There are many things that you can do to add extra flavor to a dish, but few things make the kind of difference that these fresh ingredients do...
Basil
Fresh basil is such a fantastic herb. You can buy if fresh from most grocery stores, or you can easily grow your own. I usually buy it as I need it and always look for bright green leaves. Fresh basil has such a sweet, delicious smell - I absolutely love it!
Add a ton of extra flavor to your pizza by tearing up a few fresh basil leaves and spreading them on top of the cheese. Fresh basil is also a great addition to Thai food such as spicy curries and stir-fry dishes. Basil goes well with strawberries, so I definitely recommend adding a couple of fresh leaves to your next strawberry lemonade. Next time you are looking for a new cocktail to order/make, try a Basil Gimlet, or a Gin Basil Smash - I just discovered these drinks in the last year and they are my new favorites! Adding fresh basil to a drink will give it a great light flavor.
Pineapple
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love pineapple. It's good cold, it's good warm, it's good with spice, it's good with any meal of the day, or alone as a snack. Always buy fresh pineapple. Once you know the sweet goodness that is fresh pineapple, you will never buy the canned stuff again. Cutting apart a fresh pineapple is surprisingly easy, but if you don't want to deal with the carving, many grocery stores sell fresh pineapple that is already cut up in disposable containers with the other fresh produce.
Next time you're grilling burgers, slice up some fresh pineapple and throw it on the grill for a few minutes, then use it to top off your burger along with some lettuce and tomato. If you ever make spicy stir-fry, or fried rice, cut up some chunks of fresh pineapple and mix them in with your meat and veggies. Crush some pineapple in a bowl, or ziplock bag and add it to hot dogs or pizza. Add some cilantro and minced spicy peppers (such as habanero, or chilies) to make an incredibly flavorful and fresh sweet and spicy salsa for fish, chicken, or any other dish.
Lemon & Lime
In my opinion, lemon and lime are two of the freshest scents/flavors out there. You can, of course, purchase those little bottles of lemon and lime juice, but it never compares to the fresh stuff. When you pick out fresh lemons and limes, look for brightly colored fruit that is not too hard, or too soft. They will last for quite a while once you bring them home, so you don't have to be in a hurry to use them.
I love to add fresh lemon juice and zest to light dishes, like angel hair pasta with seafood or chicken. You can make a simple, flavorful sauce to toss with your pasta, using only a few ingredients, such as white wine, olive oil, a bit of flour and fresh lemon. Keep limes around to add fresh zest and juice to fruit salad. This will not only add extra flavor, but the juice will help your fruit last longer. Lime goes well with cilantro (another great fresh flavor) and both are common ingredients in Thai and Hispanic dishes. If you are going to be cooking meat for one of these types of meals, marinate the meat in lime juice for a bit before before cooking it - for dishes like tacos, I like to mix up lime juice, cilantro, a bit of tequila and any type of minced, spicy peppers to marinate my chicken, shrimp, or whatever protein I happen to be using. When your dish is complete, top it off with a squirt of fresh lime juice.
Basil
Fresh basil is such a fantastic herb. You can buy if fresh from most grocery stores, or you can easily grow your own. I usually buy it as I need it and always look for bright green leaves. Fresh basil has such a sweet, delicious smell - I absolutely love it!
Add a ton of extra flavor to your pizza by tearing up a few fresh basil leaves and spreading them on top of the cheese. Fresh basil is also a great addition to Thai food such as spicy curries and stir-fry dishes. Basil goes well with strawberries, so I definitely recommend adding a couple of fresh leaves to your next strawberry lemonade. Next time you are looking for a new cocktail to order/make, try a Basil Gimlet, or a Gin Basil Smash - I just discovered these drinks in the last year and they are my new favorites! Adding fresh basil to a drink will give it a great light flavor.
Pineapple
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love pineapple. It's good cold, it's good warm, it's good with spice, it's good with any meal of the day, or alone as a snack. Always buy fresh pineapple. Once you know the sweet goodness that is fresh pineapple, you will never buy the canned stuff again. Cutting apart a fresh pineapple is surprisingly easy, but if you don't want to deal with the carving, many grocery stores sell fresh pineapple that is already cut up in disposable containers with the other fresh produce.
Next time you're grilling burgers, slice up some fresh pineapple and throw it on the grill for a few minutes, then use it to top off your burger along with some lettuce and tomato. If you ever make spicy stir-fry, or fried rice, cut up some chunks of fresh pineapple and mix them in with your meat and veggies. Crush some pineapple in a bowl, or ziplock bag and add it to hot dogs or pizza. Add some cilantro and minced spicy peppers (such as habanero, or chilies) to make an incredibly flavorful and fresh sweet and spicy salsa for fish, chicken, or any other dish.
Lemon & Lime
In my opinion, lemon and lime are two of the freshest scents/flavors out there. You can, of course, purchase those little bottles of lemon and lime juice, but it never compares to the fresh stuff. When you pick out fresh lemons and limes, look for brightly colored fruit that is not too hard, or too soft. They will last for quite a while once you bring them home, so you don't have to be in a hurry to use them.
I love to add fresh lemon juice and zest to light dishes, like angel hair pasta with seafood or chicken. You can make a simple, flavorful sauce to toss with your pasta, using only a few ingredients, such as white wine, olive oil, a bit of flour and fresh lemon. Keep limes around to add fresh zest and juice to fruit salad. This will not only add extra flavor, but the juice will help your fruit last longer. Lime goes well with cilantro (another great fresh flavor) and both are common ingredients in Thai and Hispanic dishes. If you are going to be cooking meat for one of these types of meals, marinate the meat in lime juice for a bit before before cooking it - for dishes like tacos, I like to mix up lime juice, cilantro, a bit of tequila and any type of minced, spicy peppers to marinate my chicken, shrimp, or whatever protein I happen to be using. When your dish is complete, top it off with a squirt of fresh lime juice.
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