Recipes Using Fresh Herbs
If you have a lovely herb garden filled with fresh herbs, why not take this as an opportunity to create some of the best yet simple meals for you and your family? Whether you have rosemary, basil, or parsley, these recipes using fresh herbs we have here will surely diversify your taste.
1) Rosemary Shortbread
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The wonderful thing about shortbread is that it always welcomes the fascinating flavors that herbs can provide. If you have a lot of rosemary in your herb garden, you should do this one. You’ll need the following ingredients: caster sugar, rosemary leaves, butter, orange or lemon zest, and sifted flour. You can even try applying some lavender or thyme.
Simply preheat the oven to about 150 degrees Celsius while you put some grease on a tray. Place the sugar and the herbs in a food processor and make sure that the leaves have been adequately chopped. After this, include the butter and your chosen zest until the product turns creamy. If you want a bit of spiciness, use the orange zest. If not, you should go for lemon zest. Next, place them in a huge bowl and start placing in the flour to create the dough. The last process is to just bake the dough into your desired shape and take them out of the microwave once the shortbread looks lightly brown.
2) Basil Panna Cotta
For this recipe, you’ll need the following: a glass of milk, vanilla pods, lemon zest, double cream, basil leaves, gelatin leaves, and icing sugar. First, combine the milk, lemon zest, double cream, vanilla seeds, and the vanilla pods inside a pan. Simmer this mix for about 10 minutes. Next, take out the vanilla pods and stir them with the basil and the gelatin leaves. Make sure that the product becomes dissolved before you cool them down in the fridge.
Afterward, take out the product from the fridge. Include the icing sugar with the remaining double cream, and place the mix into four glasses. Place these glasses back in the fridge for an hour. Finally, take the glasses out of the fridge and place them in hot water to take the panna cotta out. Don’t forget to add some additional basil leaves if you want.
3) Fattoush
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If it’s a hot day, why not cool down by having some nice cold vegetables and herbs? For this recipe, you’ll have to gather the following: cucumbers, chopped tomatoes, red bell peppers, a red onion, spring onions, chopped parsley, chopped mint, and some toasted flatbread. You’ll just have to combine these ingredients to create the fattoush. Of course, it would be absolutely better if you made a spice mix commonly referred to as zaatar. Making this only requires some sesame seeds, sumac, and some dried thyme and oregano. As for the dressing of this delectable and healthy meal, it’s up to you.
4) Cilantro Pesto
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Who doesn’t love pesto meals? For the cilantro pesto, prepare at least three chopped garlic cloves, a couple of cups with cilantro, a quarter cup of olive oil, two tablespoons of sesame oil, two tablespoons of lemon juice, and half a teaspoon of salt and black pepper. Once you’ve got these ingredients, put the cilantro and the garlic in a food processor. In particular, the process should have a metal blade to smoothen out the ingredients as you add them one by one.
5) Spaghetti with Parsley Pesto
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Spaghetti is another favorite pasta meal for many people with herb gardens. For this delicious recipe, you need the following: kosher salt, black pepper, grated Parmesan cheese, olive oil, chopped chives, roasted almonds, and fresh parsley leaves from your garden. Similar to how you prepare any other kind of spaghetti, you first have to boil the pasta to make them soft. While this is happening, smoothen out the almonds, olive oil, chives, parsley, and Parmesan cheese through a food processor. Finally, put the pasta and the pesto in a bowl and apply the sauce, salt, and pepper.
6) Herbed Chicken Salad Sandwiches
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After having your fair share of pasta meals, why not have some healthy sandwiches? This meal from our favorite recipes using fresh herbs will only take you 15 minutes and you’ll have enough for four people. Prepare the following ingredients: red leaf lettuce leaves, eight slices of rye bread, a quarter cup of minced onion, a pinch of kosher salt, two cups of skinless and boneless chicken breast, some fresh lemon juice, yogurt, mayonnaise, and a tablespoon of chopped tarragon.
Mix the tarragon, mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, and kosher salt in a huge bowl. Next, add the chicken breast and the sweet onion. You can use a folding knife to cut the chicken into appropriate portions. Finally, add your desired greens to your sandwiches.
7) Grilled Beef Tenderloin
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If you do have some time, you can create some grilled beef tenderloin, which is more than enough for your family. Prepare the following ingredients: four pounds of beef tenderloin, two tablespoons of mustard, two tablespoons of olive oil, pepper, sea salt, minced garlic, and some fresh basil, sage, and thyme.
First, cut the meat appropriately and apply some basil, sage, and mustard. Likewise, put some thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper. Also, rub the meat with oil and additional salt and pepper. Next, it’s time to roast the beef tenderloin in medium heat. After the meat has been cooked according to your preferences, slice the meat and prepare to have a lovely meal.
8) Thai Beef Salad
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Here’s a lovely herb recipe that will only take half an hour. The process is easy, and you just have to prepare these ingredients: soy sauce, sirloin steak, vegetable oil, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, celery stalks, rinsed onions, pea, cilantro, and cucumbers.
To prepare this Thai beef salad, simply place the greens and herbs into a huge bowl. Next, place all the sauce and juices into another bowl. Next, cook the beef in a fan for more or less five minutes. Don’t forget to apply soy sauce to give it lovely taste. Finally, combine the beef with the salad.
9) Fruit Shake with Parsley
Need some refreshments? Get the best personal blender and prepare some fruits. For another of our recipes using fresh herbs, try blending bananas, pineapples, and some fresh parsley from your herb garden. Don’t forget to add at least a quarter cup of ice or water to smoothen out the drink.
10) Meatball Vegetable Soup
Finally, as the last of our recipes using fresh herbs, we think you’ll love preparing this vegetable soup with meatballs. In just forty minutes, you’ll have enough for four people. The ingredients are the following: a pound of ground turkey, half a cup of cooked rice, diced carrots, diced celery stalks, five cups of chicken broth, one egg, and some ground cumin, kosher salt, pepper, and fresh oregano.
Now, the first step is to place the celery, carrots, and broth in a pot to heat them until they boil. Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs. To do this, mix the egg, oregano, salt, pepper, and cumin in a small bowl. Then, let the turkey meat and rice mix properly. Shape the mix into small balls and place them on a tray. Finally, place the meatballs in the soup and start simmering. While the meatballs and the soup are being cooked, add in any oregano that was left. Enjoy!
About the Author
Hi there! I’m Ann, the author of 10 Delicious and Cheap Recipes Using Fresh Herbs. I have dedicated most of my life in gardening. This is a subject I enjoy the most. I have been a fan of flowers and plants ever since I was a kid. My blog: https://sumogardener.com