Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Remove any loose skin from the onions. Cut in half through the stem and root. Completely peel the onions. Lay on a sheet pan, flat side up and sprinkle with kosher salt and a few twists of the pepper mill. Set aside. Peel the carrots. The shape of the carrots always determines how I cut them. I had a bag of fairly uniform carrots, so I cut them on the diagonal where the thin and thick halves meet.

Then cut the thicker piece in half (carefully, it does ten to roll). So, now I have 3 pieces (from each carrot) of the same thickness and length, approximately. Blanch the carrots. I like to pre-blanch the carrots before roasting them. It par-cooks the carrots a bit and provides enough moisture so they don’t get all wrinkly and dehydrated in the oven.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, one that is large enough to hold all the carrots. Salt the water and when it has come to a rolling boil, add all the prepped carrots to the pot. Stir. Cook for two minutes AFTER the water has come back to a boil. Drain thoroughly, shaking off excess water. Toss the carrots in a bowl and drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to coat. Season with a few pinches of kosher salt, a bit of pepper and a teaspoon of ‘Everything Sprinkle/Spice’. Spread the carrots out on a sheet pan and roast until tender; that is, until the tip of a paring knife, when inserted into the thickest carrot piece, meets with little or no resistance. Remove

sheet pan from oven and set aside.

Brown and roast the onions. Choose a large sauté pan (cast iron is ideal) and put it on the stovetop on medium heat to warm up. Give it a minute or two to get warm. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add 2 or more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Don’t walk away… when the oil begins to ‘shimmer’, add the prepared onion halves, one-by-one to the pan, flat side down. By lowering the onion halves into the pan and not dropping them into the oil, you will prevent the oil from splashing and burning your fingers. When all the onion halves are in the pan, give it a gentle shake to ensure that none of the pieces are sticking. Cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes and then put the pan in the oven to complete cooking. The onions are done when soft to the touch and completely browned and caramelized. Depending on the size of the onions, this could take from 12-18 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and let rest/cool.

To serve.

This recipe provides 4-5 individual servings or one larger platter. Spread hummus on the bottom of each plate(s) and arrange the caramelized onions, flat side up, on top of the hummus. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses or balsamic glaze. Lay the carrots on top and sprinkle with the remaining ‘Everything Sprinkle/Spice’. Add cut scallions, if using, on top. I like to drizzle a bit more olive oil on top and some fresh cracked pepper as well. Serve with pita bread or pita chips or with a delicious new cracker we have called: ‘Everything

Spice’ (of course !)