Recipes

Your Culinary Passport to World Flavors

Our spice blends are created to be versatile, giving you the ability to create your own meals, BBQ sauces, salad dressings, marinades, dipping sauces, or anything else you wish to create. These blends are all natural with no salt, sugar, MSG or salt substitutes, giving you the ability to control these ingredients to fit your taste and health needs. We have included some recipes you can make with our different spice blends.

The Easy Meals Spice Blend recipes provide you with instructions on how to make a complete meal, which usually serves 4 people. We've also included recipes to make BBQ sauces, dipping sauces, salad dressings, marinades and side dishes you can make from the spice blends with basic pantry items and minimal additional ingredients. If you have any questions on how to prepare any of these dishes, please contact our Chef Aaron at askthechef@spicesmadeeasy.com

Please Enjoy!

Easy Meals

Bayou Blend Spice

Gumbo

1 TBSP Bayou Blend spice blend

1-2 TBSP oil

1 cup each, chopped celery, onion, green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 - 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 lb. shrimp, small (shelled, deveined)

2 cups chicken broth

2 each boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1” pieces

1 cup sliced sausage (andouille or smoked)

4-6 sliced green onions

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan, add 1 TBSP oil and brown chicken, remove and set aside. Lower heat and saute celery, onion, bell pepper for 6-8 minutes. Add garlic saute, 1-2 minutes. Add spice blend, mix for 30 seconds, then add diced tomatoes, chicken, sausage, green onions and chicken broth. Mix well and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Add shrimp, cook additional 5-8 minutes or until done. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice. Serves 4-6. Note: For thicker sauce make traditional roux. Tip: Quick roux - in small dry frying pan add 2 TBSP of flour and cook on VERY low heat, stirring constantly for about 5-8 minutes so as not to burn the flour. The flour will cook and turn in to a light coffee color. Remove flour, let cool, add water to flour and mix well - stir into gumbo and cook to thicken the gumbo.

Calypso Rhythm Spice Blend

Caribbean Coconut Chicken

1 TBSP Calypso Rhythm spice blend

1-2 TBSP oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp grated ginger

1 cup diced green bell pepper

1 cup diced sweet potato

2 stalks celery, sliced

4-6 ea. green onions cut in 1” length

1/2 cup coconut milk - NOT low fat

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1” pieces.

2 tsp lime juice

In a large sauce pan, add oil and saute meat. Remove and set aside. Lower heat and saute onion, celery and bell pepper for 7-10 minutes. Lower heat, add garlic, ginger and saute for 1 minute. Add meat, spice blend and mix well for 30 seconds. Add broth, coconut milk and lime juice. Mix well, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sweet potato, cover and cook for 20 minutes more or until meat and sweet potatoes are done. Add green onions to the pot the last 10 minutes of cooking. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with or without rice. Serves 4. Note: If not using sweet potato, butternut squash, or any other sweet vegetable, you may need to add sugar or honey to balance the flavor.

Indian Creamy Curry Spice Blend

Creamy Chicken or Lamb Curry

3 TBSP Indian Curry spice blend

2 TBSP white vinegar

2 TBSP oil

1 large onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP grated ginger

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup of water

1/4-1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

1-2 TBSP lemon juice (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix vinegar with 3 TBSP of Indian Curry spice to make a paste. Set aside. Cut chicken into 1” pieces. Heat oil in skillet and brown chicken. Remove to bowl and set aside. Saute onions, garlic and ginger lightly on low-medium heat. Add spice paste, mix and cook on low for 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, water, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix well. Use hand emulsifier (or blender) and blend sauce until creamy. Add chicken back in to the sauce and simmer covered until meat is cooked and tender, approx. 25-30 minutes. Optional: Add lemon juice to taste, mix well. Service over rice. Serves 4-5.

