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Cooking with RealSweet® Vidalia® Onions

By Lisa Dunleavy April 27, 2017

I have a confession to make ... I hate to cook.  Luckily for me and my family, my 11-year-old son, Aidan, loves to cook! People are always amazed when I tell them that he cooks our family dinner at least 3 nights a week! Aidan is very creative and loves to watch the cooking channels to get ideas for recipes. He has been to cooking camps and even participated in an adult cooking class recently where he cooked an octopus! No joke!

When Macaroni Kid announced the Macaroni Kids Cooking Challenge with Produce for Kids® -- I knew this would be a perfect fit for Aidan.  I challenged him to come up with a few healthy recipes using RealSweet® Vidalia® onions. I love that the RealSweet Vidalia Onions we were sent are from a family owned company headquartered in southeast Georgia. Shuman Produce has been in the sweet onion industry for more than 30 years! In 2002, their president, John Shuman, created the Produce for Kids cause marketing organization as a way to give back to children and families nationwide. Produce for Kids and Shuman Produce are trying to generate a healthier generation by providing healthy eating resources and recipes. For more information, check out their website at www.produceforkids.com.

Here are a couple of recipes that Aidan made with the RealSweet Vidalia Onions. 

Aidan's Fajitas

Ingredients for Seasoning

  • ​1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch
  • 2 Teaspoons of Chili Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon of Salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Paprika
  • 2 Teaspoons of Sugar
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Onion Powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 Teaspoon of Cumin
  • 1/4 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/4 cup of water

Mix all dry ingredients together in place in a shallow bowl. 

Remaining Ingredients

  • ​1 LB of chicken breasts
  • Olive Oil
  • Two Bell Peppers (Red, Yellow or Orange)
  • One Large (or 2 small) Vidalia Onion(s)
  • 10 Soft Flour Tortillas

Coat a skillet lightly in olive oil and then place the chicken in the pan.  Season both sides with the Fajita seasoning mix as you cook the chicken (there will be some seasoning mix left). Add water and cover with a lid. Cook completely until chicken is no longer pink.

Slice Bell Peppers and Vidalia onion into long strips. In a separate skillet, combine peppers, onions and remaining seasoning mix and cook over a small amount of olive oil until tender.  Combine chicken and vegetables and cook until hot. Put Fajita mixture into flour tortillas and serve with salsa and/or low fat sour cream.


Aidan's Spinach Salad


Ingredients for Salad

  • One bag of Spinach
  • One Vidalia Onion
  • 12 Strawberries
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)
  • 1 Tablespoon of butter
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 3 slices of bacon cooked and cut into small pieces (or you can use bacon bits)

Ingredients for Dressing

  • ​1/4 cup of Honey
  • 1/4 cup of Olive Oil
  • Three Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1/2 a Teaspoon of Oregano
  • 1/2 a Teaspoon of Rosemary
  • Salt and Pepper to taste 

Wash the spinach. Chop the onion and the strawberries into small pieces. Toast the almonds in one tablespoon of butter and a pinch of sugar until golden brown. Mix spinach, onion, strawberries, almonds and bacon together in a large bowl.  Combine all dressing ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk them together. Add dressing to the salad and toss.

To learn more about RealSweet Vidalia onions, visit their website at www.realsweet.com. There are more delicious, healthy recipes including some great ideas for summer salads. I hope you enjoy Aidan's recipes!

Disclosure: I received compensation for this article.