More ways to use fresh herbs

Many recipes call for fresh herbs which do add wonderful flavors to the foods we cook, but do you ever find that you bought a "bunch" or a package of some fresh herb when you only needed a small amount?  Do you hold on to it with the idea in mind that you will use it somewhere else, but then you don't know what to do with it? 

Here are a couple of very quick and easy ways to enjoy the fresh herbs weeks or even months later!

Compound Butter!

Compound butters can be made at home and you probably have all the ingredients on hand!  You simply whip together real unsalted butter with herbs, spices or aromatic liquids using a stand mixer or hand held mixer.  Then form it into a cylinder shape, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and chill until it is firm enough to be sliced. These butters can be melted on top of meats and vegetables, used as a spread or used to finish various sauces. You can also store this well wrapped in the freezer for a few months.

Try fresh garlic, parsley, butter and salt for your own garlic spread.   You can make it more spreadable (and delicious) by incorporating some olive oil or cream cheese!

Pesto!

Always a classic but even more delicious when you make it at home!  I blogged a How-to on making pesto in late September.  Again, incredibly more delicious than store bought,  and it can be stored for months in the freezer.

Seasoned Salt!

Salt is a natural preservative!  It's been the way to preserve fish and meats before the invention of the refrigerator!  It's also great to make your own seasoned salt using fresh herbs, garlic, citrus zest, etc.  All you need beyond the ingredients is a good knife and some time to work these ingredients together! 

Use on meats, vegetables, your breakfast cereal.  Okay, maybe not that last one....

The seasoned salts you buy in the store can be made right at home, and as with anything else that is homemade, it will be even more delicious!  Try it and see for yourself!

Using and Preserving Fresh Herbs

I just got home from the store with some fresh parsley.  The store that I buy mine at usually has a sprayer that keeps the parsley pretty wet.  I select a bunch and put it in a plastic bag so that it doesn't make other things that I am buying also get wet.


This is what my parsley looks like when I get home from the store.  Notice how wet it is?

Unwrap your herbs if they are wet. 

Notice how some of the leaves (near the stems) are already bruised and crushed? 

Also the way it is wrapped with the leaves and stems tied together is a problem.  You know that those leaves are going to decay quickly, especially if you leave your bundle of parsley wrapped up and in the plastic bag. 

Very mixed and wet parsley.

I think I have thrown out parsley more times that I would like to count because of leaving it wrapped the way I brought it home from the store.  It really is a turn off when it smells rotten and is slimy to handle.

You really need to separate the individual stems of parsley when you first bring it home from the store. 

 Spread your parsley out on towels so that you can pull out the leaves that will rot and ruin the rest of the bunch.  Sort the stems by length if you want to put them into glasses or vases with water and you can keep them right on your countertop.

Short stems in smaller vase, Longer stems in tall glass. 

When I clean up the parsley like this, I will actually have fresh parsley on hand for at least a week.  Remember to change the water though, just like with fresh flowers.

You can use parsley in many ways:  freshly minced as a garnish, stems and all in a pasta sauce, or before they wilt you can throw them into the freezer and add to your soup/stock.  

Dry the parsley well and store in an airtight container. 

The very wet stems and leaves put into the freezer for later.

If you hate to throw out all those stems and leaves that were separated, just put them into the freezer and use later.  Using this method I will not waste any of the fresh herbs that I am paying top dollar for this winter.

Here's another way to preserve fresh herbs for even longer:

Make Herb-Garlic Salt.

 You can easily make your fresh herbs into a seasoned salt for meat, vegetables, or a delicious compound butter.

First, remove the stems from the leaf.  Finely chop with fresh garlic cloves and Kosher salt. 

Chop it all together: herb, salt and garlic.

Keep chopping.  You want this finely minced.

Add more salt and keep chopping.

Mix this into butter and it will keep for months in the freezer.  Put on vegetables, rice, pasta, whole grains, potatoes, or use as a spread on bread. 

When it is finely chopped, it is ready to use! 

This is one of the tricks you can use at home to make your fresh herbs go farther--especially at this time of year when many of us can't grown them. 

And feel free to pass it on....

Find more information at my website:  www.now-youre-cooking.com

Got Bananas, Take Two

I was cleaning up my blogs the other day, deleting the ones I started and never finished, and with just one click I accidentally deleted the banana blog that I had just written!  Dang, why isn't there a do-over button on this site?!

So here is my re-write:
The other morning my husband looked at our banana situation (he eats a banana every morning) and said "last night these were green and today they are turning brown".  I struggle with having some ready-to-eat bananas for his daily fix, and buying bananas that are not-ready-to-eat but will soon be ready-to-eat. 

