Everything Bagel Seasoning Mix

Some of my fam has become very fond of Trader Joe's Everything Bagel Seasoning lately. We've been putting in on weekend breakfasts of avocado toast, and in my case, cottage cheese with fresh cherry or grape tomatoes. It's so good on those things! We used up our last bottle a bit ago, and living overseas, couldn't easily get more. So I found a recipe online and tried it. It's very good! That batch is almost gone now, but luckily, a friend in the States send me a supply of the seasoning that should last a while- so exciting! But this recipe is great if you can't buy it already made. 

Everything Bagel Seasoning

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic*
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
2 teaspoons flaked sea salt or coarse salt

In a small bowl, combine the poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt. Stir until well combined. *If your garlic and onion bits are too large, you may need to blend them quickly in a mini food processor. Store in a sealed jar or container.

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Syrian Ouzi Beef Rice

I love this recipe from An Edible Mosaic and so did my family, especially my 18-year old son, who keeps asking for it. The recipe is supposed to be made with ground lamb, but I can never find it here, so I finally just made it with ground beef. I was glad I did. If I ever do find ground lamb, I'll try it, but it's so good with beef. I made my own spice mix for this, from the same blog/cookbook, and I'll list that recipe here too. We always have this with roasted cauliflower- so good. I've used Northwoods Fire or Garlic Salt from Penzey's on the cauliflower. The original recipe cooks the meat first, then the rice. When I make this, I start the rice first, since it takes longer. Then start the meat, and hopefully, they are done at about the same time. 

Syrian Ouzi Beef Rice  

adapted from An Edible Mosaic 

Topping/Garnish:

1/2 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
6 tablespoons blanched almonds or pine nuts
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, optional

Rice:

3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 1/2 cups basmati rice soaked in water for 10-15 minutes, then rinsed under cool running water in a fine mesh sieve and drained well
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
4 pods cardamom cracked open
2 whole cloves
1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots (I just use the whole 12-oz bag now. It's prob a little more than 2 cups)
1 tablespoon 7-spice mix, see below

1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups chicken stock 

Plain yogurt, for serving

Lamb (Or Beef):

1 pound ground lamb or 85% lean ground beef; if you use leaner meat, add 1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
4 large cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon 7-spice mix, see below
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

For the Topping: Preheat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the ghee/oil; once melted, stir in the nuts. Cook until the nuts are golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes, stirring often. They can burn easily. Remove the nuts from the heat and transfer them from the skillet to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.

For the Rice:Preheat a 4 to 5-quart non-stick pot over medium heat. Add the ghee/oil; once melted, add the onion. Cook until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice and cook 1 minute, and then stir in the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and cloves, and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the peas and carrots, 7-spice mix, salt, Aleppo pepper, and turmeric. Add the chicken stock, and stir it briefly (try for just one stir!). Let it come up to a gentle boil. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to low, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes (don’t open the lid during this time). Remove from the heat, let the rice sit (covered) for 10 minutes, and then fluff it with a fork.

For the Lamb: Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb/beef (and oil/ghee if using) and use a wooden spoon to break up the meat in the skillet. Stir in the onion. Cook until the meat is browned and the onion is softened, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break the meat into smaller crumbles. Turn the heat down to medium, stir in the garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the 7-spice mix, salt, and Aleppo pepper, and remove from the heat. Cover the skillet and set it aside for now.

To Serve:If the meat cooled too much, reheat it for a couple minutes on the stovetop. Transfer the fluffed rice to a large serving platter and top with the meat, nuts, and parsley. Serve. (I just put both pots on the table/counter and let everyone dish up rice, then meat on their own plates.) 

7-Spice Mix 

adapted from An Edible Mosaic

1/2 tablespoon black pepper 

1/2 tablespoon allspice 

1 teaspoon sweet paprika 

3/4 teaspoon coriander 

3/4 teaspoon cumin 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Mix all spices together and store in a spice container. (Pictured below.)

