When life gives you mint, what do you make?
A staple in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines mint can be a hero ingredient in sweet and savoury dishes.
This tiny green leaf works wonders for your health. Not only does it aid the digestion process, it keeps your breath minty fresh and improves immunity.
With a plethora of health benefits to offer, it would be negligent if you did not include mint in your daily diet.
We understand it can get boring if you have to eat the same thing every day. But there are different ways to include this ingredient in your diet.
Change up your protein smoothie
Just imagine this – chocolate and mint, without the high sugar and fat content of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Win-win!
Add three to four fresh mint leaves to your chocolate protein smoothie for a delicious variety. A simple recipe would be to pour ice, water, chocolate protein powder, flax seeds and mint, and whip it up in the blender.
Mint is also fantastic in berry smoothies.
Mint soup
Soups are a great way to soothe yourself and what better than adding some mint to make it even better? Just add a few mint leaves to your soup while it cooks and let it soak up all the goodness.
Not only will it make your soup flavourful but also healthful.
Mint tea
This tea is not only good for your physical health but also gives a boost to your mental health. It is said that the aroma of these herbs helps reduce many symptoms of depression, resulting in a relaxed and calm mind.
Just a cuppa will help elevate your mood. All you need to do is boil some water and add a few mint leaves to it.
Let the water soak up all the goodness from the leaves. Now strain the tea and add a teaspoon of honey and lemon for taste, and enjoy the lovely concoction.
Mint marinade
Marinades are frequently used to season chicken, cottage cheese, and tofu along with vegetables like bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Conventionally a marinade is made from lime juice, oregano, chilli flakes, traditional Indian spices like turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt, along with a little bit of yoghurt.
You can give a quick and refreshing twist by adding some chopped mint leaves with a bit of olive oil.
These two ingredients will make a dish instantly taste lighter and easier on the stomach.
Yoghurt dip
In a bowl mix together Greek yoghurt, finely chopped mint leaves, a clove of minced garlic, and a pinch of salt. Stir well to combine all the ingredients thoroughly. You can adjust the amount of mint and garlic according to your taste preferences.
This creamy and flavourful dip pairs wonderfully with crunchy fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers or with crispy pita chips for a satisfying snack.
Desserts
If you want to make some chocolate chip mint cookies try infusing the butter on low heat with a large bunch of mint.
Use this butter in your recipe for a hint of mint flavour. If you are making truffles or you want to fill up some macaroni shells, infuse double cream with a few mint sprigs.
You will be surprised by how much flavour they provide.