When I started teaching my virtual cooking classes, I realized not everyone knows how to cut their veggies (e.g. an onion) properly. It’s not that there is a right or wrong way of doing it, so when I say the proper way, I am referring to the safe way. The end result is the same, but there is a chance to slip and cut yourself if you are not working safely.
Discover COMMUNITIES hosted by our PLW experts and surround yourself with like-minded individuals looking to live a peace infused, healthy life.
The biggest tip I have for cutting food, aside from a sharp knife, is to make sure you have a flat surface. The onion is not flat and when you try to chop it without getting that flat surface, it can roll and you can cut yourself.
I have created this quick video to show you how to slice and dice an onion safely:
Shall we address the elephant in the room? How to cut an onion without crying. I have literally tried it all and have not had much luck so I usually work through the tears. I did purchase a pair of onion goggles to see if they would work and they do a decent job, but I can’t fit them over my glasses. Honestly, a pair of ski goggles would work well. Anything that seals off your eyes will do the trick if you are suffering.
Onions are the base of so many dishes. It is an aromatic that spans food cultures around the globe. In French cooking, mirepoix is onion, carrot and celery. In Cajun cooking, the holy trinity is onion, green pepper and celery. In Mediterranean and Latin American cooking, sofrito is onion, garlic and tomato with many variations depending on what country you are in. All of these contain diced onion. Not only are onions flavorful, they are low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals.
Let’s start with raw onion. The obvious choice is to pop it on top of a salad. Nothing wrong with that, although some people have a hard time with the assertiveness of the raw onion. You can try soaking them in ice water for 20-30 minutes. Another option is to pickle it. I love a quick pickled onion and the magic is the longer they sit in the pickling liquid, the better they are. When I make pickled onions (or any veggie that I am pickling), I combine water, rice vinegar, salt and sugar in a bowl until the salt and sugar dissolves and then add my veggies and let it sit. You just need 30 minutes of the pickling action to start.
Since onions are in so many dishes, I could go on and on. I chose a few where the onion is a key component. The first is baked salmon with onion and lemon. This could not be easier and it’s super flavorful for how simple of a dish it is. Lay the filets of salmon on a foil lined sheet pan and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and any other seasoning you wish to use. Top with thinly sliced red onion and lemon to fully cover the fish. Sprinkle with olive oil and bake in 350F oven until the fish is done to your preference. For medium, 125-130F is the internal temperature of Atlantic Salmon. I prefer mine closer to 140F.
Another simple dish is sausage, peppers and onions. This is a childhood memory food. We used to have it for summer cookouts. I slice red or yellow onion and red or yellow bell peppers and sautee them on medium heat in olive oil until they are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For the sausages, pick what you like. I can assure you that we were only having pork sausage as a kid, but now I choose chicken sausage. For me it’s all about the flavor of the sausage and the combination with the peppers and onions so I don’t notice the difference between the pork and the chicken. I prefer to grill my sausages, but you can also cook in a pan on the stovetop. You want to make sure your sausage is fully cooked before you slice it and add it to the peppers and onions. This can be served alone with mustard, in a lettuce wrap, in a bun, over rice or pasta or even on top of a salad. So many options!
Lastly, there is Mujaddara, a Middle Eastern lentil dish. This is a great pantry staple dish with very few ingredients. It was part of my Fall menu for my virtual cooking classes and it was a huge hit. I love that you can cook the rice and lentils in one pot and the onions in another and you have a complete meal. In a large stock pot you want to add 5 cups of water, oil, salt, pepper, cumin and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Then add the brown basmati rice and simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Next add the lentils and simmer with lid on for 26 minutes or until the rice and lentils are cooked. You can drain any excess liquid and set aside. In another pot or large pan, sautee 4 sliced onions in olive oil until soft. Combine the onions with the lentil and rice mixture and dinner is done! Here is what the finished dish looks like. I topped it with a spicy zhoug sauce.
The possibilities for onions are endless. I hope you try out some of these recipes. Please let me know how you like them at debbie@theeffortlesskitchen.com. And if you like these tips you may enjoy one of my classes. Also, be sure to view my winter menu.
See you in the kitchen!
Debbie
DEBBIE BROSNAN
Debbie is a personal chef turned virtual cooking class instructor. She started The Effortless Kitchen in 2019 making dinners in her client’s homes and transitioned to virtual due to Covid. Debbie is a passionate self taught home cook who began her journey cooking along side her mother and grandmother as a young child. Her focus is on healthy food that tastes amazing using simple recipes so that those who take her classes will continue to make those dishes and others in their own kitchens. The Effortless Kitchen offers weekly classes, custom parties and corporate events and all are virtual, interactive and fun. Recorded classes are now offered for those who cannot make the live events. Culinary travel is being added into the mix in 2022 with the first adventure in March to Napa. Debbie is thrilled with the shift in her business as she can reach more people and share her gift with everyone. Through The Effortless Kitchen’s classes, Debbie is creating a community of people who are both comfortable and uncomfortable in the kitchen all brought together by the common thread of food.
