I am going to talk about the advantages of incorporating herbs into your diet, their benefits and how to integrate them into your life.

We’ve been hearing the word “Herbalism” more often these days as people are referring back to the ancient medicinal practice of using herbs to heal that has actually been used over centuries most dominantly in Chinese medicine, Ayurveda in India, as well as Greek and Roman sources. An herbalist is NOT a doctor, and does not have the right to prescribe healing medicine without the legal doctorate degree. That being said, this is not medical advice, the goal of this post is to provide you with some useful information that can help you choose to start incorporating herbs into your lifestyle that will help support your overall well being.

In this post I am going to focus mainly on four standard culinary herbs that are very easy to find and how to incorporate them into your diet in a simple and delicious way. When it comes to using herbs sustainably, my biggest recommendation is… GROW THEM! They are very easy to grow and they don’t take up a lot of space so it is easy to keep them in small pots and bring them inside if the weather is not suitable or you live in a small apartment. You can even buy organic herbs in pots that are already mature enough to use and maintain them or replant for bigger growth potential. Some herbs like rosemary are very resilient and over time with the right love and attention they can grow to be the size of a bush! The love and energy you put into growing your herbs gives them even more healing potential. There are many ways to infuse herbs or dry them for further use so you will never have too many and using fresh herbs is an easy way to enhance the flavors of your marinades, dressings, soups and favorite recipes.

All herbs and spices have energy qualities to them that will determine how the herb will react with your body’s tissues and these are based on the natural elements of earth, fire, water and air. We can define these actions more specifically as Temperature (Warming/Cooling), Moisture (Damp/Drying) and Tone (Tension/Relaxed). The energetics of these herbs will help us decide which herbs will benefit us during different imbalances of these energies, as well as how these imbalances effect us. For example, consuming an herb like lavender would have a cooling effect, which could help reduce hot blood circulating to our head and causing headaches. Some herbs are better for supporting specific ailments, although there are many that can be beneficial for overall health and used as to support your health when ingested regularly.

Herbs also have different actions associated with each of them, this will determine how the herb associates with certain body functions. Some of these functions include Nervines (calming the nervous system), Adaptogens (resistance to stress), Anti-oxidants (protect damage from free radicals), Anti-Microbial (resistant to pathogens) and many, many more.

Now lets talk about the herb squad!

Thyme is actually part of the mint “fam” but I find its flavor much more mild and earthy then minty, it has really small tender leaves that are the most edible and flavorful parts. Thyme is “The BFF” (best friend forever) because its flavor profile is so versatile and can easily enhance a dish by just adding this one fresh herb. The stems can be very young and tender or more mature and woody so if I am adding thyme directly to a recipe I pick the leaves from the stem , but if I am infusing an oil, vinegar, extract or possibly a broth that will get strained before consuming then I wont bother and will incorporate the stem as well.

Thyme is made up of a volatile oil that has anti-microbial properties which fight against many types of bacteria most commonly involved in upper respiratory infections and it has the ability to thin mucus and promote the flow of phlegm that supports symptoms of the common cold and flu. Its drying and warming energetics also will aid a productive cough rather than a dry one. Thyme holds some carminative properties that can relax our digestive system to decrease bloating and gas.

Thyme is one of my favorite flavors, it makes a great infusion in vinegars and oils. It is a staple in most of my hearty soup recipes and its versatile flavor makes it great to add to marinades or seasonings for any vegetable or meat. Some of my favorite Thyme pairings are chicken, fish, carrots, apples, squash, strawberries, vanilla, honey, citrus, beets and potatoes.

Rosemary “The Boss Bitch”

Rosemary is extremely fragrant herb with notes of evergreen, mint and pine. It was said in Medieval times that when rosemary was grown by the doors of a household that would mean a woman was in charge, so its pretty “Boss Bitch” if you ask me. The leaves are similar to pine and the stems are very woody so make sure if you are cooking with rosemary you remove the stems as they are unpleasant to chew.

Rosemary is quite a powerful herb, it has anti inflammatory and nervine qualities that can help with stress induced digestive problems, it also assists with increasing the fluids necessary for digestion and detoxification. It supports the circulatory system by increasing flow to the brain that can assist with improved memory and focus and ease tension headaches. Its volatile oils also hold anti-microbial actions to help fight colds and flu symptoms as well as the support from its warming, drying and stimulating energies.

