Moroccan Barbecue Spice Mix

Dry toasting whole spice seeds intensifies their flavor and fragrance. You can liberally rub this enticing spice mix over salmon, halibut, pork, chicken or beef before cooking, or add it to sautéed onions with chopped kale, collard greens, or cabbage, sea salt, and black pepper with a little bit of broth, then cover and simmer for a delicious side dish. Thanks go to Chef Bruce Sherrod of Berkeley, CA, for sharing this recipe for Moroccan Barbecue Spice Mix.

Note: To shell whole cardamom seeds, place 1 tablespoon of whole cardamom pods (they have a beige color) on a cutting board. Rock over them with a heavy-bottomed skillet or chef knife. Pull away and discard the shell fragments, then measure the black seeds. Repeat as needed. To skip this step, buy shelled cardamom seeds in the bulk spice section of natural foods stores.

Yields: 2

Preparation Time: 14 min

Cooking Time: 4 min

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup whole coriander seeds
• 1/4 cup whole fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole shelled cardamom seeds
• 2 tablespoons whole cloves

Instructions

1. To toast seeds: Combine spice seeds in a dry, medium-size skillet over moderate heat. Stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Pour seeds into a shallow bowl to cool.
    
2. To grind: Finely powder the toasted spices in a spice-dedicated coffee grinder (not the same one you use for coffee) or mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 6 months (use sooner if possible).
    
3. To use with fish or meat: Season steaks, chops, fish, beef or pork roast with coarsely ground black pepper and finely ground sea salt; roll the meat in a portionof spice mix and press firmly to coat all over. Sear seasoned fish or meat in a heavy, oven-proof skillet with coconut oil, clarified butter or ghee (2 tablespoons per 11⁄2 to 2 pounds fish or meat) until hot but not smoking. Sear 1 to 2 minutes per side, then finish in a preheated 400 ̊ F oven.
    
4. Allow the seasoned meat to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes, or cover loosely with unbleached parchment paper and refrigerate for up to 4 hours before cooking.

Nutritional Information

Entire recipe (spices): 186 calories, 33 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, 600 mg calcium, 70 mg sodium
1 tablespoon: 19 calories, 3 g carbohydrate, 1/2 g fat, 60 mg calcium, 7 mg sodium

Notes

This recipe is from The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook (Planetary Press, 2004) by Rachel Albert

Rachel Albert has been a natural foods chef, cooking instructor, and freelance food and health writer for more than 20 years. She has led more than 1000 cooking classes in 5 states and 250+ articles published in national and regional publications.

She is the author of The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces (Planetary Press, 2008) and co-author of the award-winning book, The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook (Planetary Press, 2004)

Rachel leads group and private classes, cooking parties, kitchen coaching sessions, and healthy shopping tours in the Phoenix metropolitan area and runs the gluten-free blog www.TheHealthyCookingCoach.com