These cream cheese and bacon stuffed mini peppers are a fantastic party appetizer. What makes them special is a delicious smoky flavor in the filling that comes from smoked hot paprika. The smokiness works great with the cream cheese and cheddar filling and is complemented by fresh thyme and a little bit of garlic. Recipe […]
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Jerk Shrimp Pasta
This creamy jerk shrimp pasta is an incredibly flavorful dish that's surprisingly easy to make. A homemade Jamaican jerk seasoning spice blend gives the pasta sauce a delicious and complex, spicy flavor. A little bit of brown sugar adds a hint of sweetness that's balanced by fresh and fragrant lime juice and zest. Unlike its […]
Cajun Chicken Marinade
This smoky, spicy Cajun chicken marinade works magic on boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It's got great flavor from both smoked paprika and Hungarian paprika, black pepper, dried oregano and more. Marinade ingredients and notes: This marinade has all the spices and herbs you typically find in Cajun seasoning, plus fresh garlic and olive oil. The […]
Blackberry Sauce for Cheesecake
This seedless blackberry sauce for cheesecake is made with blackberries (fresh or frozen), lemon juice, corn starch, sugar and ground cardamom. It's perfect as a cheesecake topping but you can also use it on whipped cream and waffles, chocolate mousse cupcakes, pancakes and more. Recipe ingredients and notes: How to make it: See full ingredient […]
How many teaspoons are in a sprig? A conversion guide for common culinary herbs
[feast_advanced_jump_to] About this guide: A lot of recipes call for a specific amount of a finely chopped fresh herb. But how do you know what length of sprig or how many sprigs you need for that? That's what this guide is for. It's a handy reference that tells you approximately how many teaspoons are in […]
Frozen Meatball Stuffed Shells
These frozen meatball stuffed shells are baked with cheese in a tomato pasta sauce and make a delicious dinner. You can make the sauce I included in this recipe or use any tomato pasta sauce you like! Ingredient note: Frozen store-bought meatballs come in several different flavors, such as Italian and homestyle. For this recipe, […]
Shrimp and Sausage Pasta Red Sauce
This easy spicy shrimp and sausage pasta red sauce is inspired by both Cajun and Mexican cuisine. It has a deep and complex flavor from smoked paprika, smoked Andouille sausages and chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. The Andouille sausage is hearty and smoky and the shrimp add great contrast with their light, sea-salty flavor. And […]
Spicy Burger Sauce
This tangy, spicy burger sauce tastes fantastic on beef burgers. It has delicious flavor from oregano, garlic, chili powder and hot sauce and enhances the beef flavor without overwhelming it. Recipe ingredients and notes: How to make it: Step 1. Add all ingredients to a bowl. Step 2. Whisk together until smooth. How to use […]
Scallion Aioli
This scallion aioli is super simple to make and full of flavor at the same time. Rather than adding fresh scallions, I decided to fry them to give the sauce an intense, charred onion flavor. Smoked hot paprika adds a little bit of heat and a smoky flavor that goes well with the fried scallions. […]
Lemon Dill Seasoning Recipe
This lemon dill seasoning is great on tilapia fillets and other white fish. It's lightly salted, full of dill and lemon flavor and gets its umami from garlic and onion powder. Ingredients and notes: You can make the dried lemon zest for this recipe yourself or buy dried minced lemon peel instead. (I have listed […]
Rosemary Cream Sauce
Turn grilled or roasted chicken breast into a gourmet dinner with this rich and luscious rosemary cream sauce. It has great umami from tomato paste and an additional layer of flavor from extra dry vermouth. Recipe ingredients and notes: Be sure to use extra dry vermouth for this recipe. Even just dry vermouth will not […]
Broccoli Sausage Soup
This creamy, herby, hearty broccoli sausage soup makes a delicious, easy dinner that comes together in 25 minutes. It's loaded with browned Italian sausage bites and tender broccoli, and spiced with smoked hot paprika. And because the soup is made in one pot, there is very little clean up! Came out great! My family absolutely […]
Paprika Sauce
This creamy paprika sauce has a delicious smokiness from smoked paprika and a nice tang from tomato paste and sour cream. I finished it with chopped cilantro for a great, herby freshness. Serve it with chicken or steak and corn for a stellar dinner. Recipe ingredients and notes: How to make it: See full ingredient […]
Apple Cranberry Frangipane Tart
