Good morning!
Happy Father’s Day to my 3 awesome DADS- Brian (dad), John (stepdad), and Ken (father-in-law) and all the wonderful father’s out there!
Secondly, thank you for all your sweet comments about the market! :biggrin:
As I mentioned in my Farmer’s Market recap last night, I bought some new spices from a wonderful local business called Arvinda’s.
I had a chance to speak with the amazing business owners and they are just the sweetest people you will ever meet! It was so fun learning about the different spices. You can tell they have such a great passion for their business. They have a really great story about how they started the business here and they are in many stores and also have an online store. I think we are going to become great friends! I also met a lovely lady who was telling me about her daughter’s recent transition to a vegan diet so I gave her my website and she seemed quite thrilled (she was unsure what to make her daughter for meals when she comes to visit). :biggrin: I love meeting new people, it was so much fun!
Back to the spices…
I cannot even explain to you how amazing these spices smell. We were all ooo-ing and aww-ing at their stand! It made me soooooo hungry! :lol:
Last night I cracked open this baby for dinner!
I would say this Curry Masala was an upgrade from what I was using…
LOL!!! Can you believe that is what I was using?! NO NAME curry. I know, it is unspeakable. I have no idea what ever made me buy no name curry. I can’t even begin to describe the difference in taste and aroma.
My spices in general are SO lacking…
It looks like I have a lot, but don’t be fooled. They all are dried out and unusable for the most part! None of them taste very good either. :ermm:
Inside each Arvinda’s tin, there is a recipe! Awesome idea. I decided to adapt the Classic Chicken Curry and used lentils instead. [Click recipe to enlarge if necessary].
It was so easy I told Eric I could do it with my eyes closed!
I started with cooking the lentils…
While those cooked I made the curry sauce. First you add some EVOO and caramelize the chopped onion (takes about 10 minutes on low-medium). Then add 1/2 cup of canned or chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Add in 1.5 tbsp of the Curry Masala…
and stir well until a thick paste forms.
Mmmmm. Smells sooooooooooooo good. You will drool.
Rinse lentils when cooked.
Add about 1/2 cup of water to the curry paste and stir. Now add in 1.5-2 cups of lentils and stir well.
Voila! A super easy, super high-protein vegan curry dish at your service.
Sprinkle the lentil curry with Garam Masala and you are ready to roll.
It was soooo spicy my mouth was on fire! But I loved every second of it.
Let’s just say my sinuses are clear! :biggrin:
We had it with some bread and Earth Balance on the side.
[recycled photo as I forgot to take a picture!]
After dinner, we headed out for a sunset walk…
Post-curry stretch!
Relax…..
Breathe.
On the agenda today is a little work and a little play. I had a full 7.5 hours sleep last night, so I will not be bailing on my workout today…promise!! :biggrin: I will be back later to talk about the rest of my training plan for the try-a-tri and sprint triathlon.
Today’s questions- Do you have a spice collection in your kitchen? What are your favourites or must-haves? Any tips for helping someone start up a spice collection?
Have a great Father’s Day!
Oh my goodness! This dish looks amazing!
That photo of you cooking the lentils is great!
Fun to see you got to use the market products right away- congrats on the successful day!
That lentil curry sounds great – I just bought garam masala the other week, so I’m excited to have a new dish to try it in :-)
I’m huge on spices. My favorites used to be rosemary and dill, but since going vegan I’ve been obsessed with cumin. No idea why!
Wow, I bet you will never go back to the old style curry again right. That dish looks so vibrant and tasty! You and Eric are too cute for words!
haha I’ve been using no-name curry too…should I upgrade??
My must-have spices are: Coriander, cinnamon, chili powder, and cumin!
Oh, and congrats at the market! :D
Hi There!
I didn’t get a chance to say congratulations on your success at the farmer’s market! GO YOU!
Aww thanks!
I cannot survive without Herbes de Provence. I seriously put it in EVERYTHING, but my favorite is chopping up some zucchini and summer squash, drizzling some olive oil on the top, then liberally sprinkling it with HDP. It just makes everything taste warmer and Christmas-y :).
