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2
Jan, 2021
South American Pink Pepperberries

South American Pink Peppercorns

South American Pink Peppercorns

Pink Peppercorns

Pink peppercorns are similar to peppercorns in appearance and taste. However, they are actually not peppers. They are mild and more like berries, and grow on a South American tree. 

Notice the distinct fruity flavor when they melt on your tongue. Pink peppercorns are best when not cooked or added at the end of cooking.

Try one of our recipe inspirations as a starting point for your own creativity.

Recipe Options

Healthy Breakfast for Valentine's Day

Color a chia pudding with red berry puree or juice. Top with a pink peppercorns in the shape of heart.

Coconut Panna Cotta

Dissolve 1 tsp agar-agar in 1.5 cups coconut milk. Boil 5 minutes over low heat. Mix in 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp agave syrup or honey, and 0.5 cup heavy cream. Season with salt and vanilla to taste. Boil 5 minutes over low heat. Fill in glasses. Keep them 2 hours in the fridge. To serve, top with mango-purée and pink peppercorns.

Caprese with Pears

Cut 16 oz mozzarella, 3 tomatoes, and 2 pears in 1/2 inch cubes. In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp aceto balsamico, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 2-3 tsp pink peppercorns. Toss sauce over cubes. Season with salt and chili powder to taste. Let rest 10 minutes

South American Pink Peppercorns
28
Dec, 2020
Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa

A Celebration of Culture and Heritage

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Kwanzaa is a prominent holiday, but many people are still unsure of what this holiday celebrates. Most people assume that Kwanzaa has been around for hundreds of years, but it is surprisingly a fairly new holiday.

What Is Kwanzaa?

The holiday Kwanzaa is actually a collection of holidays. Eager to bring his community closer, Maulana Karenga began researching African celebrations for the harvest. Ultimately, he found a wide collection of harvest celebrations and decided to bring different parts of different celebrations to make a single special celebration.
 
Kwanzaa is a word taken from the Swahili language. It means ‘first’ and is used for the holiday because Kwanzaa is meant to celebrate the first harvest of the year. Kwanzaa is not a single day, but several instead. It starts on December 26th and spreads out until January 1st each year.
Ignition of Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa's Origin

Kwaanza was officially created by Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of Black Studies, back in 1966. This California-born holiday was made to do what holidays do best: bring people together. In this article, we will discuss Kwanzaa and the history of this notable celebration.

What Traditions Are There?

First and foremost, Kwanzaa is considered to be a time for reflection. It is a moment when everyone is supposed to reflect on their personal principles and truly consider their contributions. When everyone meets during this time, it is to celebrate and unify behind a positive outcome. Since a successful harvest takes the work of many, people take time to reflect on their shared success and commit to new ways that they can help their community.
 
During this time, there are a few key customs that work to make Kwanzaa all the more special. First, it is standard for celebrators to greet those around them with the phrase ‘Habari Gani’ which means ‘What is the news?’ so that each person can respond with the principle that is being celebrated that day. 
Kwanzaa

African-American Heritage

There are seven principles in total: unity, self-determination, shared work, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
 
In addition to these customs, there is also a special candle lighting ceremony that is the focal point of Kwanzaa. It involves celebrating with the entire family and includes shared singing, as well as chanting. The candle lighting ceremony focuses on reinforcing the principles in a symbolic way.

Kwanzaa Foods

Since Kwanzaa is so new, a lot of the foods that are popular are also fairly modern. It is common for tables to be filled with catfish, macaroni and cheese, and even jerk chicken. 

The foods you will find on the table are all fairly common in the Caribbean, as well as prominent African regions.

Kwanzaa family dinner
Kwanzaa

The Beauty of Community

Most holidays are built on tradition, but Kwanzaa was created for a purpose. It took one man who saw the need to build his community up and decided to get this holiday started, and now it is celebrated on a national level. It is a chance to celebrate the beauty of African communities while enjoying good company and considering the principles that help communities to thrive.

Kwanzaa

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13
Nov, 2020
Spice up Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Casseroles from Around the World

Spice up Thanksgiving

Spice Things Up for Thanksgiving

With Three Casseroles from Around the World

Thanksgiving is a time for family, laughs, and a scrumptious feast. Every year, we look forward to the classic turkey dinner, stuffing, and the usual sides. Why not spice things up a bit? 

Make your table a celebration of global flavors with exciting casseroles from around the world.

