Here are some great oils for your “spice” rack in your kitchen:
Savory – basil, dill, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, marjoram, thyme
Citrus – grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, tangerine
Sweet – fennel, geranium, peppermint, rose, rosewood, spearmint, lavender, lemon balm (Melissa), lemon verbena
Spicy – black pepper, cinnamon bark, clove, ginger, nutmeg, black cumin, cardamon
Now that you have a list of oils to cook with, plan your meals for a week with an eye to how you can spice up your life with great flavor. Just remember, “less is more!” For example you want to make a pasta sauce and use essential oils of basil, thyme and oregano. You will want to use just one drop of each oil or you would be throwing out your batch. These oils are particularly strong. I would take a wooden toothpick and dip it into the oil and then stir through your prepared sauce. Thrust me, that will provide plenty of flavor.
When I’m trying to watch my weight, I like to eat celery and carrot sticks but with a little dip. Using a cream cheese or sour cream base, you could use dill, basil, tarragon or thyme to dress up your dip and provide plenty of flavor.
Got a sweet tooth? Look to the citrus oils like lemon, lime, or orange for custards and cream sauces or puddings. And if you enjoy baking, try using ginger, nutmeg, and my favorite—cinnamon. Don’t forget the wonderful flavors of peppermint and spearmint.
Where do you get recipes to follow? Well for one—the Young Living monthly newsletter always has a great recipe but did you know that Young Living has recipe books available for sale? One is From our Fields and talks about cooking with Young Living products like the Vitality line of dietary essential oils to einkorn grain. Or, you could go to Life Science Publishers and check out their home and recipe section of books. https://www.discoverlsp.com/
At Christmas, my sister and I baked cookies and one batch was lavender shortbread! Yum. Many of the Young Living essential oils can be used as flavoring agents but I would not try that with other brands. Use only the purest of oils and that would be Young Living. If you want more information, contact me at 720-201-9377 and I can help you find the oils you need.