Essential oils make the best flavour... and the tiniest little bit is all it takes to really elevate a recipe. One of my favourite things to do is add a drop of Lime to a bowl of salsa, for example. Or add a drop of Cardamom when I'm making crumble topping. Making a salad dressing? Add a drop or two of Lemon to amplify the citrus note, or a drop of any herbal essential oil (Basil? Cilantro? Thyme?) to complement the ingredients in the salad. Or, use them in a marinade to add fabulous flavour. My favourite marinade is 2 drops of essential oil with a few crushed garlic cloves in a half cup of olive oil (Rosemary for lamb, Oregano for beef or pork, Basil for pork, etc) .
When adding essential oils to cooked dishes, it's usually best to add them at the very end. And, it's best to start small! Insert a toothpick into the bottle of essential oil, and swirl that into the food. Taste to see if you need more. Citrus oils are generally more mild and you will need more drops to get the desired flavour. Herb oils, on the other hand, are extremely concentrated so you will typically need very tiny amounts.
My Favourite Flavouring Oils
Clementine Lemon Tangerine Wild Orange | Basil Black Pepper Cardamom Cinnamon | Ginger Oregano Thyme Rosemary |
This is just the beginning... any herb essential oil can be used in flavour, even if I didn't put it in my list. dōTERRA has even made some fabulous blends specifically for cooking, designed specifically for certain cuisines (Mexican, Thai, Italian and Tropical). They are pre-diluted and super easy to use.
Have fun experimenting with the flavour of essential oils!