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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.

Herb Rice

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Herb rice is a delicious twist to plain rice. It is best served with grilled meat or fried dishes. If you like spicy food, you may add chopped chili or even chili flakes. Garlic powder can also make it  more aromatic.

 

Serves 10

Ingredients:

500g basmati and wild rice blend

2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander leaves

2 tablespoons snipped chives

Salt and ground pepper to taste

 

Cook the rice in a large pot of salted boiling water or according to package instructions. After it boils, keep the heat to low to avoid overcooking or burning. The rice must be soft and fluffy. If it is and there is still excess water, you may drain it. Cover and keep warm.

Before serving, place the rice in a large bowl. Add the parsley, coriander and chives. Toss until well combined. Adjust the taste by adding salt and pepper. Serve with chili if desired.

 

Image from  YoAmes

Wagyu with Coriander Relish

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Wagyu with coriander relish is a sumptuous dish that goes well with red wine. Wagyu is often seen as expensive, but there are more affordable cuts which are soft and delicious as well. You may ask your local butcher about them.

 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup light soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup sushi vinegar

1 teaspoon chili flakes

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 kg waygu skirt steak

Salt and pepper to taste

Lime wedges for serving

For the coriander relish:

1 bunch coriander leaves, chopped

1/4 cup sunflower oil

2 tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve

1 long red chili, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

 

Place the soy sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, sushi vinegar, chili and mustard in a shallow dish. Whisk it until the mustard is dissolved. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Place the beef in the dish and cover it with cling film. Refrigerate it for at least two hours or up to overnight. Turn at least once.

Next, preheat the oven at 180C and set a grill pan to high. Grill the beef for two to three minutes per side or until it is charred. Transfer the grilled beef to a baking tray and roast it for ten to fifteen minutes or until it is done according to your preference. Remove it from the oven and loosely cover the tray with foil. Let it rest for ten minutes.

While cooling the steak, prepare the relish by placing the chopped coriander, sunflower oil, lime juice, chili, fish sauce and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the beef drippings into the relish and toss gently until well combined.

Slice the beef across the grain and divide among individual plates or place them, on a serving platter. Serve the beef with coriander relish and lime wedges.

 

Image from jenny8lee

Corn and Coriander Fritters

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Corn and coriander fritters are healthy bites which can be served as light meals. Feel free to use other fresh herbs if you are not a fan of coriander.

 

Makes 10

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain flour, sifted

1/2 cup rice flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 green chili, seeds removed, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves, plus 1/4 cup coriander sprigs

3 corn cobs, kernels sliced or 3 cups corn kernels

Sunflower oil for frying

1 avocado, chopped

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and ground white pepper to taste

Grilled bacon for serving

Roasted vine-ripened cherry tomatoes for serving

 

Put the plain flour, rice flour, baking powder, eggs, spring onion, chili, chopped coriander and corn kernels in a food processor or blender. Process it for 15 seconds to combine the ingredients. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and then add the remaining corn kernels. Season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat some sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Spoon two tablespoons of the corn mixture into the pan to make a fritter. Fry it for 1-2 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Do this for the remaining ingredients. Make sure to cook the fritters in batches. Do not over crowd them, because they may stick together. Transfer the cooked fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.

To make the avocado salsa, combine the avocado, coriander sprigs and extra virgin olive oil in a medium sized bowl. Gently toss. Season it with salt and pepper. After, divide the fritters among individual plates and serve with avocado salsa, bacon and roasted tomatoes.

 

Image from My Aching Head

A Longtime Love for Pad Thai?

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I’ve been having gastronomic visions of Thai food lately and I’m drooling for some Thai street hawker food … Pad Thai! It’s fairly easy to make and it doesn’t call for anything too exotic that an average Asian home kitchen won’t have, and nothing too expensive to buy from the local grocery store. Whatever you can’t find in the supermarket, the recipe is pretty easy to tweak and still retains its genuine flavour.

Pad Thai is stir fried noodles.  Like most other Asian countries have their own version of stir fried noodles, Thai stir fried noodles uses rice glass noodles tossed in a combination of other simple ingredients, which makes it quite inexpensive to make.

I’m definitely on a mission to cook Pad Thai this weekend! Thankfully, my son likes it a lot! And my mom … well, I have to tweak a small portion for her, but it’s all too easy. Feel free to add other ingredients to this dish or omit others that you’re not so keen on or if you have certain allergies. If you like it a little more red than brown, just add ketchup. You can even mix in a bit of peanut butter for that distinct nutty flavor. And lastly, keep a stash of extra chili peppers, in case you like to bring out that Thai fire breathing dragon in you.

Here’s a fairly easy recipe for Pad Thai you might like to dig your chopsticks into.

Pad Thai

Ingredients:

  • 1 (12 ounce) package rice noodles
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ kilo shrimps, shells peeled
  • 1 pack bean curd, fried and chopped in ½” cubes
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/8 tablespoon crushed red pepper
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • 1/4 cup crushed peanuts
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 lime or lemon, cut into wedges
  • Cilantro/coriander, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter

Instructions:

  • Toss the glass noodles for in boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes in the hot water checking for tenderness. Make sure the noodles are al dente, else it will turn to bits and pieces when you sauté’ them later on.
  • Sauté’ chicken until brown and add in shrimps until they are pink and cooked through. Set aside.  Heat some oil in the pan/wok and then crack the eggs into it. Stir in chicken, shrimp and fried bean curd. Cook for about 5 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, mix together, vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, peanut butter and red pepper. Adjust all seasoning to your taste.
  • Add the bean sprouts into the pan and mix while cooking until noodles are tender to the bite for about 3 minutes.
  • Serve hot topped with coriander leaves, green onions, peanuts and more chilli pepper, if you must!

 

 

 

Photo Credit: matias dutto

Photo Credit: Mr T in DC

Photo Credit: ben reeichelt

Garlic and Coriander Naan Bread

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A great traditional accompaniment for many Curry and Asia dishes, this bread is relatively heavy, but still works very well as a side dish.

Naan Bread

Serve it still warm, along with a freshly cooked Curry – something like the Creamy Curried Beef or Cauliflower in a Curry Sauce for a truly great dinner!

To Make 3
280g Strong White Flour, plus extra for dusting
1tsp Salt
1tbsp Ground Coriander
1 Garlic Clove, peeled and very finely chopped
1tsp Easy-blend Dried Yeast
2tsp Clear Honey
100ml Lukewarm Water
4tbsp Natural Yogurt
1tbsp Vegetable Oil, plus extra for brushing
1tsp Black Onion Seeds
1tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander

1. Sift the Flour, Salt and Ground Coriander together into a large bowl, before stirring in the Garlic and Yeast.
2. Make a well in the centre, then add the Honey, Water, Yogurt and Oil. Mix well with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to come together, then knead in the bowl until it leaves the sides of the bowl.
3. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead well for around ten minutes, until smooth and elastic.
4. Brush a bowl with some more Oil. Shape the Dough into a ball, then leave in the bowl, covered with a damp tea towel for around one or two hours, leaving it to rise in a warm place. The dough should have doubled in size after the time
5. Once the Dough has finished rising, place three baking trays in the oven and pre-heat to 240C, and heat the grill too.
6. Turn the Dough out onto a floured surface, then knock back with your fist. Divide into three pieces, shaping each of them into a teardrop shape, about a centimetre thick, and place on one of the heated baking trays. Brush the Bread lightly with Oil, and sprinkle with the Onion Seeds and Chopped Coriander.
7. Bake in the oven for five minutes until puffed up. Transfer the Naan Bread to the Grill pan, and grill for two or three minutes.

Photo Courtesy of: stu_spivack