Basil- A Tomatoes Best Friend!

I live in the South, and one of the many joys of summer is fresh tomatoes. Some of my earliest memories are of my Grandmother harvesting a tomato crop so large that we ate them at every meal. She still had enough left over at the end of summer to can as stewed tomatoes or use in her incredible vegetable soup to last all winter.

I remember that even as delicious as they were fresh, everyone still passed the salt shaker around to make them taste even better. Salt, as it turns out, intensifies the taste of a Tomato, something my pallet had become accustom to.  

As I began to learn to live without my “three teaspoon of salt a day” (see last posting)  I looked at the foods I used the most salt on...and anything with tomatoes quickly became my focus.  I tried going cold turkey, and just use pepper, but I could not get satisfied, until I discovered  Basil...A Tomatoes Best Friend!   

It didn't take me long to learn that using a little basil ,olive oil and pepper in or on anything with tomatoes taste fantastic , all without adding any salt.  Here are a few ideas that I use: 

• An hour before dinner, cut your tomatoes and marinate them in a small dish with Olive Oil, Balsamic , Basil and a dash of pepper, then mix them into your salad  or eat by themselves. 

• Slice tomatoes and fresh mozzarella  and layer each other with Fresh basil [or sprinkle a good Sweet Basil] and drizzle with Olive Oil , Balsamic and a dash of Pepper  for a wonderful Caprese Salad.   

• Have you tried making Bruschetta? Its easy. Dice Tomatoes, and mix with fresh garlic, basil olive oil and balsamic to make this fantastic appetizer. Just toast sliced baguette French bread top with the Brushetta mix and top with grated parm cheese.

Just experiment and you will find hundreds of uses for basil and you will soon learn why it is one of the most popular herbs in the world. 

Remember...The more seasonings, herbs and spices you use in you meals, chances are the healthier you will be eating. 

SpiceMan

Have you eaten your three Teaspoons of salt today ?

Sound crazy right?  Well...the fact is, most Americans consume 3 times what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences say the average adult needs.  They suggest the average adult needs no more than 2,300 mg , or about 1 Teaspoon,  of sodium  daily to regulate the balance of fluids in the body.

The Mayo Clinic says we take in about 77 percent of our daily sodium from packaged and processed foods, compared to  only 5 percent added while cooking, 6 percent added while eating and 12 percent from natural sources! 

So, If you need to lower your salt intake, more than half  of your  battle is won by not eating prepared or packaged foods. The rest can be accomplished by preparing  and eating fresh foods and season them with natural herbs , spices , oils and juices. 

Here are a few tricks I use to reduce my salt intake. 

Kosher Sea Salt- Because Kosher Sea Salt has so much flavor , you can get by with just a small amount and  stay way below your limits. 

Empty your Salt Shaker -  Replace with an equal blend of Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Kosher Sea Salt.  Use in place of salt for cooking and at the table. 

Herbs de Provence - Mix with Olive Oil and pepper on sliced or wedged potato. Trust me, you will never want a salty french fry again!     

Olive Oil , Garlic & Pepper - Use these three simple ingredients to season meats. You will surprised how  flavorful  this trinity will make Steaks, Chicken or Chops.   

Basil ,Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar & Pepper -  Blend together as a dressing, or  layer it over tomatoes . 

Truffle Salt- Expensive , but you can not make asparagus  mashed potatoes taste better. The trick here is that because of the strong flavor of Truffle, you use very little. I found a well priced one on adamsextract.com 

Lemon Juice-  Part of the flavor effect of salt is that it brings out the natural flavor of most foods. Try adding lemon juice to your vegetables , fish and seafood. 

These are just a few ideas, experiment and you will come up with many more. 

So remember , Chances are  the more Herbs & Spices you use in your food, the healthier you will be eating. 

Enjoy