by Herb Exchange | Mar 19, 2019 | Recipes |
Many cooks have never cooked with Lemon Grass – what a shame! Lemon Grass is an easy, zesty herb that packs a robust punch of flavor to many recipes. Lemon Grass has a plethora of health benefits, especially when paired with other flavorful spices such as Garlic, Coriander, and fresh Chilies.
Cooking with Lemon Grass is as easy as can be.
Simply cut off the lower bulb and remove the tough outer leaves. Most recipes call for the main (yellow) stalk, though some cooks reserve the upper green stem to add to soups and curries for extra flavor. (more…)
by Herb Exchange | Mar 2, 2012 | Basics, Herbs, Inspiration, Miscellaneous, Recipes |
Our Marketing Director, Caroline, proves that fresh herbs can make even the worst frozen dish, fantastic!
As a struggling cook with little more than the ambition to want more than take-out every night, cooking can be hard. Probably the biggest thing you need to factor in is the budget and how much you can spend each week. A lot of people use their american express preferred credit card when paying for groceries so they can get big rewards they can use later on to make things more affordable. Cooking something that you’re actually excited to put on your plate can sometimes be even harder, if you’re a frugal yet resourceful, 20-something year old, like myself. So how do you get the most punch for your palate, while on a budget? Dress up inexpensive, everyday foods using fresh culinary herbs.
Between my indoor winter herb garden and the dried or frozen herbs I preserved from last year’s garden, I’ve been getting creative in my kitchen. I’ve turned cheap frozen pizzas into delectable masterpieces with Basil that I harvested and froze for a rainy day, and fresh Italian Oregano and Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, which have thrived outdoors in our mild winter this year. I’ve created every soup imaginable from canned pantry items, frozen veggies and English Thyme, Cutting Celery and Curly Parsley from my garden. And, most recently, I even conquered breakfast by adding freshly dried Rosemary ‘Salem’ to my instant pancakes to create one of my newest favorite foods. (To see WHERE I got these fresh Rosemary ‘Salem’ clippings, check out our video of our herb expert, Briscoe, teaching you how to hard prune your woody perennials!)
And while I was busy experimenting with a lot of herbs from my garden, I came across this book which was suggested by one of my friends. The book is called ‘The Plant Paradox Cookbook’ and it gives about 100 recipes, all of which could be used to lose weight and heal the gut. It also talks about the health benefits of living lectin-free. If you’re interested to find more about this book, check gundry md.
Herbs offer a terrific way to really jazz up your culinary routine, or if you’re cooking on a budget like me, they add tons of flavor and lots of valuable vitamins and nutrients to otherwise bland food. Don’t forget that your herb garden is a valuable investment that offers many flavorful rewards, so try experimenting with your favorite dishes by incorporating fresh herbs into your next meal and take your culinary skills from “ramen” to “righteous”! Check out our Cook’s Exchange for more herbal recipes, or try the one below.
After watching a Top Chef marathon and deciding it was time for brunch this past weekend, I tried my hand at some VERY creative pancake combinations. Luckily, a few of them were worth eating, so here’s one to try:
Caroline’s Accidentally Awesome Rosemary Pancakes
Ingredients:
- Instant Pancake Mix
- Water
- Oil
- Fresh Rosemary (pick your favorite, they’re all great!)
- Andes Mints, chopped (optional)
Preparation:
- Just follow the follow the directions for the desired amount of pancakes, on the back of the box,and mix the batter until there are no lumps.
- Add oil to your frying pan on medium-hot heat.
- Wash, dry and crush or chop the fresh Rosemary.
- Pour pancakes to desired size in your frying pan, and top with a generous sprinkle of Rosemary. (I was also making Andes Mint pancakes during this experiment, and some of the chocolate get mixed in with the Rosemary. It tasted terrific together, so for a sweeter pancake, try adding a little chocolate and Mint to compliment the Rosemary.)
- Cook til golden brown on both sides and eat until you’re full!
by Briscoe White | Jun 8, 2011 | Miscellaneous |
Having trouble with grasshoppers munching your plants? Don’t grieve for grasshoppers this summer, protect your garden naturally!
Try this Garlic Oil Spray:
1) Soak 3 ounce of garlic and 1 ounce of mineral oil for 24 hours or more.