Soft and creamy orange-flavored frangipane meets juicy cardamom apples and cranberries in this apple cranberry frangipane tart. Each cranberry adds a tart punch that contrasts nicely with the sweet frangipane and the flaky and buttery crust. Ingredient and equipment notes: How to know when the filling is whipped enough: When the frangipane filling is pale […]
Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Rosemary Caramel
This lemon goat cheese cheesecake is baked on a buttery rosemary graham cracker crust and drizzled with rosemary caramel sauce. Each bite is full of delicious flavors and melts right in your mouth. Ingredients and notes: For the cheesecake: For the rosemary caramel sauce: How to make the cheesecake: See full ingredient amounts and instructions […]
Oregano Sauce
This easy oregano sauce is creamy, herby, garlicky and has a touch of brightness from lemon zest. It takes only 5 minutes to make and transforms grilled chicken, fish or pasta into a gourmet meal. Ingredients and notes: How to make it: See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below! How to […]
Chicken Tikka Masala (Grill and Dutch Oven)
This chicken tikka masala is creamy, buttery and brimming with flavorful aromatic Indian spices. The chicken is marinated and cooked on the grill and the sauce is quickly made in a Dutch oven. Tikka masala spices: In my tikka masala spice blend I use turmeric, ginger, smoked paprika and the spices commonly found in garam […]
Spiced Irish Coffee
This spiced Irish coffee is a delicious fall coffee drink. It's warm and comforting and invigorating and exciting at the same time. In this version of the classic cocktail, you whip cream with pumpkin spice and top the Irish coffee with it. The spice adds delicious fall flavors to every sip! The original Irish coffee […]
Chai-Spiced White Russian
This chai-spiced white Russian has all the great flavors of the classic plus a delicious Holiday spin from cream flavored with chai spices. Chai-spiced cream ingredients: The chai-spiced cream for this recipe is cold-infused with fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom seeds. How to make it: See full ingredient amounts and instructions in […]
Chocolate Bourbon Cake
This chocolate Bourbon cake is wonderful – moist and delicious and full of Bourbon and chocolate flavor. The preparation is wonderful too, the batter is quickly whisked together by hand, no messy mixer required. Best of all, the batter is liquid so you can easily pour it. About the recipe: I wish all of you […]
Cold Asian Noodle Salad with Grilled Shrimp
This fresh and fragrant cold Asian noodle salad is made with soba noodles and juicy grilled shrimp. It combines classic flavor combos like lime, cilantro and shrimp noodles with Asian-inspired ingredients like ginger and sesame. Marinade and dressing ingredients: The marinade and dressing are full of fresh flavors from ginger, lime zest, cilantro, sesame, mint […]
Orange Maple Glazed Chicken Wings
These crispy, baked orange maple glazed chicken wings are messy to eat but worth the cleanup. They are glazed with a sticky sauce made from maple syrup, orange juice, salt, butter, cloves and crushed red pepper flakes. Sweet, sour, salty and spicy! Recipe ingredients and notes: How to make the wings: How to make the […]
Cinnamon Rolls with Apricot Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting
Turn breakfast into a special occasion with these easy no-knead cinnamon rolls with cardamom apricot cream cheese frosting. The creamy topping pairs perfectly with the crunchy cinnamon filling and really makes these rolls special. Make them for a Holiday brunch, a birthday or simply just because. How to make the dough: For this recipe I […]
Thai Pineapple Yellow Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
This Thai pineapple yellow chicken curry with coconut milk is full of flavor from lots of ground spices and spice seeds. Red bell pepper, pineapple and lime juice add freshness and chopped peanuts make for a crunchy finish. What spices are in this curry? Much of the flavor in this curry comes from spice seeds […]
Smoked Salmon Panini Sandwich with Lemon Dill Mayonnaise
This smoked salmon panini sandwich with lemon dill mayonnaise is delicious, satisfying and takes almost no time to put together. All you need is 10 minutes and a panini press and a hot meal is served! How to make the mayonnaise: The star of this recipe is the lemon dill mayonnaise. It's tangy, dilly and […]
Grilled Cheese with Bourbon Caramelized Shallots
