Recipes with spices

Old-fashioned green tomato pickle with a sweet spiced vinegar syrup of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and mace. A multi-day canning project that yields 8 pints.

A whole roast chicken stuffed with cherries, rubbed with paprika and cinnamon, then slow-roasted in white wine until the juices run sweet and savory. Served over spiral noodles with a cherry-wine pan sauce.

Impressive and healthy, realistic portion size. Save up for this one!

Lean turkey chili with kidney beans, caraway, celery seed, and a balanced spice mix. Lower-fat than beef chili but every bit as rich, simmered slow for big-batch comfort.

Ensalada pico de gallo, a refreshing Mexican orange and jicama salad with crisp red onion, walnuts, and a honey-lime dressing spiced with cumin and chile. Bright, crunchy, and sweet-tangy in every bite.

Peach-rhubarb crisp pairing sweet peaches with tart rhubarb under a buttery oat-and-coconut crumble. Made with canned peaches and frozen rhubarb so you can bake it year-round, in the oven or microwave. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

New Jersey-style crumb cake with a thick, buttery cinnamon crumb topping over a soft yellow cake base. A bakery-worthy coffee cake with more crumbs than cake, dusted with powdered sugar.

Pounded sirloin steaks pan-seared and topped with melted cheddar, served over fresh tomato-cumin salsa with cilantro. A fast Tex-Mex steak dinner ready in 15 minutes.

Chana masaledar: spiced chickpeas simmered with cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, fresh ginger, and garlic in a tomato-laced sauce. Vegan Indian comfort food.

Cherry pudding cake with a spoonable cinnamon batter studded with canned cherries and chopped nuts, served with a hot almond-cherry sauce poured over warm portions.

This creamy and smooth cocoa orange mousse pie satisfies your palate without giving you too many calories by using nonfat ricotta cheese and whipped topping.

Southern Japanese fruitcake with three layers: two plain butter cakes and one spiced with raisins and pecans, sandwiched with pineapple-lemon filling and coconut all around.

Pureed peanut soup with butternut squash, potatoes, and coriander, topped with crispy cornmeal-crusted baked okra croutons. West African inspired and velvety rich.

Indian-spiced new potatoes with peas and coriander cooked in ghee with cumin seeds, turmeric, ginger, garam masala, and red chili peppers.

Crispy pecan-potato pancakes topped with cilantro-marinated grilled shrimp, cool cucumber salsa, and a roasted red pepper cream sauce. A restaurant-style appetizer.

Thai-style green curry made with chickpeas, a homemade green chili paste, apple juice, and evaporated skim milk. A lighter, vegetarian take on the takeout favourite, served over rice.

Swedish spice cake (Mjuk Pepparkaka) with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom, studded with raisins and nuts. A soft, aromatic Scandinavian holiday classic.

Three layer pumpkin pie with a spiced pumpkin filling, brown sugar pecan streusel, and a creamy vanilla cream cheese topping. Makes two showstopper pies for Thanksgiving.

Cranberry ketchup is a sweet-spiced condiment with whole cranberries, brown sugar, vinegar, clove, mace, and cinnamon. The forgotten Thanksgiving table sauce for turkey, ham, and beyond.

Salsa de Linda is an easy, no-cook salsa: a coarsely blended tomato base loaded with chopped onion, peppers, and green chilies, then spiced with cumin, oregano, garlic, and cayenne. Ready for chips in 10 minutes.

Raspberry-filled jelly doughnuts made from canned biscuits, dipped in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. A clever shortcut that tastes like the real thing.

Frozen fig and chocolate ice cream mousse with vanilla wafers, toasted walnuts, instant coffee, and whipped cream. A retro molded dessert garnished with whole figs.

Turkey breast stuffed with a warm spiced fruit filling of dates, dried apricots, and walnuts with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. An elegant holiday roast.

Beer-braised pot roast marinated overnight in dark stout with caraway, rosemary, and cloves, then slow-cooked until fork-tender. A German-Belgian style beef braise with a deep, malty gravy.

