Search Results for: basil oil

Onions with Basil Oil

June 29, 2020 by towers

It’s the season of onions and basil, especially if you are a gardener. While fresh basil is usually available year-round in grocery stores, it is never as good as the very fresh leaves from your garden. Now that I have an abundance from my garden I make basil oil every few days so there’s always some in the fridge. If you don’t have basil plants, support your local farmers market where you should be able to find it.

The basil oil recipe was posted last year and you can find it here. If you have that already made this onion topping recipe can be made very quickly.

And on the topic of onions–don’t neglect them! They are relatively inexpensive and store well so it makes sense to always keep them on hand. If you have them in the garden they are likely ready to start harvesting. Because they are so flavorful, onions can jazz up lots of other vegetables. The other night I made this onion recipe to use as a topping on gluten-free pizza. I spread some of the basil oil on the fresh-from-the-oven baked crust and then topped with these onions plus some pitted olives. If you eat dairy, it would be delicious to put grated cheese over the basil oil and then top with the onions–just put it under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese if desired. Other options for the onions besides pizza are steamed green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower. Of course, they would be good with the basil oil on pasta and I’ve done this with organic brown rice fettuccine.

Serves 2

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 tsp. basil oil

Place the chopped onions in a baking tray (about 8 x 10-inch size). Add the basil oil and stir until onions are coated. Spread the coated onions in a thin layer over the surface of the pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or so. Serve immediately.

Fresh Basil Oil

May 29, 2019 by towers

Now that fresh basil is more plentiful–I’ve got a lot already in the garden–let’s make good use of it by preparing this quick, flavorful oil. Remember that preparing ahead when you have time (the weekend?) makes eating well EASIER when you are busy. This delicious oil keeps in the fridge a week or so and is very convenient for dressing boiled eggs, salads, pasta, steamed vegetables, grains, and breads–make a pizza with the gluten-free bread I linked and use the basil oil instead of tomato sauce. It is reminiscent of pesto (see recipe here) but a lot easier! All you need is a blender.

Also, if you are using it for salad dressing, just add 1 Tbsp. of this oil per 1 cup of salad vegetables and toss. Then drizzle 1 Tbsp. lemon juice for each Tbsp. of oil and toss again.

1 cup fresh basil leaves (packed)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt to taste

Place basil leaves, salt, and garlic in the blender container. Pour enough olive oil over them to just cover (about 1/2 cup). Blend until really smooth. Place in glass jar and cap. Ready for use immediately. Keep refrigerated.

Chicken with Basil

August 30, 2024 by towers

Perfect for the late summer season, this one is very quick to put together if you have a few items in your refrigerator–namely, leftover chicken meat, basil oil (my version of pesto), and some chicken broth. Follow the links for my recipes for these three items.

This dish can be eaten alone as a protein and vegetable combination for a light meal or with a starch such as rice or noodles for a more filling meal. A cup of other vegetables would be a nice addition–zucchini, carrot, and green or red sweet pepper or a combination of them. If you eat cheese, some grated pecorino or parmesan as a garnish would be delicious!

Serves 2:

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 T ghee

approximately 2 cups chopped chicken meat

1 large tomato, chopped (I skinned and seeded the quartered tomato before chopping.)

3 T basil oil

1/2 cup chicken broth

Salt to taste

Saute onion in melted ghee on a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes and if you are adding any additional vegetables (chop them fine so that they cook quickly), add them so that they cook with the onion. Stir in chopped tomato, chicken meat, and chicken broth and heat through for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil oil. Salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Holy Basil Tea

August 31, 2010 by towers

You can make herb tea without heating by soaking the herbs in water overnight or placing in a sunny spot outside all day in the summer. Not all herb teas extract well this way so try it and compare to see if the taste is as good or as strong as you would like. The reason we use this method is because more nutrients may be preserved without exposing the herbs to boiling water plus it is easier. In this recipe the oranges and lemons are raw too; the nutrient levels remain higher for many foods when not heated. This recipe features holy basil tea which supports the immune system and passion flower which is calming and anti-anxiety. It is not high in sugar since stevia is used to sweeten and the natural fruit sugar in the orange juice is diluted by the tea. This drink provides a refreshingly low-sugar way to enjoy the health benefits of these herbs. One other benefit—being a fluid it contributes to your 8 or so cups of recommended fluids a day so it helps with good hydration.

