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Herbs - Tips

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Basil

Stir into chopped fresh tomatoes with a dash of olive oil for a delicious bruschetta topping.
Sprinkle over pizzas, roasted vegetables or tomato soup.
Add to tomato sauces for pasta.
Mix with olive oil, tomato purée and garlic to make a salad dressing.
Bake whole baby courgettes in olive oil, chopped tomato and Basil.

Chives

Add Chives to cooked dishes at the last minute to preserve their delicate flavour.
Stir into mashed potato with a little butter and grated cheese.
Stir into cheese sauce at the end of cooking for a delicate flavour.
Sprinkle onto scrambled eggs, omelettes, quiches and potato salad.
Sprinkle over salads and soups as a great garnish.
Stir into soured cream for a tasy dip.

Coriander

Stir into chopped tomatoes with a little lemon juice and garlic for a refreshing salsa.
Great in Mexican dishes such as chilli con carne.
For an Indian raita, stir chopped or grated cucumber, Coriander Leaf, salt and pepper into natural yoghurt.
For a Thai style dressing mix warm creamed coconut with lemon juice and stir in Coriander Leaf, Crushed Chillies and chopped spring onions.
Stir Coriander Leaf, Parsley, fresh green chillies, Garlic and onion into cooked rice to make Mexican arroz verde.
Add Coriander Leaf to breads, stuffings and sauces and sprinkle over spicy or creamy dishes at the end of cooking.

Dill

Stir into a white sauce before serving.
Sprinkle over fish with some lemon juice before grilling.
Stir through cooked new potatoes or carrots with a knob of butter.
Mix with olive oil, vinegar, mustard and honey as a dressing for salmon.
Use Dill as a refreshing alternative to parsley in omelettes, quiches and salads.

Marjoram & Oregano

Add to cream, white wine, stock and chopped onion for a creamy herb sauce for chicken or pork.
Sprinkle olive oil, lemon juice, salt and Marjoram over chicken or lamb before roasting or grilling.
Sprinkle onto roasted vegetables.

Mint

Mix with vinegar and a little sugar to make mint sauce for roast lamb.
Sprinkle onto peas and new potatoes, together with a knob of butter.
Stir into cooked couscous with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle Mint onto green salads.
Add to yoghurt with diced cucumber for a refreshing raita dip.

Parsley

Combine with breadcrumbs, grated cheese and garlic, then spoon into flat mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden.
Mix with butter and lemon juice, then stir into cooked vegetables and new potatoes.
Stir into white sauce just before serving.
Stir fry carrots in a little butter and add garlic and Parsley.
Delicious with fish.
Sauté mushrooms in butter, garlic and a good tablespoon of Parsley.

Rosemary

Sprinkle onto lamb or pork before roasting.
Sprinkle onto potatoes and parsnips before roasting.
Make a rich red wine, orange and Rosemary gravy for lamb or duck.
Sprinkle Rosemary over barbecue coals for an aromatic smoky flavour.
Rosemary makes a fresh and flavoursome marinade for meats and oily fish together with olive oil, Garlic and lemon juice.

Sage

Add to finely diced apple and minced pork for tasty meatballs.
Add to apple sauce for more flavour.
Mix with breadcrumbs, chopped onion and butter for a really tasty stuffing.
Sprinkle over pork or chicken before roasting.
Combine with grated cheese and breadcrumbs as a topping for grilled fish.
Add to sausage and leek casserole for extra flavour

Tarragon

Make quick sauces for chicken, fish or pasta by stirring into cream and white wine or into savoury white sauce.
Stir into creamy chicken or turkey soup.
Sprinkle over glazed carrots for a distinctive flavour.
Sprinkle into omelettes or salads.

Thyme

Combine with grated lemon zest, crushed garlic and butter, then spread over chicken breasts and wrap in Parma ham before cooking.
Add to casseroles and stews, such as Irish stew or Lancashire hotpot, for a warm, aromatic flavour.
Sprinkle over roasted vegetables or potatoes.
Marinate chicken or fish in olive oil, lemon juice and Thyme before grilling.

Root Vegetable & Red Lentil Hotpot

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

root vegetables (e.g. carrots, parsnips, celeriac, swedes)
onions
garlic
red lentils
tomatoes
mixed herbs
salt
pepper
oil

Cooking Instructions

Saute some onions and garlic in oil. Add chopped root vegetables and stir to cover with oil. Add red lentils and some mixed herbs, salt and pepper and stir as above. Add liquid vegetable stock. and as many tomatoes as you can find (or 1 tin.)

Bring to the boil and then simmer for 45 minutes, keep checking and add water when/if necessary as the lentils absorb water. Cook until the vegetables are tender. 

Cream Cheese and Beetroot Stack with Beetroot Salsa

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

For the cream cheese and beetroot stack
250g/9oz cream cheese
½ lemon, juice only
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
25g/1oz dill, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cooked beetroots sliced into five ½cm-thick rounds

For the beetroot salsa

½ lemon, juice only
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cooked beetroot, finely chopped
1 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chervil
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions

  1. To make the cream cheese and beetroot stack, place the cream cheese, lemon juice, red onion, dill and salt and freshly ground black pepper into a large bowl and mix together well.
  2. Place 1 beetroot round in the centre of a plate, place 2 tbsp of the cream cheese mixture on top, then place another beetroot round on top.
  3. Repeat this layering process three more times to create a stack.
  4. To make the salsa, place the lemon juice and olive oil into a bowl and whisk together. Add the beetroot, onion and herbs, season, to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix together.
  5. To serve, spoon the salsa around the stack.

Broad Bean & Pasta Salad

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

1 Bunch of watercress
2 Handfuls of broad beans blanched
150g of dried or fresh pasta boiled
1 Grated Carrot
Some toasted sesame seeds

For the dressing:

2 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
1 Table spoon white wine vinegar
1 Teaspoon Whole-grain mustard
Fresh dill or parsley

Cooking Instructions

  1. Mix everything, except the dressing ingredients, together in a large bowl.
  2. In a small bowl add the oil and vinegar to the mustard and beat until thoroughly mixed and add the chopped herbs.
  3. Pour the dressing onto the salad and serve.

Vegetable Souffle

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

Suitable for vegetarians
fresh breadcrumbs
grated Parmesan
450g chosen vegetable, (eg spinach, mushrooms, parsnips, courgettes or tomatoes) cooked, drained and cooking liquid reserved.
5 tablespoons of White Sauce (Bechamel) made with milk and vegetable water.
4 egg yolks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh herbs
5 egg whites, very stiffly beaten
To convert grams to ounces multiply the grams by 0.03527
To convert ml to fluid ounces multiply the ml by 0.0338

Cooking Instructions

Grease 1.5 litre souffle dish, then spinkle the inside liberally with breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
Chop or puree the vegetables. Stir in the sauce and mix well, beat in the egg yolks, season and add herbs.
Lightly fold in egg whites and pour into the souffle dish.
Bake at 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for 25 - 30 minutes until well risen but slightly runny in the centre.
Make sure everyone is around the table before you serve. Eat immediately before it sinks.
Tip: adding chopped garlic mushrooms or walnuts after you puree the vegetables will add variety and texture 

Celeriac Soup

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

¼ celeriac, peeled and sliced
small handful of fresh herbs, including parsley, chervil and chives
120ml/4fl oz double cream
120ml/4fl oz hot vegetable stock
For the yoghurt
55g/2oz Greek yoghurt
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Cooking Instructions

  1. Bring a medium pan of water to the boil and cook the celeriac for 8-10 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Drain the celeriac and transfer to a food processor. Pulse the celeriac with the fresh herbs and cream to form a smooth liquid/purée.
  3. Pour in the hot vegetable stock to the blender and blend again until smooth and creamy.
  4. Return the soup to the pan and re-heat for a few minutes.
  5. Ladle the soup into a bowl to serve.
  6. Place the yoghurt, garlic and mint into a small bowl and mix together until combined.
  7. Serve a spoonful of the yoghurt on top of the soup.

Leek, Potato and Mustard Crumble

Saturday, January 1, 2005 at 09:20PM
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Ingredients

1 lb mashed potatoes
3 oz butter
1 large onion, sliced
4 fl oz stock (chicken or vegetable)
1lb leeks, split and sliced
Flour and milk for the white sauce

For the crumble:
3 handfuls of breadcrumbs (slightly stale bread is perfect use a food processor or a grater)
2 oz melted butter
1 small onion, or half a large one chopped finely
1tsp chopped parsley
1 tsp chopped tarragon (can be omitted but really does add to the flavour)
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions

Serves 4-6
Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas Reg 6
First boil the potatoes, in salted water, in their skins. When tender, peel and then mash the potatoes, adding butter, milk and seasoning to taste. Line the bottom of an ovenproof dish with the mash.

Melt butter and cook onions for 3 minutes, until soft. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add leeks and simmer for 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, remove the cooked leeks and onions, layering them on top of the mash. The cooking liquid will be left in the pan increase the heat and boil until it has reduced by two thirds. Reduce heat, and make a white sauce with this liquid, by adding a tablespoon or more of plain flour, cook for two minutes, then add milk, boiling the sauce until it reaches your preferred consistency. Cover the leeks, onions and potatoes with the sauce.

To make the crumble, cook the onions in the butter for 2 minutes. Cool slightly, and mix in the breadcrumbs, chopped herbs and mustard. You may not need all the butter the mixture should be free flowing, but hold when pressed together. Season with pepper and salt, and sprinkle over the top of the leeks. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.