Healthy BBQ and Grilled Chicken Recipes

From the EatingWell website and Magazine its Healthy BBQ and Grilled Chicken Recipes. Find Delicious and Healthy BBQ and Grilled Chicken Recipes like; Beer-Glazed Chicken with Grilled Vegetables, Maple-Bourbon Chicken with Grilled Sweet Potatoes, and Grilled Chicken Thighs with Jerk Sauce. Find these recipes and more all at the EatingWell website. Enjoy and Make 2019 a Healthy One!    http://www.eatingwell.com/

Healthy BBQ and Grilled Chicken Recipes

Find healthy, delicious BBQ and grilled chicken recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.


Beer-Glazed Chicken with Grilled Vegetables
Need a new chicken dinner idea? Try this grilled chicken and vegetable dish from chef Rick Bayless. Grilling the chicken and summer vegetables is a no-brainer, but in colder months, you may wish to move indoors and roast the chicken, along with some root vegetables. Whatever the weather, it's worth seeking out piloncillo for the beer glaze. This unrefined sugar used in Mexican cooking is made from evaporated cane juice. Its complex caramelized flavor balances any bitterness in the beer. Look for it in Latin markets and online.................


Maple-Bourbon Chicken with Grilled Sweet Potatoes
The sweetness in this Maple-Bourbon Chicken recipe is from the real maple syrup and grilled sweet potatoes. Bacon is also included!............


Grilled Chicken Thighs with Jerk Sauce
Jamaican jerk sauce traditionally uses Scotch bonnet peppers; here, we substitute jalapeños for a milder flavor. The jerk sauce serves as both a marinade and a sauce for meaty grilled chicken thighs. This healthy grill recipe takes just 30 minutes of active time, so as long as you plan ahead and factor in the marinating time it's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or easy weekend BBQ..................



* Click the link below to get all the Healthy BBQ and Grilled Chicken Recipes
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/18928/ingredients/meat-poultry/chicken/bbq-grilled/

Healthy Cod Recipes

From the EatingWell website and Magazine its Healthy Cod Recipes. Delicious and Healthy Cod Recipes like; Crispy Cod Sandwich, Pan-Fried Cod with Green Chile-Tamari Sauce (Gochu Ganjang Daegu Gui), and Baked Cod with Morels. Find these recipes and more all at the EatigWell website. And don't forget to subscribe to the EatingWell Magazine which is packed with recipes and Healthy Eating and Living Tips! So Enjoy and Eat Healthy in 2018!  http://www.eatingwell.com/

Healthy Cod Recipes
Find healthy, delicious cod recipes including baked, roasted and pan-fried cod. Healthier recipes,

from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.


Crispy Cod Sandwich
Skip frying but keep all the crunch with this healthy baked fish sandwich recipe. The wire rack ensures both sides of the baked cod get crispy........


Pan-Fried Cod with Green Chile-Tamari Sauce (Gochu Ganjang Daegu Gui)
The sauce for this super-simple Korean fish recipe gets a kick from the spicy chile. Pair with brown rice or thin rice noodles and steamed greens..............


Baked Cod with Morels
The deep umami flavors of mushrooms are a natural companion for fish. In this recipe, sweet cod is a good balance for the intensely mushroomy morels, but you can use other mushrooms, like oyster or cremini. Serve with brown rice or couscous and a green salad.....



* Click the link below to get all the Healthy Cod Recipes
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/19169/ingredients/fish-seafood/fish/cod

Tuscan Seasoned Pork Medallions w/ Savory Herb Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus

Dinner Tonight: Tuscan Seasoned Pork Medallions w/ Savory Herb Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus






To start my morning off I prepared a Poached Egg and served it on a toasted Healthy Life Whole Grain English Muffin. I also heated up a couple of Johnsonville Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links along with a cup of Bigelow Decaf Green Tea. I have to have my Tea to start the day! After Breakfast I headed to the local Kroger for a few items I needed then stopped by McDonald's and picked up Breakfast for Mom and Dad. Outside we had a high of 49 degrees and mostly cloudy. Gave Mom a hand with a couple of laundry. Not much going on after that. For dinner tonight I prepared Tuscan Seasoned Pork Medallions w/ Savory Herb Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, and Baked Multi Grain Bread.



On my last visit to Costco last week I had bought another package of the always delicious Tuscan
Seasoned Pork Loin Medallions. They cut it fresh for me and seasoned it as I shopped. The package had 20 slices in it and have them in the Freezer. So Last night I grabbed a package out of the freezer and let it thaw overnight in the fridge.









To start I preheated the oven on 400 degrees. To prepare them I used a Cast Iron Skillet. Sprayed it

with Pam Cooking Spray and added 1 tablespoon of Extra Light Olive Oil and heated it on medium heat. I then lightly Salted the Pork with Sea Salt and a sprinkle of McCormick Dried Parsley. Added the Pork to the skillet and cooked it for 2 minutes a side, as it just started to brown. Then from the stove to the oven, love Cast Iron Skillets! I then backed them to a medium rare, 145 degrees in the center of the medallions using a meat thermometer. Pork Tenderloin is one of my favorites. The Pork is so tender and flavorful. Seasoned just right and so moist.





