By Vanessa Wilkerson, Healing the Body
The funny thing about onions is that people often either love them or hate them. They are such a healing food that it’s a shame for anyone to miss out on their health boosting benefits. In fact, eating an onion a day (preferably raw) may be one of the smartest and most affordable things one can do to protect the body from sickness and disease—especially during the winter months.
Onions have huge anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties due to their high levels of quercetin and allicin. Studies are beginning to prove that they can guard against cancer and heart disease, and may also help lower LDL cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, due to their antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties they can help fight off the common cold as well as microbial cultures, such as Candida albicans and E. coli. Onions are a great addition to just about any meal and can be easily sliced, diced, blended, or even juiced to create a powerhouse meal, smoothie, or juice.
Purpose
The purpose of this recipe is to expand your options for integrating onions into your diet—particularly raw!
Raw onions maintain their full nutrients, such as 20% of the RDA of Vit C, protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, iron and many B vitamins.
This recipe offers a sweet and saucy way to add raw onions to your meals, particularly helpful for those who normally dread the idea of consuming plain raw onions. It’s also a godsend to those who love cooked caramelized onions, which typically requires 45+ minutes to prepare (with non-stop attention), and furthermore creates an end product with little nutrition left. They may be tasty, and fine to enjoy from time to time, but for real nutrition—and health–raw onions are the way to go!
Equipment Required
- Food processor
- Mixing bowl
- Mandoline (or sharp knife & great skills)
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions ~yields 1 quart
Date Paste ~yields 2 cups
- 20 pitted dates
Directions
Caramelized Onions
- Slice onions paper-thin (ideally on a mandoline).
- In a large mixing bowl, massage together all the above ingredients, including date past, until thoroughly combined.
- Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Date Paste
- Soak dates for 30 minutes; cover with sufficient water (1″ extra)
- In food processor, blend the dates until a smooth paste is achieved, adding water as needed
Consumption
Enjoy these caramel treats served on top of the Sunlight Burger, mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash, or any meat-style dish. Here’s to getting your onion on!
