Recipe 50 Herb and Spice Blends

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Since my collaboration as chef for Black Walnut Lane Farm Kitchen & Shoppe preparing foods exclusively for their market stall each week I have been asked questions about seasoning and spices for our meat products which include: Lamb, Beef, Bison, Wild Boar, Berkshire Pork and Water Buffalo.
The spice blends I have posted below offer maximum flavour enhancement.
ENJOY!!!

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. Flavoring may be to hide other flavors. In the kitchen, spices are distinguished from herbs, which are leafy, green plant parts used for flavoring.

Many spices are used for other purposes, such as medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics, perfumery, or for eating as vegetables. For example, turmeric is also used as a preservative; licorice as a medicine; garlic as a vegetable.
Courtesy of Wikipedia

For a comprehensive list of herbs and spices click here.

Herb and Spice Blends 

Baharat-Middle Eastern

4 tsp black pepper
3 tsp coriander seeds
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp cloves
4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cardamom pods
3 tsp nutmeg
6 tsp paprika

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Chili Blend

3 parts chili peppers
1/2 part cumin
1 part oregano
2 parts garlic powder
1 part salt
2 parts black pepper
1/4 part cinnamon
1/4 part cayenne
1 part paprika
1/2 part coriander
1/4 part turmeric

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Curry Blend (vary on regions and tastes. This blend is a straight forward curry that can be used for most curry recipes.)

2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons whole cardamom seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds, toasted
1/4 cup ground turmeric
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne

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Chinese 5 Spice

3 tblsp bajiao (star anise)
1/2 tsp cloves
2 tbsp cinnamon,
1 tsp huajiao (Sichuan pepper)
1 tsp ground fennel seed

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Old Bay Spice

3 tbsp dry mustard,
1 tbsp paprika
1/tsp celery seed
1 bay leaf
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp mace
1/2 tsp ginger

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Jerk Spice (Jerk is a personal preference as to how much HEAT you want to introduce)

1 tsp allspice (pimento in Jamaica)
1 Scotch bonnet pepper
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 scallions chopped fine
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

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The Gypsy Chef Spice Blend

2 tbsp Hungarian paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili pepper

Quatre épices

2 tablespoons ground black pepper or a combination of 1/2 tablespoon white and 2-1/2 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons ground cloves
2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground ginger or cinnamon

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Herbs de Provence

3 Tablespoons dried marjoram
3 Tablespoons dried thyme
3 Tablespoons dried savory
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe 49 “Slap Ya Mama” Cajun Style Roast Lamb

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It would seem I have been delinquent on posting here as of late but, I do have a legitimate excuse. I have been madly cooking for a local farm that has hired me to showcase their delicious naturally raised meats and SO this is what I have been doing. That being said the following recipe is one I introduced to our unsuspecting patrons with rave reviews. The spice blend I use on our bone-out, butterflied, leg of lamb roast is one I picked up on my adventures to New Orleans called “Slap Ya Mama™”. It is a nice hot blend of spice that compliments any meat. Not available up here in the Great White North (aka Canada), I always bring some back when I visit.

“SLAP YA MAMA™” Cajun Seasoning really got started by just trying to please our customers. We owned a convenience store at the time and sold food in a deli. Everything was cooked in a broaster; fried chicken, French fries, corn dogs, hot links, etc.Our customers began complaining that our food was too salty. Well, we were using a seasoning that everybody loved but it was too salty if you wanted to taste a little bit of pepper. So, we decided to make our own seasoning mixture that gave you the spicy Cajun taste without being too salty. We then sat down and mixed until we got it exactly like we wanted it.

Slap-Ya-Mama SeasoningsThe Evolution of “SLAP YA MAMA™” Labels and Products

Our boys were young and we had them rolling a barrel on the floor to mix our seasoning. We began using the seasoning on the food at the store, and everybody loved it. They wanted to know what we had put on the food. So we told them that we had mixed our own spices to make this seasoning. After that, they wanted to know if they could buy some. Time went on and everybody really praised our deli food. Some of our friends suggested that we package and sell this wonderful seasoning. Eventually we made some simple little labels, called it “SLAP YA MAMA™” Cajun Seasoning, and sold it in our store.