For one side dish I prepared the Little Potato Co. Savory Herb Potatoes. I love these! The Potatoes
come in a microwavable tray. Just pop the tray in the microwave for five minutes and mix in the seasoning pack and you have a nutritious and tasty Potato Dish. These are definitely a good item to have in the pantry! So easy to prepare and no clean up.









I prepared Roasted Asparagus for one side. To prepare the Asparagus I just needed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Cloves Roasted Asparagus Garlic (minced), Sea Salt, Freshly grated Black Pepper, Lemon Juice,

and Shredded Parmesan Cheese. Rinse clean the asparagus. Break the tough ends off of the asparagus and discard. Lay the asparagus spears out in a single layer in a baking dish or a foil-covered roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the spears, roll the asparagus back and forth until they are all covered with a thin layer of olive oil. (Alternatively you can put the asparagus and oil in a plastic bag, and rub the bag so that the oil gets evenly distributed.) Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub over the asparagus so that they are evenly seasoned. Place pan in oven and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus spears are, until tender when pierced with a fork. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice and shredded Parm Cheese before serving. I had also baked a loaf of RiverRoad Bake House Multi Grain Oval Loaf Bread. This has became the family’s favorite Baked Bread. For Dessert/Snack later a bowl of Skinny Pop – Pop Corn and a Diet Peach Snapple to drink.







Pork Facts….
One serving of pork is 3 ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards, according to the National Heart,

Lung and Blood Institute. An image of the portion size is important because a thick pork chop can be twice that size and without realizing it you can eat double the calories. You’ll get 137 calories and 4 grams of fat from a 3-ounce pork chop. Pork is similar to chicken, with 3 ounces of chicken breast containing 140 calories and 3 grams of fat. A pork chop has 65 milligrams of cholesterol, compared to 72 grams in chicken breast, but they both have just 1 gram of saturated fat.

One of America's Favorites - Chicken Soup

What better to have on a cold Winter's Day than - Chicken Soup!

A classic preparation of chicken noodle soup 

Chicken soup is a soup made from chicken, simmered in water, usually with various other ingredients. The classic chicken soup consists of a clear chicken broth, often with pieces of chicken or vegetables; common additions are pasta, dumplings, or grains such as rice and barley. Chicken soup has acquired the reputation of a folk remedy for colds and influenza, and in many countries is considered a comfort food.






Variations on the flavor are gained by adding root vegetables such as parsnip, potato, sweet potato and celery root, herbs such as parsley, dill, other vegetables such as zucchini, whole garlic cloves or tomatoes and black pepper. The soup should be brought slowly to a boil and then simmered in a covered pot on a very low flame for one to three hours, adding water if necessary. A clearer broth is achieved by skimming the drops of fat off the top of the soup as it is cooking, first bringing the chicken to boil from a pot of cold water and discarding the water before continuing, or straining it through a strainer or cheesecloth. Saffron or turmeric are sometimes added as a yellow colorant. Then, the chicken can be shredded by hand and stored in the refrigerator until ready for use in the soup.



Chicken soup can be a relatively low fat food: fat can be removed by chilling the soup after cooking and skimming the layer of congealed fat from the top. A study determined that "prolonged cooking of a bone in soup increases the calcium content of the soup when cooked at an acidic, but not at a neutral pH".



Strictly speaking, chicken soup, unless qualified, implies that the soup is served as a thin broth, with pieces of meat, and possibly vegetables, and either noodles, rice, barley, or dumplings.

Cream of chicken soup is a thick, creamy, soup made with chicken stock and pieces, combined with

Homemade chicken noodle soup cooking

milk (or cream) and flour, which might contain vegetable pieces, depending on the recipe.

Several terms are used when referring to chicken soups:

* Chicken broth is the liquid part of chicken soup. Broth can be served as is, or used as stock, or served as soup with noodles. Broth can be milder than stock, does not need to be boiled as long, and can be made with meatier chicken parts.
* Chicken bouillon or bouillon de poulet is the French term for chicken broth.
* Chicken consommé is a more refined chicken broth. It is usually strained to perfect clarity, and reduced to concentrate it.
* Chicken stew is a more substantial dish with a higher ratio of solids to broth. The broth may also be thickened toward a gravy-like consistency with a roux or by adding flour-based dumplings (matzah balls do not have the same thickening effect).
* Chicken stock is a liquid in which chicken bones and vegetables have been simmered for the purpose of serving as an ingredient in more complex dishes. Chicken stock is not usually served as is. Stock can be made with less palatable parts of the chicken, such as feet, necks or bones: the higher bone content in these parts contributes more gelatin to the liquid, making it a better base for sauces. Stock can be reboiled and reused as the basis for a new stock. Bouillon cubes or soup base are often used instead of chicken stock prepared from scratch.


Chicken soup has long been touted as a form of folk medicine to treat symptoms of the common cold and related conditions. In 2000, scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha studied the effect of chicken soup on the inflammatory response in vitro. They found that some components of the chicken soup inhibit neutrophil migration, which may have an anti-inflammatory effect that could hypothetically lead to temporary ease from symptoms of illness. However, since these results have been obtained from purified cells (and directly applied), the diluted soup in vivo effect is debatable. The New York Times reviewed the University of Nebraska study, among others, in 2007 and concluded that "none of the research is conclusive, and it is not known whether the changes measured in the laboratory really have a meaningful effect on people with cold symptoms."