Egyptian-style falafel (ta'ameya) with dried fava beans, parsley, garlic, cumin, and coriander, ground twice for the right crispy-yet-tender texture. The original falafel before chickpeas took over.

Free-form apple tart made with store-bought pie crust, thinly sliced Golden Delicious apples, cinnamon sugar, and a warm apricot jam glaze. Rustic, simple, and gorgeous.

Classic homemade hummus with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and scallions, blended thick and creamy. Vegan Middle Eastern dip ready in 15 minutes.

Dairy-free fruitcake with stewed raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg, made without eggs, butter, or milk. A dense, spiced raisin cake where the stewing liquid adds moisture and natural sweetness.

Lady Webster's gingerbread made with treacle, brown sugar, ground ginger, and mixed spice in the traditional British style. A dark, sticky, deeply spiced loaf cake that improves with age.

Curry chicken pitas with sautéed chicken breast, onions, and an Indian-spice blend of curry powder, cinnamon, coriander, and cayenne, piled onto warm pitas. A 20-minute weeknight dinner with takeout-style flavor.

Strawberry fool with crushed berries folded into whipped cream and sour cream, drizzled with a spiced port wine syrup. The classic English dessert updated for summer dinner parties.

Chole (Indian chickpea curry) with potatoes, mustard seeds, cardamom, and garam masala. A vegan, one-skillet dish with warm spices and hearty texture from canned chickpeas.

Pumpkin cheese tart with a gingersnap-oat crust and a marbled cream cheese-pumpkin filling, finished with warm caramel sauce. A lighter take on pumpkin pie that actually holds its own on the holiday table.

Cornbread chili is a one-skillet tamale-pie cousin: ground beef simmered with cumin, oregano, and tomato concasse, then crowned with a buttermilk cornmeal crust and baked golden.

This dark sauce takes advantage of chocolate's affinity for red wine. Dutch process cocoa lends the sauce richer chocolate flavor than regular unsweetened cocoa.

State fair zucchini cake: a spiced sheet cake with shredded zucchini, walnuts, and golden raisins, topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting. Blue-ribbon classic.

Oatmeal Drop Cookies with Nuts and Raisins recipe

Slow cooker spiral ham glazed with currant jelly, dry mustard, cinnamon, and clove. Studded with whole cloves for that holiday-table look without heating up the oven.

Dutch apple bread with chopped apples and walnuts in a buttermilk batter, topped with a cinnamon-brown sugar streusel. A sweet quick bread that bakes into a tender loaf.

Classic zucchini bread with grated zucchini, cinnamon, and a moist oil-based crumb. Bakes two 8x4 loaves at once, freezes well, and only gets better the next day.

White chicken chili slow-cooked with cannellini beans, green chili peppers, and lime juice. Seared chicken simmers all day in the crockpot and gets topped with sharp cheddar.

Broccoli and sweet potato soup with a creamy yam puree base, sauteed garlic, celery, and a hint of allspice. Topped with fresh watercress and just as good served chilled.

Breakfast rice made with brown rice cooked in apple juice, water, raisins, and cinnamon. Five ingredients, no added sugar, and it works on the stovetop or overnight in a slow cooker.

Rich black bean soup simmered with bacon, ham, brown rice, cumin, and garlic, then blended smooth and finished with sherry. A big-batch crowd pleaser.

Harvest apple pie with a rolled oat crust that bakes up flakier and toastier than the standard double crust. Cinnamon and nutmeg apples bubble underneath while the lattice top turns deep gold.

Ground beef simmered with warm cinnamon, oregano, and tomato sauce layered between broiled eggplant slices for this beloved Greek comfort food. A family-friendly take on classic moussaka.

British-style date flapjacks with jumbo oats, chopped dates, molasses, brown sugar, and mixed spice. Chewy, sticky oat bars baked in one pan and cut into squares.

Spiced beef pot roast marinated in cumin, turmeric, ginger, mustard, garlic, and cider vinegar, then slow-simmered with bay leaves, cloves, and tomato puree. A deeply fragrant roast with global spice soul.