I do have certain rules about what ingredients I will use in my cooking. There is so much information out there that is conflicting about what is and is not good for a person to eat it is very difficult to ascertain what to believe.
There are a few things that are a given. I had 3 siblings with Type I Diabetes. Reading labels has been a must for as long as I can remember, looking for sugars and additives that are dangerous. Long before it became popular to do so. It’s something everyone in the family did as a matter of course.
I’ve read that vegetable oils of all kinds can contribute to inflammation and I believe it. I have various muscular/skeletor aches and pains attributed to inflammation, therefore I avoid vegetable oils as much as I possibly can. It’s pretty easy, just avoid anything and everything that is processed. Simple.
The only oils I use are Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, and sparingly Coconut Oil. And a little bit of butter, not often but once in a while. You’ll see that I am not a fanatic. What I go for is moderation, do the best I can and leave it at that.
I use very little salt in my cooking but I I love spices. Here are some of my favorite spice blends:
- Ras El Hanout – Moroccan Spice Blend
- Taco Seasoning
- Turkish Seasoning
- Greek Seasoning
- Baharat – Middle Eastern 7 Spice Mix
- Chai Spice for making tea
- Japanese Curry Spice Blend
I found a recipe for Chai Spice that is just the spices, no sugar, no milk. I had to search several stores until I found unsweetened Instant Tea. I mixed the spices with instant tea and it makes excellent Chai Tea. You can add honey and milk if you want.
I always tone down the heat. My belly can’t take much in the way of hot peppers. When I cook my seasoning would be considered mild. Folks can dump Siracha, Ghost Pepper Sauce, whatever, as much as they want.
I did a little research about curry. Thinking the word curry is one spice blend is like saying the word flower is a description of all the varieties of flowers there are on the planet. I always thought curry seasoning was East Indian. Turns out there are curry seasonings all over the world and none of them are exactly alike.