Holy Basil Tea

3 juicing oranges

1 lemon

1/2 cup dried holy basil (or 8 teabags of Tulsi tea from a health food store)

¼ cup dried passionflower leaf (available from herb supply stores or health food store that can special order—we get it from www.frontiercoop.com)

stevia extract to taste

3 qts. pure water

Place the herbs in a ½ gallon glass canning jar. Add the water and cap and leave overnight. An alternative is to place the jar in a sunny location outside in the summer for a full day. Next, strain the tea. Juice the oranges and lemon and add the juice to the tea. Add stevia to taste. Keep refrigerated.

Turnip Taters

July 10, 2023 by towers

Potatoes are so starchy that I usually add other vegetables like turnips when I want to enjoy them. In the past, I’ve posted a few recipes using turnips so please check them out for more description and other ideas.

If you garden, consider growing turnips–they are easy, quick to mature, and you can plant them in early Spring because they are cold tolerant. They’ll be ready to harvest in early summer.

You don’t need to peel the potato or turnip. Just scrub well and cut out bad/dark spots. Thick skin around the top of a turnip should be peeled off.

Serves two:

1 medium-sized red potato, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise in 1/4 inch slices

1 cup turnip slices, cut the same way as potato

1 cup chopped red or yellow onion

2 Tbsp. ghee

salt

Melt ghee in a large skillet pan on medium heat. Add onion and stir. Saute for 5 minutes stirring a few times. Add potato and turnip slices. Use a spatula to loosen every few minutes to keep the slices from sticking. Keep a lid on between stirs. Cook until slices are tender and slightly browned–about 10 minutes. Salt to taste. Serve immediately. The picture below also shows steamed green beans with basil oil to which I added chopped chicken. This was a light meal perfect for summer.

Green Beans and Rice with Pesto

September 14, 2022 by towers

This is one of those dishes that is super quick when you have leftover rice and some basil pesto in the fridge. If you haven’t tried this simple basil oil (pesto) recipe check it out here.

I am still getting green beans from the garden–it does make a difference when they are fresh. If you don’t have garden green beans, try your local farmers market.

One other note: the rice I used was cooked in chicken broth–recipe is here. Vary the amount of rice you use based on how much starch you are hungry for!

Serves 2

2 cups chopped green beans steamed until just tender

1 to 2 cups cooked brown jasmine or basmati rice

1/4 cup basil oil

sea salt to taste

Once green beans are cooked to your liking, drain any water in the pan and add the rice. Warm over low heat. Take off the heat and stir in the basil oil and salt if desired. Serve immediately.

GF Bread Updated– Nut-free Version

September 28, 2020 by towers

Here is an update on the gluten-free bread described below: I have had people with nut allergies wanting to make this bread which has almond flour originally. It works very well to substitute tigernut flour for the almond flour. Tigernut is a tuber, not a nut and it can be found online when looking for gluten-free flours–a good brand is Organic Gemini. Also, if you have egg whites you want to use, blend some with the water used in this recipe and reduce the volume of water accordingly. It will increase the protein content of the bread (tigernuts are lower in protein than almonds) and allows it to brown nicely.

One other note to keep in mind: you may have to add more water than is listed in the ingredients. I add enough water to get a soft dough–it is not sticky as I knead it either as the flours used are highly absorbent–especially the added ground flax. I probably use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup additional water. This soft dough is easier to work with and makes a nicer bread.

Watch Dr. Eric Berg’s video below for a great recipe for gluten-free bread. I like it because of the taste/texture but also because it is a lot lower in carbs and higher in fiber than most GF breads–plus it doesn’t have any objectionable starches in it like potato starch. I have used it for rolls or as pizza dough. My latest version of pizza had a crust made with this dough which I pressed out into an oiled pizza pan (you can sprinkle sesame seeds in the bottom of the pan first–I usually do) and baked at 350 degrees F until crusty–with no toppings. After it cooled but was still warm, I spread a couple tablespoons of the basil oil on it, followed by avocado slices and olives. Ready to serve and super easy. You could add some tomato slices too for a more traditional pizza. What a treat!

Also, I have at times altered the recipe by adding 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed. You may need to add a little more water (1-4 Tbsp.) to the dough if you add ground flax seed in order to achieve the soft but not-sticky texture shown in the video.

It’s best to use the light-colored almond flour which is made from blanched almonds.

Also, you can refrigerate the dough for a few days; I do this so I can make a fresh pizza or flat bread very quickly during the week. Great with olive oil which has been flavored with a clove of fresh garlic and some salt.

