Chef Michele's Adventures: spices and seasonings

Showing posts with label spices and seasonings. Show all posts

May 18, 2006

Spicing It Up

I took an inventory of my spice cabinet the other day, as I do every so often. I am quite pleased with the wide array of spices I have acquired. However, I found a recipe recently on 28 cooks that I really wanted to try but was missing one ingredient.... turmeric. So I finally bought some today and can't wait to make the Indian Rice and potatoes that has had me drooling since I saw it. :)

I also love collecting recipes for "mixes", especially spice mixes. I already make my own adobo seasoning and cream soup mix. I have several recipes for other mixes that I have been waiting to try. I am planning to try a couple this week. Here a link to the most recent additions to my collection of spice mix recipes that I found on A Momma and The Boys Living On A Budget.

Today I found my new favorite store, AJ's Fine Foods. If cost weren't an issue I'd shop there on a regular basis, but like most specialty shops it's a place to go once in a while and also a place that if you shop strategically you can find some really great items at a reasonable price. The only items I purchased today were turmeric and Calrose rice but I plan on a return visit to do some price comparisons and to purchase a few specialty items I have been looking for. If you live in Arizona and have an AJ's in your area I would highly suggest a visit!

Dec 13, 2005

Adobo Seasoning

I have been busy adding pics to the blog so check them out!

Soul Food
Peanut Butter Cookies
Thai Style Chicken, Vegetables and Noodles
Meatloaf
Blueberry Oatmeal

This isn't the best picture but I just wanted to give an idea of what this looks like when it's made.

I usually buy Goya brand Adobo seasoning, but I just felt like it was missing something so decided to make my own. After comparing a few recipes I created this mix which is a great all-purpose seasoning for any Latin American dishes, especially beef, chicken or fish. Think of it as Mexican Seasoned Salt.

Adobo Seasoning
(makes 1/2 c.)

3 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

Combine all and mix well. Store in an airtight shaker container. If you don't have one available, Penzey's has them for a reasonable price. That's where I buy mine.

Jun 30, 2005

Making The Most of What You Have

With all the great sales on meat right now (4th of July weekend), I have really got to thinking about freezer cooking. Although I already have menus planned for the next two weeks, I am always planning ahead and gathering ideas. One strategy I used to use quite a bit is to cook extra of whatever I am making and freeze it. Granted, some foods don't freeze well. Some things I find work great for the freezer are:

cornbread
muffins
meatballs
cooked ground beef
cooked chicken
beans
bananas (freeze them whole, still in the skin) - to use for smoothies, pancakes, muffins, bread, cake, etc.

There's a really great book about freezer cooking called Cook Once, Eat for a Week. There are other books that help you cook for an entire month but I'm not up to that level quite yet :)

Besides freezing, I also enjoy making my own spice blends and mixes. This is a HUGE money saver. I have found some of my best recipes in the book The Complete Tightwad Gazette. This is not a cookbook, per say, but throughout the pages you can find lots of great ideas for saving on groceries as well as recipes. Some of the recipes I have used from this book with great success are:

Cream Soup Mix
Hot Cocoa Mix
Ranch Dressing

Another great spice mix I created is for Jamaican Jerk Seasoning. I love Jerk Chicken but it's normally too spicy for me so I made up a seasoning that is a bit milder than the usual Jerk seasoning but with all the flavor. This is great on any kind of meat and great for the grill!

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

1 Tbsp. ground allspice

1 Tbsp. thyme

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamom

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. sugar

Combine all in an airtight container and mix well. Store away from heat and light. This makes enough for 1 recipe of Jerk Chicken (with the following recipe) or you can use it as a sprinkle or rub for any meats you'd like.

Jerk Chicken

4 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

1 recipe Jerk Seasoning

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. soy sauce

3/4 c. white vinegar

1/2 c. orange juice

juice of 1 lime

1 c. chopped white onion

3 scallions, minced

Place chicken in a shallow baking dish. Combine rest of ingredients and pour over chicken. Marinade at least one hour. Cook on grill. Or if you prefer, you can bake, crock pot or broil.

Chef Michele's Adventures