Friday Food Facts: Onions

Green Girl Goodies, August 2012

Featuring information from “12 Best Foods Cookbook” by Dana Jacobi

Not only are onions one of the most basic building blocks in creating complex layers of flavor in your food, they also play an important role in promoting good health.  From a health standpoint raw onions are ideal however cooked onions still provide many health benefits.  Before we get into the myriad of ways one can use and cook with onions and other alliums (members of the “onion” genus of flowering plants”), we will share with you some of the health benefits provided by members of the onion family.

Members of the onion family contain sulfur compounds that help combat heart disease and raise “good” HDL cholesterol levels.  These compounds are also what give onions their powerful odor so keep in mind:  “The more it stinks, the more it works!”  Onions also contain anti-inflammatory flavonoids that can help protect against lung cancer and asthma, antibacterial flavonoids that protect against bacteria and may also promote bone strength.  It is recommended to eat onions and other alliums every day.  Some examples of other alliums are garlic, shallots, leeks, green onions and chive.

In addition to being a healthy part to your daily diet, onions are great raw and can be cooked in so many different ways to bring out all kinds of different flavors.  Sautéing onions in a little butter or olive oil slowly so they do not color brings out the natural sweetness of the onion.  If you allow the onions to brown and the natural sugars to caramelize the onions take on a rich, earthy flavor.  Sweating onions brings out more flavor and mellows the pungency of the onion better than sautéing.  Grilling onions brings out a bit of the caramelized, earthy flavor of the onion as well as some of the natural sweet flavors.

Onions are also delicious raw in many dishes like salsas, salads, dips and on sandwiches.  They can even be pickled and used as a delightful garnish or condiment.

Look for onions in many recipes in the Green Girl Kitchen; past, present and future! 

Next Friday Food Facts:

Blueberries