It has also been shown that chicken soup contains the Amino acid cysteine, which is very similar to acetylcysteine, which is used by doctors for patients with bronchitis and other respiratory infections to help clear them.



In the United States and Canada, chicken soup often has noodles or rice in it, thus giving it its common name of "chicken noodle soup". The term may have been coined in a commercial for the Campbell Soup Company in the 1930s. The original 21 varieties of Campbell's condensed soup featured a "chicken soup with noodles", but when it was advertised on the Amos 'n' Andy radio show in the 1930s by a slip of the tongue the soup was referred to as "chicken noodle soup". Traditionally, American chicken soup was prepared using old hens too tough and stringy to be roasted or cooked for a short time. In modern times, these fowl are difficult to come by, and broiler chickens (young chickens suitable for roasting or broiling) are often used to make soup.



Typically sold as a condensed soup, canned chicken soup, such as Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup,

Cream of Chicken Soup

is notable for its high sodium content, 890 mg per 1/2 cup serving, giving a 1 1/2 cup bowl of soup about 2,500 mg, a full days allowance in the case of the mainstream brand, Campbell's. Other condensed chicken soups such as Chicken with Rice or Chicken & Stars Soup produced by Campbell have similar amounts, as do generic versions of the product. Canned chicken soup with much less sodium than the traditional formulation is available, including many varieties produced by Campbell's, some with at little as 100 mg of sodium. Campbell's claims production of a chicken noodle soup that will find broad consumer acceptance, in short, that will sell, is very difficult.

Wild Idea Buffalo Recipe of the Week – Grilled Buffalo Steaks

This week’s Wild Idea Buffalo Recipe of the Week – Grilled Buffalo Steaks. Nothing better than the Wild Idea Buffalo Steaks! I always have a supply in my freezer. Whether you grill them, pan fry them, or broil them its always a winning dish! You can find all the Wild Idea Buffalo recipes and purchase all of the Wild Idea Buffalo cuts of meat on the Wild Idea Buffalo website. Happy Grilling! http://wildideabuffalo.com/




Grilled Buffalo Steaks

Our meals become pretty simple in the summer. In addition to what we eat, how we eat is minimized too. Frequently dinner consist of a grilled buffalo cut, and grilled vegetables on salad greens. The complete meal is served on the cutting board that the vegetables were prepped on. Other than cutting the steak, silverware is optional. Somehow the food just tastes better, you’ll just have to try it. Below is my simple way of “how to grill a steak”. Although this may be easy for many of you, it is a question that I get a lot. I hope it is helpful. Enjoy! Jill








1 – Rinse Wild Idea Bison steaks, and pat dry with a paper towel.
2 – Drizzle olive oil on steak and season generously with salt & pepper.

3 – Loosely cover and let steak rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
4 – For Gas Grill: Insure grill grids are clean. Turn all burners on high and close grill cover. Allow gas grill heat to come to 550*.
5 – Place steak on grill, close lid and cook for 3 minutes.
6 – Turn steak and cook for an additional 2.5 minutes, for medium rare.
7 – Remove steak from grill and place on serving plate and cover for 5 minutes.
Serve grilled steaks with grilled vegetables, salad greens and bread. Vegetables can be added to grill at the same time as the steak, turn as above. Simply delicious!

http://wildideabuffalo.com/blogs/recipes/93473217-grilled-buffalo-steaks

Pepper of the Week - Allspice

Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, pepper, myrtle pepper, pimenta, Turkish Yenibahar, English

Whole allspice berries

pepper or newspice, is the dried unripe fruit (berries, used as a spice) of Pimenta dioica, a midcanopy tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and Central America, now cultivated in many warm parts of the world. The name 'allspice' was coined as early as 1621 by the English, who thought it combined the flavour of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Several unrelated fragrant shrubs are called "Carolina allspice" (Calycanthus floridus), "Japanese allspice" (Chimonanthus praecox), or "wild allspice" (Lindera benzoin). Allspice is also sometimes used to refer to the herb costmary (Tanacetum balsamita).




Allspice is the dried fruit of the P. dioica plant. The fruits are picked when green and unripe and are traditionally dried in the sun. When dry, they are brown and resemble large brown smooth peppercorns. The whole fruits have a longer shelf life than the powdered product and produce a more aromatic product when freshly ground before use.

Fresh leaves are used where available. They are similar in texture to bay leaves and are thus infused during cooking and then removed before serving. Unlike bay leaves, they lose much flavor when dried and stored, so do not figure in commerce. The leaves and wood are often used for smoking meats where allspice is a local crop. Allspice can also be found in essential oil form.



Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean cuisine. It is used in Caribbean jerk seasoning (the wood is used to smoke jerk in Jamaica, although the spice is a good substitute), in moles, and in pickling; it is also an ingredient in commercial sausage preparations and curry powders. Allspice is also indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly in the Levant, where it is used to flavor a variety of stews and meat dishes. In Palestinian cuisine, for example, many main dishes call for allspice as the sole spice added for flavouring. In the U.S., it is used mostly in desserts, but it is also responsible for giving Cincinnati-style chili its distinctive aroma and flavor. Allspice is commonly used in Great Britain, and appears in many dishes, including cakes. Even in many countries where allspice is not very popular in the household, as in Germany, it is used in large amounts by commercial sausage makers. It is a main flavor used in barbecue sauces. In the West Indies, an allspice liqueur called "pimento dram" is produced.

