Know your onions

onions KNOW YOUR

A pantry staple and the starting point for so many good meals, the humble onion is nutrient-packed and can help to boost our health

Most of us don’t think twice about grabbing an onion to start dinner, the basis of many dishes from warming soups to comforting slowcooked stews, keeping us nourished and fuelled during the winter months. Yet this innocuous, everyday staple is a powerhouse of nutrients with unique health benefits that can help to boost our immune and digestive systems.

A member of the allium family which also includes chives, garlic, shallots and leeks, the medicinal properties of these brilliant bulbs have been used since ancient times. Native to Asia, Egypt’s Pharaohs set such store by the vegetable that the onion was worshipped and buried with dignitaries as it represented eternity. Roman gladiators massaged their limbs with onions before a fight as they believed they provided god-like strength.

UNDER THE SKIN

The Ancients also used onions as an everyday cure for common ailments including headaches and mouth infections. The ingredient contains anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties and, for those hardy enough, eating raw onion can kill bacteria and strengthen our teeth. A gentler approach is to cut and soak an onion in drinking water for 6-8 hours, and sip 3-4 tbsps a couple of times a day to help ease the symptoms of colds, coughs, sore throats and fevers.

Onions are also packed with antioxidants, in particular a free-radical-fighting flavonoid, quercetin, which has been shown to support cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Containing prebiotics, which support healthy bacteria in our gut, onions can support our digestive, immune and even brain health.

A lesser-known benefit of the pantry essential is that they can help to boost bone health. A study of 24 middle-aged women who drank 3.4oz of onion juice daily showed improved bone mineral density and antioxidant levels. A separate study of 507 menopausal women who ate onions at least once a day showed they had a five per cent greater overall bone density compared with those who omitted the ingredient from their diet.

Onions may play a role in controlling blood sugar too – a study of 42 type 2 diabetes patients who ate 100g of fresh red onions showed a reduction in their blood sugar levels by 40mg/ dl after four hours.

RING THE CHANGES

Low-calorie at only 35 per 100g, onions are packed with vitamins A, B6, C and E, and contain potassium, sodium, iron and dietary fibre. While all varieties are packed with these nutrients, red onions contain anthocyanin, a phytochemical which research shows has anti-diabetic, antiinflammatory and anti-obesity effects. Bursting with flavour, the softer flavour of red onion can also be eaten raw, when its health benefits are most potent, or soaked in salad vinegar for a quick pickle. Don’t forget shallots and spring onions to boost the nutritional value of a salad or healthy stir-fry dish.

For those who find raw onion difficult to eat or digest, cooked onion provides a milder flavour. Try baking onions in their skin, use an onion to start a soup, or make a gravy, as with Jason’s take on comfort dish, bangers and mash...

Jason's Veggie Bangers ’n’ Mash with Red Onion Gravy

Serves 2

Olive oil (for baking) 1/2 tbsp

Ingredients for the bangers

Almonds 60g or 1 large handful Pumpkin seeds 40g or 1 handful Himalayan rock salt 2 pinches Ground black pepper 2 generous pinches Leek 1 small Garlic 2 cloves Mushrooms 4 medium Baking apple 1 small Olive oil 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp (heaped)

Ingredients for the gravy

Red onion 1/2 medium Fresh thyme 10g or 1 handful Stock cube 1 Boiling water 200ml/7fl oz Olive oil 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp

Ingredients for the mash

Sweet potatoes 3 medium Boiling water 1 litre/35fl oz Olive oil 1/2 tbsp Himalayan rock salt 1 pinch Ground black pepper 1 generous pinch 1. Place the almonds, pumpkin seeds, salt and pepper into a Retro Blender and blitz for 20 seconds until it turns into a fine ‘flour’ (do not remove).

Scatter 1 level tbsp of the ‘flour’ onto a chopping board or clean work surface. Trim the leek, peel the garlic and finely slice both. Dice the mushrooms into small pieces.

Peel and core the apple and finely chop. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Finely chop the thyme. Dissolve stock in 200ml of boiling water. Peel the potato, chop into small chunks and place in a pan.

2. Heat the oil over a medium high heat, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock, thyme, vinegar and mustard, reduce to medium and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid off.

3. Pour boiling water on the potatoes and cook until soft. Drain, add the oil, salt, pepper and mash.

4.Preheat grill. Warm the oil in a frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the leeks, garlic, mushrooms and apple and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the cooked ingredients to the ‘flour’ in the blender along with the mustard and blitz for 10 seconds. Freeze for 15 minutes to firm.

5. Divide mixture and roll into six fat sausages, then roll on a pre-floured tray so they are lightly coated. Pop the baking tray under the grill and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning gently part-way through.

6. Spoon the mash onto the plate, top with the sausages and finish with the gravy.