Surprising Health Benefits and Usages of ONION.

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SURPRISING HEALTH BENEFITS & USES OF ONION
I chanced upon “a rotting onion bulb” in our ref’s veggie cooler.
Examining closely, saw a tiny greenish chive still intact at bulb’s head.
Believing it’s still alive and can be resurrected, got a clear drinking glass,
poured in little tap water, peeled off browned skin and set onion on it.
Left it by the side of sink. No direct sunlight.
Traveled for days and when I came back 12 days thereafter…WOW!
Above shot tells it all.
Quantity may not be enough for my usual recipe-cooking issues particularly the chive.
But it now lies in my office working table as…
a conversation piece.
Read on…
1. Sore throats can be soothed by “onion tea”. Boil 300ml. tap water with 5-6 slices of medium onion.
Drain to remove boiled cloves, drink hot or cool via ref for while.
2. Besides flavor and nutrients, health-promoting phytochemicals in onions improve the Vitamin C in our body
thereby enhancing immunity levels. Read more here: http://www.mdidea.com/products/proper/proper02806.html
(thank you mdidea)
3.Onion chives (onion leaves without the bulb), like carrots, melon, mango, lettuce, red and green sweet bell peppers are
rich in Vitamin A.
4. Raw onion enhances production of good cholesterol (HDL) and lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) that our healthy hearts
become ready for healthy loving.
5. A bit painful burn(s)? Rubbing onions unto it(them) will mild the pain.
6. “The chromium in onions works to improve the cell’s response to insulin. Studies of diabetics show that onions lower
insulin levels and improve tolerance for glucose.” Read more here:
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-onions.html

(thank you FITDAY)
7. Centuries ago, onions were utilized to reduce inflammation and heal infections.
8. Onions thrive on consuming free radicals that your risk of developing gastric ulcers is reduced
9. For honeybee bites, rub onion juice on affected area for immediate relief from pain and “heat” sensation.
As bug-repellant, rubbing onion on your skin aids in your walking freely-unmindful of them. Had been bitten?
Still, rubbing onion on area will ease the pain.
10. Crushed onion slices in water will clean metal surfaces. Just rub with the use of cloth.
11. I use water with sliced onion to get rid of our home’s unhealthy odors emitted by chemicals in paints.
12. The most important which, also, I do firmly believe to be so,
     is this:
                 onions attract and collect air born bacteria and viruses thereby purifying your home thereat”
Read more here:   http://www.snopes.com/medical/swineflu/onion.asp
(thank you Snopes)

Blanched Broccoli In Garlic Oyster Sauce

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BLANCHED BROCCOLI IN GARLIC OYSTER SAUCE
(FIBER-RICH BROCCOLI IN ULTRA NUTRITIOUS SAUCE)
Though of similar specie but of different cultivar
(the grouping of plants capable of propagation),
Broccoli resembles a cauliflower.
Considered the “healthiest food on earth”,
this big-headed vegetable could be consumed raw
(like carrots, celery stalks and lettuce), the way I like them.
This prep is my “comfort recipe” each time I crave for veggie
to side my meat or as plain “aftertaste killer” for my wine.
Another quick and simple issue.
Read on…
Prep time:                    15 mins.
Cook time:                   20 mins.
Total time:                    35 mins.
Makes/Serves: 2
Cooking medium:  frying pan, casserole for boiling water, strainer to fit into casserole and bowl with plain tap water
Special instruction(s): one of the most nutritious veggies under your control.

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium broccoli stem separated, cleaned and sliced-flower head cut to bite sizes
5 cloves crushed-minced garlic
20 ml. oyster sauce (any)
15 ml. sesame oil (any)
10 ml. water
PROCEDURES:
1.    Bring to boil water in casserole.
2.    Place broccoli in strainer and very quickly blanch unto boiling water (5-8 seconds ONLY). STOP.
Transfer strainer unto bowl with tap water and let cool for 10 seconds. Set aside.
3.    Saute garlic in sesame oil. Turning light brown, add oyster sauce and water. Toss and stir for sauce consistency.
4.    Arrange broccoli in serving plate and pour in your cooked sauce.
5.    ENJOY.
DISCLAIMER: Above are test kitchen and household-produced dishes. All ingredients utilized are of food grade quality passing international and domestic sanitary standards. While we find the results highly acceptable, no guarantee nor explicit assurance is hereby issued when recipe is performed by readers. For one, although of similar breed, spices, herbs and other ingredients vary from country to country/region to region that possibility of affecting end taste, aroma & bite-feel is great. Further thereto, mentioned sensory evaluation (aroma, taste, mouth-feel) is subjective.

