Trying to give more flavor to your vegetables? Want to enrich your cooking skills in an easy and fast way? Try using an herb or spice. But first learn a few quick tips.
There are many herbs and spices. Start with an affordable herb or spice. Both herbs and spices give flavor to our foods. Taste the herb or spice before using it on a vegetable. Mix it with a small amount of margarine, cream cheese or butter. Spread it on a cracker. See if you like the taste before cooking with it.
Next learn how much to add to the vegetable. One fourth teaspoon of a powdered herb, equals three fourths to 1 teaspoon of crumbled or flaked, and 2 teaspoons fresh.
Adding the right amount makes a difference in the flavor.
Decide whether you want to add an herb or a spice. Next if you are adding herbs, are they fresh or dried? Crumble dried herbs between your fingers or in your palm to release the flavors of herbs. Finely chop fresh herbs to release their flavors into the vegetables. Fresh herbs can be added at the end of the cooking process. Dried herbs in the beginning of the cooking process.
If adding a spice, it’s best to release the flavors from the spices. To release the flavors either “toast” or “bloom” spices. This helps to release the volatile oils and give their fullest flavor.
For whole spices first toast or roast. Put the whole spice into a small skillet without any oil and place over medium heat. Stir constantly to prevent scorching and toast until they are fragrant (3-5 minutes) and are a shade darker than their original color. Cool slightly before grinding. Sometimes ground spices are toasted but watch closely so the spices do not burn.
For ground spices, first “bloom” the spice. This intensifies the flavors of ground spices. Cook ground spices for a minute or two in a little clarified butter (ghee) or oil before any liquid is added to the recipe. If the recipe calls for sautéing onions or other aromatics, add the spices when the vegetables are nearly cooked. This step is particularly important with spice mixtures where it is crucial to develop complex flavors.
Herbs and spices enhance the natural flavors of vegetables. Next choose a vegetable from the list below. Select a spice or herb to begin. If you are unfamiliar with the herb or spice, taste it as described above. Cook the vegetable by either roasting, on top of the stove in a skillet, steaming or in a microwave.
If you wish to eat the vegetable fresh, sprinkle an herb or spice on top or make a dressing for dipping. Make the dressing ahead so the dried herbs will have time to hydrate.
Green Beans — Dill, marjoram, nutmeg, oregano
Beets — Allspice, nutmeg
Broccoli — Mustard, nutmeg, sage
Carrots — Dill, nutmeg, parsley, rosemary, thyme
Cucumbers — Basil, dill, parsley
Eggplant — Oregano, parsley
Mushrooms — Garlic, sage
Peas — Marjoram, mint
Potatoes —Chives, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, mace, rosemary, tarragon
Squash — Cardamom, ginger, nutmeg
Tomato — Allspice, basil, cloves, cumin, fennel, marjoram, oregano. For potatoes try basil, dill, chives, oregano or thyme to replace salt and butter. On green salads, sprinkle basil, chives or dill to reduce the amount of salad dressing that you normally use
Be creative in cooking vegetables. Try a new flavor!