This shallot grilled cheese recipe is a delicious new take on the classic sandwich. Buttery and crispy sourdough bread is stuffed with Bourbon caramelized shallots, chopped tarragon and melted, extra-sharp white cheddar cheese. And to make it even better, the cheese is mixed with dry mustard for extra punch! Reader comment: "OMG!!!!!!!!!! So good!!!!!!!!!!! Next […]
Ginger Cilantro Soy Sauce-Marinated Chicken Wings
These marinated baked chicken wings are packed with sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors. They are made with soy sauce, cilantro, honey, ginger, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, lime juice and pepper flakes. You mix the ingredients together, then use half as the marinade and cook the other half down into a glaze. Marinade ingredients […]
Cinnamon Meatballs
These baked cinnamon meatballs are light, tender and flavored with garlic and parsley. Instead of the commonly used bread crumbs, this recipe uses sandwich bread cubes mashed with sour cream and milk. This keeps the meatballs from becoming dense and tough and adds a bit of tanginess that goes great with the other flavors. How […]
Ras el Hanout Grilled Chicken Salad with Sumac Dressing
This ras el hanout grilled chicken salad is full of delicious Mediterranean spices and flavors. Its star is juicy and tender grilled chicken marinated in a Greek yogurt and homemade ras el hanout spice mix. The salad is served with a flavorful cumin, lemon and sumac dressing. Ras el hanout ingredients and notes: How to […]
Gnocchi Beef Stroganoff Spiced with Cinnamon and Clove
This gnocchi beef Stroganoff has melt-in-your-mouth tender meat and is subtly spiced with cinnamon and clove. The sauce has amazing flavor from red wine, chicken broth, oyster mushrooms, the spices, heavy cream and sour cream. You can serve this Stroganoff with store-bought gnocchi or make your own (recipe included below). How to make beef Stroganoff: […]
Cilantro Meatballs
These baked cilantro meatballs have incredible flavor from ginger, garlic, lime juice and, of course, cilantro. The fresh herb and spices keep the meatballs tender and juicy so that no glaze is needed. Meatball ingredient notes and substitutions: How to make the meatballs: See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below! How […]
Cardamom Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar
These delicate baked cake donuts are made with an easy, hand-whisked cardamom-flavored batter. After baking, they're brushed with melted butter and dipped in cinnamon sugar. The combination of cardamom and cinnamon is absolutely delicious and makes these donuts special. How to make the donuts: See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below! […]
Creamy Slow Cooker Tomato Chicken Curry
This creamy slow cooker tomato chicken curry is full of flavor from ground spices and spice seeds. It has a flavorful, thick, rich and creamy tomato sauce and fall-apart tender chicken thighs. What spices are in this curry? How to make it: See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below! This curry […]
Chuck Roast Chili (Dutch Oven)
This Dutch oven chuck roast chili has melt-in-your-mouth tender chunks of beef for a hearty flavor and a wonderful texture. Rather than using store-bought chili powder, this recipe includes a delicious, homemade chili powder spice blend for extra flavor. The spices you need to make this chili: The homemade chili powder for this recipe has […]
Homemade Mustard with Tarragon
This easy homemade tarragon mustard is made with yellow mustard seeds, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, salt and dried tarragon. It has an intense sharpness that makes it perfect for rustic sandwiches. Recipe ingredients and notes: To make homemade mustard you need mustard seeds, seasonings, and an acidic liquid, such as vinegar or citrus juice. […]
Honey Sesame Tofu
This easy honey sesame tofu dish has crispy, pan-fried tofu cubes that are served with a sweet, sour and spicy sauce. You coat the tofu cubes with all-purpose flour on all sides so they are encased in a delicious golden shell after frying. The sauce has intense flavor from honey, ginger, toasted sesame oil, sesame […]
Chicken Hokkien Noodle Stir Fry
This saucy chicken hokkien noodle stir fry is fresh, spicy and bursting with vibrant flavors from grated ginger, cilantro, lime zest and chili pepper. The preparation is simple, you stir your ingredients together, then use half as marinade and half as stir fry sauce. All ingredients are widely available in grocery stores and no trip […]
About:
Hi there and welcome! I'm Nicole Branan, the cook and photographer behind The Spice Train. I have been adventurous and creative in the kitchen ever since I can remember. But it wasn't until a decade or so ago that I started to learn about and experiment with spices. The more I learned, the more ideas […]