Learning to use vanilla will expand your cooking skills and better understand the different cuisines in different countries. The main reason is that vanilla is used in the Mediterranean region, Europe, America and the United States. It is quite popular in many countries. However, vanilla has different characteristics and has its own characteristics in preservation and processing. When cooking, choosing suitable vanilla and ingredients can enhance the taste of dishes and achieve the effects of removing fishy and sweetening.
There are a wide variety of herbs. Here are 9 commonly used herbs. When you want to stew, grill, pickle, stir-fry dishes, or even make desserts and drinks; you have the opportunity to use them. Of course, if you want to try to cook cross-border cuisine, there are not a lot of herbs that can be added to the dish!
1. Basil
Basil has a fragrant aroma and smooth and soft leaves. It is one of the important ingredients for making Pesto. Chopped basil and sprinkled on vegetables, whole grains or stir-fried with eggs are also delicious; some dishes such as meatballs, tomato salad and pizza dishes are also very compatible with basil, and the taste will be full of vigorous taste buds.
If you mention Mozzarella, tomatoes, and prosciutto, many people will immediately think of eating it with basil because this is an authentic Italian home-cooked appetizer and a refreshing cheese feast. Do you want to feel the full sun and romance of Italy? This kind of meal can be DIY at home without going abroad.
2. Parsley
There are many other names for parsley, such as celery, basil, parsley, and parsley. There are two types of curly leaves and flat leaves; curly leaves are mostly used for plate decoration, and flat leaves are used in cooking. Because parsley is rich in grassy taste, it won’t take away the taste of other ingredients too much in seasoning, so it is widely used, and it can be seen in salads, vegetables, soups, and sauces. The common cooking method is to sprinkle chopped parsley on the dish or mix it with rice or salad. In addition, parsley is also one of the important ingredients for making Chimichurri Sauce.
3. Coriander
Cilantro has lemon and pepper flavors, and its overall appearance is similar to parsley. The unique leaves are used to decorate the dishes to enhance the delicacy of dishes. Coriander is widely used. For example, rice, pasta or cold dishes can be added to all Taiwanese many dishes. Crushed coriander is also one of the good ingredients for making pasta sauce. Nowadays, it is inevitable to see coriander in international cuisines, such as kebabs, burritos, and Thai dishes.
4. Mint
Peppermint has a refreshing and sweet taste and has a cooling effect when eaten. It has a wide range of uses. It is also used in desserts and drinks, such as cocktails and Yogurt Parfait cups. In addition to being used like lettuce in salads, mint can also be chopped and used as an ingredient for vinaigrette sauce. In addition, if you want to promote your appetite and let mint into your dish in summer, a stir-fried bowl of beans and Ricotta cheese (Ricotta) will be a sweet dish. If you want to mix mint with spicy ingredients for cooking, it can also balance the spiciness and make the taste mild.
5. Dill weed
The dill grass has a long and slender appearance with feather-like leaves, and the whole herb will exude a strong aroma. It is widely used in cooking fish (especially salmon), potatoes, or eggs in Northern Europe and Russia. Because of its fresh and sweet taste, dill grass is also suitable as a seasoning ingredient for salads, sandwiches, and pickled vegetables. In order to prevent the aroma from being added to the cooking, it is generally recommended to sprinkle a little dill grass before the dish is cooked, which will brighten the overall sweetness of the food.
6. Rosemary
The rosemary stems of the woody herbs are hard, and the leaves show needle-like thorns. The aroma has the effect of removing the smell of meat. It is suitable for chicken, pig, sheep, cattle, or seafood. Before cooking, you can bundle a few sprigs of rosemary as a bunch of herbs and put it in a saucepan to cook slowly at the beginning. The rosemary at high temperature will slowly release its aroma and blend with the soup to form a unique taste. Chopped rosemary can also be used in roasted potatoes, baked bread, or added to pasta. Most of the dishes taste refreshing and delicate, which makes people feel elegant and slow.