Chicken Curry Bake

Preheat oven: 400 degrees Bake:40 minutes total

8 chicken thighs

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp finely chopped onion

1/2 tsp Indian Creamy Curry Spice Blend or more to taste

Salt to taste

Place chicken thighs skin side up in a shallow baking dish. In a small bowl mix honey, mustard, lemon juice, chopped onion and curry spice. Blend well. Pour over chicken thighs and cover with foil. Bake at 400 degree for 30 minutes. Uncover and baste thighs with sauce. Bake uncovered 10 minutes longer or until chicken is cooked through. Salt to taste. Serve over rice.

Creamy Curry Cauliflower Soup

Preheat oven: 450 degrees Bake: 25 minutes

1 head of cauliflower, cut in to florets
1 TBSP butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped (approx. 1 tsp)
1-2 tsp Indian Creamy Curry Spice Blend
1-qt vegetable stock
1 cup half and half
1 tsp salt
vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 TBSP chopped parsley for garnish

Cut cauliflower in to florets. Place florets in a bowl and drizzle with 1-2 TBSP of oil and ½ tsp of salt. Toss the florets to coat them well with the oil mixture. Spread florets on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 450 degrees for 25 minutes (check and flip florets half way through the roasting so they don’t burn).

In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, melt butter and 2 tsp of oil and sauté onions, about 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add curry spice and sauté stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.

Add the roasted cauliflower and vegetable stock to pot, cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and uncover the pot and let liquid reduce slightly for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree mixture in the sauce pan with a immersion blender and blend until smooth (or pour in to a blender – once blended pour back in pan). Stir in half and half, salt and pepper mix well and serve. Garnish with parsley.

Mediterranean Meatballs Spice Blend

Lamb Meatballs

1 1/2 TBSP Mediterranean Spice blend

1/2 lbs. ground lamb

1 ea. 7.5 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) rinsed & pat dry

1/2 onion

1 clove garlic

For flat bread sandwich: Flat bread or pita pocket bread, lettuce, dill pickles, feta cheese onions, kalamata olives, dill yogurt or tahini sauce.

Remove garbanzo beans from can, rinse and pat dry. In a food processor add the lamb, garbanzo beans, onion, garlic, Mediterranean spice blend, salt and pepper. Chop/pulse to blend and mix ingredients together. Roll in to small meatball sizes. FOR OVEN BAKING - place meatballs on a greased baking pan. Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, then roll meatballs over and cook for a remaining 10 minutes or until done. FOR FRYING - place meatballs in a frying pan with 2 TBSP oil. Fry meatballs on all sides until meatballs are done. Makes 17 - 20 meatballs.

Mekong Medley Spice Blend

Coconut Shrimp Curry

2 TBSP Mekong Medley spice blend

1 TBSP oil

1 shallot or medium onion finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb. shrimp, small/medium (shelled, deveined)

1 ea. 13.5 oz. can coconut milk - NOT low fat

1 TBSP fish sauce

1/4 tsp. or more of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish with chopped green onions

In a large sauce pan, add oil and saute shallots, over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Lower heat and add garlic, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and Mekong Medley spice blend, mix well. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer on low for 4-5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. In the last 3-5 minutes of cooking time add the shrimp, cook until done, then remove from heat and serve over rice. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serves 4.

Optional: add thinly sliced bamboo shoots, carrots, veggies. Or substitute chicken or crab for shrimp.

Moroccan Chicken Spice Blend (Tagine Style)

Moroccan Chicken (with Apricots)

1 1/2 - 2 TBSP Moroccan spice blend

6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on

2 TBSP oil

1 large onion, cut in half and sliced thinly

2 clove garlic, chopped fine

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup dried/pitted apricots

1 TBSP honey

1 - 2 tsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

In a Dutch Oven or large pot, add oil and brown chicken. Remove chicken and set aside. Lower heat and add onions, garlic, saute 4-5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 - 2 TBSP Moroccan spice blend, mix well and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of chicken broth, honey, lemon juice, salt, pepper, mix well. Add chicken back in to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, simmer on low for 25 minutes. Add apricots and submerge them in sauce, and add remaining broth if needed and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes, or until chicken is done. Serve over rice or couscous. Serves 4-6.

Note: Add more spice blend, honey and lemon juice to taste.

