12 healthy recipes featuring fresh herbs
Updated: Jul. 16, 2019
Pretty up your plate with a nice parsley garnish, or add cilantro to your soup for a kick of flavour. Here are 12 healthy recipes where fresh herbs are the star of the show
Strips of chicken in a crisp coating of sesame seeds, breadcrumbs and cornflakes are served on a crunchy vegetable salad dressed with a fresh herb vinaigrette. A little chili powder in the coating gives this warm sesame chicken salad a bit of a kick.
Store-bought stuffed pasta just does not taste anything like silken-textured homemade pasta with a freshly prepared savoury filling. This mushroom ravioli in herb jus is not a convenience meal’making pasta does take time’but it is well worth it!
Tomato and Bread Salad with Herbed Chicken
This dish is great when first made, but even better the second day after the flavours have married. It’s a perfect meal on its own or it can be a side salad, without the chicken and with some added greens.
This Thai-inspired noodle salad contains kelp noodles which are easily available at your local health stores. Kelp is a seaweed that’s high in minerals and vitamins, and balances the body’s pH levels, amongst other benefits. Superfood Maca will give you fuel for the day. This sauce can be used on pasta or rice, too
Cidered Pork Stew with Herbed Dumplings
Rather than rubbing butter over chicken before roasting, here a paste of fresh herbs and reduced-fat ricotta cheese is pushed under the skin. This keeps the roast herb and garlic chicken beautifully moist as well as adding a wonderful flavour.
These savoury scones are made with soft cheese and plenty of fresh herbs’ideally a mixture of Italian parsley, chives, thyme and rosemary, although any combination will do. Ricotta herb scones are nicest warm, with soup or salad.
This simple pasta dish features a variety of mushrooms as its key flavour, with fresh herbs as an accent.
Lentil and Watercress Salad with Grilled Pork
The flavours of this recipe work well with almost any protein addition; I love making it with either pork or lamb. While the recipe calls for watercress, it is sometimes hard to find; a great substitute is arugula, which will add a nice peppery bite.
Try this vegan, raw version of the spicy and delicious Thai classic Pad Thai.
Rather than rubbing butter over chicken before roasting, here a paste of fresh herbs and reduced-fat ricotta cheese is pushed under the skin. This keeps the roast herb and garlic chicken beautifully moist as well as adding a wonderful flavour.
Vegetable Pies with Cheese and Herb Pastry
There is always something appealing about individual pies. These are filled with vegetables in a parsley sauce and topped with a tasty shortcrust pastry.
Colourful stir-fried beef with mango is bursting with fresh flavours and contrasting textures. The dressing is oil-free, so although a little oil is used to stir-fry the beef, the dish is still very light in fat. No extra salt is needed because of the spicy dressing and the saltiness of soy sauce.
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