Rosemary is very popular in the culinary arts. It’s fragrant, delicious and visually appealing. But, it is said that rosemary can be used in other ways as well and after doing my research I can understand the power of rosemary!
Growing Rosemary
Rosemary is a great herb to have in your garden. It is widely used in recipes so it is unlikely to be a useless herb to you.
Rosemary plants can take a long time to fully mature into a fully grown useable plant. For this reason, it is suggested that rosemary plants start from clippings rooted and planted in transportable pots.
Rosemary plants require well-drained compost soil and they need to be placed with full sunlight. Why do rosemary plants need to be planted in transportable pots? The won’t months will likely da, age and kill your rosemary plant if left in an outdoor garden. Therefore, it is recommended that the plant is in a transportable pot for easy relocation inside during the winter months.
Using Rosemary
Rosemary is kind of a neat herb because multiple parts of it can be used in one way or another.
The leaves-harvested and used fresh or dried
- Cooking- can be used fresh or dried
- Garnish- can be used fresh or dried
- Ground-up-likely made from dried leaves
The oil-likely extracted from fresh Rosemary
- Cooking
- Beverages
- Essential oils for aromatherapy
- Applied topically to treat hair loss
The stem
- When long and strong enough can be used as skewers for kabobs
- Crafts with stems and leaves intact
Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/rosemary-garlic-chicken-potatoes
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 (3.5-oz.) jar capers, drained
- 2 lemons, sliced
- 10 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 chicken legs (about 1 1/2 lb.)
- 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lb.)
- 2 pounds small red potatoes
- Crusty French bread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°. Stir together first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Place a roasting pan on the stovetop over 2 burners. Add 3 Tbsp. olive oil, and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with desired amount of salt and pepper; place, skin side down, in a pan. Add potatoes. Cook 9 to 10 minutes or until chicken is browned. Turn chicken, and pour lemon mixture over chicken.
- Bake at 450° for 45 to 50 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve chicken with sauce and French bread.
Benefits of using Rosemary
- Pleasant aroma
- Beautiful and useful herb in the garden
- Enhances flavor in pork, lamb, chicken, and fish recipes
- Aids in aromatherapy relaxation during times of pressure
- Reduce cognitive decline with moderate doses (large doses appear to provide an opposite effect)
- May help the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells
- May prove to be a cancer-fighting herb for prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, and skin cancer.
- It is said to improve the appearance of or symptoms related to various skin conditions including; rosacea, acne, cellulite, dandruff, dry scalp, eczema, and more!
- Reduce symptoms and pain during the menstrual cycle
- Aid the digestive system and support gastric health
Studies continue to be done on Rosemary and discovering all the uses and benefits that this one herb may hold. It is important to note that you should not use rosemary in any medicinal format unless you ask your doctor about it first. It is also important to note that many of the benefits listed above have yet to be scientifically proven 100% but that many of them show promise.
