Review: Spices from Seasoned Pioneers *

We decided to cook up Leek and Potato Soup using these spices, this is one of our most favourite soup which we make during the cold and wintery months, hence we would know if the salt and pepper tasted any different to what we normally use. Here is an easy recipe to follow. Chop up one onion and cook it down in a little olive oil and butter till it is softened, next add the about 3 leeks which have been sliced thinly. Give it a stir then add in about 3 medium sized potatoes which have been cubed. Give this a quick stir then add in enough stock (home made or using stock cube) to cover the vegetables. Let it simmer till vegetables have been cooked, season with salt and pepper. Remove some of the potatoes and leek and keep aside (as we like a little texture to our soup), whizz the rest using a hand blender then add the rest potatoes / leek which you have kept aside. Do add in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk and more stock to dilute the soup. Serve.

Verdict: I totally loved using the salt and pepper as the flavours were more pronounced than normal. The salt came in chunky flakes hence I did not need much of it and this was also perfect for sprinkling and seasoning roasted vegetable, roast potatoes and our fish and chips.

Sri Lankan Curry Blend

We have always wanted to try cooking a Sri Lankan chicken curry hence this was the perfect opportunity to try making it as we have never had the right curry powder for it. Sri Lankan curry powder is slightly different compared to other curry powders and us being curry connoisseur, we had to try making this to see how it compared to the other curries which we avidly cook.  We have used about 500g of chicken drumsticks for this recipe. Marinate the chicken with salt and pepper for about half and hour to one hour. (The longer the better). Then heat the oil in a pan and fry the chopped onions (1 medium) until its crispy. Next add curry leaves, cardamom pods and cloves and fry for a minute. Remove from heat and add 1 chopped tomatoes, chillies and 1/2 cup yoghurt and blend this until it turns into a paste.  Heat the earlier pan, add in cumin and some blended garlic ginger paste and fry for about 10 seconds. Stir in the chicken and then the roasted curry powder, chili powder till its coated.   Add in the blended paste, close it with a lid and cook until the meat is tender, feel free to add potatoes too. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice. We adapted the curry from here.

Verdict: The Sr Lankan Curry was delish but the spice flavours were very pronounced, I might have reduced my measurements of 1 tsp to less in the future, otherwise this was lovely and the dish went down well with the the whole family.

What you need to know?

• Need some recipe inspiration? Don’t worry, just head to their website to check out their recipes and what new spices to try?
• Each spice pouch contains at least 20 servings
• No additives or preservatives in these spices
• The pouches are air-tight, resealable, reflective pouches to ensure that all the oils are retained in their most flavoursome form.  The pouches are made from foil to deter harmful UV light.
• Every major worldwide food cuisine is represented by Spice Pioneers
• Spice blends are all handmade and dry-roasted
• Seasoned Pioneers is endorsed by leading food writers
• Looking for a Gift Item ? You can buy spice gift box and get them gift wrapped too

How much are the spices?

Each spice pouch  weighing 27g can cost anywhere from £1.50 to £3.95 each. Do visit their website here for full price details.

Can you tell me the difference between seasonings and spices?

Seasonings are specific parts of selected plants that give unrivalled flavour to your cooking. Seasonings that come from the leaves of a plant such as thyme, rosemary or coriander are known as herbs. Seasonings that are made from other parts of a plant such as seeds, berries, roots or bark are known as spices. There are still other seasonings that have generic names all of their own: chillies and peppercorns for example.

About Seasoned Pioneers

Seasoned Pioneers, founded in 1999, are regarded as an innovative company that rapidly gained recognition for being the experts in authentic and specialist seasonings. Highly commended by many leading food writers and chefs, the company was set-up by Mark Steene, whose interest in seasonings was first sparked during his worldwide travels.  He found that it was very difficult to buy the seasonings and blends that he had used while he was abroad. Having the finest flavours from authentic spices really does make a difference to cooking, whether you want to create a certain dish or if you’re just experimenting. Hence he wanted to share what he had learned, and hoped that by making these exciting authentic seasonings widely available that he would also offer inspiration to others.

You may also want to read this :Review: Concentrated Meat and Vegetable Stock from Essential Cuisine

* We were sent the spices for free in return for a review. All opinions are our own.