Allspice has also been used as a deodorant. Volatile oils found in the plant contain eugenol, a weak antimicrobial agent.



The allspice tree, classified as an evergreen shrub, can reach 10–18 m (33–59 ft) in height. Allspice

Allspice blooming twig, flower & fruit detail

can be a small, scrubby tree, quite similar to the bay laurel in size and form. It can also be a tall, canopy tree, sometimes grown to provide shade for coffee trees planted underneath it. It can be grown outdoors in the tropics and subtropics with normal garden soil and watering. Smaller plants can be killed by frost, although larger plants are more tolerant. It adapts well to container culture and can be kept as a houseplant or in a greenhouse.

To protect the pimenta trade, the plant was guarded against export from Jamaica. Many attempts at growing the pimenta from seeds were reported, but all failed. At one time, the plant was thought to grow nowhere except in Jamaica, where the plant was readily spread by birds. Experiments were then performed using the constituents of bird droppings; however, these were also totally unsuccessful. Eventually, passage through the avian gut, whether due to the acidity or the elevated temperature, was found to be essential for germinating the seeds. Today, pimenta is spread by birds in Tonga and Hawaii, where it has become naturalized on Kauaʻi and Maui.



Allspice (P. dioica) was encountered by Christopher Columbus on the island of Jamaica during his second voyage to the New World, and named by Dr. Diego Álvarez Chanca. It was introduced into European and Mediterranean cuisines in the 16th century. It continued to be grown primarily in Jamaica, though a few other Central American countries produced allspice in comparatively small quantities.

Herb and Spice of the Week - Marjoram

Marjoram

Marjoram (Origanum majorana, syn. Majorana hortensis Moench, Majorana majorana (L.) H. Karst is a somewhat cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavors. In some Middle-Eastern countries, marjoram is synonymous with oregano, and there the names sweet marjoram and knotted marjoram are used to distinguish it from other plants of the genus Origanum.

The name marjoram (Old French majorane, Medieval Latin majorana) does not directly derive from the Latin word maior (major). Marjoram is indigenous to Cyprus and southern Turkey, and was known to the Greeks and Romans as a symbol of happiness.
Leaves are smooth, simple, petiolated, ovate to oblong-ovate, (0.5-1.5 cm) long, (0.2-0.8 cm) wide, with obtuse apex, entire margin, symmetrical but tapering base and reticulate venation. The texture is extremely smooth due to presence of numerous hairs.







Considered a tender perennial (USDA Zones 7-9), marjoram can sometimes prove hardy even in zone 5.

Marjoram is cultivated for its aromatic leaves, either green or dry, for culinary purposes; the tops are cut as the plants begin to flower and are dried slowly in the shade. It is often used in herb combinations such as herbes de Provence and za'atar. The flowering leaves and tops of marjoram are steam-distilled to produce an essential oil that is yellowish in color (darkening to brown as it ages). It has many chemical components, some of which are borneol, camphor and pinene.

Bottle of Majoram herb

Oregano (Origanum vulgare, sometimes listed with marjoram as Origanum majorana) is also called wild marjoram. It is a perennial common in southern Europe in dry copses and on hedge-banks, with many stout stems 30–80 cm high, bearing short-stalked, somewhat ovate leaves and clusters of purple flowers. It has a stronger flavor than marjoram.

Pot marjoram or Cretan oregano (Origanum onites) has similar uses to marjoram.

Hardy marjoram or French marjoram, a cross of marjoram with oregano, is much more resistant to cold, but is slightly less sweet. Origanum pulchellum is known as showy marjoram or showy oregano.







Marjoram is used for seasoning soups, stews, dressings and sauce. O. majorana has been scientifically proved to be beneficial in the treatment of gastric ulcer, hyperlipidemia and diabetes.Majorana hortensis herb has been used in the traditional Austrian medicine for treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and infections.

Herb and Spice of the Week - Grains of Selim

I have never heard of this one, Grains of Selim.

Grains of Selim seed pods

The term Grains of Selim refers to the seeds of a shrubby tree, Xylopia aethiopica, found in Africa. It is also known as kimba pepper, African pepper, Moor pepper, Negro pepper, Kani pepper, Kili pepper, Sénégal pepper, Ethiopian pepper, Hwentia and Guinea pepper. The seeds have a musky flavor and are used as a pepper substitute. It is sometimes confused with grains of paradise. By far the most common name in Wolof is djar in Senegal, and this is how it is listed on most, if not all, Cafe Touba packages.








As a spice the whole fruit (seed pod) is used as the hull of the fruit lends an aromatic note (with the taste being described as an admixture of cubeb pepper and nutmeg with overtones of resin) whilst the seeds lend pungency (they are also quite bitter). Typically the dried fruit is lightly crushed before being tied in a bouquet garni and added to West African soups (stews). In Sénégal, the spice is often sold smoked in markets as Poivre de Sénégal (the whole green fruit is smoked giving the spice a sticky consistency) and when pounded in a pestle and mortar it makes an excellent fish rub. These, however, tend to be the larger pods of the related species Xylopia striata.

