Spice It Up!!!

People often say to me "Why does your food not taste vegan?" or "Your food has so much flavor!” I am not quite sure how to respond, as unflavored meat would be pretty tasteless as well. So, no matter what your recipes entail, try SPICING THINGS UP to wake the palate and give your food added dimension. I believe everything should be well seasoned (even your water for steaming and boiling) and have different tones, textures, and colors. 

I season ALL food the same way I did before I was vegan. Food should have life and leave people with great memories of the meal they enjoyed, rather than reminiscing about a good meal they once had. This is also the reason that food is such a focus in many traditions and cultures. I have so many spices and blends that I couldn't fit even 1/4 of them in one picture. I decided to take my most used or special spices and introduce how I use them.

Cumin

Cumin is one of my most used spices. I literally have a huge tub of it and often refill the jar you see in the picture. Cumin is one of those spices that is distinct and very aromatic. You can achieves that spot-on taste you need for so many recipes. It is used in many cultures such as Latin, Middle Eastern, Indian, Greek and Asian. 

Smoked Paprika

My favorite spice! Back in 2003 when I was in culinary school, my head chef brought this one in as we were discovering spices from around the world. I took one sniff and fell so in love with this spice. In just about any recipe that calls for paprika I replace it with smoked paprika. It gives recipes a smoky, colorful depth that will for sure impress anyone. Use it in to make potato salad not so traditional. Make a quick aioli with it and add some chipotle peppers. Taco Tuesday just got a little more sass. The possibilities are endless with smoke paprika.

Smoked Salt

When you’re vegan, it's not hard to get that bacon-like flavor—there are so many options! Adding some hickory smoked sauce to meals in along with smoked salt can make even your biggest carnivore think “there's definitely bacon in this!” I use smoked salt in anything I want to have a bacon-like flavor, such as smoky collard greens, dips, sautéed veggies, breakfast scrambles, burritos, and many southern dishes. Don't be afraid to add some smoked salt to some of your creations—it may be life changing!

Turmeric

Turmeric has many many health benefits such as being an anti-inflammatory when used with black pepper, which increases its absorption. Aside from all the amazing health benefits, turmeric makes a great natural food color! For example, add it to tofu or chickpea scramblers to achieve an egg-like color. Turmeric is good with lentils, beans, and rice dishes. Add a tad to your Spanish Rice or taco seasoning. I literally add it to several recipes, but I’m careful to not add too much because turmeric’s bitter aftertaste can overwhelm the flavors of many dishes. Make a nightcap with an ever-so-yummy golden milk using turmeric, coconut oil, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamon, vanilla, coconut or almond milk, then sweetened with maple syrup, agave, or honey. 

Five Spice

Five Spice, also known Chinese Five Spice, is made up of five spices (hence the name): ground cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, star anise, and Szechuan pepper. The combination is meant to evoke five flavors: salty, sweet, bitter, pungent, and some sources say the fifth note is umami. I love using five spice in many marinades, stir frys, and Asian dishes to give the palette more sensation. Marinate some tofu steaks with five spice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Sprinkle a teaspoonful into your next stir fried veggie dish or noodles—you’ll thank me!

Smoked Cinnamon

Give yourself a culinary edge by using smoked cinnamon, which can be used in savory recipes or desserts. In desserts, I add it to my bread pudding and apple crisp, for that wow factor. It's subtle, but anyone would notice there's something different about your apple crisp. My favorite use is adding it to my chili (found on my recipes page).  

Ancho Chili

Aside from chipotle, I use a lot of ancho as it is a mild chili with sweet yet smokey undertones. Ancho chilies are derived by drying poblano peppers (used for chili rellanos), which are green, but turn brick-red when dried; I use the whole dried pepper and powder. The whole dried peppers make a great enchilada sauce. The powder can be used in chili or just about any Mexican dish. Ancho chili makes an awesome rub with brown sugar, cumin, salt, and coffee grounds for something very magical. It's a great mild chili whose flavor goes a long way.

Spice Blends

There are some amazing companies that take spices to a culinary sensation, such as Lion Lev Sercarz with his company La Boîte. Take some time and browse his website and you’ll soon find your cart spilling over with $100 in spices. I use many of those blends in my usual recipes to create a whole new taste.