Copyright 2002, Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Serves 4 and multiplies easily

Cream cheese is one of those overlooked gems when it comes to pulling together luxurious flavors in no time. Every market carries it and when you roll chunks in fresh chopped chiles and drench them in fresh lime juice, you have the dream stuffing for a hot roasted onion. When you get the onion on your plate, work the cream cheese into it with your fork. Onions could be roasted in advance and reheated for serving.

• 4 medium onions, unpeeled, but with roots and top eighths trimmed away
• 1 fresh jalapeno chilie, finely chopped (eliminate seeds if "hot" is a problem)
• 2 generous pinches coarse salt
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 4 blocks
• juice of a whole lime

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place onions on a sheet foil, cut side up. Roast about an hour, or easily pierced with a knife. Remove from oven.

2. While onions are roasting, put the chiles in a small bowl, sprinkle with coarse salt and roll the cream cheese chunks in the chilies to coat them. Squeeze the lime juice over the chunks.

3. Slit open the tops of the hot onions with 2 cross cuts. With 2 teaspoons, push apart their centers. Drop a chunk of cream cheese in each onion, drizzling in any lime juice left in the bowl. Close up the onions around the cheese. Serve hot.