I’ve always been pretty good at cooking.
It’s something I take for granted – I just intuitively move my way through my meals, having a hunch about how much of this to add, and how much of that, and tasting it and knowing it needs a little something extra and how to achieve what I need (the answer is usually add more sea salt).
I have a secret to confess – I despise writing out exact recipes, and it’s because of this innate cooking intuition that I have. I like to think that because I know exactly how much of this and that would taste good that everyone should know how to do that. So when I try and write my recipes out with exact quantities, I’m always left going ‘Well I don’t know!!! I just throw stuff on there and it works out!!”.
While writing all the recipes for the candida cleanse program, I seriously struggled. I would find ANYTHING to procrastinate with to avoid trying to conform my kitchen masterpieces into a formula. But alas… it had to be done, because many people simply can’t function in the kitchen without that exactness that comes with a well written recipe.
This article is not about recipes anyway. I’m not giving you any exact quantities – I’m giving you some guidelines that may help you to experiment and find that you CAN cook intuitively too!
I’m going to tell you about certain spices that can be used together in your dishes to transform them into a boring plate of veg or a drab omellette into a Mexican, Thai, Indian, Moroccan, Chinese, Cajun, African, or Italian sensation!
Seriously – spices are your best friend in the kitchen if you want to be healthy, and knowing how to use them will take your cooking to a new level. Most people think healthy food is boring because they are used to piling on their processed sauce and condiments in order to get their food tasting decent. All you need is a little know-how on what goes with what, and you’ll be flying.
You’ll Never Have a Boring Meal Again!
The following are spice themes of 12 different regions that you can use to recreate the spirit of that country’s dishes. You don’t have to use all the spices listed at once (and note that most of them will do very well with a pinch of sea salt to bring out the taste), but it will be a good guide to get you thinking about what sort of new flavours you can create in your kitchen:
Mexican Inspired
Chipotle, Chili Flakes, Garlic, Oregano, Paprika, Cayenne, Onion Powder, Cumin
Jamaican Jerk Inspired
Allspice, Chili Flakes
Italian Inspired
Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Garlic
Indian Curry Inspired
Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander, Cardamom, Fenugreek, Chili
Indian Tandoori Inspired
Paprika, Cumin, Coriander, Cloves, Cinnamon, Ginger, Garlic, Cayenne, Turmeric
Chinese Inspired
Anise, Cinnamon, Pepper, Fennel, Cloves
Cajun Inspired
Cayenne, Pepper, Onion powder, Garlic, Chili, Thyme, Sweet Basil, Bay Leaf
Thai Inspired
Ginger, Galangel, Fennel, Garlic, Sweet Basil, Chili, Lemongrass
Baharat (Middle Eastern) Inspired
Allspice, Paprika, Pepper, Cumin, Coriander, Cassia, Cloves, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Coriander
Moroccan Inspired
Coriander, Ginger, Garlic, Cumin, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Turmeric, Cardamom
Greek Inspired
Oregano, Onion Powder, Garlic, Pepper, Parsley, Paprika, Thyme, Nutmeg
Lebanese Za’tar Inspired
Thyme, Sumac, Toasted Sesame Seeds
I’m not really sure how extensive everyone’s spice collection is. Mine is super meager here in Australia, and even back home I don’t have half the spices above. But my most used ones are definitely cumin, rosemary, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, and salt and pepper.
However, I’m thinking that when I go home I want to ramp up my spice rack with some really nice, good quality organic herbs, spices, and spice blends.
So Why Should I Know The Above Combinations? Can’t I Just Buy Spice Blends to Do it For Me?
Yes, use spice blends by all means. They make the above combinations a cinch… you don’t even have to think! I wouldn’t mind having a few lining my pantry.
But then why don’t I use them currently?
Because most of the ones you pick up at the supermarket have some very questionable ingredients added, such as:
- Corn or Rice Starch
- Hydrolyzed corn or soy protein (MSG)
- Unspecified “Spices” (probably MSG)
- Natural Flavouring (nuh uh, not natural)
- Soybean Oil (or other vegetable oils)
I’d prefer if my spices just be spices, thanks.
However, just because single spices are a little bit more innocent, they still aren’t ideal. Aside from the pesticides, almost all cheap non-organic spices are treated with irradiation (literally shooting radiation at them), or fumigation (exposing them to carcinogenic gas) when they come into the country.
Organic spices on the other hand are guaranteed that they had steam used on them instead to kill bugs, which is a harmless method compared to irradiation or fumigation. You can read more about the difference between organic and non-organic spices here.
None of my spices are currently organic, and they weren’t back home either. Spice quality was never a top priority for my pocket book or health, and it’s probably not for yours either – hey, that’s okay. Take things one step at a time – it’s taken me two years before I’ve gotten around to deciding that maybe I should switch my collection over to a higher quality.
Plus it’s because I started looking through The Spice Trader website (sorry, they only ship to Canada) and their spice blends look SO good…. damn my food is going to be tasty! Problem is that I can’t decide now which ones I want and I’m afraid I’m going to spend my life savings!
Okay, so yes, organic spices do cost more…. but I figure it’s not that bad. It’s kind of like an initial investment for something you use all the time and they last seemingly forever. Plus I’ve been reading that these fresh organic herbs and spices are so flavourful that you only need half as much you normally would – so the cost does even out!
