by B. Ann Moran

Created on: January 15, 2007   Last Updated: May 04, 2007

HERBS & COOKING FOR DUMMIES

"An herb is a friend to physicians and the praise of cooks." - Charlemagne

FRIEND TO PHYSICIANS: Herbs are healthy for you! So....cook with them.

1. CILANTRO - helps eliminate Mercury and Lead from tissues and bone (detox)
Holy BASIL (Tulsi) - Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral; protective to the liver.
OLIVE LEAF - broad spectrum antiviral; lowers blood pressure; lowers cholesterol.

THYME - bronchial antispasmodic & expectorant; helps diarrhea & gastrointestinal spasm.
OREGANO Oil - is a powerful anti-microbial agent that will destroy bacteria and parasites on contact. It also kills yeasts, molds and Candida overgrowth in our bodies (due to all those antibiotics we have taken. Used to help arthritis, bladder infections, colds, nail fungus, parasites, sinus infections, stomach ulcers, etc. Topically can be used on things like acne and rashes. Basically it helps clean your body and blood of bacteria and parasites. (from research on the web; just look it up for yourself; like www.ghchealth.com)

2. Books - Dr. Duke's Essential Herbs, James A. Duke, Ph.D. (www.amazon.com)
Therapeutic Herb Manual by Ed Smith (www.herbaled.org)

THE PRAISE OF COOKS

1. General Rules
When to add Herbs - delicate ones at end (basil, parsley, cilantro, dill)
less delicate last 20 min. (thyme, oregano, rosemary)
Amounts - 1 tsp. dried = 1 TBS. Fresh (or 3x as much)
When doubling a recipe, DON'T DOUBLE THE HERBS; do 1 1/2 times
How Long to Keep - 1 yr. for herbs or ground spices
2 yrs. for whole spices

2. Substituting Herbs (flavors and pungency)
"The Cooks Thesaurus" www.foodsubs.com/HerbsEur.html
Stevia - sweetest Herb in the world (from Asia and South America)
1 Cup Sugar = 1 tsp. Stevia (powder or liquid)
1 TBS. Sugar = 1/4 tsp. Stevia powder or 6-9 drops of liquid
1 tsp. Sugar = a pinch of Stevia powder (1/16 tsp) or 2-4 drops

Recently a more concentrated Stevia Extract has become available.
Found in the Food Supplement area of stores or by sweeteners-green box
Health benefits: Chemicals in Stevia cause blood vessels to widen for better blood flow; South American studies show it helps lower Blood sugar levels in diabetics and helps Insulin production; it delays absorption of sugars in the intestines; one 2 yr. study showed it is a calcium channel-blocker and lowers blood pressure.

www.stevia.net www.cookingwithstevia.com

3. Storing and Freezing
The Basil I grow I dry; take leaves off stems and store in a bottle.
Three Methods - Freezing in bags after

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