How do you prepare parsley?

Answer 1

Fresh parsley should be washed right before using since it is highly fragile. The best way to clean it is just like you would spinach. Place it in a bowl of cold water and swish it around with your hands. This will allow any sand or dirt to dislodge. Remove the leaves from the water, empty the bowl, refill it with clean water and repeat this process until no dirt remains in the water.

Because it has a stronger flavor than the curly variety, Italian flat leaf parsley holds up better to cooking and therefore is usually the type preferred for hot dishes. It should be added towards the end of the cooking process so that it can best retain its taste, color and nutritional value. If you are making a light colored sauce, use the stems from this variety as opposed to the leaves, so the sauce will take on the flavor of parsley but will not pick up its green color.

Serving ideas include:

• Add parsley to veggie burgers, loaves, and patties.
• Combine chopped parsley with bulgur wheat, chopped green onions (scallions), mint leaves, lemon juice and olive oil to make the Middle Eastern classic dish, tabouli.
• Add parsley to pesto sauce to add more texture to its green color.
• Use parsley in soups and tomato sauces.
• Serve a colorful salad of fennel, orange, cherry tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and parsley leaves.
• Sprinkle chopped parsley on salads, vegetable sautés, grilled vegetables.