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Keep a handle on your oils with cooking sprays
JD Seasonings is committed to ensuring that you can max out on flavour when it comes to your food, but not at cost to your waistline. In an ideal world, things would be simple – fat would either be good or bad. We would understand if we should run, screaming, from the smallest glistening drop, or if we should actively seek out ways of getting fats into our diets.
But things aren’t straightforward. There are good fats and bad oils and – while we can cook a lot of food without oil, there are some that need a little helping hand. Yes, skin-off chicken breast trimmed of fat, we are looking at you!
There’s a really great middle ground when it comes to making it easy to add the tiniest bit of oil without ruining the diet – the cooking spray. In fact, a cooking spray includes so few calories you could be saving hundreds of calories per week, simply by giving your pan a little pump instead of a splash.
One of the earliest sprays on UK supermarket shelves was Frylight. Made in Britain, Frylight comes in 9 different flavours so that you can chose the oil that best suits your tastes. Created as an alternative to butter, Frylight has moved with the times and now also offers a garlic oil spray as well as coconut oil and avocado oil versions.
With each spray using just one calorie, you can give your spray a couple of pumps and still be cutting calories. Frylight offers a great range and the oils can sometimes lend another dimension to your dish. Try the Frylight Coconut oil with our Tikka Masala spice blend for greater depth of flavour or a spray of avocado oil with your Chilli Con Carne.
There are plenty of other brands on the market which makes it really simple to find a healthy alternative that works for you.
If you are a firm fan of olive oil, then prolific olive oil producer has created an extra virgin olive oil spray with no additives or preservatives. While this is amazing for giving your salad a squirt of dressing, make sure to give it a miss when it comes to your frying pan. It’s just too delicate to cook with. However, in does have a non-virgin version that’s perfect for frying with.
Cooking with a low-cal spray is a very clean way to cook as many of these sprays are non-stick, which makes light work of the dishes!
How Low Can you go?
It’s been a long, hot-ish summer and you may be feeling the strain – around your waistband. Summer evenings in the garden over a bottle of rosé may have come with a few handfuls of crisps or nuts and who could resist the odd scoop of ice cream in a cone…?
As we begin to say goodbye to summer, you might be thinking of a little menu overhaul. We’re a long way off from the comfort food of winter but it’s worth practising good habits while the weather is a little brighter. This year, why not let JD Seasonings do all the hard work when it comes to making the most of your meals?
What’s the best part about a curry?
Is it the fact that it offers a pretty complex taste experience? Compare it to a slice of roast chicken and gravy. The curry will come out on top in terms of taste sensation every time, but the warmth of curry stays with you, bringing much greater meal satisfaction which helps to stave off after-dinner snacking.
Curry has been a staple of UK mealtimes for many decades now and we’re in a better position than ever to cook them from scratch at home. Takeaway curries are laden with ghee and cream – it’s no surprise that they taste amazing, but they are calorie-tastic. Supermarket ready meals may be a little better, but they’re still packed with fat, sugar and salt.
There is another way…
It’s really simple to replace gloopy curries with something fresher from JD Seasonings – each pack comes with a serving suggestion recipe, such as Rogan Josh or Jalfrezi, but you could reduce your calorie count even further with a few simple steps.
Tikka Chance On Me…
As well as using one of our sumptuous curry kits to create your curry, you can also take charge of what you eat with it. Mountains of fluffy white rice are so beguiling, but they’re also high in sugar and carbohydrates. You could try the cauliflower rice option – or even just a portion of cauliflower on the side (so much less work). It’s entirely possible to cook a chicken breast in a JD Seasoning curry kit sauce, so you can enjoy a spoonful of sauce, rather than a typical curry. Freeze the rest for another night and try you curried chicken breast with a side of salad.
It might be time to reach for a cardie and plunge into the sock drawer again, but it is also time to re-invent your taste buds and make the most of the coming months.
Have you ever noticed the little stickers that celebrate ‘Great Taste’?
Of course you have – and you’ve probably purchased on the basis of that sticker. At JD Seasonings, we’re very big fans of the ‘Great Taste’ sticker because we’ve discovered some firm food favourites having picked up a ‘Great Taste’ award winner.
Our own experiences of tasting some fine ‘Great Taste’ winners encouraged us to enter some of our best JD Seasonings Best Sellers – and we were utterly thrilled when we secured 4 awards.
