Adding Some Heat to Your Dishes
Try to add some Heat to your Recipes
If you are bored of your day to day eating routine, it just might be time to spice things up a little bit in the kitchen, both figuratively and literally. Different types of hot spices, spicy blends, hot sauces, and fresh peppers can all contribute different flavor profiles and heat levels to foods and individual dishes. Vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower are all delicious when roasted with hot spices. Proteins like chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, and salmon are also all delicious when prepared with spicy sauces and seasonings.
Try Different Types of Hot Spices
Black pepper is not the only spice out there that will add some flavor to your food. In fact, black pepper is likely one of the most mild spices on your spice rack. Smoked hot paprika, chili powder, crushed red pepper, and cayenne pepper are all popular choices for hot spices. Powdered and dried hot spices are perfect to keep in the pantry because they last for a very long time. This will allow you to spice up foods without having fresh ingredients on hand.
Try Spicy Blends from Different Brands or Make Your Own
Try Spicy Blends from Different Brands or Make Your OwnMany different cultures and different brands produce their own spice blends. These blends can contain different herbs and spices, depending on the recipe. Spice blends can also easily be made at home by using a recipe or experimenting with random ingredients. Spice rub blends are delicious when used on smoked or grilled meats like brisket and ribs. When shopping for spice blends, make sure you find one that does not contain too much salt. Salt can always be added at home and the best spice blends focus on maximizing flavor and heat. Paying attention to heat level descriptions on product labels is important when shopping for hot spice blends. When making your own at home, it is sometimes easier to control the heat level. You can also tweak pre-made spice blends by adding your own addition salt, herbs, or spices.
Use Fresh Peppers to Spice Up Foods
If you have fresh peppers on hand, they are a great way to add heat to different culinary dishes. It is important to do your research and make sure that you know the heat level of the type of pepper that you are using. For example, when handling extremely spicy peppers like ghost peppers you will want to use great caution. Peppers that have extremely high spice levels should be cut carefully while wearing gloves to prevent heat transference. Other popular fresh peppers used to spice up dishes include jalapeno peppers, shishito peppers, red bell peppers, orange bell peppers, green bell peppers, chili peppers.
You can always take a look at our spice blends here.
Spices for Upping your Grilling Game
What Spices to Use to Up Your Grilling Game
Becoming a Grill Master
Grilling is a useful skill that helps you to enjoy delicious meals, to keep the house cool inside during summer months, and to become the life of every party and entertaining situation. A good grill master knows how to flavor meats and vegetables with all of the right spices, sauces, and marinades. Keeping your pantry stocked with spice station spices is one key to grilling success.
Garlic Powder
Garlic powder is one of the healthier spices for grilling. It can be used for making marinades and can also be used in homemade spices blends. Garlic powder compliments all sorts of meats and vegetables that are delicious on the grill. This assortment includes steak, chicken, pork, mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes, and onions.
Onion Powder
Real chopped onions are best used for marinades. When it comes to spice rubs for grilling, onion powder is a far better option. Even the finest chopped fresh or dehydrated onion will have a hard time sticking to meats that are about to go on the grill. Dry onion powder mixes well with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and other spices.
Paprika
This is another one of the healthier spices for grilling. Paprika does not contain any sodium, so it can be used to give heavy flavor when avoiding or limiting salt intake. Paprika can give a delicious smoky, sweet, or spicy flavor. This depends on the type of paprika that is purchased. It is delicious on red meats like beef, venison, and lamb.
Chili Powder
Chili PowderThis is an important ingredient for smoky rubs and dry barbecue blends. Chili powders come in a range of varieties. Depending on personal preference and recipe needs, you can find chili powders of all heat and spice levels.
Salt
Iodized salt, sea salt, kosher salt, rock salt, and pink himalayan salt are just a few of the many salt options available for grilling. The right amount of salt is key for unlocking flavor and tenderness in grilled meats. Applying too much salt can give a bitter and overwhelming flavor. It also poses multiple health risks so we suggest keeping it to a minimum.
Pepper
Freshly cracked black pepper and finely ground white pepper are two great options for grilling. Freshly cracked black pepper is a good complement to grilled vegetables like onions and asparagus and to grilled seafood like fish or shrimp. White pepper mixes nicely into a variety of spice rubs.
These are just a few spice station spices that can up your grilling game, check out our bbq rub spice set!
