You can look at this recipe two ways:  as a quick and tasty side dish, or a mega-dose of nutritional goodness on a plate.

To discover the “quick and tasty”, you will have to take my word for it; for the nutrition, check this out:

• Full nutritional profile of spinach
• Benefits of curry
• Resveratrol-packed raisins
• Monounsaturated fats in olive oil

Convinced? Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

Large bag fresh spinach, washed and ribs removed
1/4 cup golden raisins (or regular raisins)
1 small onion (yellow or red)
2 tsps Hurricane Curry spice blend
sea salt (optional)

Method:   

Finely dice the onion.  Place in large sauté pan with olive oil, on medium-low heat. Sautee until the onions are tender (do not brown). Add the raisins and the Hurricane Curry, and sautee for another 2 minutes. Remove mixture from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and the spinach (if it doesn’t all fit at once, wait a moment until it wilts down and add more). Raise heat to medium-high and sautee until the spinach is wilted and tender. Add the onion/raisin/spice mixture and fold into the spinach. Add a dash of sea salt to the dish (optional) and serve.

When it came to creating my own Cajun-style seasoning, though,  I needed a little more personal advice than these television chefs. I was so lucky to have two friends with strong ties to Louisiana — Aurora and Judy. Both of them jumped into action when I told them that I was working on a Cajun blend;  Aurora reached out to generations of family members back home, asking them for guidance, which led to her passing on comments like:

“Here in town, it [gumbo]  is typically served with a side of potato salad and maybe some buttered french bread that’s been toasted“

and

“You can have heat but you got to have those flavors that come together just right“.

Judy’s first observation was  “ I do not like anything blackened. You might as well burn it to me, but many do like it. I think it’s a personal preference myself“.   Then she went straight into show-and-tell and mailed me 5 or 6 different Cajun seasonings that her family had used for years.

Armed with this valuable information and the support of these folks, I went into my kitchen and came out with a blend that I am thrilled with. It’s very aromatic, complex, and has just the right amount of heat.

Let’s put it to use on some shrimp, shall we?

Ingredients:

1 lb raw shrimp, heads removed, deveined. Tails may stay on or off.
1 T olive oil
2 tsps Back In The Bayou spice blend
1 lemon

Method:

Place cleaned shrimp in a quart-size plastic storage baggie. Add olive oil and spice blend. Close bag and gently shake. Let shrimp marinate for 5 minutes then pre-heat large sautee pan to medium-high. Sautee shrimp for 3-5 minutes depending on size. Hint: a cooked shrimp forms a “C”, an overcooked shrimp forms an “O”. Right before serving, squeeze fresh lemon over shrimp.

To turn this into a main dish, sautee a mixture of celery, green peppers, onions, and garlic until tender. Add small can diced tomatoes. Add an additional teaspoon of   Back in the Bayou spice blend. Heat well, then add the raw shrimp that has been marinating in the spice blend, cooking until shrimp is done. Serve over hot rice.

______________________________

Epilogue:  Aurora recently went down to Louisiana to visit family. She brought some Back in the Bayou blend with her, and gave it to her family to cook with. I was on the edge of my chair, waiting for the reactions of the elder women in the family, eating this Northern girl’s Cajun seasoning. It passed the test — she said they loved it!

Again, like Italian or Cajun seasoning, there are hundreds of ways to use za’atar in your cooking. Since this may be an unfamiliar blend for you, I wanted to start off simple with a nice little snack that will really let the flavor of the za’atar come through:

Whole sumac berries

Method:   

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line one large or two medium baking sheets with foil.

Stack the pitas and cut into 6 even wedges. Gently open each wedge, and separate at the attached end, so that you get two pita triangles from each wedge.  Spread the pita triangles, inside (textured side) up, in a single layer on the baking sheet(s).  Drizzle or brush the pita triangles lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with the za’atar, trying not to get too much on the foil since it may burn. Dust the pita wedges with sea salt if desired.

Place the baking sheets into the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the pita chips begin to turn crisp and lightly brown. (Watch the chips carefully — they can go from toasty to burnt in an instant.)

Serve warm or at room temperature with dips, cheese or as a simple, satisfying snack.