When cooking with rosemary, its “Boss Bitch” of a flavor profile can overpower what you are cooking so I recommend using it in moderation and removing the leaves from the stems and chopping them up when adding to soups, marinades and sauces. I also recommend using this herb cooked instead of raw as it will meld its flavor profile better with the other ingredients you are cooking with. It makes amazing vinegar and oil infusions because of its fragrancy and I especially enjoy it in marinades because it can infuse meats and vegetable in a more mild way. I absolutely love the combination of Rosemary and Garlic, however rosemary also pairs really well with balsamic vinegar, braised meats, broths, potatoes, hearty vegetables, breads, oranges, beans, cheese and olives.

Sage “The know it all”

Sage doesn’t get as much credit in the culinary world as its given name, but it is a powerful herb. It is said to be able to support long life and wisdom which is where the coined term “sage” came from and that is why we call it “The know it all”. It has long oval flat leaves that are tender and fuzzy and its scent is powerful with a taste that has a sweet, bitter and sour profile. Like rosemary, it can be very overpowering to cook with and should be cooked instead of used raw to get the best flavor balance, especially when added towards the end of the cooking process.

Sage has drying and warming energies which is what makes it great to help remedy a sore throat, congestion, inflamed tonsils and even cancer sores. The benefits of sage are plentiful as it is has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory actions, its properties can reduce anxiety, depression, colds, fevers, indigestion, memory problems and menopause to name a few. Overall is it a great herb to incorporate into your squad for its wide range of health benefits. I also enjoy burning dried sage bundles like incense as it is known to be able to clear negative energies and have a relaxing effect.

Sage has a powerful flavor that can definitely take the stage when used. My favorite application of cooking with sage is to infuse in honey, this way I can add a little bit to tea at night or with cheese and bread. My favorite sage pairings are apples, beans, pork, turkey, garlic, pumpkin, butternut squash, honey, nuts, cream or butter and pasta.

Everyone knows our lucky friend, Oregano and it has pizza to blame for that. This herb gets its reputation from Italian cooking but it has so much more to offer than just making a marinara. We call her “The lucky one” because in Greek and Roman times crowns of oregano were worn during wedding ceremonies for good luck. I find that oregano comes in many different varieties and its flavor profile can go from mild to pungent, sometimes a bit spicy or a little minty. Its most commonly associated with mediterranean fare but Mexico also its own variety of oregano that is widely used in their cuisine. The leaves are small and tender and should be plucked from the stem before use.

Oregano is a great expectorant, as its warming and drying energies can assist in a cough or cold. Its antimicrobial properties made it great for preserving food in ancient roman times and can support a healthy immune system. Most importantly, oregano is made up of a range of vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, C, K, and E to help support well being.

I love adding oregano to salad dressings and marinades as it just makes dishes pop. I prefer to use oregano cooked, but I do add it in raw applications for marinating olives and other vegetables as well as salad dressings because it milds its pungency when infused with oil and vinegar. Some of the most common oregano pairings are tomato, bread, artichokes, chicken, fish, lamb, lemon, orange, olives, pasta, zuchinni and summer squash.

Herb Infused Oil

Liz

An easy recipe you can use to infuse herbs into oil easily add to your home cooking regimen

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Equipment

• Mason Jar
• Pot
• waxed paper
• cheesecloth, coffee filter or tea strainer
• storing bottle – Tip -use an old olive oil bottle and darker tinted glass is a plus!

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups Oil of your choice I prefer Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Rosemary leaves dried
• 1 tbsp Thyme leaves dried
• 1 tbsp Sage leaves dried
• 1 tbsp Oregano leaves dried

Instructions

 

• Put all of your herbs and oil in a clean sterilized jar,
• fill the pot 1/4 of the way with water, putt some lids on the bottom of the pot and place the jar on top so it is not touching the bottom of the pot, keep the pot at a very low simmer and make sure that the water does not get into the jar
• You want to keep your oil infusion between 140-180 degrees for maximum infusion power, make sure you are not boiling your water
• After 30-60 minutes, carefully remove the jar from the pot and let cool
• strain the oil with cheesecloth, coffee filter or tea strainer, squeezing the herbs to release all of the oil
• add to your bottle and keep in a cool dark place

Notes

• You can make this recipe at room temperature by skipping the heating step and letting your oil infuse slowly over a weeks time
• Using dried herbs reduces the amount of moisture in your infusion which could cause to mold or botulism, If you prefer to use fresh herbs I recommend keeping your oil mixture in the refrigerator (it may turn solid depending on the type of oil you used, this is ok)
• Save your bottles! I like to save all of my glass bottles and jars and reuse them for this purpose
• Make it your own – mix herb combinations you like or just use one herb for concentrated flavor, add some black peppercorns or chile to your oil if you like spice… create to your liking!

 

The Factual Information about herbs mentioned here referenced from herbalacademy.com as well as The Flavor Bible - Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg