Healthy Organic Onion Soup, Elegantly Home-made

When it's cold and dreary outside, for me, it means soup time. I just love having soup when its freezing. Letting it warm me up from the inside whilst I enjoy the delicious flavour. Nothing beats it. For today's soup my Fiancee and I decided it was best to make an Onion Soup. I never understood why everyone calls it a "French Onion Soup", there isn't anything French about it. This soup is made to be extremely rich.

First step is to get a stock pot, put some oil at the bottom, then drop your Oxtails filled with bone-marrow at the bottom to render. Only cook enough so the Oxtails turn slightly brown. 7-10 minutes on Medium Heat!

Whilst waiting for your Oxtails to brown, cut up some onions. They do not have to be uniformly cut, unless you want to do so like I did. I leave my onions roughly an inch thick. In total you will need 6-8 Medium Onions.

Once done cutting your Onions and once the Oxtails have indeed been browned, add your Onions to the stock pot to sweat. During this step, I add garlic and whatever seasonings to enhance the flavour. This time I added salt and pepper. About 20-30 minutes of sweating time.

After letting the onions sweat a bit, it's time to caramelize them.I add a couple bay leaves, some thyme, rosemary, and a portion of red wine. I prefer Cabernet Sauvignon over any particular red wines for this soup. It just works well with all the added components. Although I have tried using Port Beer, preferably a British Port, which also blends with the flavours quite nicely. Caramelize and Reduce Wine for as long as you want to. This is the stage where the flavour develops quite nicely.

This is what amazing caramelized onions look like. If yours looks like this, you're on the right path. Add about 12-14 Quarts of Stock, (2/3 Beef Stock-1/3 Vegetable Stock or 2/3 Beef Stock-1/3 Veal Stock) and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, bring down the heat to a simmer (tiny bubbles) and let the soup simmer for about a half hour before you eat.

Look at how delicious this is! I hope this helps you find a way to make a better more elegant onion soup for your family in this cold time of year. Thanks again and keep on the look out for more Healthy Organic Recipes!


HyperSmash

Growing Lettuce Indoors for Winter: Seeds Sprouting!

    I decided to start some salad greens indoors a couple of days ago, so I can have some fresh salad greens during the Winter season. I love the taste of a fresh salad, especially when I grew each leaf from seed. With growing your own greens you are in control of the actual flavor of the end product. To me, if I let my plant mature past the average harvest date, it develops a bitter note of taste. I grew some new salad greens I haven't had the chance to try to grow before. Here are some photos of my salad greens sprouting.

Organically Gourmet European Salad Mix 

I wanted to try this mix and see what all the fuss was about it being "gourmet". The mix contains; Arugula, Tres Fin Endive, Radicchio, New Red Fire, Galactic, Red Saladbowl and Forellenschluss. I'm hoping that this was a good choice to try a new mix on a whim.

Organic Giant Caesar Lettuce 

This lettuce is a favourite of mine and I just can't stop myself from constantly growing this specific variety. If you are a salad lover and a gardener, buy these seeds from any organic distributor immediately. You will thoroughly enjoy this lettuce, especially how it can withstand any salad dressing.

Organic Eros Escarole

Anyone can tell you that if you want to make your own salad it is going to cost you a little bit. All growing your own salad costs is good soil, water and some care. Nothing beats eating the freshest greens that are rich with healthy nutrients and vitamins. Try growing salad greens sometime and maybe you'll realize that. Until next time folks, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing! 

Stay tuned for future updates of my Winter Indoor Organic Salad Greens!

HyperSmash

Kale and You! Benefits and breeds of Healthy Leafy Greens!

Organic Nero di Toscana Kale

       Kale is known as one of the healthiest vegetables on our planet, and is categorized in the species Brassica oleracea. Which includes a variety of vegetables; broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussels sprouts. Kale even dates back to being consumed in the Middle Ages, that is right! Knights, Lords and Kings used to consume this nutrient rich vegetable constantly! The way majority of people identify different varieties are from the length of the stem, colour, and leaf shape. Each and every single Kale has a distinct taste, this I tell you through experience.

Organic Red Russian Kale

Cultivars

   Cultivar means that the plant or plants were Cultivated and are a Variety of said plant. That's how the term was made by Liberty Hyde Bailey. So don't get confused with the term! Here is a short list of different cultivars of Kale.

