Living in a Chicago condo, I don't have access to fresh herbs other than the grocery store. There is a great vegetable market where I can buy them from the bulk bins and avoid purchasing tons of herbs that will go bad, but I don't have a car and that makes it difficult at times. I am lucky enough to have a mother-in-law with an herb garden in the summer and an indoor Aerogarden herb garden in the winter, and she always has plenty to share.
Whenever I do get my hands on fresh herbs, I use them in everything.
SALADS
Left over herbs? Chop them up and mix them with your salad greens. Fresh herbs - especially parsley, chives, dill - really brighten a salad. If I had my own herb garden I'd never make a salad without them. But for now it's how I don't waste my left over fresh herbs.
PIZZA
Fresh chopped basil adds a new layer to pizza. Whether you make your own pizza or order in, throw a handful of fresh chopped basil on after it comes out of the oven before you serve it.
FISH
I'm a purest when it comes to fish and meat. I don't like a lot of seasoning, I love the fresh taste of the meat itself. My favorite way to cook salmon is to simply top it with a little lemon juice, coarse salt and fresh ground pepper and throw it under the broiler for about 8 minutes. But adding fresh dill to this same dish elevates it to an entirely different meal.
My Favorite quick recipe with fresh herbs:
This is one recipe I follow pretty close to exact. It's a really quick and easy fresh summer dish that is really bright and clean - the gremolata is a wonderful use of fresh parsley. I usually serve this with a brown rice medley on the side. I've not paired it with wine yet, but I would imagine matching the light and citrus flavors of this dish with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blancs are also light and crisp and typically include smells and tastes of citrus. The body is light, so it wouldn't overpower the light flavor of the dish; instead, both wine and food would compliment one another with similar weight and flavors. You can learn more quick pairings from my favorite reference: http://www.foodandwinepairing.org/.
Sautéed Asparagus and Shrimp with Gremolata from Cooking Light Magazine
April 2008
Ingredients
- GREMOLATA:
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
SHRIMP:- 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 3 cups (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound)
- 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined medium shrimp
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
1. To prepare gremolata, combine first 5 ingredients; set aside.
2. To prepare shrimp, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 20 seconds. Add asparagus to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove asparagus from pan; keep warm.
3. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 20 seconds. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Add asparagus, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to pan; sauté 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle evenly with gremolata.
Nutritional Information
- Calories:
- 240 (29% from fat)
- Fat:
- 7.6g (sat 1.2g,mono 3.7g,poly 1.7g)
- Protein:
- 36.1g
- Carbohydrate:
- 5.2g
- Fiber:
- 1.6g
- Cholesterol:
- 259mg
- Iron:
- 5.6mg
- Sodium:
- 403mg
- Calcium:
- 115mg
- Lorrie Hulston, Cooking Light, APRIL 2008
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