Here is the list of ingredients:

1 cup each of coconut flour, blanched almond flour (or tigernut flour), and arrowroot flour

2 Tbsp. psyllium

2 Tbsp. ground chia seeds (I use the blender to grind them and I also add 2 Tbsp. flax seed ground in blender)

1 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. dry baking yeast granules

1 and 1/4 cup water (egg whites can substitute for some of this liquid if you have fresh egg whites to use)

2 tsp. honey or maple syrup

Follow the directions given in the video for how to mix the ingredients.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsl5ENgZnr0

Ginger Punch with a Kick

December 9, 2024 by towers

This refreshing drink is a beautiful red–perfect for a holiday punch and well worth the effort. Gathering the herbs is a prerequisite step but we encourage people to have these beneficial dried herbs on hand and ordering from Frontier Coop makes this easy and likely less expensive than buying tea bags. Many of the herbs I use the most I order from them–they are available organically grown and in bulk if you want to order a whole pound.

I posted a “mocktail” recipe recently which I have changed to incorporate some more health-promoting herbs perfect for winter immune system support–the hibiscus is good circulatory support and makes the punch red. Also, I changed the way to make the ginger extract. Try this out–the blender extract method used here is quicker and tastes stronger. The ginger gives this drink a “kick”–really warms the tummy kind of like alcohol! You may want to dilute it if the ginger is too strong for you.

Serves 4

Make the tea first:

1 Tbsp. dried hibiscus flowers (available in bulk section of health food stores, or Frontier Coop website–I get a 1 pound bag)

1 Tbsp. dried holy basil leaves (known as tulsi tea also, available at health food stores, or Frontier Coop website–I grow and dry my own)

1 tsp. licorice root (optional)

1 Tbsp. dried lemon balm

Place herbs in a glass quart mason jar with a spoon to prevent the jar from cracking when you add the boiling water. Add 1 and 1/4 cups of boiling water for the concentrated tea if you are using selter water in the recipe below or 4 cups of boiling water if you are not using seltzer water. Cap the jar and let steep until cool. Strain and discard the herbs.

Now make the mocktail:

1 piece of fresh organic ginger root, about 1″ diameter and 3″ long

1 cup of hibiscus tea blend (see recipe above)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp. organic apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. maple syrup or more to taste or some monk fruit extract to add sweetness to your taste

3 additional cups of hibiscus tea blend or plain seltzer water if you prefer a carbonated drink (If you choose the seltzer water be sure to make the tea for extracting the ginger concentrated by using less water to make the tea.)

Slice the ginger into thin rounds after washing the root. Place in a blender container. Add 1 cup of the tea blend. Blend very well. Strain and discard the ginger pulp after squeezing the last of the extract out of it. Pour the ginger juice into a pitcher or glass jar. Add the rest of the ingredients. Taste and correct sweetness or dilute more if desired. If you used seltzer water, serve cold immediately with lemon slices (optional). If you didn’t use seltzer water, the drink will keep in the fridge for a few days and you may want to warm the drink slightly on low heat (don’t boil and remove from heat before it simmers) for a greater warming effect–but the ginger is certainly warming all by itself! Enjoy!

Easy Omelette with Sardines

July 31, 2023 by towers

Sardines are a good source of omega-3 fats and are low in mercury so why don’t more people eat them? I think it’s because they don’t know what to do with them. Also, the bones and skin in most brands may be a deterrent. I buy the boneless and skinless packed in water. In fact, sardines are an excellent protein food to stock up on for emergencies and as long as you are eating them regularly you will be rotating your stores (not wasting your money on dehydrated, shrink-wrapped foods of questionable nutritional value which you will likely never eat). You just need to know what to do with the sardines! Well, here is one idea.

Since we have lots of eggs with our current flock of chickens, omelettes are often on the menu. There are many possibilities to vary this recipe depending on what vegetables you have. Nothing fancy here–no flipping–just broil it in the oven to finish. I used yellow zucchini here because of the abundance coming out of the garden. It’s fun to add fresh basil when you have that too. Getting back to the sardines–they add a meaty texture to an omelette and complement without overpowering. Give it a try!

Serves 2:

4-6 eggs, from pasture-raised chickens

1 cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp. ghee

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, optional

1 cup chopped zucchini or yellow squash (I have added more at times–up to 2 cups)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 can sardines, boneless and skinless

1/2 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

Heat ghee in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add onions and stir for a few minutes. Add squash and stir. While the vegetables are heating up (give them a stir every few minutes), blend the eggs with the salt and basil in a blender just briefly enough to get the basil chopped up and the eggs mixed. Pour this mixture over the vegetables in the skillet. Turn the heat down to medium low. Drain the water out of the can of sardines. Use a fork to break up the sardines into pieces while still in the can and then distribute the pieces evenly into the egg mixture–just drop them in. Top with the grated cheese. Let it cook about 5 minutes–don’t let it burn on the bottom (you’ll know you got it right if your skillet is super easy to clean afterwards!). It does not need to set before broiling. To finish, place the skillet on the middle rack of the oven set on low broil. Broil until slightly browned. It only takes a few minutes so keep an eye on it to avoid burning. Serve immediately.

