Easy Ways to Enjoy Herbs in Your Cooking

In a previous post we discussed a few herbal varieties and how some of them could be used to enhance a dish, or even a meal. But here we want to give you some insights on how and when to add certain herbs to a dish, and what to expect when you do.

So let’s start with a few fairly simple roasted items. You may have gone to a restaurant and had your fill of the Herb Roasted Potatoes served as a side or on a buffet. You may have even tasted something like, Honey Roasted Carrots with Fresh Rosemary or, Fire Roasted Chicken with Lemon Thyme glaze. But how did they make it, and why is it so good when they do it, but it tastes different when you try making it? To be fair, there could be several potential answers to that question but we are going to approach it from the perspective of the herbs. Understanding the herb itself and when to add it to a dish is a big determining factor of how the dish will taste. For example herb roasted potatoes will generally use a herb that will stand up well to heat, using heartier herbs like, rosemary or sage, during the roasting process, and then finished with something like freshly chopped parsley to brighten the color and create an appetizing appearance. On the other hand sauces like the lemon thyme glaze may use dried thyme to infuse flavor as the sauce simmers, and then finished with the fresh thyme and lemon essence at the end, to add the final punch/zing to the glaze just prior to serving. As a rule of thumb you should expect that heartier herbs and dried herbs can generally work their magic over a wider range of time, whole fresh herbs will lend their contribution, right away.

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Try This...

Turn your oven on to preheat at 375F/190C.

Grab two handfuls of your favorite

roasting potatoes, (roasting potatoes are generally smaller in size than baking potatoes) and cut them in half. Grab a half of a bunch (about 4 stems) of fresh rosemary, and remove it from the stem and chop the leaves. Now, based on whatever you have in your pantry, mix a little salt, maybe a half teaspoon; and about a teaspoon of your favorite spice(s), (i.e. black pepper, paprika, Cajun seasoning, etc) and mix them together with the chopped rosemary and set this aside. Get a mixing bowl and add about 3 tablespoons of oil or melted butter, and toss the potatoes, and about 2/3 of your rosemary spice mix together until the potatoes are well coated. (Set the remaining spice mix aside to use once the potatoes have finished cooking) Get you favorite skillet, pour your potatoes onto it and place it into your preheated oven. Let it cook for about 20 minutes and give it a stir just to ensure that they cook evenly. Generally they’ll need at least 5-10 more minutes to finish cooking but, at this point you can taste one to see how far along they are just in case. Once they’re done, take them out of the oven and use the rest of you rosemary spice mix to re-season the potatoes, and enjoy!

NOTE... Shhh... This same concept works with roasting other vegetables, like carrots, cauliflower, or even brussels sprouts. mix it up a bit and try adding some Parmesan or a little honey to your vegetables just before serving them.

Or Try This...

Here’s a “cheat code” for all of us who like salsa but simply don’t have time or, have never tried to make it from scratch. Go to your local supermarket and grab your favorite jar of salsa; then run over to the produce section and get a small bunch of fresh cilantro, and fresh green onions. Once you’re back at home, rinse the cilantro and green onions under cold water and shake or pat them dry; once dry, chop them up until they’re fairly fine but not dust. Grab a mixing bowl and pour in the salsa and the fresh chopped herbs into it alongwith a pinch of salt and a splash of your favorite vinegar. Stir all the ingredients together and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The difference will be mind blowing!

NOTE... Shhh... This may seem too simple but SEVERAL industry professionals use this very same technique; and the concept also works to add new dimensional flavors to things like aiolis, ketchup, herbed mustards, guacamole, and other ready made sauces as well; Give it a try, get creative!