Creative Ways to Use Cocoa
Creative Uses for Cocoa
The word cocoa immediately conjures images of steaming mugs of sweet, creamy hot chocolate on a cold winter evening. While cocoa is a popular pantry staple, few realize that it has many uses, and not just for hot chocolate! Loaded with antioxidants and boasting other health benefits, cocoa is a great way to add a bit of decadence to your everyday. Here are some creative ways to use cocoa.
Chocolate for Breakfast? Yes, Please!
Cocoa is a great addition to otherwise plain breakfast options. Mornings are hard enough, treat yourself!
- Oatmeal: Simply add a spoonful (or two, who’s counting) to your breakfast to jazz up your mornings. Honey or banana helps to reduce the bitter taste.
- Yogurt: Cocoa powder and fruit turn this morning staple into a chocolatey delight.
- Cereal: Sprinkle cocoa over top of your usual dry cereal for a rich treat.
Not Just for Hot Chocolate
Cocoa powder is a fantastic way to liven up any beverage. Cocoa can liven up your favorite smoothie, or even your morning cup o’ joe.
- Smoothies: A couple of tablespoons added to most recipes will elevate your smoothie game to the next level.
- Coffee: Add one tablespoon to your cup, and sweeten as usual. You’re welcome.
Cocoa Cosmetics
Cocoa CosmeticsCocoa has uses beyond the kitchen, as well! The rich brown powder not only tastes great, but can make you look great, too.
- Dry shampoo for dark hair: Mix equal parts cornstarch and cocoa, and put into a salt shaker to dispense. Sprinkle the mixture at your roots, rub in, and give the powder 10-15 minutes to absorb excess oils. Brush through your hair, and enjoy another day from your blowout, free of white residue!
- Facial scrub: Mix equal parts coconut oil, honey, and sugar. Add a tablespoon of cocoa and mix until a paste forms. Spread over clean, dry skin and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Massage gently as you rinse your skin, and say hello to your new glow!
Get Your Cake Fix
Cocoa powder is also the main ingredient in this 5-minute chocolate mug cake.
Make Ordinary Baked Goods Extraordinary
Most baked goods can be transformed into chocolate delights with minimal fuss. Try adding cocoa to your zucchini bread, banana bread, or even Sunday morning pancake recipes!
Peanut Better
Mixing in a tablespoon of cocoa with peanut butter (or any nut butter) makes for a delectable sandwich spread that satisfies even the most ardent of chocoholics. This heavenly combination makes a great dip for apples, too!
Our Organic Dark Cocoa can be purchased here.
Sichimi Togarashi Blend: Can’t Get Enough Of It
Sichimi Togarashi, Can’t Get Enough Of It
What is Sichimi Togarashi, and why people who use it can never get enough of it?
Sichimi Togarashi is a savory and spicy Japanese chili blend. It can be both dried and fresh. People use this spice to sprinkle on rice, noodles, vegetables, green salads, and eggs. Sichimi Togarashi can be placed on chicken, steak, and salmon for anyone who likes to grill.
Sichimi Togarashi is part of an established spice mix made of orange zest, seaweed, sesame seeds, chile powder, and ginger.
How Do You Use Sichimi Togarashi As A Flavor?
What is Sichimi Togarashi? It is an excellent spice for extra flavoring on your foods. The good thing about this spice is that it is not an acidid element, so you will never feel sick to your stomach when using it. Sichimi Togarashi is not overly spicy, but the important thing about it is that it will add an extra pop of flavor that anyone would love to enjoy.
What Does it Taste Like?
Sichimi Togarashi tastes like a variety of flavored seeds like peppers and sesame and pumpkin seeds. When these ingredients are combined, the peppers and the seeds create the flavorful taste of Sichimi Togarashi.
That is why when everything is mixed, the spice is delicious to put on some of your favorite foods like meats, fish, and even vegetables, adding a flavor that you and others will enjoy. It is also ideal to use on your noodles and soup dishes, even ontop of rice.
Health Benefits of this spice
Health Benefits of this spiceDepending on the blend, Sichimi Togarashi has health benefits because of the mixture of seeds used to make the spice flavorful. Not only is it full of fiber, but it also has Vitamins D, A, and E. The seeds used are sesame seeds, hemp seeds, and sometimes more.
This spice has antioxidants due to having hemp seeds because they are full of omega-3 fatty acids. It aids in cutting back to reduce heart disease and inflammation.
Sichimi Togarashi is suitable for your digestive system. Since ginger is part of this spice, it helps to fight bloating and digestive problems like gas and bowel movements.
Try our Sichimi Togarashi blend Today!! It is excellent to use for Asian Cuisine dishes and has great health benefits.
