Coriander, marjoram, fenugreek and more
December 16, 2024 10:51 AM Subscribe
I’m trying to declutter and have challenged myself to use up all my herbs and spices in the next 2 months. I’m looking for suggestions: especially if they seem like “hacks” (for instance, I managed to use my cumin by mixing with salt and dipping boiled eggs in it), but recipes are welcome too.
My herb and spice inventory:
2 jars ground coriander
1 sachet of dried ancho chilli
Half jar ground fenugreek
Jar dried marjoram
1 jar cumin seeds
1 jar ground nutmeg
1 jar dried mint
Half jar sumac
Jar ground ginger (not a fan of this)
(I could just give them away or something, but I’d quite like the satisfaction of using everything)
My herb and spice inventory:
2 jars ground coriander
1 sachet of dried ancho chilli
Half jar ground fenugreek
Jar dried marjoram
1 jar cumin seeds
1 jar ground nutmeg
1 jar dried mint
Half jar sumac
Jar ground ginger (not a fan of this)
(I could just give them away or something, but I’d quite like the satisfaction of using everything)
I put coriander in bean dishes alongside cumin, but you can add a lot more. Marjoram I add to chicken soup or potato leek soup or anything in the genre. It’s soup season in my hemisphere!
posted by chocotaco at 11:44 AM on December 16 [1 favorite]
posted by chocotaco at 11:44 AM on December 16 [1 favorite]
Coriander, cumin, chili, and nutmeg would be appropriate in a garam masala mix, which you could then move into the same author's famous butter chicken. You can use ground ginger in this, but only use 1 tsp.
posted by advicepig at 11:54 AM on December 16 [1 favorite]
posted by advicepig at 11:54 AM on December 16 [1 favorite]
mix the sachet of ancho chili & a squeeze of lemon into mayo for a spicy dip! I like pork chops and roasts rubbed all over with sumac, which uses up a lot. sumac is also good on roasted potato wedges.
nutmeg: not a fast one to use up, but when I make granola I use a big spoon of both nutmeg and ginger. I riff on this recipe but you can't use honey, she's incorrect about that unless you don't like crunchy granola. I also sometimes eat 2:1 ratio of vanilla Greek yogurt and canned pumpkin, topped with nutmeg (and the other pumpkin pie spices, but nutmeg is the big one) this powdered donut snacking cake is delish and uses over a tsp in a small cake.
posted by euphoria066 at 12:06 PM on December 16
nutmeg: not a fast one to use up, but when I make granola I use a big spoon of both nutmeg and ginger. I riff on this recipe but you can't use honey, she's incorrect about that unless you don't like crunchy granola. I also sometimes eat 2:1 ratio of vanilla Greek yogurt and canned pumpkin, topped with nutmeg (and the other pumpkin pie spices, but nutmeg is the big one) this powdered donut snacking cake is delish and uses over a tsp in a small cake.
posted by euphoria066 at 12:06 PM on December 16
If you already drink coffee on a regular basis, you could put a bit of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and molasses in it for a gingerbread latte (calls for 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp ginger per serving).
I enjoy using leftover rice by making custardy rice pudding with a good amount of nutmeg and cinnamon. For example, this recipe calls for 1/2 tsp nutmeg per two cups of rice, but you could add a little more if you like the taste. I stick leftover rice in the freezer until I'm ready to make pudding.
posted by dreamyshade at 12:49 PM on December 16
I enjoy using leftover rice by making custardy rice pudding with a good amount of nutmeg and cinnamon. For example, this recipe calls for 1/2 tsp nutmeg per two cups of rice, but you could add a little more if you like the taste. I stick leftover rice in the freezer until I'm ready to make pudding.
posted by dreamyshade at 12:49 PM on December 16
Gingersnaps? I haven't tried this recipe, but Stella Parks is very reliable. I think I'm going to try it during the holidays.
Also, my grandmother used to rub all meat and fowl in ground ginger before roasting/grilling/frying. I've recently discovered this goes back to my great-great grandmother (at least), so that is cool in itself. It doesn't give a ginger flavor to your roast or a steak like the one I just had today, just another layer of pepperiness. And probably the health benefits.
Nutmeg goes into bechamel and all its derivatives. So now you have an excuse for making lasagne or moussaka and similar dishes. My kids prefer my vegetarian lasagne, where I use eggplant instead of meat, and I sort of agree, also, you can use your marjoram here in place of oregano. If you live alone, cannelloni is a good alternative to lasagne.
But I also use nutmeg in beef stews.
I too have too much sumak, because the containers we buy it in here are really too big for me. But I sprinkle it on salads and sometimes on rolls if I am baking.
