Kick it up in the kitchen

Let's start this off by saying SEASON YOUR FOOD. 

Now that that's out of the way...I am not a spicy food person, but I do like a little kick now and then. It changes things up from my usual array of spices and my taste buds appreciate it. If you are also leery of food being too spicy, there are ways to add flavor and a little kick without burning your mouth off. And ways to season your food without overdoing it.

Check your Pantry

What spices do you have in your pantry? I hope you at least have a solid selection to season your food with, including some that are going to kick it up a notch to borrow an Emeril saying. Think about which spices you would prefer, and make sure you have them easily to hand as you cook. Chef  Curl Ardee is Black-woman owned spice company and her mild seasoning is kicky AF. I love Penzey's, of course - their Fox Point and Roasted Garlic are two of my favorite seasonings of all time.. I am also hugely into the McCormick blends, which I didn't even know existed until I started following Tabitha Brown on Instagram. 

Slow your Roll

When seasoning food, start slow, especially if it's spice you're adding. You can always add more but you can't subtract. Keep that in mind, because it can be all too easy for the spice to overpower the actual taste of the dish, and that is not what you want. Subtle and delicious is the goal. 

Understand How Spices Work Together

Spend some time considering how different spices work together. This will help you know something of equal importance - which ones simply don’t go together at all. Once you are clear on this, it'll be easier to create delicious meals that appeal to your palate. I promise you will look forward to vegetables more when they are seasoned well. 

Being Basic is Cool

A lot of cooking comes down to having the right sauce for the dish, which is why it’s important to be able to cook some of the most basic essential sauces out there, including ones you can add a spice to, like an aioli. MFD does like spicy food, and a sauce like this is a good way both of us can enjoy it - I can make it and split it and MFD can add more. This is a great, super simple recipe to make sriracha aioli from scratch. That can then be used as a side to so many dishes, or as a dip. Aioli is king, but it's a straightforward and easy thing to put together. If you add a feather to your cooking cap this year, let this be it. A nice sauce elevates boring old baked chicken breasts or pork loin, you know? Once you master this, move on to hot mustard - I'm going to try the one from Dwardcooks this year.

What new cooking ways are you trying this year?

 

Spice it up - Simple homemade spice mixes

Hey ohhh. Happy Wednesday. The day after I over-salt my rice and eat the dinner portion instead of throwing it out and making another batch, and have to drink 20394830984 gallons of water last night while wondering if salt poisoning is a thing and I'm STILL thirsty this morning seems like a good day to share spice mix recipe recommendations with you. No? Don't worry, I threw the rest of it out. 

ANYWAY

I'm cooking through my freezer and pantry right now, which I try to do every January or February. Carol went through my spices in Philly and at the shore at the end of the year and purged all expired ones. I am out of taco seasoning here and was going to run to the store then I was like wait, I used to make this myself. So I did that instead, and it got me thinking about other things that are easy to make yourself if you are in the middle of cooking or don't feel like running out to the store. 

Please please please for the love of all that is holy, season your food while you are prepping and cooking it. PLEASE.

And of course the great thing about making them at home is that you have total control over what goes into the mix and how strong or mild the flavor will be. Here are a few off the top of my head-ish:

Homemade taco seasoning is great for uh, tacos....as well as any type of taco pasta dish or to flavor chicken or add to your favorite cold taco dip.

Ingredients:

1 tbs chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix together and use 3 tablespoons for a packet. I typically make a large amount and store in an airtight glass container.

Homemade Seasoned Salt is an easy way to add flavor to your food. It is a great way to use up leftover herbs and spices, and it takes just minutes to make. Also...speaking of salt...this is a seasoned SALT so it is going to be SALTY. Use accordingly.

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup kosher Salt

-4 tablespoons ground black pepper

-1 teaspoon Garlic powder

-1 teaspoon Onion powder

-1/4 teaspooon ground red/Cayenne pepper

-1 teaspoon Paprika

To Make:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and store in an airtight container. Use as desired to season food before cooking.

Homemade Curry Powder Indian curry powder is a homemade spice mix typically made of coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, and chili powder. It can be used to season chicken, beef, fish, or vegetables.

Ingredients

½ teaspoon ground coriander 

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

⅛ teaspoon turmeric

⅛ teaspoon ground ginger

pinch of red pepper flakes

 ¼-½ teaspoon chili powder

To make:

In a small bowl, combine ingredients. Depending on how spicy you want it, stir in in ¼-½ teaspoon chili powder. Store in an airtight container. 

You can also add other spices such as cinnamon or cardamom for extra flavor. This mix will keep for about six months stored in an airtight container.

Homemade Lemon Pepper is great for seasoning fish, chicken, or pork. You can also add it to homemade dressings and marinades. It's fresh AF and that comes through on the food.

