Herbs and spices are an incredibly fun and easy way to test out your culinary skills and experiment in the kitchen. Spices originate from flowers, fruits, seeds, barks, leaves, and roots. They also contain antibacterial and antiviral properties. Their health benefits are immense: they contain unique anti-oxidants, essential oils, vitamins, phyto-sterols, and other nutrients such as B-vitamins and trace minerals to help us fight against germs and boost our immunity level. Check out the awesome ways you can get started with using these ingredients if you don’t know how to cook with spices.
Use Spices Normally
Spices are often great on their own! Spices like fennel pollen are versatile, so they can be used almost endlessly. If you’re new to the culinary experience, getting comfortable with pairing spices with different dishes can be a great way to dive in. They work best on different types of meats.
Use Spices in a Dry Rubs or Sauces
Dry rubs and sauces are absolutely perfect to use spices in, because many types of herbs and spices complement each other well. In Italy, fennel is often used in pesto, or you can work dill pollen into a dry rub for beef. You can also use spices to twist something like a traditional barbeque sauce or marinade.
Use Spices in Breads
This is actually very popular with fennel pollen, mostly in Tuscany, Italy. You bake the spices right into the bread, and they are incredibly rich. It’s a great way to put a twist on a classic white bread to pair with a pasta dish. It can also be baked onto the top of the bread into a kind of crust! Feel free to play with this idea a bit and see if you can find more ways to incorporate it.
Do you know how to cook with spices? Do you use spices in any of these recipe types? Which ones are your favorite? Do you use spices in any other ways? We would love your input!