Steamed Shrimps With Cellophane Noodles & Snow Peas As Side

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STEAMED SHRIMPS WITH CELLOPHANE NOODLES
&  SNOW PEAS AS SIDE
(SPICES & HERBS RUBBED STEAMED SHRIMPS
SIDED BY QUICK STIR FRIED CHINESE VERMICELLI & SNOW PEAS )
Cellophane Noodles (Glass Noodles, Crystal Noodles,
Chinese Vermicelli, Bean Thread Noodles
or “Sotanghon” – Pilipino) denote one and the same.
Processed from mung beans (“monggo”), this type of thin, round,
glassy when cooked noodles is widely used in Oriental cuisines.
Careful not to confuse this with “rice noodle” which is our “Bihon”
Itching for healthy prep again, this came to mind.
Along with “Cocido” (click for recipe),
remembering my “Lola” (grandmother) who, never a month will pass,
continuously served this dish to us she called…
“Ginisang Chicharo Na May Hipon At Iltog Ng Pugo”
(Sautéd Cellophane Noodles With shrimps And Quail Eggs)
My engagements with food ingredients led me to “innovate” said recipe:
spices & herbs mix and cooking procedures.
Prep time:                    15 mins.
Cook time:                    5 mins.
Total time:                     20 mins.
Makes/Serves:     2
Cooking medium: small casserole, steamer, oil brush
Special instruction(s):
INGREDIENTS:
10-12 pcs. shrimps, heads cut-off, de-shelled leaving tails intact, de-veined
12 pcs. hard boiled quail eggs, de-shelled
2 pcs. sliced bell peppers (preferably 1 red & 1 green for attractive eye-appeal)
50-100 grams Cellophane Noodles soaked in tap water
1/8 kilo snow peas (Chicharo) cut on both ends to remove “fibers” running along sides of pods.
4 cloves sliced garlic
2 grams salt
2 grams ground black pepper
50 ml. soya or palm oil
50 grams oyster sauce
SHRIMP RUB: (in a bowl, combine and toss well all below ingredients)
2 grams salt
2 grams brown sugar
1 gram dried thyme
1 gram Spanish paprika
1 gram nutmeg powder
1 gram coriander powder
OPTIONAL 2 grams MSG (Monosodium Glutamate-VeTsin)
PROCEDURES:
1.    Dipping brush unto 50 ml. oil, brush shrimps lightly on all sides.
2.    Pour in shrimp rub on all parts. Ensure full coverage for better flavor penetration.
3.    Bring to boil water in steamer. In suited slotted pan, steam shrimps for 1 minute. Cover steamer. This is DONE. Remove from heat and set aside.
4.    Heat oil in pan. Pour in garlic and fry for just 1 minute.
5.    Draining a bit, add in soaked Cellophane Noodles, “Chicharo”, bell peppers, snow peas, oyster sauce, salt and black pepper. Keep on tumbling and tossing for 3 minutes. Remove from heat-add boiled quail eggs. Toss a bit. DONE.
6.    Arrange the way you wish and serve with your “youthful” smile.
DISCLAIMER: Above are test kitchen and household-produced dishes. All ingredients utilized are of food grade quality passing international and domestic sanitary standards. While we find the results highly acceptable, no guarantee nor explicit assurance is hereby issued when recipe is performed by readers. For one, although of similar breed, spices, herbs and other ingredients vary from country to country/region to region that possibility of affecting end taste, aroma & bite-feel is great. Further thereto, mentioned sensory evaluation (aroma, taste, mouth-feel) is subjective.

Stir Fried Baguio “Gulay”

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STIR FRIED “BAGUIO GULAY
(QUICK STIR FRYING OF VEGGIES ENDEMIC TO BAGUIO)
Baguio is the northernmost part summer capital of the Philippines, year-round tourist habitué,
5062 ft. above sea level shivering with 10-14deg.F
on cold months of mid October to early February.
Major economic subsistence are orchids and various colorful flowers, handicrafts,
fresh and preserved fruits and vegetables.
Quest for “Gulay” (vegetables) exhumed out of me
as I always wish of trekking up north to this city
amid reports of 14deg.F temp…and further dropping.
The urge geared me to a nearby supermart to get my raw mats.
One thing nice with our setting is the availability of veggies
in small plastics enough for 1 cooking.
Oh heck, there were no: cabbage, sayote (chayote) and Baguio pechay.
(you can add these mentioned veggies in your trial recipe)
Okidok, I suggested to myself and went ahead with what were available.
I consumed the serving in the pic with 2 shots of my fave red wine.
Prep time:                    15mins.
Cook time:                   13mins.
Total time:                    28mins.
Makes/Serves:     3-4
Cooking medium:  casserole, frying pan
Special instruction(s):  This is a very quick stir-fry process. Be ready with your arm muscles.

