Herbs and Spices for Flavor

Pistachio Pesto

½ cup Olive Oil

2 cloves Garlic

3 cups fresh Basil Leaves

 

* Put above ingredients into blender and pulse until mixture is liquid.

 

1/3 cup pistachios shelled (I use Costco’s Salt and Pepper Pistachios)

½ cup Parmesan Cheese**

¼ tsp salt (if you use the Salt and Pepper Pistachios don’t add this extra saltJ)

¼ tsp pepper (if you use the Salt and Pepper Pistachios don’t add this extra pepperJ)

*Add final ingredients to blender until you reach the coarseness you desire. I like mine pretty smooth. Use with your favorite pasta.

**Not Kraft but the real shredded parmesan. I use the Precious Shredded Parmesan from Costco in a bag in the freezer section. Costs only $11 for 3 lbs of parmesan. I freeze it in a Gallon Ziploc bag and use it as needed.

 

 

Taco Meat & Bean Mixture

 2 lbs Ground Beef

Small onion chopped small

*Sauté Ground Beef and optional onion over medium heat until cooked through and drain excess fat.

1 ½ TBS Johnnys Seasoning

1 ½ TBS Cumin

1 TBS Chili Powder

½ tsp Oregano

1 TBS Garlic Granules

*Add Seasonings to meat and sauté on medium for 5 mins.

1 cup Salsa (mild, medium or hot according to your tastes)

4 cups Refried Beans

*Add salsa and refried beans to seasoned meat mixture until combined thoroughly. Allow to simmer on low for 5 mins. and remove from heat.

Yeilds approximately 7 cups

Great for crispy or soft tacos, fry bread, taco salad, nachos, taco pizza or anything else you like taco meat with.

 

Salsa

2 – 3 Cloves Garlic

2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar

½ tsp Salt

*Put into blender with vinegar and salt and blend until smooth.

1 14 oz can Tomato Sauce

1 14 oz can Stewed Tomatoes

(or 3 to 4 cups fresh tomatoes)

*Add remainder of tomatoes in blender and pulse 4 to 6 times

3 – 4 jalapeno peppers

1 small onion

1/3 of a bunch of cilantro

*Add remaining ingredients and salt to taste (up to ½ tsp more salt)

 

Pico deGio

4 large diced Tomatoes

¼ to ½ cup medium onion finely diced

2 TBS finely chopped Cilantro

½ - 1 tsp Lime Juice

¼ tsp Salt

Stir together and let sit for 5 mins before serving

Optional – Corn, black beans, Jalapenos, crushed garlic

 

Guacamole

2 large Avocadoes

¼ to ½  tsp Salt

¼ - ½ tsp Cayenne

½ tsp Lime juice

 

 Chipotle Chili Chili

2 lb. Ground Beef

1 large onion chopped small

*Brown Ground Beef and chopped onion together

1 to 2 bell peppers chopped small (optional)

1 Chipotle Chili**

2 tsp. Johnny’s Seasoning 

2 tsp. Onion granules

4 tsp. Garlic granules

4 tsp. cumin powder

5 tsp. red chili powder

1 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp divided (1 tsp. salt at the beginning and 1 more tsp. to taste after simmering everything)

Pepper to taste

*Add optional bell pepper and seasonings to meat and onions. Sauté for 5 to 10 mins. Break up the Chipotle Chili until it is evenly dispersed throughout.

2/14 oz. cans of Kidney Beans with fluids

2/14 oz. cans of Black Beans with fluids

2/14 oz. cans of Pinto Beans with fluids

(or 8 - 9 cups cooked homemade beans.  I like to combine 2 cups dry Pinto Beans, 2 cups dry Black Beans and 4 cups dry Kidney Beans in my crockpot with 2TBS salt with enough water to fill my crockpotcook and cook on low for 6 or 7 hours. I use half the beans and water in this chili recipe and freeze the other half of the beans and the water for another recipe.)

2/14 oz. cans of stewed tomatoes (I blend these in my blender)

3/14 oz. cans tomato sauce

 

*Add beans, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer for 15 – 30 mins and salt to taste.

 

Optional at the end- Add 1 ½ to 2 cups frozen corn

Eat with Corn Bread.

