Dozens of pre-made spice blends line the grocery aisle. While they can be a convenient and well-known way of seasoning, they have their downsides. Unless you have a large collection, food seasoned with only one or two spice blends ends up tasting the same after a while. Not to mention the brand names come with a price tag! 

Taking the time to make your own spice blends will make your home smell amazing and give your dishes a signature flavor all your own. For example, adding spices and herbs to your veggie dishes and lean meats is a really quick way to amp up the flavor of a dish. Spice blends also make great gifts! 

Instructions

To toast whole spices, add spices to a dry non-stick saute pan, then heat on the stove over medium heat until fragrant; usually 1–2 minutes. Shake or stir constantly to avoid burning.

For each blend in this post: First, mix together the ingredients in a dry bowl. Then, store in a clean, dry, airtight glass jar away from heat, humidity, and sunlight (do not store spices above or next to your stove!). Ground spices last about 6 months before starting to lose flavor intensity.

Yum TTG

2 tsp ground black cardamom seeds
1 T allspice berries, toasted and ground
½ T celery seed
1 t yellow mustard powder
½ t Szechuan peppercorn
1 t onion powder
½ ground Tellicherry peppercorns

Excellent on chicken, pork, and hearty root vegetables.

Almost Forgot the Thyme!

1 T cayenne
1 ½ t ginger powder
2 t cracked dried rosemary leaves
1 t rubbed sage
1 t onion powder
1 T orange peel pieces, ground
1 ¼ t garlic powder
1 T dried thyme

Delicious on chicken, fish, squash, eggplant, cucumbers, cantaloupe slices, and roasted green beans.

Golden Lime Salt

1 tsp ground dried lime peel
½ tsp cumin
1 tdp ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground turmeric
1 T Cyprus flake salt or kosher salt

Fantastic on white fish and other seafood, rice, and vegetables!

Almost Basic Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 T black Tellicherry peppercorn
2 tsp dill seed
½ tsp celery seed
1 T brown mustard seed
1 tsp voatsiperifery (or extra fresh-cracked black pepper)
4 tsp sel gris or kosher salt (if not using voatsiperifery, I suggest using smoked salt)
1 ½ T garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika

First, toast, cool, and either grind or coarsely crush the first five ingredients. I like a coarse crush because I have the flexibility to grind it later if I wish. (You can do this in a clean coffee grinder or a good old-fashion mortar and pestle.) Then, add the rest of the ingredients and mix together thoroughly. Store in an airtight container for 3–6 months (as it gets older, it loses a lot of flavors and potency is reduced significantly).

Ras El Hanout

Rich, aromatic ingredients make up this traditional Moroccan spice blend, called Ras El Hanout.  Each house or shop traditionally has its own house blend, made of various spices and herbs similar to those listed below. Sometimes, allspice is added. You can also add long pepper, grains of paradise, cubebs, galangal, or any other spices true to the region you may have around.  It may seem like a long list of ingredients, but this is a great spice blend that cannot be easily replaced. 

Ras El Hanout is a great flavoring in marinades, and it also flavors many traditional regional dishes such as meaty stews, chickpeas, and tagines. It also adds a punch in unexpected places, like flavoring popcorn or spiced cake. This recipe makes a lot, so don’t hesitate to give it as a gift!

Ras El Hanout

3–4 teaspoons ground cinnamon (Korintje or Ceylon)
3–4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Optional:

1 teaspoon dried crushed rose petal
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
½ – ¾ tsp ground cubeb
1 teaspoon grains of paradise
1 teaspoon long pepper
½ tsp galangal
¼ teaspoon powdered saffron—buy saffron as threads and grind it to powder yourself. DO NOT buy powdered saffron, as it is very hard to ensure good quality. 

Use Ras El Hanout in lamb stew, over roasted chickpeas, or on popcorn.