Are you as excited as I am about Christmas almost being here? The joy of the season, the happiness of the children and grandchildren around us. It is definitely “the most wonderful time of the year” for many of us. We anticipate the festivities and time with family. We love the foods we get to only at this time of your. And if you are like me, you love the smells of the season. I especially love the smell of cloves, cinnamon, and fir at this time of year. So many of these herbs and spices are used in our favorite recipes and it’s just so magical! ✨
If you enjoy using fresh or dried herbs in your recipes, you can usually get them year-round. During the winter, the following herbs are easy to find even in the cold season, and really go perfectly with all your holiday recipes.
Rosemary
One herb you will see used often in winter recipes is rosemary. This is because it is ideal to use with various superfoods and other dishes you will prepare in the cold, winter months, plus you can grow it year-round. So, regardless of the climate you live in, you can find rosemary that is fresh even in the dead of winter. Rosemary is wonderful when used fresh for hearty dishes like beef and lamb, and also goes wonderful with chicken and vegetarian dishes. It also has some health benefits, including helping with digestive problems.
Basil
Another herb that you can use in the winter for your different recipes is basil. This is a very popular herb because it is easy to find and very versatile. There really is so much you can do with it, from making your own pesto at home, to adding it to various Italian dishes. It also goes great in Asian-inspired dishes and American favorite, so it is wonderful to have during the winter. You can use fresh basil, but don’t shy away from dried if that is all you can find.
Mint
This is such a wonderful herb to use during the winter, and you can find it just about all winter long, whether you grow it yourself at home or get it fresh from a local grocery store. Mint is on the stronger side, so keep that in mind when you are choosing what to use it in. While you might use multiple leaves of basil or twigs of rosemary, you really only need a single leaf of mint for the typical meal. Of course, this will depend on what you are preparing as well. The great thing about mint is that not only are there many food dishes you can make with it, but it is amazing for those fun holiday drinks.
Thyme
The last herb to consider for your holiday recipes is thyme. This is very similar to mint, both in how strong of an herb is, and how quickly it can grow both indoors and outdoors. Thyme is wonderful when you are making a meat dish like pork or beef, and adding sage to it as well. It is also a good compliment to lemon tones in your dishes, which happens to be a popular winter superfood.
ROASTED VEGETABLE ZEN BOWL
Serves 4
2 large bunches broccoli
1 large onion, roughly chopped
½ pound carrots, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 lemons, juiced
Choice of protein:
2 15-ounce can lentils OR 1 deli whole roasted chicken
PREHEAT: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
CHOP: Chop broccoli into florets and add to a large mixing bowl. Add chopped onion and carrots. Coat with coconut oil, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix well and spread onto a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the vegetables over, then bake for an additional 10 minutes or until brown.
SERVE: To serve, add roasted vegetables to serving bowls. Top with choice of protein and lemon juice.
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