Ripe or over-ripe?

I oftentimes would take overripe bananas and turn them into some delicious baked good, like my sister Mary Lou's Banana Bread.  Since so many people now avoid baked goods, that isn't always a viable solution. 

Of course you can freeze the bananas, but I am disgusted with the liquid-like mess they become.  And in the interest of full disclosure I will admit to finding blackened bananas in my freezer that were beyond use.  I think I could find that in the freezers of many well intentioned cooks!

 

However, if you want to save your bananas in the freezer, who am I to stop you?  I find unpeeled frozen bananas particularly unappealing, so be sure to peel them before freezing.  

Here is my newest discovery for the overripe banana dilemma.  Peel your bananas and cut them into chunks.

Put the chunks onto a flat pan or plate and freeze them for several hours or overnight. 

When you remove these from the freezer you can put them all together in one container, such as a plastic bag, and they will remain separate from one another so that you can take out as many pieces as you want.  Because they are cut up they will also thaw faster, but we love to use them frozen.

Here are some suggestions:

If you have a high speed blender, put several chunks of banana in and turn on as high as it goes for a couple of minutes, until smooth.  Voila!  Banana ice Cream!  Really, you do not need to add anything else, but chocolate sauce and peanut butter might be nice.

Make a Banana Split, smoothie style.  Add strawberries (fresh, frozen, jam), pineapple, chocolate sauce and yogurt or ice cream.  Turn on the blender and mix until smooth and ready to spoon or drink, depending upon the thickness you are after.  You can add milk if it's too thick.

Throw a few chunks into any fruit smoothie.  Bananas make them taste better!

Pull out one or two chunks and eat as is--frozen.  Or dip into the peanut butter and coat with some mini chocolate chips.  This is a great little snack but keep it a secret unless you have a LOT of frozen bananas.  They will disappear in no time!

Try these ideas out! Let me know what you come up with!

Roasted vegetables

I love to roast vegetables in the oven rather than steam them. I think that the dry heat can really bring out some great color, texture and flavor.

Here are a few ideas for you. Cut onions into thick slices and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Put in a hot (400-425 degree) oven for 20-30 minutes. 

Allow your onions to develop some nice color.

Roasted onions can be eaten as is!

 When your onions are done roasting they will be soft and taste sweet.  You can use these in other dishes, or just enjoy them as they are!

You can roast just about any vegetables you want.

In the photo above you can see sliced mushrooms, sliced zucchini, and cut up carrots.  Follow the same procedure--drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and put on a baking sheet in a hot oven.

After roasting they should have color.

 You can cut up potatoes in any sort of shape you want:  sliced, diced, cubed.  Use a variety of potatoes: small red, yukon gold, fingerlings, sweet potatoes or even yams. 

You will want to flip these to get color on both sides.

Try this with cauliflower and broccoli also.  They roast up beautifully and really make for a colorful side dish. 

This can be the main course it's so beautiful!

Your vegetable side dishes don't need to be complicated to be delicious. 

Serve up a variety of roasted vegetables.

 These vegetables are all using the same preparation:  Cut, drizzle and roast.  Try your hand at this!

Seasonal Sides--something different for the holidays.

I won't be doing the traditional turkey dinner this year. No mashed potatoes, dressing, and gravy. No candied anything. No green bean casserole.  Having a number of family members being vegetarian has had me trying different dishes, especially sides. I have been at this for about 10 years now, and I think that these dishes have to be considered for what they offer.  First of all, they are much more attractive and colorful.

Pictured above:  raw brussel sprouts, pomegranate seeds, chopped almonds, and shaved Parmesan cheese. 

I think that the colors of food in a traditional Thanksgiving is very monochromatic, and BORING.  Additionally, it seems to be mostly mushy and soft: mashed potatoes, stuffing, candied something, overcooked vegetables. No thank you, give me some seasonal freshness and textures,

Try stuffing your squash with a combination of the squash meat, nuts and a whole grain pilaf. Serve it right in the shell for individual servings.   Here's a great way to have food that is chewy, colorful, and offers a variety of textures and flavors. 

Want to keep it simple but add a big wow of color?  Roast cut up vegetables of different textures and colors. All you need is salt, pepper, olive oil and a hot oven.  Let the vegetables brown a bit. If you haven't tried this before, drop what you are doing today and get everything you need.  Cut up the vegetables so they are all about the same size and roast in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. If they aren't beautiful yet, get an oven thermometer and calibrate your oven!

