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Woolworths Petit Pain
Bake-at-Home crusty bread rolls, cut into 1cm-thick slices
40g (1/3 cup) coarsely grated gruyere or Swiss cheese
Fresh thyme sprigs, extra, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until the onion softens. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until the onion is golden.

2. Add the flour to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Gradually add the stock and wine, stirring until combined.

3. Place the onion mixture over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for a further 5 minutes. Season with pepper.

4. Meanwhile, preheat grill on medium. Place bread on a baking tray. Cook under grill for 1-2 minutes or until toasted. Turn and sprinkle with the gruyere. Cook under grill for a further 1-2 minutes or until the gruyere melts.

5. Ladle soup among serving bowls. Top with croutons and extra thyme to serve.

Notes & tips

Freezing tip: At the end of step 3, set aside to cool. Place in an airtight container. Label, date and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. To reheat, place in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue from step 4.

Source
Good Taste - June 2008, Page 18
Recipe by Michelle Southan

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Caramelized Onions Recipe

One simple recipe for sweet sautéed onions goes a long way.

2 Servings
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2-1/2 pounds onions. thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons sugar

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the sugar and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan frequently, until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Tips:
Use a cast-iron pan for the best caramelization.

Video How to:
Hot to cut an onion
Follow along and learn how to chop an onion in a snap.

Source www.rachaelraymag.com

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