HERB RECIPES: Chicken with Lemon and Herbs ... Tabbouleh ... Fresh Pineapple and Mango Salsa

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Here are some quick ideas from Jennifer Haugen, clinical dietitian with Altru Health System, to help get you started using herbs in your cooking:

• Thyme: Goes well with pork dishes.

• Rosemary: Nicely compliments chicken or potatoes.

• Cilantro: A great addition to homemade salsa.

• Basil: Add to a homemade tomato sauce for Italian dishes or to bruschetta for an quick summer appetizer.

• Mint: This will add a hint of freshness to a plain glass of water.

• Dill: Add to grilled or baked fish fillets with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime.

• Assorted: Make a pesto out of fresh herbs to add flavor to whole grain pasta along with a variety of vegetables and lean protein for a quick and easy heart healthy meal.

Chicken with Lemon and Herbs

FOR BRINE (optional):

2 gallons water

1½ cups kosher salt, plus additional for rub for chicken

½ cup sugar

24 boneless chicken thighs or small chicken breast, with skin

FOR CHICKEN:

4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced, with a large pinch of kosher salt

¼ cup olive oil

4 large lemons, each cut into six ¼ -inch rounds

1 small bunch fresh rosemary, cut into 24 2-inch pieces

1 small bunch fresh thyme, cut into 24 2-inch pieces

Shallots, cut into ¼-inch slices (for each lemon slice)

Italian seasoning to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

FOR SAUCE:

1 cup chicken broth

½ cup sherry

If desired, make a brine by mixing water with salt and sugar, stirring to dissolve. Place chicken in brine and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Remove chicken and rinse very well under cold water.

If not brining, begin by mashing the garlic in a small bowl with about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt to create a coarse paste. Add olive oil slowly in drops while pounding and grinding the paste, continuing until the mixture is thick, creamy and emulsified. Put chicken in a bowl. Rub the garlic mixture all over the chicken, including under the skin. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On the bottoms of two shallow roasting pans or a baking sheet with sides, arrange lemon slices in one layer. Top each slice with a piece of rosemary, thyme and shallot slice. Set chicken breasts or thighs — skin side up — on lemon slices and sprinkle them generously with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bake until the skin is golden and juices are clear, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Transfer chicken, with herbs, shallots and lemon slices underneath, to a plate. Cover loosely with foil. To make the pan sauce, tilt the pans to pool the juices in one corner. Spoon off the fat that rises to the top. Set the pans over medium heat; if the pan isn’t flameproof, pour the juices into a small skillet. Add 1 cup chicken broth and ½ cup sherry (or wine or more broth) to the pans. Warm over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Boil the liquid until it is reduced to a sauce consistency. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the sauce around, not on, the chicken so the skin stays crisp.

Yield: 24 pieces.

Approximate nutritional analysis per 1 chicken thigh: 189 calories, 58 percent of calories from fat, 12 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 4 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams protein, 175 milligrams sodium, 58 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram fiber.

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur wheat

4 plum tomatoes, finely chopped, with their juice

1¾ cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 2 medium bunches)

4 scallions, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

¾ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Soak bulgur in cold water 10 minutes. Drain in a sieve lined with damp cheesecloth; squeeze out all water. Transfer to a serving bowl; fluff with a fork.

Stir in tomatoes with juice, parsley, and scallions. Add lemon juice, salt, and oil; season with pepper. Toss to coat. Just before serving, stir in mint.

Serve with pita wedges.

Yield 4½ cups.

Pesto

3 cups fresh basil leaves

3 to 4 cloves garlic

¾ cup grated Parmesan Cheese or grated Pecorino Cheese

½ cup Olive Oil

¼ cup pine nuts

½ cup chopped parsley (optional)

Combine basil, garlic, Parmesan (or Pecorino) cheese, olive oil, and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend to a smooth paste. Add parsley if desired. Blend into pasta dishes or add to pizzas.

Fresh Pineapple and Mango Salsa

2 mangos, peeled and chopped

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks, diced

½ cup red onion, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of one lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill. If you have a food processor, you can process all the ingredients in chunks, rather than dicing and chopping. Chill before serving. This is a great recipe to pair with chicken or fish.

Mint Rules Pasta

8 ounces medium pasta shells

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 yellow or green bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon each: dried Italian herbs, dried fennel seed

2 16-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup chicken broth

¼ cup tomato paste

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

12 to 15 sprigs fresh mint, coarsely chopped

Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat salted water to a boil in a stockpot; cook pasta shells until al dente. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add dried herbs and fennel seed; cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.

Add tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in the mint; simmer 2 minutes. Spoon over pasta; top with Parmesan.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 351 calories, 21 percent of calories from fat, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 58 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams protein, 1,110 milligrams sodium, 6 grams fiber.

