June 5th, 2012 - Rosemary Anyone?

Good morning all, Wanted to share some info that I found interesting yesterday. But let me back-up. My husband and I planted some rosemary over a year ago and what a hearty, sturdy plant it grew to be. So, we actually divided it and made two containers and they are SO flourishing. I have started trying to use the herb to add flavor to our foods (BE CAREFUL - a little goes a long way) and how nice to walk on the deck and grab some sprigs, chop them, and add to whatever. Last night I took about 2 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef (no added oil) and browned it to which I added 3 large cans of diced, fire roasted tomatoes. I let this heat well. Then, I chopped, in small pieces, a large head of cabbage and a large Vidalia onion and added this to the beef mixture. Then, I seasoned with sea salt and tabasco. AND......I also added two stems of rosemary chopped extra fine (about 30-40 pieces - but it was too strong). I let this cook together until the cabbage was very tender (your preference). Before serving, I add grated parm (low fat) - YUM, YUM, YUM! And.......low in calories, makes a big pot, and lasts for several meals. My husband absolutely adores this recipe. It was my first time with the rosemary, and it was a little strong, so next time I'll cut that in half. I said all that to say this - as I researched the rosemary herb to find recipes, I discovered that it actually has great health benefits. One article says that rosemary is beneficial in helping with memory issues and is used in other countries to help treat Alzheimer's disease. And, the herb is packed with antioxidants - memory enhancing and cancer fighting too - awesome! I like finding new things that are so beneficial to our bodies. I did use a stem of rosemary on Saturday as part of my marinade for the mahi mahi on the grill. (that's high in Omega 3 oils) Grilling mahi mahi is easy and is such a great tasting meat - not fishy at all. If you've never tried it - you should! My grandbabies KEPT saying, "yum, Nina!" Variety is a key component in our new world - so let's keep being creative and utilizing those herbs God gave to help keep our bodies healthy! How about you - do you have any special herbs or seasonings that you love that we could benefit from? Send it to me and I'll forward to the fam. Choose life and eat to live - PK