Herbal Tips and Teasers for the Chef in You!

Important note: When substituting fresh herbs for dried, double the amount the recipe calls for.

Chives: use both the leaves and the flowers. Wonderful fresh or frozen (chives do not dry very well). They are one of the first herbs to come up in the spring and will come back year after year. Use chives in soups, salads, salad dressings, eggs, dips. Use with vegetables is especially good when added to baked potatoes, sour cream or butter. Make sure they are chopped, just before serving, to get the most flavour out of them.

English Thyme: use both the leaves and the flowers (different stages). They are good fresh and dried. English thyme is a perennial which will come back year after year and you can pick and use it well into the fall. Best with game, beef, fish and in vegetable dishes. Not everyone likes thyme - it is quite strong so just use a small amount to start.

French Tarragon: use the leaves. This is an amazing herb - chefs use it regularly. It has a licorice flavour and is good both fresh and dried. Tarragon is a perennial which will live over winter in our climate. Don't despair if it looks like it died – it will send up new shoots in the spring. Try tarragon on chicken, fish, eggs, delicious in stews, soups, fish, lamb, pork, chicken and in soups.

Greek Oregano: use the leaves and is excellent fresh or dried. Mexican Oregano is very high in anti-oxidents and oregano is being used by more and more people because of all the benefits it has. My favourite use of fresh oregano is on pizza. I make by own pizza and add fresh oregano along with the vegetables and other ingredients I use. Try it in sauces, stews, soups, fish, lamb, pork, vegetables, vinegars.

Rosemary: use the leaves fresh or dried. Use on beef, lamb, fish, poultry, stuffings, soups, stews and in marinades. For a wonderful marinade on steak, mix fresh rosemary with olive oil and rub on steak. Let sit for about an hour and then barbecue.

Sage: use the leaves and flowers, fresh or dried. Incredibly good in stuffings, with eggs, poultry, pork, beef and lamb and also in sauces, stews and soups.

RECIPES

Cranberry Roll-ups Using Heritage Line Herbs Bodacious Bread Dipper
Tortilla wraps, 4
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup of Garlic Spread or sour cream
1 tsp of Heritage Line Herbs Bodacious Bread Dipper
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
Green onion or chives
 
Mix cream cheese and garlic spread together and stir in Bodacious Bread Dipper.  Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries and chopped green onion or chives.  Spread on tortilla, roll up, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for a couple of hours.  Slice just before serving.

Thai Coconut Rice
2 cups Jasmine scented white rice
2 cups coconut milk
1 ¾ cups water
2 tbsp shredded coconut
1 tbsp fresh Thai Basil or 1 tsp dried
½ tsp coconut or other vegetable oil
1 to 2 tbsp coconut to garnish

Rub oil over bottom of a deep sided pot that has a tight fitting lid.  Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut and Thai Basil in a pot and heat over medium-high heat.  Stir occasionally to prevent burning or sticking.  Once the coconut milk begins to bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to low.  Cover tightly and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  To check, pull rice aside with fork.  If most of the liquid is gone, go to the next step.
Replace the lid and turn off the heat.  Leave covered pot on heat to steam another 5 to 10 minutes.  When ready to serve remove lid and fluff with fork.
To toast coconut
    Place 1 tbsp dry, shredded coconut in frying pan over medium heat and stir until golden brown.  Sprinkle over rice.

Chicken Chili with Italian Seasoning
1 1/2 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes (or 1 1/2 lb stew beef, but into 1-inch cubes)
1 cup chopped peppers
1 cup chopped red onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 19 oz can tomatoes, cut up, undrained
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp Heritage Line Herbs Oregano
1 tsp Heritage Line Herbs Cilantro (optional)
2 tbsp Heritage Line Herbs Italian Seasoning
1 19 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 19 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Spray a large saucepan or soup pot with non-stick spray. Add chicken or beef. Cook and stir over high heat until browned. Add peppers, onions and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Add broth, salsa, tomatoes and their juice, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer - chicken for 1/2 hour, beef for 1 and 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. Add beans, oregano, cilantro, if using and Italian Seasoning. Simmer for 15 more minutes. Remove from heat and, if desired, stir in 2 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp honey.


Layered Italian Appetizer
1 cup sour cream
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons Heritage Line Herbs Italian Seasoning
2 ounces pepperoni, chopped (optional)
1 cup chopped lettuce
1/2 cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoons sliced ripe olives
3 ounces (3/4 cup) mozzarella cheese, shredded Crisp breadsticks.

In medium bowl stir together sour cream, cream cheese and Italian Seasoning. Spread onto large serving plate to within an inch of edge. Top with pepperoni, lettuce, tomato, olives and Mozzarella cheese. Serve with breadsticks, crackers or nachos.



Chicken with Herbes de Provence
4 chicken boneless breast halves, with skin*
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon HLH Herbes de Provence

Place chicken breasts, single layer, into an ungreased baking dish. In a medium-sized bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice and the Herbes de Provence. Pour marinade over chicken breasts. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or refrigerate to marinate longer (turning meat over several times). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes basting several times during cooking. Remove from oven and serve immediately.