Although I prefer this recipe with za’atar,  you can substitute Hurricane Curry, Rockin’ Moroccan, or Viva Italia! for a completely different flavor.

That’s why I like to come up with a recipe like Salmon Bites.  Super easy, quick as can be, but packing quite a ta-da factor.

The idea is simple:   sautee tiny squares of salmon that have been heavily coated in spice blend. or a straight spice.  You get an intense burst of flavor with each bite, but the salmon can take it and doesn’t get lost.

Some YSOL blends that work best are Hurricane Curry, Racy Paprika, Sarah’s Home on the Ranch, Sunny Sicilian and Thai Treasure, as well as Kitchen Campfire,  my smoked sea salt. Single spices that I’ve used include cumin, coriander, pepper and ginger.  You can try different blends — much more fun — or make the whole batch out of one flavor.

Paired with a steamed green vegetable and some couscous, you can pull together this meal in 15 minutes or less.

Method:

Cut up a salmon filet into 1” squares.  The salmon holds together better if the skin is left on one side, but I can’t stand the skin so I always remove it and it still works out OK.  Coat well with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with your selection of spice blend, coating both sides.  On medium heat, sautee the salmon until done (the time will depend on the thickness of the pieces).  Lightly dust with sea salt, if desired, and serve immediately.

This can be turned into a more traditional main dish by leaving the salmon filet whole, and easing up on the spice coating.

______________________________

Thanks to InfoBarrel for the great photo!  Read their helpful post on the nutritional value of salmon — you will make this recipe twice a week after reading this.

OK, maybe not literally soup-to-nuts, but you know what I mean: wholesome, healthy meals that are creative and delicious. Time constraints and energy shortages can get in the way;  as much as I ♥  to cook from scratch,  there are times when I need to take a few shortcuts.

I’m not alone in that, either;  there is a very popular show on the Food Network, Semi-homemade with Sandra Lee,  in which Sandra combines fresh ingredients with store-bought to create what she calls “semi-homemade” dishes.

Over time, I’ve come up with a few shortcuts, myself,  that are real winners:

Spiced cranberry relish: I know that there are a lot of fans of the jiggly slices of canned cranberry relish… but I am not one. However, making cranberry relish from scratch is not always possible, so here is a quick way to fake it:  buy a can of the WHOLE BERRY relish. Place the relish in a small serving bowl, and add in 3/4 tsp of “Easy as Pie” Apple Pie Spice.  Stir to mix in the spice and break up the relish. I like the relish warmed but that is a preference… so warm it or chill, but either way,  enjoy it!

Turkey Stuffing Soup:  Many of us made turkey soup after Thanksgiving, using the tasty bones and bits of meat to make this old-fashioned favorite. Many of us also made so much that we are sick of it… so I came up with a way to change it up and make it seem like a new dish.

Here is how:  Dice up some day-old bread and place it in a bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil to moisten. Sprinkle with a pinch of “Gobble Me Up” poultry seasoning and a dash of sea salt.  Toss the bread to coat. You can place the croutons on a cookie sheet and bake for a few minutes at 400 degrees until toasty,  or brown them in a frying pan on medium heat until golden. Heat up your turkey soup, then toss in the seasoned croutons right before serving.

Instant Snickerdoodles:  If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I don’t claim to be a baker,  for good reason. So when I came up with this shortcut for some truly delicious cookies, no one was more thrilled than I was. Ready?  Pick up a roll of ready-to-bake sugar cookies, and follow the package directions for oven temperature, cookie size and spacing on the cookie sheet.  Here is the twist: before baking, roll each piece of cookie dough in a small dish of “As Sweet As Kate” spiced sugar (a tasty combination of Turbinado sugar, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric). You will want to cover every bit of the cookie; don’t worry, it may look like a lot but once the cookie bakes and spreads, it will develop the familiar “crackle” pattern that snickerdoodles are known for. Bake per package directions. Suggestion:  pick up 2 rolls of dough because you are going to want to make more of these once you taste them!

