Spices Archives - Craving Home Cooked

Avocado Tomato Salad

Joanna Cismaru — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 00:12:32 +0000

Avocado Tomato Salad is your new favorite fresh summertime salad. Packed full of sweet corn, crunchy cucumber, and rich avocado, this salad is sure to be a crowd pleaser or a simply satisfying meal for one!

Avocado Tomato Salad

Simple, bright, fresh, what more could you ask for in a summer salad? I mean in a perfect world I guess you could ask that it also be packed with flavor, super satisfying and maybe even with a bit of heat. Well let me make that dream a reality for you with my perfect for summer avocado tomato salad.

I had some perfectly ripe avocado that I wanted to include in my lunch today, and this heavenly little salad began to call my name. The flavors may seem familiar, they’re similar to what you’d throw in a nice guacamole. But this time I kept the bites whole so that we get lots of crunch in our lunch.

Salad Made Simple

If more salads were as packed full of flavor, texture, and dimension as this one, then maybe I’d consider eating them for every meal. Since we’re using so few ingredients I’m going to urge you all to use the best quality of each that you can find and definitely make sure they’re fresh. Whether you’re eating this dish all on its own or as a healthy side, you’re bound to go back for more.

Ingredients In Avocado Tomato Salads

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Salad

Veggies – Cherry tomatoes, avocados, corn, English cucumbers.
Onion – I like to use red onion for fresh salads like these, its bright acidic flavor is better raw than other varities of onions.
Pepper – I wanted some heat today, I mean it’s summer time! I diced up my jalapeno nice and small with some of the seeds.
Herbs – Fresh cilantro is the cherry on top of this whole dish. If dried is all you have on hand keep in mind that 1 teaspoon dried equals 1 tablespoon fresh. Feel free to omit if you’re not a fan.

Dressing

Oil – You’ll want a nice quality olive oil. We’re looking for something with flavor and body. Feel free to substitute avocado oil if you’d prefer.
Lemon juice – We want freshly squeezed lemon juice. The juice from about half a lemon.
Cumin – Believe me this little spice pairs perfectly with the flavors we have going on today. It’ll feel reminiscent of guac.
Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste.

How To Make Avocado Tomato Salad

Make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, oil, seasoning, and cumin. Set aside.
Assemble the salad: Chop up your ingredients into bite sized pieces and then in a large bowl combine the jalapeno, corn, tomato, cucumber, onion, avocado, and cilantro. Toss gently with the dressing and serve ASAP.

What Else Can I Use In Avocado Tomato Salad?

I like to think my recipe is all you need, but if you’ve got stuff to use up in the pantry I won’t stop you! Here are some flavorful additions:

Pepitas
Radish
Pomegranate seeds
Peas
Chicken for a great protein addition
Feta if you’d like to add some cheese, just be aware of the extra salt.
Chickpeas
Romaine lettuce

Tips For Making The Best Avocado Tomato Salad

Wait till the last possible moment to slice up your avocado so that it doesn’t brown too much as it waits to be incorporated.
Feel free to char the corn before incorporating to add lots of dimension. Just be sure it’s completely cooled.
Speaking of corn, the best you’ll find for this recipe is freshly sliced right off the cob!
Be sure to toss the salad gently so as not to mush up our lovely little avocado pieces.
A reader once gave me this tip and she said that if you place the avocado pit in with the avocado salad, it should keep the avocados from turning brown. So give this a try, who knows, it might work!

What To Serve With Avocado Tomato Salad

I mean this dish is a meal unto itself, but if you’d like to bulk it up a bit with some protein, I won’t stop you!

Storing Leftover Avocado Tomato Salad

Believe me this salad is best eaten right away, if you wait too long then it will allow the avocado to oxidize too much resulting in a brown mushy mess. If you use enough lemon juice you may be able to prevent your avo from going brown for a day or two stored in an airtight container in the fridge but I don’t recommend freezing this dish.

Craving More Fresh Salads? Try These:

Avocado Tomato Salad

Course Lunch, Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 0

Total Time 10

Servings

Calories 422kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Salad

1/2 small red onion chopped
3 avocados ripe, cubed
2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 English cucumber cut in half then sliced (half moons)
1 cup corn kernels from 1 corn on the cob either steamed or grilled, canned corn or frozen corn works as well
1 small jalapeno seeded and chopped
1/4 cup cilantro chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Make dressing: In a small bowl or jar whisk together all the dressing ingredients well.
Assemble salad: In a large serving bowl, combine onion, avocados, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, jalapeño, and cilantro. Gently toss with dressing and serve immediately.

Notes

This salad is best eaten right away, if you wait too long then it will allow the avocado to oxidize too much resulting in a brown mushy mess.

If you use enough lemon juice you may be able to prevent your avocado from going brown for a day or two stored in an airtight container in the fridge but I don’t recommend freezing this dish.

Nutrition

The post Avocado Tomato Salad appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.

