We all know the elements of good health. Eat right, exercise and drink plenty of water. But there are some intangible things that you can do that can help make you even healthier.
Fresh and dried herbs offer variety, flavor and nutrients to your diet. Sometimes, I make them the star of a dish in unexpected ways. In this article I will share my ideas on unexpected, yet delicious ways that you can use herbs.
You'll notice that some of these recipes are desserts, which may seem odd since I am pitching a healthy lifestyle. Well, a piece of cake or a muffin once in a while isn't going to ruin your healthy lifestyle--and if you make those choices as nutrient dense as possible--you'll be better off.
Instructions
1. I use rose petals fresh or dried. The problem with roses is that growers often use a lot of pesticides. So, you'll either need to grow them yourself or find an organic supplier (check Resources for a link to my favorite herbal supplier).
Anyway, rose petals taste very good in desserts. I've made rose petal cakes before. You can also make rose petal scones, butter cookies and muffins. Just find a simple batter recipe (or even use a box!) and stir the fresh or dried petals in the batter before transferring to the pan or cookie sheet.
2. The colloquial name for calendula flowers is "pot marigold"--not because they grow in pots, but because they were typically used in cooking. Once cooked, they give off a nice golden color. Try making rice pilaf with the fresh or dried flowers. You can also throw a handful of the fresh or dried leaves into the pot when making soups or vegetable soup stock.
3. Though lavender is an expected ingredient in herbs du provence blends, it is an unexpected addition to other things such as muffins and bread. I once stirred the dried leaves into a white bread I was baking and it tasted faintly of coconut. You can also put it into pies, cakes and muffins. I've been thinking of roasting some coconut and adding that and some lavender flowers into a muffin batter.
4. I often see violet flowers in their candied form on top of cakes. But I've also found that they make a good salad flower. When I see the plant, I pick some of the leaves and flowers to put on top of my salads. It seems to pair well with spinach, but feel free to use your imagination. You can also try it in cakes and cookies as I mentioned above, but to be honest, I don't think the flower is flavorful enough for that.
5. This is one of the best salad flowers around because it actually has a peppery flavor. In fact, the leaves taste just like watercress. If I have a recipe that calls for fresh watercress I'll substitute nasturtium leaves because I have some growing. Top your salads with the flowers too. They aren't as peppery as the leaves, but the flavor remains.
Tags: fresh dried, because they, dried leaves, dried leaves into, leaves into, rose petal, rose petals