Shallots are a representative of the Onion family, its composition and calorie content, the effect on the human body, useful properties and contraindications, especially the vegetable as a culture, what is prepared from it.
Harm and contraindications to the use of shallots
Do not overuse this vegetable. Shallots should only be added to food in moderation. overdose entails a lot of undesirable consequences. If any negative signs occur, further use can be carried out only after consulting a dietitian or other qualified medical specialist.
The vegetable will not bring much harm, but still it is worth paying attention to a number of contraindications to shallots, among which are:
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract … Do not recommend the use of shallots with diagnosed pancreatitis and colitis, because the amino acids in the vegetable can irritate the intestines by increasing the acidity of the stomach. This leads to undesirable consequences.
- Diseases of the kidneys and urinary system … With abundant saturation with the substances that make up the shallots, the mucous surface of the internal organs is irritated, preventing the removal of fluid from the body and making it difficult to urinate.
- Exacerbations of chronic diseases … Overuse of shallots can worsen liver disease, bronchospasm, and constipation.
Shallots recipes
Shallots are one of the most common spices around the world. It is used not only fresh, but also pickled, dried. Most often it is added in the preparation of soups, sauces and various salads, as well as a spice for meat. In the kitchen, he is simply irreplaceable. Ashkelon onion bulbs, as a rule, have a slightly lilac color, which allows you to diversify the color scheme of the dish, making it more harmonious.
Shallots Recipes:
- French onion soup … Shallots are especially popular in France. The world famous French onion soup is made from shallots. Variations in the preparation of such a soup are very diverse. Ingredients: ready-made broth (1 l), beef, chicken or even vegetable broth is allowed, Ashkelon onion bulbs (250-300 g), butter (100 g), celery to taste, croutons and hard cheese for serving. Method of preparation: chop the onion and celery into small pieces, fry until golden brown in butter. It is very important not to overexpose the onion, because overcooking it will spoil the taste of the soup. Then add 300 g of broth to the onion and evaporate it until a mushy mass is formed. This procedure should be repeated twice. If, after holding a spatula over the pan, a striped mark is noticeable, then the mass is ready. Add the remaining broth to it and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Before serving, put a few croutons in a serving and sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Vitamin salad … For people who want to lose weight, pregnant women and just for those who love tasty and, most importantly, healthy food, there is a recipe for a simple salad. It is unique in its combination of components that allow beneficial particles to be absorbed to the maximum in the body. For cooking, we need canned tuna in its own juice (1 can), shallots with herbs (300-400 g), fresh cucumber (2-3 small fruits), olive oil for dressing. The cooking process begins with peeling the onion and chopping it into 3 mm slices. Next, the prepared product is poured over with boiling water. The cucumber is washed and cut into half rings of 3-5 mm. All ingredients should be put in a salad bowl, add tuna, after draining the water from the canned food, fill the appetizing mixture with olive oil. This completes cooking and the salad is ready to serve. Maybe it is not so beautiful in appearance and will not fit the festive table, but including it in your daily diet, you will enrich your body with essential vitamins, folic acid, which will bring significant benefits to your health.
- Shallots sauce … This is another French dish that can be easily used in everyday cuisine. Any housewife can handle this recipe. The prepared sauce is very versatile and goes well with a variety of meat dishes. The composition is as follows: shallots with feathers (300 g), garlic (1-2 cloves), butter (50 g), tomato paste (30 g), honey (1 tablespoon), hot red pepper (pinch), salt and herbs to taste. First of all, for cooking, we need to peel the shallots and separate the tubers from the feathers. Chop onion tubers and garlic, fry in a pan until moisture evaporates. Then add tomato paste, honey, red pepper and herbs to taste. Salt the resulting mass and simmer for 3-5 minutes. If the sauce is very thick, then you can add a couple of tablespoons of plain water. At the very end, add finely chopped onion greens to the container.
Interesting Shallots Facts
The Ashkelon bow is called the “bow of the aristocrats”. He acquired this name due to the distinctive features and advantages inherent in this variety. First of all, this is the tenderness of onion "feathers", their delicate, delicate taste and high content of vitamins.
Also, the ability not to leave behind an unpleasant odor from the mouth and not to cause concern when processing it did not disappear from the chefs - shallots are less sharp and does not irritate the mucous membrane of the eye when cutting it. This is partly why in ancient Greece Ashkelon onions were allowed to be eaten only by the aristocracy.
In Egypt, it was used as a decoration for its unusual flowers. Most often they were planted in the temples of the Gods, while it was noted that the ministers who were there most of the time of the day were practically not sick.
Nowadays, India is the largest importer of shallots. In this country, no meal is complete without it.
Shallots contain more natural sugar than apples and pears.
This onion variety is very unpretentious, does not require special costs for cultivation. The harvest of green "feathers" can be harvested up to three times per season, for this you need to cut off the greens when they grow up to 20 cm. You can also plant shallots before winter, because it is frost-resistant and has excellent keeping quality.
This type of onion grows well in apartment conditions, reaches ripeness in the rows of the first vegetables. If it is not possible to grow this plant on your own, you should know several criteria by which you can buy high-quality onions in the market or in a store:
- The onion must be tight, not empty inside.
- The greens are not sluggish, they have a rich green color.
- Fresh onions should not have developed roots.
- No brown spots or rot.
- The onion tuber must be dry.
How to cut shallots - watch the video:
We can say with confidence that shallots are a worthy representative of the Onion family. An excellent and inexpensive source of essential components for the life and health of the human body, which can find its place in any kitchen.