On December 6th Vickie Bledsoe, a local herbalist, came in and gave our Spoon IU team a quick demo on how to use herbs to naturally help our bodies while adding fresh, delicious flavors to our dishes.
Photo by Natsuko Mazany
The first dish Vickie made for us was a simple cracker, cream cheese, grape tomato and basil combo. She mentioned that basil has stress-busting and swell-reducing properties. In other words, the most perfect study snack for finals season.
Photo by Natsuko Mazany
#SpoonTip: Before use, rub the basil between your index finger and thumb until fragrant. This forces the oils from the herb to come out, resulting in stronger flavors.
Photo by Natsuko Mazany
The next recipe that Vickie made for us was my favorite. Using her handy dandy Veggetti, Vickie turned an ordinary zucchini squash into a refreshing zucchini pasta and added generous amounts of garlic, rosemary, basil, chickpeas and grape tomatoes with dashes of salt, pepper and olive oil.
According to the herbalist, rosemary is an immune booster while garlic acts as a natural anti-biotic. This dish left us feeling rejuvenated and unlike real pasta, there was no bloating. #veggiesforthewin
The last dish that Vickie made for us was a light cucumber, red onion, grape tomato, basil, garlic, salt and pepper with splashes of olive oil and vinegar. Vickie made the conscious decision of using red onion because she mentioned that darker colored veggies tend to be better for us (and they make the dish look super beautiful).
Vickie showed us that it isn’t hard to eat well and you can make these dishes anywhere (even in your dorm room). The best part is, its the best bang of flavor for your buck.