Tuesday, February 12, 2019

10 Rose Recipes





     Rose is such a great flower, and has quite a few medicinal properties. However, we also forget that it's a traditional ingredient in quite a few foods, especially of the Middle Eastern variety. Using rose petals, rose water, and rose hips is a great way to add a bit of flair to any dish though. Check out some of my favorite recipes using the flowers (or water) and hips of this great plant.


Rose Petals/Water 

     Rose petals, and rose water, have a great floral taste that enhances quite a few dishes. It's more commonly used in sweet, dessert style food. But rose goes so well with so many spices that you can really add it into most any spice mixture. Rose is a great addition to Berbere, Garam Masala, and Adveih, and well as many more. Check out these 5 recipes using rose petals (or rose water made from those petals).


1. Starting with a treat! Rose petal jelly is delicious on any occasion, but adding a little clove and cardamom steps it up to a treat that will be hard to put down.

Spiced Rose Petal Jelly
(4 Servings)

3 ½ cups Water
2 Whole Cloves
1 Cardamom Pod, crushed
1/3 cup dried Rose Petals
1 ¾ oz Pectin
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 cup, lightly packed, fresh Rose Petals
4 cups Sugar

Instructions:
In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Stir in dried Rose petals, cloves, and cardamom pod. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Strain and discard the solids. Return to the saucepan and stir in the fresh petals, lemon juice, and pectin. Stir until the pectin is dissolved. Over high heat, bring the new mixture to a boil and add the sugar. Set a timer and boil for 2 full minutes, stirring constantly. After 2 minutes, transfer mixture to sterilized jars, seal, and allow to come to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator overnight to set. After it has set, it will hold in the pantry for up to 6 months, or in the fridge for up to 1 year.


2. Roses in a savory dish? No way! Well, guess what. Roses go great with savory things too! This recipe features roses used in a Moroccan style sauce called a Chermoula, which is usually used as a marinade for fish. This recipe, however, uses the sauce for roasting a mixture of chickpeas, carrots, and zucchini. You can use any of the left over sauce for other dishes such as eggplant “steaks,” shrimp kabobs, chicken, or even tofu. It's so versatile.

Rose Roasted Chickpeas
(2 Main-Dish Servings, or 4 Sides)

Chermoula Sauce:
¼ cup Parsley Leaves
¼ cup Cilantro Leaves
3 cloves fresh Garlic, smashed
4 tbsp Olive Oil
4 tbsp Vegetable Broth
Juice of 1 Lemon, reserve the zest
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp dried Rose Petals
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
*optional: up to ½ tsp Cayenne powder (however spicy you want it)

Chickpeas:
4 Carrots, peeled and diced
2 small Zucchinis, diced
1 can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp Sauce
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp dried Rose Buds
Zest of 1 Lemon (reserved from making the sauce)
*optional: Yogurt or Dairy Free alternative as a topping

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all your sauce ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a thick paste forms. Adjust any seasoning if necessary. Toss the carrots in some olive oil and place them on a lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper, and bake them for 10 minutes, or until tender. Combine all remaining other ingredients and toss well, coating the vegetables well with the sauce. After the 10 minutes are up, remove the carrots from the oven and add to the vegetable mixture. Toss once more to coat the carrots and place the mixture back onto the cookie sheet. Roast for 25-30 more minutes, or until carrots are fork tender and slightly charred. Remove from the oven, drizzle a little more sauce on top (if you need to thin it out, add a bit of water) and a dollop of yogurt.


3. Back to more familiar rose territory. This sweet bread makes a great treat either drizzled with honey or used to make a killer french toast breakfast.

