Living simply is not always that simple. One can declutter, downsize, not shop for needless things and follow a budget and then be cut off at the knees by illness. Wham! Things change in an instant when illness arrives. One must gear up to face the changes and challenges and make simplicity a different kind of goal. Defeating illness can be difficult but preventing illness need not be.
I have been reading articles by the American Heart Association about prevention and hope that I will make much more of an effort to be proactive in my health. One of the articles I found to be very useful was about the use of everyday herbs in a healthy diet. I am posting the complete article here and if you want more preventative information take a look at their website. Here goes.
"To learn about how certain herbs taste and how to pair their flavor with the most appropriate dishes, read on:
Basil –
Flavor: Sweet and fresh
Prep: Basil leaves are delicate so a sharp knife is necessary. Roll them up tightly and slowly slice or chop.
Tips: Add to a dish right before serving. Basil can be substituted for mint in most recipes.
Pair with: Tomato sauce (no added salt), pastas, salads, low sodium salad dressings, low-fat, low sodium pizza, low fat, low sodium soups, summer vegetables, eggs, chicken and fish dishes
Simple Dish: Layer slices of tomato, low-fat, low sodium mozzarella and basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and a few shakes of black pepper.
Cilantro –
Flavor: Refreshing
Prep: Also delicate, cilantro needs to be gently chopped.
Tips: Do not cook fresh cilantro - instead, add to a dish just before serving.
Pair with: Beans, tomatoes, corn, peppers, avocados, rice, salads, low sodium salad dressings and low sodium, low-fat yogurt sauce
Simple Dish: Mix together black beans, corn, chopped red bell pepper, chopped jalapeño pepper, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Mint –
Flavor: Sweet and cool
Prep: Since mint is similar to basil, prepare the same way.
Tips: There’s a reason gum and toothpaste is mint flavored, you can chew it to get a clean tasting mouth!
Pair with: Fruit cups, carrots, cucumbers, salads, peas, lamb, beans, desserts, unsweetened ice tea, water and low-fat/fat-free, no added sugar yogurt
Simple Dish: Chop up watermelon and cantaloupe. Mix mint, honey (1/2 teaspoon) and low-fat/fat-free, no added sugar vanilla yogurt together. Serve over fruit.
Oregano –
Flavor: Earthy
Prep: Strip the leaves from the stem. Discard stem and firmly chop leaves right before using.
Tips: A common combination in Greek dishes is oregano, mint and lemon.
Pair with: Tomatoes, no added salt tomato sauce, zucchini, potatoes, peppers, beans, mushrooms, eggs, low-fat, low sodium soups, salad, low-fat, low sodium pizza, pastas, beef, oily fish and chicken
Simple Dish: Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, oregano and mint. Pour over cooked red potatoes.
Parsley –
Flavor: Light and fresh (Italian flat leaf). Slightly peppery (curly)
Prep: Gently chop both stems and leaves. Add to a dish during the final minutes of cooking or right before serving.
Tips: Italian flat-leaf parsley looks a bit like cilantro and is the most versatile in dishes. Curly leaf parsley has little curly leaves.
Pair with: Chicken, egg dishes, fish, seafood, low-fat, low sodium soups, salads, potatoes, pork, pasta, tomatoes, no added salt tomato sauce, carrots and eggplant
Simple Dish: Whisk together olive oil with lemon juice and parsley, mint, garlic and chives. Serve over white fish like cod or flounder.
Rosemary –
Flavor: Woodsy and lemony
Prep: Pinch your finger and thumb at top of stem and firmly pull down length of branch to remove leaves. Discard stem and firmly chop leaves.
Tips: Because rosemary is such a strong tasting herb, use in small amounts.
Pair with: Roasted root vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, cabbage, beef, lamb, oily fish, shrimp, pears, apples, fiber-rich whole grain breads and low-fat, low sodium soups
Simple Dish: Use sprigs of rosemary as skewers to grill shrimp.
Thyme –
Flavor: Lemony and light
Prep: Remove leaves similar to you prepare rosemary but more gently as thyme is delicate. Since the leaves are so little, you don’t need to chop them.
Tips: Add at the beginning of cooking process for the best flavor.
Pair with:, chicken, beef, carrots, corn, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans and low-fat or fat-free, low sodium: soups, chowders, stews
Simple Dish: Add chopped tomatoes, onion, olive oil and thyme to a roasting pan. Slow roast for one hour at 300 degrees for a delicious chunky tomato topping."
Article copyright © 2012 American Heart Association. This article is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Simple Cooking with Heart Program. For more articles and simple, quick and affordable recipes, visit heart.org/simplecooking.