 

**I use Embasa brand Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. Found in Mexican Food Section of Fred Meyer, Safeway, WinCo, and WalMart. I buy the 12 oz can for $3 to $4. I separate out one pepper at a time each in their own Ziploc baggie (Use a fork. Don’t touch with hands as they can hurt your skinJ). When all the peppers are in baggies I lay them all flat in a gallon size Ziploc and freeze them. Then I pull one baggie out at a time to use them when I need them. One $4 can will last me six months to a yearJ)

 

Corn Bread

 

Pre-heat oven to 400°F

 

1 cup corn meal

1 cup whole wheat

¾ cup honey

1 TBS Baking Powder

½ cup butter

2 eggs

1¼ cup milk (I use Soy Milk)

 

Combine dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk together.  Grease 8-inch square pan and pour in mixed ingredients.  Bake for 25 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into center, comes out clean.

Can be doubled and put into a 13 X 9 - inch pan – Bake as above.

 

Spaghetti

2 lbs Ground Beef

1 Onion Chopped medium

(optional bell pepper chopped medium)

2 Garlic Cloves crushed

½ - 1 TBS Johnny’s

1 TBS Garlic Granules

1 TBS Onion Granules

Ground Pepper

3 TBS Italian Seasoning

(optional black olives, 1 14 oz can chopped or sliced)

2 26 oz Jars of Fred Meyer brand Spaghetti Sauce or your favorite brand. (Why Fred Meyer sauce?...It is inexpensive, not filled with additives, and tastes rich and not too tangy.)

 

In skillet on stovetop put ground beef and onions. Sprinkle all seasonings on Beef and Onions (add optional bell peppers). Brown until meat has some darker brown on the meat. Add chopped or sliced olives and 2 jars of Fred Meyer Spaghetti Sauce over meat mixture and stir. Fill each jar with ½ cup water and shake to loosen the excess sauce and pour into skillet. Simmer for 5 to 10 mins. Sauce will thicken. Stir occasionally so to not burn the sauce.

 

Boil 1lb of noodles and drain. Spoon the sauce over top of all noodles or on individual plates of noodles. Sprinkle on Parmesan Cheese. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Sauce

For Teriyaki Chicken

2 T Olive oil

                             1 cup Soy Sauce

                             ¼ cup Brown Sugar, packed or Agave or Honey

                             2 - 3 TBS Lemon Juice

                             1 - 2 T fresh Ginger or 1 tsp ground Ginger

                             1 - 2 minced Garlic Cloves or 1 – 2 tsp Garlic Granules

                             2 TBS minced Onion or 2 tsp Onion Granules

                             1/8 cup Sesame Oil

 

Mix together all ingredients from above.

                        

2 to 3 TBS of Corn Starch (use after chicken is cooked to make

          sauce thick)

 

Begin pot of rice. (Calrose Sticky Rice or Jasmine Rice is our family’s favorite.)

 

Place 4 large half breasts of chicken (or the equivalent amount of thighs*, tenders, wings*, drumsticks* or mix of all of them, abt. 2 lbs worth - give or takeJ) in an oven proof pan. Pour sauce over the chicken. Cover pan with foil and place in oven at 300 degrees for 2 - 3 hours until done. (No need to preheat oven.)

 

Side note: If you’d like to marinate the chicken overnight, that is fine, simply add ½ cup water to the marinade or it will be too strong.

 

If chicken aren’t fully submerged in the sauce remove them from the oven an hour to an hour-in-a-half into the cooking and flip the chicken once to make sure the chicken is completely covered. By the end of 2 to 3 hours the chicken will be fully cooked. Remove from oven. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

 

Strain the sauce into a sauce pan to remove chicken pieces. In a small cup, mix ¼ cup cold water and 2 to 3 heaping TBS of Corn Starch until smooth then add it to the sauce pan. Heat the sauce pan to high, while stirring constantly, until sauce, water and Corn Starch boils and thickens. Remove from heat.

 

I serve the chicken on the rice and pour sauce over everything. It is delicious. I also have served the chicken cooled down on top of an Asian salad or in California Rolls.

