Garlic, Onion, Chilli Pepper, Carrot and Eggplant: Marvels of the Kitchen

Family of the: Solanaceae
Common name: Chilli Pepper
Scientific name: Capsicum
Where it grows: Worldwide with exception to places extremely hot or extremely cold.

Description

There are various plants and species designated as chili peppers. However common look of the plant is the following: The plant can grow from a three or four feet tall. The plant bears red green and yellow peppers that can be either bell shaped or oblong shaped.

The chili pepper is greatly recognized for its spiciness which is given to it is a single element. Methyl vanillyl nonenamide, this element gives chili peppers that hot quality people strive to feel in their mouths. This element affects the taste buds and it tricks them into believing that the mouth is actually burning.

The chili is used as a condiment for food and it is also used to kill parasites in the stomach. The chili peppers extract is used as a weapon to irritate people’s eyes, “pepper spray”. A funny quote: besides the amazing nutritional value the chilies are also used in contest to prove how resistant each person can be.

Family of the: Amaryllidaceae
Common name: Onion
Scientific name: Allium Cepa
Where the plant grows: The plant grows all over the world and it has hundreds of species spread worldwide. Countries like China, the United States and India produce massive amounts of onions. The onion usually prospers in warmer climates and the flavor of the onion will be milder or stronger depending of the temperature of the region it is planted in.

Description

The onion is a tubercle that grows to be a little over two feet in height. The onion is a biennial plant and it is considered an underground bulb and a vegetable. It is recognized for a familiar rancid odor and purple color. The rancid stench is provoked by the enzymes liberated by the bulb and these are the enzymes that provoke teary eyes when chopping onions. Onions range in color from the familiar purple color, to white, to yellow, to a pink color. The onion has a spherical shape a “rooty” bottom and a pointy top. The onion’s stem is also edible and it has flower heads coated with hundreds of small white flowers. The onion is related to the garlic and the leek which also have strong smells and tastes.

The onion is greatly used in worldwide cuisines as a complement to meals and as condiment. It is also considered a vegetable and it can be fried or eaten raw in salads. The onion is also a key ingredient for the creation of tear gas. It is key in the creation of the gas because of the enzymes it liberates the produce burning sensations in the eyes.

Onions as well as garlic have been used to treat inflammation, and it has considerably been utilized to prevent cancer and treat diabetes. Onions are rich in vitamin C, (which makes it great to relief flu) carbohydrates, potassium Phosphorus and calcium.

Family of the: Amaryllidaceae
Common name: Garlic
Scientific name: Allium sativum
Where it grows: Garlic is known to be native of central Asia but it also grows in abundance in France, Italy, and wherever the climate is mild, this includes the Caribbean, Canada and United States.

Description

As a part of the onion family, garlic is a bulbous plant that can grow up to 4 ft in height. It divides into cloves covered with its own skin. The cloves can range in color but are normally white and have a glossy look when they are healthy.

Garlic tends to grow best in soils where water will drain and are loamy. It is also advised that you add a substantial amount of organic matter (manure, humus...) to your soil for best results.

The garlic clove is used primarily as a culinary seasoning and one is one of the most used seasonings in the Italian kitchen. The garlic cloves can be ground up, chopped, sliced and added to a myriad of meals including pizza, stir fries, shrimp sauces, soups...

Relating to the medical uses you can give garlic here are some anecdotes of my family and the garlic's healing powers: When we were kids, we used to get a lot of bee stings and my mother would apply a ground up garlic clove over it and it would relieve the sting and the inflammation. Garlic can also be used medicinally as a blood pressure regulator. My grandfather used to swallow a small sized clove of garlic to keep his blood pressure regulated (on a daily basis!).

This amazing plant can also be used for losing weight purposes. Some people put it in alcohol for some time and then drink that every day for a period of time; other would drink it directly as if it was a pill. One more way to use garlic to lose weight is making an infusion of garlic and lemon.

My mother has tried this one as a colon cleanser and it really works. To prepare it you need 2 garlic heads, 2 lemons and one and a half liter of water. You should drink that two times a day.

Family of the: Apiaceae
Common name: Carrot
Scientific name: Daucus Carota
Where the plant grows and its native location: it is native to Europe and southern parts of Asia. However it is grown worldwide and it is divided among the western and eastern hemispheres.

Description

The carrot is a tubercle grown worldwide and praised for its vision enhancing properties. The whole plant edible however people stick to eating the root of the plant which is usually stereotyped as orange. There are also carrots that range in color from yellow to red to purple.

The carrots have a somewhat earthy and sweet taste which is complemented by a crunch when they are raw. The root is used in culinary affairs, including desserts, meals and drinks. The plant itself grows to be up to 3ft tall and it is topped by a rosette of white flowers. It can be harvested two to four months after it grows and the plant only lives to be up to two years old.

It is mainly used in culinary affairs as we mentioned before. However carrots have properties that help our body. The main reason why people eat carrots is because it is common knowledge that carrots, when eaten in large quantities, aid people achieve a better vision.This is due to the fact that our bodies digest the carotene found in the carrots and turns it into vitamin A which is directly related to our vision.

