[Veggies All Year] Onions

Celebrate veggies all year long with a new vegetable each week! This week, we're highlighting onions.

Happy New Year! I am really excited about this year!

In lieu of talking resolutions or goals, I am focusing on a year long project. And that is eating veggies all year.

Every Monday, I'll be posting about a new vegetable, including nutritional values, fun facts, tips, and recipes. It's Veggies All Year!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with the vegetable of the week and let's celebrate #veggiesallyear in 2015!

The first veggie is my very favorite vegetable to put in recipes - the onion. I seriously put onions in everything. They're so versatile and most people enjoy onions.

Let's learn more about the humble onion...

Onion Nutrition:

*1 cup chopped onion has 64 calories, 0g fat (0g saturated fat), 14.9g carbohydrates, 2.7g fiber, 2g protein, 20%DV Vitamin C, 10% Vitamin B6, 10% Manganese

Onion Fun Facts:

*Onions are nutritional powerhouses, full of antioxidants that fight diseases. Don't let their yellow or white color make you think they're not packed with good stuff. You'll find beneficial nutrients like polyphenols {micronutrients with potentially cancer and heart disease fighting powers} and quercetin {an anti-inflammatory anti-oxidant}.

*If you've ever wondered why chopping onions brings tears to your eyes, wonder no more... when you cut the onions, you release sulfur-compounds naturally found in the onions. These sulfur-compounds and onion enzymes react to turn into a gas. The gas reaches your eyes causing them to produce tears as a protective mechanism.

The enzymes that help form the gas are deactivated when cooked, so your eyes shouldn't be bothered by cooking onions. You can lessen the effects of watery eyes by refrigerating your onions about 30 minutes before chopping.

*Don't store your potatoes next to the onions. Onions emit gases that cause potatoes to sprout, so keep the potatoes & onions away from each other when storing.

Onion Tips:

*When shopping for onions, buy firm onions without cuts, bruises, or dark spots. Avoid onions that have visible mold or sprouting.

*Store your onions in a dark, cool, well-ventilated area. Don't store in a plastic bag - the onions need to breathe. And keep them out of the fridge unless they are peeled and/or chopped. If stored properly, onions can keep for almost a month, making them an ideal veggie to always have on hand.

*1 medium onion yields about 1 1/4 cups diced onion

*Onions can easily be added to recipes to bump up the flavor and nutritional value. Diced onions are great to add in casseroles, soups, and crock-pot meals.

Onion Recipes:

Basically any savory recipe on my blog has onions, but here are a few that the onion has a starring role:

Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onion, Arugula Burger

Garlicky Caramelized Onion Pasta

Slow Cooker Maple Mustard Pork Chops and Onions

Pork Chops, Apple, and Onions

French Onion Soup

Caramelized Onion Omelet

Caramelized Onion Dip

Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Sandwich