A recent news article from local ABC news station WLS-TV in Chicago announced earlier this year that Dr. Marcia Schurer a 56-year-old woman lost 35 pounds – 20 percent of her weight – four years ago and has kept it off ever since. The secret in her success lies in a low fat diet. This is the entire recipe for Grilled Chicken with Chili Spice Rub they share.

For those who want to purchase pre-mixed spices and seasoning blends Starwest also offers a selection of all natural organic rubs including Organic Mediterranean Seafood Rub, , Organic Savory Beef Rub, and Organic Roasted Pork Rub. Starwest all-natural rubs are each made from a delicious combination of certified organic spices, seasonings, and herbs that add unique flavor to meat, seafood and vegetables.

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Celebrating the holidays with family is a highlight of the year. With the Holidays quickly approaching, look to Starwest for the best in culinary delights to share with your family. We have a selection of delicious and unique recipes waiting for you on the Starwest Holiday recipes page! Pies, soups and cookies are part of the selection.

Holiday Recipes »

Let us know if you have any family favorites.

Chia seeds, otherwise known as Salvia hispanica, have long been thought to be a super food due to its many vitamins and minerals. While these seeds might seem tiny, they pack a real antioxidant punch and are especially rich in omega-3 fatty acid, necessary in keeping your body healthy and free of harmful free radicals and toxins.

Chia seeds get their health potential from the fact they are loaded with boron, calcium, minerals, fiber and vitamins. It doesn’t stop there either since they are also great sources of protein and amino acids.
Many herbalists and everyday people believe they are the perfect food thanks to these many health benefits. It isn’t surprising to see how, either.

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Known worldwide for the spectacular Taj Mahal, India not only boasts fabulous architecture but also an exquisite cuisine. There are several herbs and spices used in Indian dishes, with a few reaching common use and becoming the most popular.

There are several ingredients that are commonly found in Indian cuisine. They include rice, wheat flour, lentils and split peas, as well as vegetable oils and ghee, or clarified butter. Some of the most popular Indian food spices are chili peppers, mustard seed, turmeric, fenugreek seed, ginger root, coriander seed, cumin seed and garlic. There is a spice blend known as garam masala that is widely used in Indian cooking, and although the exact recipe varies according to geographical region, it often consists of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, cumin and coriander. Curry powder is also used as one of the most popular Indian spices for cooking.

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Most people enjoy the spicy and sweet flavor of anise seed, perhaps because of early memories of sitting in a movie theatre enjoying black licorice strings as you watch a picture. Anise seed comes from an herbaceous plant that is native to warm Mediterranean and southwest Asian climates. The flowers of the plant are produced in white umbrels that then produce the seeds that are used in anise seed recipes.

Anise seed can be used both in cooking and in liquor. Liquors from around the world feature anise, including Greek Ouzo and French Absinthe and Pastis. The liquor, in Europe, is typically cut with water; when water is added to the glass of Ouzo, for example, it turns a milky white color and retains its anise flavor at a less potent level than the undiluted spirits. This is the way it is often enjoyed in Greece, and it is typically served at a taverna with small plates of salty and savory meze items such as kalamata olives, possibly tiny meatballs, goat cheese and yogurt dips and spreads with crusty bread, as well as cubes of feta cheese and other tasty morsels.

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In the philosophy of Tao, the concept of balance between yin and yang – the former representing the feminine as well as dark, cold and wet, and the latter being the manifestation of the masculine, light, heat and dryness – is important. Chinese Five Spice is the culinary reflection of this balance between yin and yang, and encompasses all five of the basic flavors – bitterness, saltiness, savory, sourness and sweetness.

As Chinese people have migrated throughout Asia and the rest of the world, they have carried Chinese five spice powder with them; as a result, these spices in combination can be found in the cuisines of Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and even parts of India. Interestingly, it is unusual to find Chinese five-spice in a family kitchen, although it is a staple in Chinese and Southeast Asian restaurants. It has been reported however that many restaurants in Hawaii that serve Asian cuisine keep it available as a table condiment.

Because the spices traditionally included (which may vary slightly in terms of proportions and exact ingredients from one region to another) include all of the basic flavors, Chinese five spice is equally at home in main dishes as well as desserts. It is a principal ingredient in the marinade used in pork satay as well as traditional Vietnamese broiled chicken; however, there are also recipes available for Chinese five spice cookies and certain types of Western-style pastries such as muffins as well.

Although it can impart an exotic flavor to foods, specific spices used in Chinese five-spice blend are not uncommon. It can either be purchased already pre-made, or if you prefer, you can prepare your own and vary the ingredients according to your own preferences. What follows is a basic recipe.

Basic Cantonese Five Spice Powder

• Four parts black pepper
• Four parts ground fennel
• Four parts ground star anise
• Four parts cinnamon or cassia
• One part ground cloves

Combine these dry ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. If using whole peppercorns, you’ll want to grind them first and base your measurement on that.

Chai tea is a wildly popular drink, and deservedly so. Chai is typically made by combining black tea with selected spices and milk. This mix of tea, spices, milk and sweetener, makes a delectable drink during and after meals. Although the word “chai” refers simply to “tea” in many different languages and cultures, in North America, chai tends to be thought of as what is known in India as Masala chai. No matter what is called, chai tea is well known for its wonderfully unique taste and you’ll be glad to know it’s easy to make with a simple chai tea recipe.

Chai tea recipes vary, but if you like spiced chai tea you will likely enjoy them all. The easiest chai tea recipes consist of heating water and milk together with the tea. Adding sweetener, which could be stevia, honey, or sugar while the liquid is hot ensures that it melts and combines thoroughly in the liquid. Simply strain out the Chai tea leaves, pour into a warm cup, and you have a wonderful comforting drink beloved around the world.

Spiced chai tea can be made from black and green teas, or even using yerba mate and rooibos. Starwest Botanicals has delicious blends of mate chai, green chai and rooibos chai ready for brewing. Chai teas can vary quite a bit in terms of the spices used. Combining cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and other spices in unique ways make for delicious variations.

Here is an easy recipe for how to make chai tea:

Masala Chai
1-1/2 cups water
1 inch stick of cinnamon
8 cardamom pods
8 whole cloves
2/3 cup milk
6 tsp. sugar (to taste) – can be substituted for stevia or other sweetener
3 teaspoons any unperfumed loose black tea

Put 1-1/2 cups water in saucepan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the milk and sugar and bring to a simmer again. Throw in the tea leaves, cover, and turn off the heat. After 2 minutes, strain the tea into two cups and serve immediately.

From Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking, Barron’s, New York, p. 196 (1983).

Enjoy!

This refreshing variation of Socata, a traditional Romanian lemonade drink, fermented with elder flowers, was shared with us from Ruxi at Lost in America

The recipe for Elder Berry Lemonade Socata:
You will need:

• 3 lemons
• 450-500 g sugar (2 1/2 cups approximately)
• 1 gallon (or 4 liters) water
• 2.5 hands of elder flowers – which means you basically dig your hand in the elder flower bag and fill it two times and a half.

Starwest carries select organic elder flowers as part of their bulk herbs.

Instructions:

In a big jar (or pot if you don’t have a big jar) add the water, squeeze the lemons and put the rest of the lemons in, add the sugar and the elder flowers. Mix it and then cover the jar with a plate or something (it should not be perfectly tight). Leave it outside in a warm place. The whole trick is to have the lemonade ferment. Mix it every night. The socata will be ready when the drink looks naturally fizzy.

Enjoy!

Get started using organic and Kosher Sprouting Seeds to provide a deliciously fresh and natural way to supplement your diet.

Start your own sprout garden today! From organic sprouting seeds, to easy to use sprouting bags, Starwest Botanicals carries all of sprouting accessories you’ll need to get started.

If you have been into a quality bar lately, you might have noticed a series of glass jars with an amber liquid in them.  These jars are often filled with tinctures of different concentrated flavors of herbs and spices that the bartender will use to flavor drinks.  Tinctures are also used for the health benefits derived from the particular herbs or spices used and also known as liquid herbal extracts.

Essentially, tinctures are created when herbs are placed in alcohol and allowed to sit for several days, or even up to several months.  Vodka is the usual alcohol of choice in the preparation of tinctures, although brandy or rum may also be used.  If using alcohol is an issue, apple cider vinegar or glycerin might be substituted.  Alcohol functions as a preservative, so you may let the bottles of tincture sit out on a shelf, but if you use vinegar the resulting liquid must be refrigerated throughout the process.

The amount of herbs to alcohol varies according to individual recipes, but in general a good place to start is to combine one ounce of herbs with four ounces of vodka.  Be sure to use enough alcohol so that the herbs are completely submersed in the liquid.  Using the tincture to flavor drinks, you might select to use lemon peel, lavender or allspice for their distinctive tastes that they will bring to your drinks.

You will need to let the tincture sit in a dark place in a cabinet for a couple of weeks or longer so that the herbs are truly macerated by the alcohol.  The bottle should be briskly shaken at least once a day.  After it is quite strongly scented, you may strain the solids from the liquid, and add some sugar syrup to the alcohol-based tincture.  You may find that you will need to strain the liquid several times using a very fine mesh with cheesecloth or a coffee filter to remove every last bit of little fibers of the herbs.  It may then be stored in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.  To use the tincture, you will use an eyedropper to place drops in tea, juice, water or drinks.

You may experiment with the type of natural herbs used in terms of dried or fresh.  If using fresh, be sure to chop them before you place them in the jar and cover with alcohol.  If you’re using dried herbs, it is best to use them in a cut and sifted form – smaller pieces will allow the liquid to penetrate quickly, but unlike powder it will still be easy for you to strain later.  An alcohol-based tincture can last up to two years if properly prepared and stored.