Question about seasonings

[coltle6920]

No matter what seasonings one tries it always falls on one dominant taste that one likes. I really believe everything else revolves around it.

I like a garlic and/or onion taste to my food. After that it's whether I want the dish spicey, sweet or a combination of both.

 

[Golddollar]

It's hard to be good ol' Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning.

Tony Chachere's - Crafting authentic Creole flavors and cuisine since 1972

John, I wish I could give you 5 Likes for this. I put it on or in just about everything. It's what gives the zing to my stuffed mushrooms.

 

[charlie sherrill]

It's hard to be good ol' Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning.

Tony Chachere's - Crafting authentic Creole flavors and cuisine since 1972

Use a lot of it and many more Louisiana seasonings.

 

[snowman]

Many thanks to all of you; some of you folks could have been professionals(don't know if it pays well or not, but you could have done it I'm sure). If others have suggestions, please continue to add them.

Andy

 

[47knuckle]

Tony's has been suggested several times and I agree. Since it's a chicken dish I also recommend McCormick Montreal Chicken seasoning. Depending on how hot you like your food you will have to adjust the quantities. If you like really spicy start with 50% of each. If not so spicy try 2/3 Montreal Chicken and 1/3 Tony's.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I occasionally use a pre-mix spice mix, but I'm not a big fan.
Last Night I made my Go-lash Mix Mash.
Put some left over Spanish Rice in a small bowl.
Added some Taco Meat, which is cooked seasoned Hamburger.
Add a little more diced onion.
Add Shredded Cheddar, mix.
Nuc until cheese melts.
Ate with Corn Tortillas.
Rant - most packaged Rice kits ain't all Rice.
They contain wheat- pasta stuff.

 

[Walkin Horse]

I've seen enough salt mentioned in this thread to raise my blood pressure.

My feet are swelling reading this.

 

[Maddog 521]

Try this

Cajun Seasoning & Cajun Spices From Slap Ya Mama Seasonings


It's already been mentioned so I thought I'd send the WWW site.

 

[vt_shooter]

Ketchup. Life is simple. Don't complicate it.

Ketchup??? What kind of airman are you, didn't they teach you anything about food in the AF?? Lol

BTW, Frank's hot sauce goes with everything.

 

[rockquarry]

I occasionally use a pre-mix spice mix, but I'm not a big fan.
Last Night I made my Go-lash Mix Mash.
Put some left over Spanish Rice in a small bowl.
Added some Taco Meat, which is cooked seasoned Hamburger.
Add a little more diced onion.
Add Shredded Cheddar, mix.
Nuc until cheese melts.
Ate with Corn Tortillas.
Rant - most packaged Rice kits ain't all Rice.
They contain wheat- pasta stuff.

Rice from scratch is incredibly easy to fix and it's so much better than anything packaged as a mix or instant rice. The only "secret" to making good rice is to rinse very thoroughly and lightly brown it in any oil. This will keep it fluffy and not starchy and it doesn't stick together. Justin Wilson called this "independent rice".

 

[Rustyt1953]

I like all rice varieties but my favorite is sticky rice.

Also...

 

[Krogen]

Seasonings? I've learned I don't need to go anywhere except Seattle's Premier Spice, Herb & Tea Shop : World Spice Merchants

The products are fresh and reasonably priced. I've been to the store a few times, but I just order online these days. Too much of a hassle to drive there. I've always been pleased with these folks. There are lots of tempting things to choose from on their site. One can go wild adding goodies to the shopping cart.

These are my old standbys:

Peppercorn - Black - Tellicherry : World Spice Merchants
Cumin Seed - Toasted : World Spice Merchants
Paprika - Smoked - Picante : World Spice Merchants
Cayenne - Indian : World Spice Merchants
https://www.worldspice.com/blends/seasoned-salt-america-s
https://www.worldspice.com/blends/emerald-city-seasoning
https://www.worldspice.com/blends/adobo

 

[soFlaNative]

Cook the rice with a bouillon cube and french onion soup mix.

 

[Jon651]

I've been around here a long time but usually just listen. I've noted over the years several topics in the Lounge in which the members seem to be the most interested, one of which is food. And it's evident that many of you are outstanding cooks. Sometimes you even post complete recipes with cooking instructions. Hence I suspected at least one or two would have good answers to my question(s).

I currently live by myself, and, as with a lot of such men, I should eat better than I typically do. I've been trying to remedy that and have devised at least a couple dishes which are quite good. But one of them requires the proper seasoning to give it a satisfactory taste. I used a good one until I ran out and learned that, either it was no longer made, or the store which handled it no longer carried it. And no other store in the area carried it either.