Ta-da compound butter: I love this trick because it is SO easy, yet people flip out when they are served this “fancy” seasoned butter. Here is how to make it: place some softened (not melted) butter in a small bowl. Mix in a small amount of your favorite spice blend* and a dash of sea salt. Tear off a few small pieces of waxed paper. Place a teaspoonful of the seasoned butter in the middle of the paper, then roll it up and shape it so it looks kind of like a roll of quarters. Repeat with all of the butter, then place the waxed paper rolls in the freezer. Once the butter is frozen,  it is ready to be sliced into pats and used in any number of ways:

• placed atop a steak or piece of grilled salmon (this one is the real “ta-da”… it’s a fancy restaurant thing)
• nestled on top of a baked potato
• stirred into a bowl of steamed vegetables
• dropped into a bowl of hot popcorn
• pressed down into a boiled lobster

You can prepare a variety of these seasoned butters to have on hand… but consider labeling them if you make more than one kind (you can write the name on a twist-tie and wrap it around the waxed paper).

I’ve also heard of folks making compound butter in ice cube trays… when I have time,  I will try it and let you know!

*here are some of my favorite pairings:  Sarah’s Home on the Ranch on salmon;  Viva Italia! on steak;  Smokin’ Onion Double Dipper on popcorn;  Racy Paprika on baked potatoes;  Hurricane Curry on just about everything; Tangy Citrus on green vegetables;  and Rockin’ Moroccan on lamb.

I am a big fan of a piping hot bowl of homemade chili, myself.  This time of year when the furnace is blasting but I am still shivering, chili warms me up and fills me up.

But that’s not why I made this chili! 

Hearty goodness

I was invited to take part in the Copake (NY) Winter Market, a local event celebrating our farmers, crafters and cooks.  Being on a Friday night, I thought people would really enjoy picking up some tasty soups to bring home for the weekend. I wanted to make at least one vegetarian dish to broaden the options for folks, and the first thing that came to mind was chili.

If you are chili purist, you may as stop reading now because I pretty much put what I felt like into the pot. But according to my customers,  it tasted amazing 

Note on the ingredients:  I made about 2 gallons of this chili, so scaling it down for you was a challenge. Just remember that there is no wrong version of this, and your preferences can guide you when it comes to exactly how much of one item to add to the pot. You can use the photo as a guide for how it is supposed to look when it is done!

Ingredients:

Yellow or red onion, medium chop
Fresh garlic, medium dice
Canned crushed or diced tomatoes, undrained
Canned kidney beans, undrained
Canned black beans, undrained
Canned cannellini beans, undrained (you can substitute pinto, navy or Great Northern)
Diced red bell pepper (or a combo of red and green)
Vegetable bouillion cube(s), dissolved in small amount of hot water
Frozen or canned corn
Sea salt
Feisty Fiesta spice blend
cayenne (optional)
Uncooked brown rice

Method:

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, sautee the onions and garlic in olive oil on medium-low heat until tender.
Add the remaining ingredients except for the rice.
Bring to a simmer.  Taste for seasoning, and adjust the sea salt, spice blend and optional cayenne.
The chili should be fairly thin (liquid) at this point. The rice will soak up twice its volume after you put it in;  keeping that in mind, add a little more hot water with bouillon dissolved in it if it needs it.
Raise the heat to a boil, then add the uncooked rice. Stir, then lower heat to low and cover the pot. Depending on what type of brown rice you used, it will need between 20-45 minutes to cook. Check the chili halfway to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom.
Once the rice is cooked, check for consistency and seasoning one last time.
You can serve the chili as is, or garnish with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle of fresh herbs, or a bit of cheddar cheese (or let your hair down and use all three!).

This chili will hold up well in the refrigerator for several days, or may be frozen.

~ Laura

_______________________

Dear Stuffed Ones:

Since Tuesday morning,  I had slaved over an intricate stuffing recipe with about 17 ingredients in it, ranging from browned sausage, granny smith apples, sweet onion, toasted walnuts to homemade cornbread and more secret spices than KFC.  It filled three enormous pans when I was done, and I surveyed the results with great pride.

I drove this wonder-stuffing from Boston to New York, to my sister’s, on Wednesday afternoon, a gingerly packed and teetering Tower of Stuffing on the back seat.  I had to convince my Dad that, no, he couldn’t “just have a little taste” and he’d have to wait until Thursday.