Honey Rose-Berry Bread
(10 Servings)

1 tbsp ground Flax Seed
2 ½ tbsp Water
¼ cup dried Rose Petals
2 cups Gluten Free Flour (my favorite is by Namaste)
½ cup ground Chia Seeds and/or Flax Seeds
1 ½ tsp Gluten Free Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
Zest of 1 Lemon
¼ cup fresh Strawberries, diced
¼ cup fresh or dried Blueberries
1 cup Honey or ½ cup Agave nectar
2/3 cup Rose Water
1/3 cup of Lemon Juice (juice of 3 small lemons)

Glaze:
1 cup Honey (or ½ cup Agave Nectar and ½ cup Water)
2 tbsp Rose Water


Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9X5in loaf pan. Combine 1 tbsp ground flax seed with 2 ½ tbsp water, mix well and set in the fridge to chill, at least 10 minutes. Lightly crush rose petals in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, add in flour, ground chia/flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine. Fold in rose petals, berries, and lemon zest. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix honey (or agave), chilled flax seed mixture, rose water, and lemon juice. Stir well. Pour mixture over flour mixture and stir well until combined. Pour batter into your greased loaf pan and bake about 1 hour. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert the pan to flip out the bread and continue to cool on a cooling rack while you prepare the glaze. For the glaze, in a small saucepan on medium-high heat, combine honey (or agave and water) with rose water. Bring mixture to a gentile boil and remove from the heat. Whisk well and pour over the cooled bread.  (if you really want that glaze to impact the flavor of the bread, use a toothpick to punch tiny holes over the top of your bread before adding on the glaze)



4. Rose makes a refreshing drink as well. Not only do the petals and hips make a lovely tea, but you can add them to lemonade, sangria, mojitos, etc. Here's one of my favorites, Hibiscus Rose Lemonade recipe for the summers.

Hibiscus Rose Lemonade
(1 Quart)

1 ½ -2 cups Sugar or Honey (however sweet you like it)
1 ½ cups Water
½ cup dried Rose Petals
½ cup dried Hibiscus Flowers
2 cups freshly squeezed Lemon Juice (about 10-12 Lemons)
Ice

Instructions:
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the sugar/honey and water to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir until sugar/honey is dissolved. Add in the rose petals and hibiscus flowers, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to cool for 45 minutes. Pour mixture over ice and stir well before adding in the lemon juice and stirring one last time. Taste your lemonade and adjust the sweetness if desired. If you want some more rose flavor, simply add a ½ tsp of rose water at a time until it reaches the flavor you want.


5. I love chia pudding. It makes for a great breakfast, starting you day off with all the benefits of chia. It's also a great snack for when I'm just craving sweets. This variation adds in the soft, floral flavor of rose and the rich flavor of chocolate.

Chocolate Rose Chia Seed Pudding
(4 Servings)

2 cups Coconut Milk
½ cup Chia Seeds
½ tsp Rose Water
¼ cup Honey or 2 tbsp Agave Nectar
¼ tsp Cacao Powder

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Optionally, you can put them in a food processor and process to make a smooth chia pudding. Cover and refrigerate over night (or at least 4 hours). Mixing it a few times within the first hour helps it to gel evenly. This one is great topped with strawberries.



Rose Hips

     Rose hips (the fruit of the rose plant) are super high in vitamin C, making them taste a bit on the citrus-y side, though some people compare their taste to a tart cherry. You can use them in place of cranberries, citrus, or cherries in just about any recipe. However, when they're dried they are usually pretty hard. So if the recipe calls for dried fruit, make sure you add a bit of water or juice to them and allow them to reconstitute for a bit before using them in your recipes. 


1. This dip is a great slightly sweet, tart dip for just about any occasion. I like to serve this with gluten free graham crackers, but it also works well with apples and other fruit.


Pecan Rose Hip Dip
(makes about 1 ½ cups)

8 oz Cream Cheese or a Dairy-Free alternative
½ cup dried Rose Hips 
¼ cup Pineapple Juice
¼ cup chopped Pecans
1 tsp Orange Zest
¼ cup Honey or 2 tsp Agave Nectar
½ tsp freshly grated Ginger
2 teaspoons Orange juice

Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the rose hips and pineapple juice. Chill overnight to reconstitute. Once reconstituted, combine all ingredients (including the reconstituted rose hips, don't drain them) in a medium sized mixing bowl and mix well. Chill for 10 minutes prior to serving.


2. This twist on everyone's favorite party snack is full of surprises. It's not only a great dip, but I also like to use it on some of my savory main dishes. It's great over turkey (or any poultry really), pork, and it also adds a southwestern flare to eggplant “steaks” and veggie burgers.