In West African cookbooks, especially those from Cameroon, the spice is referred to as kieng, but the language that name is derived from is unknown.








The pods are crushed and added whole to soups or stews, then removed before serving the food. Smoked pods can be ground before being used as a spice rub for fish.

In northern Cameroon it is one of three spices added to tea, along with dried ginger and cloves.

The grains are a key ingredient in Touba Coffee (called Café Touba in French). Near the end of the roasting phase of making the coffee, Grains of Selim, known in Wolof as djar, are added while the heat is still on. Roasting continues for approximately five more minutes; during this time the sneeze-producing scent of pepper becomes easily discernible. The coffee to djar ratio is 80 percent coffee to 20 percent djar.

Herb and Spice of the Week - Filé powder

* Now here's one I had never heard of,  Filé powder.

Filé powder

Filé powder, also called gumbo filé, is a spicy herb made from the dried and ground leaves of the sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum), native to eastern North America. Choctaw Indians of the American South (Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana) were the first to use dried, ground sassafras leaves as a seasoning, what is now called filé, or gumbo filé, used in Creole cooking. It is used in the making of some types of gumbo, a Creole and Cajun soup/stew often served over rice; other versions of gumbo use okra or a roux as a thickener instead. Sprinkled sparingly over gumbo as a seasoning and a thickening agent, it adds a distinctive, earthy flavor and texture. Filé can provide thickening when okra is not in season. Filé translates to "string", suggestive of the powder's thickening ability. "Filé gumbo" is famously mentioned in the classic country song by Hank Williams Sr., Jambalaya (On The Bayou), as it is considered a staple of Cajun cuisine.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Crushing dried herbs before using them will boost their flavor, as will soaking them for a few seconds in hot water. This technique also works well with dried herbs that have lost their flavor.

Herb and Spice of the Week - Fennel

Fennel in flower

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a flowering plant species in the celery family Apiaceae or Umbelliferae. It is the sole species in the genus Foeniculum. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea-coast and on riverbanks.

It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal uses and, along with the similar-tasting anise, is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. Florence fennel or finocchio is a selection with a swollen, bulb-like stem base that is used as a vegetable.

Fennel is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the mouse moth and the anise swallowtail.








Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, is a perennial herb. It is erect, glaucous green, and grows to heights of up to 2.5 m, with hollow stems. The leaves grow up to 40 cm long; they are finely dissected, with the ultimate segments filiform (threadlike), about 0.5 mm wide. (Its leaves are similar to those of dill, but thinner.) The flowers are produced in terminal compound umbels 5–15 cm wide, each umbel section having 20–50 tiny yellow flowers on short pedicels. The fruit is a dry seed from 4–10 mm long, half as wide or less, and grooved.

Fennel seeds

Fennel is widely cultivated, both in its native range and elsewhere, for its edible, strongly flavored leaves and fruits. Its aniseed flavor comes from anethole, an aromatic compound also found in anise and star anise, and its taste and aroma are similar to theirs, though usually not as strong.

Florence fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Azoricum Group; syn. F. vulgare var. azoricum) is a cultivar group with inflated leaf bases which form a bulb-like structure. It is of cultivated origin, and has a mild anise-like flavor, but is sweeter and more aromatic. Florence fennel plants are smaller than the wild type. Their inflated leaf bases are eaten as a vegetable, both raw and cooked. There are several cultivars of Florence fennel, which is also known by several other names, notably the Italian name finocchio. In North American supermarkets, it is often mislabelled as "anise".

Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum' or 'Nigra', "bronze-leaved" fennel, is widely available as a decorative garden plant.

Fennel has become naturalised along roadsides, in pastures, and in other open sites in many regions, including northern Europe, the United States, southern Canada, and much of Asia and Australia. It propagates well by seed, and is considered an invasive species and a weed in Australia and the United States. In western North America, fennel can be found from the coastal and inland wildland-urban interface east into hill and mountain areas, excluding desert habitats.


Florence fennel bulbs
Florence fennel is one of the three main herbs used in the preparation of absinthe, an alcoholic mixture which originated as a medicinal elixir in Switzerland and became, by the late 19th century, a popular alcoholic drink in France and other countries.

Florence fennel bulbs

The bulb, foliage, and seeds of the fennel plant are widely used in many of the culinary traditions of the world. The small flowers of wild fennel (mistakenly known in America as fennel "pollen") are the most potent form of fennel, but also the most expensive. Dried fennel seed is an aromatic, anise-flavoured spice, brown or green in colour when fresh, slowly turning a dull grey as the seed ages. For cooking, green seeds are optimal. The leaves are delicately flavored and similar in shape to those of dill. The bulb is a crisp vegetable that can be sauteed, stewed, braised, grilled, or eaten raw. Young tender leaves are used for garnishes, as a salad, to add flavor to salads, to flavor sauces to be served with puddings, and also in soups and fish sauce.

Fennel seeds are sometimes confused with those of anise, which are similar in taste and appearance, though smaller. Fennel is also used as a flavoring in some natural toothpastes. The seeds are used in cookery and sweet desserts.

