SEASONING ALTERNATIVES FOR HEALTHY EATING
Basil – Sweet Basil is a favorite in tomato
dishes. The delicate taste
enhances spreads, dressings, casseroles, soups, and salads.
Celery - Celery is naturally
rich in sodium and is therefore good for a salt- free person to
use. Both the seeds and
the leaves add zip to cole slaw, potato salad, cooked vegetables,
tomato dishes, dressing, tofu, stews, and soups.
Coriander – Coriander may be
added to cookies, pies, rolls, fruit crisps, cooked cereal, and
bean dishes. I use it in place of cinnamon.
Cumin – Cumin is a common ingredient
in chili, and bean dishes. The
unique flavor grows on one the more it is used.
Dill – Dill is good chopped and
added to garden salads, spreads, potato salad, soups, and stews.
The seeds can be added to breads, tofu, legume dishes, and
bean salads.
Fennel – Fennel leaves and seeds
taste pleasantly of licorice. Use it in entrees, green salads, cream
soups, potatoes, beets, and pastries.
Garlic – Garlic is good addition
to salad dressings, soups, dips, sauces, and Italian recipes. Garlic cannot be beat. Add it finely chopped to all sorts of vegetable
and legume dishes.
Marjoram, sweet – This attractive
herb taste of thyme only that it is stronger and sweeter, and more
versatile. Use it in vegetables,
soups, stews, salad dressings and green salads.
Mint - Add a touch of mint to
new potatoes and peas. Also
use it sparingly in bean and lentil dishes, eggplant casseroles,
carrot, split pea soup, and Middle East dishes.
Oregano – Oregano can be used
as salt replacement. It
ranks high. Use it in pizza and lasagna sauce, bean soup, and vegetables.
Paprika – Add this herb to stews,
sauces, soups, green vegetables, potato salad, and cole slaw.
This herb is loaded with Vitamins A and C.
Parsley – Add lots of this bright
green Vitamin C herb to sauces, dips, salad dressings, breads, tofu,
soups, and vegetables. Parsley
is a good breath sweetener.
Sage – This herb has a strong
flavor. It peps up bean soup, tofu, bread, dressings and casserole
dishes.
Savory, summer – Its biting flavor
goes with stuffing, beans, and peas, tofu dishes, and dressings.
Tarragon – Tarragon
is essential to fine herbs. It
helps relieve salt cravings. Add
it to soups, herb spreads, salad dressings, beets, green beans,
celery, potatoes, and tomato dishes.
Thyme – This herb has an affinity
for soup, tomato juice, spaghetti sauce, stews, stuffing, tofu and
most vegetables.
MORE SEASONING SUGGESTIONS
Broccoli will have a change
of flavor when seasoned with dill, basil, marjoram, celery or caraway
seeds.
Green Peas has a different flavor
by adding basil, mint or thyme.
Green Beans taste good with sesame
and or poppy seeds or seasoned with dill or basil.
Parsley has long been a favorite
with carrots. Try adding
a little caraway seed or garlic along with the parsley.
Pasta sauce is good with basil,
thyme, rosemary, added in equal parts.
Soup, tofu and stews are good
with thyme, summer savory, rosemary used in equal parts, or 3 parts
of thyme, 3 parts of parsley, 1 part cumin, and 1 part sage.
Summer
squash goes well with celery seed, basil, thyme, or toasted
sesame seeds.
Zucchini
has a delicious flavor when cooked with tomato, onion, celery, and
green peppers. Be sure to season this combination with a little
garlic and Italian seasoning. *
Note: Be sure to use only small
amount of herbs when introducing them to your family and friends.
Too much cannot be taken out.
* Italian seasoning
is a combination of herbs used in Italian cooking that can be purchased
at any spice counter.