Fabulous Herb Pizza Dough
1 cup water
1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (or HLH Better than Salt)
2 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons HLH Mama Mia's or Italian Seasoning
3 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in order in your bread machine. Use the "dough" setting and roll out flat on a floured surface. Preheat oven to 400. Lay dough out on pan and cover OR apply a little extra olive oil over the surface of the dough. Let rise for 1/2 hour, punch down and cover pizza pan. Sprinkle crust generously with Mama Mia's, and apply toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes.


Crock Pot Chicken Using Herbes de Provence
5 lb whole chicken
2 medium onions, chopped roughly
2 parsnips, chopped roughly
3 Tablespoons Heritage Line Herbs Herbes de Provence Pepper and salt
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 Tablespoons olive oil

Clean and dry chicken, after removing giblets. Rub entire chicken with olive oil then season with salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence by rubbing spices over entire chicken. Place one chopped onion inside the cavity of the chicken. Place chicken in crock pot. Throw remaining onions and parsnips around chicken in crock pot. Pour chicken broth over chicken and veggies. Cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

Salmon Baked in Basil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
1 large onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
¾ lb salmon fillets
¼ cup Sweet Red Chili Sauce
1 cup loosely packed (Thai) basil leaves

Make a large double thickness of foil and lay over baking sheet.  Spread a layer of onions in center.
Spread most of the sliced tomatoes atop the onions.  Put on the salmon fillet, skin side down.
Spread Sweet Red Chili Sauce over salmon.  Pile fresh basil leaves atop the salmon.  Put the remaining tomato slices atop the basil.  Fold the foil lengthwise and roll foil down to seal top.  Roll up ends of foil to complete the seal.  Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour. Tip:  In the summer, forget the oven and cook on the grill.

Chocolate Mint Banana Bread
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 extra large eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 cup dried Chocolate Mint (or adjust to taste)
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, banana and vanilla.  Stir in flour, soda, mint and walnuts.  Mix well.  Bake for about one hour.

Stevia - Banana Blueberry Mini Muffins
(24 Mini Muffins)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking soda
2 ripe, medium-sized bananas
1 tbsp dried stevia
1 cup buttermilk
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 large egg whites
1 cup blueberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix the flour and baking soda and set aside.  In a medium-sized bowl, mash bananas with a fork.  Add the stevia to the buttermilk and combine with the bananas.  Gently stir in the melted butter.  Using an electric hand-held mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff then fold into the banana mixture.  Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed.  Do not overstir.  Gently fold in blue berries and walnuts.  Spoon the batter into lightly oiled mini muffin tin.  Fill each cup with a heaping tbsp of batter and bake for about 12 minutes.  When a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, the muffins are done.

Basil Pesto
1 large bunch fresh basil (2 cups packed)
¼ cup pine nuts or almonds
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 large clove garlic
¾ cup olive oil
pepper
Combine basil, pine nuts, cheese and garlic in a food processor.  With machine running slowly add olive oil.  Season to taste.  Keeps seven days in fridge.  Can be frozen in muffin tins, then placed in Ziploc bags to be used as needed.


Basil & Balsamic Vinaigrette
½ cup Heritage Line Herbs Basil & Balsamic Vinegar                   
1 tsp Dijon mustard                   
1 tbsp chopped shallots                  
Pepper to taste                 
¾ cup of olive oil     

Mix the first four ingredients and let sit for at least five minutes to blend flavours.Whisk the olive oil into the vinegar blend. Let sit for a least an hour before using.

Rosemary Foccacio Bread (Pizza Crust)
Bread Machine
1 ¼ tsp yeast
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt and 1 tsp Better than Salt
2tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup water
Put first five ingredients in bread machine.  Set on manual and start.
1-2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly sprinkle cornmeal on a baking sheet.  Remove dough from pan and punch down.  Let rest for five minutes.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a round about ½ inch thick.  
Place dough on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle garlic, rosemary and sea salt on top then lightly press into dough.  With fingertips, poke shallow indentations all over the top of the round.  Pour remaining olive oil over top, letting it pool into indentations.  Sprinkle parmesan over top.  Bake until lightly browned – 15 minutes.  For thin pizza crust, bake 10 minutes.

'Zippy' Spinach Dip
This dip will soon become a family favourite.  If you don't have a crock pot, just make on the stove and serve warm.
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup frozen, chopped spinach
2 tbsp chopped pimento
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp grated onion
1 tsp dried Heritage Line Herbs Thyme
1 tbsp hot sauce (Chetty's Hot Garlic Sauce is delicious)
Combine cream cheese and cream in a crock pot.  Cover and cook on low until melted, 1 1/2 hours (NOTE: if using soft cream cheese, reduce the time to about 1/2 hour).  Add remaining ingredients; cover and cook on low for another hour.  Serve with crackers, warm French bread or Pumpernickle bread.