Have you heard about chervil? This is a plant more known as garden chervil, often used in the kitchen as a seasoning. But, what most people don’t know is that they can also use it to obtain certain health benefits.
That’s right. This unobtrusive plant can improve your health and your dishes at the same time.
Once you learn what chervil can do, you would want to start using it more often.
Health Benefits of Garden Chervil
1. Improves Heart Health
This plant can reduce high blood pressure and improve blood circulation, especially when consumed as a tea. By boosting the blood flow, it ensures an adequate oxygen supply in the entire body. Moreover, it helps relieve irritated or tired eyes.
2. Regulates Fluid Balance
This plant contains potassium which plays a significant role in the regulation of fluid balance. This is because potassium reduces sodium levels and increases the production of urine. In that way, it helps reduce water retention which can cause swollen feet, legs, and hands.
3. Powerful Antiseptic
This plant has antiseptic properties, so it helps protect against infections. Its compound eugenol is used as a local anesthetic and antiseptic for gums and teeth. What’s more, it can also reduce the blood glucose levels in diabetics.
Sample Recipe
A great way to include chervil in your diet is making Pan Seared Tuna with Citrus-Herb Vinaigrette. Although the recipe is not simple and requires many ingredients, you’ll see it was worth it the moment you try it.
Ingredients for the Tuna
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- Half a cup olive oil
- 4-6 oz. fillets ahi (yellowfin) tuna steaks, preferably sushi-grade
- 1/4 tsp. of red pepper flakes
Ingredients for the Dressing
- 2 tbsp. of fresh orange juice
- 1 ½ tsp. of fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. of red wine vinegar
- 1 chopped shallot
- 1 ½ tsp. of soy sauce
- Half serrano or jalapeno chili pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley
- 1 ½ tsp. of chopped fresh dill
- 3/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp. of fresh thyme
- 1 of Dijon mustard
- Fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt and to taste
- 1 ½ tsp. of minced ginger
- 1 tbsp. of honey
Ingredients for the Salad
- 1 cup of chervil sprigs
- 48 haricots verts, trimmed
- 16 Kalamata, Nicoise, or Gaeta olives, pitted and halved
- 16 baby carrots with greens trimmed to ¼ “
- 1 red thinly sliced onion
- 16 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in halves
Preparation
Stir the parsley, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Mix the tuna with marinade, and put it aside to marinate for half an hour.
Now it’s time for the dressing. Blend the following ingredients in a blender: soy sauce, parsley, shallot, lemon juice, ginger, lime juice, jalapeno, orange juice, Dijon mustard, honey, vinegar, dill, and thyme. Blend on high until you get a smooth consistency, and then gradually add the olive oil while the blender is still running. Add salt and pepper to taste, and put it aside.
Boil salted water in a large pot. Take another large container and fill it with half ice, half cold water. Put it aside. Then, add the haricots verts to the salted, boiling water and cook for around 35 seconds until tender. Remove them from the boiling water and plunge them straight into the ice water.
Blanch the baby carrots for about 1 ½ minutes until tender, and then cool them in the ice water until they are completely cold. Pat the veggies dry and put them in a large container. Toss with the halved olives, tomatoes, and chervil, and put the container aside.
Take a heavy-bottomed skillet and heat it over high heat. Remove the tuna steaks from marinade, wiping off the extra sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste, and sear in the heated skillet about 60 seconds per side, or to the desired doneness.
Toss the salad with as much dressing as to lightly coat. Since the ingredients are enough for 4 servings, divide the salad among four plates and put the prepared tuna steak on top of each. You can drizzle with some more dressing. Serve and enjoy!
This is just one great recipe which includes garden chervil, but you can find more on the Internet. As we said, you can also consume it as a tea.
Source Health Digezt | All Recipes | Only Foods