OH! I forgot to add that I ROAST the zucchini and summer squash, I don’t eat it raw :P
I have lots of spices – and recently found about 30 vintage-like spice jars at Goodwill for $6! I also grow my own herbs. I don’t have a lot of space, so my kitchen window is filling up very quickly!
Those jars sound amazing!
I have some spices, all from the bulk section at my local grocery store. I’m sure I could save up and try to buy some that aren’t cheap, but my grocery bills are through the roof already! But my favorites are chives and cumin, I add them to a lot of things!
Angela, that lentil curry looks amazing! It looks like great food to take to a picnic or party. And how adorable is the packaging for the spices?
I probably use cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, rosemary, thyme, dill, and old bay the most. Sometimes I’ll take an empty jar and fill it with a mixture of spices to make a rub or seasoning too.
That curry dish sounds and looks great lady! I do have quite a few spices, especially garam masala, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and thyme.
I wish I had some tips but unfortunately some of my spices are outdated and I know you shouldn’t keep them too long!
Since I moved back home for the summer, my mom and I combined our spice collection. It’s super thorough now :)
When I make curries I always use less of the curry powder/spicy stuff than the recipe tells me to. It always comes out spicy, but I can eat it with out pausing for milk after every bite.
I love spices and I have slowly been updating my spice shelves to newer spices because I do believe that the longer you keep them the unflavorful they become. I love cumin, cayenne, paprika, crushed basil and cinnamon the most.
Nice day to just chill but get that workout in of course!
Morning!! :)
So I was in the same boat, I just bought good old Superstore spices… then www.spicesinc.om contacted me and I was converted… They are AMAZING!! every single spice they sent me changed all my recipes! hahah I will never buy cheap ones again!! :)
Have a great Sunday!
Angela,
Just recently discovered your blog – it’s amazing! I’ve been telling everyone I know about it. I’ve really fallen in love with VOO and Green Monsters. My fiance and I have been vegan for about 6 months and you’ve given us some great ideas to make things more fun. Thank you! Keep it up!
As for spices, Mike (the fiance) and I are spice obsessed. We are very fortunate because we live a short 1 1/2 block walk from a wonderful place called the Spice House. Going in person is joyous – I get lost in there for hours, literally. They have an amazing online store as well. Check it out:
http://www.thespicehouse.com/?gclid=CJKQt7WRr6ICFQoNDQod4zLr4Q
A few of my “can’t live withouts”:
– Saigon Cassia cinnamon
– Pure Orange Extract (combine cinnamon and a touch of this extract for AMAZING Vegan french toast)
– Hungarian Sweet Paprika
– Hyde Park Seasoning
– Aleppo Pepper
– Fancy Garlic Salt
– Thai Red Curry Seasoning
– Grey Sea Salt, French
– Roasted Cacao Nibs
– Ginger Nibs
and any of their HUGE assortment of dried Chile peppers (try Pasilla and Morita). Mike makes home made garlic chile paste for when we make Thai or Asian food. So good! Sooooo spicy!
– Megan
Wow thank you!!!!! =)
That curry looks and sounds delicious! I have a spice collection – about 50 jars, but like you, half of them are no good (and are no name!!). I want to start again :P
Ooh I love Marsala :) I can’t wait to try this recipe!! Indian food always clears out my sinuses too. We have about a million spices but only use a few.
I love spices and I have cute little spice jars that I had imported from Europe, expensive but perfect. I am also growing fresh herbs right now. I think spices make the meal.
I’d say that our kitchen is VERY lacking in spices. Our cinnamon was only purchased a month ago… and we’d never had it in the house before then! I think our mostly Asian family has stuff like chili oil, soy sauce, etc. My mom loves fresh basil, though :D
Wei-Wei
I have been looking for some good curry spices everywhere! I buy No Name spices too, I have to admit! The simple lentil curry recipe looks great – I’ve made something similar with chickpeas in the past.
I just caved and bought some green curry paste for a recipe b/c my fiance *hates* it when I use plain old curry powder in stuff. (The recipe is going to be spinach noodles in a coconut milk curry with basil and tofu- inspired by 101 cookbooks.)
