Who doesn’t adore the bounty towards the end of summer? Zucchini has been plentiful and delicious. I tried something similar to this recipe at a restaurant years ago and thought it would be fun to replicate.

Today I used Louisiana Red Beans & Rice, this is hand blended from onion, garlic, parsley, celery, cumin, cayenne, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. The name is deceiving as you can use this very versatile blend in just about anything! It is a bit smokey with just a hint of heat and is great in anything from beans (check out Instant Pot Baked Beans) to salad dressing.

This is great as an appetizer on warm summer nights! I used a ranch dressing to dip the coins in, but you can use any type of dipping sauce you wish.

An iced cold Blue Moon beer paired really well with this.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

I am beginning to really love Vegetarian and/or Vegan entrees once or twice a week. It makes you feel soo good! My daughters and I adore Indian food and decided to try a vegan version of Tikka.

MSC Tikka Masala is hand blended from guajillo chili powder, bay leaves, smoked sweet paprika, turmeric, roasted garlic, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, cumin, fenugreek, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves.

A lot of recipes call for a can of coconut milk and yogurt. I chose to make mine without. The result is a light and delicious Tikka Masala. But, you certainly can add one or both, but not needed.

The flavor is amazing! A touch of heat, just enough to tickle your taste buds.

A lovely glass of Pinto Grigio pairs beautifully with this dish. 

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

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This fantastic salad with couscous and spring vegetables was created by Marie Kelly from Milford Kitchen. The recipe uses asparagus and spring onions which are excellent this time of year. The chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans or chi-chi beans) complement this healthy salad with their crunchy goodness and are also high in fiber and protein.

The dressing is seasoned with Moroccan Vegetable Rub from Milford Spice Company. This spice blend is blended from cumin, coriander, chili powder, smoked sweet paprika, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cayenne and cloves. It will add a delicious pop of flavor to the salad.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

I received an Air Fryer for Christmas and absolutely love it! I look forward to sharing many recipes that are light, healthy and delicious.

I have made crunchy garbanzo beans in the oven before for a healthy snack. They took almost an hour to make. In the air fryer—15 minutes. Perfectly crunchy and seasoned to perfection! You can use any seasoning that sounds good to you.  

Today I used Tikka Masala. This mix is hand blended with guajillo chile powder, bay leaves, smoked sweet paprika, turmeric, roasted garlic, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, cumin, fenugreek, cardamom, caraway, nutmeg and cloves—it's wonderful. Use this in a traditional Tikka Masala dish but it's fantastic on roasted potatoes, popcorn, fish, chicken and veggies.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Pumpkin seeds are the perfect blank canvas for any seasoning. So simple to make and they are healthy and delicious. Great with a cold beer as you are passing out candy, or fantastic as a part of your Thanksgiving appetizer spread.

Today I chose to use Honey Chipotle. This is hand blended with granulated honey, sea salt, chipotle powder, granulated onion, Spanish paprika and Italian seasoning. Wonderful on salmon, shrimp, veggies, chicken, pork and popcorn! Sweet with a little bit of heat! Absolutely fantastic!

Mix raw cleaned pumpkin seeds with olive oil if you are using a savory spice and melted butter if you are going to the sweet side.

The most important part of getting crispy, crunchy seeds is to clean them really well and to boil them. It seems like an unnecessary step but this actually par cooks the seeds and ensures that they cook fully, when baked. Make sure to display your pumpkin!

Any cold beverage is fantastic with this treat!

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Sweet potatoes are generally available all year round, but tend to become really popular during late fall. Today I decided to make a light lunch using sweet potatoes as the crust for my quiche. That makes this a low carb and low calorie lunch, light and delicious!

I chose Fish Delish to season the dish. It is hand blended with thyme, Greek oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, orange zest, lemon zest and fennel. This blend is fantastic as the "ultimate fish seasoning" of fennel and then the added citrus twist of lemon and orange zest. Fish Delish is also fabulous on chicken and pork. It also makes a wonderful salad dressing. To make 1 cup of dressing mix 1-2 tbsp seasoning in 2 tbsp water, let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/3 cup red wine vinegar and 1/2 cup olive oil. Place any left over dressing in refrigerator.

Enjoy this quiche as a delightful brunch dish or cut into squares as an appetizer.

A cool glass of Chardonnay pairs beautifully with this dish.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

The Instant Pot has to be one of the greatest inventions ever! I was always leery of using the old fashioned pressure cookers, this new one is so easy! Baked Beans is a family favorite, and I wanted to try making it in the new pot. The end results were better than I could have imagined!

