7 Amazing Warming Spices to Use This Winter!

Last Saturday, I made my second TV appearance on Canadian television which was very exciting!

This time, the theme was winter warming spices. I am all about versatility when it comes to everything, especially food and so what better way to showcase 7 amazing warming spices in a dish that  can then be deconstructed and made into at least 3 other dishes too! I have included the recipe below.

Here are the 7 spices I used and a brief description of why they will help you get through winter!

1. Cinnamon

This beautiful spice is known to create internal heat, improve blood circulation as well as lower blood sugar levels. Make sure it is True Cinnamon you are using though!

2. Cumin Seeds

Naturally high in Vitamin C, this earthy aromatic spice has been long used to help ward off colds and coughs. Cumin Seeds are also high in iron so helping to improve energy too.

3. Cardamom

My favourite spice of all time can be used in savory and sweet dishes. Excellent as a digestive aid and also helps to open up the respiratory channels. Add crushed pods to rice or grind the seeds and add to desserts, fruit salads, nut butters.

4. Red Chili

Chili, as you might expect, raises body heat but also helps with increasing metabolism and acts as an anti bacterial. Chilis are also naturally high in Vitamin A and C so another great winter spice!

5. Cloves

Cloves are known to improve blood circulation and ease digestion too. Great to steep in a tea or infuse into a rice or dessert dish. Remember my tip for good quality: because the volatile oils are predominantly in the heads, make sure the heads are intact and they should float vertically in warm or hot water.

6. Nutmeg

Nutmeg is extremely warming but needs to be used in small quantities and it should be tested for aflatoxin and ochratoxin at source if possible.

7. Nigella Seeds

Nigella seeds (aka Kalonji seeds) are universally versatile. Add into salad dressings, yogurt dishes, rice, roasted veggies or onto lean meats and into stews and curries and dips. It has the most powerful plant based antioxidant compound in it so one to have in your spice cupboard for sure!

Why not grind a little bit of each of the above spices for a unique winter Garam Masala!!

Warm Apple & Butternut Squash Salad

(serves 2) (Gluten Free)(Vegan) 

 

2 cups  Butternut squash, cut into 1” cubes 
1/4 tsp Spice Sanctuary Red Chili Ground
1 tsp     Spice Sanctuary Cumin Seeds

1/2 tsp Spice Sanctuary Nigella Seeds
1 Tbsp  Grapeseed or olive oil
2 Tbsp  Coconut Oil
8           Spice Sanctuary Cloves      

1     Golden Delicious Apple, skin on but cut into small 1” cubes 
1 tsp    Spice Sanctuary True Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Spice Sanctuary Nutmeg Ground
1/2 tsp Spice Sanctuary Cardamom Seeds, Ground

1 Tbsp  Hemp Seeds
Pomegranate arils and parsley to garnish (optional)
Method:

1.     Preheat the oven to 400F. In a bowl, coat the squash with the red chili ground, cumin seeds and nigella seeds first before adding in the oil and mixing it all well. Season with a little sea salt before transferring onto a baking sheet and roasting in the oven for about 30 minutes until you can put a skewer through them with little effort. Make sure you turn them over every 10 minutes to ensure they do not brown too much.

2.     Meanwhile, in a pan, heat the coconut oil on a medium heat. Add in the cloves and allow them to simmer in the oil for a minute or so to allow the volatile oils to release. You should be able to smell the cloves at this point.

3.     Then add in the apple cubes and gently cook for a couple more minutes.

4.     Next, add in the remaining spices and continue to cook down until they just begin to soften, usually only another couple of minutes. There should be some residual spiced sauce left.

5.     Transfer the butternut squash and cooked apples into serving bowl. Sprinkle in the hemp seeds for a protein boost and toss well so that the sweetness of the apples melds with the heat in the squash. Drizzle over any remaining spiced coconut oil and garnish with some chopped parsley and pomegranate arils and enjoy immediately.

Other Deconstructed Dishes:

1.     To make a delicious heartwarming soup, add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water into a blender together with the cooked apples, squash and hemp seed and blend until smooth. Heat again prior to serving.

2.     Use just the cooked apples for a smoothie or breakfast dish or cook down further to make a spiced apple pie filling or reduce even further for a sugar free applesauce.

3.     Add just the cooked squash to curries or stir fries. Or serve the squash as a side to any dinner.

Bon Appetit!

Spicing it up with Juices

With the bounty of summer produce and fruits well on their way to stores and farmers markets, I have become obsessed with juicing. And not just obsessed with the act of juicing but the fact that I have another outlet for creating recipes and incorporating spices into them!

