10 Easy and Creative Spice Blends to Elevate Your Home Cooking
Do you want to add some excitement to your meals without making a complicated recipe? The solution may be as simple as adding some spice blends to your cooking. You can easily buy pre-made spice blends from the grocery store, but why not take it up a notch and create your own blends? Here are 10 easy and creative spice blends to elevate your home cooking:
1. Garam Masala
Garam masala is a popular spice blend used in Indian cuisine. It typically includes cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, and coriander. Use it to spice up your lentil soup, vegetable dishes, or even mix it with butter to spread on toast.
2. Za'atar
Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that's perfect for adding to vegetables, meats or even sprinkling on top of hummus. It usually includes thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds.
3. Cajun
A tasty blend with a spicy kick, cajun seasoning includes garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper, and thyme. It's perfect for seasoning chicken, shrimp, or even in a gumbo.
4. Everything Bagel
This spice blend is perfect for topping your bagels, but don't be afraid to use it on other dishes too. It typically includes poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion, and garlic powder.
5. Fajita
Fajita seasoning is an easy-to-make blend of cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic, and oregano. Add it to your chicken, beef, or vegetable stir-fry for some delicious Mexican-inspired flavor.
6. Curry
A classic spice blend used in Indian cuisine, curry powder typically includes cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili pepper. Mix it with some coconut milk to make a creamy curry sauce or use it to flavor your rice or lentils.
7. Herbs de Provence
A French classic, Herbs de Provence includes thyme, rosemary, savory, and lavender. This blend is great for seasoning chicken or pork, and you can also add it to roasted potatoes or vegetables.
8. Italian Seasoning
Italian seasoning typically includes oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary. It's perfect for seasoning tomato-based dishes such as pasta sauce or to spice up your homemade pizza.
9. Chinese Five Spice
Chinese Five Spice includes cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, and Szechuan pepper. It's perfect for seasoning meats like pork or duck, and you can even add it to sweet dishes like apple pie.
10. Ras El Hanout
A popular North African spice blend, Ras El Hanout is perfect for seasoning lamb, beef, or vegetable tagines. It usually includes cinnamon, cumin, coriander, ginger, and paprika.
There you have it, 10 creative spice blends to take your home cooking to the next level without much fuss. Experiment with different combinations of spices to make your own personalized blends and enjoy the deliciousness that comes with adding spices to your cooking!