Obviously, you need to be cooking more food from the South Asian subcontinent. Maybe borrow a good cookbook from your library?
I haven't done it for a while, but Afghan recipes are also very interesting and use many of the same spices, but combine them in different ways.
posted by mumimor at 12:54 PM on December 16 [1 favorite]
Also, my grandmother used to rub all meat and fowl in ground ginger before roasting/grilling/frying. I've recently discovered this goes back to my great-great grandmother (at least), so that is cool in itself. It doesn't give a ginger flavor to your roast or a steak like the one I just had today, just another layer of pepperiness. And probably the health benefits.
Nutmeg goes into bechamel and all its derivatives. So now you have an excuse for making lasagne or moussaka and similar dishes. My kids prefer my vegetarian lasagne, where I use eggplant instead of meat, and I sort of agree, also, you can use your marjoram here in place of oregano. If you live alone, cannelloni is a good alternative to lasagne.
But I also use nutmeg in beef stews.
I too have too much sumak, because the containers we buy it in here are really too big for me. But I sprinkle it on salads and sometimes on rolls if I am baking.
Obviously, you need to be cooking more food from the South Asian subcontinent. Maybe borrow a good cookbook from your library?
I haven't done it for a while, but Afghan recipes are also very interesting and use many of the same spices, but combine them in different ways.
posted by mumimor at 12:54 PM on December 16 [1 favorite]
If you don't like ginger, do you also not like ginger biscuits? That recipe uses 1.5 tablespoons, and I'd probably take it up to 2.5 (and decrease the amount of flour).
Yotam Ottolenghi's chopped salad with feta and yoghurt uses 2 teaspoons of dried mint, 1 teaspoon of sumac, and coriander seeds, which you could replace with ground coriander.
posted by paduasoy at 12:57 PM on December 16
Yotam Ottolenghi's chopped salad with feta and yoghurt uses 2 teaspoons of dried mint, 1 teaspoon of sumac, and coriander seeds, which you could replace with ground coriander.
posted by paduasoy at 12:57 PM on December 16
If you eat lamb, mint sauce is a great lamb accompaniment and it uses a lot of dried mint.
Cumin, coriander and ginger would go well in a sweet potato or squash soup.
posted by quacks like a duck at 1:33 PM on December 16
Cumin, coriander and ginger would go well in a sweet potato or squash soup.
posted by quacks like a duck at 1:33 PM on December 16
Sprinkle nutmeg on eggnog. It won't use up much, but it's awesome on it.
posted by i_like_camels at 2:15 PM on December 16 [2 favorites]
posted by i_like_camels at 2:15 PM on December 16 [2 favorites]
I have a receipt that is a one of my favorite for carb/meat heavy holiday dinners since it is super easy and add color to the plate:
Buy a bag of chopped frozen spinach. Defrost. Squeeze out all of the excess moisture.
Heat a bit of oil in saucepan. Add fresh diced garlic and cook until lightly brown. (Skip this step if you use garlic powder). Sauté spinach, garlic and spices. My recipes used 2T of cumin but as noted here, there are lots of spices that go well with cooked spinach - you could try coriander, fenugeek or sumac. Optional: add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end. Can serve hot or cold.
posted by metahawk at 3:23 PM on December 16
Buy a bag of chopped frozen spinach. Defrost. Squeeze out all of the excess moisture.
Heat a bit of oil in saucepan. Add fresh diced garlic and cook until lightly brown. (Skip this step if you use garlic powder). Sauté spinach, garlic and spices. My recipes used 2T of cumin but as noted here, there are lots of spices that go well with cooked spinach - you could try coriander, fenugeek or sumac. Optional: add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end. Can serve hot or cold.
posted by metahawk at 3:23 PM on December 16
Put rice and water in rice cooker
Add some cumin seeds, coriander powder, ginger powder, chilli, curry powder
Swish it around to mix the spices in
Put some frozen vegetables on top. Do not mix these in.
Cook on rice setting
posted by kinddieserzeit at 3:50 PM on December 16
Add some cumin seeds, coriander powder, ginger powder, chilli, curry powder
Swish it around to mix the spices in
Put some frozen vegetables on top. Do not mix these in.
Cook on rice setting
posted by kinddieserzeit at 3:50 PM on December 16
Coriander, ginger and nutmeg are all used in making cola syrup, which you can add to carbonated water. I don't have a link I'm afraid.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 5:37 PM on December 16
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 5:37 PM on December 16
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posted by advicepig at 11:38 AM on December 16 [4 favorites]