Taco Seasoning

Joanna Cismaru — Sun, 26 May 2019 21:01:12 +0000

Delicious Homemade Taco Seasoning that’s super quick to make, loaded with chili powder, garlic and onion powder, chili flakes and a few other great spices. This perfectly balanced taco seasoning is perfect for tacos, burritos, chicken, beef and so much more!

Why buy the prepackaged stuff when you can make your own fresh seasonings, such as this taco seasoning or your own Moroccan spice blend. It truly does make a difference to your dishes. With this blend of Mexican spices you can turn any recipes with chicken, beef or pork into a delight and a family favorite.

These spice mixes are so easily made by the home cook for later use. Mexican recipes such as tacos, fajitas and burritos will take on the taste of Mexico with this spicy and aromatic spice blend. Having a mix of tacos in the pantry is extremely convenient, especially when you want to prepare a quick and tasty meal but with a special flavor.

Ingredients You Need To Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Chili powder – This is one of the main ingredients in this spice blend. Chili powder comes in different spice levels so pay attention when you buy it. I prefer my chili powder on the mild side since I add it to all kinds of dishes, but buy your favorite.
Garlic powder – The unmistakable flavor of garlic is appreciated in this spice blend.
Onion powder – Onion is one of the most popular and most used flavors in all world cuisines and it makes a difference in this spice blend.
Red Pepper Chili flakes – same as red chili flakes or pepper flakes, this crushed red pepper is a condiment I use often in my recipes. It’s usually produced from cayenne type peppers so it has a nice mild spice to it.
Oregano – Dried oregano is what you’ll need here. Did you know oregano is a flowering plant in the mint family? Also oregano can be more flavorful when dried than fresh!
Paprika – Paprika has a beautiful red color, but also a great taste. I love using paprika in many dishes, so I prefer buying a good organic paprika. Paprika also comes smoked or sweet, for this spice blend, you’ll want to use sweet paprika.
Cumin – Cumin is part of many spice blends such as curry powder, but it’s a common spice used in a lot of cuisines such as Latin American, Middle Eastern, African and Indian.
Salt & Pepper – most common of spices, so a must in this blend.

How Do You Make Taco Seasoning

Making your own taco seasoning is as easy as you can get. Once you measure out all the spices all that’s left to do is mix them all together and store them in airtight container or jar. What can be easier?

What Can You Use Taco Seasoning For?

This taco seasoning works great with ground beef, ground chicken, pork or chicken cutlets! It can also be used in recipes with potatoes, rice and vegetables. It can be added to almost anything you’d like such as tacos, burritos, fajitas, etc.

How Long Can You Keep Taco Seasoning In The Pantry?

Taco seasoning can be safely kept in your pantry, if stored properly for about 1 to 2 years.

Want More Spices You Can Make On Your Own? Try These:

Taco Seasoning

Delicious Homemade Taco Seasoning that's super quick to make, loaded with chili powder, garlic and onion powder, chili flakes and a few other great spices. This perfectly balanced taco seasoning is perfect for tacos, burritos, chicken, beef and so much more!

Course Spices

Cuisine American, Mexican

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings

Calories 4kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon oregano dried
1/4 teaspoon paprika sweet
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine all 9 ingredients. Mix well.
Place in a storage container with a tight fitting lid.
Store in a cool, dry place for up 1 to 2 years.

Notes

This will yield about 2 1/2 to 3 tbsp taco seasoning. Feel free to double or triple the recipe and store it in an airtight container or mason jar in your pantry.

If stored properly this taco seasoning will last for 1 to 2 years in your pantry.

Nutritional information is per teaspoon.

Nutrition

The post Taco Seasoning appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.

Moroccan Spice Blend

Joanna Cismaru — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 04:16:44 +0000

This Moroccan Spice features a blend of spices like cinnamon, coriander, cayenne and cinnamon giving this spice blend a uniquely middle eastern flavour.

I want to help you get set up with specific spices that you will use again and again in recipes and I have no doubt this Moroccan Spice Blend will become one of your favourites.

What I like about making my own blend of spices is you most likely will have the separate ingredients already on hand in your spice cabinet so there is no need to make a special trip in search of a blend to try a new recipe.

So lets mix it up and make your own Moroccan Spice Blend so you can start making your own Moroccan dishes whenever you want. Go on, travel the world without leaving your kitchen and introduce your family and the unique flavour of Moroccan inspired cuisine. Ok. So you might want to Google Morocco and book a trip of your own Morocco once you’ve tasted this Moroccan blend and if you do, send us some pictures.

Moroccan Spice Blend

This Moroccan Spice features a blend of spices like cinnamon, coriander, cayenne and cinnamon giving this spice blend a uniquely middle eastern flavour.

Course Spices

Cuisine Moroccan

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings

Calories 4kcal

Author Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

1 teaspoon cumin ground
1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
1 teaspoon ginger ground
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper ground
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients together and pour into spice container such as a jar.

Notes

This recipe will yield around 9 tsp of Moroccan spice blend.
Nutritional information is per tsp.

Nutrition

The post Moroccan Spice Blend appeared first on Craving Home Cooked.