Rose Hip Salsa
(10 servings)

12 oz dried Rose Hips
¼ cup Lime Juice
¼ cup water
¼ cup Honey or 2 tsp Agave Nectar
¼ cup diced sweet Onions
2 fresh Jalapenos, seeded and minced
¼ cup fresh Cilantro Leaves, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Combine rose hips, lime juice, water, and honey/agave. Mix well, cover and chill overnight to reconstitute. When reconstituted, add in remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until they reach your desired consistency.


3. Rose hips in rice? Heck Yeah! Rose hips add a great bit of sweet and tart flavor to a number of dishes, but I'm really a huge fan of how they can make rice and quinoa dishes really pop. This recipe makes for a great side dish, use quinoa instead of brown rice, and add some more of your favorite vegetables (such as Brussels sprouts or green beans) to make it a super healthy and filling one dish meal.

Brown Rice with Rose Hips and Almonds
(6 Side Dish Servings)

1 tbsp Olive Oil
¼ medium sized Sweet Onion, finely diced
¼ cup Celery, finely diced
1 1/3 cups uncooked long grain Brown Rice
1 2/3 cups Water
1 cup Vegetable Broth
2/3 cup dried Rose Hips
Salt and Pepper to taste
2/3 cup Almonds, sliced or slivered and toasted
1 tbsp fresh Parsley, minced

Instructions:
In a sauce pan, over medium-high heat, saute the olive oil, onions, and celery together until just translucent. Add in the rice, water, vegetable broth, and rose hips. Bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 40 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients, cover again, and allow to cook another 5 minutes, or until all the remaining liquid is absorbed.


4. Bread is such a staple in most of the cultures of the world, and there are so many different kinds of bread to make. Quick breads are my personal favorite for a number of reasons, although the most important one is that they're the easiest to make gluten free. This quick bread recipe also makes for great muffins for breakfast, or just a snack.

Rose Hip Bread (or Muffins)
(10 Servings)

1 tbsp ground Flax Seed
2 ½ tbsp Water
1 cup dried Rose Hips
½ cup Apple Juice
2 cups Gluten Free Flour (my favorite is by Namaste)
½ cup ground Chia Seeds and/or Flax Seeds
1 ½ tsp Gluten Free Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt
Zest of 1 Lemon
1 cup Honey or ½ cup Agave nectar
2/3 cup Orange Juice
1/3 cup of Lemon Juice (juice of 3 small lemons)


Instructions:
Combine 1 tbsp ground flax seed with 2 ½ tbsp water, mix well. In a separate bowl, combine rose hips and apple juice. Set both mixtures in the fridge to chill overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9X5in loaf pan (or line a muffin pan with papers). In a medium mixing bowl, add in flour, ground chia/flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to combine. Fold in rose hips and lemon zest. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix honey (or agave), chilled flax seed mixture, orange juice, and lemon juice. Stir well. Pour mixture over flour mixture and stir well until combined. Pour batter into your prepared pan and bake about 1 hour (muffins may not take as long, so check them after about 30 min and every 10 min after that). Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert the pan to flip out the bread and continue to cool on a cooling rack.


5. Here we come to the easiest recipe in this post. And one of my personal favorites.

Easy Rose Hip “Jam”
(about 1 ½ cups)

1 cup Rose Hips, dried
1 ½ cups unfiltered Apple Juice
1 tsp Orange Zest

Instructions:
Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and allow to sit overnight. Pour mixture into a food processor and process until it reaches your desired consistency. Store in the fridge.

If you want to skip letting it sit overnight, you can pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring it to a boil on the stove top. Reduce it to a simmer and allow to cook for about 4-5 minutes. Allow it to cool and puree it in the food processor.








   
     I hope you enjoy making (and eating) these great Rose recipes!  If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below!


Thursday, February 7, 2019

Rose







     Happy February! The month of love, romance, and chocolate hearts is upon us. What better time to share all the wonderful benefits of everyone's favorite romantic flower, the lovely Rose.

