Wachter - Exotic Spices And Herbs Meals: Creating Easy To Make Meals

Many of these recipes come from the Mediterranean, where many herbs andspices are derived. This chapter contains recipes from France, Italy, Greece,France, and many other countries. They are all deliciously delicious and fresh.Some even reverse indigestion or bloating.

Basil was originally used in Ancient Rome and Greece as an antibiotic. It has awonderful spicy flavor and can help reduce stomach acid and gas caused byeating acidic foods such as tomatoes and cheese. Basil is the ideal herb to addto your spaghetti sauce. Although this recipe doesn't contain tomatoes, itdoes include prosciuttocheese and prociutto.These cancause gastricproblems. Basil is traditionally used to make pesto. It goes well with chickentopped in provolone. Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Salt and pepper to taste 1tablespoon unsalted Butter

8 large basil leaves
4 slices Prosciutto
4 slices Provolone
Directions:
Place the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts while the butter melts.
Place the breasts in a pan. Saut on both sides until golden brown andtender.
Butter-flavored nonstick spray can be used to spray a baking dish. Placethe chicken breasts inside.
Each breast should be topped with 2 basil leaves, 1 piece Prosciutto and 1Slice of Provolone.
Broil the cheese for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until it melts.

Bay leaves should not be eaten. Instead, use them as flavoring. Bay leaves canbe very hard and cause digestive problems. However, their unique flavorshould not be overlooked. Bay leaves add a special flavor to soups, stews, andother dishes that you would not be able to find otherwise. This soup is greatto enjoy on cold winter nights. It's very flavorful and filling.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled.

1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 Large potato, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dry basil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
Great Northern Beans 15-ounce cans, drained, and rinsed Directions:Place

Saut the onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan andcontinue cooking 2 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
Saut the celery and carrot for another 4 minutes.
Add the broth to the saucepan and bring it to a boil.Stir in the potato, bayleaves salt, pepper, and thyme.

Garlic is an important and healthy ingredient. My town is dominated by Greekand Italian people, so garlic can be found in almost every grocery store. Afterremoving the papery cover on the cloves, I prefer to use whole cloves. To make a head, I bundle cloves together and grow garlic in my garden. The leaves turn brown in late fall just as the snow begins to fly. The dried materialis braided and hung in my root cellar. I have garlic almost all year. This breadrecipe combines garlic with beer to make a delicious loaf of bread.

3 cups whole wheat flour
4 Cloves garlic, peeled then minced3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 12-ounce bottle beer
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until wellcombined.
Mix beer with water until well combined.Add half of the melted butter.

Spread the remaining butter into the loaf pan. Brush it from one side to the other.
Spread the batter evenly in the pan.
Bake for 50-60 minutes in a preheated oven at 400 degrees. Allow to cool for
10 to 15 minutes, then take the pan out and let it cool again before cutting
and serving.Greek Chicken with Rigani

Greek Oregano is a different kind of oregano than regular oregano. It isstronger and has a stronger flavor, and it goes well with the strong flavors of Greece. It is good for digestion and I use it to infuse my shower to preventmildew. This recipe for Greek chicken uses Greek oregano, but it refers to itas Rigani. Ingredients:

Spray non-stick butter flavored spray on the chicken and place it in aroasting dish.
Place the zest of the lemon on a piece of wax paper. Set aside. Cut thelemon in half, removing any seeds.
In a small bowl, squeeze half of the lemon and then add three tablespoons Greek oregano. Put this in the cavity of your chicken and rubit around until it coats all sides.In a small bowl, squeeze the remaining halfof the lemon. Add lemon zest, garlic and melted butter to the bowl. Mixwell and apply this to the chicken's exterior.

Sprinkle the Greek oregano over the chicken and season with salt andpepper.
Place the lemon rinds in the chicken's cavity.
For 20 minutes, place in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for each pound.
Allow to cool in the oven for at least 10 minutes before carving. Serve with
pan juices on top.Spicy Fennel with Pasta and Greens

The flowers and leaves of fennel look very pretty, and the seeds are great tochew on for bad breath. Some people chew on fennel seed to hide the factthat their mother has had an alcoholic beverage. However, she is usuallyaware of this because it is the only reason they chew on fennel seed. The underground bulb is a delicious option. It has a fresh anise taste that pairswell with pasta and other greens. This dish can be made with any pasta youprefer, but I prefer linguini. This recipe makes three to four servings.

2 Cloves garlic, peeled & crushed1 pinch salt1 pinch pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 chopped fresh sage leaves

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium heat. Add the onion,garlic and fennel to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Saut thefennel until it is browned around the edges, approximately 8-10 minutes.
Stir in the balsamic vinaigrette and continue to saute for 2 more minutes,or until the fennel becomes soft. To prevent the onions from burning,reduce the heat and add more oil.
Stir in the sage leaves and 1/4 cup pasta water. Cook for 4 minutes, stirringfrequently. Saut the chard for another 2-3 minutes, or until it becomeshot.
Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and stir. Add 1/4 cup more pastawater if it seems too dry or thick.
Toss the ingredients together with the lemon juice.
Serve immediately.

My favorite herb is lavender, mainly because it's so useful. It has a wonderfulscent and repels insects. I stored dried lavender flowers in sachets, and thenput them in my summer sweaters. They smell great and have no moth holes.Making lavender wreaths with fresh-stemmed lavender is a favorite hobby ofmine. I hang them dry to dry. It gives off a wonderful scent that fills the home.It is common for people to say that lavender makes food taste soggy. Idisagree. Lavender is great with baked goods, and Bouquet Garni's herbmixture isperfectwithpoultryandroast beef. This recipe makesapproximately 3 dozen biscotti. You can burn it by removing it from the ovenwith some lavender oil. It will not blister and heal much faster than normal.Ingredients: