Cooking With Essential Oils

Essential oils are perfect for adding extra spice and flavor. Essential oils are perfect for using year round where in most areas, there are short growing seasons, making it hard to get fresh herbs like basil and cilantro in the middle of winter. Yes, you can run to the grocery store and grab herbs from the produce section. But, have you ever gone home to open the plastic container of basil to find it has no smell at all and even less taste. It’s because its been grown in a “hot-house,” just like our winter tomatoes, they have no taste!!!

Fruits, vegetables, and herbs were all meant to have their growing seasons, perfectly picked off the vine at their peak. That’s why when you bite into a tomato fresh from the garden or farmers market in the middle of July, it’s juices run down your arm, you can’t believe how sweet they taste, and knowing they actually grew in a garden or on a farm with soil, water, and lots of sunlight make them taste even more delicious.

Anyway off my tangent! Here’s where the herbs come in 😉 Essential oils can be used year round, when herbs and spices may not be so easily accessible or taste-less. They are also great to replace dried or powdered spices, these have usually lost their aroma and flavor as well. Most have artificial flavors and preservatives as well. Essential oils are highly concentrated, they are the “pure flavor that is extracted naturally from the plant,” says doTerra..

How much to use: Remember essential oils are highly concentrated so you won’t need to
use as much as you would fresh or dried herbs and spices. Always start with a drop or two, then taste, and add more if you wish. (You can always add more, but never take out.)

When to use oils: The best time to use oils is after the meal has been prepared or as it is cooling. Oils will evaporate if you use them in excessive heat.

Recommended Oils: 

• Sweet Oils– fennel, ginger, cinnamon. peppermint.
• Savory Oils– basil, black pepper, lavender, rosemary.
• Citrus Oil- lemon, lime, orange, lemongrass

There are so many recipes out there to add or include a drop or two of essential oils! They are unique and make great gifts just in time for holidays. Pair it with one of the many essential oil cookbooks out there these days. Make your own recipes, up your cooking skills, and impress your friends! 😉

With cold weather lurking around the corner! Here is my Raw Hot Chocolate Recipe! Hope you enjoy it and Happy Cooking! If you’d like more information on essential oils.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of almond milk
• 1-2 Tbs of Cacao Powder
• 1 Tbs of organic Agave nectar
• a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp of  peppermint essential oils

Combine all the ingredients into an immersion blender such as a Vitamix. Let the Vitamix run for up to 4 minutes and it will warm your ingredients for the perfect cup of cacao. Warm it on the stove, if you want to keep it in raw form, use a thermometer to keep it under 116 degree Fahrenheit. Or if you don’t care to keep it raw. Heat it on the stove till the desired temperature.