Monday, August 20, 2018

The Benefits Of Basil Everyday + Recipe

If you could only grow and use one herb, which would it be? I've decided that, for me, that would be basil. Don't get me wrong, I love all the herbs. This season I've got chives, rosemary, and mint along with my basil. I shouldn't play favorites, but I do.Why?  There are a few reasons!
 It smells so good--the smell of fresh basil sends me! It is so sweetly aromatic and pungent. It puts me in a good mood every time I inhale. And yes, basil used as an essential oil has vast benefits, among them aromatherapy.
 I can cook so much with it - It adds a nice Italian flair to almost any dish! One of my most favorite spreads is pesto! Anything with a good pesto on top is going to be delish! Basil is one of the main flavors in this amazing spread!

Astonishing health benefits - One of the most compelling but lesser known reasons to love basil are the many health benefits. Basil is so powerful in terms of antioxidant protection that a little bit is going to go a long way. Just a few leaves chopped up can give you at least 20% of Vitamins K and A and the minerals manganese and magnesium.

Including basil in your salads and salad dressing can inhibit dangerous bacteria that have been known to lurk on the leafy greens we love to include in our salads. Washing your greens in a 1% solution of basil oil will greatly diminish dangerous bacteria such as Shigella, a dangerous diarrhea-causing germ that could result in significant intestinal damage.

Another amazing thing is that eating basil can help prevent cancer! It contains phytochemicals that are amazing for that reason!

Unfortunately, basil can't simply be harvested and eaten like the lettuces we eat raw. Don't bother, I tried! It's not tasty at all. But something happens when it is infused into soups, salads, dressings or lightly sauteed with various foods.

With that in mind, I wanted to make use of the several basil plants growing on my porch and garden plot. These beautiful herbs need to be ingested and not simply looked at and sniffed. 
I thought about what I am already eating a lot of--something that might go along well with basil and the answer came quickly enough.

It is my sautéed vegetable and eggs breakfasts. I will now be
adding basil to the mix. This is how I do it. It is so easy, just how I like it. I don't believe in making essential nutrition something that is hard to do. I love being able to incorporate powerful hacks, nutritional or otherwise, into things I already do. Why complicate our lives that are already full to the bursting point? (See how I incorporate probiotics into my smoothies)


Sautéed Veggie And Egg Skillet

Ingredients - Olive Oil, Red Bell Pepper, Onion, 5 large Mushrooms, 2 eggs, 10 basil leaves, chopped

Chop the pepper, onion and mushroom into bite-sizes pieces.

Place the onions and peppers into a large skillet and

sauté until onions are tranparent and peppers are soft.

Add the mushrooms and stir into the mixture. Sauté for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the basil and sautee until limp. 

Add 2 eggs and cook them to taste, adding salt and pepper as desired. Top with cheese if desired! Enjoy eating healthy!




1 comment:

Dianna said...

I love to grow all kinds of basil varieties in my spring/summer garden.