The Newsy Neighbour
January Issue #111
Article provided by: Kathryn Hartwell
I am a “Spice Girl!” Not the famous kind unfortunately, but
spices are my favourite! I cannot cook anything without adding spices to the
recipe; they just add so much depth and savour to your dish-- appetizers, soups,
salads, eggs, side dishes, entrées, even desserts. My favourite spice by far is
Italian Seasoning, with its mixture of oregano, basil, onion, garlic, peppers,
and herbs. I find it is just perfect for any of your culinary masterpieces. Plus
oregano
is used to treat respiratory tract disorders,
gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, menstrual cramps, and urinary tract disorders
and basil is known to be an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and powerful adaptogen —
meaning, it helps the body to respond to stress and to fight
disease.
People have the misconception that “Italian Seasoning” is
just for Italian dishes, but that could not be farther from the truth. I am
here to share some of my favourite – fantastic – fun recipes using “Italian
Seasoning”. When you purchase your Italian Seasoning, make sure you buy the one
that has no artificial colours or flavours!
Italian-Seasoned Roast Chicken Breasts
1 tbsp Italian
Seasoning
1 tsp grated
lemon rind
2 tbsp fresh
lemon juice
4 tsp extra-virgin
olive oil
½ tsp fennel
seeds, crushed
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly
ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves,
minced
4 bone-in
chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 425°F, combine first 8 ingredients in a
bowl, stirring well. Loosen skin from chicken by inserting fingers, gently
pushing between skin and meat. Rub rosemary mixture under loosened skin over
flesh; rub over top of skin. Place chicken, bone side down, on a broiler pan
coated with cooking spray. Coat skin lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 425°F
for 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the
breast registers 155°F. Remove chicken from pan; let stand for 10 minutes. I
serve these fabulous chicken breasts with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.
Fabulous Shrimp
1 1/2 lb shelled shrimp or prawns
1 cup butter
1 lemon, sliced thin
2 tbsp
Italian Seasoning
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets,
covering the sides also, with foil. Melt butter in oven on lined cookie sheet.
Lay lemon slices on melted butter. Lay shrimp on top of butter and lemons.
Sprinkle the Italian Seasoning on top of shrimp. Bake at 350°F for
15 minutes, until light golden brown. This is great alone or served on pasta or
rice using melted butter/lemon juice drizzled on top.
Roasted Parmesan
Potatoes
1 lb
russet potatoes (about 1 large potato or 2 small potatoes)
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Sprinkle
of sea salt
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick
cooking spray. Slice the potatoes into thick 1” wedges (skin on). Place wedges
in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and the Italian seasoning. Toss well. Lay
potato wedges out on sheet tray and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Roast for
35 minutes, flipping midway through. Right after the potatoes have come out of
the oven, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over top.
Mushrooms with
Italian Seasoning
2 lb mushrooms, raw
1/4 cup water
1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
3 cloves garlic, raw
1/2 med onion, raw
1 tbsp
Italian Seasoning
1 dash cayenne Pepper
Slice fresh mushrooms so that they are approximately
1/4" thick. In a large skillet, add all ingredients. Cover and bring to a
boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for about 5 minutes. Uncover and let simmer
until most of the water evaporates leaving a paste at the bottom of the pan.
Serve mushrooms hot.
Seasoned
Buttery Crackers
1 cup Salted Butter
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
1 package (1 Sleeve) Saltine Crackers
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add
the Italian seasoning and seasoned salt. Dunk the saltines in the mixture and
place on a rack over a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes. I know what you
are thinking, but they are one of my favourite guilty pleasures!
If you are not a spice girl but want to add a little spice in your
life, pick-up some Italian Seasoning. It is the most versatile spice mix you
can purchase and as I said before, there is not a day goes by that I do not use
it. Seriously, there is not one single food that I can think of that you cannot
sprinkle a little Italian seasoning on. Just for lunch today I had sliced
avocado on toast sprinkled with my favourite seasoning and I also had it on my
egg this morning. Seriously!!
Add a little spice to your life – you will not be sorry.
Kathryn Hartwell
References: medicalnewstoday.com, draxe.com,
pbs.com, snapguide.com
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