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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Herbology: Know Your Herbs (Part 1)

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For those just starting out learning how to cook or for those who had just got bitten by the foodie bug, herbs can be a confusing part of the culinary world. These green sensations can look the same to the naked eye but each has their own flavor and can do different things for a particular dish. Here’s a starter’s guide to the world of herbs:

Basil

This herb is most known for its part in Pesto. Basil is commonly used in Mediterranean dishes. Use the basil leaves to flavour fish, meat and vegetable dishes or soups. It has a very strong flavor which intensifies with cooking.

Chives

If you’re wondering what Chives are and don’t recognize the picture, then imagine the strands chopped into small rings. These are usually added to foods because of its onion-like taste. Add them to soups, salads and stews but add them at the very last moment to preserve its flavor.

Coriander

Also known as cilantro, coriander is a staple herb in most Asian and Indian dishes. The leaves are best added to poultry dishes, soups and vegetable stir-fry. Just be sure to buy fresh coriander leaves as the dried variety lacks flavor. Its seeds are an important ingredient in chutneys and curries.

Parsley

This herb is used a lot in Middle Eastern cuisine especially in tabouleh, falafel and chickpea dishes. If you’ve ever come across a recipe that calls for persillade, then you’d be needing chopped parsley and garlic ins 50-50 mixture and a handful of breadcrumbs. This is usually called for in meat dishes.

Rosemary

If you love roasts then Rosemary is the herd for you. This herb goes well with roast potatoes, roast lamb and any roast fowl. You can also use the herb for its great aroma. Be careful to remove the leave after cooking and before serving.

Meatballs with Garlic and Basil Sauce

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Meatballs are perfect party food. They are great for adults and kids alike; although this recipe has a lot of flavor, so kids may not like it. If you plan to serve it to children, you can make do without the paprika, cumin and oregano. The ground garlic and onions will do just fine. You can also sweeten the sauce by adding a dash of sugar if desired.

In my opinion, the recipe is just fine. I like the burst of paprika once you pop the meatball in your mouth. The garlic basil sauce is just right too because its creaminess makes you crave for more. I prefer the sauce chilled because it reminds me of Mediterranean garlic yogurt sauce, which is a good alternative for this dish as well.

 

Makes 50 Meatballs

Ingredients:

 

For the Meatballs:

1 lb. ground pork

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk

2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ground oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

 

For the Garlic-Basil Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup basil

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

 

Prepare the sauce by combining the mayonnaise, sour cream, basil, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Process them for 1 minute or until smooth. Season it with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a sealed container and refrigerate.

To make the meatballs, place the ground beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, milk, beaten eggs, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and ground oregano in a large bowl. Season it with salt and pepper. Knead it with your hands or mix it using a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are well combined.

Shape the meat mixture into meatballs. Place them on a baking sheet and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to one hour.

Bake the chilled meatballs in a preheated oven (400F) for 12-15 minutes or until they are brown and crispy. Turn at least once. Remove from oven and place the meatballs in a platter. Let it stand for 2 minutes before serving. Serve with garlic and basil sauce.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  andrewmalone

Ricotta, Basil and Pinenut Crepe

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The flavourings of Ricotta aren’t overpowering, which means that it’s great for this dish. When heated, it becomes runny rather than gooey, and therefore creates a brilliant sauce!

Crepe

As a sweeter alternative, replace the filling with a Chocolate Sauce, mixed with a Mashed Banana, and spread over the Crepe.

To Serve 4
5tbsp Flour
2 Eggs
100ml Milk
Salt and Pepper
100g Toasted Pinenuts
200g Ricotta
Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
Bunch of Basil

1. Place the Flour into a bowl, and make a well in the centre. Break the Eggs into the centre of the well, and begin to combine with a whisk – start from the middle, and pull the flour in from around the outside of the bowl. Gradually add the Milk, a little at a time. The mixture should be similar in thickness to Runny Yogurt at the end. Season with Salt and Pepper
2. Toast the Pinenuts in a dry pan until golden brown – make sure you pay attention, as they burn very easily.
3. Put the Ricotta into a bowl, and add the Lemon Juice and Zest, then tear the Basil Leaves, season with Salt and Pepper, before adding in the Toasted Pinenuts.
4. Heat a large non-stick pan, add a small amount of butter to the pan when it’s very hot. Add a small ladle of the Batter to the pan, and tilt the pan around to spread the mixture evenly.
5. After thirty seconds, check the bottom, and if it’s Golden Brown, flip it over in the pan. Immediately add a large spoonful of the Ricotta mix evenly over the surface. Fold in half, then in half again to make a triangle.