Juicing is a really good way to detox the body without depriving it of essential nutrients and always use organic produce. Here are just a few of the recipes I have been working with and some ideas on how to bring those digestive spices out to help clean out the system even more!

Beet, Carrot & Cumin (pictured)

1 medium beet, peeled

8 juicing carrots, peeled

2 mini cucumbers

1 tsp toasted cumin seeds (added at the end)

Carrot, Apple & Ginger

8 juicing carrots, peeled

4 red apples, peeled, cored and cut into pieces

2 celery stalks

2 rhubarb stalks

tiny piece of fresh ginger

Mango, Apple & Cardamom

2 Ataulfo or very ripe mangoes

4 apples

1 banana

1/2 tsp Coorg Bold Cardamom (add at the end)

Other spices that would go really well with any vegetable and/or fruit juice include:

Turmeric Powder

Black Pepper (try it with pineapple or orange)

Paprika (great with a green juice)

Nigella Seeds (if juicing squash or sweet potato)

Improving Digestion with Spices

Now the Holiday Season is upon us, we need to be extra vigilant about taking care of our gut and digestive system. Here are three commonly used spices that have been long used to aid digestion, together with some tips on how to use them in easy every day ways. As always, the quality and frequency of use is paramount in seeing if these spices help in the way they have traditionally been used for. For Coriander, Fennel and Cardamom, the more volatile oil content there is, if they have been hand harvested and the higher the grade (respectively), the more potent the spices will be and if organic, the better they will be in taste and for our bodies.

CORIANDER

Did you know that approximately 85% of Coriander Seeds is in the form of various volatile oils, two of which (linalool and gernayl acetate) are antioxidants and digestive aids. Among other things, coriander seems to work as an anti-spasmodic, laxative, stomach lining protector and to alleviate bloating. 

Since the seeds contain most of the oil, it is better to buy the seeds and then grind them to ensure you capture as much of their goodness as possible. 

Here are 5 easy ways to incorporate Coriander seeds more into your daily diet or after meals:

1. Create a zesty seasoning in your peppermill with one part mixture of Malabar or Tellicherry black pepper and half part our coriander seeds.
2. Garnish lightly roasted and crushed coriander seeds to carrot, lentil or root vegetable soups.
3. Excellent  when a little ground coriander is added to any tomato dish: try it in a pasta sauce or curries.
4. Add a few lightly crushed seeds to your nut or trail mix for a lemon layer to your healthy snacks!
5. Add an equal part of ground coriander to ANY dish where you are using ground cumin.

FENNEL

Fennel seeds and powder both have significant anti-inflammatory properties which is what is thought to help relax the lining of the stomach and intestines and aiding in digestion.  Excessive use of fennel when pregnant should be avoided. While both Fennel and Coriander are thought to be useful aids for Chrohns disease or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Fennel is often used in gripe water as an effective ingredient to alleviate colic.

Here are 5 easy ways to incorporate Fennel more into your daily diet or after meals:

1. Steep 1/2 tsp of the seeds in boiling water for a digestive tea.
2. Make a seasoning rub of equal parts fennel seeds, cumin seeds, brown mustard seeds, nigella seeds, lightly roast and grind for use on leaner proteins like pork or lamb.
3. Add 1/8 tsp of fennel powder to your tomato based pasta sauce.
4. Combine 1/8 tsp fennel powder with 1/4 tsp turmeric and paprika. Mix in a little heated butter and use as a spooning sauce over steamed fish.
5. Make an after dinner mint by rolling 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 1/8 tsp ground cardamom seeds inside one fresh mint leaf and chewing on it after dinner.

CARDAMOM

Cardamom contains a volatile oil called cineole which, apart from being an antioxidant, is also thought to contain anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic agents which work together to provide digestive aid for a variety of complaints such as bloating, stomach cramps and gas. 

Here are 5 easy ways to incorporate Cardamom more into your daily diet or after meals:

1. Add 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom seeds to your morning smoothie, tea, granola
2. Sprinkle a little over root vegetables before roasting
3. Mix 1/4 tsp into some yoghurt and fruit for a great after dinner dessert.
4. Steep 1/8 tsp or a couple of whole pods in boiling water for a few minutes as an after dinner tea.
5. Add a little to your cinnamon for a more exotic touch to your baking or other uses.

Why not try our Inspirit Taster Collection to make a home made digestive tea from some of these and other of our organic spices?