I tend to have a bunch of spices I don’t use b/c I prefer to get fresh spices- especially basil, dill (so much better fresh), garlic, and oregano. I think dried sage, paprika, bay, and rosemary are good spices to have on hand. I also tend to season a lot of things (especially good on Kale) with hot sauce,black pepper, and lemon juice.
Oh! The kind of black pepper you have to grind yourself is key. I’ve stopped using a lot of spices just b/c the taste of freshly ground black pepper is so amazing. :)
I agree about fresh ground pepper. I use it on everything, Eric too!
I love Indian spices! I work at an Indian restaurant in NYC– so good for you!
I love fresh finds like that from the farmer’s market! the lentils look delish!!
I think that the key to having a good spice collection is to have the staples that you use all the time, for me it’s garlic powder, oregano, basil , parsley, rosemary, chili powder, curry powder, etc. I could go on forever. :)
I just now read your re-cap of yesterday and I just wanted to say congratulations!!! SO SO happy for you!!! It’s amazing when things start falling into place, you know?
My spices are in HUGE need of an overhaul! I cleaned them out a couple of months ago and found spices from the 90’s!
Thanks for your congrats!
I love buying new spices! I have a pretty big collection, but in my mind a spice collection can never be ready :)
Hehehe my spice collection looks very similar to yours! I also don’t exactly have the highest-grade spices (Bulk Barn is my usual source!) but those ones look great. Curry powder, garam masala, cumin and turmeric are my staples for Indian dishes. I also like to have chipotle chili powder and paprika for mexican or spicier dishes. Looks like a delicious dinner!
I have just started reading your blog and I love it!
I am so glad the Farmer’s Market went well for you!
Your glo-bars look amazing and yummy!
Thank you I am glad you enjoy it :)
I have a pretty big spice collection, but I normally season my food with salt, pepper and fresh garlic. I’ve got all the staples: garlic powder, onion powder, garam masala, curry powder, tumeric, no less than 6 kinds of pre-mixed ‘bbq’ (salt free) blends (ex: lemon pepper, seafood seasoning, etc), herbs de Provance, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, 3 kinds of chili powder, cumin, oregano, rosemary, sweet basil… and I think that’s about it. I wish I could attach a picture or something… I love my spices. I’m such a nerd… aka: proud spice mamma ? ;P
Looks yummy :D well done on your farmers market success too! I’d say the spices we use most are cayenne, cumin, paprika, ground coriander, cinnamon, galangal, piri piri and a cajun rub :)
Red pepper flakes. Cumin. Thyme. Basil. Parsley. Garlic salt. Italian Seasoning.
I love spices!! And your blog :)
I NEED red pepper flakes! I have never used them before, but somehow I NEED them NOW. haha
i could imagine the difference from No Name, thats what i have and ClubHouse too, it would overpower and taste way better than both of those combined i’m sure
I wish I cooked more with curry..but my husband doesn’t like hot spices. I’ll have to make something similar when he’s not home!
I have a spice rack we got as a wedding gift. I typically use paprika, cumin, garlic salt, dried parsley and oregano and chili powder the most.
People should check out Penzey’s (penzeys.com)! They have several store locations all across the US and also have an online catalog (and will ship outside the US for Canadians!). I wrote a post all about them on my blog! They offer more than 200 spices and have tons of different packaging sizes from 1 ounce to an entire lb, and they have great deals too.
It is my go-to spice store!
I love Penzey’s. They are my source for zaatar – my favourite middle eastern spice blend that I use on EVERYTHING. It is a spice that isn’t that common but it is worth trying for sure!
Your photography is really getting amazing!
My favorite spices are cumin (SO good in bean salad and tofu scramble), paprika (yam fries!), cinnamon (loaded into oats, smoothies, over sliced apple, peanut butter toast (with banana!) – okay, i am clearly a tad excessive with cinnamon!, chili powder, garlic powder (when I’m feeling lazy :), and cayenne!