Once arrived in New York, my sister then brought it to my cousin’s, where the Big Meal would be held the next day. By now, this stuffing had traveled more than most of you did for Thanksgiving.

All twenty-five of us assembled at my cousin’s home on Thursday afternoon. It was time for everyone to sit down, and the table was stocked with enticing foods of all kind…. all the wonderful smells of Thanksgiving.  We were all seated, even the kiddie table,  and the plates were being passed around excitedly.  Then my cousin blurted out,   “Hey, Laura,  weren’t you making some stuffing?“.

You’ve got to be kidding.

My sister had placed my stuffing out on the patio to keep it cool when she first arrived.  With all the frenzy of helping my cousin get ready for twenty-five people,  she simply forgot it was there.  We’re tough, we recovered quickly and threw two of the three pans into the oven at a kiln-like 475 degrees. Twenty minutes later, I paraded the fragrant stuffing out to the dining room.

But of course everyone was already full from the head start, so the stuffing was politely picked at. I was crushed. My aunt offered to take home the barely-touched pan to use in shepherd’s pie.   “Sure, that’s OK, Aunt Pat, take it, go ahead, take it…  there’s plenty more…“, I muttered, trying to sound gracious.

It was OK because there were three pans, in fact three enormous pans to be exact, right? I should have learned to watch over this stuffing like a hawk, but I was still steamed about it being left on the patio and I wasn’t thinking straight.

Sure enough,  you know where this is going…  while cleaning the kitchen after the loooong  dinner, my cousin opened the oven, and found a scorched, lava-like lump in the still-hot oven. Think Pompeii with stuffing.

OK, well, not a total disaster, there is still that third pan…right?  RIGHT?

That evening, I drove my Dad back to our hotel, while my sister went home with that precious, third, pan of uncooked stuffing.  The next day, Dad and I wasted no time in driving over to my sister’s, smacking our lips at the thought of an overflowing turkey and stuffing sandwich for breakfast.  I pre-heated the oven then rummaged through the refrigerator for the prized ingredient.  I rummaged some more. Then rummaged frantically.

With a quaver in my voice,  I asked my sister where the last pan was;   her response:  “Oh, Laura, you are going to kill me!“.   Well, that’s never good, is it?

She explained, rather lamely I thought,  that she had brought it home, set it on the counter,  and forgotten about it… again.  She had left it out all night, and had to throw it away in the morning for fear of botulism.  She really should have been more afraid of me.

So,  which of the following statements is true?

1.  My stuffing sucks and no one wants to tell me

2.  It’s a right wing conspiracy

3.  My vegetarian sister engineered the whole situation

4.  There truly is a Curse of the Thanksgiving Stuffing

Oh, don’t bother sending me your vote.  It will only make it worse.

 _______________________

” Hi Laura:

Glad to hear you had so much fun at Thanksgiving.  I seriously think it is a right wing conspiracy. I think Bush had something to do with it.  He probably wants everybody to have Texas beef for Thanksgiving, and so the CIA got into the game and hid the stuffing from your dinner guests.  God only knows how many other people have a similar story to tell, but are too embarrassed to admit it, because they are afraid people will call them crazy.

But you went public with it, so now, take a word of advice, and don’t tell anybody else, or pretend it was all a joke, we don’t want the FBI and CIA and maybe even Alan Greenspan (just for good measure) to come after you and disrupt the American economy. 

Ciao,  M. “

]]> http://yourspiceoflifeblog.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/curse-of-the-thanksgiving-stuffing/feed/ 3 yourspiceoflifeblog http://yourspiceoflifeblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/recipe-confetti-brown-rice/ http://yourspiceoflifeblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/recipe-confetti-brown-rice/#comments Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:42:04 +0000 Your Spice of Life http://yourspiceoflifeblog.wordpress.com/?p=368 ]]> By now, we all know what we *should* be eating, right? Whole wheat bread vs white bread; plain yogurt vs flavored; steel cut oats vs regular oatmeal; and brown rice instead of white. But do you know why?

For the most part, it has to do with eating foods that are as unprocessed as possible, to keep them close to their natural state. But I knew there had to be more to it, so after some Googling, I quickly found the answers about brown rice:  nutrition, plain and simple!  By retaining the outer husk of the rice, it kept the fiber and up to 4 times certain minerals.