Carrots are used in dietary beverages, in desserts and in all sorts of meals. The carrot is packed with vitamin A, carotene, carbohydrates, minerals, dietary fibers and other vitamins. They aid people rid themselves of intestinal parasites and inflamed tonsils.

Grease and spread a thin coat of flour on four molds 7x5x2 inches and preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Then add the raisins and walnuts until everything is homogenized. The next step is adding the eggs (previously beaten) the oil, the oil the vanilla and the grated carrots.

We must make the mix in a manual manner with enclosing movements; never use an electric mixer or anything of the sort.

The mix will begin taking a creamy tone and this will give us the sign that it is the moment to place the mix in the molds and bake it for 45 to 50 minutes.

We can test if it's ready with a toothpick if the baking time has finalized and is well done. We can also take note of the color and the texture of the mix to know if it is ready.

Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 45 min Ready in: min Yields: This is enough sauce to make 8 slices.

Family of the: Solanaceae or night shade
Common name: Eggplant, Aubergine, melongene are all common names of the eggplant
Scientific name: Solanum melongena
Where the plant grows and its native grounds: The plant is native to India, even though this plant is cultivated all across the world because of its adaptability to the environment and the role it plays in the cuisine.

Description

The plant grows to be a height a little over 8 feet tall. The leaves are somewhat large in comparison to the plant itself reaching up to 18 inches in length. The plants are thorny and have slender woody stems and branches. The flower of the eggplant is bell shaped and it is tinged with a white and light purple color. The eggplant itself is a pretty beefy fruit. It has a white inside full of small soft and edible seeds that have a tinge of bitterness. The outer skin of the eggplant can range in color from purple to white to green. The plants are harvested annually and the fruit they bear can weigh up to two pounds at most.

The eggplants are mostly used as a culinary ingredient to make meals. This does not mean that the eggplant lacks of essential nutrients for the body, no, the eggplant is indeed beneficial for your health. It has carbohydrates, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus in high amounts.

The plant has tiny amount of nicotine located inside its seeds. It is an excellent substitute for meat due to the fact that its fruit contains a certain amount of proteins that replaces it. It has been said that the juice extracted from the eggplant has dietary properties. It has not been approved to be right to ingest this just and we don’t suggest the ingestion of it in any way.

My dad has been cooking for years, perfecting his skills and mastering divine recipes. Thanks to him and his efforts, we can safely say we will never eat pizza from a local restaurant anymore. Ever since he started making pizza with this amazing egg plant sauce on it, it has become our favorite.

Ingredients

• 2 Eggplants peeled and chopped
• 4 Tablespoons of cooking oil
• 1/2 Cup of chopped onions
• 3 Tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 Chili pepper cut diced
• 1/2 Cup of chopped coriander, and make sure they're small pieces
• 2 & 1/2 Tablespoons of fish sauce
• 1 & 1/2 Pounds of crab meat
• 1 Teaspoon of lemon juice
• Olives

1. In a big pot, heat up the cooking oil and stir-fry the onion. Add the tomato paste, the chili pepper, an olive and caper, coriander and the fish sauce. Mix it all with the eggplants and lower the flame.
2. Let the eggplants cook with the top of the pot put on, covering only half of it. Make sure they start getting soft before you add the crab meat. Mix it with the added meat and then let it cook for another five minutes.
3. Taste and season your salt, add the lemon juice, turn off the fire and serve.

Prep time: 20 min Cook time: 30 min Ready in: 50 min Yields: 8 portions

Carbs: 5.0 grams
Calories: 149.7
Total Fat: 4 grams
Cholesterol: 142 mg
Sodium: 2872 mg
Vitamin A: 2%
Calcium: 16%
Vitamin C: 17%
Iron: 6%

Family of the: Solanaceae
Common name: Tomato
Scientific name: Solanum lycopersicum
Where it grows: The tomato is native to South American countries but it is cultivated worldwide. It was spread around the world after its discovery by Spanish colonizers.

Description

The plant can grow to be up to 10 feet in height and it has a vine like appearance, depending on the variety of the fruit. This appearance is given to the plant because of the weakness of its stem and other extremities. The plant is usually grown in greenhouses where climates are controlled and plagues can be taken care of easily. When not grown in greenhouses the plant is grown in stable climates.

The tomato is actually a fruit but, in culinary affairs it is considered a vegetable. The seeds are significantly small and the flesh of the fruit is usually a red color when ripe. The flesh has a sweet and somewhat acid taste when eaten ripe and it has a decent amount of liquid in its self. The size and shape of the fruit may vary through each species. They are usually ovate and round.

The tomato is used to make all sorts of sauces, salads, beverages. It has been mostly praised for its ability to fend off cancer and the amount of acidity it contains. The tomato is rich in Lycopene, vitamin c, carbohydrates, water and potassium. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and it is probably the reason why the tomato is so famous to treat cancer. The tomato is a key ingredient in the creation of ketchup and many hot sauces out there. It also takes part in the creation of alcoholic drinks.

Article by: Alain Gutiérrez