I have always thought that spices and herbs make any dish…mine are extensive, and all low in salt as hubby is diabetic they include….fresh garlic and ginger almost always but also.. onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, fresh ground black pepper, sea salt (used very sparingly), Mrs. Dash original, ginger, cumin, chili powder, dried mustard, crushed red pepper, paprika (smoked and regular), Dill, Corriander seed, oregano, sage, basil, thyme, rosemary, celery seed, nutmeg, cloves, turmeric, five spice powder, cinnamon, and herbs de provence.I have to keep things original as I have to work around the nut allergy that I developed after I had my kids. I’m very recently converted to a veggie based diet and I’m hoping that it helps…I’m working on the hubby and son, but they are both carnivores. I am making progress….they are eating meat free many nights. The big thing with dried herbs and spices are that they should be bought fresh every six months or so because they lose their potency and flavour with age, and keep them well sealed once they are opened, air is the enemy.
Great info, thank you!
Congrats on the Farmers Market!!!
I love curry and don’t be embarrassed I just recently threw my no name brand spices away a little while ago. I realized that spices are worth splurging on now since we do cook a lot of indian around this house!
I am going to check this brand out that you got! My mouth is watering for some good indian eats!
Cute pics doll!
XXOO
Looks delish! My spice collection is like yours. It needs to be updated too. My must of spices are fresh black pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, and vietnamese cinnamon (I spend way too much money on cinnamon because I use it a lot).
Have a great day! :-)
Everything from the curry to the walk looks absolutely lovely :)
Yum, that looks delicious! I have embarrassingly few spices since moving, so I guess I really just have my essentials. Salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and curry. I really need some new ones!
I love curry!!! I use it to flavor most of my dishes now that I finally found it in stores haha Delicious looking dish!
Those spices look great – might I suggest a chickpea curry with the garam marsala? I can send you an easy recipe that is really tasty, especially when served with some flat bread and sauted green beans on the side!
As for herbs and spices, I can’t live without the following – cumin (ground and seeds), ground coriander seeds, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, garam marsala, cinnamon (ground and quills), cloves, nutmeg, cardamon pods, star anise, chinese five spice, dried basil, oregano, rosemary (I prefer fresh, but dried is good for emergency roasted potatoes and the like!), bay leaves and parsley. I usually make my own curry powder from a combination of spices (mainly cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, chilli and ginger). Having real curries instead of no name curry powder will change your life! :)
mmm that sounds amazing
That dish looks so delicious!
I totally cracked up at the title of your post. There’s actually a “fast-food” Indian restaurant near where I live called ‘Curry in a Hurry’. LOL.
Mmmm that curry looks so good! I am a huge lover of Indian food :)
I have a pretty extensive spice collection- my kitchen experiments tend to require some obscure spice that I just HAVE to have, and then I end up using it only once or twice. oops!
If I had to recommend key spices/herbs for the pantry though I would say: salt and pepper, a good curry seasoning (yours looks awesome!), dill (if you can get it fresh, it freezes really well and keeps for up to 6 months), basil, oregano, cumin, paprika, coriander, and a good chili powder. I find these are the staples I use the most and help me create quite a few diverse dishes. Cinnamon and nutmeg are excellent options as well :)
ooooh tasty! I made a few curries last Friday night too! Such a winter warmer (in our case!)
Yum, I love curry!
I have a very extensive spice collection- I have SO many, I always love to have a big variety for whatever I want to cook!
Some spices I use often and always have around are oregano, parsley, basil, garlic and onion powder, red pepper flakes, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, curry powder and cajun seasoning!
xo
Kris
Rosemary, oregano, thyme, cumin and cinnamon are my essentials. I also recently bought a pumpkin pie spice that is amazing with pumpkin oats!
holy moly, that looks amazing!! I really love anything curry or Indian inspired. Those spices just look so fresh! I’m sure they are way more flavorful and authentic than what I’m using. My favorite spices are chili powder, dill, rosemary, and cumin.
The curry lentils look amazing! I recently discovered spicy indian food and it’s a new love <3
This definately inspires me to buy some better quality spices.
Woah, I feel like curry now
I want those Arvinda spices but I don’t think you can order to the US just yet – boo =(