The name of “SLAP YA MAMA™” came about when the creator of the seasoning jokingly said, “When you use this seasoning, the food taste so good that it will make you want to go home and slap ya mama because she could never make something taste that great.” We couldn’t keep enough “SLAP YA MAMA™” Cajun Seasoning on the shelves.
Courtesy of  Walker & Sons, Inc., Ville Plate, Louisiana

Prep Time: 24 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 24 hours, 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 to 2 lb butterfly leg of lamb
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tblsp honey
1/4 cup Slap Ya Mama Cajun Spice or other Cajun Spice Blend
4 large carrots peeled and halved lengthwise
1/2 cup of water

Directions

Place lamb onto large plate or platter, set aside. In a small bowl combine lemon juice and honey until blended. Massage mixture into lamb gently and place lamb into a large ziplock bag and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. After time in refrigerator, remove and drain off any liquid. Preheat oven to 450 F. Rub dry spice mixture thoroughly over all areas of lamb and place into roast pan on top of carrots and add water.
Cook at 450 F for first 20 minutes then reduce heat to 400 F for another 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and check internal temperature with meat thermometer if you are not comfortable in only relying on time. Allow lamb roast to rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting into thin slices. Lamb should be pink and juicy when sliced into.

FOOTNOTE: This spice is HOT. To help cool down the burn you may serve lamb with a cool creamy side such as a avocado mango chutney or go for the full on Cajun meal. “Slap Ya Mama” Cajun Spie blend can be purchased online at : http://slapyamama.com


Recipe 48 Bacon Stuffed Avocado Halves

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I have decided to recently have an illicit love affair with avocados. Not only the fruit themselves but with the oil. The avocado has for many years has been viewed as the guacamole only ingredient although you can actually use them for more then just garnish and dip. This recipe allows the avocado’s creamy texture and buttery taste to meld nicely with the salty goodness of the bacon. The sauce is slightly sweet and salty and sour, an Asian inspiration. I like the avocado grilled slightly. You can do this on a grill flesh side down or under the broiler.

The avocado gets its name from the Latin American Nahuatl word ahuacatl meaning “testicle,” an obvious reference to the shape of the fruit. It was discovered in Mexico approx. 291 B.C. The name “avocado” is attributed to Sir Henry Sloane, who coined it in 1669. The word itself first appeared in American print in 1697.

Early Spanish explorers discovered the Aztec people enjoying avocados, but considered the avocado to be a tasteless food. The Aztecs also used avocados as a sexual stimulant. It was the Spanish explorers who brought the avocado to the the northern part of the Americas.

The first Florida crops are credited to horticulturist Henry Perrine who planted groves in 1833. However, avocados did not become a commercial crop until the early 1900s. Except in California, Florida, and Hawaii where they were commonly grown, most consumers shied away from the fruit. Finally, in the 1950s, the avocado became popular as a salad item, and consumption became more widespread.

Today avocados are consumed by people across the globe and have become a staple in certain styles of cuisine. The avocado has even made it’s way to the Far East showing up in dishes from Hong Kong to Singapore.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

8 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
4 medium avocados, ripe and unpeeled
1 tbsp lemon juice, for brushing avocado
½ cup of butter
¼ cup of brown sugar
¼ cup of white wine vinegar
¼ cup of garlic puree
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
avocado oil for garnish

Directions

Cook off bacon until crispy. Set aside wrapped in paper towel to remove excess fat. Slice the avocados in half, then remove pits and brush with lemon juice. Fill the avocado with bacon. You can choose to either serve cold or put under the broiler for 5 minutes or until avocado begins to brown. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Combine all of the remaining remaining ingredients and heat to boiling to produce the sauce. Drizzle sauce over avocados and finish with a few drops of avocado oil to taste.

Yields 4 servings

FOOTNOTE: Avocado oil is even higher in beneficial fats then olive oil. It also makes an excellent oil for frying as it has a very high burn temperature.

Recipe 47 Moist & Delicious Carrot Cake

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Carrots are a versatile vegetable and should not only be gazed upon for their beauty. They have much more personality then just their outward appearance and can be used to add texture and flavour, as well as sweetness and colour to a recipe. While carrots are the centre of attention in this cake their flavour is enhanced by the introduction of yogurt’s tang and moisture. These two ingredients together create a tango of tastes and seeing that both are also beneficial to one’s health this cake is not only decadent but does offer more then just a sweet treat.  I have added a cream cheese frosting recipe below that I use for clients, although for my own at home indulgence I never frost my carrot cakes.