     Known the world over for love and romance, the Rose is an amazing herb for all matters of the heart. Even Shakespeare wrote of it's power in love, but the Rose's fame goes back much further than the Bard's time. In ancient Egypt, the rose was sacred to the goddess Isis. In ancient Greece and Rome, it was sacred to Aphrodite and Venus. Romans also scattered rose petals along the routes of funerals, both for protection and to symbolize rebirth.  In both Islam and Sufism, the rose symbolizes divine love and was often depicted in art, architecture, and used in landscapes.  In the Medieval era, Christians attributed the rose to both Christ and the blood of martyrs. Catholics later used the rose for the Virgin Mary and used rose petals to make the beads for what would later be called the rosary. In China, red roses had a special place because red was an auspicious color, so red roses symbolized luck, love, and fortune.  Even Native Americans were well acquainted with this plant and it's uses.

     There are over 100 species of Rose with thousands of cultivars. Generally speaking, a rose is a woody plant in the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae.  Roses can be shrubs, or they can be climbing or trailing like vines, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles that we typically refer to as thorns. Flowers vary in size, color, and shape. The fruit is a berry-like structure called a rose hip. The Rosa gallica (Provence Rose), R. eglanteria (Eglantine Rose) and R. damascene (Damask Rose) are the three oldest roses in cultivation. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa. Persia is considered the likely origin of the flower.




     In addition to the famous flower, roses have a great fruit that is not only delicious, but also full of medicinal properties all on it's own. Rose hips are full of vitamin C, and taste a bit citrus-y because of it. These berry-like fruit make a great jam, are delicious when added to salads, and super versatile in the kitchen. Try re-hydrating the dry hips and adding them into your favorite muffin recipe, or using them to flavor your favorite poultry dish. Check out the Montana Homesteader's tips on foraging for rose hips and recipes, there's bound to be several you'll fall in love with.



Medicinal Uses:


Scientific Names- Rosaceae (the whole family) Commonly these species are used medicinally: Rosa gallica officinalis, R. damascene, R. canina, R. chinensis, Flos Rosae Rugosae, and R. centifolia

Common Names- Rose

Parts Used- Rose Hips (fruit), Petals, Flower Buds, Leaves, and Bark

Summary of Actions-  Anticancer, Antidepressant, Antiscorbutic, Antispasmodic, Aphrodisiac, Aromatic, Astringent, Coagulant/Hemostatic, Cordial, Depurative, Emmenagogue, Hepatic, Laxative, Nervine, Refrigerant, Sedative, Skin tonic, Stomachic, and Uterine Tonic.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)-  Mei Gui Hua (Rose) is used for the heart, liver, spleen, and stomach meridians. Used as a decongestant and astringent, rose is considered to have a draining action that clears heat and cools. It moves Qi, dispersing stagnation, particularly that of liver Qi. It aids in the case of constipation, headache, nausea, belching, and poor appetite. It clears heat and calms the heart, helping clear up fertility issues and depression. It also harmonizes the blood, easing many menses-related problems and helping promote urination.

Ayurveda-  Known in Sanskrit as Satapatri and in Hindi as Gulab ka phool, which translates roughly as 100 petals. In Ayurveda, rose has three main healing attributes; it is soothing, cooling, and moisturizing. But it is most valued because of it's balancing effect on the heart, both physically and emotionally. 

Native American Traditions- Each of the Native American tribes had a use for roses. The Omahas and Chippewa used the roots and hips to treat eye infections and inflammation in the eyes. The Chippewa also used rose hips as a staple food. The Arapahos used the seeds to treat muscle pain. Cheyenne and Flathead both used the petal, stem, and roots to treat snow blindness, but the Cheyenne also made a tea from the bark to treat upset stomach and diarrhea. The Crows boiled the roots and used the vapor to stop mouth and nose bleeds. They also used the roots in a hot compress to treat inflammation.

Essential Oil-  Rose Essential Oil is one of the most expensive on the market, and deservedly so since it takes over 1,000 rose flowers to produce ¼ oz of the oil. However, if you can afford it, diffusing the rose essential oil is a great way to relieve insomnia, reduce nervous tension, and help to lower your blood pressure.

