Welcome back to our Guest Blogger, Maddy Bellcroft; this week Maddy is talking about the spices trading at Fresh Choice, Nelson! – Find Maddy on Facebook.
Spices add a wonderful depth to all my cooking, not a day goes by when I don’t head to the spice rack to pick out flavours to add to whatever I am creating. Here are my top ten spices along with ways I love to use them…
- Turmeric – My favourite of all spices, although it doesn’t add loads of flavour it does add a wonderful colour and has been found to be incredibly good for you. I add it to smoothies, curries, bread and even carrot cake.
- Ginger – With gentle warming properties this dried root is delish in both savoury and sweet dishes. Mix with sliced pears to make a winter crumble or add to pumpkin soup for a nice bite.
- Paprika – I love smoked paprika in Mexican bean dishes like nachos and tacos, it’s also wonderful mixed with a little balsamic vinegar and oil, then drizzled over veggies before roasting.
- Chilli – Not only is it fantastic in all number of savoury dishes, it also goes well with chocolate desserts or mixed in with your favourite hot chocolate.
- Cinnamon – Another herb that I am slightly obsessed with, I sprinkle this on slices of fruit, add it to my muesli and smoothies. It adds a nice sweetness to savoury dishes like soups and dahls.
- Cumin – One of my most used savoury spices, added to everything from hummus to stews and hotpots.
- Saffron – Beautifully subtle these flowers make a lovely saffron rice when infused in the cooking water, you can also soak it with a little water or milk and add it to your mashed potatoes or cauliflower.
- Cardamom – I use cardamom in both savoury and sweet foods, I especially like it in a carrot and kumara soup, or mixed into rice pudding with coconut cream.
- Coriander – I am definitely in the I Love Coriander group! It’s fantastic in a wide range of dishes, I especially like it in veggie burgers and hummus.
- Garam Masala – A lovely spice blend, its great mixed with oil as a marinade, you can also make yummy roasted chickpeas, sprinkle over cooked chickpeas with salt, pepper and a little oil and roast in the oven until crunchy.
Be sure to check out the spices in Fresh Choice Nelson to add a little va va voom to your daily dish!
