Fresh Herbs Taste Great! I speak from experience when I say that fresh herbs taste great! I use them frequently and generously in many tried-and-true, homemade recipes and I add them into first-time recipes, too. I grow fresh herbs in my sunny North Carolina garden so that I can cut, wash and toss them, immediately, into my cooking pot. Even now, in February, I have some fresh mint and fresh rosemary ready for harvest! Fresh Herbs are Full of Good Nutrition! There is every good reason to add a pinch or handful of fresh herbs to your next soup, chili, spaghetti sauce or salad. Why? … [Read more...] about Fresh Herbs Add Bold Flavors and Good Nutrition!
Summer Basil Pesto – It’s All About the Ingredients!
Quality Ingredients Matter If you ask me, the quality of ingredients really matters when making a great summer basil pesto. Why? Because each ingredient contributes to the flavor you experience when you roll it around in your mouth and over your tongue. Let's look one-by-one at the ingredients in a super tasty basil pesto made in the summertime. If you need a recipe, here's my recipe for summer basil pesto. Fresh Basil: The very best basil for pesto is what you grow yourself. It's really fun to grow fresh herbs - and easy, too. Basically, you need to find a sunny spot in your … [Read more...] about Summer Basil Pesto – It’s All About the Ingredients!
How to Grow and Use Fresh Mint
Fresh Mint is an Easy Herb to Grow I grew up in a family of gardeners. My mom mostly enjoyed growing flowers and my dad liked growing vegetables. So, at least in the summer, we had a colorful yard and we also ate a bunch of homegrown vegetables for dinner. Fresh herbs were not a part of the mix for some reason, so I changed that when I got my first job and moved into a very small house of my own. I immediately planted some herbs in a small, sunny garden out back. Partly I grew herbs because they were easy to grow and partly I did it because I was getting very interested in cooking and … [Read more...] about How to Grow and Use Fresh Mint
Pizza for a New Year!
Pizza for a New Year Are you tired of dropping 20 bucks or more when ordering out for pizza? Disappointed when it comes to your door cold and soggy? Bored with the same toppings, pizza-after-pizza? It may be a perfect time for you to take the leap to making homemade pizza. The only risk is that you'll save money, feed yourself and your family healthier food, and learn some new skills in your kitchen. Not bad. Homemade Pizza I've been experimenting with homemade pizza for at least 10 years. I've tried dried herbs vs. fresh herbs, thinner vs. thicker crusts, multiple dozens of toppings, … [Read more...] about Pizza for a New Year!
Mediterranean Style Nutrition
Mediterranean Style Nutrition and the Science Behind It I used to think that foods from the Mediterranean were exotic, hard to find and difficult to cook. Then, I started a personal challenge to learn more, cook more and really get to know these delicious and nutritious foods. Boy, was I wrong! Mediterranean style foods are sensible, everyday foods, they are easy to find and they cook up easily. Their health promoting qualities are amazing as you can read in this science-based article. But, best of all, they taste heavenly. 12 Mediterranean Style Foods for Your Kitchen To prepare … [Read more...] about Mediterranean Style Nutrition
3 Ways to Use Fresh Herbs!
Fresh herbs make everything taste better, if you ask me. I mean everything. The nice thing is that these days, you can easily find fresh herbs in the grocery store in the fresh produce department. Or, look for them at your local farmer's market or grow them yourself. Here are 3 ways to use fresh herbs for delicious results! Fresh Herb Omelet (grocery list items are bolded) 1. Whisk 2 or 3 fresh eggs in a small bowl with a tablespoon of water, pinch of salt and pepper. Finely chop 1-2 tablespoons of fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, oregano, tarragon, and mint. Use the herbs you like … [Read more...] about 3 Ways to Use Fresh Herbs!