After buying a bundle of fresh herbs from the store do you ever find yourself wasting most of it because you can't find a use for them? You might not know it, but there are many ways to use and incorporate them into your daily life. Here are 10 simple and easy ways to gain benefits out of fresh herbs.
- Incorporate In A Recipe (Salmon Square below)
Adding herbs into a recipe is one of the most popular ways to use fresh herbs. There are many different ways they can compliment food and add subtle layers of flavors. Delicate and fresh herbs are usually added at the end of cooking while heartier herbs can be used earlier in the process.
- Make A Salad
Making salad with herbs is a good way to add flavor and change up your salad from typical lettuce like arugula and spinach. You can make a salad by adding whole herb leaves and combining them to other mixes of greens. Here is an easy lemon herb salad that uses tender herbs like mint, parsley, and dill.
- Make Smoothies!
Some of us only think to put greens like spinach and kale into their smoothies but herbs are packed with nutrients and compliment other flavors very well. Herbs like basil, mint, parsley or cilantro can be used as a great way to drink your greens. Adding herbs will give your smoothie a tasty boost in flavor while also providing you many sources of nutrition. This will add a very sweet flavoring to you smoothies without having to add other sugars or sweeteners and provides you with many vitamins, minerals, and fibers.
- Infuse Your Water
Adding herbs into your water is a good way to boost the flavor and gain some nutrients. You can pick different herbs like lemon and rosemary to make a variety of sweet flavors. After making herb water, you can store it and enjoy it for days.
- Infuse Your Olive Oil
Not only can you infuse herbs into your water but you can also easily infuse your olive oil. This makes for good salad dressings, marinades or flavorful dipping sauces. Start with good quality olive oil then add herbs and other organic ingredients.
- Make Sauce
Many herbs can be added or made into sauces that make a good edition to food. Including dried herbs into your pasta sauces will make them fresh and boost flavor. Examples are fresh basil and tomatoes make a good sauce for spaghetti and parsley and fresh oregano for chimichurri sauce. Herbs may also be used on chicken and burgers to make your meal very flavorful.
- Add To Dessert
It may be surprising but herbs may also be incorporated into many sweet dessert recipes. Herbs like rosemary, mint, and thyme can bring out the sweetness in dessert ingredients. There are many unexpected combinations that can actually make the perfect treat. Found on Delish.com is a recipe for a Chocolate basil tarte that includes fresh basil leaves to add zest to its chocolate filling.
- Make Pesto
If your herbs are about to go bad, you can quickly blend them to make pesto. Pesto is a great topper for a variety of foods. You can spread it on toast or add it to veggies and pasta. Any combination of greens can be blender together to make a good pesto.
- Dry Them
String together your herbs, hang upside down and air dry. Dried herbs are best used during cooking because they are stronger in taste. They can also serve as pretty home decor in the fall!
- Freeze Them
Freeze your fresh herbs by washing, chopping, and placing them in ice trays filled with water. Once frozen, you can use the cubes by placing in soup, water or sauces to give added pizzazz.
Roasted Simple Square Salmon with Potatoes and Mushrooms
1 lb small new potatoes, halved
8 oz button mushrooms, halved
1 ¼ lb skinless salmon filet
2 Ginger Simple Squares, crumbled
3 TBS olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)
1 TBS red wine vinegar
1 TBS whole grain mustard
1 tsp honey
2 TBS chopped fresh sage
1. Heat oven to 400. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the new potatoes, mushrooms, 1 TBS of olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the potatoes soften, about 20 minutes.
2. Push the vegetables to the edges and place the salmon in the center. Sprinkle with crumpled Ginger Simple Squares. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until the salmon is opaque throughout, the mushrooms tender and potatoes brown – 12-15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, mustard, honey, sage, oil and salt and pepper, Drizzle over salmon and vegetables.
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