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Posts Tagged ‘herbs’

Tarragon Egg Salad

Posted in herbs, Recipes, tagged , , on September 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Tarragon Egg Salad
Fresh herbs go wonderfully with eggs. Here’s an egg salad that looks and tastes delicious using fresh parsley and tarragon. Serve it on whole grain bread instead white bread for a delightfully tasty sandwich.

Ingredients:

  • 6 large eggs
  • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon freshly minced flat leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon freshly minced french tarragon leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation
Place eggs in medium sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil, turn off heat, cover and let cook for 12 minutes. Immediately cool eggs in cold or ice water to stop the cooking. Let sit a few minutes, then peel and chop eggs.

In a medium bowl mix together the tarragon, parsley, mustard, mayonaise, celery seed, salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs.

Recipe makes 4 sandwiches.

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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme…

Posted in Garden, herbs, tagged , on September 3, 2009 | 3 Comments »

The herb garden is plentiful right now. September is when I start cutting them back and freezing them for winter. It’s best to do this now while they are at their full flavor.

Here’s what is growing outside my kitchen door this year:

Tarragon

Tarragon

Thyme

Thyme

Sage

Sage

Rosemary

Rosemary

Oregano

Oregano

Italian Parsley

Italian Parsley

Lime Basil

Lime Basil

Sweet Basil

Sweet Basil

Marjoram

Marjoram

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Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Rosemary and Garlic

Posted in herbs, Recipes, tagged , , , on August 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

These are great for the grill. Easy to make and clean up is quick.

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Rosemary and Garlic

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Rosemary and Garlic

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 4 teaspoons fresh rosemary
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Preparation

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Chop into small pieces, about one to two inches square. Place chicken in a ziploc baggie.

Finely chop garlic and rosemary and add to chicken along with salt, pepper, wine and olive oil. Shake bag and mix well. Let marinate in refrigerator for ½ to 1 hour.

Put chicken on skewers and grill for about 10 minutes until cooked through turning several times.

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Roasted Whole Turkey Breast

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , , , on November 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

We had a small gathering for Thanksgiving Dinner this year and I didn’t want to cook a whole turkey. Instead I opted for just the breast. It worked out wonderfully. It took less time to cook, wasn’t dried out and no dark meat leftovers. The trick to a moist turkey is to baste, baste, baste.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole turkey breast with bone (about 5 lbs)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons minced rosemary
  • 3 tablespoons chopped sage
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper to make a seasoning mix.

Place the turkey breast on a cutting board or work surface and gently run your fingers between the skin and the flesh to create an air space. Lift the skin as much as you can without removing it from the breast. Rub the seasoning mix under the skin and all over the outside of the turkey breast.

Mix rosemary, sage, chopped garlic, olive oil and butter to make an herb paste. Stuff a portion of the paste under the skin and rub the remainder over the outside of the breast reaching every crevice.

Place turkey breast on a rack in a roasting pan skin side up. Roast for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F for the remainder of the cooking time. After 20 minutes baste using drippings. Baste every 15 to 20 minutes until turkey is 165 to 170 degrees F.

Remove and cover with foil. Let sit for about 20 minutes before carving.

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Baked Cod with Parmesan Crumb Topping

Posted in Recipes, tagged , , , on November 15, 2008 | 2 Comments »

Baked Cod

Baked Cod

Cod is a moist, flaky fish with a mild taste. Even a non-fish lover will enjoy it.

This is a simple and easy to make recipe that will be ready to eat in about thirty minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cod fillets, about 1 lb (450 g)
  • 5 tablespoons Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 2½ tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • dash of black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon minced parsley
  • 1/8 teaspoon minced basil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C)

In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, cheese, garlic powder, pepper, parsley and basil. Add the melted butter and oil and stir until evenly mixed. Set aside.

Lightly oil a baking pan with cooking spray. Place the cod on the pan and lightly spray the cod.

Spoon the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the cod. Tuck under any very thin edges of the filets to prevent burning.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes. The fish is done when it flakes.

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Freezing Herbs

Posted in Garden, herbs, tagged , , on November 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Herbs

Midwestern winters are too cold for the herbs to continue growing outside my door. I like to preserve some of them for use over the winter. I’ve found the best way to do this is to freeze them. Although they may get limp and their texture may change, the flavor is preserved.

I have successfully stored parsley, basil, oregano, sage and rosemary in my freezer. They will keep for up to 12 months. This year I’ll add tarragon.

