Warm up fall dishes with season’s favorite spices
As we inch along through fall, I find myself shifting in cravings. Gone are the menus focused on beating the summer heat. Instead with cooler nights, I want to serve foods that exude warmth and mimic the season.
Hence my love affair with Simply Organic spices has been renewed. I have been testing recipes with ground nutmeg, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice for the past few weeks. Each time, I am reminded what truly flavorful, fresh, fall spices can do to enhance recipes galore.
I began with Pumpkin Pie Spice. To be honest, there was one time in my life that I made my own blend, and I won’t do that again. It was tedious and quite expensive by the time I pulled together the eight spices required. Realistically, why go to that trouble when there is a perfectly blended and balanced option right in front of me that is delicious?
Don’t let the name fool you, because it isn’t just for pumpkin pies. I use it in spice cakes and cookies, add a sprinkling to apple and pear crumbles and tarts, dust baked winter squash and ham with it and enhance mashed or fried sweet potatoes with Pumpkin Pie Spice. Incredible!
My other two fall favorites are both ingredients in Pumpkin Pie Spice, and those are cinnamon and nutmeg. My supply was lacking the punch I expect from these spices, so to the rescue are new jars. Just opening and smelling them made me happy. These mahogany-colored spices add depth that is composed of a little heat and a lot of tang. It’s no wonder they have inspired not just expeditions, but conquests since ancient times.
Like all spices, make sure you keep the containers tightly closed and stored in a pantry where it is cool and dark. They will serve you well with all your fall, winter and holiday baking.