Herbs and spices are a wonderful way to naturally flavour food for your little ones without adding salt or sugar. In fact, some herbs are said to have qualities that are beneficial for your health such as garlic and ginger. The trouble is, it’s so easy to forget those little jars, stashed away in your kitchen cupboards and then, when you do remember, you don’t necessarily know what herbs and spices go with which foods.
At Mums Spaghetti we believe that ‘it’s never too soon for tasty food’ and the more flavours you introduce to your baby and toddler, the more likely they are to become ‘fuss-free foodies’! So, if you’re cooking for your little ones and families, there is no better reason you’ll need to delve into your cupboards to re-acquaint yourself with these wonderful condiments that do so much to compliment and lift a dish into the realms of yummy mummy food.
To help you along the way, we have devised a little chart of what herbs and spices go best with what foods. We hope that you’ll find it useful (you could even print it off and post on your fridge). Remember, home cooking is not an exact science – so go on, have some fun trying and experimenting with herbs and spices (less is more!) and along the way, you will definitely be making yummy tasty food and you might just actually create your all time family favourite!
Herbs and Spices Tips:
Adding Herbs and Spices to Food
With a few exceptions, use herbs and spices sparingly, to enhance other flavours rather than dominate them.
For starters, try 1/2 teaspoon of a herb or spice for a dish that serves four to six. The following is a general guide on how much to add, but if you are cooking just for your baby, just use little pinches!
Powdered herbs – use 1/2 teaspoon
Dried herbs – use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon and for fresh chopped herbs, use 1 tablespoon. To release the flavour of dried herbs, crumble them in your hand before adding them to your dish
Fresh herbs – 1 tablespoon
Add whole spices during cooking to allow their flavours to permeate the food. When you use whole, dried spices in cooking, remember you may have to fish them out later so you could try tying them in a cheesecloth or metal tea strainer for easy removal (but, if you’re anything like me, you’ll just fish them out later!). Add ground or cut herbs and spices midway or towards the end of your cooking time, so their flavours won’t dissipate. For uncooked foods, such as salad dressings, fruits or juices, add spices and herbs several hours before serving to allow flavours to blend. For salad dressings, add the spices to the vinegar and allow to stand before adding the oil.
Grinding
Whole spices can be ground in pestle and mortar.
Toasting or Dry Roasting
This process can accentuate the taste and aroma of spices such as cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds and sesame seeds. To toast, heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add spice(s); toast 2 to 5 minutes or until spices are fragrant and lightly browned, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Remove from heat.
Which to Use
The correct spice or herb for any food is the one that tastes right for you. When experimenting with a new spice or herb, crush some of it and let it warm in your hand; then sniff and taste it. If it is delicate, you can be bold and adventurous. If it has a strong aroma, use sparingly at first! When you’re at a loss about what to add to a dish, just experiment!
Beans – cumin, cayenne, chilli, oregano, parsley, pepper, sage, savoury, thyme
Beef – basil, bay, black pepper, chilli, cilantro, curry, cumin, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme
Breads – anise, basil, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme, zatar
Cheese – basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chilli, chives, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, horseradish, lemon peel, marjoram, mint, mustard, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme
Chicken – allspice, basil, bay leaves, cinnamon, chilli, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, mustard, paprika, pepper, rosemary, saffron, sage, savoury, star anise, tarragon, thyme
Eggs – basil, chervil, chilli, chives, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme
Fish – anise, basil, bay, cayenne, celery seed, chives, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon peel, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, saffron, sage, savoury, star anise, tarragon, marjoram
Fruits – allspice, anise, cardamom, Chinese 5-spice, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mint
Lamb – rosemary, basil, bay leaf, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme
Potatoes – basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, poppy seed, rosemary, tarragon, thyme
Salads and Salad Dressings – basil, caraway, celery seed, chives, dill, fennel, garlic, horseradish, lemon peel, lovage, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme
Soups – basil, bay, chervil, chilli, chives, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, parsley, curry, rosemary, sage, savoury, star anise, thyme
Sweets – allspice, angelica, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, nutmeg, mint, orange peel, rosemary, star anise
Tomatoes – basil, bay , celery seed, cinnamon, chilli, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savoury, tarragon, thyme
Storing
- Store spices in a cool, dark place. Humidity, light and heat will cause herbs and spices to lose their flavour more quickly. Although the most convenient place for your spice rack may be above your stove, moving your spices to a different location may keep them fresh longer.
- As a general rule, herbs and ground spices will retain their best flavors for a year. Whole spices may last for 3 to 5 years. Proper storage should result in longer freshness times.
- Because the refrigerator is a rather humid environment, storing herbs and spices there is not recommended. To keep larger quantities of spices fresh, store them in the freezer in tightly sealed containers.
Happy herby cooking!
Mums Spaghetti – it’s never too soon for tasty food
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