Friday, April 5, 2013

Berbere Spice Mix

Spice should have been my middle name. I can't cook anything without adding something from my spice cabinet - be it a healthy handful of coarse-ground black pepper on a salad, cinnamon on toast, mustard and fennel seed in pizza sauce (try it, it's amazing!) or garlic in pretty much anything that graces my plate. I use enough spices in my diet to warrant buying them in bulk, which both saves money and usually equates to fresher, more unique products too. The problem I find with a lot of spice blends out there (namely chili and curry powders) is that they contain fillers or other adulterants, which not only mess with the flavour profile but are potentially harmful to your health! I can't deny the handiness of a spice blend though, which is why every so often you'll find me with my entire spice cabinet strewn over the counter, mixing everything from taco seasoning to this exotic Ethiopian blend.

Berbere SpiceBerbere is a boon to the cook with a passion for flavourful heat - almost the whole spice cabinet goes into the recipe, from sweeter cardamom and allspice to heady cloves and a burst of hot cayenne. I've used it for almost everything - roasted cauliflower and potatoes, as a dry rub for tofu, mixed with rice, and even stirred into honey and spread on pita bread. Of course, like any "chili" powder or spice mixture, the possibilities are almost endless - traditionally you'd put it into the wat family of legume soups and stews, but I like the suggestion from Food Network's website of making a BBQ sauce with it or adding a spoonful to a long, slow braised dish (a la Gourmet Britain).

Shared with My Meatless Mondays, Meatless Monday, Tasty Tuesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Gluten Free Fridays and Wellness Weekends

Berbere Spice Mix
Makes about 8 tbsp, 16 servings
3 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika
1/2 tbsp cayenne
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cardamom
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp fenugreek
1 3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
  1. Mix everything well. 
  2. Store in an airtight jar away from heat, moisture and light.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 9.0
Total Fat: 0.4 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 143.1 mg
Total Carbs: 1.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g
Protein: 0.4 g

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