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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Spicing Up Your Cooking: A Guide to Some Spices

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After dealing with some essential herbs in one of my previous posts (Herbology Part 1), I thought it would be helpful to take a look at spices. Spices come from all over the world and can be made from almost every part of a plant. In this post, I’ll be highlighting some common spices that are made from a plant’s seeds.

ANISE or ANISEED

This aromatic spice is most commonly used to sweeten things up in the kitchen. It has a distinctive flavor, reminiscent of licorice. Anise is sometimes used in Indian cuisine in their braised dishes and pilafs. It’s also used to give cookies and cakes that added sugary taste.

CARAWAY SEEDS

More popular in European cooking, caraway seeds have an interesting taste that you’d either love or hate. They are best used on pork and other fatty meats and are added to rye bread. You may also opt to sprinkle some over salads, cream cheese on breads, and coleslaw.

MUSTARD

Everyone knows mustard as the sauce but dry mustard can also be used to heat up soups, potato dishes, curries and chilies. Because of its hot and biting taste, brown mustard seeds are often used as flavoring in Indian food. Mustard seed can also be used to enhance meat, fowl and fish dishes as well as additives to sauces and dressings.

NUTMEG

  • Another sweet spice, nutmeg is often used in eggnog, pumpkin pies, custards and alike. But, it’s also versatile enough to be added to curry mixes. It is better when freshly grated though it is sold in its ground form. If you want a stronger flavor to your savoury meat dishes, substitute nutmeg for black pepper. Use nutmeg sparingly, though, as too much of the spice can cause nausea and stomach pains.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

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Gingerbread is just for kids? Says who!! These are so easy to make, and go with so many drinks and dinners that they’re just too good to pass up on!

Gingerbread Cupcake

Top them with some Candied Orange Peel if you’d like to really make them Extra-Special!

To Make 10 Cupcakes
175g Butter, softened
175g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
350g Plain Flour
2tsp Baking Powder
1/2tsp Allspice
1/2tsp Ground Ginger
1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2tsp Ground Nutmeg
Pinch Salt
100ml Milk
Zest of 1 Orange
1 Drop Vanilla Extract

For the topping you’ll need
150g Butter, softened
100g Icing Sugar
Zest of 1 Orange
Pinch of Ground Ginger
Candied Orange Peel (optional)

1. Preheat an Oven to 160C
2. Cream together the Butter and Sugar. When it’s light and fluffy, start to add the Eggs, one at a time – make sure that you keep the mixture moving whilst adding the Eggs in. The mixture will look like it has split into different layers, but that’s normal, so don’t worry!
3. Sift all the dry ingredients into the mixture, before adding in the Milk, Orange Zest and Vanilla, then stir well and fold the Flour in gently.
4. When everything is combined, spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into individual cupcake cases, which are best sat in cupcake trays or Yorkshire pudding tins. Bake for twelve to fifteen minutes.
5. Remove from the Oven, and leave to cool whilst you make the Butter Icing.
6. Cream the Butter with the Icing Sugar for the Topping with a Wooden Spoon until smooth. Add the Orange Zest, stir in then spread over the top of the cooled cakes. Top each with a pinch of Ground Ginger and some Candied Orange Peel if you wish.

Photo Courtesy of: shimelle

Lebkuchen

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Lebkuchen is a traditional German baked treat, especially popular around Christamas time. It’s similar in taste to Gingerbread, but softer and stickier than you may expect.
Lebkuchen
Brilliant served as an after-dinner treat, or with Coffee as a little snack during the day.

To make 60
3 Eggs
200g Golden Caster Sugar
55g Plain Flour
2tsp Cocoa Powder
1tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2tsp Ground Cardamom
1/4tsp Ground Cloves
1/4tsp Ground Nutmeg
175g Ground Almonds
55g Chopped Mixed Peel, finely chopped
115g Plain Chocolate
115g White Chocolate
Sugar Crystals

1. Heat the oven to 180C, and line several baking trays with some baking paper.
2. Pug the Eggs and Caster Sugar into a heatproof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the mixture until it’s thick and foamy, then remove from over the saucepan and carry on whisking for two more minutes.
3. Sift the Flour, Cocoa Powder, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves and Nutmeg into a large bowl, before stirring in the Ground Almonds and Mixed Peel.
4. Mix into the Egg and Sugar mixture, then drop heaped teaspoons of the mixture onto the baking trays, shaping into smooth mounds.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for fifteen to twenty minutes, until light brown and slightly soft still when touched. Cool on baking trays for ten minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
6. Put the Plain Chocolate and White Chocolate into two separate bowls, then set over pans of simmering water, allowing it to gently melt. Dip half of the Lebkuchen balls into the White Chocolate, then the other into the Milk Chocolate. Sprinkle with the Sugar Crystals, and leave to set.

Photo Courtesy of: _rockinfree

Crespoline

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This Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed pasta dish is served with a Tomato and Parmesan Cheese Sauce. Using the Cannelloni from a packet may not need pre-cooking but it’s worthwhile checking the packaging to see if it needs to be cooked first.

Canneloni Tubes

Make sure that the Cheese sauce doesn’t too get too hot will prevent it from separating around the edges, however, it’ll still taste great.

To Serve 4
225g Leaf Spinach
175g Ricotta Cheese
Pinch of Nutmeg, freshly grated
1 Garlic Clove, peeled and crushed
8 Dried Pasta Cannelloni Tubes
300ml Classic Tomato Sauce
40g Butter
25g White Flour
450ml Milk
40g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper

1. To make the Parmesan Sauce, melt the Butter in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the Flour, and cook for a few seconds stirring all the time. Remove from the heat, and gradually pour in the Milk, whisking until smooth. Bring to the boil, then simmer for four to five minutes, whisking if needed. Stir in the Parmesan Cheese, then season to taste with Salt and Pepper
2. Wash the Spinach, then place in a large pan with just the water that’s left on the leaves. Cook for three to four minutes, or until wilted. Drain very well, then cool and chop up roughly
3. Mix the Spinach with the Ricotta, Nutmeg and Garlic, before seasoning with Salt and Pepper. Fill the Pasta Tubes with the mixture, then place in an ovenproof dish. Pour the Tomato Sauce into the Dish, and make sure that the Tubes are sat on top of them.
4. Pour the Parmesan Sauce over the top, then leave to stand for thirty minutes, before cooking at 190C for thirty to forty minutes, until piping hot and golden brown.

Photo Courtesy of: fifikins