It’s just not warm enough to go outside for too long, so you might as well stay inside and make yourself a nice collection of dried spice mixes. Dried spices are essential ingredients to keep in the pantry; they help round out any dish by giving it more flavor and depth. My favorites are: oregano leaves, rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, ground curry, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, parsley flakes, black peppercorns (to be ground in a pepper mill) and red pepper flakes. I like to concoct interesting spice blend recipes, and when one emerges that’s quite tasty, I create a large batch and give some away. Little spice-blend pouches are the best gifts, since they last about six months, but I have certainly used my spices beyond that date—even years later.
Below are few ideas to get started:
Meat Rub
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon dried garlic flakes
Spiced Cider Mix
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Chicken Rub
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch ground black pepper
Lemon Pepper Chicken Rub
1 tablespoon lemon zest
(from 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon coarse salt
Greek Seasoning
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 pinch freshly ground
black pepper
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch garlic powder
Spicy Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
Stir-fry Asian Seasoning
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon powder
chicken bouillon
Seafood Seasoning
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 pinch Old Bay
Savory Everyday Seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon zest
(from 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground
red pepper