Many cultures in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Middle East use fennel seed in their cookery. It is one of the most important spices in Kashmiri Pandit and Gujarati cooking. It is an essential ingredient of the Assamese/Bengali/Oriya spice mixture panch phoron and in Chinese five-spice powders. In many parts of India and Pakistan, roasted fennel seeds are consumed as mukhwas, an after-meal digestive and breath freshener.

Fennel leaves are used in some parts of India as leafy green vegetables either by themselves or mixed with other vegetables, cooked to be served and consumed as part of a meal. In Syria and Lebanon, the young leaves are used to make a special kind of egg omelet (along with onions and flour) called ijjeh.

Herb and Spice of the Week - Dill

Dill Plants

Dill (Anethum graveolens) is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae. It is the sole species of the genus Anethum.








Dill grows to 40–60 cm (16–24 in), with slender hollow stems and alternate, finely divided, softly delicate leaves 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) long. The ultimate leaf divisions are 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) broad, slightly broader than the similar leaves of fennel, which are threadlike, less than 1 mm (0.039 in) broad, but harder in texture. The flowers are white to yellow, in small umbels 2–9 cm (0.79–3.54 in) diameter. The seeds are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and 1 mm (0.039 in) thick, and straight to slightly curved with a longitudinally ridged surface.








Fresh and dried dill leaves (sometimes called "dill weed" to distinguish it from dill seed) are widely used as herbs in Europe and central Asia.

Like caraway, the fernlike leaves of dill are aromatic and are used to flavor many foods such as gravlax (cured salmon) and other fish dishes, borscht and other soups, as well as pickles (where the dill flower is sometimes used). Dill is best when used fresh as it loses its flavor rapidly if dried; however, freeze-dried dill leaves retain their flavor relatively well for a few months.

Dill seed, having a flavor similar to caraway but also resembling that of fresh or dried dill weed, is used as a spice. Dill oil is extracted from the leaves, stems and seeds of the plant. The oil from the seeds is distilled and used in the manufacturing of soaps.

Dill is the eponymous ingredient in dill pickles: cucumbers preserved in salty brine and/or vinegar.








Successful cultivation requires warm to hot summers with high sunshine levels; even partial shade will reduce the yield substantially. It also prefers rich, well drained soil. The seeds are viable for three to ten years.

The seed is harvested by cutting the flower heads off the stalks when the seed is beginning to ripen. The seed heads are placed upside down in a paper bag and left in a warm, dry place for a week. The seeds then separate from the stems easily for storage in an airtight container.

Herb and Spice of the Week - Chervil

Garden Chervil

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), sometimes called garden chervil to distinguish it from similar plants also called chervil, or French parsley, is a delicate annual herb related to parsley. It is commonly used to season mild-flavored dishes and is a constituent of the French herb mixture fines herbs.








A member of the Apiaceae, chervil is native to the Caucasus but was spread by the Romans through most of Europe, where it is now naturalised.The plants grow to 16–28 in., with tripinnate leaves that may be curly. The small white flowers form small umbels, 1.00–1.97 in. across. The fruit is about 1 cm long, oblong-ovoid with a slender, ridged beak.

Chervil garnishing a salad

Sometimes referred to as "gourmet's parsley", chervil is used, particularly in France, to season poultry, seafood, young spring vegetables (such as carrots), soups, and sauces. More delicate than parsley, it has a faint taste of liquorice or aniseed.


Chervil is one of the four traditional French fines herbs, along with tarragon, chives, and parsley, which are essential to French cooking. Unlike the more pungent, robust herbs, thyme, rosemary, etc., which can take prolonged cooking, the fines herbs are added at the last minute, to salads, omelets, and soups.








According to some, slugs are attracted to chervil and the plant is sometimes used to bait them.


Chervil has had various uses in folk medicine. It was claimed to be useful as a digestive aid, for lowering high blood pressure, and, infused with vinegar, for curing hiccups. Besides its digestive properties, it is used as a mild stimulant.








Chervil has also been implicated in "strimmer dermatitis", or phytophotodermatitis, due to spray from weed trimmers and other forms of contact. Other plants in the family Apiaceae can have similar effects. Precise identification before picking is very necessary due to its similar appearance to Hemlock (Conium), to which it is related. Hemlock is highly toxic and confusion between the two plants could cause death.








Chervil is best grown seeded in place, as transplanting can be difficult, due to the long taproot. It prefers a cool and moist location, otherwise it rapidly goes to seed (also known as bolting). It is usually grown as a cool season crop, like lettuce and should be planted in early spring and late fall or in a winter greenhouse. Regular harvesting of leaves also helps to prevent bolting. If plants bolt despite precautions, the plant can be periodically re-sown throughout the growing season, thus producing fresh plants as older plants bolt and go out of production.

Chervil grows to a height of 12 to 24 inches (300 to 610 mm), and a width of 6 to 12 inches.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

Thank you to Still Cookin' for passing this one along!


Season all of your food from start to finish. Seasoning it in stages brings the most out of your ingredients and gives you the most flavor. The more flavor the better!

