Oregano is a woody, strong, and flavorful herb used in many dishes, especially Greek and Italian cuisine. This herb can be used both fresh and dried, and is usually paired with tomatoes. However, this herb is also delicious with meat, fish, and other vegetables. There are many ways to use oregano in the kitchen, including baked and cooked, in soups and salads, and in oils and salad dressings.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Chopping Fresh Oregano
Step 1. Wash fresh herbs
The leaves of oregano are small and attached to the woody stem which is inedible. Transfer the herbs to a colander and rinse with tap water to remove dirt and other foreign matter from the garden. Drain the herbs, then transfer them to a clean tea towel. Pat dry.
Step 2. Pick the leaves from the stems
Take a sprig of oregano and pinch the top of the stem with your thumb and fingers. Run your finger down through the stem to disconnect the leaf from the stem. Repeat on another sprig of oregano.
Instead of picking the leaves from the stems, you can also cut them with scissors
Step 3. Stack and roll the leaves
Arrange the oregano leaves into 10 strands, with the widest leaves at the base and the smallest at the top. Roll each pile into a tight cylinder and hold it on a cutting board.
Stacking, rolling, and chopping herbs to produce long, thin strips is a technique known as chiffonade
Step 4. Chop the leaves
Use a sharp knife to slice the oregano rolls into long herb strips. Arrange these strips lengthwise on a cutting board, then chop them into small pieces that you will use for cooking and baking.
Step 5. Try dried oregano instead of fresh
You can also use dried oregano for cooking and baking instead of fresh oregano. Dried oregano has a slightly stronger taste, so the amount used is less than fresh oregano.
- Use 1 teaspoon (2 grams) of dried oregano instead of 1 tablespoon (2 grams) of fresh oregano.
- Dried oregano should be added early in the cooking session to ensure it blends well with the other ingredients. Fresh oregano can be added at the end of the cooking process to help preserve the taste.
Part 2 of 3: Cooking Common Food Using Oregano
Step 1. Make a simple tomato sauce
Tomato and oregano are a classic combination and there are many tomato-based dishes that can be complemented with oregano. Pairing regular tomato sauce and oregano is great because you can use this sauce on pasta, pizza, sandwiches, chili (chili dishes), soups, and more. Here's how to make the sauce:
- Place the sliced onion, cup (60 ml) olive oil, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon (0.5 grams) fresh oregano, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and salt in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add a can (795 grams) of chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil.
- When the sauce comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for an hour, stirring every few minutes.
- Take a bay leaf and serve it with your favorite food.
Step 2. Make the Bolognese sauce
Bolognese sauce is a tomato sauce mixed with ground beef that is often served with spaghetti. How to make Bolognese sauce is similar to regular tomato sauce, with the addition of several ingredients, namely:
- Celery
- Carrot
- Smoked pork (bacon) or pancetta
- Beef (veal)
- Pork
- Whole milk
- White wine
Step 3. Sprinkle over the chiles
Chili is another tomato-based food that can be enhanced with oregano. You can choose beef chile, turkey, or vegetarian, and the oregano will still add to the delicacy. Add 1 tablespoon (6 grams) of dried oregano to the chile at the start of the cooking session, or add 3 tablespoons (5 grams) of fresh oregano to the skillet in the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Step 4. Sprinkle herbs on your bread or toast
Homemade herb bread is delicious and gives off the scent of your home. Oregano is great for grilling, and the next time you're making your own bread, scones, or crackers, try tossing 1 tablespoon (6 grams) of dry oregano into the batter before baking.
If you want to make an Italian herb mix for breads and baked goods, combine 1 tablespoon each (6 grams) of basil and oregano, 1 teaspoon each (3 grams) of garlic and onion powder, and cup (60 grams) each. grams) grated Romano cheese
Step 5. Season the pizza
Since oregano pairs so well with bread and tomatoes, it's only natural that it's perfect for pizza. You can add oregano and tomato sauce to any type of pizza, or sprinkle some fresh oregano just before the pizza is baked.