For Those Americans Out There…
Don’t feel left out. I know The Spice Trader looks good, but Mountain Rose Herbs is a fantastic online store with a great reputation for supplying health conscious people with their organic spices. So check ‘er out.
Are you an intuitive cooker? Or a recipe follower?
12 Responses
next week i am joining too.i m really looking forward to this because i need advice and guidance.i am not sure i can do this by myself. at the moment my chin and cheeks are full of cystic acne and the only thing that makes me a little optimistic is your before picture! i find it very hard to believe that you have no scarring left.i just cant imagine my skin clear ever again.i want it so desperately!i’ ve already started the diet and i am waiting for the group cleanse!do you eat meat everyday? if so, isnt that unhealthy? and also, what about raw veggies?i am not sure i can digest them properly but on the other hand they are packed full of nutrients and i need them for the healing process.i ve read so many reviews from people who cleared their acne just by going 100% raw but i dont think i can do that.when you first started clearing your acne what exactly did you do? was it just the candida diet or did you detox in some way?
Hi Magda,
I’m so sorry you’re going through such a horrible time with your skin 🙁
Yes, I eat meat every day, only small portions and good quality meat. I don’t think this is unhealthy despite what many say.
As for raw veggies – sure, raw veggies are great, but they aren’t necessary. Most of them are so tough and wrapped up in their hard cellulose packaging, that they are very hard for your body to break down properly, ESPECIALLY if your digestive system is delicate. You may lose a little bit of nutrients by lightly cooking them, but it makes it so much easier for your body to actually get at and use the nutrients that are there. I usually recommend a mix of raw and cooked vegetables, focusing more on soft vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers for the raw part (or blended stuff like green smoothies which makes it easier for your body). But yeah, you should definitely lightly cook your vegetables though if your digestive system needs that.
When I first started clearing my severe acne, I went vegan (soy and gluten free… not very fun).. I was very swayed toward raw foods too because of how amazing they all make it sound, but I never found that I could do that. Since I wasn’t eating the bad foods anymore and was focusing on lots of vegetables, I did see some improvement, but after 2 or 3 months of being PERFECT (I even did a ten day juice fast and saw no improvement at all), I still had a lot of persistent inflamed acne. It wasn’t until I got checked for food sensitivities and focused on adding in probiotics that I got clear. I also started eating some meat again…. but anyway…
Lots of raw vegans clear their skin, but don’t get too wrapped up in the raw vegan hype that it’s the only, or healthiest, way. I think many of the most important nutrients you need for health and beautiful skin are in abundance in animal foods. If you want a different perspective, please start reading all you can about traditional foods, the paleo/primal diet, and the Weston A Price foundation, and maybe it’ll help you feel less torn up about this raw food thing.
PS – the reason I think that raw vegans in particular get clear more often than regular vegans, is because raw vegans are actually mostly on the right track in my opinion – they eat a lot of vegetables, and they don’t eat any grains, gluten, soy legumes, processed foods, bad dairy, bad meat – all the stuff the paleo people avoid too. I think it’s the absence of these things that make them so seemingly successful (in the short term, SO many of them end up with nutritional deficiencies in the long term), but I definitely don’t think that success is because everything they eat is raw and that they don’t eat animal products.
I’m so pleased that you did manage to write all of the inspiring recipes for the candida cleanse. I’m really looking to trying them out, and I’m seriously considering getting some organic coconut oil! I’ve never been a oil/fried/roasted fanatic, probably because it’s “unhealthy”, but I know that coconut oil is really good! (I’m slightly hesitant because I tested intolerant to coconut a few months ago, and since the test I haven’t rated any coconut.
First ingredients I’m going to get however is Herbamare!
Thanks Tracy, food is going to be fun again! 🙂
Great post!
For those in the US, Penzeys Spices is a great resource for organic spices and spice blends. The stores are really cute and the blends smell amazing. If there isn’t a location near you, I believe you can purchase from them online. They also offer a catalog showing their spices with helpful descriptions.
I love them…I want to go back to Portland for a couple of the family spice shops :/. Oh well
Hi Tracy! Sorry, this has nothing to do with spices but I have a quick question! So my dermatologist advised me not to use hairspray because it clogs your pores, which I totally agree with cause it makes my skin feel sticky when I use it, but I was wondering what your thoughts on hairspray are? And do you have any suggestions for hairspray substitutions or some kind of hairspray that doesn’t necessarily clog your pores?
Hi Cassie,
Sorry I don’t have any opinion on hairspray or know anything about it!
Maybe someone else here has an answer?
Hi, Cassie! About your hairspray question: There is a girl on youtube that has a lot of cool chemical free tutorials for hair and this is a link to her one for hairspray. It’s just natural sugar and water!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnQGaednx5w
I just joined the website OpenSky. It does not offer all the kinds of things that I use, even some I could make (coconut butter with rosemary for the body) but it helps you find more products and websites. Maybe take a look-a dietitian on there recommended a pretty nice spice blend set.
Nice post, and thanks for the alternative for Americans. It does not go unappreciated for sure.
Tracy! I had eggplant ‘french toast’ this morning. How cool is that? I loved it!
I know! It’s a pretty fun recipe… almost like the real thing!