Cathi Barker (www.cathi.co.nz)

· Pickled Onions
· Roast Lamb and Onion Fritters
· Bacon, Onion and Cheese Loaf
· Onion Bread
Pickled Onions
Ingredients
1.5 kg small onions, peeled
1/2 cup salt
Malt or White Vinegar

Peeling pickling onions is fiddly and time consuming. To speed up the process top and tail the onions, then place the onions in a large preserving pan and pour over boiling water to cover. Leave to cool and hey presto, the skins will just rub away.

Place onions in a non-metallic bowl. Sprinkle the salt and over with water, stir and leave overnight. Next day drain, rinse and drain the onions. Pack the onions into clean, sterilized jars about 3 500g jars. Pour over the vinegar to fill the jars, shake and check there are no air pockets. Seal the jars and store. The onions will be ready to eat after about one month or better if kept for two. Once opened store in a refrigerator.

Roast Lamb and Onion Fritters
Great for leftover roast lamb
Ingredients
1 c plain sifted flour
1 tsp sifted baking powder
3 eggs
¼ c milk
Salt
150g thinly sliced shredded lamb
1 onion sliced into thin strips
2 Tbsp of roughly chopped parsley
Oil
Place the flour, baking powder, eggs, milk and salt in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the lamb, onion and parsley and mix until smooth. Heat a little oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp of mixture and cook in batches for 2 minutes each side or until golden. Makes 12 serve with tomato relish.
Bacon, Onion and Cheese Loaf
Comfort food for cooler days and nights, great with any meal and excellent with soup
Ingredients
1 Tbsp oil
5 small onions, peeled and halved
8 rashers bacon
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
100g sliced cheese

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Sautee onions and bacon in oil until golden and set aside. Combine yeast, sugar and lukewarm milk in a bowl and set aside in a warm place for about 5 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface. Mix flour, salt, olive oil and yeast mixture in a bowl until dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic - add extra flour if dough is too sticky. Place dough in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place for 20 minutes until doubles in size. Gently knead dough on flour surface and knead in half bacon, onions and cheese. Put into greased 22 x 9cm loaf tin and top with remaining bacon, onions and cheese.
Bake for 35 minutes until golden and cooked through.
Onion Bread
This bread is crusty on the outside, soft on the inside with a sweet, soft caramelised onion topping - divine!!
Ingredients
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 c lukewarm milk
2 1/2 c plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large red onion sliced
2 Tsp olive oil
1 Tsp brown sugar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Place the yeast, sugar and lukewarm milk in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Place the flour, salt, oil and yeast mixture in a bowl and mix until a smooth dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding a little extra flour to the dough if it becomes too sticky. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Roll out the dough into a rectangle measuring 20 x 30cm and place in a greased 20 x 30cm tin and top with the red sliced onion. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size. Combine the 2 Tbsp olive oil, sugar and vinegar. Spoon half over the onions and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven, spoon over the remaining oil mixture, then return it to the oven to take for a further 5 minutes or until the onions caramelise.