I’m talking about the “good kind of cry”, when you hear a fresh crunch against your knife, and your eyes get that first whiff of a freshly cut onion! Now I know onions can be challenging to deal with because not only do they make you tear, they can also linger on your breath after you are done eating. But truly the benefits we get from the onion beat out the odor every day of the week!
When we eat an onion it immediately gets to work on purifying our bodies. Onions contain a high amount of sulfur compounds, which not only give onions their recognizable smell, but are also a potent detox agent that help rid the body of toxins. Also, “the onion is the richest dietary source of Quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to fight inflammation and help keep the elasticity of our skin and keeps wrinkles away!
This vegetable not only keeps my skin glowing; it is one of the ways I keep my hair so shiny.Onion juice, when applied to the scalp increases the natural antioxidant levels on the skins surface, reducing the buildup of oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide) which boosts hair health and protects against greying and thinning of the hair.
A great way to lock in nutritional goodness, instead of frying onion, is to bake them. Hear is a beautiful recipe I just found that would complement any main course. I can’t wait to go home myself and try it out myself!
Onion Flowers
These onion flowers are best created with Red Onions or Vidalia Onions. Make sure the onions are small because they become too much to serve when they are big, and you lose the flower like effect if you cut them in half. Do not remove the core.
Ingredients:
4 small red onions
3 tbsp. (45ml) olive oil
2 tbsp. (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2tsp (10ml) capers, optional
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425F (220C)
- Peel onions and cut a thin slice along the root end to flatten bottoms so onions will stand up. Cut onion in half down to about 1/2inch(1cm) of the root. Cut each quarter in half again but not through the root. You should have 8 wedges. The onion should look like a tight tulip head.
- Place in a bowl and gently toss with 2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil and balsamic. Season with salt and pepper. Oil and bake dish with the remaining oil. Add onions leaving some space between as they open up. Cover with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until onions have opened up and are nearly tender.
- Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. Serve each onion with a sprinkling of capers, if desired.
Found in Food& Drink Magazine
http://theprojecttable.blogspot.ca/2012/10/onion-flowers.html