Moroccan BBQ Sauce

1 TBSP Moroccan Chicken Spice Blend (or more to taste)

1 1/2 cups tomato puree

1 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

3 TBSP mustard

2 tsp minced garlic

1 TBSP lemon juice

In a large sauce pan combine all ingredients. Slowly simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent sauce from burning. Allow sauce to rest at least 1 hour after cooking to allow flavors to meld. Good on beef, chicken, and pork. Makes 3 cups of BBQ sauce.

Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup

Preheat Oven: 425 Degrees Roast: 25 minutes

1 butternut squash (1 ¼ - 1 ½ lbs.)

1 large red onion

1 clove garlic minced/crushed

1-2 TBSP oil

1 TBSP butter

3 cups vegetable broth

½ cup half and half

1 ½ tsp Moroccan Spice (more to taste)

1 – 1 ½ tsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 425 degrees

Cut the butternut squash into 1”squares. Cut the red onion in half and cut one half in large wedges, reserve the other half for dicing to sauté.

Place the wedged onions and cubed squash in a bowl, drizzle with 1 TBSP of oil and toss to coat the onions and squash with oil. Spread the onions and squash out on a baking sheet and roast in a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes or until squash is soft and cooked through. Turn the onions and squash over half way through the roasting so as to not burn.

In a large pot, and 1 TBSP of butter and 2 tsp of oil and saute remaining diced onion and 1 minced clove of garlic for about 2 minutes or until onions are soft. Add 1 ½ tsp of Moroccan Spice and mix well sautéing for an additional 1 minutes. Add the roasted onions and squash to the pot. Pour in the vegetable broth, cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Use a hand immersion blender (or place in a food blender) and blend until smooth. Stir in ½ cup of half and half and return to simmer. Add 1 tsp lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. If too thick, add more broth or half and half. Adjust the Moroccan spice and lemon juice to taste.

Paella Spice Blend

Spanish Rice Dish

1 1/2 - 2 TBSP Paella spice blend

2 TBSP oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1- medium red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

2-3 tsp lemon juice

12 jumbo shrimp, (shelled, deveined)

3/4 cup diced sausage (chorizo, smoked)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in to small pieces.

1 cup rice (arboreal or short grain)

2 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

In a 12”- 14”skillet, add oil, brown chicken, remove and set aside. Lower heat, add onion, garlic, bell pepper, saute for 3-4 minutes. Add rice and Paella spice, stir for 30 seconds coating rice with spice. Add broth, lemon juice, chicken, sausage, mix well. Cover skillet leaving lid slightly ajar. Cook very low, simmer for 20 -30 minutes. During last 10 minutes of cook time add shrimp, submerging into rice, sprinkle peas over top and remain covered. Meal is done when rice and shrimp are done. Add more liquid if needed to cook rice. Note: a hard crust may form on the bottom which is normal for a Paella dish.

Barcelona Seafood Stew

3-4 tsp Paella Spice Blend (or more to taste)

3 TBSP olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped celery

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 small red bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2 – 14.5 oz. cans diced fire roasted tomatoes

2 strips bacon, cut into ½” squares

3 cups seafood stock

½ cup white wine

½ - 1 tsp salt (or to taste)

½ tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)

1 TBSP lemon juice

14 ea. clams (scrubbed and cleaned)

14 ea. mussels (scrubbed, de-beard, clean)

14 ea. prawns (21 – 25 count. shelled de-veined)

7 ea. large scallops (cleaned, cut in half)

chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

In an 8 quart stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and cook stirring frequently, for 5- 6 minutes or until vegetables are soft. And bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add Paella Spice Blend and blend well, cooking for an additional 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes, salt and pepper and blend well, cooking for 2 more minutes. Add fish stock, wine and lemon juice and stir to blend. Bring to a boil, add clams and mussels, cover and lower heat to medium/low for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and scallops, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. When done, clams and mussels should be opened, throw away any that have not opened. Garnish with chopped parsley, served with sourdough french bread.

Tip: can replace scallops with white fish like cod or halibut.

Barcelona Seafood Stew