Photo Courtesy of: Jennie Faber

Grilled Chicken Salad

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Fresh, full of flavour and colour, and very tasty, this dish should appeal to all tastes! It’s very easy to make, but still provides very impressive results.

Grilled Chicken Breast

When making the dressing, try to prepare it as close to preparation as possible, in order to have the freshest flavours.

To serve 4
175g Tomatoes, halved
2tbsp Black Olive Paste
Olive Oil
4 Skinless Chicken Fillets
1 Shallot, peeled and finely chopped
3tbsp Olive Oil
1tbsp Walnut Oil
4tsp White Wine Vinegar
2tbsp Single Cream
1tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped
Salt and Pepper
Mixed Salad to serve – Leaves, Cherry Tomatoes, Olives, Onions, Cucumber, Artichoke Hearts etc.

1. Grill the Halved Tomatoes skin-side up, until black and charred. Puree in a food processor, along with a little Olive Paste and the Olive Oil if required, in order to make a thinnesh Paste.
2. Place the Chicken on a foil lined tray, brush lightly with some Olive Oil, and grill for seven to eight minutes, and turn over, covering with the Tomato Paste. Cook for a further five minutes, or until cooked through, and the outside is browned. Cool, cover, and place in a fridge for at least an hour to allow the Chicken time to firm up.
3. Make the dressing – Mix the three tablespoons of Olive Oil with the Walnut Oil, Vinegar, Cream, Basil in a large bottle, and shake well. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste, and then set aside.
4. Toss the Mixed Salad in a large bowl with the Dressing, and then add the Chicken – sliced into centimetre thick strips, and serve fresh.

Photo Courtesy of: CandyTX

Garden Vegetable Spaghetti with Feta Cheese and Basil

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All it takes to make this dish is twenty minutes of your time, plus a few basic ingredients – nothing that would be out of place in a kitchen. As well as being very quick and easy to make, it’s also very healthy, and easy to adjust to whatever vegetables are in season at that time.

Garden Vegetables

You could serve this dish either warm or cold, with some fresh Garlic Bread, as part of a Summer Picnic or with a home-made Mint Sauce. Experiment with using roasted Vegetables – lightly charring the Peppers adds a different texture to the meal, and the warmth of the Tomatoes will make this dish very tempting.

To serve 4

400g Spaghetti

1 Red Pepper

1 Yellow Pepper

75g Peas

125g Young Leaf Spinach

150g Baby Tomatoes

2 tbsp Olive Oil

125g Feta Cheese

Bunch of Basil, roughly chopped (or ripped)

1.       Cook the pasta for eight minutes in a pan of boiling water, stirring occasionally.

2.       Slice the Red and Yellow Peppers, and add these to the pan, along with the Peas, bringing the pan back to the boil and simmer for a further two minutes

3.       Drain the mix into a colander, and set aside

4.       Cut the Tomatoes in half, and add these and Spinach in the pan for a minute, before removing the pan from the heat.

5.       Tip the Spaghetti and drained vegetables back into the pan then add the olive oil and mix lightly. Put the lid on, and let it stand for a minute.

6.       Lightly toss the vegetables and Spaghetti, before adding the Feta Cheese and Chopped Basil, and tossing again gently.

Photo courtesy of: Greenfaerietree

Make It Yourself: Pesto

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Make Pesto at Home

Once you make your own pesto at home, you will never again buy pesto in a jar, bottle, or tube. I guarantee it. Making pesto is so unbelievably simple- see the photo above? That’s all you need to start making pesto. Really.

Like most simple recipes, of course, it matters that you use the best ingredients possible. In the case of pesto, this means fresh, bright green basil, young garlic, good extra virgin olive oil, parmigiano reggiano, and the freshest pine nuts you can buy.

Pine nuts, by the way, go rancid horrifyingly fast- so you probably don’t want to use that bag you’ve had in your pantry for a year. Get fresh, well-packed pine nuts. And if you can’t, use walnuts. Or pecans.

On to the pesto making: I like to use a mortar and pestle mostly (after all, pestle and pesto are derived from the same word, “pesta”, which means “to pound”) but have been known to pull out the trusty food processor- especially when there’s company for dinner and/or we’re making a lot of pesto.

Finally, here is my no-fail, you’ll-never-use-store-bought-again pesto recipe. Mix it with pasta, serve as a dip… you know what to do with it.

Pesto

3 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (or, use regular Parmesan or Romano)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts, walnuts or pecans
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Start by pounding the basil leaves and pine nuts together. Add (in this order) the garlic, olive oil, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Either buzz this all in the food processor, or grind in your mortar with pestle.

And that’s it! This pesto keeps beautifully in the fridge.