At times, spending hours in the kitchen can be a relaxing, enjoyable experience.
However, even for avid home cooks, a busy weeknight isn’t one of those times. Fortunately, solutions like sheet pan suppers make it easy to create dishes with exceptional flavor depth that come together quickly and clean up just as fast.
Keeping a variety of vegetables on hand makes it simple to pull together a family meal. Onions, for example, are versatile, flavorful, easy to store, have a long shelf-life and are available year-round from U.S. growers. An added benefit when cooking with onions is that you’re serving up a good source of fiber.
All About Onions
Knowing how to buy and store onions can make them true superstars in your kitchen. Growers and shippers of the National Onion Association and Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee offer these tips:
Buying
When shopping, buy onions with dry outer skins, free of spots or blemishes. The onion should be firm and have no scent. Avoid bulbs that have begun to sprout.
Yellow, red and white onions are available year-round from
producers in the United States.
Seasonal differences like flavor and texture are noticeable and highlighted during these time frames:
Fall and winter onions (available August-April ) have multiple layers of thick, paper-like layers of skin. Known for their mild to pungent flavor profile, these varieties can be eaten raw, and are ideal for roasting, caramelizing, grilling and frying because they have less water content.
Spring and summer onions (available March-August) have thin, often transparent skins and are typically sweeter and milder than fall and winter varieties. Due to their high water content and mild flavor, they are best used for raw, pickled, lightly cooked or grilled dishes.
Storing
Store onions in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, not the refrigerator. Do not store whole, unpeeled onions in plastic bags. Lack of air movement reduces storage life. Peeled or cut onions may be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
For more tasty recipes to make supper a cinch, visit onions-usa.org and usaonions.com.
Spicy Sheet Pan Roasted Jambalaya
Recipe courtesy of the National Onion Association and Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee
Servings: 4-6
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 large yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced or diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 link (13.5 ounces) Andouille sausage, sliced
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning blend
- linguine noodles, cooked according to package directions
- 1-2 lemons, sliced in thin wedges
- 2 green onions, sliced
- fresh chopped parsley
- Heat oven to 400° F.
- Line 13-by-18-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In large bowl, combine onion, bell peppers, celery, garlic, jalapenos, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper until evenly combined. Spread out evenly on pan in single layer. Add slices of Andouille sausage. Roast 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and start to brown.
- Toss shrimp with Cajun seasoning and prepare linguine noodles.
- When ready, remove baking sheet from oven. Place shrimp on top of vegetable and sausage mixture in single layer. Top with half the lemon wedges. Return to oven and cook about 5-8 minutes, or until shrimp is no longer pink.
- Serve over linguine garnished with green onions and parsley with remaining fresh lemon wedges on side.
Easy Drumstick-Quinoa Sheet Pan Supper
Recipe courtesy of the National Onion Association and Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee
Servings: 4-6
- 8-10 chicken legs
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 medium-sized potatoes, cubed
- 1 orange (1/4 cup juice and zest)
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- orange rind curls
- brown rice, cooked according to package directions
- quinoa, cooked according to package directions
- Heat oven to 400° F.
- Line 13-by-18-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Place chicken legs on pan. Spread fennel, yellow onion, red onion, garlic and potatoes around and in between legs.
- In small bowl, whisk together orange juice and zest, thyme and olive oil. Pour mixture over chicken and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
- Roast 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Cook rice and quinoa.
- Garnish chicken with parsley and orange curls. Serve over brown rice and quinoa.
Sheet Pan-Style Buddha Bowls
Recipe courtesy of the National Onion Association and Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee
Servings: 4-6
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- 1/2 head of red or purple cabbage, cut into wedges
- 2 red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and 1/2-inch diced
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
- extra-virgin olive oil
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions
Tahini sauce:
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2-1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 avocados, peeled and sliced
- fresh parsley
- Heat oven to 400° F.
- Line 13-by-18-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Place onion, cabbage, potatoes, squash and Brussels sprouts in single layer on pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables 40 minutes, or until tender. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
- While vegetables roast, cook quinoa.
- To make tahini sauce: In small bowl, whisk tahini, lemon juice, mustard and syrup until smooth.
- To assemble Buddha bowls: Spoon quinoa into bowls. Add roasted veggies and garnish with avocado and parsley. Drizzle tahini sauce over each bowl and serve.
SOURCE:
National Onion Association and Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee
