Thanks for the inspiration. I love cumin and should find more uses for it like your rice/veggie dish. I add kefir (curd) to scrambled eggs and get similar results.

--When making sticky pecan rolls I always made the syrup mixture until I discovered I could skip that part and add honey, agave nectar, or palm sugar nectar to the bottom of the muffin pans. It only takes about 1 T., or just enough to cover the muffin cup bottom. Don't get too generous, it will spill over the side of the pan, burn, or make a mess in your oven.

-Grainlady

Citrus is relatively expensive here. When I can get lemons for $.50/each, I buy a dozen, seed and quarter, and freeze in Zip-Locks. When a dish seems boring and needs brightening, I toss in a quarter or two of my lemon stash. I'm amazed at how much life my lemons can add to a braised dish when added 1/2 hour before being done.

/tricia

Penzey's Mural of Flavor- their signature salt-free spice will perk up everything from scrambled eggs to a ho-hum salad. I use it on fish and fowl too. Edited to say that due to allergies "I" can't use it for my food, however DH really enjoys it!

Since onion, garlic & shallot are not allowed, I use quite a bit of lemon and lime for flavor. I try and keep a preserved lemon in the fridge as well. Last night's sauteed fish needed something more than vinegar or white wine to bring up flavor. I had a bounty available from Sunday's Farmer's Market so I tossed in a luscious chopped tomato, a small amount of preserved lemon, fresh thyme, a dash of Aleppo pepper, a splash of white wine and some white balsamic vinegar. The resulting flavor was well developed and really tasty!

This post was edited by compumom on Thu, Aug 1, 13 at 10:07

Tricia, I too add lemon juice and/or zest to lots of things to brighten the flavor.

I hadn't thought of adding cocoa to rice and beans, but it sounds great.

It's a given that fresh herbs added at the last minute help flavor things up.

Sally

Ellen,

I also love preserved lemons and keep they around all winter.

/tricia

~ saute yellow squash and/or zucchini (diced in small cubes), diced onion, and diced mild peppers in olive oil or butter, then add to cooked, drained orzo pasta (or other small pasta) and heat it all together. Some diced fresh tomato added at the end with some salt and pepper perks up the dish. You can sprinkle with some grated Parmesan or pass it at the table if you like.

~ sprinkle chili powder on chunks of sweet potatoes that have been tossed with some olive oil, then roast

~ Cherchies Lem'n Dill seasoning blended into sour cream/mayo/yogurt and let sit to rehydrate, top vegetables, baked or poached fish, or serve as a dip with vegetable dippers

~ a spash of red wine vinegar in tuna salad gives it just a little kick; I also add a little red wine vinegar to my clam chowder.

Teresa

I sometimes cube leftover baked acorn squash and toss it into a pan of Swiss chard or a rice-veggie dish.

If I have a small eggplant, I cube it and add to pasta dishes (along with green peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc).

Sue

Those are all great tips. I had no idea I could freeze lemon and save it for later...that's great to know. I presume it would work with limes as well as I love lime, but end up throwing out part before I can use it all.

Once I have juiced a lemon, I throw the halves into the freezer to freeze hard, then I put them in zip bags and pull them out as I need grated lemon zest. I love lemon and use the zest in cookies, apple pie, salad dressings, pudding, pie, etc.

Teresa

In the fall, I add about 1/4 cup of apple cider to the cooking water for cubed butternut squash.

My ingredient to brighten up a plain tossed green salad is chopped celery leaves.

I substitute Old Bay Seasoning for ground black pepper when making steamed or sautéed cabbage. I also use a sprinkle of it when making tuna salads.

Finely chopped candied ginger is a quick addition to gingerbread batter.

Green beans are a good addition to potato salad. The flavors are very complimentary.

Jim

Speaking of lemons - probably everyone already knows this but I recently discovered already squeezed fresh lemon juice in the freezer section at my supermarket (near the lemonade). It has saved me so many times when I don't have a lemon or the one I do have is hard as a rock. I leave it frozen and when I need a little juice I stick it in a glass of hot tap water, which usually gives me enough for what I need, then pop it right back in the freezer. It is by MinuteMaid, 7.5 fl. oz, for $1.99. If you need lemon peel, however, this won't work! I wish they did the same for lime juice because those always go hard on me before I can use them

MinuteMaid frozen lemon juice is fantastic to have on hand! It's not widely available, but tastes almost like fresh and stays fresh for a long time! $1.99 is a great price, I think I pay close to $3.00!
I also keep a small container of Langer's frozen oj concentrate in the freezer for a spoonful here and there when cooking.