Be sure to store yours in a dry but cool place.
Spice Up Your Smoothie
Spice up your Smoothie!
Thanks to the pandemic, if such an event deserves praise at all, many people have been eating at home a lot more frequently than before. This had led them to re-examine their typical dietary habits and created an enhanced interest in eating healthier. Here are some delicious ways to spice up your smoothie. After all, 12 months of Doritos and cheese dip for dinner is quite enough!
Deprived of their morning beverage stop on the way into work, great numbers of shut-ins are now busily learning how to produce their own libations. What they frequently discover is that they can make their own for a mere fraction of what they were being charged and can then tweak it to perfectly suit their own personal tastes.
When To Say When
With a luscious fruit smoothie becoming the quick and easy breakfast of choice, knowing how to spice up your smoothie is turning into something of a new art. Even if you really love a particular spice, it is not always a universal remedy. Some fruit combinations can really pop with the right spices while others can be turned into glop by adding the wrong spice or overdoing it. Always start small when adding spices and then work your way up. Adding is easy. Subtracting is all but impossible unless you want to make a double serving.
The Old Standby
One of the favorite ways to spice up your smoothie is to touch it up with a little vanilla. Vanilla goes with pretty much everything fruity so it is a nice basic choice when starting down the road of experimentation.
Not just for Taco Recipes
The tiniest hint of cayenne can rev up the sweetness of many fruits such as strawberries and mangoes. Yes, it sounds unlikely, but give it a test on just a spoonful or two of your regular smoothie. You may have just discovered a smoothie secret weapon that nobody else around you knows about.
The Beast From The East
Ginger is an addition to many tropical fruit-based smoothies. It is a strong spice, particularly when freshly prepared, so be careful. Some people love ginger. Some like it. Some can’t stand the slightest whiff of it, so ask first before treating your friends.
Stick It To You Smoothie
Cinnamon offers another nice contrast to your underlying flavor of smoothie. Somewhat like cayenne, you want just a touch, not a handful, in your morning pick-me-up.
Spice up your Smoothie
Spice up your SmoothieRegardless of what spice you may prefer, you can always mix and match as well. If you have the ingredients in your spice rack, give them a try. Keep in mind that all of this eating healthier experimentation can get scrambled up if you stumble across a particularly luscious combination on an otherwise busy day. Once you hit upon a mixture that you particularly like, be sure and jot down the ingredients while they are still fresh in your mind. You will thank yourself the next time you want to sample that particular delight.
Spice Up Your Hot Chocolate
Spice Up Your Hot Chocolate
During the colder months, hot chocolate becomes a standard drink in many households. It almost becomes a wintertime ritual on cold, blustery days. Whether it’s instant or made from milk and cocoa, every family has their “go-to” method of making hot chocolate. Warm your cold-weather hot beverage with a dash of spice.
Spices to add
- Commonly paired with hot chocolate, cinnamon adds earthy warmth. Stir in a dash of Saigon cinnamon for an added layer of flavor. If you start with milk and cocoa, use cinnamon sugar for a sweeter drink. Or sweeten the milk with a dab of molasses.
- There are many spices used in desserts and sweet dishes, including allspice. Despite the name, allspice is not a blend of spices. Allspice is processed from the dried berries of a plant in the myrtle family.
- Add a dash of green cardamom for a unique, complex flavor. Cardamon is often used in coffee and tea drinks. Cardamom is one of the most common main ingredients of chai. Use it sparingly, unless you already know you like cardamom.
- Pumpkin fans can create a fall pumpkin hot-chocolate with a little pumpkin puree (1 teaspoon per cup of liquid) and a dash of pumpkin spice.
- Turn up the heat with a dash of cayenne pepper. If you want ‘hot’ hot chocolate, cayenne pepper is the spice to use. Many chocolate manufactures produce chili chocolate. Take advantage of this spicy warm pairing on a day with colder weather. If you know you like it hot, use habanero pepper instead. Or try adding our habanero sugar for some sweet spice.
- If you miss the taste of gingerbread from the holidays of your youth, add ground ginger, allspice, cinnamon, molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla.
- Ground clove pairs well with chocolate and is often added to hot drinks along with cinnamon. Clove is another spice to add sparingly. It is easier to add more than diluting after the fact.
- Top off your mug with a dollop or spray of whipped cream. Garnish with a sprig of mint, a dash of cocoa, cinnamon, or nutmeg. Add some color with a maraschino cherry or some orange zest.