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Pull-Apart Asiago Bubble Bread

This bread was so good.  It's one of the first baking projects I did during the Covid lockdown, back in early March.  I couldn't believe how light and fluffy and flavorful this bread is.  Plus, it's fun- you get to pull it apart at the table to eat it.  I made it twice, once with Asiago, and once with Manchego I had grated and stuck in the freezer.  You could use Parmigiana, Grana, Parmesan, etc.  Make sure to use an aged cheese, not a young cheese.  But if you don't have the cheese called for, I'm sure it would be good with anything you choose to experiment with.  When I made this, I didn't have Italian seasoning, so I made my own.  I'll include that recipe below, too.

Pull-Apart Asiago Bubble Bread
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water
3/4 tablespoon instant yeast (or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons oil (canola, olive, avocado, grapeseed, etc.)
1 teaspoon salt
3 ounces shredded Asiago cheese (about 3/4 cup)
4 cups all-purpose flour, give or take a little (see note)

Asiago Topping:
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon total)
2 ounces Asiago cheese, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (recipe below if needed, OR a blend of dried oregano/basil)

1.  For the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl by hand, combine the warm water, yeast, sugar, oil, salt, Asiago cheese, and 2 cups of the flour (if you are using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, let the yeast proof in the warm water and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until it is foamy and bubbly before adding the oil, salt, cheese, and flour).

2.  Begin mixing; continue to add the rest of the flour gradually until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl and the dough is soft and smooth but still slightly tacky to the touch.  Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes.

3.  Lightly spray a large bowl or container with cooking spray, and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it has doubled (about an hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen).

4.  Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly greased (or floured) countertop.  For the Asiago topping: in a shallow dish or bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, garlic, Asiago cheese, and Italian seasoning.  Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan.

5.  Divide the dough into 14-20 equal pieces and shape the dough into round balls.  Roll the top and sides of each ball in the Asiago mixture and place in the prepared pan.  Pour/scrape the remaining filling and cheese over the dough.  Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 30-45 minutes until doubled in size.

6.  About 20 minutes before dough is done rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake the bubble bread for 25-30 minutes, until golden and baked through to the center.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes before eating.

Homemade Italian Seasoning

adapted from Allrecipes

2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons dried marjoram
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried savory

1. Mis ingredients together and store in a small glass jar or other airtight container.  

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Somali-Style Rice (Bariis Iskukaris)

For our 7 Country Dinner, I made this rice to represent Somalia.  It was so good and flavorful.  I cut the recipe in half, and it still made a ton.  (However, I left the Somali spice mix at 2 teaspoons because I loved the flavor.) I made my own Somali spice mix for this including cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon, cardamom, and much more.  Basmati rice isn't used a ton here, but every store had it in a tiny, expensive container.  (I should have checked the international store first, but didn't think of it!)

I have made many of my own spice mixes, but only from pre-ground spices that I mix together.  For this recipe, I finally bit the bullet and purchased my own coffee grinder to use as a spice grinder.  And I'm SO glad I did!  The pic above is the totally powdered mixture after grinding.  (Somali spice mix- Xawaash.  It contained cinnamon sticks, cloves, and other whole spices and still ground up beautifully.  I loved the results!)

Somali-Style Rice (Bariis Iskukaris)

adapted from NY Times

recipe below is cut in half, but not the spice mix 

2 cups Basmati rice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cinnamon sticks
3 whole green cardamom pods
5 whole cloves
2 teaspoons xawaash spice mix (see below)
4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon saffron threads, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
Salt

FOR THE XAWAASH (SOMALI SPICE MIX):
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons dried whole sage
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (or powder)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
8 green cardamom pods
10 whole cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
⅓ cinnamon stick

FOR THE TOPPING:
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons raisins
1/2 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
Salt

1.  Soak rice in cold water 30 to 45 minutes, then drain.

2.  Meanwhile, prepare the xawaash: Combine all the spices in a spice grinder and finely grind. Set aside.

3.  Prepare the topping: Heat olive oil in a wide, deep pot over medium-high heat and add the onions, stirring occasionally until translucent. Add raisins and allow to soften, about 2 minutes, then add red bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and set aside on a paper towel.

4.  In the same pot, make the rice: Heat 1/2 cup oil. Add onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves and xawaash spice mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

5.  Stir in stock and rice. Bring to boil, then cover and cook on low heat 20 minutes. Stir in saffron and raisins and season to taste with salt. Cover, turn off heat and steam for 5 more minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, using a large spoon to pile rice in a heap onto a platter. Sprinkle topping over rice and serve.

