Some of us are very privileged and have access to organic produce all the time. It is not like this for everyone. I worry because I often have people ask “what should I do if I can’t buy organic but still want to take care of my health?” What I usually recommend is to wash very well their vegetables and to have them anyways. It is best to include tons of fruits and veggies in our diets, even if not organic, instead of eating processed foods.
What I forget, is that I can also remind people to check the lists of the least contaminated foods that they can buy. I got a great reminder by reading the article on “the dirty dozen and the clean 15” from the Big Green Head page.
After checking out their post I got inspired and created a very simple recipe using 3 of the ingredients included in the list of the 15 cleaner or low pesticide foods. Onions, asparagus and watermelon.
I always like to check on the nutritional value and health benefits of the recipes that I make. Searching in one of my holistic nutrition books, I found that the same 3 ingredients that I chose, plus all the others in the recipe are listed as foods that support weight loss and blood sugar balance.
Not only the ingredients would help you keep a healthy weight and blood sugar, but the fact that what I made was a breakfast recipe will help too. It has been shown, that when we eat good quality carbohydrates and proteins in the morning, our sugar cravings decrease through out the day. We also have more energy; therefore stay more active and probably motivated to do a little exercise.
So here is the recipe:
Poached egg over caramelized onions and herb butter asparagus
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 1/2 onion thinly sliced
- 2 asparagus
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- ½ tsp of dried or fresh oregano
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- watermelon (as a side dish)
Preparation:
Trim the asparagus on the bottom part of the stem and sauté for 2 minutes with the olive oil. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan and add the sliced onions, cook in low heat for about 15 minutes or until caramelized. Some people use sugar to do this. If you do it slowly the natural sugars of the onion will come out and you will get the sweetness that you want plus a beautiful brown color. Set aside.
Crack the egg into a ramekin and have it ready. In a sauce pan heat the two cups of water, bring up to a boil and immediately down to a simmer (boiling water could tear apart your egg). Stir the water with a spoon until you create a spinning movement. Drop the egg in the center of the whirlpool and let cook for 3 minutes. Remove the egg from the water with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan, just so that it melts, do not let it burn. Add the parsley and oregano and immediately turn off the heat. Set aside.
To serve place the onions on a plate and put the poached egg on top. On the side serve the asparagus and drizzle the herb butter on top. Cut some watermelon and serve as a side dish for a refreshing touch at the end of your breakfast.
SALUD