  ¤ Curly-leafed (Scots Kale)
  ¤ Straight-leafed
  ¤ Rape Kale**
  ¤ Leaf and Spear (Cross between Curly & Straight-leafed Kale)
  ¤ Cavolo Nero*
  ¤ Jersey Kale (Cow Cabbage)

(**Such a bad name for a Kale right?! There is a reason for it! They call it "Rape Kale" or "Hungry Gap" because they named it for the period after winter when barely any crop is harvested)

(*Also known as Black Cabbage, Tuscan Cabbage, Tuscan Kale, Lacinato and Dinosaur Kale)

Health Benefits

   Kale has a load of benefits most people don't even know about. Such as having a high count of beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Did you know that once you start chopping or mincing Kale you release sulforaphane? Sulforaphane is a chemical that contains potent anti-cancer properties. (Only bad thing about sulforaphane is it decreases in Kale when you boil it, but if you steam, microwave or stir-fry your Kale the loss of sulforaphane isn't as significant) Kale also is a source of indole-3-carbinol, which is a chemical that boosts DNA repair in cells and blocks the growth of cancer cells. The final thing I know about Kale is there is a group of resins known as bile acid sequestrants that have been known to lower cholesterol and decrease your bodies absorption of dietary fat. (Steaming your Kale increases the bile properties).

  That's it for today's vegetable information! Next I'll have the various ways and maybe even some recipes of how I consume this amazing crop!

Until next time folks! Keep it Green and Keep it Growing! Ciao!


HyperSmash

Winter Vegetables and YOU! My List of Seasonal Healthy Vegetables!

    Winter is here and planting outdoors is insanely amazing. Only certain types of vegetables will thrive in the harsh climate winter is. Sometimes you will have to be willing to go out in the cold, when all your pipes freeze over, to water your crop. So get your winter-wear and prepare for that moment, it's inevitable! I'm going to share with you list of winter vegetables I find easy to grow in the cold.


Leafy Greens
Belgium Endive, Escarole, Endive, Kale, Radicchio,

Root Vegetables
Carrots, Parsnip, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips

Bulb and Stem Vegetables
Celery, Fennel, Leeks, Onions, Shallots

(Also, certain breeds of Squash, including different breeds of Pumpkins and Zucchini.)

 ¤ All of these vegetables will grow in winter conditions, and worth doing so. Each and every single vegetable listed will have a distinct taste in the Winter. Compared to being grown in the Spring, Summer or Fall. Some of your crop may take a little longer to grow, but that is due to the fact of it being cold and there is less sunlight during this time of year. I hope you enjoy some of these veggies as much as I do especially at their right season! Until next time folks, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing. Ciao!!



HyperSmash

Time to start some Plants Indoors!!

           Tis' the season to be starting seedlings indoors! Why you ask? Well for two reasons, to have some crop indoors throughout winter and to have plants growing and ready for the transplanting stage in spring! Yes, I start my seedlings a little bit earlier than normal because I like them to start the flowering stage right before I transplant it back outside. The cold isn't good for most plants, some breeds of pumpkins and onions actually grow whilst it's still snowing.

Lighting                                                                                         

           I start off my babies underneath a 100 watt warm fluorescent bulb. They will stay under said bulb until the plant starts to outgrow its container, (I usually start my seedlings off in a "SOLO" plastic cups. One with holes poked through the bottom (about 5 or 6 holes) that contains the soil and seedling, and the other as the acting reservoir.

Soil                                                                                                  

          For all of my seed starting, I always use Black Gold by Sun Gro Horticulture. No if's, and's nor but's. This particular soil combination does the plant justice in my particular region outside, and also indoors it's supreme! After my seedlings reach the transplanting stage, I add to the mix Coco soil (any organic brand will do), Vermiculite, steer manure, and some organic compost (fruit peels, worm castings, dead plant matter, ect.).

Water                                                                                             

         Each Plant has a varied amount of water you need to give it. (Example: Herbs intake less water than fruits or vegetables) Just make sure to water enough that the soil on top is moist but not drenched. If you are growing indoors you only should water once a day or once every other day depending on the size of your plants. If you are outdoors, that's a different matter. You have to account for the sun, how much water is being evaporated throughout the day, if it's going to rain that day, or if you have a hot day which makes the plants more thirsty.

 ¤ Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting excited to start the indoor growing process yet again! I just love seeing life sprout before my eyes, providing me with my own form of the "Garden of Eden", except no serpent to tempt! Haha! But seriously, it's amazing to grow a plant but more eye-opening once you grow your own food. The taste and smells of your own grown food do not compare to the ones you buy at the market.

        Until next time fellow green-thumbs and garden enthusiasts, Keep it Green and Keep it Growing! Ciao!!

HyperSmash