Culinary Uses of Herbs for Good Health
Unlike herbs for remedies that are used for an immediate problem, in food they work for long-term good health. Many of us drink herbal teas because we like them and they are a healthy alternative to soda and other processed drinks. Herbs also work well as seasoning to enhance the flavor of so many foods.
Here are some easy ways to work herbs into your diet: Sprinkle dried lemon balm or lemongrass on fish or chicken. Mix some basil, cilantro, and parsley together and add it to chili just before it is finished cooking. Heating dried seeds in a skillet before adding them to your recipes brings out their taste and aroma. Frozen herbs can be added to soups. Fresh borage flowers have a cucumber-like taste that goes nicely on salads. Flower quality degrades quickly, so if you rinse them do it at the last minute before serving the salad.
Breads
There’s nothing like the smell of fresh-baked bread. Herbs enhance the aroma as well as the taste. As with many recipes, it is important to experiment to find what suits your taste. Frozen herbs need to be thawed and drained, which is especially important for biscuits and breads where extra moisture may have a detrimental impact on the recipe.
Here are the amounts of herbs to add to your dough per loaf or dozen biscuits as a starting point.
Basic Recipe to Add to Dough
1 teaspoon strong-flavored fresh herbs, chopped
or 2 teaspoons mild-flavored fresh herbs, chopped
or ½ teaspoon dried herbs, crumbled
Once the dough is made, simply work the herbs into it. Herbs can be added to ready-made dough, too. Simply work the herbs into the dough. Herbs can be sprinkled onto crescent rolls before rolling them up or for pre-formed rolls just make a depression in the top of each one with your finger and sprinkle in some herbs.
When making bread or biscuits for a particular meal, plan to use herbs that go with the main course. For example, biscuits with parsley, sage, rosemary, or thyme go well with a turkey dinner. Don’t limit herbs to breads. A simple pound cake comes to life with lemon balm, anise, or angelica. In fact, anything you bake can be enhanced with herbs. Just follow your taste buds.
Butter, Margarine, and Ghee
An herbal butter, margarine, or ghee can make any meal special. Although most recipes call for sweet, unsalted butter, taste is in the mouth of the beholder, so use what you find most pleasing. Margarine can be used instead of butter and has the advantage of usually being soft right from the fridge. Ghee is a type of clarified butter used in Indian dishes and is becoming more popular in the United States. It is created by slowly heating butter to coax and strain out the water and milk solids. Ghee usually does not need refrigeration.
Basic Recipe for Herbal Butter, Margarine, or Ghee
1–1½ teaspoons dried herbs, crumbled
or 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped
or ½ teaspoon seeds, crushed
½ cup butter, margarine, or ghee
If you are using butter, let it stand at room temperature until it is soft. Use a fork to cream the butter or margarine so it is malleable. Add the herbs and mix until they are dispersed throughout. Spoon into a container and refrigerate until needed. When using ghee, sprinkle the herbs into the jar and mix well with a butter knife.
Cooking Oils
Unlike adding herbs during the cooking process, infusing an oil gives the herbs time to blend flavors with the oil. The oil also absorbs vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional components from the herbs. An infused cooking oil is great for salads, salad dressings, sauces, marinades, and a drizzle for bread, which is why they are so popular. An infused oil made with dried herbs is more stable and will last longer. In the winter, try a combination of rosemary and thyme, which tastes great while helping to prevent colds and flu.
Basic Recipe for Infused Cooking Oil
¼ cup dried herbs, crumbled
or ¾ cup fresh herbs, chopped
1 cup oil
Place the herbs in a jar and pour in the oil, making sure the herbs are completely covered. Let it sit for 4 weeks, shaking occasionally to mix the herbs throughout the oil. Dried herbs can be left in or strained out. Fresh herbs need to be strained out because of their water content, which can foster bacteria growth.
Honey
While honey is a sweetener, it is far better than sugar or the vast range of artificial sweeteners. Honey has antiseptic and antibacterial properties, and it is an aid to seasonal allergies. (Read the section in chapter 14 called “Things to Know When Buying Honey”). As you will notice, a seasoned honey generally has less herbs than a medicinal one, however, listen to your taste buds and experiment to find what suits you.
Basic Recipe for Herbal Honey
¼ cup dried herbs, crumbled
or ½ cup fresh herbs, chopped
1 cup honey
Pour the honey into a slightly larger mason jar and set it in a saucepan of water that is at least half as deep as the jar is tall. Warm it over low heat until the honey becomes a little less viscous, and then add the herbs or herb sack. Use a butter knife to stir loose herbs throughout the honey or to push the herb sack down so it is covered. Continue warming for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, set aside, and when it is cool put the lid on the jar. Store it out of the light in a cupboard at room temperature for a week.
For a nice combination of herbal honey to add to a bedtime cup of chamomile tea, use two tablespoons of dried lavender flowers and one teaspoon of dried lemon balm leaves per cup honey.
Vinegars
Just as oils can be infused with herbs, so too can vinegar. Also like oil, vinegar absorbs vitamins and minerals from the herbs and enhances the nutritional value of food. Herbal vinegars can perk up salads, dressings, sauces, and marinades. Occasionally, herbal vinegars can be used as remedies. White or red wine vinegars tend to work best with most herbs; an exception being cider vinegar for dill. As with most things culinary, it is a matter of taste so don’t be shy about experimenting.
An important thing to note about vinegar is that it reacts with most metals. Use stainless steel, glass, ceramic, or porcelain saucepans and containers. For storage, use jars and bottles with cork stoppers or plastic lids. A regular mason jar with a metal lid can be used but place two pieces of wax paper over the jar before putting on the lid.
Basic Recipe for Herbal Vinegar
¾ jar fresh herbs, chopped
or ¼ jar dried herbs, crushed
enough vinegar to cover the herbs
Warm the vinegar slightly. Place the herbs in a jar and pour in the vinegar. Cover and store in a cool, dark place for 2 to 4 weeks. Shake the jar a couple of times a week. As with oil, dried herbs can be left in but fresh ones need to be strained out. Store away from heat and light.
The use of herbs in cooking is endless and experimenting with different combinations is rewarding and tasty. Cooking with herbs is also a great way to enjoy the bounty of your garden all year.