Recipes with spices

Mexican-style hand-shredded beef brisket: rubbed with garlic, onion, oregano, and cumin, foil-roasted then broiled. The foundation for tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

Fruit and nut muffins with whole wheat flour, applesauce, raisins, dates, and walnuts. A lower-fat big-batch recipe using egg whites and skim milk for lighter baking.

30-minute vegetarian chili with kidney beans, jalapeño, and bulgur for a meaty texture without meat. Ready in 30 minutes, served with yogurt, scallions, and cilantro.

Marinated grilled chicken with a 24-hour yogurt, lime, cumin, and coriander marinade. Toasted spices rubbed into the meat then sealed in yogurt for tender, deeply seasoned chicken.

Soft molasses sugar cookies with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, rolled in sugar with a thumbprint filled with extra crunch. Crisp edges, chewy centers, warm holiday spice.

Soft, cakey persimmon cookies made with ripe persimmon pulp, warm cinnamon, plump raisins and crunchy nuts. An old-fashioned drop cookie and a great way to use up overripe persimmons in autumn.

Roasted tomato salsa with jalapenos, garlic, white onion, cumin, and cider vinegar. Oven-roasting concentrates the tomato flavor for a smoky, slightly chunky salsa that beats any jar.

Homemade herbes de Provence blend with basil, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, savory, coriander, nutmeg, cloves, and white pepper. A fragrant French herb mix in five minutes.

Vegetarian chili with kidney beans, raisins, cashews, beer, and Swiss cheese. Spiced with cumin, allspice, and Tabasco, simmered two hours for deep, complex flavor.

Election Day cake, a historic New England yeast-raised spice cake studded with raisins, citron and nuts, warmed with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and mace, and glazed with confectioners' sugar. A colonial American tradition.

Fat-free carrot muffins with cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, and raisins. No butter or oil needed, just grated carrots and eggs for moisture in a warmly spiced batter.

Shrimp in a creamy Indian-spiced sauce with cumin, lime, sour cream, and yogurt, finished with fresh cilantro. A quick 30-minute dinner best served over saffron rice.

Indian-spiced fried potatoes with coriander, cardamom, cumin, ginger, chili powder, nutmeg, mace, and cloves. Boiled then pan-fried until crispy and golden. A flavorful side for two.

Bite-sized sweet mini muffins dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Tender, nutmeg-spiced, and perfect for gifting or brunch platters.

Prawns New Orleans in a colorful Creole sauce of tomatoes, okra, bell peppers, allspice, and cayenne, served over rice. A bright, spicy one-pan seafood dinner in about an hour.

Can't make up your mind how fancy to get? Here are 2 presentations of this tasty squash--one homey and one for "dress-up".

Orange-cranberry bread for the bread machine with whole wheat flour, dried cranberries, fresh orange juice and zest, and cinnamon. A hearty, fruit-studded holiday loaf.

Pumpkin praline pie with a spiced condensed milk custard filling topped with pecan halves in a brown sugar and cream praline glaze. A Thanksgiving showstopper.

Miniature quiches loaded with cheddar, bell pepper, and Tex-Mex spices. Crustless, two-bite party appetizers baked in a muffin tin until the centers just set.

A quick and savory chili that tastes wonderful with a bread bowl or dinner rolls.

Enchilada bean bake layers corn tortillas with mashed beans simmered in red wine and spices, cottage cheese-yogurt cream, and cheddar. A lighter vegetarian Mexican casserole.

Swedish ginger cookies (pepparkakor) made with dark corn syrup, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. A spiced roll-and-cut dough that bakes thin and snappy for the holidays.

Twice-baked Jewish biscotti loaded with crunchy almonds, mixed dried fruit, and a cinnamon-sugar crust. Crisp edges meet tender centers in this traditional cookie perfect for dunking in coffee or tea.

White bean chili with five spices: cumin, coriander, oregano, cloves, and cayenne, simmered in chicken broth with green chiles. A quick, light chili ready in 30 minutes.

