For all the budding culinary independents out there who would like to cook more but don't have the flavoring part of it quite down yet. Following are spice and herb combinations you can keep in an airtight jar. Add salt separately to each meal.
- Italian: basil, oregano, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Cajun: cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, thyme, and paprika.
- Indian: cumin, coriander, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and whole black mustard seeds.
- Jamaican: thyme, cayenne, onion powder, dried chives, black pepper, cinnamon, and a little sugar.
- Yemenite: for a blend that works especially well with tomato dishes, use fenugreek, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, and garlic.
- Spanish: paprika, saffron, fennel seed, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder
- Mexican: cumin, onion powder, cayenne, and one or more of any kind of ground chile powder. Not the chile powder you get in a jar - try getting the inexpensive bags of various ground chile varieties in the Mexican section in the supermarket or from bulk bins (New Mexico, Pasilla, California Chile, etc.).
- Moroccan: combine orange peel, cumin, coriander, ginger, oregano, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Ethiopian (doro wat): mix ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, fenugreek, and cayenne.
You can also use these seasonings to marinate tofu by mixing them with a little oil, vinegar, wine, or soy sauce (you can also add honey or sugar). You can make delicious baked tofu by baking marinated slices on a cooking sheet in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, basting the tofu with the marinade, turning occasionally, until browned and most of the marinade has evaporated. Just make sure you use firm tofu. You can marinate anything and bake it.
