10 ways to herb up

As a passionate food lover as well as a nutritionist, I’m always searching for that sweet spot where delicious and healthful meet. Herbs hit it perfectly. These luscious leaves — parsley, basil, cilantro, mint, thyme, oregano, rosemary and the like — not only add enticing aroma, fresh flavor and vivid green color to food, but also have remarkable health benefits. When you move beyond thinking of herbs as mere garnishes and start to see them as major culinary players, a whole world of healthy taste opens up to you.

While there are plenty of inspiring herb-centric recipes from all over the world to explore think of pesto, tabbouleh salad, chimichurri sauce you don’t need any special instructions or culinary skills to get more herbs into your life. You can simply add them to foods you are already making. Here are 10 ways to get you started:

●Add chopped fresh or dried parsley or dill to your scrambled eggs.

●Tuck a few leaves of mint and/or basil into your turkey or sandwich.

●Pile fresh cilantro leaves onto your turkey or veggie burger.

●Toss handfuls of fresh tender herbs — parsley, basil, cilantro, mint — into your basic green salad, treating them more like a lettuce than a seasoning.

●Add a generous pinch of dried oregano or thyme to your vinaigrette-type salad dressing.

●Mix a handful of fresh Italian parsley or dill into your boiled or mashed potatoes.

●Rub a mix of dried rosemary and thyme onto your chicken breast before grilling.

●Muddle fresh mint or basil leaves in a glass then fill with iced tea or sparkling water and a twist of citrus.

●Spruce up jarred pasta sauce with a handful of fresh chopped basil leaves.

●Stir fresh basil, parsley or mint leaves with grilled zucchini or sauteed green beans.