The difference between a ho-hum, mediocre meal and a great meal comes down to how it’s seasoned.
Sometimes it just comes down to not knowing how to put spices together, enter spice blends. With spice blends you're in control and can add more heat, less salt etc. as you wish and start with better raw ingredients.
Here’s how I make my 4 most used (my favorite) spice blends - Taco, Cajun, Shawarma, and Italian.
Here are 4 of my most used spice blends, feel free to tinker with the ratios. Save this post or print it and pull it out the next time you need a spice blend for a dish. Whisk ingredients together and store the spice blends in a clean glass jar with a label it for easy access.
Taco Blend - Use for all things Mexican Cuisine.
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Shawarma Blend - Shawarma typically refers to a style of cooking originated in Turkey for meat on a spit, but I love this for sheet pan veggies and grain dishes.
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground paprika
• 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 /2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Italian Blend - Use as a universal blend for many Italian dishes.
•1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, optional
• 1 teaspoon salt
I also really love the Cajun Blend from Gimme Some Oven, you can check out the recipe here.
** In addition to these spice blend ideas, you want to always keep in mind the balance of flavors. Strive for a balance of sweet, salty, sour, and umami flavors in your dishes. Experiment with ingredients like maple syrup, dried fruit, soy sauce, vinegar, and miso to achieve this balance.
Watch the video version here:
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