Smitty's Veggies, from Gael and Rob's friend, Dan Dosen

Smitty's Veggies, from Gael and Rob's friend, Dan Dosen

Dan brought this over to a barbecue at our house in July 2009 and just loved it. It's a cooked veggie spread that can be used to top bread, hot dogs, sandwiches, whatever.

Preheat oven to 450

Caramelize onions:
1) slice up 2 or 3 white or yellow onions (they cook down a lot)
2) coat a frying pan with olive oil (~2-3 tbsp)
3) add the onions once the oil is hot
4) sprinkle brown sugar (~1/2 - 3/4 cup (dependent on how much caramelized goodness you want)) over the top
5) I add walnuts because I think they're tasty & it adds protein & omega 3's. Maybe ~1 cup
.6) stir constantly for ~10 mins on med/high heat
7) add ~1/2 cup white wine, mix it all around - the wine will mostly evaporate
8) voila

Slice veggies:
1 eggplant
2 zucchini
1 bell pepper
2-3 serrano peppers (I like spicy, you can leave this out if you don't)
1-2 portobello mushrooms

Throw all the veggies in a big bowl & mix it up with equal amounts of olive oil & vinegar (enough to lightly coat everything)

Bake: at 450. Oil a baking sheet & spread the veggies in an even layer, bake for ~25 mins (until the veggies are tender)

Extras & condiments:
roasted bell peppers (in a jar)
artichoke hearts (in a jar)
mayo
pesto
tapenade
sliced tomatoes

Throw it all on toasted ciabatta bread or foccacia bread (some crispy bread)