Here Are The Perfect Spice Blends For Every Dinner

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Are you the person who received a spice kit from your favorite aunt for your new apartment but haven’t gotten around to using any of it, with the exception of the salt and pepper? We’ve been there. But once you come up with a couple of winning spice combinations for your go-to meals, you won’t feel so intimidated by that wide variety anymore. Here are the best spice blends for your favorite meals.

Stir-Fry

You can’t lose with ginger, garlic and parsley in a stir-fry. You have the ginger for a little spiciness, garlic for that pungent, bold flavor and parsley for something herbaceous. If you happen to have chili paste, soy sauce, sesame oil and tamari lying around, those are always foolproof stir-fry seasonings to toss into the sauté pan as well.

Green Vegetables

Whether you’re cooking kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, bok choy or collard greens, you should always have a spice combination for the job. When it comes to green veggies, you can’t go wrong with red pepper flakes, nutmeg, garlic and ginger. Between the spicy and the sweet, you’ll be able to cut down the bitterness of any green on the table.

Fish Or Seafood

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When it comes to a fatty fish like salmon, you’ll never screw up with a combination of cumin, chili powder, black pepper and salt. If you have brown sugar in your pantry, add a sweet kick to this spice rub. If you’re going more towards the shellfish route with shrimp, use a mixture of paprika, black pepper, garlic powder and salt. You’ll get a little bit of heat and a little bit of sweetness from the paprika. The salt enhances all of those flavors as a whole.

Pasta

Your mac ‘n’ cheese is never really done. You can always spice it up a little bit more. Our go-to mac ‘n’ cheese spices are nutmeg, paprika and red pepper flakes. For a light pasta dish, like linguine with shrimp or farfalle with veggies, you can’t lose with oregano, thyme, basil and garlic powder. It all depends on if you’re in the mood for something sweet and comforting or something fresh and savory.

Roasted Chicken

For roasted chicken, you’re always left with an endless amount of spice possibilities. For a dish with a little heat, try paprika, red pepper flakes and cumin. Also, you’ll never fail with paprika, salt and black pepper. For a sweeter roasted chicken rub, try cinnamon, paprika, oregano and black pepper. If you have fresh lemon in your fridge, a squeeze of lemon juice always works, too. Make sure you have a bottle of olive oil or extra virgin olive oil on hand for massaging these spices into the chicken. Here’s some recipe inspiration for a roasted chicken with oregano, salt and pepper.

Chickpea Stew

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Any kind of Moroccan stew, whether it’s with chickpeas, lamb or chicken, can benefit from a few shakes of turmeric, chili powder, ground cumin, salt and black pepper. This Moroccan chickpea stew is packed with veggies and has all of these comforting spices involved.

Pizza

Of course, everyone has their own winning spice combination when it comes to pizza. If you’re lost and you ever need a go-to mixture that you won’t have to think too much about, go with red pepper flakes, paprika, black pepper and thyme. Garlic can be a little overpowering on pizza, but if you’re a garlic fanatic, give your pizza a few shakes of the pungent powder.

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