Also known as balm mint, this perennial herb belongs to the family ‘Lamiaceae’. Learn how to incorporate the flavors of this herb in your daily cooking.
The herb is known for its delicate fragrance and lemony flavor. The leaves are similar to mint and are used for various purposes like treating burns and bites, or as a sedative.
Tea Recipe
You can choose to use fresh or dried leaves or purchase tea bags for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp mint
- 1 tsp chamomile flowers
- 1 tbsp lemon balm
- 1 tea bag
Preparation
- In 2 cups of hot water, add all the ingredients.
- Strain the tea and drink it warm, or pour it over ice.
- To sweeten the tea, either add honey or any other sweetener.
Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh lemon balm
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
- In a blender, make a chunky paste with lemon balm and garlic cloves.
- Add olive oil to the mixture and blend again, but ensure that the paste doesn’t become too smooth.
- Once ready, use the pesto for basting meat or toss it with pasta.
Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breast pieces
- 2 cups fresh lemon balm
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ cup red onion
- 1½ cups sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup coarse mustard
- Juice of 2 lemons
Preparation
- In a bowl, pour the lemon juice on the chicken pieces, toss to coat properly, and marinate for 2 hours.
- In a big skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat and add red onions.
- Sauté till onions turn translucent and add mushrooms till it turns tender.
- Remove the veggies in a plate and keep it aside.
- In the same skillet, place chicken pieces with the juices, cover the pan, and let it cook on both sides till it has a golden brown skin.
- Remove the chicken pieces and keep them aside.
- In a large pan, mix wine, Worcestershire sauce, and coarse mustard, and let it come to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer till it thickens.
- Now add vegetables and cooked chicken to the sauce and place lemon balm on it.
- Let the chicken simmer till the leaves wilt. Once the chicken is coated properly, serve it with herbed rice.
You can even make beautiful salads with the leaves. Just pick fresh vegetables for the salad, make a sweet-tangy dressing of your choice, and enjoy the delicious flavors.