We will be having some sort of whole grain side dish too. Whole grains are healthy, chewy, textural, and will satisfy hunger longer.  Here's an example that ties in nicely to the colorless meal:

A little cucumber, some dried cranberries, Feta cheese, and Farro. This adds a lot of color ( red, green, white and light brown); a variety of textures and flavors (chewy Farro, sweet dried fruit, salty Feta, fresh cucumber).  You can add in anything you think will be colorful and interesting: sautéed mushrooms, roasted cubes of butternut squash, another grain (wild rice anyone?), diced shallots or pickled red onion, maybe even some diced beets.  You have my permission! 

The dressing can also make an impact on your taste buds. For a fall menu, try citrus fruits,  pomegranate juice, or cider vinegar with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Just use the ratio of 1 part acid (juice or vinegar) to 3 parts oil (olive, vegetable, walnut, etc.). Play around with this and tailor it to your tastes.  A homemade dressing is very easy and flavorful. Just put your ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake!  Taste before adding to your salad and adjust as needed. 

Above:  shredded brussel sprouts, bacon, pomegranate seeds, Parmesan cheese. 

If you are not sure how you might like these dishes, you should try a cooking class. Cook it, taste it, and learn how to tweak it for your individual tastes.  

As I always say, "A recipe is just a suggestion, or a starting point.  You can make it once following the instructions, and then make it your own."

I am wishing you all colorful holiday meals!

LOVE the Fall Vegetables!

It seems to me that most people start their meal plan with the meat or protein and build around that.  Here's a side dish that goes with everything!  It will add color, flavor, texture and it's very easy to make.  You might make this every night because you don't need a recipe or a shopping list!

Heat up your oven to 400 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking pan with foil for easy clean up.

Cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, red onion and beets.

I keep fresh vegetables on hand for this, but it can vary.  Here is a list of some vegetables that store well and are great roasted.
Potatoes, including yams and sweet potatoes
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Carrots
Onions, all colors
Turnips
Mushrooms
Peppers, all kinds
Zucchini
Squash, peeled and cubed
Beets, cubed and salted to control "bleeding"
Brussel Sprouts, halved

Keep these on hand, choosing whatever you like for your mix.  You can do one vegetable or a combination.  Just be sure to give them "room" on the pan so they can brown.

Cut up vegetables so they are similar in size.  Toss them together with some olive oil, salt and pepper.  For a slightly different taste, try using coconut oil instead of olive oil, or add a little sesame oil to either.  Go lightly on sesame oil though--it's a strong flavor.

 

Serve it up as a side dish.

Add some Burrata and balsamic and you can call it a main course. 

A Taste of Fall-- Coleslaw

With the cooler weather, I pull out all things "fall"--cabbage, apples, onions, carrots, and cauliflower.  I love the combination of colors, textures, and tastes and decided to try a salad with these basic ingredients.

These look beautiful and inspiring!

I started with a great looking and heavy feeling cabbage.  It was so fresh I had to slap it a couple of times!

Cut cabbage in half and put on your cutting board with the flat side down for safe handling.

Cut in half again and remove the core. 

To prevent accidents in the kitchen, always be sure to put your food with the flat side down so it will not move as you are cutting.  In the example above two different things are being shown.  The quarter cabbage in the front of the picture has the core removed, while the quarter in back is in position to have the core cut out. 

Ready for slicing and washing.

 If you notice dirt as you slice up your cabbage, you can put the thinly sliced cabbage into a salad spinner and remove the dirt just like with lettuce and fresh herbs.

 

Use a salad spinner to wash you cabbage.

Baxter likes to keep an eye on my cooking process--just in case I drop something.

Slice thinly with a knife.

You can slice your cabbage very thinly with a knife for a great texture. It will taste crisp, crunchy and sweet without overwhelming your taste buds. You can also put it through the food processor, but the texture will be different.  I enjoy the process of slicing it all by hand. 

Because I had hand sliced the cabbage thinly, I wanted to include a similar thinness in my red onion and carrots.  You could use a grater for the carrots or the food processor, but I love this little tool.  Also, it doesn't use the whole carrot and then Baxter gets his favorite treat--carrot! I chop it up for him and he gets a little every day until it's gone.

Love the colors!  Let's Eat!

I had some cauliflower in the fridge, so I cut that up really small and threw it in.  Right before serving,  I peeled and diced an apple.