Grandma Riel's apple pie heaps tart Granny Smiths over a flour-and-sugar bottom layer, then dots with butter under a sugar-crackled crust. A heritage double-crust pie that bakes thick and never weeps.

Cranapple cake baked in a tube pan with cranberries, shredded apple, and applesauce for moisture. A lower-fat fall cake with a vanilla confectioners sugar drizzle.

Salmon baked in cream with bay leaf, cloves, thyme, and onion, then served with a silky cream sauce finished with lemon juice. An elegant old-school French-style fish dish with a rich, aromatic sauce.

Classic double-crust apple pie with tart apples, cinnamon, and a whisper of nutmeg. Thinly sliced fruit and a flour-sugar coating give a clean-slicing filling that holds shape after cooling.

This recipe came about from a need to clean out my refrigerator, I had some fruit that need to be eaten and I used them this way, the result was tart, crispy and just plain good. There are a lot of combinations of fruit you could use but this one works well.

Middle Eastern rice pilaf with cashews, raisins, dried apricots, and warm spices like cardamom and turmeric. A fragrant side dish with caramelized onions and a sweet-savory balance.

San Francisco-style crustless honey and spice cheesecake with dark honey, ground cloves, allspice, and a shot of espresso. A dense, creamy dessert for dinner-party finales.

Italian gocci di cioccolata, chocolate drop cookies spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, baked soft and finished with a glaze. Old-world Italian drop cookie with warm holiday flavor.

German festive chocolate cake with almonds, bananas, crushed pineapple, and cinnamon baked in a tube pan. A semi-homemade celebration cake with tropical fruit and nutty crunch.

A delicious corn bread that tastes great served with chili or soup.

Old-fashioned date and nut drop cookies spiced with cinnamon and cloves, made with egg yolks and buttermilk. A chewy, fruit-studded holiday cookie with a nostalgic name.

Indian prawn curry with dhania, turmeric, ginger, chili, and cinnamon. Prawns are boiled dry with spices, then fried with browned onions and fresh coriander for a dry-style curry.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread with Orange Cream Cheese recipe

Indian-style roasted eggplant with yogurt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, and garlic. Creamy, spiced, and served alongside basmati rice.

Macadamia rum mousse pie folds dark rum, gelatin-set zabaglione, and toasted macadamia nuts into airy whipped cream over a buttery cinnamon-macadamia crumb crust. A dinner-party showpiece.

Icycle pickles are old-fashioned 14-day sweet crock pickles with a glassy crisp bite. Cucumber spears soak through brine, alum, and a daily-reheated cider vinegar syrup with pickling spices.

Spiced brown basmati rice pilaf cooked with whole cloves, a cinnamon stick, and chicken broth, finished with warm raisins and slivered almonds. A fragrant, diabetic-friendly side.

Creamy pumpkin cheesecake with warm cinnamon and nutmeg nestled in a spiced graham cracker crust. An easier alternative to pumpkin pie for your holiday dessert table.

Baked whole apples glazed in cinnamon-citrus syrup, opened like flower petals, and topped with vanilla ice cream and homemade chocolate liqueur sauce.

Upside-down apple gingerbread with caramelized apples over a dark, molasses-rich gingerbread cake spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. A warming autumn dessert.

From-scratch pumpkin pie with fresh or canned pumpkin, dark brown sugar, molasses, raisins, and toasted pecans. Richer and more complex than the back-of-the-can version.

This is creamy, hot and perfect to serve with noodles or grilled meats.

Cheese bread with hidden pockets of melted Monterey Jack, black beans, sun-dried tomatoes, green chilies, and cumin baked into round Southwestern-style loaves. Freezer-friendly, packed with smoky flavor.

Baked maple bananas with butter and cinnamon, served warm over ice cream. A 4-ingredient, 15-minute dessert that caramelizes bananas in pure maple syrup.