Allium Family Series Part 3: The Onion

Allium Cepa AKA Onion

What onions look like? Onions are circular and come in a variety of colors and each color has a slightly different flavor. The yellow Onion is the least sweet.
What does onion taste like? Onions taste a little like a stronger version of leek. They also have a more favorable texture then leek. Though there are slight differences in taste amongst the many types of onions. My favorite is the yellow onion, and second favorite is the red onion. My husband's favorite are Vidalia onions.
How to eat onions: Onions seem to be a staple for all kitchens. Onions can be eaten raw in salads (Wouldn't recommend in large amounts unless you are adjusted to the taste), fried in food, or boiled in soup. You can eat an onion with just about anything. A very famous dish is the blooming onion. My favorite way to eat onions is with beans and rice.

Health Benefits of Onions
· Blood Sugar-Lowering Effects
· Cardiovascular Benefits
· Support Gastrointestinal Health
· Onion and Garlic Protective against Many Cancers
· Onions Protective against Ovarian Cancer
· Boost Bone Health
· Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Bacterial Activity

Stay Healthy
Love
Cyndi

Allium Family: Chives

Allium Schoenoprasum AKA Chives

What Chives look like: They are long green stems.
What Chives taste like: Chives are strong in flavor and aroma.
How to eat Chives: Chives are herbs and are used in many Chinese dishes.

Health Benefits of Chives:
Chives come from the same ‘family’ as onions and garlic, but chives do not possess as much sulphur as the aforementioned. Therefore their health benefits are not so strong.
• anti-cancer
• anti-clotting
• antibacterial
• antiviral and decongestant properties.
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“In Chinese herbal medicine, chives are used to control bleeding and to treat fatigue. The leaves can be applied to insect bites, cuts and wounds and the seeds used for treating problems associated with the kidney, liver and the digestive system. Chives have also been shown to help lower cholestrol when included in a balanced diet. They are rich in vitamin A and C and contain a small quantity of iron.” -www.revitaliseyourhealth.com

Allium Family: Shallot & Scallions

Allium Oschaninii AKA Shallot

What do Shallots look like: They look like onions and garlic. Shallots are the same plant that has scallions and hold many of the same benefits. Scallions are the green leafy top, and shallot is the bulb.
What do Shallots taste like: I not had a shallot yet. But I will let you know when I do. Shallot.com states that they taste like a bold sweet onion and garlic.
How to eat a Shallot: Like the rest of the Allium family shallot can be added to just about anything. I found many recipes of meat with shallot.

Benefit of Shallot and Scallions
Have the same benefits of onions, but provides more protein then the other vegetables in the Allium family.

Allium Family Series: Garlic

Allium Sativum AKA Garlic

What Garlic looks like: The ones we buy at the grocery stores are circular and white, the part we normally purchase is actually the root of the plant.
What Garlic taste like: Garlic has a distinct and bold taste that I can not compare to anything else.
How to eat Garlic: You can eat garlic whole and raw but I would not recommend that. Garlic is added to many of our favorite dishes, adding a little bit of garlic would transform just about any dish. I add garlic to all pasta dishes.

Health Benefits of Garlic
• Cardiovascular Benefits
• Anti-Inflammatory, Antibacterial and Antiviral Activity
• Garlic and Onions Protective against Many Cancers
• Potent, Even Against Drug-Resistant Strains of Bacteria
• Promotes Optimal Health
• Promotes Weight Control
• Protection against Asbestos

Allium Family Series Part 1: Leek

Allium Porrum AKA Leek

Allium Porrum is part of the Allium vegetables, other Alliums vegetables are onions and garlic.

What leek look like: Leeks are long and green, and are sold with their roots.
What leek taste like: Leeks are actually very tasty, they taste like a mild onion.
How to eat leek: The best way to eat leek is raw with other vegetables, this way you take in all the nutrients and minerals. This is true of all vegetables and fruits. You can chop up leek and add it to your salad. There are also many dishes where leek would be perfectly cooked in, for example leek soup. Any dish that you normally cook with onions, leek would taste great with.

Leek’s Health Benefits
• Lower LDL Cholesterol While Raising HDL Cholesterol
• Promote Optimal Health
• Leeks Protective against Ovarian Cancer
• Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels

Cyndi's Veggie Eggplant Lasagna

Click on the pictures to see them bigger and closer.

Ingredients
· 1 box of whole grain or whole wheat Lasagna pasta
· Broccoli chopped up into tiny pieces
· 2 cup of chopped leek into very small pieces
· 1 bottle of heart healthy sauce
· Spinach
· Low fat parmesan cheese ( as much as you want but keep in mind that cheese has a lot of fat)
· Basil
· Oregano
· Vegetarian ground meat alternative (or ground meat).
· Olive oil
· Eggplant


Make your ingredients ready and available so that this process goes quickly and smoothly.

Instructions:
1. Boil your pasta.
2. Chop up all your vegetables and Take the skin off of your eggplant and then slice the eggplant into thin slices.
3. Fry your eggplant in pure olive oil until it is a brownish color.
4. Dab the oil out of your eggplant with napkins or paper towels. Eggplant soaks up a lot of oil, so you will need to repeat this as you see fit. Keep in mind that oil=fat so the less oil the less fat is in your lasagna.
5. Put your meat and sauce in the same pot and begin to cook it. Put your oregano and basil spices into you sauce. The spices will give it more flavor and contain many healthy vitamins.
6. Put your leek into your sauce. If it is real beef it will take a little longer but if it is fake veggie meat then it should be done in about 5-10 minutes.
7. Pour a little tiny bit of olive oil on your baking dish and rub it all over. This will make it easier when you serve it later. By now your noodles should be done.
8. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
9. Begin to layer your pan with your ingredients. Start with noodles, then spinach then eggplant, then sauce, and little bit of cheese or however you would prefer.
10. On your top and last layer put a player of cheese and broccoli
11. Place your pan in the oven for 25-30mintues.

If you enjoied this recipe please digg it, by clicking on the button below.

This is a healthier version of a lassgna... But I won't call it healthy ;)

Stay Healthy,

Love,

Cyndi