Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook

Chapter 5: Kitchen and Pantry Makeover 89

Oils:

✓ Canola oil

✓ Olive oil

✓ Peanut oil

✓ Sesame oil

✓ Nonstick cooking spray

Extracts:

✓ Almond extract

✓ Lemon extract

✓ Vanilla extract

✓ Peppercorns

✓ Poppy seeds

T Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

✓ Red pepper flakes

✓ Rosemary, crushed

✓ Sage, dried

✓ Salt

✓ Taco seasoning mix

✓ Tarragon, dried

✓ Thyme, ground

✓ Turmeric

What’s the difference between herbs and spices?

Herbs are from the leaf of a plant, and the flavor

is found in the natural oil that the leaves exude

when the membrane is ruptured. Dried herbs,

fresh herbs that have been dried, vary in price

from as low as $0.99 to over $5.00 for the same

amount. The difference is the cheaper one has

more stems added when being processed. The

stems are bitter, but this way manufactures can

save on cost. When buying dried herbs you get

what you pay for, with stems or without.

Spices come from seeds, bark, or berries from

a plant and are dried and then ground. For

example, cinnamon is the bark from a tree,

nutmeg is a seed, and mace is the shell from

which the nutmeg is removed. Some spices

are sold whole and then ground at home. The

most common whole spice is peppercorns,

which are placed in a pepper mill and ground

when needed.

Storing herbs and spices correctly is essential

to maintaining their freshness. Remove fresh

herbs from the package they were purchased

in. Cut about^1 ⁄ 2 inch from the bottom of the stems

so they can absorb water and stay fresh longer.

Then place the freshly cut herbs into 2 inches

of water and store them in the refrigerator

with a damp paper towel over the top. Some

herbs come in small soil-filled pots. Keep the

herbs where they can get sunlight and keep

them watered. Dried spices and herbs have a

one-year shelf life. Write the date on the dried

herb or spice container when you unpack it

from your grocery bag so you know how long

you have had it.