The key to good living is cooking.
Whether cooking for yourself or others, preparing a nutritious and delicious meal is a rewarding endeavor from beginning to end, as long as you make the time, of course.
I’d like to think of myself as a cook. It’s a big part of my life and one of my favorite ways to spend free time.
Cooking with my mom, aunts, uncles and grandparents over the years has been a fond and valuable activity. Not only did they provide a strong base of food knowledge but a memorable, shared experience as well. Preparing a meal is a tradition I shared with roommates in college or friends on vacation.
Cooking is timeless. I enjoy it as much now as I did when I was 10.
After visiting with some readers about weight loss in the last week, I found out that not everyone cooks or even enjoys cooking. One of the most exciting parts of cooking is the ability to experiment with ingredients. Who doesn’t enjoy trying new things?
For those who don’t cook, or maybe don’t know where to begin, here are three easy herbs and spices I’ve been using on a regular basis which I recommend to those cooking at home.
Rosemary
When I tire of basil, oregano or cilantro, I know it’s time to dig out the sage and rosemary.
Rosemary is a fragrant and flavorful addition to any meat or fish, and don’t forget the bread. It’s a great addition to a baked loaf.
I enjoy adding rosemary to chicken and cod, especially, but it also is a nice match with beef.
The real treat is using rosemary in addition to any squash or potato. I’ve been using it with sweet potatoes, butternut squash and zucchini.
Just don’t forget: rosemary is strong and a little can go a long way.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is my salt — not in that I use it to flavor meats but in that I use it every day.
Yogurt is the protein portion of my daily breakfast, but with an extra tablespoon of cinnamon stirred makes breakfast even better. It’s just better that way. I also enjoy making fruit salad made of grapes, chopped apples, pears or plums, yogurt, walnuts and cinnamon.
Cinnamon makes something bland in to something grand.
This time of year is as great of a time as any to cook with cinnamon. Apples are in abundance so try making apple turnovers, cobbler or cinnamon and sugar apple donuts.
Baby Dill
Dill is a slightly sweet and savory herb I use when I want to eat something lighter.
It’s one of the primary ingredients in tzatziki, a Greek sauce made of yogurt, cucumber and dill. The sauce pairs well with lunch salads and main dish dinners.
A spoonful of tzatziki on top of a bed of spinach, cucumber, tomato and salmon with some extra dill is a great lunch. A spoonful served on the side of chicken, fish or lamb at dinner is a delicious component to make an average meal great.
Incorporating cooking into your life whether alone or with others enriches your life and those who share in the experience or food. I encourage you to indulge and make something truly wonderful and new in the next week. It’s worth the work and cost and you’ll surely be glad you did you spiced up your life.