Tag Archives: cooking with spices

Easy Curry Chicken

ThisĀ  curry chicken was a huge hit at dinner last month so I made it again this week. It’s so good I just had to share it with you! Not only is it super easy, the chicken is tender and very tasty. Feel free to adjust the spices to your own family’s taste. Hubby thinks it needs more curry but I think it was just right. Since I’m the one who does the cooking you can probably guess who wins this argument! Enjoy! Continue reading Easy Curry Chicken

Vegetarian Chili with Black Beans and Corn

Hubs is a meat and potato man but I like to sneak in some vegetarian meals every week because I think they are healthier. I’m making this delicious vegetarian chili with black beans and corn today, using seasonal, organic produce I picked up at our local farm market. The combination of beans and corn makes a complete protein which is important if you are following a vegetarian diet.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Watkins grapeseed oil, original unflavored, garlic and parsley or citrus and cilantro
2 organic red bell peppers, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, mined or pressed or 2 teaspoons Watkins organic garlic granules
2 teaspoons Watkins organic chili powder
2 cups organic tomatoes, peeled or 2 cups canned tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups organic corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/2 teaspoon Watkins sea salt, or to taste
1 teaspoons Watkins organic black pepper, or to taste

Garnish with: Continue reading Vegetarian Chili with Black Beans and Corn

How To Cook Beets

I love beets, they are good for you as they contain lots of fiber and are rich in folic acid, calcium, and iron. The good news is, beets are really easy to cook, here’s how!

Prepare beets by cutting off the tops leaving a half inch of the stem, wash well but do not scrub, take care not to cut or damage the skin before cooking as the color will leach out. Place whole beets in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until done. The time will vary depending on the size of your beets. After 15-20 minutes you can test small beets for tenderness by piercing one with a knife, larger beets will take longer. When beets are tender, drain and cover with cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Gently rub each beet with your fingers, the skin will slip right off, discard the skins and top bits. Slice, dice or leave the cooked beets whole if they are small, serve and enjoy. This sweet vegetable tastes wonderful garnished with a sliver of plain or herb butter.

Beets can be prepared ahead and stored in the fridge until just before serving time, reheat over low heat with a couple of tablespoons of water and a bit of butter or grapeseed oil in a heavy bottomed pot or in the microwave.

What’s the right spices to use with beets? To perk up and ehance the flavor of your beets try a pinch of allspice, a sprinkle of black pepper or cinnamon, some caraway seeds, chives, dill, ginger, horseradish or parsley. To make pickled beets you’ll need pickling spices. I recommend that you use the best pure spices and herbs or organic herbs and spices.