Penne with Red Peppers and Fresh Herbs

½ pound penne pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, sliced in ¼-inch wide strips

½ teaspoon salt

4 green onions, white and some green, chopped

1 28-ounce can whole peeled Italian plum tomatoes, drained

1 tablespoon each, fresh: thyme leaves, oregano leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a stockpot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until just softened, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add peppers and ¼ teaspoon of the salt, stirring to coat with oil; cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add onions; cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, thyme, oregano, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste in a food processor; process until tomatoes are roughly chopped. Transfer to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Stir drained pasta and reserved 2 tablespoons of pasta liquid into sauce; cook over medium heat to allow pasta to soak up some of the sauce, about 3 or 4 minutes. Divide among 4 serving bowls; top each with 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 359 calories, 25 percent of calories from fat, 10 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 4 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams protein, 627 milligrams sodium, 6 grams fiber.

Goat Cheese, Herbs and Vegetable Pasta

1 pound pasta, such as cavatelli or penne

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 bulb onions or 2 medium white onions, coarsely chopped

1 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced in thin strips

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Heat salted water to a boil in a stockpot over high heat; add pasta. Cook pasta, according to package instructions, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat; add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, salt and pepper to taste; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; keep warm.

Drain pasta; place in a serving bowl. Add sauteed vegetables, herbs and goat cheese, stirring gently until well blended and cheese has melted somewhat.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 602 calories, 22 percent of calories from fat, 14 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 22 milligrams cholesterol, 93 grams carbohydrates, 23 grams protein, 442 milligrams sodium, 7 grams fiber.

Pasta with Herbs and Green Beans

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium shallots, peeled, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

8 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

½ cup vegetable broth or fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine

12 ounces linguine, fettuccini or spaghetti

2 cups frozen mixed green and yellow beans

½ cup packed fresh basil leaves

¼ cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for garnish

¼ cup snipped fresh chives

1/3 to ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, if desired.

Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, heat the oil on medium. Add the shallots; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, sage, oregano, rosemary and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring. Add broth and wine. Heat on high to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Remove from heat.

While the sauce cooks, add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the frozen beans to the pasta.

Reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking water; drain the pasta and beans. Return them to the pot. Stir in wine mixture along with the basil, parsley, chives and reserved pasta water. Toss until well-combined.

Divide pasta among 4 serving plates or bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 446 calories, 20 percent of calories from fat, 10 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 69 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams protein, 370 milligrams sodium, 88 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams fiber.

Fettuccine Primavera

Kosher salt

1 pound fettuccine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups very thinly sliced mixed spring vegetables (asparagus, baby carrots, baby leeks, baby zucchini, green onions and sugar snap peas)

1 cup whole, shelled fresh or thawed frozen peas or baby lima beans or mix of both

1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch or heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon thinly sliced lemon zest

2 cups loosely packed baby arugula

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese

½ cup roughly chopped mixed fresh herbs such as basil, chervil, chives, mint, parsley and tarragon

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 6 minutes.

While pasta is cooking, scoop out 1½ cups of pasta cooking water; set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, but not browned, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Add the sliced vegetables and peas or lima beans (if using fresh)

Cover and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the milk or cream and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer.

Drain the fettuccine and return to its cooking pot. Toss with the vegetables and cream sauce, arugula, Parmigiano, all but 1 tablespoon of the herbs, and the pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If necessary, adjust the consistency of the sauce with the reserved ½ cup pasta water; the sauce should generously coat the vegetables and pasta. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the remaining fresh herbs and the pine nuts.

Yield: Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 390 calories, 32 percent of calories from fat, 14 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 55 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams protein, 460 milligrams sodium, 95 milligrams cholesterol, 6 grams fiber.

Classic Basil Pesto

3 cloves garlic, peels on

¼ cup pine nuts

2 cups fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, optional (see note)

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Toast garlic in a medium skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until softened and spotty brown, about 8 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skins. While garlic cools, toast nuts in skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.

Place basil and parsley, if using, in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Pound bag with flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin until all leaves are bruised.

Process garlic, nuts, herbs, oil and about ½ teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Pesto can be refrigerated up to 3 days in a bowl with plastic wrap or a thin layer of oil covering the pesto’s surface.)

Note: The parsley will boost the green color of the pesto. When combining pesto and pasta, stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons of the hot pasta cooking water for proper consistency and even distribution.

Yield: Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 145 calories, 14 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 2 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, no sugar, 2 grams fiber, 195 milligrams sodium, 50 milligrams calcium.

Cilantro Pesto

1 cup cilantro leaves

2 thin slices fresh ginger, peeled

2 tablespoons cashews, toasted and cooled

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

¼ teaspoon salt

Pulse cilantro, ginger and cashews in a food processor until finely minced.

Add vinegar, oil and salt. Process until smooth.

Serving suggestions: A topping of this pesto will add an Asian accent to a variety of foods, from chicken to fish to tofu.

Yield: Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 40 calories, 3 grams fat (0.5 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 1 gram protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, no sugar, no fiber, 145 milligrams sodium, 2 milligrams calcium.

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