Here’s how to cook with our favorite herbs this season.
Herbs can pull a variety of flavors all together and give a hint of aroma and freshness to your dishes. On top of that, they add colors to your plate and excellent nutrients like vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and iron into your body. You can find fresh herbs at your local grocery stores, or you can make a little herb garden in your backyard and grow your own seasonal herbs right on the spot. I’m going to introduce you to some fresh spring and summer herbs to add to your delicious, healthy dishes.
Basil
Basil blends in well with vegetables and fruits, adding a delicate taste of savory, anise, and mint flavor. You can use it to garnish fish and chicken and add it to salads as well.
Basil and lemons are almost like couples because you can find them together in many delicious recipes. If you haven’t tried basil with fruits, try out this basil & peach chicken salad recipe, which is refreshing and amazingly flavorsome. Basil is a good source of vitamin A, C, and K, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Cilantro
Cilantro has a strong characteristic – and it gives a fresh, aromatic, and tangy citrus flavor. People are known to be either fully in love with the unique taste or completely disgusted by it. If the latter, and you use it well and mix it with other ingredients, you might fall in love with it.
Cilantro goes well with all kinds of food, but especially Mexican dishes like ceviche, salsa, guacamoles, tacos, and seasoned rice. It is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, iron, magnesium, and antioxidants. Spice up your dish with cilantro and get those vitamins and nutrients.
Dill
Dill is mainly used in Greek and Italian dishes, and it adds a grassy, anise flavor to your meals. You can use freshly chopped dill to garnish and add more colors to the plate. Try out this easy Greek Tzatziki sauce that is made with creamy yogurt, shredded cucumbers, lemon juice, and fresh dill. Dip it with grilled fish, flank steak, meatloaves, or gyros, and I guarantee it will give you a chef’s kiss, Nostimo!
Lemongrass
The name lemongrass is pretty much self-explanatory: this herb has a grassy shape and lemon-like aroma. It’s a tropical herb that grows in spring and has a strong citrus flavor to it.
Mainly used in Asian cuisine like Thai and Vietnamese food, you can add it to make Thai curry paste, sauces, salads, or even use it as a marinade. My favorite dish is lemongrass chicken vermicelli dish, which is healthy and delicious. The beansprouts, carrots, cucumbers, cabbages, vermicelli noodles, and chicken give so many different textures and flavors to your mouth.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a must-have herb when cooking any kind of meat – chicken, pork, lamb, or steak. Putting fresh rosemary branches onto your meat while grilling allows the resinous scent to absorb into the meat. Once you take a bite of your steak, you’ll experience the juicy, buttery flavor with a hint of aromatic rosemary at the end. It’s a good source of iron, calcium, and vitamin B-6.