The problem here(which, granted, is a "first world" one) is that the number and variety of spices and seasonings available makes my head spin. I don't know which ones would fit the bill, and buying a number of them in order to find out would likely be way too expensive. I'm wondering if I would give you the list of ingredients you might at least be able to steer me in the right direction, even though I realize that taste is, well, a matter of taste.

The dish is essentially a stir fry, with the following ingredients:

-rice
-canned chicken breast meat
-peppers and onions
-olive oil
-seasoning


I tried some Old Bay the last time I made this dish, and that seems to work well on ground beef, but it didn't taste right on this one.

Any suggestions are much appreciated, along with any other cooking advice you have.

Regards,
Andy

Yes it's true not all seasonings go with all dishes, but there are some that are nearly universal, such as salt, pepper and garlic. To spice up the recipe you list, I would add a splash of soy sauce (which will also add salt) and a touch of garlic (fresh is best but ground will work). For an added bit of interest, consider throwing in either a handful of cashews, roasted sunflower seed kernels, peanuts or garnish with toasted sesame seeds. A little crunch always adds interest!

Want to sweeten up that recipe? Consider using teriyaki sauce and a splash of cooking oil instead of the olive oil and throw in a small can of pineapple chunks at the end with a splash of the juice from the can as well. Also think about switching to either a yellow, orange or red bell pepper instead of green - not only will it taste better but will cut down on the heartburn! And I only use either Vidalia or Texas Sweet onions unless I'm doing a chili.

Want another veggie in there? Keep a bag of frozen broccoli florets in the freezer and when you are done stir-frying just turn the heat down to simmer, garnish the top with broccoli and cover with a lid for an additional 5-7 minutes to steam the broccoli.

Since salt is an issue with me I tend to avoid canned foods. In your recipe I recommend keeping a bag of individually quick frozen chicken breast (boneless and skinless) in the freezer and thawing out some in the fridge in the morning to use that evening. When you get away from that canned chicken you will be surprised just how much better it will taste.

I did my share of cooking in the fire department (cheap AND picky... ) so all of my recipes feed 8-12, but if you like I will post my easy chicken and dumpling recipe that can be scaled all the way down and is a real crowd pleaser.

Good luck!

 

[bruce5781]

It's hard to beat good ol' Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning.



Tony Chachere's - Crafting authentic Creole flavors and cuisine since 1972

Another vote for Tony's. Works on everything from steak to eggs to macaroni salad. I take a can with me when I travel up North.

Regards,
Bruce

 

[oink]

Some pretty good Asian style versions. The basic version as proposed by the OP would do well with some Tony's or soy sauce. Cooking the rice with some chicken stock or even bouillon would be good but bouillon is salt.

 

[Yaworski]

I make three or four dishes that have those basic ingredients. Most people like my food.

Option 1: Curry powder
Option 2: Chili powder, a dash of Allspice, and a dash of cumin.
Option 3. Paprika and Italian seasoning.
Option 4: Just the Italian seasoning.

Don't forget the salt and black pepper.

Something else that I like when I'm looking for something quick but nutritious is as follows

1 Can of canned chicken
1 resealable container of chicken broth
1 package of ramen
1 bag of cole slaw

I use a Corelle serving bowl for this. Put the ramen into the bowl and cover with an amount of broth that seems to your liking. The noodles will absorb a lot of the broth so if you want soup, use more broth. Use the seasoning packet. Microwave for at least two minutes. Add the chicken and microwave another minute. Add cole slaw to taste and microwave another 30 seconds.

I got the idea for this after eating at a Ramen shop which was very yummy. I thought, I could do something like this and voila.

Boneless chicken thighs are far better than canned chicken. Brown them in a skillet then finish cooking them in the oven. After they cool, you can freeze them and pull out as many as you need for your current meal.

My wife didn't cook and we were a busy family, so I became the master of easy prep meals. Let me know if you'd like some more recipes.

 

[snowman]

I'm grateful for all the contributions; looks like there are a number of possibilities. Some I can't use for a few different reasons(such as some food allergies I've suffered for several years), but I appreciate all your efforts to help nonetheless.

Regards,
Andy

 

[kev74]

Adobo adds a little something extra to just about any meat dish.

 

[robvious]

Mrs Dash makes a variety of seasonings without salt... mostly good... but if you are looking for a magic individual spice I recommend smoked paprika or curry powder