- In the morning, add an extra kick with a teaspoon of espresso powder. Turn your hot chocolate into an adult mocha treat by adding a shot of coffee liqueur.
Experiment with your own blend of spices for a truly unique warm hot chocolate experience. You will look forward to those days of colder weather.
Mole and it’s Ingredients
Mole and its Ingredients
What is mole?
The term mole originates from the word mōlli of the Nahuatl (or Uto-Aztecan) language, which translated means “sauce”. The traditional ingredients in mole is an elaborate and sophisticated layering of flavors, extracted through a timely process from a variety of dried chilies, seasonings, spices, and fruits. Since the recording of the first written recipe in 1810, mole has been named the national dish of Mexico, and historically has been reserved for special occasions or holidays. Over the years the whole world has come to embrace mole, so much so that as of today there are more than 300 different moles with varying colors such as yellow, red, green, and even black.
Seven main variations of mole:
- Mole Amarillo: With a soft and slightly spicy flavor, the main ingredient is the yellow chilhuacle (a regional chile of Oaxaca, Mexico), thought to be one of the rarest chilies in the world.
- Mole Verde: Beloved in central Mexico, a vital element in the preparation of this mole is established by the grinding of tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, serrano, and hoja santa chilies.
- Mole Coloradito: Slightly sweeter than red mole, the combination of sesame, oregano, tomato, garlic, cinnamon, chile ancho, and chocolate, provide it with an extraordinary brick-red color.
- Mole Manchamanteles: The blending of ingredients such as white sweet potato, plantain, yellow sweet potato, and plum, provide this mole with a fruitier flavor.
- Mole Negro: Described to have a smokey flavor, the inclusion of a larger amount of chocolate in the preparation of this mole provides a darker color than others.
- Mole Almendrado: With a slightly sweet flavor and velvety texture, the inclusion of costly ingredients such as almonds, chile ancho, and chile guajillo, make this a historically popular dish with the upper class.
- Mole Poblano: One of the most popular moles in the US and Mexico, this mole has a soft flavor with a reddish touch to its predominantly brown color.
Common Ingredients of Mole Poblano:
Common Ingredients of Mole Poblano:- Dried Mulato Chilies
- Dried Pasilla Negro Chilies
- Dried Ancho Chilies
- Chipotle Chilies
- Plum Tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Coriander Seeds
- Anise Seeds
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Cinnamon
- Corn Tortilla
- Bolillo Roll
- Ripe Plantain
- Raw Peanuts
- Blanched Almonds
- Raisins
- Mexican (or Dark) Chocolate
How can I use Mole?
Mole is commonly utilized in a variety of different ways, these include being served over rice, eggs, chicken, beef, or pork. It is also used as a smothering sauce for burritos, a base for taco fillings, and a topping for enchiladas which are then referred to as enmoladas.
For the best and freshest flavors, check out our mole.
Different ways to use Pumpkin Pie Spice
Different ways to use pumpkin pie spice
It’s that time a year again. We all know that Autumn is better known as the Pumpkin Spice season. But with pumpkin spice everywhere and in everything, you might get tired of having it the same way every time. Or you may love pumpkin spice and want to try it in different dishes. Because pumpkin spice is a blend of spices, it can be used in both savory and sweet dishes and drinks. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg all make up pumpkin pie spice.
1. Coffee
Pumpkin spice and coffee go hand in hand. If you like your coffee without all the extra foam and work. You can sprinkle some pumpkin spice in with your coffee grounds. Or you could make a pumpkin spice latte.
2. Pasta
It may seem strange, but pumpkin spice can be used in many savory dishes, like pasta. Many pasta dishes could be made better by adding or using pumpkin. You can make pumpkin ravioli or sprinkle a little pumpkin spice over pasta with brown butter or pasta with butternut squash and sage.
3. Roasted Vegetables
Certain roasted vegetables go great with pumpkin pie spice. Butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc. Sprinkle the seasoning on with the rest of the seasoning and then roast. The spice will bring out the sweetness in the vegetables.
4. Pumpkin Pancakes
4. Pumpkin PancakesPumpkin pancakes are the perfect Sunday morning breakfast and incredibly simple to make. Just take some pumpkin spice into your batter. If you want some extra pumpkin flavor, you can make a pumpkin maple sauce. To make the sauce, you take pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and unsalted butter and combine in a saucepan. Bring it to a low simmer and let the sauce thicken. Take it off the heat and serve.
