Roasted Potatoes with Cipollini Onions

Potatoes are my favorite food group! Whenever I make a roast, a steak, a sandwich or a burger- I think  of roasted potatoes! I do like mashed potatoes but somehow they never come to mind – so I end up making them only during Thanksgiving. I am always thinking of new ways to prepare roasted potatoes in the oven or on the stove. I have a very nice memory of my Mom making French fries at home. She used to cook them twice to make them extra crispy. I haven’t fried potatoes at home in a long time- roasting them in the oven is a healthier way to eat them- but I do think of those fried ones all the time!
I saw the most pleasurable food show last weekend- the Jamie Oliver show! I absolutely love him- and the way he cooks in his rustic kitchen with fresh ingredients from his garden, is great to watch. He roasted onions and potatoes with lots of balsamic vinegar and herbs. I tried to replicate the recipe but used Cipollini onions- they are smaller and flatter than other onions. The flesh is a slight yellowish color and the skins are thin and papery. These are sweeter onions, having more residual sugar than the ‘regular’ yellow and white onions. The advantage to cipollinis is that they are small and flat and the shape lends them well to roasting. I happened to see them at Whole Foods but you can absolutely substitute any onion for this dish. Adding balsamic vinegar adds great color and a sweet caramel flavor to the potatoes and onions. This was a great side dish with the roast chicken and can be used with a variety of main entrees.

• 4-5 medium red potatoes, peeled
• 4-5 cipollini onions, peeled and cut into halves
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Cook the onions for 5 minutes in a pan with water. Take them out, dry them and cut them into quarters. Add the potatoes, onions, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to a lined cookie sheet. Roast on 350 degrees until potatoes and onions are golden brown, about 30 minutes.