Cooking with Herbs - All About Cilantro

People say that when it comes to cilantro you either love it or hate it. I love it, but my husband does not, so when I'm cooking with cilantro ,I sometimes use it as a condiment or topping on the side. Sometimes I'll substitute flat leaf parsley in a recipe that calls for cilantro so I can share with my better half.

People say that when it comes to cilantro you either love it or hate it. I love it but my husband does not, so I use it as a condiment or topping on the side. Sometimes I'll substitute flat leaf parsley in a recipe that calls for cilantro so I can share with my better half.

Growing Cilantro

Cilantro is a cool season crop. Although there are some varieties that claim they are slow to “bolt,” this herbs is best grown in the spring or early fall. If you insist on growing it during the hotter months, place it someplace where it will get shade from the hot afternoon sun. Once  your cilantro starts to flower, you will notice that it no longer looks the same--and it won’t taste good either. However, if you want to, you can let it go to seed and harvest the seeds which are called “coriander,” which you can grind up and use in many Asian and Latin dishes. I love it in my chili.

Harvesting Cilantro

Harvest your cilantro by cutting ¾ of the stems leaving ¼ to encourage new growth. Cutting often may help the plant from bolting (starting to flower quickly) and going to seed.

Preserving Cilantro

Cilantro does not dry well. The best way to preserve it is to freeze it. Chop it up and place it into ice cube trays with a little olive oil or water. Once froze you can pop out the cubes and place them in a plastic bag and back into the freezer. This way you can easily grab one or two when you need them.

Cooking with Cilantro

Cilantro is very floral, which is a quality I love, but some say it tastes like soap. I guess I can see that, but when cooking with cilantro you also get that unique floral scent which adds a depth of flavor I appreciate.  This is another great add-in to top your chili, tacos, eggs, soups and even salads.  Cilantro pairs well with lime juice and makes a great vinaigrette. Just use a blender or food processor to blend the cilantro with lime juice and some olive oil. Use the leftovers from your tacos or fajita dinner to make quesadillas for lunch. You can always add a little fresh cilantro to spruce up the flavor.

Fresh Homemade Salsa

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

This is one my sister Laurie started making years ago. A delicious salsa that is fresh and not cooked. It has a great flavor very different from jarred salsa and tastes great as a condiment or just a dip with chips.

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Ingredients

• 4 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded
• 1/2 sweet onion peeled and roughly chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 of a cucumber peeled and seeded
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, with ribs and seeds removed
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro
• 1/2 t. coarse salt

Instructions

1. In a food processor or blender add garlic and onion.
2. Chop for a few seconds. Add cilantro, pepper and cucumber.
3. Chop again.
4. Add tomatoes and salt and chop a final time.

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Notes

For the cilantro haters-- try substituting flat leaf parsley.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 21Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 102mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g

Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

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Southwest Black Bean Salad

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This black bean salad is full of crisp fresh flavors and makes a great side dish for a summer picnic.

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Ingredients

• 2 cans of black beans, drained
• 2 cups corn that has been grilled for 10 mins
• 2-3 cloves of garlic minced or crushed
• 1/2 cup red onion, minced
• 1 medium orange or red bell pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 cup Cilantro finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Italian (flat leaf) parsley finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
2. Refrigerate for an hour. Tastes even better the next day.
3. Serve alone as a salad or as a side dish.

Notes

Substitutions:

• Frozen corn instead of grilled corn on the cob.
• Other herbs such as fresh basil and oregano.
• Other citrus juice, lemon, orange, grapefruit

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 234Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 301mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 6g

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