A well-seasoned dish can transform your food. Fresh, whole ingredients are delicious, especially when they are cooked properly and in season – but good seasoning recipes can dial up the flavour, visual interest, and nutritional properties of your meals. Some of us are accustomed to only salt and pepper, while others developed their palates at a young age with a variety of herbs and spices. No matter where you are on your spice journey, these simple seasoning recipes are easy to make at home and are sure to please.
Why Make Your Own Seasoning Recipes?
We love cooking as much as we can from scratch, and spice mixes, condiments and seasoning recipes fall under that umbrella. While it’s certainly convenient to buy store-bought spice mixes, we like to make our own because:
You can adjust amounts to your liking, whether for nutritional benefits, personal preference or heat tolerance in mixes that are spicy
You reduce packaging waste as well as any compounds in packages that might leach into your seasoning
You can avoid any possible food dyes, preservatives or fillers
It’s fun and easy to do!
Culinary Nutrition Benefits of Dried Seasonings
There are many reasons to enjoy fresh herbs in recipes like salsa, pesto or guacamole, juices and smoothies, salads, soups and stews, or as finishing garnishes. Dried seasonings help you preserve the flavour and nutrition for longer, and so you can conveniently have them on hand to add flavour to dishes.
The health benefits of dried herbs and spices will depend on which ones you choose, but many have:
Antioxidants
Anti-inflammatory compounds
Blood sugar balancing compounds
Brain-boosting phytochemicals
Immune-supportive constituents
Anti-microbial, antiviral and antibacterial properties
Circulation enhancing properties
Plus, adding seasoning to recipes may make certain foods like fruits and vegetables more appealing!
Stocking Your Spice Rack for Seasoning Recipes
It can take time to build up a stash of spices in your spice cabinet or pantry. We’ve got a starter list for you in our Guide to Stocking a Culinary Nutrition Pantry, though what you choose to purchase first is very personal.
Consider the types of food and cuisines you enjoy. For example, if you and your family prefer Italian food you may choose to stock up on dried basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, garlic, and onion.
Build your pantry with spices you’ll actually use.
Consider your budget. Singular herbs and spices aren’t extremely expensive, but it can add up if you’ve got dozens of them in your pantry!
More spice rack tips:
Buy dried herbs and spices in small quantities. While it may seem like a good idea to buy in bulk, you want your seasoning recipes to be flavourful. Huge amounts of bulk spices may go stale and lose their taste over time (remember, if it isn’t fragrant in your spice jar it’s not going to magically taste better once your food is cooked!). Small quantities also allow you to try out new spices without ending up with a ton leftover.
Purchase from stores that have a high turnover. This makes it more likely that you will get fresher dried herbs and spices, as opposed to a jar that’s been sitting on the shelf or in a warehouse for a long, long time.
Purchase whole seeds and grind them yourself. This helps them last longer.
Store your dried spices and herbs in air-tight containers to prevent spoilage.
Fun With Salt
Salt is one of the most common seasonings that people use in their kitchen. We have a full guide to salt in this post, but you can also jazz up your salt in some very fun and tasty ways! Try:
Making herbes salées, a preserved salt with fresh herbs (it’s also a great way to use up herby bits and bobs so they don’t go to waste)
Smoking sea salt
Adding chili peppers for spicy salt
10 Seasoning Recipes to Elevate Any Meal
As we mentioned earlier, seasoning food is very personal. It’s cultural, too. Communities around the world have their preferred seasoning recipes and there is a degree of variation in how people enjoy their blends (especially if they like to cook without a recipe). We’ve included some of our favourites here, but please let us know in the comments what you love!
Taco Seasoning
What Is It?
This spice blend is used in Mexican cooking and includes chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, paprika and oregano. You can alter taco seasoning to make it as mild or spicy as you choose.
Herbes de Provence features herbs that come from southeastern France and typically include a variety of herbs like thyme, marjoram, basil, rosemary, savory, and tarragon.
Curry powder is a blend of spices that is often associated with Indian food, but it was actually created by British colonialists to replicate the dishes they witnessed Indian people cooking. Curries, as a category, spread to many other cultures. You’ll see curry dishes in Japanese, Thai and Caribbean cooking, though there are many who argue that ‘curry’ in and of itself doesn’t actually exist.
There are many, many curry powder recipes available; many have ingredients like turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, and more. We’ve included some simple ones below!
Garam masala is a traditional seasoning blend that originated in Northern India and is heavily used in Indian cooking. It typically is a mix of coriander, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
This spice blend originated in the Southern United States, mainly Louisiana. It has a smoky, spicy flavour and typically contains paprika, onion, garlic, black pepper, oregano, and cayenne.
This warming spice mix is used in Chinese dishes. It uses fennel, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves, which are usually toasted whole and then ground into powder.
A seasoning mix used in Ethiopian cuisine. It is typically on the spicy side, using chili, paprika, smoked paprika, ginger, and peppercorns, along with additional spices like fenugreek, coriander, cardamom, allspice, and cinnamon.
Gomasio, or gomashio, is a simple seasoning of toasted and crushed sesame seeds mixed with salt that is used in Japanese cooking. Some recipes may also include seaweed like nori.
The most common seasonings are salt, pepper, and acids (such as lemon juice). When seasonings are used properly, they cannot be tasted; their job is to heighten the flavours of the original ingredients. Flavouring refers to something that changes or modifies the original flavour of the food.
Cinnamon is my pick for most versatile sweet spice. But while it's best known for the spicy warmth it brings to desserts, it also plays well in savory dishes.
Acidic ingredients help lift and balance flavor. Use small amounts of ingredients with bold flavors such as pomegranate seeds, chipotle pepper or cilantro. Give a flavor burst with condiments such as horseradish, flavored mustard, chutney, wasabi, bean purees, tapenade and salsas of all kinds.
Here are some versatile spices that can enhance the flavor of various dishes: Cumin: Adds a warm, earthy flavor and is commonly used in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mexican cuisines. Coriander: Offers a citrusy, slightly sweet flavor. Both the seeds and fresh leaves (cilantro) are used in cooking.
Cinnamon is an ancient spice that predates the recorded history of culinary applications of all spices. As such, it has been dubbed the “world's oldest spice”, which may be a warranted title, knowing that because it was found to be included in Egyptian embalming recipes.
Certain spices: The spices saffron and turmeric may reduce both depression and anxiety. Additionally, some research suggests that ginger may be effective in reducing anxiety as well.
The list never ends, hence just a few to start with. In continuation to this let's quickly learn the art of Spicing the baby food with the Magic of the other 4 C's spices that are, Cinnamon, Cardamom Cumin, and Clove.
There are four basic types of seasoning ingredients: • Salt • Pepper ⚫ Sugar and light-flavored sweeteners • Acids When you season a food, you add just enough of one or more of these ingredients to change the food's basic taste, but not enough to add a whole new taste.
All-purpose spice blends are a busy cook's secret weapon. Often made with a combination of salt, pepper, dried garlic, dried onion, dried herbs, and savory spices, these blends can be used to season everything from burgers and chicken breasts to potatoes to shrimp.
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