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Dill Dip + Homemade Beau Monde Seasoning

One of my aunts makes a really good Dill Dip that's also great over baked potatoes.  I finally made it myself recently, and we had it over baked potatoes for dinner one night.  I took a pic with the leftovers the next day- it's also super good as a chip dip.  I'm going to make it in a few days for one of our New Year's Eve appetizers, and we'll dip veggies into it so we can feel a little bit virtuous as we're stuffing our faces with other unhealthy things.  I'm also planning on using light sour cream (but regular mayo).

Besides dried dill weed, a very important flavor in this dip is Beau Monde seasoning.  One doesn't see this around much anymore, and I of course can't get it over here.  I looked into ordering it online and it was SUPER expensive.  So I looked up a recipe to make my own, and it's SUPER easy, and I had everything I needed at home already.  The ingredients are just onion powder, celery salt, and sugar.  That's it!!! I'm glad I looked it up, because I've made this in the past without Beau Monde and it's just not as good. I'll include the recipe below. (I came across a ton of recipes with weird stuff like cloves and cinnamon, and that is NOT the Beau Monde I know and love.  The recipe below is just right.)

Dill Dip

from my Aunt M.L.

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayo

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1 tablespoon dried dill weed

1 teaspoon Beau Monde seasoning, recipe below

1.  Combine all ingredients.  You can let it sit in the fridge for a few hours for the flavors to come together, but it's good right away too.  You can serve over baked potatoes, or use as a chip or veggie dip.

Homemade Beau Monde Seasoning

from Food

2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons celery salt
1 tablespoon white sugar (can use super-fine sugar, but I didn't, and it was fine)

1.  Mix all ingredients and store in an air-tight jar or container.

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Moroccan-Spiced Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Cucumber Salad

I saw this delicious-looking chicken recipe on David Lebovitz's blog recently and made it soon after. I couldn't find the flatbread I wanted, and I didn't want to make it myself, so I picked up a few packages of Italian "Piadina" bread- it's like a large wrap bread.  It's really, really large, lol; I had to cut them in half for dinner.  (Usually I can find "Arabic Flatbread" here locally but I couldn't find it anymore.  Just use your favorite flatbread.  Homemade Naan bread would be great too.)

You make the chicken yogurt marinade ahead and let everything sit in the fridge for a while.  I made my own Moroccan spice mixture- Ras El Hanout, from a recipe I found online.  Then I made cucumber-feta salad from David Lebovitz.  I didn't even realize, until I was making it, that I've made the Cuke Salad before, a lot!  It's one of my favorite things.  I make it differently, usually, with tomatoes and olives added.

Moroccan-Spiced Grilled Chicken Kebabs with Cucumber Salad
adapted from David Lebovitz

6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small onion, peeled
3/4 cup (180g) whole milk plain yogurt, preferably Greek-style
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 teaspoons Ras el Hanout spice mix, recipe below (I just used the whole mixture)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika, sweet or smoked
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2-pounds (900g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed of fat, cut into 1 1/4-inch (4cm) pieces

1. Finely mince the garlic. Grate the onion with the large holes of a grater. (Alternately, you can cut the garlic and onion into smaller pieces and finely chop them together in a mini-chopper- I used a mini food processor.) Put onions and garlic in a large zip-top freezer bag. You may also put them in a medium bowl and marinade the chicken in the bowl.

2. Mix in the yogurt, lemon juice, Ras el Hanout, salt, black pepper, paprika, red pepper, and chicken. Before you close the bag, push most of the air out of it, then seal the bag. Massage the chicken pieces so that they are all covered. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.

3. To cook, thread the chicken pieces on 4 to 6 skewers. Light the grill until the heat until it’s very hot. Brush the grill with a bit of oil and grill the skewers on one side until they are seared with grill marks, about 4 or 5 minutes, then turn the skewers and grill until the chicken is cooked through. They’ll take about 8-9 minutes, total. If you don’t have a grill, you can make these in a lightly oiled grill pan on the stovetop.