Step 6. Grilled chicken with lemon and oregano
Chicken and oregano is a classic combination, and it goes well with the addition of lemon. You can cook chicken, oregano, and lemon to your liking, including grilled or grilled. Here's how to cook oregano-lemon chicken:
- Combine cup (60 ml) melted butter, cup (60 ml) lemon juice, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce.
- Transfer 6 skinless and boneless chicken breasts to a large roasting pan.
- Coat the chicken with the sauce.
- Sprinkle 2 teaspoons (4 grams) of dried oregano and 1 teaspoon (3 grams) of garlic powder over the chicken.
- Bake the chicken for 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius, but remove it halfway through to coat the meat with the sauce.
Step 7. Season the meat and other fish
You can also use oregano to season turkey, fish, beef, and other meats. For fish, grill or grill with 1-2 sprigs of fresh oregano, and remove the stalks before serving. For beef, mix 1 tablespoon (2 grams) of fresh oregano with 450 grams of ground beef.
The beef oregano is perfect for meatballs and burgers
Part 3 of 3: Finding Other Foods That Use Oregano
Step 1. Make the pesto oregano sauce
Pesto is usually made with basil, but you can also make it fresh and delicious with oregano. Pesto can be used as a spread, dip, pizza sauce, or even a dip for vegetables, salads, and potatoes. To make pesto, combine the following ingredients in a food processor and grind until smooth:
- 1 cup (25 grams) fresh oregano
- cup (60 grams) grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large clove of garlic
- cup (60 grams) almonds
- cup (120 ml) olive oil
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
Step 2. Make a complement to soups and stews
Oregano is a strong, spicy herb that can be used to add a rich flavor to any soup or stew, including tomato soup, vegetable soup, chicken soup or stew, beef stew, potato soup, or fish stew.
Step 3. Taste your chickpeas
Mexican oregano is a more citrusy variety, and goes well with any type of chickpea. You can add 2 tablespoons (3 grams) of fresh oregano to a variety of chickpea dishes, including roasted chickpeas, stuffed tacos or burritos (both Mexican dishes), falafel hummus, and chickpea soup.
Step 4. Season fresh or cooked vegetables
Vegetables and oregano are a classic combination, and you can add a teaspoon (2 grams) of dried oregano to add flavor to salads, grilled vegetables, steamed vegetables, or even veggie dips. Just sprinkle the oregano before serving, or mix it in your favorite dipping sauce.
- Some vegetables even go well with oregano, such as tomatoes and eggplant, so these herbs are perfect for ratatouille.
- For raw vegetables, oregano is best paired with salads with strong ingredients, such as olives, citrus, goat cheese, and anchovies.
Step 5. Make the Greek salad dressing
This salad dressing goes great with oregano because the herbs are paired with many complementary flavors, such as olive and goat cheese. To make a delicious and versatile Greek dressing for salads, potatoes, and other vegetable dishes, mix:
- 6 cups (2 liters) olive oil
- cup (50 grams) garlic powder
- cup (30 grams) dried oregano
- cup (30 grams) dried basil
- cup (25 grams) pepper
- cup (75 grams) salt
- cup (35 grams) onion powder
- cup (60 grams) Dijon-style mustard
- 8 cups (2 liters) red wine vinegar
Step 6. Mix the oil with the oregano
Oil mixed with oregano is a seasoning oil that can be used in cooking, as a salad dressing, splashed, marinated, as a dipping sauce for bread, and anything else that usually uses oil. Here's how to combine the oil with oregano:
- Combine a cup (250 ml) of oil, 5 cloves of minced garlic, and 3 sprigs of fresh oregano in a large saucepan.
- Cook the mixture over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the stove and let the oil cool.
- Strain the garlic and oregano.
- Transfer the oil to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Step 7. Pair the oregano with other seasonings
Oregano can't just be used alone; This herb can also be paired with other herbs and spices to add flavor to the dish. Some herbs and spices that are often mixed with oregano include:
- Parsley
- Basil
- Thyme
- Garlic
- red bottom
- Marjoram