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Chilean Corn Casserole

Pastel de Choclo

The South American dish Pastel de Choclo (corn pie) will be right at home on your Thanksgiving dinner table. Similar to shepherd’s pie, this casserole features a main layer of beef or chicken but seasoned with a blend that is based on Peruvian peppers. The combination of additional ingredients is quite surprising with olives and hard-boiled eggs, and optional raisins. However, the best is the topping of sweet corn blended with basil and milk.

Pastel de Choclo is typically baked in a shallow clay pot, but a regular casserole dish or even a cast-iron skillet works just as well.

The wonderful thing about this dish is that it’s incredibly versatile and easy to whip up. Add or skip a layer, or make it vegetarian – the choice is yours.

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Chilean Pastel de Choclo

Tip: Substitute the meat with turkey leftovers.

South African Bobotie

South African Meat Casserole

Bobotie

Rich and flavorful, bobotie is a popular South African dish. It was most likely influenced by the Malaysian and Dutch cuisine. The creamy meatloaf balances a sweet-sour-spicy flavor.

Bobotie consists of a savory minced meat base (lamb or beef) thickened with almonds and a thin top layer of an egg-milk mixture. The spice blend with dried mango (amchoor) really brings the flavors of this dish to life.

Don’t miss the apricot-ginger chutney to accompany this unique casserole.

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Easy Cranberry Sauce DIY

Cranberry sauce is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that’s easy to make from scratch. All you need are fresh cranberries, a sweetener of your choice, and some common spices.

See the easy steps here.

Cranberry Season

Italian Lasagne in Padella

The classic Italian lasagna (ital: lasagne) makes a familiar yet flavorful addition to your holiday meal. Like many other casseroles from around the world, our lasagna is fast and easy to prepare (in a pan instead of an oven), and you can easily customize the ingredients to your liking.

Lasagna features alternating layers of lasagna pasta, ricotta cheese, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Spices like oregano, garlic, onion, marjoram, a pinch of chile and celery, and fresh basil round up this Mediterranean dish.

Serve alongside your other Thanksgiving dishes, or make it the main course for Black Friday lunch.

 

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Italian Lasagne in Padella

These three casseroles will bring global flavors to your table while complementing the usual Thanksgiving fare. Give one (or all) a try this year to make your holiday meal a memorable one.

25
Oct, 2020
The celtic tree of life

Samhain: Halloween’s Origin

Halloween’s True Origin Story

The majority of us love to prepare for the spooky season. It is a time for decorations, pumpkin carving, fun foods, and amazing costumes. But, what if we told you that Halloween hasn’t always been Halloween? In fact, what if we told you that Halloween is derived from another holiday completely? Well, it is. 

Halloween is actually not as old as you might think. Originally, people in Ireland celebrated Samhain, and they still do to this day. In this post, you will learn about Samhain and some new easy dishes!

Celtic Samhain

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pumpkin carving

Halloween is derived from a Celtic festival called Samhain. It’s one of the four most important Celtic holidays, marking the transition between the summer and the dark winter. In this night, the gateway to the Otherworld was so thin that the souls of their ancestors could move freely between the two worlds. 

Are these just archaic ghost stories? A recent survey revealed that 1 out of 5 Americans state they have actually seen or felt the presence of a ghost.

What Is Samhain?

Samhain is a Celtic festival that has been celebrated for quite some time in Ireland. This ancient festival, which is commonly celebrated from October 31st to November 1st, is a time for fun, scares, and revelry. 

Samhain falls during the transition from summer and the dark winter, making it one of the prominent Celtic celebrations each year. 

The celtic tree of life
The celtic tree of life

Instead of merely focusing on all things scary, Samhain is known to be the day when the vale between the land of the living and the land of the dead is thin. The gateway, often shown as the Tree of Life, is believed to allow the spirits of the dead to travel back and forth between two planes. As you can imagine, people are a little unsettled by this, but some look to the bright side and consider the souls of their ancestors dropping by for a visit instead.

Turnip

Lantern Carving

Halloween simply would not be Halloween without jack-o-lanterns, but this is not a Halloween-specific tradition. In fact, it is one of the many things carried over from Samhain. 

Traditionally, the people of Ireland would carve lanterns out of vegetables and place them in their window to frighten unwanted spirits. The most common vegetable of choice was the turnip, but beets and rutabagas were also quite popular. It is unclear when pumpkins joined the carving scene, but they are much easier to work with, which likely plays a role in this change.

