Paige Harris Part One of my four-part spice series. Learn to pair delicious spices with the foods you eat daily to take them to the next level!
Spoiler alert: Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard something like:
“I would eat healthy, but everything’s just so bland.”
“Who wants to eat chicken and broccoli every day? Yuck.”
“Vegetables are gross and bitter.”
[You, my friend, should try sautéing them in butter or ghee, but that’s a tip for another post ;)]
But don’t fret! I’ll be sharing some of my favorite need-to-have spices that you should grab the next time you hit up the supermarket. These first five have been total staples for me while cooking this summer. You still have a month or so of the season left to give them a try!
One more tip before we get into the nitty gritty: You don’t have to buy these all at once! When I first started experimenting in the kitchen, I challenged myself to pick up one new spice jar every week. Now I’m a spice fiend. Most spices don’t cost more than a few dollars at most, and shaker will last you quite awhile. (Unless you’re me and it’s cinnamon you’re buying, cause I get that stuff by the pound!)
So next time you head to the grocery store, grab one of these spices and give it a go!
Basil
Basil is part of the mint family and comes in a few different variations. Sweet basil is the most common variety here in North America. Thai Basil is another commonly used variety typically found in Asian cuisine.
Basil has a flavor profile that is both sweet and savory with hints of licorice and mint. I’m showing you a picture of dried basil here, but basil can also be found in the fresh herb section of your local grocery store. Give it a try!
It’s best to eat fresh basil ASAP. But if you do have to keep it around for awhile, you have a few options when it comes to storage. You can either stick it in a vase with the stems submerged in water, like flowers, or keep it in an open container in the fridge if you need to store it a little longer.
Basil goes perfectly with summery fruits like watermelon. If you find yourself with some fresh basil, whipping up a pesto is another common use. If you have dried basil, try adding some sprinkles into a pasta salad at your next bbq!
Coriander
Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant, but tastes nothing like the sharp (and potentially soapy) leaf that grows from it. Instead, coriander has an earthy, lemony flavor profile that blends very well with other spices, like cumin, black pepper, thyme, and parsley.
Coriander is used most frequently in Latin American and Indian cuisine. You can find it in spice rubs for chicken and pork alongside cumin, chili powder, and paprika, and also in homemade curries alongside ginger and garlic. And surprisingly, it adds a great zing to homemade pickles!
As far as health goes, coriander boasts anti-hyperglycemic and anti-oxidative properties — meaning that it can help balance out your blood sugar and reduce inflammation from oxidation in your body.
Cumin
Cumin is the most used spice on earth after black pepper, so you know it’s going to be a good one! Its warm, nutty, and earthy taste makes it one of the most versatile spices to be found.
You can find ground cumin in curry powders, taco seasonings, and masalas, but also has a strong enough flavor profile to stand on its own. Jordan’s favorite use for it is to whisk it into some scrambled eggs!
Next time you’re craving something warm and hearty (because come on now, we all do in the summer at some point), try mixing cumin alongside spices like turmeric, coriander, and cayenne to make your own curry. It’s perfect with chicken and rice and makes an easy weeknight meal!
Paprika
Paprika, especially smoked paprika, is my favorite savory spice on the planet. That’s probably because it comes from peppers — specifically, sweet and hot capsicum peppers that are dried and ground or smoked over wooden planks. Depending on the style and the pepper, paprika can range in flavor from sweet to extraordinarily hot, making it super versatile and super delicious!
Eastern European cooks use a lot of paprika, but you can use it anywhere you want to add a little kick. Chicken paprikash, a Hungarian dish, uses it as the main component, but I also love sprinkling it on baked sweet potatoes and as a component in spice rubs for celery fries — don’t knock it til you try it!
If you’re going to be doing high heat cooking with paprika, make sure you watch it carefully! It tends to burn quickly — and while it should be smokey, nobody likes burnt spices.
Parsley
Parsley, like basil, comes in many different varieties. You can find flat leaf parsley in most recipes, while curly leaf parsley is used in fancy restaurants as garnish and typically not eaten. Pro-tip, though: Eat it at the end of your meal! It’s a natural breath freshener!
Anyways, fresh parsley has a bright, grassy, celery-like flavor, perfect for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. Chimichurri, a South American green sauce, really showcases the flavor of parsley by mixing it with olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar, and oregano, and is delicious with beef. If you’re cooking with heat with fresh parsley, be sure to add it in right at the very end to preserve the flavor!
If you’re using dried parsley, you don’t have to worry as much about the heat affecting the flavor of your dish. My favorite ways to use parsley are as a topping for Mediterranean chicken, a garnish for Italian minestrone soups, and as part of the spice blend for meatballs.
So now that you know about a few of my favorite summery spices, I’m challenging you to grab one you’ve never tried the next time you head to the grocery store. And next time, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite autumnal spices… my favorite!
