Stock Your Pantry with These 7 Essential Seasonings

At some point in life, you will have to restock the seasonings in your kitchen from nothing. Maybe you’ve just moved, gone through a breakup, or recently decided that eating out is way too expensive. Whatever the reason, the prospect of stocking an empty spice cabinet can be overwhelming — given that your options take up half an aisle in the supermarket.

To keep your pantry mission focused, here are seven essential seasonings to stock your spice rack. I don’t guarantee you will be covered for every recipe, but this selection of seasonings can deliver enough flavor to keep your meals interesting.

Salt and pepper

Salt and pepper are flavor building blocks. Salt enhances flavor that’s already in your food, while black pepper adds a little kick. Together, they comprise the first step towards seasoning anything. If you had no other seasonings in your kitchen, you could survive with salt and pepper.

Easy ways to use salt and pepper:

• Sprinkle over a microwaved baked potato
• Season meat before cooking
• Add pepper to boost the flavor of precooked foods
• Make a quick quesadilla with a tortilla and cheese, then add a dash of salt over the top
• Season salads and soups with salt and pepper
• Try salt and pepper shrimp

Garlic powder

Garlic powder is an essential ingredient in so many cuisines, from Chinese to Mexican. You can also use powder when you’re not in the mood to peel and chop fresh garlic. You can use garlic powder similarly to salt — sprinkle it on nearly anything savory for a nice flavor boost.

Easy ways to use garlic powder:

• Sprinkle over pizza or pastas
• Make garlic Parmesan wing sauce and serve it over chicken, pork, pasta, or potatoes
• Make John Legend mac ‘n’ cheese
• Make garlic butter steak

Onion powder

Onion powder can stand in for fresh onions in a pinch. Plus, it’s far easier to manage than fresh onions — no tearing or sharp knife needed. Onion powder can enhance the flavor of your dips, dressings, soups, and dry rubs.

Easy ways to use onion powder:

• Mix onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper for a quick dry rub
• Make steak and mushroom skewers
• Make onion dip
• Add it to ground beef for flavorful burgers

Italian seasoning blend

Italian seasoning is great to have on hand because it’s an herby blend you can pop into any Mediterranean dish. Often, Mediterranean recipes that call for thyme also call for basil and oregano — so this blend saves you time and money. You’re not blending by hand or buying four separate seasonings.

Easy ways to use Italian blend:

• Sprinkle over roasted vegetables
• Season chicken before breading and frying
• Add to crushed tomatoes to make a quick pasta or pizza sauce
• Make slow cooker Italian beef

Paprika

Paprika adds flavor and color to grilled meats, marinades, roasted potatoes, and so much more. You can opt for sweet, smokey, or spicy paprika blends. Or, if you select one that has no flavor designation, it will be a middle-of-the-road flavor. I prefer smoked paprika, but the others have good uses too.

Easy ways to use paprika:

• Sprinkle over potato wedges before you roast them
• Use to season chicken, pork, or beef before cooking
• Sprinkle over hummus for a flavor boost

Cinnamon

Cinnamon adds a punch to desserts but it also works nicely with savory Middle Eastern or north African recipes. This spice also has anti-bacterial properties, so there are health benefits to reaching for it often.

Easy ways to use cinnamon:

• Sprinkle in your coffee or tea
• Sprinkle over yogurt or applesauce
• Make cinnamon swirl bread
• Make spiced apple chili

Cumin

Cumin has an earthy, nutty flavor that is hard to substitute and a crucial element in Indian, Mexican, North African, Brazilian recipes, and more.

Easy ways to use cumin:

• Make tacos
• Season meat with cumin and salt before grilling
• Add to rice you serve with Mexican or Indian recipes

Shop essential seasonings

As you can see, you can buy these seasonings on Amazon for $3 or less. That means you can have a respectable spice rack for less than $25 — amazing, right?

The post Stock Your Pantry with These 7 Essential Seasonings appeared first on BlogChef.

Source: https://blogchef.net/essential-seasonings/