Herb Butter

My co-worker recently gave me this beautiful edible bouquet of herbs from her garden. It had rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano and Asian basil. Apparently, she is a master gardener. This bouquet could have been a perfect decoration for my kitchen, but unfortunately these herbs don't last long. Once they are picked, they should be consumed fairly quickly. I used them for pastas, salads, meat and fish, but there was still plenty left, and I didn't want to waist any.

Herb butter is a great way to preserve fresh herbs, and it is easy to make. It is perfect for toasts, mashed potatoes, sauteed vegetables, pasta, fish, meat and more. I use unsalted butter just because I'd like to adjust the sodium content depending on the dishes. If you like to keep it longer, shape the butter back into a stick, and keep it in the freezer. This way, you can enjoy the fresh herbs all year long.

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Basil and Mint Pesto

Have you ever bought a bunch of herb, used it for one thing and didn't know what to do with the rest?  My co-worker recently gave me mint leaves from her garden.  I used them for drinks and salads but still had some left.  I love fresh herbs, but the thing is that you can't eat them like you would a salad.  Herbs are used a little at a time as a garnish or as an accent, and even though the recipe calls for eight leaves of fresh herbs, you have to buy a bunch (I used to have fresh herbs sitting in my refrigerator until they went bad and sadly thrown away.)  Pesto is the perfect solution to use up leftover herbs, such as mint, coriander, basil and parsley.  Since mint has a strong flavor, I combined it with basil.  You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.  Just make sure to cover the pesto with olive oil to reduce the air contact.  If you intend to freeze some of it, which I often do, omit the cheese and put it in a ziplock and squeeze out as much air as you can.  Lay it flat in the freezer and it'll freeze into what I call a "pesto board."  This way, it is very space efficient, and you can simply break off and thaw as much as you intend to use.

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All-Purpose Dry Rub

Barbecue season is around the corner!  When I throw a barbecue party, I often serve braised barbecue ribs and chicken with a homemade dry rub.  I spend hours and hours preparing the rib, but the quick and easy rubbed chicken always seem to be more popular.

This is an all-purpose rub perfect for grilling, sauteing, and even roasting.  You just need to rub it on your choice of protein such as chicken, pork, salmon and shrimp and cook it with a little bit of oil.  Sometimes I substitute red chili powder with chipotle powder for a smokey flavor.  This rub is certainly a staple in my pantry.

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