An army of worldly spices that battle the bland

The flavors of the world have always made their way to my kitchen. In my home I have a whole array of herbs and spices standing at attention by my stove like little soldiers awaiting their call of duty. Ready to spice things up and shake out the ordinary! I have long been fascinated with mixing and matching ingredient combinations to create a certain exotic flavor and ambience and for me it’s the best solution to dressing up even the most drab of all ingredients – chicken breast.

Chicken breast is a favorite of many dieticians, moms, home cooks and young professionals on the go. It’s a quick to cook, lean source of protein that you can store easily in the refrigerator or freezer. You can add it to any kind of dish like salads or pastas for that extra source of long burning energy. There is however only one problem – it’s often quite boring and rather plain in flavor.

Here comes the beauty of spices and herbs. I think of the chicken breast as a blank canvas on which to unleash colorful flavors from around the world. I’ve thought up a few fun and effortless combinations that channel exotic and familiar tastes from around the globe. These combinations can be used as well on your favorite white fish like tilapia or even shrimp and tofu. Lean pork loin is also another neutral meat and can be great alternative to chicken.

Moroccan: cumin + thyme + cinnamon + mint + cilantro + dried fruit + almonds

Mexican: cumin + chili powder + cayenne + lime + cilantro

Vietnamese: turmeric + lemongrass + fried shallots or onions + fish sauce + brown sugar

Spanish: paprika + garlic + parsley + olive oil Italian 1: rosemary + garlic + olive oil Italian 2: Italian Herbs + garlic + olive oil + tomato + fresh basil + balsamic

Japanese: ginger + soy + sesame + mirin + spring onions + seaweed

Chinese: ginger + black pepper + soy + sesame + hoisin

These two global recipes we’ve featured are bright and vibrant without being too overpowering. If you remove the spicy elements they are also both very kid friendly. The first recipe was taught to me by the Israeli Celebrity Chef Michal Ansky, it’s an adapted version of her Shawarma Salad. It’s a perfect weeknight meal or great for barbecue brunches. It also packs very well as a take out lunch because it doesn’t need to be served hot. In fact it tastes delicious cold. The second recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks – Fresh Indian by Sunil Vijayakar. It’s a healthier and lighter take on usually very rich Indian cooking. My version has a few more herbs and spices with the addition of the tomato onion salad and the yogurt dipping sauce. One thing to note is that plain unsweetened yogurt is a great base for a marinade as it is a natural tenderizer. It is also a very healthy and tangy alternative to cream and can easily replace sour cream in some sauces.

The most important thing to remember however is to keep on experimenting. Be creative, let your instinct guide you and innovate using what you have at home. Some of the greatest recipes I’ve ever done at home were from things that I’ve had leftover languishing in the refrigerator and pantry. All I had to do was spice things up! Allow your little spice soldiers to wage war against the bland and conquer great new flavor frontiers on your own.