5. Butternut Squash Soup
This soup is a staple for the autumn. Roasted butternut squash is pureed with cream, roasted carrots, onions, butter, and spices. The spices include pumpkin spice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Butternut Squash goes hand in hand with pumpkin. So, whenever you think about making butternut squash, think of pumpkin spice.
If you love pumpkin spice like we do, you can order some from us here.
Secrets behind Thai Green Curry
Secrets behind Thai Green Curry
Thai green curry is a popular Thai dish. Its popularity may be due to both its fresh green look and its sweet vs spicy sour taste. Its aroma and slightly spicy taste also make it an appealing oriental culinary delight.
But what is the secret behind its appeal that makes this Thai curry a delight to the palate? The secrets are in the ingredients and the cooking. It is a delicate process of combining and balancing opposite flavors like sweet vs spicy.
Three steps to a good Thai green curry.
First, get the thick curry paste.
You can make this paste or buy it ready-made from an oriental shop. Making your curry paste might not be the best approach. The many ingredients might be hard to get and expensive. Prep time and getting the right consistency and taste might be difficult.
Buying a jar of ready-made paste is the better option. It has all the ingredients in the right proportions and consistency.
Next, get the cooking ingredients for the curry.
Other ingredients:
- packet of kaffir
- lime leaves.
- galangal,
- lemongrass shoots,
- jar of tamarind paste,
- coriander,
- shallots,
- palm or white sugar,
- green chilies,
- coconut milk,
- desiccated coconut
- lime,
- Thai fish sauce,
- basil leaves,
- diced chicken breast or vegetables.
With ingredients at hand use the thick ready-made paste to make the perfect sauce. It is important to focus on balancing the sweet vs spicy ingredients you add.
Third, make your curry:
1. In a wok, start by frying these ingredients together: onion, garlic, chopped lemongrass shoots, galangal, lime leaves, green chilies, and basil leaves. Fry for three minutes.
2. Add two tablespoons of curry paste, fish sauce, and tamarind paste. Fry for three to four minutes.
3. Add diced chicken breast or vegetables and stir for two minutes.
4. Add coconut milk and water if too thick, then stir until it begins to boil then leave to simmer.
5. Blend coriander leaves and desiccated coconut into a paste.
6. Add sugar and lime juice, basil leaves. Stir and add coriander paste and stir. After 30 seconds the curry will turn green.
You have unlocked the Thai green curry secret. Turn off flame and serve with rice.
To make this easier, just use our Thai Green Curry spice
For more ideas using our fresh spices, check out our blog.
Salmon, It’s What’s For Dinner
Salmon, It’s What’s For Dinner.
Sensitive white fish can prove to be difficult to prepare. Cook it the wrong way and it will break apart before you get to make your meal. Fortunately, salmon doesn’t fall into the category of “hard-to-cook” fish and is one of the best tasting kinds of fish you can buy. While it may not be as difficult to cook as tilapia, it does require good technique in order for it to be cooked thoroughly.
At the end of the day, if your only experience with salmon has been over-poached crap that’s served in an all-you-can-eat buffet, it’s time you learn some different ways of preparing this fish.
1) Grilling
Grilling salmon is tricky, to say the least because it is not as sturdy as red meat. Ideally, when it comes to grilling this fish, you should leave the skin on if you want a nice thin crisp around it. Additionally, you should use our Fraser River Salmon Rub and marinate it for a few hours. Leave some of the marinade to mix with olive oil and coat the fish while it’s on the grill. For a more smoky flavor, consider using a charcoal grill for this way of preparing the fish.
2) Pan-Seared
2) Pan-SearedPan searing is regarded as being an effortless way to cook fish. It’s also the easiest way for the salmon to get overcooked. Therefore, ensure that you pay attention to the process and only keep it on each side for a couple of minutes.
3) Curing
Curing salmon isn’t as difficult as it sounds. This technique consists of mixing brown sugar, kosher salt, and pepper together to create a homemade marinade. You then let the salmon sit for 5 days so that it soaks up all the ingredients. After this, you should rinse the salmon and proceed to eat it directly on toast or bagels.
4) Braised
When it comes to some different ways of preparing salmon for dinner, braised is an unsung hero in the culinary fish world. You will be amazed at how simple, yet rewarding this technique is, as it requires very little work and produces great flavors. In order for you to braise salmon, you simply have to cook it in a flavorful liquid with ingredients that you choose in an oven. The end result is a tender fish that has been infused with robust flavor.
As always, salmon is a delicious protein you should learn how to make, and adding our spices will always make your meals exquisite.