Support Your Immunity

February 28, 2022 by towers

Recommendations for supporting the immune system:

Most important recommendation–eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Basically this means no sugar, white flour products/gluten grains, vegetable oils (canola, soy, corn, sunflower, safflower, peanut). For more details on the specifics. schedule an appointment with Monica or ask for our handout in the office.
Vitamin D3. Maintenance dose for adults is 5000 IUs a day (children ¼ to ½ of that depending on weight). If infection is beginning or has occurred, take 10,000 IUs a day of vitamin D3 for 2 or 3 days and then drop down to the maintenance dose. We recommend the powdered form (not the kind in vegetable oil in gel caps). We carry a brand that provides 5000 IUs per capsule, plus the option of a D3/K2 combo which is also powder. We also have drops of Vitamin D3/K2 emulsified in MCT oil —this works for babies and children who can’t swallow pills. Getting out in the sun has many benefits as long as you don’t overdo and burn but most of us live in areas where sun exposure year-round is not a reliable way to get vitamin D.
Vitamin C. The VitaminCfoundation.org has many research articles linked on their site regarding the efficacy of vitamin C for viral infections. Apparently it is being used intravenously in hospitals in China for patients with corona virus infection. Read the articles on the site for more information. There are recommendations for oral vitamin C intake there also. VitaminCfoundation.com has good quality vitamin C in various forms available to order.
Andrographis Complex. This is a MediHerb product that we have been using for cold and flu prevention for years. It is a combination of andrographis, holy basil and echinacea root extracts. It is available at our office. If you can tolerate it, place one of the tablets in your mouth and allow it to dissolve; this can instantly improve a sore throat. Another antimicrobial herb is oregano oil. We suggest NeuroHemp which besides the cannabinoids provides oregano oil. Swish a dropperful in the mouth before swallowing.
Chaga Tea. Chaga is a mushroom that grows on birch trees in northern latitudes (Canada). It has many properties that support the immune system. Here is a recipe and a source for chaga tea.
Zinc and Quercetin. Zinc as losengers or as liquid ionic zinc. , Some extra zinc (about 15 mgs a day) is a good measure to take as many people are low in zinc. Quercetin helps zinc to be taken up by the cells to fight infection. Don’t take extra zinc long-term unless you take extra copper also as it may create copper deficiency. Long-term it is best to rely on a multiple that has all the essential trace minerals in it to maintain adequate zinc levels. Plus a good multi will provide Vitamin A (as retinyl palmitate , not just beta-carotene) and vitamin K2 both of which help fight infections.
Elderberry extract. Purchase online or at local healthfood stores and take the dose recommended on the bottle.
Use the neti pot to rinse the nasal passages daily with salt water, plus brush your teeth with a drop of tea tree oil and 1/4 tsp. baking soda on your toothbrush along with your toothpaste for the anti-microbial effect of the tea tree oil. You can also gargle with a drop of tea tree oil in some hot, salt water–do this hourly to reduce microbes hanging out in the back of the throat that may or may not be causing symptoms.
Take a good spore-based probiotic such as Just Thrive or MegaSporebiotic, which we have available in our office.
NAC or N-acetyl cysteine is an amino acid that helps boost glutathione production in the body. NAC has benefits itself but glutathione is a major detoxifier and that alone is a good reason to take–500 mgs a day.
Stay warm and hydrated with a variety of herbal teas, such as tulsi, licorice root, chamomile, mint. Raise the body temperature to the point of sweating to help kill viruses by sauna or hot baths.
Breathe and get enough sleep! Diaphragmatic breathing to keep calm is a no brainer! Ask for our instruction handout. Doing this before sleep is helpful for insomnia. And if you are exposed to wifi or cell phone radiation especially at night it is having an impact on your cellular health and suppressing your immune system. Ask us for more information.

Onions with Basil Oil

Fresh Basil Oil

Chicken with Basil

Holy Basil Tea

Turnip Taters

Green Beans and Rice with Pesto

GF Bread Updated– Nut-free Version

Ginger Punch with a Kick

Easy Omelette with Sardines

Support Your Immunity

Good Nutrition

Warming Broth for a Cold

Children’s Adjustments

Children with back pain

Towers Family Chiropractic