The Carrot has a somewhat obscure history, surrounded by doubt and enigma and it is difficult to pin down when domestication took place. The wide distribution of Wild Carrot, the absence of carrot root remains in archaeological excavations and lack of documentary evidence do not enable us to determine precisely where and when carrot domestication was initiated.

Over thousands of years it moved from being a small, tough, bitter and spindly root to a fleshy, sweet, pigmented unbranched edible root. Even before the introduction of domesticated carrots., wild plants were grown in gardens as medicinal plants. Unravellings its progress through the ages is complex and inconclusive, but nevertheless a fascinating journey through time and the history of mankind.

The Wild Carrot is the progenitor (wild ancestor) of the domestic carrot. It is clear that the Wild Carrot and Domestic Carrot are not the same species and both co-exist in the modern world. It is a popular myth that domestic carrot was developed from Wild Carrot, probably because of its similar smell and taste. Botanists have failed to develop an edible vegetable from the wild root and when cultivation of garden carrots lapses a few generations, it reverts to another ancestral type, a species that is quite distinct.

Wild Carrot is indigenous to Europe and parts of Asia and, from archaeological evidence, seeds have been found dating since Mesolithic times, approximately 10000 years ago. One cannot imagine that the root would have been used at that time, but the seeds are known to be medicinal and it is likely the seeds were merely gathered rather than actually cultivated.

Wild carrot has a small, tough pale fleshed bitter white root; modern domestic carrot has a swollen, juice sweet root, usually orange. Carrots originated in present day Afghanistan about 5000 years ago, probably originally as a purple or yellow root like those pictured here. Nature then took a hand and produced mutants and natural hybrids, crossing both with cultivated and wild varieties. It is considered that purple carrots were then taken westwards where it is thought yellow mutants and wild forms crossed to produce orange. Finally some motivated Dutch growers took these mutant orange carrots under their horticultural wings and developed them to be the sweet and tasty carrot we know today.
Information taken from the Carrot Museum

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 5o minutes

Ingredients

Unsalted butter, for the pan
2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pan
12 ounces grated carrots, 6 medium
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (may be omitted)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 9inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.  Grate carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Place flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices,  walnuts and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until well-coated.

In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt. With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 F and bake for another 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Yields 8 servings

FOOTNOTE:  The total cooking time does not include frosting the cake. Also if you prefer you can add flavouring to the cream cheese. I find a few tablespoons of marmalade or a teaspoon of orange extract adds a nice taste to the frosting and compliments the cake very well.

Recipe 46 Chicken and Barley Soup

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This is the delicious soup mentioned in the Cheese and Herb Bread Recipe 45. It has everything you could possibly want in a soup. Aroma, flavour and a hearty quality that  fills you up and keeps you warm on a cold day. It has a slightly different taste attributed to a few of the herbs and spices added into the broth.

The first domesticated grain in the Near East was Barley. Wild barley was found from North Africa and Crete in the west and as far east as Tibet. The earliest evidence of wild barley in an archaeological records comes from the Epipaleolithic at Ohalo II at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. The remains are believed to date back to 8500 BC. Barley has been grown in the Korean Peninsula since the Early Mumun Pottery Period (c. 1500–850 BC) along with other crops such as millet, wheat, and legumes.

Barley beer was likely the first drink developed by Neolithic man. Barley was also used as currency. Alongside emmer wheat, Barley was a staple cereal of ancient Egypt, where it was used to make bread and beer.

In ancient Greece, the ritual significance of barley dates back to the earliest stages of the Eleusinian Mysteries. The preparatory kykeon or mixed drink of the initiates, prepared from barley and herbs, referred in the Homeric hymn to Demeter, whose name some scholars believe meant “Barley-mother”.The practice was to dry the barley groats and roast them before preparing the porridge, according to Pliny the Elder’s Natural History (xviii.72). This produces malt that soon ferments and becomes slightly alcoholic.

Pliny also noted barley was a special food of gladiators known as hordearii, “barley-eaters”. However, by Roman times, he added that wheat had replaced barley as a staple.

Tibetan barley has been a staple food in Tibet since the 5th century A.D. This grain, along with a cool climate that permitted storage, produced a civilization that was able to raise great armies. It is made into a flour product called tsampa that is still a staple in Tibet. The flour is roasted and mixed with butter and butter tea to form a stiff dough that is eaten in small balls.

