The Art of Seasoning

Too many people believe "healthy" food is bland and tasteless. Did you know that foods that are good for you can taste good too? All you need to know is the basics to seasoning with herbs and spices. Once you have your spice rack filled, food will no longer be boring and bland. The list below gives you a great overview of different herbs and spices that compliment certain foods. Enjoy!


Beans (dried) — cumin, cayenne, chili, parsley, pepper, sage, savory, thyme


Beef — basil, bay, chili, cilantro, curry, cumin, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme


Breads — anise, basil, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme


Cheese — basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chili, chives, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, horseradish, lemon peel, marjoram, mint, mustard, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme


Chicken — allspice, basil, bay, cinnamon, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, mustard, paprika, rosemary, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme,


Corn — chili, curry, dill, marjoram, parsley, savory, thyme


Eggs — basil, chervil, chili, chives, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme


Fish — anise, basil, bay, cayenne, celery seed, chives, curry, dill fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon peel, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, marjoram


Fruits — allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mint


Lamb — basil, bay, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme


Potatoes — basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, poppy seed, rosemary, tarragon, thyme


Salad Dressings — basil, celery seed, chives, dill, fennel, garlic, horseradish, marjoram, mustard, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, rosemary, saffron, tarragon, thyme


Salads — basil, caraway, chives, dill, garlic, lemon peel, lovage, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme


Soups — basil, bay, chervil, chili, chives, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme


Sweets — allspice, angelica, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, mace, nutmeg, mint, orange peel, rosemary


Tomatoes — basil, bay, celery seed, cinnamon, chili, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, gumbo file, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme

Complimentary Herbs

As a beginner, you may want to stick with herbs and spices that are known to complement each other. Common flavor families include:


Bouquet Garnis — basil, bay, oregano, parsley
Herbal — basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme
Hot — chili peppers, cilantro, cumin, garlic
Pungent — celery, chili peppers, cumin, curry, ginger, black pepper
Spicy — cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, star anise
Sweet — allspice, anise, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
Source

One of my favorite side dishes

Ingredients
15 ounces of Chick Peas
1 T Chili Powder
1 1/2 t Cumin
1/2 t Paprika
1/4 t Dried Oregano
1/4 t Garlic Powder
1/4 t Onion Powder
1 t Black Pepper
1 t Sea Salt

Play with this until you get YOUR preferred taste! 

Directions
Heat peas with preferred method of heating.
Lightly coat peas with seasoning mix
Serve with meal or have as a snack.
Enjoy!

 Herbed Quinoa

 Ingredients/Directions

On stove top boil 1 Cup water and 1 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth

Add 1 Cup quinoa

Bring to a simmer

Place lid on and let sit for 12-15 minutes

Or until all liquid is absorbed

 Once cooked place in large bowl and add in your seasoning!

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon Garlic

1/4 Cup olive oil

salt and pepper TT

Mix together and serve!

 Any left over quinoa I add to my salads for the rest of the week! Hello protein!!

Continue Reading as I continue My Mission: Healthy Huggins!