I whipped up a dressing of the following:
3 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. honey
1 very generous tsp. dijon mustard (love mustard)
2-3 tbsp cider vinegar, to thin it to the right consistency for pouring and coating
Salt and Pepper
I only poured the dressing on what we ate so the rest is saved separately for another meal.  I don't like my coleslaw as well when it sits in the dressing for too long. 
 
The coleslaw pictured below was made a week or so ago, and used scallions and red peppers.   The cabbage in this one went through the food processor.

A food processor shredding disc was used on this cabbage.

 We often eat coleslaw as a side dish, but since I had just made some pulled pork (in the pressure cooker--fast and fabulous!) we tried some on top of our sandwiches. 

Pulled pork sandwich with barbecue sauce, sliced heirloom tomatoes and coleslaw.

 After all that cooking and waiting for a morsel, Baxter was exhausted.  Poor thing!

Pulled Pork

If you find yourself craving delicious pulled pork but without the 4 hours it takes, try out a pressure cooker.  I am working on making fresh food fast with the pressure cooker, and this is a 4-star meal.  It's incredibly easy too.

Season an approximately 3 # pork shoulder, bone-in, with salt and pepper.  If you want it a little spicier, use some oregano and cumin as well.  Put the meat into your pressure cooker along with a cut up onion, same garlic cloves and 2 cups of water.  (This is in a 6 quart pressure cooker but make sure not to exceed the fill limit of yours.)

Making pulled pork in the Pressure Cooker.

Put the lid on and lock it into place.  Set the timer for 50 minutes if using an electric PC and it will start timing after achieving high pressure.  When using a stove top model, you need to wait for the pot to realize high pressure and then lower the heat to maintain that for 50 minutes. Use the natural release method.

Remove the pork from the cooker.

The pork was so tender it was falling off the bone!

Allow the meat to cool slightly.  Do not pour the "broth" made down the drain!  You can pour that over the pork once it's shredded.

Bare bone!  It's easy to remove the meat and shred it.

Use your hands or two forks to shred the meat.

Store in your refrigerator for up to 5 days--if it lasts that long!

It's very tasty and hard to resist, but try to save some for later.

Serving Ideas:
You can serve this up with about 1 cup barbecue sauce and served atop a bun for a great, hearty sandwich.  For an extra delicious sandwich put some coleslaw on top!
This makes an excellent topping for pizzas too.  We like it with grated gouda, barbecue sauce and red onion. 
Stir some into a bean soup.  Make the soup and add the meat later--it doesn't need any more cooking, just heat through.
Season meat with chili powder and cumin to taste; add 1 cup broth, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar and salt.  Heat up for a taco filling!

Try your pulled pork with some coleslaw--a perfect compliment!

You might not need any serving ideas because it's so delicious without any changes, but you might enjoy it more often!  Bon Appetit!

Next up:  A terrific coleslaw!

Quick last minute salad

Do you ever find yourself needing to add another salad or side dish due to unexpected circumstances?  An extra guest, unexpected guests, "whoops, is that event tonight!?" and you don't know what to do without a recipe and a trip to the grocery store?    Let me share a little trick with you.

If you  have a well-stocked pantry, you will be able to do this tonight.

Gather the following:

Canned cannelini beans (white kidney beans)
Roasted red bell peppers (canned is fine) or some cherry tomatoes (color!)
1-3 scallions or shallots
Fresh lemon juice
Garlic cloves
Fresh or dried rosemary
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Drain and rinse your cannelini beans.  Put in your salad bowl.
Thinly slice up your scallion(s) including as much of the green as you like, or finely dice your shallots.  If using scallion, the green also adds color to the salad.  Put in your salad bowl.
Chop up the roasted red pepper the size of your beans.  Also adds color.  Put in your salad bowl.

Heat up the garlic with olive oil and rosemary in the microwave.

Finely dice a few cloves of garlic depending on your tastes.  Throw them into a microwave safe container.
Chop up fresh rosemary, or use 1-2 tsp. dried.  Add to the microwave safe container.
Pour 3 Tbsp. olive oil into the cup and stir.  Microwave for 1 minute or until it smells wonderful and everyone wants to know what's for supper.  Allow to cool slightly. 
Squeeze juice from your lemon and whisk it into the oil mixture in the microwave safe container.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pretty as is but some roasted red peppers or cherry tomatoes would be beautiful!

Pour the dressing over the beans, scallion/shallot, redpepper/tomato mixture and stir. 


This is easy and delicious, and you can have everything on hand for those emergency side dish situations. Try this with other beans such as garbonzo or mix in some black beans. Remember, we eat with our eyes too and color is important!