Our Chips & Wedges kit adds the flavour that’s taken away when you remove the deep fat fryer. Helping you to make the most of your spuds without resorting to the processed ships and wedges that you’ll find in your supermarket chillers and freezers, your ‘side’ dish will become the centre of attraction.
Lean chicken is one of the healthiest options when it comes to protein but it’s versatility can work against it – when you take away creamy sauces or fragrant curries, chicken can be bland. Our award-winning Chicken Rub let’s you turn an every day meal into a taste sensation. Try it on the BBQ!
Our Jamaican Jerk Rub is not only award-winning but also another brilliant option when it comes to adding a bit of Caribbean warmth to your chicken. Our Jerk is a dry rub which really helps with calorie counting as you don’t need any fat to get the best from your ingredients.
When you think of a Sunday roast, it’s often a plate piled high with carved meat, crunchy roasties and heaps of veg with a happy, smiling family sitting round the table, but the reality can be very different. Roasts can get, well, boring, and it can be tricky to suit everyone’s tastes – but who wants to put time, effort and love into a few hours in the kitchen only to get groans at the table? That’s where our award-winning secret weapon will come in handy. The JD Seasonings Minted Lamb has an amazing balance of spices and herbs that will take your joint to the next level. Better get a couple of kits as your family will be asking for mid-week roasts when they try this.
Tasty!
Go on… try something new to you!
In the UK, we’ve come a long way from the meat and two veg that would be the staple of the dinner table. We’ve worked our way through curries and chow miens – they now rank alongside the Great British fish and chips as national favourites – and, sometimes, these options can start to feel a little same-y. Coming up with fresh inspiration can be daunting and it’s hard to know where to start.
That’s why, at JD Seasonings, we’ve already done the exploring, the trying and testing for you and we’ve developed some awesome meal kits that will let your taste buds travel the world from the comfort of your very own kitchen.
Cooking with Cajun
The JD Seasonings Cajun spice blend captures the best of the Louisianan/French mix that emerged from French colonists that settled in the American Deep South. Use the blend to rub into steak, pork or chicken and serve with a fresh green salad or use it within another dish as your flavour base. Our American Cajun Beef Goulash recipe is a robust pasta dish that will satisfy the whole family and offer a change to your usual pasta options too.
Rock and roll with Creole
Helping to understand the differences between Cajun and Creole can really boost your confidence when you’re trying out new styles. Louisiana Creole also comes from the Deep South but from New Orleans in particular. Creole cuisine is a melting pot of influences, including French, Spanish, Italian, African, German, Caribbean, Native American, and Portuguese. While you will get a hint of Cajun flavour, Creole has less heat, more pepper and always includes tomatoes.
Jerk it out
We’re proud of all our meal kits, blends and rubs but we’re also especially proud that our Jamaican Jerk Spice Rub is a Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Award Winner. Our Jerk spice is dry-rubbed on to meat or chicken and delivers a warming and satisfying taste sensation. Our Jamaican Jerk rub will transform your weekday family meals into a little bit of the Caribbean on a plate.
Deciding what to make for tea is just never-ending.
You can triumph one day, with a table of smiling places, only to crash and burn the next day. Similarly, if you have to delight your own tastebuds day after day, you might find yourself sticking to tried and tested favourites, which deliver in terms of getting a plate of food on the table but it doesn’t do much for the sense of lip-smacking satisfaction that lets you know that you’ve really enjoyed your food.
After all, when you’re watching what you eat, every mouthful counts…
At JD Seasonings, we’ve worked hard to bring together the best of blends, rubs and meal kits to make the most of every meal, but we’ve also gone one step further and developed recipes that will deliver deliciousness every time. So whether you’re looking for new ways to do family favourites or if you’re just starting to spread your culinary wings, we’ve got your back!
Pimp your pasta
Pasta offers a firm backbone to a meal but it will tip the balance calorie-wise. The smart approach to making more of your Italian favourites lies within the sauce. Creamy carbonara is out but our Spaghetti Amatriciana recipe sets out clearly how you can combine our Amatriciana meal kit with bacon and tomatoes for a balanced meal.
Spaghetti Bolognese is the perfect go-to mid-week meal but it can become a bit same-y. A change in recipe can transform your standard Bolognese into something special without.
Get a bigger bang from your bangers
Sausages are so versatile but how many times have you reached for a potato to mash and some beans or peas and voilà?
Sausages are packed with flavour but they do need to be balanced out by good healthy portions of vegetables. Our Sausage Casserole recipe sets out a tasty option that’s packed with extra vegetables such as carrots and peppers that can be served with steamed green veg or a salad, instead of carb-heavy mash.