In medieval Europe, bread made from barley and rye was peasant food, while wheat products were consumed by the upper classes. Potatoes largely replaced barley in Eastern Europe in the 19th century.
Some text taken from Wikipedia

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients

10 cups of water
4 to 5 chicken legs (I use leg as it stands up to boiling without falling apart)
1/4 cup concentrated chicken stock or several cubes to taste
1/2 tsp salt
6 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 large red onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 green cubanelle pepper seeded and diced
1/2 cup of pearl barley
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
chopped parsley as garnish

Directions

Add water to pot and bring to a boil. Add salt and chicken legs and allow to return to the boil. Turn heat down to medium and allow chicken to cook for 1 hour. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool.  Add all other ingredients to the pot except parsley and bring back up to the boil if not already doing so. Allow to cook for 20 minutes.  During this time chicken will have cooled enough to handle. Remove skin and separate meat from bone.  Shred or chop meat into pieces and add to pot. Place lid on pot reduce heat to medium low and allow to cook for another 30 minutes or until barley is tender. Allow soup to cool slightly before serving.

Yields 12 servings

FOOTNOTE: You can also add dumplings to this soup 30 minutes prior to serving.

Dumplings: Mix together 2 cups all-purpose flour  and 1 teaspoon salt. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until dough forms. It should be sticky but not to soft. Add to boiling soup using large spoon and scooping enough dough to fill spoon. Push into pot being careful not to burn yourself as soup will splash. You can also preform dough into 2 inch balls and place into soup. I prefer the spoon method as it gives a lighter dumpling when cooked.

Recipe 45 Cheese and Herb Bread

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At this time of year when winter has us by the short and curlies a nice hearty loaf of bread with a steaming bowl of hot soup or stew certainly hits the spot. On the agenda this evening is a Chicken and Barley Soup with Cheese and Herb Bread. Now I’m a bit of a cheater. I own a bread machine and I love it. It is the most delightful appliance for creating luscious breads and pastries without all the work. I NEVER actually use it for baking the bread. I find you get a much superior loaf by removing it and allowing it to rise a second time in a pizza or loaf pan. It is the most wondrous thing for cutting out all the arduous kneading and proofing involved when hand making bread. The machine does it all in an hour and a half which I love and YES it is easy to make your own bread. Simple and wholesome. So get out your ingredients, put on that apron and GO all grandma in the kitchen!

Earliest archaeological evidence of cheesemaking has been found in Egyptian tomb murals, dating back to somewhere around 2000 BCE. The earliest cheeses are believed to have been quite sour and salty, similar to rustic cottage cheese or feta. In the Late Bronze Age Minoan-Mycenaean Crete, Linear B tablets have revealed the inventorying of cheese, as well as flocks and shepherds.

Cheeses produced in cooler climates require less salt for preservation then those produced in places such as the Middle East. With less salt and acidity, the cheese became a suitable environment for useful microbes and molds, giving aged cheeses their pronounced and interesting flavors. Cheese such Roquefort are not produced in these areas.

Prep Time: 2 hours, 35 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp olive oil (any vegetable oil will work)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 cups of unbleached flour (you can substitute 1 cup of white flour for wholewheat flour or oatmeal)
1 cup old cheddar, grated
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp yeast (bread machine yeast if you are using machine)
1/4 old cheddar, Parmesan or other sharp cheese for garnish
1 tbsp melted butter for glaze

Directions

Add ingredients to bread machine in order above. Set machine to dough setting and allow to process until complete. Remove dough from machine and turn onto lightly floured board. Gently knead into an egg shape.  Brush melted butter over surface of bread then sprinkle additional cheese on top of loaf and press down lightly so cheese sticks to top.

Allow to rise until almost double in size then bake in oven at 400 F until top is golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Yields 12 servings

FOOTNOTE: If hand making bread add yeast to warm water and milk mixture, set aside and allow to activate.  Mix together all dry ingredients including cheese. Once the liquid starts to foam yeast is activated. Slowly add liquid to dry and incorporate well. Turn dough onto well floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.  Cover and allow to rise. Once dough has risen punch it down, knead again and form into egg shape. Set aside and allow to double in size. Follow the directions above to finish and bake loaf.