Herbal Hub

Easter is just around the corner. Aside from making colorful eggs, why not use some herbs for your Easter dinner. When we search for “Herbs of Easter,” the list would show – Chervil, Rosemary, Hyssop and many more. But for this post I want to feature Chervil.

Chervil is a delicate aromatic herb that adds flavor to a wide range of meat and vegetable dishes. Garden Guides said it’s a staple in French cuisine. Leaves and stems of chervil are used to add in salads,  fish, chicken, egg, potato dishes, soups and sauces. Use fresh chervil in your food because it says cooking and drying destroys its subtle flavor. You are in luck because you can have fresh chervil indoors, it can grow in shady and moist garden container. Chervil belongs to a genus that has annuals, biennials and perennials and this herb is native from Europe, North Africa and Asia.

Aside from adding flavor to our food, chervil is said to be a good source of Vitamin C and other minerals. It’s medicinal use was reported that dates back as far as the time of ancient Rome. It can be used as a cleansing expectorant.  Do you want to have soft skin? A chervil face mask might do the trick.

Chervil seed kit $19.95

How to Grow Your Own Herbs $6.16

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Constipation is one of the worst thing that can happen to you. It will make you feel bad, smells bad and look bad. So many remedies for constipation are available in the market but I was looking for alternatives… herb for constipation. And I stumbled upon dandelion herb. Surprisingly,  “ugly-duckling” dandelion possess medicinal use not just for constipation but it has antioxidant properties as well.

It may be unpopular to gardeners because of its self-seeds and spreads readily to become a garden weed. But you may want to give dandelion herb a second look before you kill them.

What’s hot: It may be a pesky weed but do you know that dandelion is a rich source of vitamins A, B complex, C, D, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium and zinc? Amazing huh? In fact you can use the whole plant. The young leaves for salads and tea. The roots  can be found in some coffee substitutes. For constipation, fresh or dried dandelion herb can be used. Boil the herb in water and drink as a tea. Here’s what research and studies from the University of Maryland Medical Center has to say about dandelion’s medicinal uses:

Dandelion leaves produce a diuretic effect while the roots act as an antiviral agent, appetite stimulant, digestive aid, and may help promote gastrointestinal health. Dandelion flower has antioxidant properties. Dandelion may also help improve the immune system.

The medicinal use of the dandelion herb seems endless! You can read their full research/review by just clicking the above link.

What’s-not-so-hot: A garden weed. Some people may develop allergies in touching dandelion, like mouth sores. Also in some people, dandelion can cause stomach acid and heart burn.

Turns out the good side of dandelion outweigh the bad. But like any other herbs, consult your health care provider before taking any dandelion leaf.

organic roasted dandelion root $25.38, dandelion root capsule $2.59, dandelion moisturizer $35.98, organic dandelion tea $15.53, dandelion dried leaves $1.79,  fentimans dandelion and burdock soda $3.25.

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Either you love Garlic or hate it. You love it because studies show that consuming garlic is beneficial to one’s health aside from making any fried rice so yummy! Or you hate it because it stink and it can hurt your skin. But before you give up on garlic here’s more to it than the stink.

What’s hot: Garlic is a member of the onion family. Aside from culinary uses, it has been recognized as beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Garlic has allicin that gives its rich flavor and strong aroma that is one of the most powerful antioxidant. It acts as expectorant, antibiotic and anti-fungal. It is ideal for colds, infections, circulatory and bronchial disorders. Garlic may sound too good to be true in giving all these health benefits, but a group of Chemists shed light on its health benefits. In their research study, they wanted to find out if allicin is responsible for the activity of Garlic. Why Garlic contain such efficient antioxidant properties when it doesn’t have the compounds such as flavonoids found in green tea or grapes. Here’s what they did:

“The research team questioned the ability of allicin to trap damaging radicals so effectively, and considered the possibility that a decomposition product of allicin may instead be responsible. Through experiments with synthetically-produced allicin, they found that an acid produced when the compound decomposes rapidly reacts with radicals.”