Of course it didn’t hurt to use a newer spice blend from MSC called Louisiana Red Beans & Rice. This is hand blended using onion, garlic, parsley, celery, cumin, cayenne, bay leaf and red pepper flakes. Also great on sautéed cauliflower rice, black soy beans and as a salad dressing.

We are eating healthier, so I chose a nitrate/nitrite free uncured bacon for this dish. Or you can choose a vegan/keto option as well.

A ice cold beer is a perfect compliment to this dish.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

We have had a streak of ridiculously hot weather lately. A Chimichurri Sauce is an Argentinian herb sauce that can be served with steak, fish, chicken or pork. It is also fabulous served over roasted or grilled veggies for our Keto/Vegan friends.

I used Red Pepper flakes to add a little heat to this sauce. Depending on what herbs you have growing in your garden, you can add a little thyme, oregano, basil or rosemary. You can season this fabulously easy sauce with Adobo Lime, Perfect Chili, Mexican Blast, and if you switch out cilantro with basil use An Evening in Tuscany!

I served this with an Adobo Lime seasoned skirt steak with Perfect Chili Oven Roasted Potatoes. Click links to see these recipes.

A nice iced cold Corona Light with Lime pairs really well with this dish.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

This is a super quick side dish to prepare. Potatoes can handle any seasoning, so be creative.  

Today I am using Perfect Chili Seasoning. This fantastic mix is hand blended using Ancho chile powder, pasilla negro chile powder, smoked paprika, granulated onion, granulated garlic and cumin. This blend is fantastic on potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn on the cob. And, of course Chili!

Potatoes can be a blank canvas for almost any seasoning. Try Dillicious, Adobo Lime, Red Beans & Rice and DiDad's Passion for Pepper.

Enjoy!

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

I love substituting cauliflower for many different starches. Today I decided to try my hand at a risotto using Johnny Pizza. This flavorful mix is hand blended with Mediterranean oregano, basil, garlic, onion, thyme, fennel seed, red bell pepper, crushed red pepper, parsley and marjoram. Fabulous as an Italian blend or amazing in your pizza sauce or my favorite—bake it into the crust! You can also use it to add pizzaz to a frozen pizza.

You can vary this recipe to accommodate any diet. I used parmesan cheese but you can use brewers yeast just as well. If you are using real cheese make sure you get a chunk of parmesan and freshly shred for the recipe, it makes all the difference!

This risotto is so rich and creamy! You will not miss the rice.

A nice glass of Chianti Classico tasted fabulous with this dish.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Johnny Pizza is another spice blend that is extremely versatile. It is hand blended with Mediterranean oregano, basil, garlic, onion, thyme, fennel seed, red bell pepper, crushed red pepper, parsley and marjoram. It is great to sprinkle on a pre-made pizza, fantastic in a sauce, or my personal favorite—bake it into a homemade pizza crust. So good!

Today I decided to make an Italian Baked Rice. Added lots of veggies, this is so easy and very flavorful. I served this with a Baked Chicken also seasoned with Johnny Pizza and finished with some fresh mozzarella cheese.

A glass of Chianti was delightful with this meal.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

It seems that anything Cauliflower these days is in vogue! Low carb, low calorie and very nutritious not to mention great flavor and texture. What's not to love?

I've been wanting to try cauliflower steaks for quite a while. One of the the newer spice blends that I've purchased is Garden Glory. There is a touch of molasses which helps coax out the carmelization. It is hand blended from garlic, salt, paprika, onion, black pepper, thyme, red bell pepper, molasses, oregano, serrano and vinegar. It is fantastic on roasted root veggies like sweet potatoes and onions. This also makes a great vinaigrette! Click here for more info on that.

This recipe could not be any easier! You can also try grilling these!

A glass of Chardonnay went very well with this meal.

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!

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Today I wanted to try something new and different. Potatoes can be a little bland so I kicked it up a notch! I used Milford's Mexican Blast to season the potatoes that added such an amazing favor. Mexican Blast is a delicious blend of chile peppers, garlic, onion, cumin, Mexican oregano and other spices.

Adding the poblano peppers made the dish colorful and taste fantastic! Mexican Crema is available at regular grocery stores and is richer that regular cream.

I paired this with Grilled Mexican Blast Carne Asada. Really delicious!

Wine & Spice Makes Everything Nice!