Herb and Spice of the Week - Laurus Nobilis (Bay Leaf)

Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) flower buds and leaves

Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is one of the plants used for bay leaf seasoning in cooking. It is known as bay laurel, sweet bay, bay tree (esp. United Kingdom), true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree or simply laurel. Laurus nobilis figures prominently in classical Greek, Roman, and Biblical culture.

Worldwide, many other kinds of plants in diverse families are also called "bay" or "laurel", generally due to similarity of foliage or aroma to Laurus nobilis, and the full name is used for the California bay laurel (Umbellularia), also in the family Lauraceae.








The laurel can vary greatly in size and height, sometimes reaching 10–18 metres (33–59 ft) tall. Laurus is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes three species, whose diagnostic key characters often overlap (Mabberley 1997).

The laurel is dioecious (unisexual), with male and female flowers on separate plants. Each flower is pale yellow-green, about 1 cm diameter, and they are borne in pairs beside a leaf. The leaves are 6–12 cm long and 2–4 cm broad, with an entire (untoothed) margin. On some leaves the margin undulates. The fruit is a small, shiny black berry-like drupe about 1 cm long that contains one seed.

A recent study found considerable genetic diversity within L. nobilis, and that L. azorica is not genetically or morphologically distinct.

A laurel shrub

The plant is the source of several popular herbs and one spice used in a wide variety of recipes, particularly among Mediterranean cuisines. Most commonly, the aromatic leaves are added whole to Italian pasta sauces. However, even when cooked, whole bay leaves can be sharp and abrasive enough to damage internal organs, so they are typically removed from dishes before serving, unless used as a simple garnish. Whole bay leaves have a long shelf life of about one year, under normal temperature and humidity. Bay leaves are used almost exclusively as flavor agents during the food preparation stage;

Ground bay leaves, however, can be ingested safely and are often used in soups and stocks, as well as being a common addition to a Bloody Mary. Dried laurel berries and pressed leaf oil can both be used as robust spices, and even the wood can be burnt for strong smoke flavoring.








Aqueous extracts of bay laurel can also be used as astringents and even as a reasonable salve for open wounds.

In massage therapy, the essential oil of bay laurel is reputed to alleviate arthritis and rheumatism, while in aromatherapy, it is used to treat earaches and high blood pressure.[unreliable source?] A traditional folk remedy for rashes caused by poison ivy, poison oak, and stinging nettle is a poultice soaked in boiled bay leaves.

The chemical compound lauroside B isolated from Laurus nobilis is an inhibitor of human melanoma (skin cancer) cell proliferation at high concentrations.








Bay is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in regions with Mediterranean or oceanic climates, and as a house plant or greenhouse plant in colder regions. It is used in topiary to create single erect stems with ball-shaped, box-shaped or twisted crowns; also for low hedges. Together with a gold form, L. nobilis 'Aurea', it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Laurel oil is a main ingredient, and the distinguishing characteristic of Aleppo soap.

Herb and Spice of the Week - Basil

Dried basil leaves

Basil, Thai basil, or sweet basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum (pronounced /ˈbæzɪl/, /ˈbeːzɪl/, or 'bɑçɨl/ of the family Lamiaceae (mints), sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries.

Basil is originally native to India, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years, but was thoroughly familiar to Theophrastus and Dioscorides. It is a half-hardy annual plant, best known as a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in Southeast Asian cuisines of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and the cuisine of Taiwan. Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.

There are many varieties of Ocimum basilicum, as well as several related species or species hybrids also called basil. The type used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), lemon basil (O. X citriodorum) and holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), which are used in Asia. While most common varieties of basil are treated as annuals, some are perennial in warm, tropical climates, including holy basil and a cultivar known as 'African Blue'.







Most commercially available basils are cultivars of sweet basil. There are over 160 named cultivars available and more new ones every year. There are also a number of species sold. Here are some basils commonly sold in the USA.

* African blue basil (Ocimum basilicum X O. kilimandscharicum)
* Anise basil or Persian basil (Licorice basil || O. basilicum 'Licorice'||)
* Camphor basil, African basil (O. kilimandscharicum)
* Cinnamon basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Cinnamon')
* Dark opal basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Dark Opal')
* Globe basil, dwarf basil, French basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Minimum')
* Hoary basil (Ocimum americanum formerly known as O. canum)
* Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum, formerly known a O. sanctum)
* Spice Basil (a cultivar of Ocimum americanum, which is sometimes sold as Holy Basil)
* Lemon basil (Ocimum americanum)
* Lettuce leaf basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Crispum')
* Purple basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Purpurescens')
* Queen of Siam basil (Ocimum basilicum citriodorum)
* Rubin basil (Ocimum basilicum 'Rubin')

Basil sprout at an early stage

Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. In general, it is added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavor. The fresh herb can be kept for a short time in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer, after being blanched quickly in boiling water. The dried herb also loses most of its flavor, and what little flavor remains tastes very different, with a weak coumarin flavor, like hay.

Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce. Its other main ingredients are olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts.

The most commonly used Mediterranean basil cultivars are "Genovese", "Purple Ruffles", "Mammoth", "Cinnamon", "Lemon", "Globe", and "African Blue". The Chinese also use fresh or dried basils in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves to thick soups. hey also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves. Basil (most commonly Thai basil) is commonly steeped in cream or milk to create an interesting flavor in ice cream or chocolates (such as truffles). The leaves are not the only part of basil used in culinary applications, the flower buds have a more subtle flavor and they are edible.