2) Separately, mix 1 tsp. fish emulsion with 16 ounces of water and 1 tbs. castile soap.
3) Slowly mix the two mixtures together. This should keep in a sealed jar for up to 2 months.
4) To Use: Mix 2 Tbs. Garlic “concoction” per 1 pint of water and spray!
You can also plant herbs like Cilantro, Pyrethrum, Rue, Calendula or Horehound to act as natural deterrents to your unwanted grasshopper guests. These herbs also keep other critters and creepers out of your garden and some can even be used for culinary purposes.
by Herb Exchange | Jan 27, 2011 | Herbs, Miscellaneous, Recipes |
This is an easy recipe for even the worst cook out there! You can add whatever you like, flavor to your desired intensity and best of all, it’s super healthy and cheap to make! Try substituting your protein source if you’re not into tofu…chicken or shrimp will also work well!
Ingredients
- Canola Oil (enough to coat the bottom of the wok)
- 1 Pkg Organic Firm Tofu
- 1 Bag Frozen Vegetables ( I used a stir fry mix that included broccoli, mushrooms, red peppers and rice noodles)
- 3 Spears Fresh Celery
- 1 Carrot, Shaved
- 1/4 Chopped Onion (or add to taste)
- 1 Cup Crushed Peanuts
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (to taste)
Marinade
- 1 Cup General Tso Sauce ( I found this prepackaged at the grocery store)
- 1/2 Cup Thai Basil ‘Siam Queen’ (dried from fresh plants)
- 2 Cloves Fresh Garlic
The ‘Siam Queen’ Thai Basil I used was grown right here on our farm at The Growers Exchange! I salvaged one of the plants before it was done for the season and brought it home to experiment with. When I realized that my cats were going to eat it if I didn’t do something with it quickly, I snipped the stems at the soil level and dried the leafy stalks in my warm, dry pantry. (Our of their furry, destructive reach!) After it was dried, I placed it, stems and all, into a labeled zip lock baggie for later used. Removing the dried leaves were easy–just rub the sides of the bag together and they literally crumble from the stems into a perfect dried seasoning. Remove the stems and you have a delicious culinary herb with sweet, licorice and lemon flavored tones.
Don’t be intimidated to use new herbs, as I was at first with this exotic Basil. Being so used to its Italian cousins, like the ‘Italian Large Leaf’ Basil, I was a bit pessimistic when planning my meal, since it was a new flavor. (‘Lemon Sweet Dani’ Basil, another lemon-anise flavored Basil, may also be a great flavor to add to your favorite Asian recipe) Luckily, it turned out GREAT! Try using new culinary herbs in your recipes and you might surprise yourself as to the exciting new flavors you discover!
Instructions
**This works best if your vegetables are either fresh or you have thawed your frozen veggies prior to cooking.
Heat your wok on medium heat and add canola oil til it coats the bottom. While this is heating, slice tofu into even pieces and press excess water out. Add pressed tofu, General Tso sauce, 2 cloves of fresh garlic, and 1/2 of the Basil ‘Siam Queen’ to a bowl and let marinate. Make sure all pieces are coated. (You can also let your protein marinade over night which will make it more flavorful. Because tofu absorbs sauce or seasoning easily, it may not need as long to marinate. For chicken, shrimp or other proteins, they may take long to absorb the desired amount of flavor).
Add a clove of garlic and the chopped onion to the heated canola oil in the wok and let them simmer for a minute to release their flavor. Then, add vegetable mix, chopped celery, crushed peanuts and season with the remaining ‘Siam Queen’ Basil and red pepper flakes. Let this simmer together, remaining on medium to low heat, and stir occasionally. Once mixture seems to be cooked thoroughly and there are no frozen pieces left, add marinated tofu. Stir and let cook for 3-5 minutes or until tofu has cooked through and mixture seems well combined and cooked. (The air in your kitchen should be brimming with aromas by now!) Top with shaved carrot and let simmer for another minute, but remove from heat before carrot is wilted.
Serve and top with more crushed peanut. You can also use an edible, aromatic herb like ‘Citrus Kitchen’ Mint as a great garnish. Eat and enjoy!