 

*When I cook with skin-on chicken, I remove the chicken from the pan and put them on a cookie sheet and Broil their skins for a few minutes until crispy. 

 

Chicken Curry with Broccoli and Rice

Curry Rice:

4 cups Jasmine Rice

4 cups Water

1 cup Coconut Milk

1 TBS Johnny’s

½ TBS Italian Seasoning

3 TBS Curry Powder

2 TBS Garlic Granules

1 TBS Honey

 

Place all ingredients in a rice cooker and stir thoroughly. Turn on.

 

Curry Chicken:

For 4 to 5 ½ breast of Chicken or 6 or 7 Thighs bone in, skin on

1 cup Coconut Milk

3 to 4 TBS Curry Powder

1 tsp Johnny’s

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

3 to 4 TBS Honey

Heat skillet on stove top to medium. Pour Coconut milk into skillet. Place chicken into skillet. Add ½ the Curry Powder, Johnny’s, Italian Seasoning and Honey evenly over the top of the chicken. Put on a lid. Let chicken cook on medium for 10 to 15 mins. until chicken is cooked more than half way through. Check 2 or 3 times to make sure the skillet isn’t burning the chicken (adjust heat down if necessary.) Once the chicken is cooked more than half way through (ie. it is more tan than pink up the sides of the chicken) flip chicken over. Add the remaining ½ of the Curry, Johnny’s, Italian Seasoning and Honey. Cook until no longer pink inside of the chicken.

 

1 ½ cup more Coconut Milk

By this point the seasonings and coconut milk is oily looking. Add another 1 to 1 ½ cup Coconut Milk to the sauce around the chicken (not directly over the chicken) and stir in with spatula to thicken. The sauce should look like a creamy curry. Taste and add more curry and Johnny’s if neededJ.

 

Curry Broccoli:

2 cups Broccoli florets cut small

2 TBS Coconut Milk

2 tsp Curry Powder

½ tsp Johnny’s Seasoning

¼ cup water

Heat skillet to Medium heat on stovetop. Add Coconut milk and Broccoli florets. Sauté. Sprinkle Curry and Johnny’s over Broccoli while sautéing. Add ¼ cup water and lower heat to low. Put lid on to steam Broccoli until it is bright green.

 

Cook Curry Rice, Curry Chicken and Curry Broccoli separately and then either stir together at the end or eat separately. Delicious!

 

Sesame Ginger Dressing

 

3-1/2 TBS sesame Oil

3 TBS Rice Vinegar

1 TBS chopped Ginger

1/2 cup Water

1 cup Pineapple Juice

1 tsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Corn Starch

2 TBS Soy Sauce

2 TBS Agave or sugar

¼ tsp Salt

2 TBS Sesame Seeds

 

Blend until everything is pureed, strain through a small mesh strainer and then boil together until boiling. Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Cool in the fridge before serving.

 

Caesar Salad Dressing

1 ½ cup Mayo

1 heaping cup Parmesan Cheese

1 ½ TBS lemon juice

2 TBS Horseradish Sauce

2-4 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp black pepper

Dash to ¼ tsp salt

1 TBS dried parsley flakes crushed

2 TBS Asian Fish Sauce or 2 tsp Anchovy Paste

 

1 full head romaine lettuce cut

Croutons

½ cup parmesan cheese

 

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend only until mixed thoroughly, 30 seconds or so.  Toss ½ cup parmesan cheese with cut lettuce.  Add half the dressing to lettuce and parmesan and toss.  Top with croutons and cooled, cooked chicken.  The other half of the Caesar Salad Dressing can be stored in airtight container for future use, or you can put more of it on your saladJ.  Enjoy!

 

Italian Dressing

 

2 cups Olive Oil

½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar (I have used rice vinegar as well and it turns out greatJ)

1 tsp Salt

2 medium Garlic Cloves minced

1 ½  - 2 tsp Kirkland No Salt Seasoning or plain Italian Seasoning

Lots of Pepper

 

You can just shake all the ingredients together in a bottled (I would leave it out on the counter for a day or two for best flavor before putting it in the fridge if you do it this way) or blend it in the blender if you want more flavor sooner. It stores best in the fridge. When taking it out of the fridge you will need to let it warm to room temperature and shake it well before pouringJ.