7. Thyme
Thyme is fresh and elegant, usually pruning and other herbs can be used for stewing soup, especially meat, seafood can play a certain effect to remove fishy. For roasting, peel off the small pointed leaves of thyme from the stem one by one, chop and sprinkle it on the food for baking, the food will be aromatic without losing the original sweetness. Thyme can also be used to make compound cream, soup, bread and tuna sauce, even boiled fruits (pears, peaches) are also very suitable.
8. Sage
The classic Thanksgiving herb sage is an important seasoning for filling turkey stuffing. Because sage can remove the smell of meat, it is also suitable for pickled meat. Sage is widely used in Mediterranean cuisine, and it can also be fried, mixed with Italian rice, ravioli, or mixed with cream sauce.
9. Oregano
It is mentioned that the green sauce of pasta must have basil, so what kind of herbs does the red sauce have? That is “Oregon leaves.” It is very suitable for making various sauces with tomatoes. It can also remove the fishy smell and increase the aroma when marinating various meats and seafood. Fresh Oregon minced with salads, meatballs, grilled vegetables, or mixed with lime and topped with lamb is especially delicious.
Clean vanilla properly
- Use a container that can filter water, put the vanilla in it and rinse gently with cold water.
- Gently rub the vanilla leaf between your fingers to remove dirt, and rinse with cold water again.
- Shake the vanilla branches to remove the remaining soil.
- You can use the salad rotating drain basket to remove excess water from the herb leaves and make it as dry as possible. Because there is too much moisture left in the vanilla leaves, it is easy to deteriorate, and only the dried fresh vanilla leaves can be kept fresh if they are stored in the refrigerator.
Preserve fresh herbs
The stems and leaves of vanilla plants are soft and easy to break and hardwood. There are differences in storage according to their essence. There are mainly five preservation methods: picking and picking, drying, storage at room temperature, and refrigeration and freezing, but the characteristics of vanilla must be judged, and the appropriate method must be selected.
Herbs with relatively soft stems and leaves, such as basil, parsley, coriander, mint, and dill grass, are suitable for fresh use and are picked now. Even if it’s not a green finger, you can try to plant potted vanilla plants in your backyard or balcony or buy the whole plant from the market. Just like a flower, you can insert it into a glass bottle with water one by one. It can be picked at any time in a ventilated and sunny place. If you want to maintain freshness, it is recommended to change the water in the vanilla bottle once every 2 days. Most herbs can be stored in the refrigerator after being put in a water bottle, but basil will turn black when placed in the refrigerator, which is not suitable.
Vanilla with delicate leaves can also be frozen and preserved, but some preparatory work is required. First, you must pick off the leaves one by one, put them in a food blender, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil for every half cup of vanilla, mash them, place them in the icebox, and put them in the freezer. When there is a need for cooking, you can first remove the vanilla ice cubes from the freezer to thaw at room temperature or melt them directly in the pot as a seasoning for stews and soups.
To preserve vanilla plants for a long time, many people also choose to dry treatment, but the soft stems and leaves of vanilla do not have the strong smell of fresh vanilla after drying, so it is generally recommended to use fresh vanilla; unless the national climate restricts, it has to be stored in a dry manner.
Herbs with hard stems and leaves, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, and Oregon, fresh herbs can be stored for 2 to 3 days in a box with a hole or a bamboo basket and placed in a cool place at room temperature; If you want to extend the shelf life, you can spread the vanilla leaves on slightly damp napkins, wrap them in a fresh-keeping bag, and store them in the freezer to keep them fresh. If you want to try dry baking is also a good way, the aroma is not volatile and can be stored for several months.
The dry baking method is very simple. Just put the vanilla on a porcelain plate and bake it in the microwave until it is crispy. Of course, you can also choose to dry it in the sun, which is more natural. When cooking, dry herbs with hard stems and leaves have a more concentrated fragrance than fresh herbs. According to the rule of thumb, converting 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to use dried herbs as long as 1/3 tablespoon (or 1 teaspoon) is recommended. Just don’t cook it. Forgot to let the dried herbs absorb the water and keep it longer to blend with the ingredients.
