Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Freshen Up Your Spring Recipes with Mint!
Several years ago, I purchased fresh mint from the Master Gardeners at the very famous Annual Plant Sale, and to my surprise and delight the mint has returned each year looking better than the year before!! The very popular fresh herb is currently in season and is no longer used just for Derby parties and making julips!!
Mint has its own set of health benefits, it is rich in nutrients, containing hardly any calories, it is a good source of vitamin A, good for eye health. Mint is also loaded with antioxidants which aids in the protection of damage to your body cells.
Mint can aid in the relief of indigestion and upset stomach. Some research shows that mint is known to improve brain function, the oils increase alertness and decreased levels of frustration. Of course, mint can fight bad breath!!
On a warm summer day, cool down by adding fresh mint to your drinks, main dishes and desserts!! Try these ways to use fresh mint in your dishes!
Fresh Mint Dressing
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup lemon juice, about 2 lemons
¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons local honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, mustard
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 twist of freshly ground pepper
In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste, and add more salt and/or pepper if necessary. Use as desired!
This dressing will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
Each 2 tablespoon serving contains; Calories 152, Fat 14 g., Sodium 113 mg., Carbohydrates
8 g., Protein 0.3 g.
Watermelon Feta and Mint Salad
3 pounds seedless watermelon, cut into 1 inch chunks, about 2 pounds of chunks
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more if desired
4 ounces arugula leaves, chopped, optional
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 ounces crumbled feta
Place watermelon chunks in a large bowl. Finely chop lemon zest. Add lemon juice and half of zest to bowl with watermelon. Add mint, oil, and arugula (if using) and toss until watermelon is evenly dressed. Season lightly to taste with salt and pepper. (The cheese will add saltiness, so go light on the salt at this stage.)
Transfer salad to a wide, shallow bowl or a large plate and spread out evenly. Crumble feta over the top. Sprinkle with remaining lemon zest. Drizzle with more olive oil and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Mediterranean Tomato Salad with Herbs
1 cup finely diced cucumber, if seeds are large remove them
1 cup finely diced tomato
¾ cup finely diced onion
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup finely chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons olive oil, more or less to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more or less to taste
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Optional: Top with crumbled feta cheese
Chop cucumber in pieces less than 1/2 inch and put in colander. Add a generous amount of salt and let sit while you chop other ingredients.
Chop tomatoes in same-size pieces as the cucumbers. If the tomatoes are extra juicy drain them. Chop onions (Cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions should be cut in same-size pieces.)
Parsley and mint should be chopped very finely.
When all ingredients are chopped, combine in mixing bowl.
Mix in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with feta if desired. Serve immediately.
Fresh Mint Pesto
3 cups fresh mint leaves, lightly packed, stems removed
¼ cup cashews or almonds
1 garlic clove, sliced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of 1/3 lemon
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Remove the mint leaves from the stems, wash and drain them, you can use a salad spinner here.
Add the extra virgin olive oil to the food processor first, then add the rest of the ingredients.
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and blend to a smooth paste, adding a tablespoon or two of cold water to help it along, if needed. Taste it and season again according to your liking.
Use immediately or cover with a thin layer of olive oil and cling film. This can also be frozen. Yields 1 ½ cups.
Old Fashioned Grasshopper Pie
For the Crust
Cooking spray
1 (9-oz.) box brownie crisp cookies
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
For the Pie
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons. whole milk
1 (16-oz.) package. miniature marshmallows
1/3 cup green crème de menthe
1 1/2 Tablespoons clear crème de cacao
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 drops green food coloring gel
Chocolate shavings (from 1 [4-oz.] semisweet chocolate baking bar)
Freshly grated nutmeg
For the crust, preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray; set aside. Process cookies in a food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds.
Add melted butter to food processor, and pulse until mixture holds together when squeezed, about 15 (1-second) pulses. Using your hands or bottom of a measuring cup, press mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of prepared pie plate.
Bake in preheated oven until fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool crust completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
For the pie, place ice and water in a heatproof bowl; set aside. Place milk and marshmallows in a medium saucepan; cook over low, stirring constantly, until marshmallows are completely melted, 5 to 8 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat, and stir constantly until marshmallow mixture begins to deflate and is no longer foamy, about 2 minutes.
Place saucepan over ice water, stirring constantly, until thickened and cooled to room temperature, about 3 minutes. Stir in crème de menthe and crème de cacao. Refrigerate until completely cooled, about 20 minutes.
Beat heavy cream and food coloring with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Fold whipped cream into marshmallow mixture in 3 additions, gently folding to incorporate before adding each addition, about 4 minutes total.
Spread mixture evenly into cooled crust. Refrigerate, uncovered, until filling is set, at least 4 hours or up to 8 hours.
To serve, garnish with chocolate shavings and nutmeg. Serves 8.
Neuse News is a locally-owned small business startup in downtown Kinston. Our goal is to provide free, hyper-local news to Lenoir, Greene and Jones counties. The kind of news our grandparents read in a format fit for today's times.
We provide this by having supportive advertisers and we encourage you to click on their ads, shop with them, and eat with them. Every bit of financial support is important to help us sustain free, hyper-local news.
Please consider supporting Neuse News with as little as $5 one-time or via a monthly option. Every little bit helps us, help you.
