I know that the lion is 'King of the Forest', but I did not know that Basil is 'King of the Herbs'. Basil is currently being closely studied because of all of the health benefits that have been found in it. Did you know that Basil is part of the Peppermint family? Beyond just adding flavor to your favorite Italian dish, Basil is also a great addition to your diet, as well as an essential oil or herbal medicine. There are many different varieties of Basil. For the purpose of this article, we will be addressing the most common and well known, Sweet Basil.
- Basil is full of antioxidants which are essential for eliminating free radicals from the body. Basil will reduce oxidative stress, preventing cell damage and disease.
- Basil extract has been proven to fight breast cancer. It can create cell death for two types of breast cancer cells.
- A preliminary study suggests that Basil can reduce memory loss associated with stress and aging as well as reducing stroke damage and support recovery.
Recipes:
Lemon Basil Chicken (Wellplated.com)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large yellow onion finely chopped, about 1 cup
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 cups loosely packed baby spinach about 5 ounces
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Prepared brown rice for serving
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Once hot, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 additional seconds.
- Add the chicken, increase the heat to medium high, and let cook for 3 minutes, browning all sides. Stir in the soy sauce and black pepper. Let cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
- Stir in the spinach a few handfuls at a time, letting the heat of the pan wilt it as you go. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and basil. Cook and stir just until the basil is wilted, about 1 additional minute. Taste and season with additional salt or pepper as desired. Serve warm with rice as desired.
Fresh Basil Pesto (Simplyrecipes.com)
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
- Place the basil leaves and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times
- Add the garlic and Parmesan or Romano cheese and pulse several times more. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula
- While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream. Adding the olive oil slowly while the processor is running will help it emulsify and help keep the olive oil from separating. Occasionally, stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor
- Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss with pasta for a quick sauce, dollop over baked potatoes, or spread onto crackers or toasted slices of bread.
Basil Quinoa with Red Bell Pepper (Webmd.com)
- 1 cup fresh Basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 cups cooked Quinoa
- 1 cup red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup green onions
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boiling. In a small bowl, combine cold water and ice cubes to make an ice bath. Add the basil to the boiling water; stir once and drain immediately. Place basil in the ice bath to cool quickly. Gently squeeze out any excess water.
- Place basil in a food processor. Add Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. Cover and process until nearly smooth.
- In a medium bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, bell pepper, and green onions. Add basil mixture; stir to coat. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.