Going green the JD way! Are you looking for new and exciting ways to add a bit of oompf to your vegetables?
There are people who can’t stand vegetable and those who only eat vegetables – and they have such a lot in common! While these two tribes might seem poles apart, they’re actually both looking for new and exciting ways to add a bit of oompf to their vegetables. At JD Seasonings, we’ve got something for everyone!
Potatoes can really boost a meal, adding bulk to those with a hungry family to feed but it can be really hard to keep inventing new ways to make potatoes exciting. If you’re facing cries for a ‘change from mash’, or ‘bored with chips’, then our potato meal kits are the perfect solution. Our Chips and Wedges kit packs a flavoursome punch and makes every wedge a welcome addition to the meal, while the JD Salt and Pepper Chips are tasty enough to be enjoyed all on their own. If you’re looking for a little bit of spice, then our Bombay Potato kit is the one for you. Your Bombay Potatoes don’t always have to accompany a curry but they can be just as tasty with a piece of grilled chicken or fish.
For some, the vegetarian option is the only option, but for others it’s the opportunity to eat less meat or it’s the start of their meat-free journey. Either way, it can be tricky to make the first few steps along the way to eating more healthily and you might feel like you have to leave old favourites behind. Not with JD Seasonings. Our Mild Curry and Medium Curry kits work just as well with vegetables as it does with meat. Cauliflower makes a great replacement for chicken.
If you are a fan of Mexican, then Arriba! Both the JD Fajita kit and the Chilli Con Carne kit can work well with meat free versions. For the Fajita option, you can simply up your peppers and onions, while you can replace mince meat in your Chilli with mixed beans.
The complex history behind the simplistic Spaghetti Amatriciana
What's better than grabbing a taste of Italy? Bringing the taste into your very own kitchen.
Amatriciana sauce is renowned as one of the best-known and most delicious pasta sauces in Roman and Italian cuisine. It originates from a quaint Italian town called Amatrice. The recipe itself is surprisingly simple made with only tomato, bacon and onion. Unfortunately, its flavoursome dish is not all Amatrice is known for.
In 2016, an earthquake devastated the town destroying the beautiful architecture and landscape that defined the mountainous area. However, the tangy and appetising sauce remains unshaken and it's more than good for the taste buds. The dish has since been introduced to many restaurants around the globe as a means to gather funds for victims of the earthquake. Some restaurateurs donate any profits derived from sales of the dish to the areas most affected by the earthquake.
The secret is in the sauce
It is unsurprising that the pasta sauce has remained an Italian staple, despite it being a basic recipe; It is the sauce that truly defines the dish as it is fully loaded with flavour.
Our Spaghetti Amatriciana seasoning mix is made with 100% natural ingredients to fully capture that fresh Italian taste. It is so loaded with herbs that there's no room for any other hidden nasties or artificial flavours.
One herb that defines Amatriciana sauce is Marjoram, a herb that was once known as "joy of the mountains" because of its abundance on the Mediterranean mountains. This is also an appropriate description for the mountainous area of Amatrice. The herb gives the sauce a hint of sweetness, taking the edge off the spicier crushed chilli. It is more than just palatable, the herb has numerous health benefits. It is known to facilitate digestion and reduce stress, making Spaghetti Amatriciana an ideal dish to wind down and enjoy with the whole family.
Who knew such a deep and complex history would surround such a simplistic and delicious dish? Treat your taste buds to Spaghetti Amatriciana and order our amatriciana spice blend for a healthy and flavoursome dinner.
Make sure to follow JD Seasonings on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more healthy and tasty recipes.
Put a bit of sunshine on your plate!
Whatever the time of year, the delicious aroma of Jamaican jerk pork, chicken, fish and beef will tempt the tastebuds. It’s a little bit of sunshine on your plate, that’s not only exceedingly moorish, but is also a healthy, low fat option.
So where did Jerk originate from?
During the early seventeenth century, when the British took slaves to Jamaica to work in the sugar and coffee plantations, a group of these slaves fled to the mountains and were named the Maroons. They would blend an array of herbs and spices that they used to marinate their meat before cooking. It was named ‘Jamaican Jerk’ and is now recognised worldwide.
Our Jamaican jerk rub is jam-packed with flavour and made with 100% natural ingredients. Cook with the knowledge that there’s no sugar or other hidden extras, just a blend of pure spices to add a tasty zing to your meal. Simply dry rub the wonderful spices onto your meat or fish and cook! There’s no need to use oil, but if you do, we recommend using only a low calorie cooking spray.
