26 November 2012

November Secret Recipe Club: Herb Seasoning



The holidays are upon us (can someone please tell time to SLOW DOWN!), the days are getting shorter, and I'm in the mood for a quick meal when I get home from work at dark:thirty. The first evening after the time change Bender and I resorted to ordering pizza just so we could get home and stay there. Though we are no longer living in Germany, we still acted that way during the summer and did the grocery shopping one day at a time. November has taught us that those days are over and we are trying to plan in advance and do the shopping less often. It's only Sunday night and I've shopped through Thursday! (Please ignore the fact that I will be eating out Tuesday and Thursday.)

While searching for recipes to reduce the effort I need to spend in the kitchen during the holiday season, I came across a fabulous Herb Seasoning recipe on my Secret Recipe Club assignment for the month of November. Chocolate and Chilies is chock full of recipes I can't wait to get my hands on when I'm not quite so depressed about how short the days are (read: February when I finally start noticing the days getting longer). In the meantime, I'll stick to quick, easy, and flavorful. And what better way to quickly add flavor than an herb seasoning? You know I love spice rubs, and this herb seasoning will be the perfect counterpoint to the thick, heavy seasonings filled with chili powders. A nice palate cleanser, indeed!

If you don't go all wonky when the time changes and the days are super short (or even if you do!), head on over and check out the fabulously fun Chocolate and Chilies! The 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta is on the calendar for Friday night when Bender's out.


Herb Seasoning
adapted from Chocolate and Chilies, originally from Get Cracking!!

2 tablespoons dried oregano
4 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoons (or to taste) crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Combine herbs and spices in a clean, dry, airtight jar. Shake away, my friend!

THOUGHTS:
Oh dear, I'm completely out of garlic powder and oregano now. Guess I'll be adding those to my shopping list! But that let that distract you from the herb seasoning. It's great with chicken, and I'll be trying it on pork chops tomorrow night! I'm also seriously thinking about adding it to a pasta with white sauce just to change that up a bit. I thought about adding salt, but held back because I enjoy salting my meat before adding other seasonings so I can control the added salt more easily. I did add some heat with the crushed red pepper flakes, and I think the author of a blog named Chocolate and Chilies can't be too disappointed with that addition!

VERDICT:
Yippee-a-change-from-the-same-old-spice-rub: 2 votes!


8 comments:

  1. Hi Melanie, :) Surprise, you were my assignment this month and I made your to-die-for Amazing Cocoa Brownies. Your name does them justice because they ARE amazing.

    Your Herb Seasoning sounds delicious as well, and I bet it will taste fabulous with your planned pasta with white sauce. I bet it would be great on garlic bread too!

    Thanks again for such a yummy chocolate treat with your brownie recipe. It will be my go to recipe from now on. :)

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  2. I do love herb mixes and they always make great gifts too, yours looks fabulous and I must try this and maybe make some for Christmas gifts! Great SRC pick! Karen

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  3. So glad you enjoyed it! I love the addition of red chilli flakes...I'm all out of this herb seasoning so I will definitely making that addition!

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  4. That sounds like the perfect seasoning to use on everything! I love making mixes homemade ;0)

    Happy reveal day!

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  5. It's 5:24 and almost dark but we have a beautiful sunset (thanks to our smog) oh well. This seasoning mix looks delicious, perfect to sprinkle on veggies or pasta or garlic bread or pizza or most anything!
    Perfect SRC pick.

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  6. Great job, I love making my own spice mixes, so much healthier and better tasting!

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  7. I love adding herbs to my recipes as it elevates a simple dish. Great job making your own!

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  8. Looks like a great spice mix; I love having recipe like this on hand.

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