spices

Wow! You went to Mexico on vacation and snagged a gigantic bottle of vanilla. Since vanilla originated in Mexico, it makes sense to you that you could get a deal like this.

One of my favorite toppings for pasta, breads and anything savory is this homemade seasoning. With significantly less sodium and fat than dairy parmesan, this recipe is not just healthier, it also gives you a more interesting variety of flavors, while providing an amazingly cheesy texture to anything you top it with. Plus, it is so easy to make--simply throw all the ingredients into a blender and you’re done! I recommend storing it in a glass jar or other airtight container to keep it fresh and ready to use for an extended period of time.

Supplies:

Blender

It may have originated in the Middle East, but once the Persians brought it to India, it was quickly adapted to the Indian palate in spicy, indubitable style…

A world food staple, lentils or dal are great for the health and the palate too!

As the summer winds down and nights wander in with cool breezes our bodies call out for different things to keep healthy and strong. Where the heat of the blazing summer sun was once enough to call forth the power of our immunity, without its penetrating rays staying strong in the sky, we require a bit more to support the seasonal transition into fall that leads the way to winter's doorway. Here are some essential nutrition tips for fall-transition and beyond.

1. Start with a Glass of Warm Water

There are a lot of Puerto Rican recipes you will find that call for these two common spice mixes: Sazon and Adobo.

Depending on your geographical location it may or may not be hard for you to find certain ethnic foods in the grocery store. Moving away from the bigger cities made it hard to find a lot of the traditional foods and spices used in cooking traditional Puerto Rican meals, so I learned how to create them myself.

Sazon

Heightened stress, demanding schedules, processed food, and greater sensitivities in today’s modern world have started to take their toll in even greater numbers. This shift can be witnessed by the increase of obesity and disease in our society. The National Health Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Diseases reported 60-70 million individuals a year in the United States are affected by some type of digestive illness.

Khichadi is a traditional Indian dish that is both nutritious and easy for the body to digest. It is loaded with spices that cater to the balancing of all three doshas in Ayurveda, and is perhaps the most common staple in the practice due to its ability to improve overall health and detoxify the body. This is also a naturally gluten-free meal for those that are avoiding gluten in their diet. The combination of rice and lentils with ghee, spices and vegetables make this a balanced, beneficial and wholesome meal.

What You Will Need