Here’s a few tips:

  • Pick them when they are at their prime, at the end of summer, so they retain the most flavor. Don’t wait until they are shivering in the cold.
  • Remove all the stems and keep just the leaves. Rinse and let them dry thoroughly.
  • Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and put in the freezer for a few hours.
  • When frozen, transfer to a freezer baggie or small jar. I tried both ways, and both worked nicely. Labeling them made identification easier.
  • When freezing basil, I coat the leaves with oil and then place them directly in a baggie. This keeps the leaves from turning brown and seems to preserve the flavor for a longer time. This works great for basil that’s being used in pesto.

Herbs can be grown indoors if you have a sunny window. I grow basil and parsley in the garden window, and I dig up my rosemary bush and bring it inside, but that’s another story. Someday, I’ll get a greenhouse.

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Balsamic Vinaigrette with Basil

Posted in herbs, Recipes, tagged , , , on August 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

This is my favorite salad dressing. It takes about 5 minutes to make and is so much tastier than the store bought versions.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon minced (finely chopped) fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Preparation

In a small bowl combine above ingredients. Whisk in the oil until smooth. A fork will work just fine if a whisk is not available.

Balsemic Vinaigrette

Spoon over salad and enjoy. I made this to have with romaine lettuce with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes from my garden.

Garden Salad

You can vary the ingredients according to taste. A 3 or 4 to 1 ratio of oil to vinegar is best. Start with that and add more vinegar if desired.

The dijon mustard is an emulsifier, it keeps the oil and vinegar from separating. I only use a small amount because too much mustard will overpower the dressing.

For a less garlicy taste, instead of crushing the garlic clove in a press, pierce it with a knife and let it sit in the oil for about an hour and remove before adding the oil to the ingredients. Another option is to add a teaspoon or two of minced parsley, which will cut the intensity of the garlic.

This dressing will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

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Grilled Chicken Rosemary

Posted in herbs, Recipes, tagged , , , on July 31, 2008 | 2 Comments »

This is one of my favorite summer recipes. The chicken can be marinated over night. The next day it will be ready to toss on the grill for a quick meal.

Grilled Rosemary Chicken

Grilled Rosemary Chicken

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 minced garlic cloves
  • 4 teaspoons fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon peel
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • Rosemary sprig for garnish

Preparation

Prepare marinade in a food processor. Combine wine, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process for about 15 seconds. Place chicken in a plastic zipper bag and add marinade. Seal bag and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from the marinade and grill 10 to 12 minutes over med-high heat. Turn once halfway through grilling and brush with remaining marinade. Transfer to serving dish and add garnish.

I served it with fresh green beans from the garden and a nice glass of Pinot Grigio.

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Lemon Sage Chicken

Posted in herbs, Recipes, tagged , , , on July 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Lemon Sage Chicken

Ingredients

  • 4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast Halfs
  • 4 Tbs. Fresh Lemon Juice
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 28 Fresh Sage Leaves
  • 4 Tbs. Butter
  • 1/8 cup dry white wine (optional)
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Preparation

Place chicken in an 8″ square baking dish. Add lemon juice, olive oil, wine and sage. Coat evenly, cover and refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour.

Remove chicken and sage from marinade. Set the marinade aside. Add butter and 3 Tbs. olive oil to a large pan and fry chicken on medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken, season with salt and pepper and add sage leaves to the pan. Fry another 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken to serving platter. Garnish with cooked sage leaves.

To make the glaze, pour off grease from pan and add the reserved marinade and 2 Tbs. of water. Cook on medium heat while stirring and scraping bits from the bottom of the pan. The glaze will thicken and brown in about 1 minute. Pour over chicken and serve.

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Mezze Penne with Pesto

Posted in herbs, Recipes, tagged , , , , on June 13, 2008 | 4 Comments »

This is a light and tasty pesto recipe adapted from a few authentic Italian ones that I have tried.

Ingredients

  • 1 small clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 36 basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon grated pecorino romano cheese
  • 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Half pound of penne pasta

Preparation

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic, salt and pine nuts. Don’t make a paste, just lightly crush. Using a knife with a sharp blade chop the basil and add to the mortar. Gradually add the cheese. Transfer to a mini food processor and add the oil. Pulse several time to mix the ingredients. Cook pasta to taste, drain and add pesto.

Makes 4 servings.

Tips and suggestions: (more…)

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