Jamaican jerk is a national treasure in Jamaica. The jerk meat or fish is often accompanied by ‘rice and peas'. Rice and peas is a coconut rice with red kidney beans. It’s a meal equivalent to a British Sunday roast and considered a speciality.
In BBQ season, try something a little different and cook your meat or fish on the BBQ with Jamaican jerk rub. The aroma that will fill the air will be divine. Whilst it's slowly cooking, sit back, sip your favourite drink, close your eyes and imagine you're miles away sitting on a powder white sand beach. It’s not just a low fat recipe for the summer though, in the winter months, when the BBQ is safely tucked away for another year, slow cooked jerk in the oven creates a really healthy meal with a difference.
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The controversial origins of Cajun cooking
Who doesn’t love a steaming hot bowl of gumbo on a cool winter’s night?
Cajun food is known for its strong flavours and spice. It relies on spices like bay leaf, bell pepper, black pepper, chilli and cayenne pepper for its characteristic smoky flavour. Our precise blend of cajun spices is a great addition to your kitchen and will make whipping up a hearty creole-inspired dish a breeze.
However heartwarming cajun food is, the story behind the cuisine’s origins is controversial. Surprisingly enough, this cuisine has its origins far north of Louisiana, its common geographical association.
The term ‘cajun’ comes from the phrase ‘les Acadians’, after Acadian, the region of current day Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia where French-speaking inhabitants were forcibly deported from by the British in the late 1700s. They eventually settled in southern Louisiana. Because of the dramatic change in climate, the settlers were not able to cook their traditional recipes. Their adaptation to the new climate became Cajun cuisine.
The new settlers to Louisiana were poor, and as a result, had to rely heavily on the addition of rice to their food. It made a soup or stew ‘stretch’ across the entire family. Another common trait is the addition of a roux, a reflection of the cuisine’s French origins. The addition of a roux to a soup made it thick and creamy. Game animals were traditionally used, and still are in some parts of Louisiana. Cured meats, like spiced andouille sausage, are very common, as well as seafood - which would have been available in abundance by the early settlers.
Over time, various other cultures began to have an influence on Cajun cooking. The native Americans in the area introduced the settlers to local spices and vegetables, like corn and sassafras root. Tomatoes from southern and central America found their way into Cajun cooking, and the influx of slaves from Africa introduced even more variety - most notably okra.
Now that you know a little bit about the origins of Cajun food, why not order our cajun spice blend for your next hearty, healthy dinner? Follow JD Seasonings on Facebook, add us on Twitter and check out our great recipes on Instagram today.
The controversial history of the chicken tikka masala
Ah, the chicken tikka masala – is there a dish in the world that is more redolent of the Indian sub-continent? With its sumptuous blend of herbs and spices (including cumin, coriander, chilli, ginger and, of course, garam masala) your tastebuds would swear they were being tickled from the very heart of Punjab, right?
Well…
Food historians are divided on the subject. Renowned food critic Rahul Verma insists that the dish did indeed originate in India, describing it as a Punjabi dish dating back to around 1971.
However, a more commonly accepted derivation of the dish comes from rather closer to home. Ali Ahmed Aslam, owner of Glasgow’s famous curry house, Shish Mahal, claims to be the inventor of the dish. According to him, a customer at the restaurant returned his chicken to the kitchen, complaining that it was too dry. Ali was on a liquid-only diet at the time, owing to a stomach ulcer, and decided to add a mix of spices to the tomato soup he had been subsisting on, coating the chicken with it, and returning it to the disgruntled customer, who was delighted by the new taste experience.
In 2009, Labour MP Mohammad Sarwar requested before Parliament that Glasgow be legally recognised as the home of chicken tikka masala, and afforded protected geographical status for the dish. Alas, it never got further than an Early Day Motion.
Food historians Colleen and Peter Grove are adamant the dish was invented in Scotland, but that the recipe was likely a modification of an existing Indian or Bangladeshi recipe, the most likely being shahi chicken masala, first published in 1961.
The debate about whether chicken tikka masala is Indian or Scottish, or some multicultural hybrid of the two, is likely to rage then at least simmer for some time to come. Meanwhile, if you can’t decide, why not try your hand at making it yourself? Packed with herbs and spices, our Tikka Masala kit goes great with chicken, or lamb, or just about anything really. Serve it with pilau rice for a healthy, hearty, tasty meal.
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