The easiest way to get herbal goodness into your body is through food. Even our culinary herbs have benefits, so let's use the $h!T out of them! :-)
Culinary Herbs
Culinary herbs are the leaves or flowers of herbaceous plants that we use to enhance the flavor of our foods. These herbs can vary depending on the cuisine we are cooking. For example, when you think of Italian cuisine, you likely think of Basil, Oregano, Rosemary and Garlic.
No matter what cuisine or what culinary herbs, most of them have many of the same benefits.
Benefits of Culinary Herbs
Almost all culinary herbs have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic qualities. Many help control blood glucose levels and affect our cognition and mood. In addition to all of these benefits, nutritionally, most are full of vitamins, flavonoids, polyphenols, and other beneficial constituents.
Each individual herb likely has more specific benefits. I occasionally spotlight an herb on my YouTube Channel, so if you want to learn more, be sure to SUBSCRIBE.
What Are We Actually Making? Watch Here
The Base Recipe
I started with a Chimichurri Recipe. However, you know me... I didn't follow it exactly. This is what I did:
Ingredients
1/2 yellow Onion, finely chopped
1 Fresno pepper, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine Vinegar
1 tsp kosher Salt
1/2 cup chopped Cilantro
1/4 cup chopped Parsley
1/2 tsp dried Oregano
1/2 cup Olive Oil
Directions
Chop and finely dice the onion, fresno, and garlic. Place in a bowl with a cover. Add vinegar and salt. Allow this to sit for 10 minutes while you prep the herbs.
Finely chop the herbs, removing any big stems. Add herbs and olive oil to the vinegar mixture.
That's it. Now enjoy the deliciousness!
Note - I was considering using a food processor rather than chopping everything by hand. However, while I was looking through chimichurri recipes, I found a comment that warned against this. The reason was that using a food processor will give you paste, more like pesto. What you really want is a loose herbal relish. So, hand chopping is best. And, honestly, it really doesn't take that long and you don't have to clean the food processor. :-)
Also keep in mind, this recipe makes A LOT. Depending on how many people you are serving and your meal plan for the next few days, you might want to make half a batch.
Variations
Is there a recipe in existence that can't be modified? I don't think so!!! Changing recipes is one of my favorite things about cooking. If I had to make the same dishes, the same way, every time I made them? Yuck, how boring!
Let's talk about some of the options.
Rather than onion, you can use scallions, shallots or ramps. Onion taste still too strong? Use chives!
I love the red flecks of a fresno against the green herbs, but a jalapeño would taste great. If you don't want a lot of heat, try a poblano or even a small amount of bell pepper. Also, keeping the membrane and seeds adds heat. Cutting them out keeps the heat level down.
In addition to the vinegar, lime juice and lemon juice add a nice bit of fresh flavor!
Of course you can switch up the herbs for completely different flavors. Authentic chimichurri only uses parsley, but I love the taste of cilantro. However, you can use any herbs and greens you want! Try basil, chives, spearmint (not too much), rosemary, thyme, or even the greens from freshly harvested ramps!
Serving Suggestions
I made this to serve over top of a Chickpea Stew with Grilled Mushrooms (it was delicious). However, this herbal condiment is typically served over meats like grilled steak or chicken. It is also super yummy over eggs, tofu, and even fish! I would also serve it over roasted potatoes or rice. Add a spoonful to your salad vinaigrette for a punch of flavor. The options are endless!
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