Ingredients:

½ teaspoon lemon zest (from about one large lemon)

¾ teaspoon finely ground sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To make: 

Combine the following in an airtight container. Keeps at room temp for three months

Homemade Italian Seasoning is easy and it can be tailored to your taste. All you need is a blend of dried herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. You can also add in some ground black pepper and red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. Without the peppers it is quite mild, which mine reflects because I don't like red chili flakes much. If you do and want the heat, go up to like 1 TBS of those. I go something like this:

Ingredients

-2 TBS basil

-2 TBS oregano

-1 TBS rosemary

-1 TBS thyme

-2 TBS parsley

-1 TSP garlic powder

-1/2 TSP red chili flakes

To make: 

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Then store it in an airtight container until ready to use. It will keep for several months.

You can use homemade Italian seasoning on pasta dishes, pizza, or any other dish on which you would generally use Italian-seasoned bread crumbs. It's also great sprinkled over roasted vegetables or chicken breasts before baking them.

Those are just a few examples of how you can conjure spice mixes out of what you have separately spice-wise most of the time. 

If I'm buying spice blends, I prefer Penzey's (fox point and garlic salt seasoning are staples but most of their catalog is excellent), and McCormick mixes - the garlic, onion, black pepper, and sea salt is perfection. Chef Curl Ardee is Black-woman owned and the mild seasoning is chef's freaking kiss. 

Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard

Anyone who knows me knows I like to be well stocked in the kitchen. I rarely run out of things and my cabinets are always full, for which I'm very thankful. With this stuff on hand, I feel confident I can throw together a meal on the fly without having to go to the store. Things that can always be found in my pantry:

Condiments
Oils - olive, vegetable, grape
Vinegars - I am a vinegar ho.
Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce - MFD's. I don't touch the stuff, although I may add some to a recipe if I'm feeling saucy.
Soy Sauce
Heinz Ketchup
Mustards - yellow, spicy brown, dijon.
Hellman's mayo
Ranch and italian dressings. I also use creamy caesar for marinades.

Spices
Salts: coarse kosher salt, sea salt, regular salt.
Beyond that, I have a robust collection of spices. The ones I use most often and find necessary on a weekly or daily basis: chili powder, dill, cumin, garlic salt, garlic powder, ground dry mustard, onion powder, paprika, oregano, thyme.

Dry Goods
Pasta - spaghetti, elbows, rigatoni, bowtie, orzo. I like Barilla Plus or Healthy Harvest, but I keep regular on hand so MFD doesn't have a shit fit.
Quinoa
Brown Rice
White rice
Quaker Oats - I love the Quaker Oat man.
Barley
Lentils
Ramen
Bread - I prefer Sara Lee. I'm also a sucker for rye.
Panko breadcrumbs. If I need regular, I'll make my own.
MFD's requirements: Lipton noodle soup, Kraft Mac & Cheese

Cans and Jars
Beans - pinto, black, and kidney. I make my own black beans from dry and freeze them.
Tomatoes - diced, crushed, and whole peeled plum. I prefer Tuttoroso.
Tomato paste - I use what I need from the can and then freeze the rest in ice cube trays
Peanut Butter - Peter Pan mostly.
Jams and jellies - I love a variety. My least favorite is grape.
Peppers - roasted red, banana, jalapeno, chipotle in adobo sauce
Capers
Pickles - always dill, never sweet or bread & butter
Olives - green and black. Sometimes kalamata. Opa!
Chicken broth - I make my own whenever I can and freeze it, but I always have some on hand in the pantry as well.
Tuna

Baking things
Flour - all purpose and whole wheat
Sugar - white, brown, confectioner's
Cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder
Vanilla extract
Chocolate chips and Baker's chocolate
Pudding - vanilla and chocolate, instant

Beverages
Dunkin Donuts coffee, green tea bags and black tea bags.
CranGrape juice
Assorted sodas

Fridge
Milk - skim for me, 2% for MFD
FF half & half
Greek yogurt - I substitue it for sour cream often.
Sour cream
Cheese - feta, blue, parmesan, extra sharp cheddar, some type of jack. Block over pre-shedded. Nine times out of 10, I grate my own.

Freezer
Homemade marinara sauce, frozen flat in ziploc bags
Veggies: I always have chopped onions, chopped spinach, broccoli crows
Shredded cheese
Bacon
Shrimp
Shredded chicken bagged and frozen in one and two cup portions
Homemade soup - either leftovers or made specifically to freeze.
Ellio's pizza
Chicken breasts and thighs
Garlic bread

Produce
I always have celery, carrots, and potatoes
I usually have cucumbers, peppers, and another veggie.
Fruit I buy the most: naval oranges, granny smith apples, berries, grapes, bananas, stone fruits

Snacks 
Tortilla and regular chips, Utz special dark pretzels, Ritz crackers. I keep all of those on hand in case an impromptu party arises that we are either hosting or attending. If MFD has his way we also have Oreos, gummy bears, Nutty bars, and other assorted processed bad stuff.

What's in your pantry?  Big Hungry Shelby posted on this topic a few weeks back. Check out what she stocks here.

Tomorrow, tommorow, I love ya, TOMORROW!
Tomorrow I'm giving away a Target gift card because I love you.

Kiss kiss.