Have a happy day while keeping it simple and making it real.
Jeanne
I have been reading articles by the American Heart Association about prevention and hope that I will make much more of an effort to be proactive in my health. One of the articles I found to be very useful was about the use of everyday herbs in a healthy diet. I am posting the complete article here and if you want more preventative information take a look at their website. Here goes.
"To learn about how certain herbs taste and how to pair their flavor with the most appropriate dishes, read on:
Basil –
Flavor: Sweet and fresh
Prep: Basil leaves are delicate so a sharp knife is necessary. Roll them up tightly and slowly slice or chop.
Tips: Add to a dish right before serving. Basil can be substituted for mint in most recipes.
Pair with: Tomato sauce (no added salt), pastas, salads, low sodium salad dressings, low-fat, low sodium pizza, low fat, low sodium soups, summer vegetables, eggs, chicken and fish dishes
Simple Dish: Layer slices of tomato, low-fat, low sodium mozzarella and basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and a few shakes of black pepper.
Cilantro –
Flavor: Refreshing
Prep: Also delicate, cilantro needs to be gently chopped.
Tips: Do not cook fresh cilantro - instead, add to a dish just before serving.
Pair with: Beans, tomatoes, corn, peppers, avocados, rice, salads, low sodium salad dressings and low sodium, low-fat yogurt sauce
Simple Dish: Mix together black beans, corn, chopped red bell pepper, chopped jalapeño pepper, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Mint –
Flavor: Sweet and cool
Prep: Since mint is similar to basil, prepare the same way.
Tips: There’s a reason gum and toothpaste is mint flavored, you can chew it to get a clean tasting mouth!
Pair with: Fruit cups, carrots, cucumbers, salads, peas, lamb, beans, desserts, unsweetened ice tea, water and low-fat/fat-free, no added sugar yogurt
Simple Dish: Chop up watermelon and cantaloupe. Mix mint, honey (1/2 teaspoon) and low-fat/fat-free, no added sugar vanilla yogurt together. Serve over fruit.
Oregano –
Flavor: Earthy
Prep: Strip the leaves from the stem. Discard stem and firmly chop leaves right before using.
Tips: A common combination in Greek dishes is oregano, mint and lemon.
Pair with: Tomatoes, no added salt tomato sauce, zucchini, potatoes, peppers, beans, mushrooms, eggs, low-fat, low sodium soups, salad, low-fat, low sodium pizza, pastas, beef, oily fish and chicken
Simple Dish: Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, oregano and mint. Pour over cooked red potatoes.
Parsley –
Flavor: Light and fresh (Italian flat leaf). Slightly peppery (curly)
Prep: Gently chop both stems and leaves. Add to a dish during the final minutes of cooking or right before serving.
Tips: Italian flat-leaf parsley looks a bit like cilantro and is the most versatile in dishes. Curly leaf parsley has little curly leaves.
Pair with: Chicken, egg dishes, fish, seafood, low-fat, low sodium soups, salads, potatoes, pork, pasta, tomatoes, no added salt tomato sauce, carrots and eggplant
Simple Dish: Whisk together olive oil with lemon juice and parsley, mint, garlic and chives. Serve over white fish like cod or flounder.
Rosemary –
Flavor: Woodsy and lemony
Prep: Pinch your finger and thumb at top of stem and firmly pull down length of branch to remove leaves. Discard stem and firmly chop leaves.
Tips: Because rosemary is such a strong tasting herb, use in small amounts.
Pair with: Roasted root vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, cabbage, beef, lamb, oily fish, shrimp, pears, apples, fiber-rich whole grain breads and low-fat, low sodium soups
Simple Dish: Use sprigs of rosemary as skewers to grill shrimp.
Thyme –
Flavor: Lemony and light
Prep: Remove leaves similar to you prepare rosemary but more gently as thyme is delicate. Since the leaves are so little, you don’t need to chop them.
Tips: Add at the beginning of cooking process for the best flavor.
Pair with:, chicken, beef, carrots, corn, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans and low-fat or fat-free, low sodium: soups, chowders, stews
Simple Dish: Add chopped tomatoes, onion, olive oil and thyme to a roasting pan. Slow roast for one hour at 300 degrees for a delicious chunky tomato topping."
Article copyright © 2012 American Heart Association. This article is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Simple Cooking with Heart Program. For more articles and simple, quick and affordable recipes, visit heart.org/simplecooking.
Have a happy day while keeping it simple and making it real.
Jeanne
No comments:
Post a Comment