 

I use this for salad dressing and marinating chicken and oil to cook chicken.

 

Mayo, Garlic Mayo, Garlic Basil Mayo

 

1 large Egg

3 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar (or Lemon Juice)

½ tsp Salt

 

*In blender blend well Egg, Vinegar (or Lemon Juice), Salt (include garlic or Basil or both if you want these optional ingredients.)

 

1 ¼ cup Olive Oil

 

*Drizzle Olive Oil into blender slowly. If Mayo doesn’t thicken up right away, add 1 TBS more Olive Oil at a time until thick (up to 1 ½ or 2 cups total Olive Oil).

 

 

Optional 1 – 2 med clove garlic, 1 cup Fresh Basil

 

Coleslaw

 

4 cups shredded cabbage (I use a cheese grater to shred it)

¼ cup Homemade Mayo

½ - 1 TBS Sweetner (Agave, sugar, honey, or sugar in the raw etc…)

 

*Stir all ingredients together.

 

Optional 1 to 2 large carrots shredded, cayenne for spicy coleslaw. Another version that I love is made by using the garlic basil mayo in instead of plain mayo but don’t add the sweetener.

 

 

Ranch Dressing

3 cups mayonnaise

1 cup soy milk

1 TBS garlic granules

½ TBS onion granules

2 TBS parsley – crush between your fingers before you add to bowl

Lots of Black pepper

1 TBS Johnny’s Seasoning

1 TBS lemon juice – fresh or bottled

 

Whisk together in Tupperware container, enjoy!!

 

Tartar Sauce

1 small diced Pickle

1 ½ cup Mayo

2 TBS Pickle Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar

2 TBS Lemon Juice

1 tsp Garlic Granules

½ tsp Dill

¼ to ½ tsp Salt

Dash Pepper

 

Mix and dip your favorite fish in or chill for 2 hours before using to allow flavors to mix better.

 

Peppermint or Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

 

Harvest Peppermint before it flowers. Cut near base of stems. Leave 5 or 6 leaves on each stem so that you don’t kill the plant. You will be able to harvest multiple times a year and for many years to come if you do this. Dry loosely on wire mesh sieve or rack in well ventilated area, tossing daily to prevent any rotting. When dry, strip leaves from stem by gently pressing the thumb and forefinger around the stem while sliding down the stem releasing the leaves into a bowl. Store in an airtight container in a dark and cool place.

 

Harvest Red Raspberry Leaves at the end of the raspberry season. Use the new shoots for the next year but only use 1/3 of them or less so that your plants are healthy for the next year. Dry loosely on wire mesh sieve or rack in well ventilated area, tossing daily to prevent any rotting. When dry, crumble up and store in airtight container in a dark and cool place.

 

Boil 4 cups water (6 to 7 mins in glass jar in microwave or same amount of time in sauce pan or tea pot on the stovetop). Remove water from the heat. Fill metal tea infuser with peppermint leaves or red raspberry leaves and place in glass from microwave or sauce pan and let seep for 20 to 30 mins. Add honey or drink plain!

 

For Roots like Ginger, Licorice and Valerian Root Tea

 

Cut up these roots small and dry in a food dryer for 24 hours or until completely dry. Store in airtight container in a dark and cool place.

The difference between roots and leaves is fairly obvious. Roots are tougher to extract the flavor and medicinal properties out of. So while over cooking them would be a mistake, I like to bring 4 cups of water to a boil (preferably on the stovetop because I believe it is healthierJ) and then add the roots (1/8 to ¼ cup) straight to the water while it is boiling and boil for 2 or 3 mins with a lid on before taking off the stove to cool (keep the lid on for best results). Then I strain the tea and mix with honey or drink plain.

 

 

Cooking with Herbs and Spices – Herbs and Spices add health and interest to our daily food and food storage without MSG’s and harmful additives. Come learn to grow and dry herbs, where to buy them in bulk, how to prepare Italian, Ginger & Sesame, Caesar, and Ranch salad dressings, homemade plain and basil mayonnaise, tartar sauce, herbal tea, seasonings for chili, taco meat, spaghetti sauce and more!