I was sold, a brown rice convert. Now there was just this small problem. How do I put it? I wasn’t crazy about the taste.

I wasn’t alone, either!  More Googling found tons of articles and tips on how to improve the taste — this one had some good tips, including toasting the rice in butter prior to cooking, à la risotto. Another common suggestion was to use some type of broth instead of water, to add more flavor right from the start. Finally, adding veggies to the rice was a solution that kept cropping up.

I liked the risotto idea, flavor-wise, but I didn’t think that starting a dish with butter was the right direction to take. Armed with the other suggestions, and my own arsenal of fabulous spices and spice blends, I created several delicious, healthy rice dishes.

This one is best served cold, with lots of raw veggies giving it flavor, crunch and color*.  When selecting the veggies, go for a variety of colors, shapes and textures, according to what is in season. For example, my favorite mid-summer combo is red bell pepper, raw green beans, shreds of carrot and young pattypan squash.

If you are looking for a hot rice dish, try my Mexican Rice Fiesta.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked brown rice (see below for instructions)
1 medium onion, diced fine
3 cloves garlic, diced fine
2 cups raw veggies, diced medium
3 T olive oil
2 T rice wine vinegar or juice of 2 fresh lemons
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 T Tangy Citrus spice blend by Your Spice of Life (another blend that works very well is Racy Paprika)

For the rice: follow package directions for preparing 4 cups of cooked rice but substitute vegetable broth for the water.

Method:

Prepare the rice.
While it is cooking, wash and prep all of the vegetables and place in large bowl.
Add cooked rice to the vegetables.
Add the olive oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), sea salt and Tangy Citrus spice blend.
Gently mix.
Taste the dish and add more sea salt, spice blend or vinegar to your taste.
This dish may be served warm, but I find it best if refrigerated and served cold.

* Note on vegetable selection: there are many veggies that we are used to eating cooked, but are fantastic raw as long as they are “young” and cut up small. For example, I’m a big fan of string beans, zucchini, small squashes and tender peas in salads and summer dishes like this confetti rice. Use your imagination!

So much to know about tofu!  First of all, it’s not just for vegetarians. I eat it because I enjoy it, as simple as that. Tofu is an inexpensive way to get some low-fat protein, and can be prepared hundreds of ways.

Since I like simple recipes, I came up with this very quick but exotic-tasting way to enjoy tofu that is honestly delicious. Ready?

Ingredients:

1 lb extra firm tofu
olive oil
1 T Thai Treasure spice blend
sea salt

Method 1: Grilled

Drain the tofu, then slice into 6 thick slices. Pat dry on paper towel.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 T olive oil, the Thai Treasure, and a pinch of sea salt.
Place the tofu slices on a flat plate or baking dish, and cover with the oil and spice mixture. Gently turn the tofu slices to coat, and let them sit for 5-10 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Place the tofu slices on a hot grill pan. Don’t touch them for 3-4 minutes; if you try to flip them before the bottom gets grilled, they will fall apart.
Carefully flip over the tofu, baste with any remaining olive oil mixture, and allow to grill for another 3-4 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Method 2: Sauteed

Drain the tofu, then slice into 1/2″ cubes. Pat dry on paper towel.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 T olive oil, the Thai Treasure, and a pinch of sea salt.
Place the tofu cubes into the bowl with the oil and spice mixture. Gently turn the tofu to coat, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Preheat a medium sautee pan with 1 T olive oil. Sautee the tofu, gently. for 4-5 minutes until golden and the edges begin to crisp up.
Serve immediately.

They are also the main ingredient in hummus, which is easy to make but requires pulling out your food processor or blender. I like simple, so I came up with this dish that has all the same flavors as a spiced hummus without the fuss.

Ingredients:

2 cans chick peas, liquid drained with 2 T reserved
1/2 c red bell pepper, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T tahini
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 T Rockin’ Moroccan spice blend

Method:

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, sea salt and Rockin’ Moroccan in medium bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients and gently stir to coat.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving, to allow flavors to meld.

Alternate idea: chick peas adapt well to many different flavors, so I’ve also made a curried version of this dish:  substitute Hurricane Curry spice blend for the Rockin’ Moroccan.