Flavorful Onions Offer Many Sweet Rewards (NAPSA)—The benefits of cooking with onions can be sweet and may even win youa prize. Vidalia onions, grown only in Georgia, don’t just add zest to meals. At only 30 calories per serving, sodium-, fat- and cholesterol-free onions provide dietary fiber and potassium and are an bk excellent source of vitamins C and B-6. Recipe Contest Chef Cooking with Jon Ashton onions could also win you a prize in the Very Vidalia’ Recipe Contest, which runs from May 1 through August 17, 2007. All you need to do is submit an original recipe using Vidalia onions. The first-prize winner will choose between flying to Orlando for a fun summer vacation getaway or hav- ing chef Jon Ashton fly to his or her hometown to prepare a sweet sum- mertime grilled feast for the winner’s family. The recipe can be an appetizer, snack, side dish, entree or dessert. Official entry forms are found at www. VidaliaOnion.org. Ashton enjoys cooking with Vidalia onions and here’s one of his favorite recipes: Vidalia Onion and Ricotta Stuffed Grilled Chicken 4 chicken breasts 1 sliced and grilled Vidalia onion 1 cup ricotta cheese 4 tablespoons sharp cheddarcheese, grated 3 tablespoonsflour 2 tablespoonsfresh basil, minced 1 large egg eee This stuffed, grilled chicken recipe contains onions, ricotta and grated cheddar cheese, plus mincedbasil. Preheatgrill until it reaches 350 F. Cut the Vidalia onion into long thin slices and grill until tender and caramelized. Caramelizing the onion will bring out its sweet flavor even more. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the caramelized Vidalia onion with ricotta cheese and grated, sharp cheddar cheese, flour, minced basil and egg. Mix ingredients well and season with salt and pepper. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill the mixture. Wash and pat the chicken breasts dry and cut a 2inch horizontal slit in thickest part of each chicken breast. Stuff an equal amountof the Vidalia onion and cheese mixture into each of the four chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper. Secure the chicken breasts with a toothpick. Place the stuffed chicken breasts in refrigerator until ready to grill. Spray chicken with olive oil and place on grill and cover. Grill for approximately 5 minutes per side. When chickenis pierced with a fork and juices run clear, it is done. Recipe courtesy of Jon Ashton on behalf of the Vidalia Onion Committee.