4. Serve with pita or flatbread and the Cucumber Feta Salad, recipe below.

Ras el Hanout 

adapted from Epicurious

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1.  In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients until combined well. Spice blend keeps in an airtight container at cool room temperature 1 month. (Use the whole amount for the chicken recipe.)

Cucumber Feta Salad Recipe

adapted from David Lebovitz

1 large English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into pea-sized pieces (I shredded it in my food processor)
coarse salt
8 ounces (225g) feta cheese (I used 6 oz- what I had)
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, peeled and finely-diced (optional)
1 tablespoon (each) chopped fresh mint, parsley and fresh dill

1. Place the cucumber pieces in a colander, mix with a light sprinkling salt, and let drain 30 minutes to an hour, shaking the colander from time to time. (If you choose to shred it instead, you can skip this and squeeze out water with your hands.)

2. Crumble the feta into a bowl and mash together with the olive oil, lemon juice, water, and a few turns of black pepper.

3. Mix in the cucumbers, onions, and herbs. Taste, and add more salt if desired.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix

Here's an easy recipe to make your own dry ranch dressing mix.  I had everything on hand; including buttermilk powder. If you don't have buttermilk powder, you can still make this, just mix with buttermilk instead of milk. Actually, mixing this with milk and mayo produces a pretty thin dressing, so you may want to use buttermilk anyway.  To make this thicker, I used plain Greek yogurt in place of half of the milk. It was thick and delicious!!  I do use the dry Ranch packets you can buy, but those contain MSG, and this doesn't. :)

Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix

adapted from Gimme Some Oven

1/3 cup dry buttermilk (**see note below**)
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried chives
1 tsp. salt

1.  Whisk all ingredients together until blended. If you want a more finely-ground seasoning mix, you can pulse the mixture in a food processor until it reaches your desired consistency.  Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

**To Make Ranch Dressing: Combine 1 Tbsp. seasoning mix with 1/3 cup mayo and 1/3 cup milk (or buttermilk OR Greek yogurt, to add thickness), and whisk to combine.

**You can omit the buttermilk powder if you would like to use fresh buttermilk, or if you would just like the straight spices for the seasoning mix.**

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Garlic Bread Seasoning

This is a good recipe to have on hand for making super quick garlic bread, or you can also use it in place of the topping on this focaccia bread- just use about 2 or so tablespoons.  I thought this topping was a little too salty when combined with salted butter when I used it for garlic bread, so just keep that in mind- either reduce the salt or use unsalted butter if that is a worry for you.  You just keep this in a airtight container in the freezer and take it out whenever you need it. 

Garlic Bread Seasoning
adapted from Our Best Bites
(salt is reduced from 2 tsp to 1tsp below)

1/2 cup powdered Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. marjoram

2 tsp. parsley

 

1.  Combine ingredients in a jar or airtight container and shake until combined. 

 

2.  To make garlic bread, spread softened butter on top of french bread sliced length-wise, and sprinkle 1 1/2 Tablespoons Garlic Bread Seasoning over.  Wrap in foil and bake @ 375 F until butter is melted.  Can also use as a focaccia bread topping, or for homemade bread sticks. 

 

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Chai-Spiced Hot Chocolate

Ever since making my own Chai spice mix, I've been wanting to use it in hot chocolate.  Well, it only took me a few years!  (My spice mix still smelled good and strong, in case you were wondering, lol.)  I simply warmed up some almond milk mixed with 1% cow's, turned the heat to low and threw in some good milk chocolate.  Then I whisked some chai spice mix in.  This was so good, and the chai flavor reminds you of Fall.  (Chai is an Indian-inspired mix of spices you can add to any tea; either regular or herbal.  It typically includes black pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon & ginger.) 

Chai-Spiced Hot Chocolate
by What a Dish!
Makes 1 large serving or 2 small servings

1 1/2 cups milk (I used a mix of 1% and almond milk)
40-50 grams (half or more of a regular-sized bar) good milk chocolate
1 teaspoon Chai spice mix
honey, to taste, if needed

1.  In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium.  Add the chocolate and turn the heat to low, whisking until chocolate is melted.  Add the Chai spice mix and whisk thoroughly until everything is incorporated.  Pour into mugs and taste.  Add honey if desired. 