Thai basil is also a condiment in the Vietnamese noodle soup, phở.








Recently, there has been much research into the health benefits conferred by the essential oils found in basil. Scientific studies in vitro have established that compounds in basil oil have potent antioxidant, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties, and potential for use in treating cancer. In addition, basil has been shown to decrease the occurrence of platelet aggregation and experimental thrombus in mice. It is traditionally used for supplementary treatment of stress, asthma and diabetes in India.

Basil, like other aromatic plants such as fennel and tarragon, contains estragole, a known carcinogen and teratogen in rats and mice. While human effects are currently unstudied, extrapolation using body weight from the rodent experiments indicates that 100–1000 times the normal anticipated exposure still probably produces a minimal cancer risk.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

 Keep your fresh herbs as you would fresh flowers: in a jar of water on your counter top. Snip  off what you need, change the water daily, and they'll last two to three times longer than they would in the fridge.

Kitchen Hints of the Day!

All about Herbs and Spices...


Hint #1 - Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice have a special affinity for
 sweet dishes


 Hint #2 - Black pepper, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper are excellent
 "after cooking" seasonings. Allow guests to season dishes with these
 spices at the table.


Hint #3 - Do not use dried herbs in the same quantity as fresh. In most cases,
 use 1/3 the amount in dried as is called for fresh.

Kitchen Hint of the Day!

 Thank you to Eddy and Connie for sending this hint to share!

When making a whole roast chicken, salt it, then chill it, uncovered, in the fridge for the day. This helps season the bird and dries out the skin so it crisps perfectly when cooked. Remove it from the fridge an hour before you plan to put it in the oven, and add herbs and aromatics like garlic or shallots.

Herb and Spice of the Week - Allspice

The past few months on Thursdays I've been doing articles on different Grains. I covered most of them so I'm moving on to Herbs and Spices, starting with Allspice.

Allspice

Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, pepper, myrtle pepper, pimenta, pimento, English pepper or newspice, is the dried unripe fruit ("berries", used as a spice) of Pimenta dioica, a midcanopy tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and Central America, now cultivated in many warm parts of the world. The name 'allspice' was coined as early as 1621 by the English, who thought it combined the flavor of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Several unrelated fragrant shrubs are called "Carolina allspice" (Calycanthus floridus), "Japanese allspice" (Chimonanthus praecox), or "wild allspice" (Lindera benzoin). Allspice is also sometimes used to refer to the herb costmary (Tanacetum balsamita).  

Allspice is the dried fruit of the P. dioica plant. The fruit are picked when green and unripe and are traditionally dried in the sun. When dry, they are brown and resemble large brown peppercorns. The whole fruit have a longer shelf life than the powdered product and produce a more aromatic product when freshly ground before use.

Fresh leaves are used where available. They are similar in texture to bay leaves and are thus infused during cooking and then removed before serving. Unlike bay leaves, they lose much flavour when dried and stored, so do not figure in commerce. The leaves and wood are often used for smoking meats where allspice is a local crop. Allspice can also be found in essential oil form.

Whole allspice berries

Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean cuisine. It is used in Caribbean jerk seasoning (the wood is used to smoke jerk in Jamaica, although the spice is a good substitute), in moles, and in pickling; it is also an ingredient in commercial sausage preparations and curry powders. Allspice is also indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly in the Levant, where it is used to flavor a variety of stews and meat dishes. In Palestinian cuisine, for example, many main dishes call for allspice as the sole spice added for flavoring. In the U.S., it is used mostly in desserts, but it is also responsible for giving Cincinnati-style chili its distinctive aroma and flavor. Allspice is commonly used in Great Britain, and appears in many dishes, including cakes. Even in many countries where allspice is not very popular in the household, as in Germany, it is used in large amounts by commercial sausage makers. It is a main flavor used in barbecue sauces. In the West Indies, an allspice liqueur called "pimento dram" is produced.

Allspice has also been used as a deodorant. Volatile oils found in the plant contain eugenol, a weak antimicrobial agent.

The allspice tree, classified as an evergreen shrub, reaches heights between 32 and 60 ft. Allspice can be a small, scrubby tree, quite similar to the bay laurel in size and form. It can also be a tall, canopy tree, sometimes grown to provide shade for coffee trees planted underneath it. It can be grown outdoors in the tropics and subtropics with normal garden soil and watering. Smaller plants can be killed by frost, although larger plants are more tolerant. It adapts well to container culture and can be kept as a houseplant or in a greenhouse.

To protect the pimenta trade, the plant was guarded against export from Jamaica. Many attempts at growing the pimenta from seeds were reported, but all failed. At one time, the plant was thought to grow nowhere except in Jamaica, where the plant was readily spread by birds. Experiments were then performed using the constituents of bird droppings; however, these were also totally unsuccessful. Eventually, passage through the avian gut, either the acidity or the elevated temperature, was found to be essential for germinating the seeds. Today, pimenta is spread by birds in Tonga and Hawaii, where it has become naturalized on Kauaʻi and Maui.