Green Beans With Red Onion and Preserved Lemon

I served these cold as a salad with dinner. You don't have to French cut the beans, but they do cook quicker.

You Will Need:

Green beans (about 1 lb.)
Red Onion, sliced
Preserved lemon peel, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pinch of dried thyme
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Steam the beans until tender, then refresh under cold running water. Drain.

In a small pan, cook the red onion over medium heat with the peel, spices and enough oil to coat (a tablespoon at most). After a few minutes, stir in the balsamic to taste. This will help the onion keep the red colour as well. Combine with cooked beans, and chill. bring to room temperature before serving.

Balsamic Roasted Sweet Onions

The original recipe is a Donna Hay, but it called for red onions. I had sweet yellow onions, so I gave this a try. The boys really liked them, and the technique is quite simple. I did end up baking mine longer than the recipe indicated, and I found occasional basting helpful.

You Will need:

Onions, cut in half
Balsamic vinegar
Granulated sugar
Olive oil

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a casserole dish with parchment and make sure the casserole dish has a lid. Pull the onions apart and add a drop of balsamic between each layer. Fit them back together. Over the top, drizzle some sugar and olive oil. Cover the dish and bake 35 minutes. Remove lid, baste, and continue baking another 25-40 minutes. Serve hot, or cold.

Salmon In Foil

This is a great way to cook fish if, like me you tend to overcook it. It also makes the house stink less than frying or pan searing.

Danny is the only one who likes salmon, and he really loves it. I bought the smallest fillet they had on sale and he can eat the other half cold for lunch tomorrow. Sort of a special treat.

In the rush to get dinner on the table after an hour on the telephone arguing with a phone company representative...in Belize, I was kind of hurried come six o'clock. By the way, if you don't get satisfactory answers sometimes it works if you just keep saying "Can you connect me to a supervisor that can answer that question?" My magic number was three people, at which point someone was able to help. That only took an hour. Then, I sort of felt bad getting pissed off because hell, that's probably a really sucky job dealing with pissed-off American consumers. I sure as hell wouldn't want to do it. Anyway, this dinner is quick if you prepeare the sauce ahead.

You Will Need:

For the sauce:

1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
a handful of chopped dried fruit (I used raisins and apricots, but figs work well too)

Cook over medium heat until it reduces by 1/4 to a syrup. Chill until needed.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. With a baking sheet inside.

Wash the salmon fillet and pat dry. Dot generously with butter and top with sauce and fruit. Salt and pepper as you care to. Seal in foil pouch making sure to leave a bit tented at the top for steam to rise. Seal top and sides very well, folding over a couple times. Place in oven and bake 10 minutes for half-inch thickness with 5 minutes standing time in the foil before serving. Adjust time for thicker fish.
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