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Lebanese Seven Spice Mix

I've been meaning to post this "recipe" for a while; ever since making this Pasta dish a few months ago.  This is also good on hand to have for other Lebanese recipes.  I cannot buy 7-spice locally.  I could order it online, but I made it with spices I already had on hand.  I did have to buy Fenugreek online to make this, but figured I would be using it (hopefully!) in some other ethnic dishes.  The website I got this from also states that this can be used as an Egyptian spice.

The first photo is beef cubes and red onion grilling on skewers, brushed with fresh lemon juice and sprinkled with 7-spice.  Then we ate the meat & onions in some Trader Joe's Middle-Eastern Flatbreads (brought back in our suitcase) with feta, tomato, Kalamata olives, and lettuce.  I wanted some plain yogurt to add on, but my store was out.  These were sooo good!

Mix this up to have on hand when the fancy strikes to make some Lebanese food.  I love Lebanese food- it's so good!!  I can't decide whether I like Lebanese, Indian, or Greek food more.  :) 

Lebanese Seven Spice Mix
adapted from HowToExpo

1/2 teaspoon ground Allspice

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground Fenugreek

1/2 teaspoon powdered Ginger

1.  Mix up all spices together and store in a spice container.  :)  Alternatively, you may use whole spices and grind them in a spice grinder. 

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Homemade Taco Seasoning

I like using this homemade taco seasoning mix instead of the store-bought stuff.  In fact, I don't think I've ever bought the stuff from the store.  It's full of stuff we don't need, like a ton of salt, maybe MSG and other questionable items, and this is just way cheaper, too.  I add only a tiny bit of salt to mine; figuring that I can add more salt to recipes I make if I want to. 

I double this recipe when I make it, so I have more and it lasts longer.  I store it in an empty spice jar labeled "Taco".  Lol.  The great thing about making your own spice mixes (or anything!) is that you can add or take away anything you want to.  You can add chipotle powder or smoked paprika in here for that smokey flavor.  Add whatever you want!

Use this seasoning whenever you need taco seasoning.  I use this taco seasoning to make the following recipes:  this Avocado-Corn salad, Spoon Tacos, Beef & Bean Burritos, Shredded Beef Tacos, and this Layered Dip (can be used instead of the chili and cumin powders). 

Homemade Taco Seasoning

adapted from Allrecipes

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, optional

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Combine ingredients in an empty, clean spice jar with a lid.  Put the lid on, and shake until combined.  2-3 Tablespoons equals one storebought packet of taco seasoning. 

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Chai Tea Mix

I finally tried making Chai Tea, and loved it!  I love the warm spicy flavors.  I have a lot of Ginger Herbal tea bags in my house, so I mixed the Chai tea mix with a warm cup of Ginger tea, and sweetened it with Lyle's Golden Syrup.  (Love that stuff!)  I added some warm milk too- it was SO good!  I made this on a rainy morning last week when I had a slight cold, and the warm drink really made me feel better.  A few nights later, I made this for my whole family and they all loved it too. 

Unfortunatley, I don't have a spice grinder.  I thought I could use my mortar and pestle, but that was not cutting it.  Finally I settled on all pre-ground spices from my spice collection, and it was still so good.  I can't imagine how much better this would be if I were able to grind all of my own spices.  If you do have a spice grinder though, use it for this recipe!  I halved this recipe when I made it last week, but I'll post the full recipe below.

Chai Tea Mix

from Eating, Etc.

1 Tbs. whole black peppercorns (or 1 Tbs. fine-ground black pepper)

1 Tbs. cardamom seeds (or 1 Tbs. ground cardamom)

1 Tbs. whole cloves (or 1 Tbs. ground cloves)

2-3 cinnamon sticks (or 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon)

1/3 c ground ginger
favorite hot tea
milk & sugar or honey, to taste

1) Place peppercorns, cardamom seeds, whole cloves, & cinnamon stick in grinder and grind until very fine.

2) Stir in ground ginger.  (If you don't own a spice grinder, just mix all of the pre-ground spices together).

3) Store in tightly sealed container.

4) Place about 1/4 tsp of mixture in cup of hot tea; allow to steep for a few minutes.

5) Add milk & sweetener, as desired.

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