Experimenting with produce: onions, manual food processor
It all started when I saw the Zyliss manual food processor in a Bed Bath and Beyond catalog. I like the idea of using my own power to chop things up but also having it go a lot faster. And this device looked easier to clean than regular food processors. And easier to store because it's small. Here's a YouTube video if you want to see it in action.
So I got one.
The first (and only) thing I've tried so far has been onions. I pull the cord seven times for minced onions. My eyes still water when I take the onions out, but it's probably better than chopping by hand. But most importantly--woosh, woosh, woosh! It's fun. And with a cute tiny rubber spatula, it's not that hard to get most of the onions back out. And then if you get to it right away, it's easy to wash. It's a little scary and dangerous to let the blades dry out in the open (in the dish rack), but so far we have been good.
Besides using a whole onion in beef dishes, I also tried using just a tablespoon or two in omelettes. This is purely because my favorite omelette ever is actually the Denver omelettes we had at Disney World--even though they had green peppers in it, which I don't like.
First put oil and onions in the pan while it's warming up. Then pour in the egg. Flip when it's mostly cooked. Add fillings (okay, just cheese), fold, and serve. Yum. I like this better than plain cheese omelets. The omelette is more likely to tear up than when it's just egg, but I'm not creating a masterpiece of art. It still tastes good.
So then I tried storing the rest of the onion in the freezer. I put it in a sandwich bag that I closed with a twist-tie. The resulting giant blob of onion required an ice pick (okay, I used a fork) to loosen pieces for future use.
So then I tried putting it in a sandwich bag and then flattening it before folding the ends closed. This worked much better. I can easily break off a piece or two and drop it into the pan. Then as it warms up, I can easily break it up with my spatula.
So now whenever I make an omelette, it has a little bit of onion in it. This does not count as a very big portion of a serving of produce, but it's still a good idea. I recommend it!
So I got one.
The first (and only) thing I've tried so far has been onions. I pull the cord seven times for minced onions. My eyes still water when I take the onions out, but it's probably better than chopping by hand. But most importantly--woosh, woosh, woosh! It's fun. And with a cute tiny rubber spatula, it's not that hard to get most of the onions back out. And then if you get to it right away, it's easy to wash. It's a little scary and dangerous to let the blades dry out in the open (in the dish rack), but so far we have been good.
Besides using a whole onion in beef dishes, I also tried using just a tablespoon or two in omelettes. This is purely because my favorite omelette ever is actually the Denver omelettes we had at Disney World--even though they had green peppers in it, which I don't like.
First put oil and onions in the pan while it's warming up. Then pour in the egg. Flip when it's mostly cooked. Add fillings (okay, just cheese), fold, and serve. Yum. I like this better than plain cheese omelets. The omelette is more likely to tear up than when it's just egg, but I'm not creating a masterpiece of art. It still tastes good.
So then I tried storing the rest of the onion in the freezer. I put it in a sandwich bag that I closed with a twist-tie. The resulting giant blob of onion required an ice pick (okay, I used a fork) to loosen pieces for future use.
So then I tried putting it in a sandwich bag and then flattening it before folding the ends closed. This worked much better. I can easily break off a piece or two and drop it into the pan. Then as it warms up, I can easily break it up with my spatula.
So now whenever I make an omelette, it has a little bit of onion in it. This does not count as a very big portion of a serving of produce, but it's still a good idea. I recommend it!