INGREDIENTS
12 pieces quail eggs
¼  kilo clean baby potatoes
1 piece red bell pepper, sliced
1 piece green bell pepper, sliced
¼ kilo snow peas (“chicharo” / “sitsaro”)
4 pieces baby carrots, de-skinned, sliced
1 small bunch broccoli, cut to serving bites
5 cloves crushed, sliced garlic
1 small white onion, minced
2 grams salt
2 grams ground black pepper
20 ml. red wine (any)
20 ml. tap water
50 grams oyster sauce
50 ml. soya or palm oil
PROCEDURES:
1.    In a casserole, pour in baby potatoes and quail eggs. Add tap water enough to cover just top of contents.
Under medium heat, boil for 10 minutes.
2.    Run cold tap water, scoop out, de-shell quail eggs and set aside together with potatoes.
3.    In low setting, heat oil in pan. Pour in garlic and onion together. DO NOT BROWN.
After about 4 tosses and tumbling, add in carrots. Consistently toss for 1 minute.
4.    Add potatoes, resume continuous tumbling for 1 minute.
5.    Add broccoli, peas, bell pepper, eggs, salt, black pepper. Toss for 30 seconds.
6.    Add wine, water and oyster sauce. Tumble for 30 seconds.
7.    DONE. Serve your healthy, delectable, filling, fiber-rich veggy concoction.

DISCLAIMER: Above are test kitchen and household-produced dishes. All ingredients utilized are of food grade quality passing international and domestic sanitary standards. While we find the results highly acceptable, no guarantee nor explicit assurance is hereby issued when recipe is performed by readers. For one, although of similar breed, spices, herbs and other ingredients vary from country to country/region to region that possibility of affecting end taste, aroma & bite-feel is great. Further thereto, mentioned sensory evaluation (aroma, taste, mouth-feel) is subjective.

Pork Chop-Toastered

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PORK CHOP-TOASTERED
(SPICE BLEND RUBBED-TOASTERED PORK CHOP)
Needing, again, a “pica-pica” to go with my 2 bottles of beer,
this simple approach immediately came to mind.
I don’t wanna fire up the range so my comfort-cooker is called, anew,
on center stage to cook my Pork Chop.
Pork Chop is a cut of pork (pig is the animal)
similar to Rib Steak (rib chop),
 T-Bone Steak (loin chop) and Porterhouse Steak in beef.
Beef cut parlance does not use the term “chop”
for latter normally and usually refers to pork and lamb.
When beef cut includes the larger portion of the tenderloin,
it’s a Porterhouse, smaller portion-T-Bone it is.
Sheep is the animal-in its first year called a lamb.
Its meat is also known as lamb,
more than 1 year and in fattening stage… its meat is hogget
while for adult sheep, it is now called mutton.
Many countries singularly call sheep meat as plain lamb.
Prep time:                    30mins.
Cook time:                   1 hour 5mins.
Total time:                    1hour 35mins.
Makes/Serves:            2
Cooking medium:      oven toaster, casserole
Special needs/instruction(s): oil brush, bowl, wire whisk

INGREDIENTS:
4 pieces ½ inch thick “pork chop”
6 pieces tomatoes-peeled
3 pieces red & green bell peppers
1 small canned mushroom (button or shiitake, whole or sliced)
2 grams salt-for boiling potatoes & chops
3 grams salt- for rub
3 grams brown sugar
2 grams ground black pepper
3 grams powder garlic
2 grams nutmeg powder
1 gram coriander powder
2 grams dried thyme
30 ml. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
water
garnish veggies: bird’s eye chillies (labuyo), cardava or banana peppers (sili pansigang), small onion and a sprig each of fresh thyme and dill (or whatever colorful leaves you wish)
PROCEDURES:
1.    Line up chops in casserole then potatoes atop. Pour in enough tap water to cover top. Add in salt.
Stir and dissolve then set to medium heat.
2.    Upon boiling, set timer to 10 minutes.
3.    When done scoop out potatoes and chops. Set aside.
4.    In a bowl, add salt, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic, nutmeg, coriander and thyme. Whisk to blend well.
This is your meat rub.
5.    Lying unto toaster pan, brush EVOO unto both sides of chops. Scatter meat rub unto all sides and parts.
6.    Pre-heat oven toaster to 350deg.F (177deg.C). Slide in chops to topmost slot and heat for 20 minutes.
Turn to other side and do the same. This is DONE. Set aside.
7.    In the same toaster pan with drippings, oil etc., line up mushroom, boiled potatoes, red & green bell peppers, onion, “labuyo”, and “sili pansigang”. Wedge unto toaster and in the same temp (350deg.F) cook for 15 minutes.
8.    Turn veggies and/or add little more EVOO if needed.
9.    DONE.
10.   Serve with pride your sumptuous and colorful creation.
DISCLAIMER: Above are test kitchen and household-produced dishes. All ingredients utilized are of food grade quality passing international and domestic sanitary standards. While we find the results highly acceptable, no guarantee nor explicit assurance is hereby issued when recipe is performed by readers. For one, although of similar breed, spices, herbs and other ingredients vary from country to country/region to region that possibility of affecting end taste, aroma & bite-feel is great. Further thereto, mentioned sensory evaluation (aroma, taste, mouth-feel) is subjective.