Pumpkin and Root Vegetable Delights

Parsnip
Parsnip

Mashed Potatoes with Parsnip

Try mash potatoes with a little sweet note without any sweetener:

Cook and mash one or two parsnips with the potatoes. You won’t note a difference until you taste it.

More Ideas ...
mashed potatoes
Beetroot
Beetroot

A Root Side Dish – Recipe 

Try this recipe as a new savory side dish to steaks or roasted turkey: Cut 1 lb turnip, rutabaga, or other beets in 1/2-inch cubes. Cook them in a closed pot with one cup of salted water until they are cooked but not too soft. Fry the beet cubes in vegetable oil. Scoop out and drain on a paper towel. 

Optionally, sprinkle with garlic powder and paprika, and toss. Other options are: chili powder, Sichuan pepper, ginger, nutmeg, cumin, turmeric, fennel, or coriander.

Rutabaga
Rutabaga

Modern holidays are often derived from older and more ancient customs. Whatever the origin story of your favorite holiday is, these nights are always at their best when celebrated with great food and amazing company. Whether you are celebrating with the family or throwing a full party, make sure to take a moment to appreciate the people who made it all possible, and pay tribute to Samhain in your Halloween celebrations. You might be surprised by just how much it adds to your celebrations!

Lebanese Pumpkin Kibbeh
Lebanese Pumpkin Kibbeh
Oriental Pumpkin Spice Latte
Oriental Pumpkin Spice Latte
Indian Pumpkin Sambar
Indian Pumpkin Sambar
Moroccan Couscous 7 Vegetables
Moroccan Couscous 7 Vegetables
‎Zimbabwean Pumpkin Soup
‎Zimbabwean Pumpkin Soup Nhopi
1
Jul, 2020
Spice Up Your Drinks

Spice Up Your Drinks

Spice Up Your Drinks

with Cardamom

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Indian Mango Lassi

Indian Mango Lassi Honey

Ingredients

  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1 mango

Optional

  • honey to taste
  • 1 tsp pistachios

Culinary Spice Kit

  • cardamom seeds

Instructions

    1. In a BLENDER, mix yogurt and ¼ tsp pure cardamom seeds or more to taste until the seeds are “gone”.
    2. Add the flesh of the mango.
    3. Blend until smooth.
    4. Optionally, season with honey to taste.
    5. Fill in a glass.
    6. Optionally, sprinkle with ground pistachios or ground cardamom.

    Enjoy!


    Indian Mango Lassi Honey

© Recipe: SpiceBreeze
Cuisine: Indian / Category: Recipes
Spice Up Your Drinks

Cardamom Coffee

Cardamom Coffee

Ingredients

  • coffee beans or ground coffee

Culinary Spice Kit

  • cardamom seeds

Instructions

Spice Up Your Drinks

Option 1

  1. Place 1/4 tsp whole cardamom seeds into a coffee filter.
  2. Fill ground coffee for 1 cup of fresh coffee into the filter.
  3. Place the filter on a coffee cup.
  4. Pour boiling water over the coffee until the cup is filled.

Spice Up Your Drinks

Option 2

Spice Up Your Drinks

  1. Place 1/4 tsp whole cardamom seeds and coffee beans for 1 cup of fresh coffee into a coffee grinder.
  2. Fill ground coffee-cardamom blend into a coffee filter.
  3. Place the filter on a coffee cup.
  4. Pour boiling water over the coffee until the cup is filled.

Enjoy!


Notes

It works with espresso as well.

© Recipe: SpiceBreeze
Spice Up Your Drinks
Spice Up Your Drinks with Cardamom
Spice Up Your Drinks with Cardamom
Spice Up Your Drinks with Cardamom
Indian Mango Lassi
4
Jun, 2020
Taco Night

Mexican Taco Night In

Taco Night

Mexican Taco Night In

If you are looking for a quick dinner or weekend lunch, tacos are one of the best choices. They are so versatile that you can have every week a different style. 

One or More?

Tacos are so fast and easy to make because most of them require only the preparation of the meat or fish. Important are the flavors and fresh cut toppings. And frankly, any leftover can fit in a taco. When our fridge bursts from tons of small leftover containers then we know: Taco Night In is on!

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Quick Tips for Tasty Tortillas

The freshness, quality, temperature, and type of tortilla make a great difference. SpiceBreeze tips for you:

  • If you have a Mexican grocery store on your way, it’s absolutely worth to stop for freshly made tortillas.
  • For all cold tortillas, reheat them quickly in a PAN without oil. Then keep them warm in the OVEN until it’s time to serve.

