Cooking with Fresh Herbs: Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme

For Christmas, Jack is getting some fresh herb to enjoy. Here is a compilation of articles about using herbs.

Sage

45 Things To Do With Fresh Sage

Butter and Sage Sauce

Fettuccine with Brown Butter and Sage

Growing Sage - A Wise Choice for the Herb or Flower Garden

6 tasty recipes with sage

Rosemary

How to Grow and Care for Rosemary Plants

39 Delicious Things To Do With Rosemary

8 fresh rosemary recipes

Cooking with Rosemary

Thyme

Thyme - How to Grow Fragrant, Flavorful Thyme Plants

8 ways with fresh thyme

Cooking with Thyme

7 Week Bran Muffins

Combine and cool:

• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups 40% Bran Flakes

Add:

• 1 cup soft shortening (margarine or butter)
• 1 quart buttermilk

Sift then stir to combine only:

• 5 cups flour
• 5 teaspoons soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups sugar

Stir in

• 4 cups Bran Buds

Store in refrigerator in a covered container up to 7 weeks.

Can add nuts, apples, raisins, dates, etc.

Use large pan to mix.

Bake 375° for 20 minutes.

Yield approximately 7 dozens.

Tortilla Soup

My friend, Heather, brought this to us as we adjusting to being new parents. It is absolutely delicious and tastes like tortilla soup from a restaurant. It tasted like Sothern California to me.

Ingredients

3 cups rotisserie chicken, taken off the bone
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can Rotel tomatoes (10 oz) - I used 'original' but you can use 'mild' as well
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
4 c. water
2 beef bouillon 
2 chicken bouillon
2 cans tomato soup
3 more cups of water
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 T. chili powder

Directions

Saute onions and garlic in some butter in the bottom of your pot.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except the chicken) in the order listed.

Simmer 1 hour. 

Add chicken.

Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, limes.

Pumpkin Cream of Wheatless Cereal

This was our Mother's Day breakfast today. Super-yum. I adapted the recipe. Original is found here. I made a double recipe and it was enough for two people.

• 1/2 C cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C pumpkin puree'
• Pinch salt
• Sweetener and flavorings to taste
• 2 T flax seed meal (optional)

Dump the cottage cheese and in the mixing bowl and water it down thin. Whisk in egg and beat. Add the pumpkin and salt. Stir on non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add flax when it gets "grainy." When it is fully grainy the egg is cooked.

I thought this might turn out more like an omelet, but it really was like cream of wheat instead.

Ultimate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 cup (24 oz) chocolate chips                   1 cup margarine, softened

2 2/3 cup flour (2 3/4 cup)                           1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda                            ½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt                                           1 t vanilla

                                                    3 eggs

Melt 2 cups chocolate chips. Combine flour, soda, salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in melted chocolate. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-9 minutes at 375 ̊

Coconut Marshmallow Krispies

For Sunday dessert with the Turners and Brent, we had Coconut Marshmallow Krispies. They were quite tasty. We preferred them plain rather than dipped in chocolate.

Ingredients

(Nutrition Information)

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon imitation coconut extract
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

Microwave Directions:

1. In microwave-safe bowl heat butter, coconut extract and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. (Microwave cooking times may vary.)
   
2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.
   
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.
   

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

There are so many variations of this classic. What’s your favorite kind? I love this recipe with it’s Worcester Sauce. Mmmm, good.

 

Photo: Beau Gustafson; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke

Creamy macaroni and cheese is a recipe for comfort, while mustard, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce add some zip. Try making the stove-top dish with any short pasta, such as fusilli, farfalle, or cavatappi, or experiment with different cheeses.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Video: How to Cook Creamy Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 cups uncooked medium elbow macaroni
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/4 cups fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
2. While pasta cooks, place flour, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Drop cream cheese by teaspoonfuls into milk mixture; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes or until thick and cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Combine pasta and cheese sauce in a large bowl; toss well.

Lorrie Hulston Corvin, Cooking Light
JUNE 2006