Can’t run out of fresh herbs? 5 creative and practical methods
The special smell of vanilla can brighten the flavor of dishes and strengthen the original taste of food. However, the amount of vanilla is usually not much at a time, and it is a lot when you buy it home. How to deal with it so as not to waste and keep it fresh? Here are 5 creative and practical ways:
1. Herbs are the perfect seasoning for salads!
Salad is a home-cooked dish in many countries. Lettuce and fruits made by hand can be turned into an appetizer immediately after a little washing and slicing. It is also delicious with full nutrition. Then regard fresh herbs as a kind of lettuce leaves, and it is not against the harmony to mix basil, coriander, dill grass, sesame leaves, and vine leaves together to form a lettuce salad. Moreover, these herbs can also be used for scrambled eggs or sprinkled on grilled vegetables.
2. Make into cheese sauce
I have to admit that “cheese” is an ingredient with a special flavor. It can be used alone or mixed with other materials, especially after adding various vanilla pieces; there will be unexpected new flavors. We recommend using soft cheeses (Goat Cheese, Feta Cheese, Ricotta Cheese) because they are low-mature, rich in milk, and relatively not salty; just add a few tablespoons of Oregon or dill. Mixing the chopped grass is a “fresh herb cheese sauce,” which is very suitable as a spread for a bagel (bagel) bread, toast, sandwiches, and biscuits.
Of course, if you want to be creative or are looking for your favorite flavor, you can also use different herbs to make a cheese sauce; I believe there will be unexpected discoveries!
3. Vanilla cream full of luxury
Chop fresh herbs (parsley, basil) finely and mix with cream to make Compound Butter, then put it in the refrigerator and freeze for later use. For banquets or special weekend gatherings, top with some vanilla cream on cooked steaks, seafood, or steamed vegetables (broccoli, green beans). The exquisiteness of home-cooked dishes can be promoted to restaurant dishes immediately. It is the superb seasoning of the compound cream. It is a secret that the chef does not say in particular. It is also a cooking recipe that the grandmother knows. How can you not learn a seasoning oil that looks luxurious but is approachable?
4. Mix vanilla into the drink
At night, sipping a multi-layered, warm cocktail makes people have an illusion of relaxation. If you are looking to make Vodka and alcoholic beverages, blending in fresh herbs is a good choice to soothe the too spicy taste of the spirit base. First, put a few mint leaves in the highball glass, use the back of the spoon to mash the leaves to release the aroma, pour in the flavored drink, choose pruned rosemary or thyme as the final decoration, thus completing the bar drink NS! Or, you can choose a simpler way. After adding syrup to the cup, add fresh vanilla to make lemonade, iced tea, soda, or other beverages.
5. “Fried vanilla” that is simple to preserve and has a wide range of uses
In the Mediterranean region such as Italy, “fried herbs” is a very common and simple way to preserve fresh herbs because the fried herbs can retain the original smell and add a crispy taste, and it is very easy to handle. First, prepare a pan and pour a thin layer of oil. When the hot oil is bubbling, add the vanilla leaves. When the leaves are about to curl, the interior will emit the fragrance of vanilla so that the fried vanilla is completed.
Deep-fried herbs such as sage go well with pasta. Deep-fried parsley is the best side dish for grilled zucchini and artichokes. And beyond your imagination, deep-fried herbs can also be used as ingredients for making green sauce.
Knowing fresh herbs will make you more comfortable in cooking, and there will be no “leftover vanilla” phenomenon at home. Learn how to properly preserve herbs. You can add herbs to the dishes anytime you want. If you want to eat exotic food, you can easily prepare and serve it at home without going to the restaurant.
Hi, am Sukanya Sharma, a professional blogger and writer, from Bhubaneswar. I completed my graduation from Delhi University in 2018. My expertise is in Lifestyle, Food & Health.