For the complete story click here. Eat raw Garlic if you want stronger antibiotic and anti-bacterial effect. But cooked or raw Garlic contains antioxidant properties. Also it can be used cosmetically in treating dandruff. A Garlic hair rinse can ease dandruff.

What’s-not-so-hot: Garlic should be taken cautiously because not all people react to it the same way. It can also irritate sensitive skin. 

For me, I love Garlic! I love it in my food especially in fried rice. I also make my own Garlic tea. My Garlic tea is made of regular Lipton tea with crushed Garlic clove. I tried this because I have a persistent allergy that makes my throat itchy. I first drank garlic tea when I was having allergy attacks and all I can say is that it helped to control the coughing attacks. Now the allergy have not come back. But I made sure I also eat a balance diet, I sleep at least 7-8 hours/day, and I take multivitamins.

Garlic galore:  garlic genius $39.99, elephant garlic seeds $2.50, garlic powder $2.99, odorless garlic capsules $10.49, garlic peeler $8.95, roasted garlic in sunflower oil $11.99

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There are so many ways we can try herbs at home. Aside from adding it in dishes, drinking herb teas, my favorite is eating with herb pesto sauce. The first time I had a wonderful experience eating a dish with herb pesto sauce was when my husband and I dine in a restaurant that serves “Baked Oysters” together with toasted french bread and herb pesto sauce. I am not a fan of oysters, but because of their yummy pesto it was the best oysters I’ve ever eaten. Pestos are sauce consisting of usually basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and grated cheese. You can use a food processor, blender or if you’re a die hard a mortar set to make your very own herb pesto sauce. There are so many free recipes out there you can try at home using herb pesto sauce. But this recipe from allrecipes sounds the kind of herb pesto that I’ve been looking for.  Sal submitted this recipe. Here’s the ingredients and how-to:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend together basil leaves, nuts, garlic, and cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing. Stir in salt and pepper.

Voila! You now have you’re own pesto. You can use this pesto as a sauce, filling to meat dishes, add to sandwich and many more. That’s how easy! But if you’re still not successful, you can always go for bottled pesto sauce that you can simply toss in cooked pasta available in stores.

basil herbs $2.95, bottled pesto sauce $10.99, pesto poster print $39.99, Very Pesto cookbook $4.16

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Chopped raw Parsley is a common ingredient in salads, soups, fish, potatoes and sandwiches. But do you know that there’s more about Parsley than just an attractive garnish to dishes? The Stanford Cancer Center provided a comprehensive and complete list of nutrition to reduce cancer risk. Parsley as a dark deep green herb is included in the list as one of the Carotenoids. Preliminary evidence suggests that Carotenoids contain phytochemicals that may play a role in decreasing the risk of cancer. The dark curly leaves contain vitamins, minerals and iron. You want to know more? Read on…

What’s hot: As as plant, Parsley proved to be easy to grow. In fact you can grow Parsley in an egg shell! You can have Parsley all year round just protect it from frost. There are varieties of Parsley, the “curled” Parsley and the Italian with flatter leaves.

It is said that Parsley tea helps fight fluid retention (diuretic) and has a beneficial effect on the urinary system. Based on stories of people who tried drinking Parsley tea, it proved to be an effective treatment for kidney and bladder complains. I came across the website of Dr. James Howenstine a clinician and herbalist, who wrote about how drinking Parsley tea cured his wife’s UTI and kidney stones! It’s very informative and an interesting story. And if you like garlic, like I do (especially in fried rice) but do not like the after taste and smell of garlic in your mouth, chew on Parsley to counter the smell of garlic. You are kissable again in no time.

What’s-not-so-hot: It is advised that Parsley should not be taken as medicinal doses by pregnant women.

I am amazed of the new things I learned about Parsley. I think I will try Parsley tea next time, not that I have kidney or bladder complains, but I am curious of what the tea would taste like. I will make my own concoction and will tell you all about it!

freshly packed parsley in large jars $3.79, parsley sphagetti $14.49, parsley tea $14.82, parsley herbal supplement $5.39

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