Slashfood Ate (8): Things to do with leftover cilantro

by Keith McDuffee, Posted Mar 2nd 2006 @ 11:13AM

It has happened to all of us at one time or another. You needed to buy fresh cilantro (or as some call it, coriander) for one recipe, that called for a tablespoon or so, and now you have this giant bunch of cilantro rotting in your fridge. How can you let such a special herb go to waste? Here are eight fun things we do with our leftover cilantro.

1. Add to homemade ginger lime salad dressing -- just lime juice, cider vinegar, ginger, olive oil, a splash of sesame oil and fresh cilantro, all to taste.

2. Blend into hummus, either homemade or store-bought, with a bit of cumin. Voila -- instant clash of the ethnic flavors, but all in good fun.

3. Slow cook eggplant, chick peas, garlic and onions in a can or two of diced tomatoes, with cumin, coriander and cinnamon. Sprinkle on cilantro and crispy onions and garlic before serving.

4. Sprinkle on scrambled eggs with a bit of salsa. Huevos rancheros, anyone?

5. Speaking of salsa, all you need is tomatoes, a bit of oil and vinegar, maybe some corn and black beans, onions, garlic and yep, fresh cilantro.

6. Are you addicted to guacamole? Stir some fresh cilantro into a basic store-bought version, or make your own from fresh avocado, lime juice, red onion, tomato and cumin.

7. Sprinkle on chili, either your homemade favorite (we love Todd English's black bean chili from the Figs cookbook) or <gasp> from a can.

8. Bake into cornbread, with some jalepenos for good measure. It is easy enough to make from scratch, but the mixes aren't half bad. Eat with chili from #7.

OK, I used my whole bunch of cilantro. Now I am off to make myself a margarita . . .

Filed Under: Slashfood Ate, Ingredients
Tags: cilantro, condiments, coriander, food, leftovers, list, slashfood, slashfood ate, vegetables

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-02-2006 @12:07PM B said... Ahh, cilantro. Takes me back to 1999.
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3-02-2006 @12:58PM gina said... You can also give it to someone with bunnies. Or guinea pigs, etc. My rabbits love cilantro best of all greens.
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3-02-2006 @12:59PM Dave said... I had the impression that cilantro and coriander are two different things? Cilantro is the actual herb while coriander is the seed that grows into cilantro. Anyway, what's weird is that I love the flavor of coriander, but I despise the cilantro flavor.
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3-02-2006 @1:08PM Bart said... Well, you can make your own thai green curry paste or even a spicier pesto paste that you can store in the fridge for a while.
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3-02-2006 @2:09PM Kung Foodie said... You can also simply dice or puree and then freeze it for later use. It's still much better than dried that way. We do this all the time for any leftover herbs, basil especially.
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3-02-2006 @3:40PM Robyn said... You can also make "cowboy caviar." not sure how widespread this recipe is... i got it from my mom about a year ago: corn, black beans (or black-eyed beans), tomato, balsamic vinegar, green onion and cilantro. eat with corn chips--preferably ones made to hold things.
sorta like a black bean salsa or something...
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