Red Onions

WHY OH WHY DO ONIONS MAKE ME CRY?

I have never been a raw onion lover. Maybe it’s because my eyes are so sensitive to everything that the slightest smell of a raw onion makes my eyes tear.

I deal with it though and get puffy eyes anyways because I use onions to cook with often. And I am enjoying raw red onions more and more these days. They are packed with good stuff! 

Full of vitamins C and B6, iron, folate, and potassium and most importantly amazing phytochemicals. They are a super food along with garlic! They are an anti-allergic, anti-histaminic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant, rolled into 1 potent smelly ball. 

YUMMAY! 

So, why do these amazing super veg make your eyes BURN and tear so bad as soon as you cut into them? Well, I learned that when you cut into an onion, you’re breaking open microscopic cells filled with enzymes that turn into volatile gasses when cut. This causes a chemical reaction similar to the chemicals used in tear gas. WOH right? When the fumes reach the eye glands, your eyes begin to create tears trying to dilute and flush the chemical from your eyes. AMAZING FOOD!

I don’t know about you but, but it takes my eyes at the least an hour or more to recover after cutting onions!  And really there is nothing I have found that help with the fumes onions produce 100%. But, these small tricks give a tiny bit of relief.

• By using a sharp knife, less of the enzymes are released into the air.
• Cut onions in cold water. 
• Cut the root last!! The root has a higher concentration of enzymes.
• Chill or freeze onions. This minimizes the amount of gas released.
• Light a match before you start chopping. The sulfur disables the compounds in onions that make your eyes water.
• Use a food processor.
• Wear kitchen goggles to protect your eyes. (LOL! Yeah right. If you do this, you must send me a picture! :) )

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Persimmon Fruit

~Persimmons~

This is one of my families favorite snacks. We are a happy family when these are in season. Which is November through February. When looking to buy this mild and sweet fruit, make sure to buy the non-astringent persimmon, like Fuyu (Fuyugaki), Gosho/Giant Fuyu/O'Gosho, Imoto, Izu, Jiro, Maekawajiro, Okugosho, Suruga. These are my personal favorite and are eaten while crispy, like apples. OMG heaven!!!! My 5 yr old Begs for them! 

Persimmons not only taste amazing but they have amazing health benefits. You need to take advantage while you can this winter. Something different is a good delicious thing in life.

They are a true SUPER FOOD!

-They are high in calories (70+ calories) but very low in fats. 

-It's a very good source of dietary fiber. 100 g of fresh fruit contains 9.5% of recommended daily intake of fiber.

-They contain important anti-tumor, anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small blood vessels)

-They contain vitamin-A, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zea-xanthin and cryptoxanthin. Together, these compounds functions as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals that play a role in aging and various disease processes.

-They are a good source of vitamin-C, another powerful antioxidant. Eating foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.

-They contain many B-complex vitamins such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin...etc. These vitamins act as co-factors for numerous metabolic enzymatic functions in the body. 

-They also contain healthy amounts of minerals like potassium, manganese (15% of DRI), copper (12% of DRI), and phosphorus.

-PHEW! So get them while you can! Seek them out at your local farmers markets and grocery stores before the season ends. They are Beautiful inside and out!!

Besides eating them raw, there are MANY amazing recipes you can try using them. Here is a wonderful recipe to try from Food52.com

Persimmon and Goat Cheese Salad

Serves 4

• 6 cups mixed greens, any style
• 1 Fuyu persimmon, diced 
• 1 small apple, diced 
• 1/2 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
• 4 tablespoons tangerine juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 pinch salt 
• 2 dashes pepper

1. Place the greens in a salad bowl and top with the fruits and goat cheese. In a small bowl, whisk tangerine juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk in olive oil in a small stream. Adjust to taste. combine with greens and toss. Sprinkle almonds over all. Serve.   
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The secret to keeping your lettuce fresh and crispy

The secret to keeping your lettuce fresh.

I love salads!

I will eat them everyday if possible. There are so many options on how you can create one you really should never get board of a salad. You can have a completely different flavor each day of the week. So many options.

Eating as many salads as I do, I have finally figured the way to keep lettuce crispy and fresh. Here is a little tip to keep your lettuce FRESH and crispy the entire week.

• Instead of buying pre-washed bagged lettuce, but a head of your favorite lettuce. 
• As soon as you get home, wash it well. Tear each leaf off the stem rinsing it thoroughly.
• Place cleaned leaves in a large bowl of water. Soaking and stirring leaves around for a few minutes to ensure you get all the dirt and critters off. Drain water out.
• Cut the lettuce leaves in half and dry them well. I use a salad spinner to get all the water off the leaves. It works wonderful!  

• Place the clean dried lettuce leaves in a large plastic bag and close. 
• Using a knife or scissors, cut holes in the bag on each side so the lettuce gets air and can breath. 5 or 6 holes on each side of bag.
• Place the bag in your the refrigerator.  

Your cleaned fresh lettuce will crisp up and stay fresh the entire week. 

Not only will you save money by buying an entire head of lettuce, but you get MORE lettuce AND it will last longer than a bag of pre-washed. Who knows how long it has been in that bag already. And the stink of rotting leaves ruins the entire bag!

Note: If you put lettuce in your refrigerator without washing, the leaves wilt immediately. 

Tip 2: If you have wilted leaves, soak them in a bowl of water inside the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so. WALLA. Crispy once again. Use immediately.

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