Change up the flavor experience with difference type of tortillas. 

  • Alter between corn and flour tortillas, and hardshell tacos.
  • Try something new with tortillas or hardshell tacos made with a different type of flour, for instance cassava or rice flour.
Tortillas

Essential Mexican Sauces

No taco without a number of delicious sauces. If you are like us a fan of Taco Tuesday, you might want some variations. With our sauce recipes, you can easily bring your own twist to traditional basics.

Guacamole

Ingredients: Avocado, onion, tomato, cilantro + optionally jalapeño
fancy guacamole

This is one of the simpliest recipes with the biggest flavor. The name means ‘avocado sauce’. All you really need is

  • 1 large avocado, mashed

and salt. If you don’t have any of the other ingredients avialable, we recommended thinly sliced avocados as they look really nice on tacos. For the avocado sauce, there are only 4 typical additional ingredients that are mixed with the mashed avocado. For a delicious sauce, you don’t need all of them or fix amounts. Just follow your taste. That’s the beauty of home cooking and easy to remember! The following recommendations are for 1 avocado and meant to give you a good start:

  • 2 tsp onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped tomato (not from a can)
  • 1 tsp cilantro, finely chopped
  • Optionally for heat: finely chopped jalapeño or serrano chili or SpiceBreeze ground jalapeño to taste

Guacamole Tips!

How to Prevent Avocado from Turning Brown:

(1) place the seed in the serving bowl before adding the Guacamole 

(2) add a little squeeze of lime or lemon juice 

(3) place the avocado flesh in a colander and hold it in boiling water for 30 seconds – not longer!

Inspirations for Guacamole with a Twist:
  • Substitute tomato with mango, pineapple, or strawberries.
  • Substitute cilantro with Italian flat parsley or chives.
  • Use red or green onions.
  • Add a little garlic.
  • Give it a smokey flavor with chipotle or smoked paprika.
avocado open
Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo

Pico de gallo means the rooster’s beak. The ingredients are almost the same as in  guacamole without the avocado. A mixture of chopped tomatoes and onions is seasoned with salt, cilantro, and a hot pepper, usually jalapeno. A very important difference is the almost indispensable addition of lime juice. Yet again, here are our recommendations for a start. Please adjust the recipe to your taste.

  • 1.25 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 0.25 cup onions, finely chopped
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
  • 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
  • salt to taste
  • Optionally for heat: finely chopped jalapeño or serrano chili or SpiceBreeze ground jalapeño to taste

The inspirations for guacamole with a twist (see before) work here as well. You can even add a bit of chopped avocado.

Extra Tip: We love to mix the ingredients in a blender just a bit to combine the flavors more. This variation turns out more liquidy if you like it.

Tacos al Pastor

Tacos al Pastor is a popular Mexican street food. Mexican liked Shawarma made by Lebanese immigrants so much that they created their local take of it. The ‘shepherd style’ tacos are marinated in a traditional chili-adobo-paste and topped with pineapple.

Get the recipe
Variations
  • Use pork chops or tenderloin or chicken breast.
  • Add pineapple, mango, or passion fruit. For the latter, don’t fry it.
  • Use a blender or grate the onion and garlic.
Mexican Tacos al Pastor
Mexican Tacos al Pastor
Tacos al Pastor Culinary Spice Kit:

Annatto, ancho chili, pasilla chili, cumin, allspice, oregano, cloves

Fajitas

Mexican Fajitas
Mexican Fajitas
Get the recipe

Mexican cowboys in Texas made the first Fajitas from skirt steak, probably without any seasoning other than the smoke from the grill. Today, most Fajitas seasonings include artificial flavors. Dig into the deep flavor of Fajitas made with our pure and fresh spices.

Variations
  • Use beef flank skirt or sirloin steak, chicken breast, shrimps, or boneless pork cutlets or tenderloin.
  • Substitute meat with zucchini or eggplant.
  • Substitute the SpiceBreeze spice pouch [1] with the following spice blend: 1.5 tsp smoked paprika, and each 1 tsp cumin, white pepper, and oregano..
Fajitas Culinary Spice Kit:

[1] Smoked paprika, cumin, white pepper, oregano

[2] Jalapeño pepper

Taco Night In
Taco Night In
Taco Night In

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