Four Great Recipes Using Spices

One of the fun things about learning how to cook from scratch is getting to experiment with different seasonings. If you love eating out and/or buying takeaway, just think how much money you could save if you decided to master your favorite recipes and were able to make them at home any time you wish? It’s easy once you know how.

Start with a Great Recipe

The important thing is to start with a reliable recipe from a cookbook or an online site. Here are some of the top websites:

Allrecipes.com
Foodnetwork.com
Food.com
TheKitchn.com
Yummly.com
Chow.com
Epicurious.com

If there are star ratings for the recipe, pick the one with the highest rating. Also, look at the comments for the recipe.

These often contain feedback from people who cook regularly and can offer helpful hints and tips about variations, whether the recipe needs more seasoning or not, and so on.

For cookbooks, you may want to avoid recipes with lots of spices that you would only use very rarely.

For example, Indian cooking is fun, but fenugreek and asafoetida are far too pungent to be versatile.

Keep It Simple

You'll probably also want to avoid recipes with a lot of steps, or hours of cooking time. Here are some quick and easy recipes.

1. Italian Pesto Sauce Recipe

For this bright green pasta sauce and spread, start with 2 cups of fresh basil leaves. Then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 3 cloves of garlic, peeled; 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts; 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; a dash each of salt and pepper.

Place everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour over hot pasta and serve.

2. Indian Dhal Recipe

Use 1 cup of dried lentils, 2 cups of water, 1 inch of ginger, peeled and chopped, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric.

Over a high flame, bring the lentils and water to a full rolling boil, then add the other ingredients.

Turn down the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils start to soften. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of black mustard seed, and 2 small chopped plum tomatoes.

Cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes until it reaches your desired thickness. Crush the lentils and tomato against the side of the pot if you want a thicker lentil curry.

Eat as is, or with some rice on the side.

3. Grilled Lime and Cumin Chicken Breasts recipe

Mix together 5 tablespoons of olive oil and the juice of 4 fresh limes in a plastic food storage bag. Add 1 pound of chicken breasts and close the bag.

Shake and massage well to coat. Marinade the chicken for 2 hours, or all day.

When you are ready to have dinner, mix together a dash of salt and black pepper and 1 tablespoon of cumin.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the plastic bag. Place the chicken on your grill pan. Rub with the cumin mixture on both sides.

Grill on each side for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the juices run clear when pricked with a fork.

4. Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

This recipe from Argentina uses fresh herbs and spices for a delicious sauce that goes well with steak, chicken or fish.

In a food processor, combine 3 cloves of garlic, peeled; 2 tablespoons red onion; 2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; dash dried coriander; dash red pepper flakes; dash salt; the juice of 1 lime; 2 tablespoons of vinegar, red or white; 1/2 cup olive oil.

Blend until smooth and pour over the hot food, or place on the side of the plate.

Spice Storage Tips

Spices are no longer worth more than their weight in gold the way they were a thousand years ago when Europeans first started to discover the wonders of the Far East and the Spice Islands (now Indonesia), but they are still a considerable investment in your food shopping budget that you will want to make the most of.

Spices enhance flavor and color in food. They can also reduce cravings because what you eat is more tasty and satisfying. Some spices even have medicinal properties thanks to their chemical components, fatty acids and antioxidants.

Here are some storage tips that can help you get the most out of your spices and retain their potency and healing properties for as long as possible.

1. Go whole

Whole spices like nutmeg stay fresher longer compared with ground ones, which absorb a lot of moisture and lose their potency. Buy whole and grate or grind them in a coffee grinder.

2. Use a separate grinder for spices than for your coffee

Buy a grinder to be used only for your spices when you need to use them. You don’t want any coffee taste to transfer to your food.

A small marble mortar and pestle will also work well to grind most whole spices. You can also use it to lightly pound dried herbs to freshen up their taste.

3. Store carefully

Keep your herbs and spices in a cool, dry place away from the stove and out of direct sunlight. Store them in the original jars or tins they came in.

If you buy in bulk, fill your jars and then put them in the freezer to preserve freshness, but all the way inside away from the door so they don’t get a lot of moisture.

Spices can last for up to three years. Dried herbs can last about a year provided you store them properly. Over time, they will lose their potency, so you might have to add more.

But be careful - remember that dried herbs are three times more potent than fresh. Add and taste.

4. Look at the color

If the herbs and spices have changed color and are looking a bit anemic, they are fading in freshness and therefore in potency.

Taste a small amount. If it doesn’t make your tastebuds sing, it’s time to replace it.

5. Don’t hold your spice bottle over a cooking pot

Steam can get into the bottle and sap the strength of your spice or herb. Put some in your hand, rub it to release its flavor, and add to your recipe.

Screw the cap back on tightly or close the tin carefully.

6. If you are using a measuring spoon, don’t dip it in

Sprinkle if you can, or "guesstimate" into the palm of your hand. A wet or dirty spoon can harm your spices.

7. Put foil over bottles with a grinder top

It’s fun to have freshly ground black pepper with just a twist of the cap, but the caps don’t form a good airtight seal.

Use a piece of foil to cover it and to keep air and moisture out.

Ideally, buy whole spices like peppercorns and grind or pulverize in a mortar with a pestle as needed.

Did you find this post fun, informative and useful? If so, please share it with others!

If you have a comment, question or suggestion, please leave a comment below!

Cheers, Helene Malmsio

Related Reading: https://www.discoveryhub.net/how-to-learn-healthy-cooking.html

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