What's in the Slow Cooker: Drunken Sweet Onions

My original intention was to make sweet onion jam. However, I melded together two different recipes, and even after about eight hours of cooking in my slow cooker, it didn't seem as if the liquids were ever going to thicken up, and I kind of lost interest in trying to make it do so. No worries, though, as the resulting onions still make an excellent savory sandwich dressing, as shown in my tomato, basil, and mozzarella panino above.

Drunken Sweet Onions (printer-friendly version)

2 pounds sweet onions, peeled and slices
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup red wine (I used a malbec)

1. Heat the unsalted butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and saute until translucent, and the edges are just beginning to brown, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Place the onions in a 4-quart slow cooker bowl. Add in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, balsamic vinegar, and red wine.
4. Cook over low heat for 6-8 hours, stirring every half-hour.
5. Serve over bread, as a sandwich spread, or however else you desire. (Perhaps as a savory pizza topping?)

What's For Lunch: Fresh Veggie Sandwich

For lunch today I decided to make a fresh veggie sandwich. And to add a little extra flavor to my sandwich, I wanted to use a bit of hummus as a spread. A stop at one of the local grocery stores was unfruitful -- so I took that as a sign that I should make my own. And given that I almost always have the ingredients on hand, there really isn't much of a reason to not make it myself. Making hummus is quite easy -- just add a bunch of ingredients to a food processor, pulse the ingredients -- and voila! -- fresh hummus. To make my sandwich, I spread a generous dollop of hummus on two slices of toasted bread, then filled the sandwich with baby spinach leaves, sliced tomato, sliced avocado, and a square of monterey jack cheese.

Slightly Spiced Hummus

makes about 1 cup

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves garlic, minced

juice of one lemon

3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)

pinch of ancho chile powder

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to combine.

2. Use as a sandwich spread or as a veggie or chip dip.

3. Store any leftover hummus in a tightly-lidded container in the fridge.