The Best Side Dish Recipes for Your Spring Dinner

In my opinion, fried Dandelion flowers and leaves are the best side dish for spring. Dandelion grows everywhere so it‘s easy to pick for eating. The leaves are full of vitamins and nutrients so they should be eaten when the opportunity arises. Dandelion isn‘t just good for cooking, it‘s also a powerful medicinal herb.

Dandelion has, since time immemorial, been seen as one of the best diuretic herbs available. The leaves are thought to be the most diuretic although some action is seen in the roots. When kidney function is stimulated, potassium is released with urination and this could have an effect on heart function. Dandelion leaves, however, contain large amounts of natural potassium, and as a result, are a very good choice to increase urination.

The Dandelion root, on the other hand, has a stimulating effect on liver and gall bladder function, and it has long been regarded as a good herb for hepatitis, jaundice, gall stones, bloating, flatulence and constipation. It has also been used to strengthen the liver after long periods of medication or alcohol use. The root is also considered to be good internally for skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis and acne. There is a long tradition of using Dandelion root for rheumatism, gout and osteoarthritis.

Both the leaves and the roots have a stimulating effect on the gall bladder and they are thought to be useful in preventing gall stones. Dandelion milk, present in the stems, is frequently used externally to remove warts. The fresh milk is rubbed onto the wart twice a day and covered with plaster. This is repeated for 1-2 weeks.

The first time I fried Dandelion flowers I was shocked because I had thought they would as bitter as Dandelion leaves. I was pleasantly surprised when the flowers turned out to be delicious and reminded me of mushrooms. There‘s no lack of Dandelion flowers in spring, so I encourage you to try this simple recipe. It‘s the perfect side dish!

Fried Dandelion leaves are the perfect side dish with most courses. They‘re delicious and they‘ll surprise you, I promise. Dandelion leaves are best in the spring but they can be used during the whole summer, they‘ll just be a bit more bitter. The dandelion leaves are full of vitamins and nutrients so you should eat as much of them as you can when you get the chance.