Published:
July 5, 2024
Herbs and spices: Ideas for the school kitchen
Cinnamon sticks
Herbs and spices can be used in many types of recipe applications. These delicious recipe options were made for school nutrition programs!
- These Maple Baked French Toast Squares are spiced with cinnamon.
- This Asian-Inspired Chopped Salad with Ginger Sunbutter Dressing includes fresh ginger and cilantro.
- Southwest Seasoned Potatoes are kicked up with garlic powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, black pepper, chili powder, and onion powder.
- Tuscan Smoked Turkey and Bean Soup is finished with fresh basil, thyme, and parsley.
Need more ideas? Here are some of the most commonly used seasonings in school nutrition programs, along facts about each:
- Basil is an herb with a clove-like scent. It can range from green to purple in color. It dries easily for storage. It is often used to flavor soups, stews, tomato dishes, meat, fish, eggs, and can be used to make herb butters and herb infused vinegars.
- Oregano is an an aromatic herb that has a warm, slightly bitter flavor. Dried oregano tends to be more flavorful than fresh. It works well in tomato dishes, pizza, soups, and stews.
- Parsley is an herb used both for flavoring and garnish. It can be used fresh or dried. There are two distinct types - curly and flat. Curly parsley is more commonly used as a garnish, while flat-leaf has a stronger flavor and is used more often in cooking.
- Cilantro is both an herb and spice, depending on which part of the plant is used. The fresh leaves are called cilantro. When seeds are harvested, they are referred to as coriander and can be bought ground or as whole dry seeds. Some people have a genetic variation that causes cilantro to taste like soap.
- Cumin is a spice with a warm earthy flavor. It can be found as whole seeds or ground, and is often used in Tex Mex dishes such as chili.
- Paprika is a spice that can range from mild and sweet to hot and spicy. It is one of the top spices in America, as it is an ingredient in many types of seasoning blends.
- Cinnamon is spice often used in sweeter items like baked goods and cereals, but it may also be used in savory stews. It comes from the bark of a tree.
- Thyme is an herb that can be used fresh or dried. It is often added to soups, stews, casseroles, and poultry dishes.
- Rosemary is an herb with a strong pine-like scent. It should be used sparingly due to its strong flavor. It works well with potatoes and in meat dishes.
- Ginger is a spice with a warm aroma. It can be used fresh or dried. It is often used alongside cinnamon in sweeter baked goods, but it may also be used in more savory applications like stir fries.
- Chili powder is a spice made of different varieties of dried and ground chili peppers. It is often combined with other spices like paprika and cumin to make chili seasoning mixes.