Stress and Anxiety-  Rose is packed full of comforting qualities and helps to soothe nerves and anxieties. It may not completely alleviate the impact of stress and anxiety for those with severe problems, but it may help reduce them and can be very beneficial in the long term.

Comfort for the Grieving-  Rose balances the emotions of the heart, helping to comfort those who are grieving.

Cool Off-  Rose helps to regulate the body temperature during the warmer months.

Allergies, Seasonal Stress, and Illness-  Rose tea (petals and/or hips) helps soothe sore throats, and it's packed full of vitamin C to help boost the immune system and knock out that cold.

Hair, Acne, and Skincare-  Rose water is one of my favorite face washes/make up removers. Not only does it work to clean your skin, while still being gentle enough to use around your eyes, but it's also super anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and astringent so it's great to help prevent and treat acne. Rose also helps to lock in the moisture in the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It's also been shown to help reduce the appearance of spider veins. Rose has also been studied recently for it's effect on Scalp Seborrheic Dermatitis. The findings, thus far, have been very positive.

Wounds- A powder from the petals and dried leaves has been traditionally used to help speed the healing of wounds. In some cultures, the petals were even used to pack surgical wounds to help prevent infection.

Digestion-  Rose petals and hips help to stimulate the body's bile production, which greatly aids digestion, particularly the digestion of fats. It also helps to balance the gut's microbiome, helping to keep the bad bacteria and yeasts in check, while boosting the effectiveness of the good bacteria and yeast cultures. It's also a mild laxative and makes a great, gentile, tea for constipation.

Healthy Heart-  Rose helps to lower blood pressure and is packed full of helpful antioxidants that help keep the circulatory system healthy.

Great for All Feminine Needs-  Traditionally, rose tea has been consumed to help ease menstrual cramps and regulate periods, but it's also great for so many other feminine concerns. Rose tea has been shown to help ease the symptoms of PMS in certain women and it's also traditionally taken during labor to help aid in childbirth.

Contraindications and Warnings- Rose is generally considered to be safe and no adverse side effects have been reported. Despite its safety, some experts warn that you should limit the amount you drink to a maximum of 5 cups per day because consuming too much vitamin C can have certain adverse effects, such as diarrhea. Drinking too much rose tea could potentially cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or headaches.



     I only included a basic introduction to this beautiful plant.  I hope you have learned a new appreciation roses, beyond that of their unparalleled beauty.  If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.



References:


10 Science Backed Benefits of Rose Tea: Healthy Focus: https://healthyfocus.org/8-benefits-of-rose-tea/

34 Ways to Use Rose: Herbal Academy: https://theherbalacademy.com/34-ways-to-use-roses/

Benefits, Ayurvedic Remedies of Rose Plant and Essential Oil: Easy Ayurveda: https://easyayurveda.com/2016/05/30/benefits-remedies-rose-essential-oil/

Natural Home Remedy- Rosa Centifolia: Natural Home Remedies: http://naturalhomeremedies.co/Rose.html

Rose: Dig Herbs: https://www.digherbs.com/rose.html

Rose: White Rabbit Institute of Healing: https://www.whiterabbitinstituteofhealing.com/herbs/rose/

Rose- Herb of the Year: Vitality Magazine: https://vitalitymagazine.com/article/rose-herb-of-the-year/

Rose Herb Uses, Benefits, Cures, Side Effects, Nutrients: Herbpathy: https://herbpathy.com/Uses-and-Benefits-of-Rose-Cid323

Rose In Ayurveda: Warrior Goddess Ayurveda: http://www.warriorgoddessayurveda.com/2015/07/rose-in-ayurveda/

Rose- Rosa Centifolia: Planet Ayurveda: https://www.planetayurveda.com/library/rose-rosa-centifolia/

Roses: A Modern Herbal: https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/r/roses-18.html

The Medicinal Uses of Rose: Healing With Plants: http://healingwithplants.us/2017/06/the-medicinal-uses-of-rose/



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     Welcome to Bat Lady Herbals.  I have been fascinated by herbs and various herbal uses for quite a few years now.  Plants are amazing t...