Tag: herbs and spices

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  Pickled Gherkin Powder

  Gherkin powder is great for giving a tangy, vinegar flavour to meat, vegetables, drinks and sauces. 

  You can use it to transform egg mayonnaise into the perfect tartare sauce for example.

  

  Simply

  Drain a jar of sliced pickles and then dehydrate them until fully dry.

  Then you just need to give them a few pulses in your spice mill.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are more herbs, spices and ingredients posts. 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  October 12, 2023

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  How do I use Saffron?

  Saffron is a spice that adds a rich crimson yellow colour and grassy flavours to many dishes.

  The red threads of the saffron crocus flower (see below) are collected and dried. Real saffron is considered expensive but ‘worth it’s weight in gold’. If you are simply chasing its colouring effect, there are cheaper alternatives such as food colouring.

  Serpico, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons

  Saffron is widely used in old-world cuisines, flavouring and colouring everything from rice dishes, meat, liquors, deserts and teas.

  The dried threads have a grassy/hay aroma:

  

  Try making saffron infused tea for that something different:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are more herbs, spices and ingredients posts. 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 14, 2022

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  How Do I Use Za’atar?

  Popular in Middle Eastern and eastern Mediterranean regions this spice blend adds a fragrant  earthy flavour to your dishes. 

  Regional variants abound but most blends contain the herbs oragano, savoury, thyme and majoram mixed with spices and seasame seeds. Common spices are cumin, coriander seeds and fennel seeds.

  

  I mostly use this spice mixture as a dry rub on white fish, chicken, beef and lamb. Try mixing it with sumac and coating some lamb chops, it is a visual and aromatic treat. 

  Za’atar mixed with olive oil makes an awesome dip or spread for turkish bread and the like. 

  Here are some serving suggestions.

  Lamb chops with a sumac crust:

  

  Za’atar dusted chicken breasts:

  

  Beef top-side roast coated in za’atar, salt and pepper:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are more herbs, spices and ingredients posts. 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 22, 2021

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  Sumac

  Sumac is a very small fruit native to several continents, that has an exciting citrus taste.

  Sumac based dry rubs pair with lamb so well and Australia has lots of lamb. 🙂

  

  Please don’t stop using it there though. It makes a great garnish on salads, hummus dips, tasting plates and is often added to falafel.

  It can also be used to make a tea called Pink Lemonade that is perfect on a hot day.

  Simply steep some sumac powder in boiling water, cool and then top up with chilled sparkling water:

  

  For lamb, mix it with some of Rick Stein Garam Masala and some coriander leaves. Then coat both sides of the meat an hour before cooking.

  

  

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are more herbs, spices and ingredients posts:

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 8, 2021

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  How Do I Use Cloves

  Cloves are a must-have in your spice collection. They are the dried buds of a tree that originally only grew on a few islands in eastern Indonesia. Cloves are very aromatic and impart a slightly sweet but tangy earthy flavour. Note though that a few go a long way.

  Cloves have been traded up to China and then across the continent to England for millennia. They permeate many cuisines and cultural health remedies. Their name stems from the Latin word for nail and I think that is very apt.

  Cloves pair well with many types of meat, herbs, spices and vegetables. Notably pork, beef, onion, citrus and pepper. 

  

  The evergreen tree cloves come from:

  In India they are essential for making Garam Masala:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are more herbs, spices and ingredients posts. 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  April 6, 2021

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  Cinnamon

  Cinnamon is one of my favourite spices. It is the dried bark of the cinnamon tree and is amazingly aromatic and imparts a warm, spicy and earthy flavour.

  Long strips of the tree’s bark are sliced off and allowed to dry. These cinnamon ‘quills’ or sticks are then cut to size and sold as is or ground into a fine powder.

  This wonder herb is used in everything from stews, curries, drinks, baked treats to health and beauty and cleaning products.

  The leaves of the tree are also dried and can be used in stews and the like much the way bay leaves are. They have a pungent smell and taste.

  I have some recipes using cinnamon for you in the links below.

  Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians,  vegans and is gluten free.

  This particular cooking ingredient is in PK’s Essential Pantry Cupboard Contents and here is a list of other ingredients on the blog.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some ways to use cinnamon and some more ingredients posts:

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  January 25, 2021

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  Paprika Chilli Powder

  Ground paprika is made from several types of mild, sweet chilli peppers. It is a very versatile ingredient that adds an earthy flavour and a deep red colouring to any dish. Different chilli cultivars make for sweeter or spicier paprika blends, You can also buy blends with a smokey flavour. 

  

  I use paprika in everything from soups to pasta sauces, roast chicken rubs and marinades to toasted cheese sandwiches.

  Here are my Paprika Baked Chicken Legs:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Check out some of the dishes I use them in and some more herbs and spices: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  January 17, 2021

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  Kashmiri Chilli Powder

  Kashmiri Chillies add a warm, earthy flavour and a deep red colouring to any dish. Known for their mild spiceyness they are a versatile ingredient like their cousin paprika. 

  

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Check out some of the dishes I use them in and some more herbs and spices: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  January 16, 2021

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  How To Make Chinese 5 Spice Mix

  Chinese 5 spice is a must-have blend of sweet, sour and umami flavours. It imparts a red colouring when used as a dry rub, marinade and basting sauce. The perfect example of this is a roast duck or chicken basted with the 5 spice mix, soy and caramel cooking sauce. 

  

  I couldn’t find it in my local grocery stores. That’s OK as  I prefer to make my own spice mixes from bulk bought ingredients.

  Most recipes call for a mix of cloves, cinnamon,  fennel seeds, star anise and Sichuan peppercorns but there are many variants.  
  Note: I had to substitute the  Sichuan peppercorns for a mix of coriander seeds and black peppercorns (an established substitute).

  

  Simply

  Add this list of spices to a herb blender and  mix until you get a rough but even consistency:

  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander (cilantro) seeds
  • 1 tsp  cloves, whole
  • 1 tsp cinnamon, ground 
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper, ground
  • 2 star anise seed pods, whole

  Storing

  Use any airtight container.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here is some more Chinese cooking content and a wide range of spice blends : 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  November 8, 2020

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  Harissa Spice Blend

  Harissa is a spice blend of Moroccan origin. Generally, it features cumin, chilli, salt, ground coriander seeds, garlic, paprika and caraway seeds.  

  

  This warm, earthy tasting blend is perfect for rubbing on any meat and making marinades.

  Here is an example straight from my BBQ. Lamb rack rubbed in harissa and garlic.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more ingredient and moroccan posts for you.

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 6, 2019