• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Just Cooking

Master Kitchen GINA

  • Home
  • Nutrition & Healthy Food
  • Kitchen Gadgets
  • Taste The World
  • Lifestyle
  • Pets | Cats | Dogs
  • Write For Us
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy & Disclaimer
You are here: Home / Lifestyle / How to Spice Up Meatless Mondays With Smoked Spices

February 12, 2021 Lifestyle

How to Spice Up Meatless Mondays With Smoked Spices

Meatless options are sweeping fast food chains—from Burger King’s plant-based Whopper burgers to KFC’s plant-based fried chicken—and big restaurants alike. Some were only available for a short time, but it shows where the future of food is heading.

Two separate Gallup polls in 2019 discovered that one in four Americans have cut back on eating meat, and four out of ten have become familiar with plant-based alternatives. There are various reasons for the change, one being increased awareness of climate change—demand for meat has contributed to deforestation, antibiotic resistance, and greenhouse gas emissions over the decades. 

While it may take some getting used to, meat-free alternatives can be as satisfying as meat—provided the right ingredients. Psychologists at the University of California Los Angeles surveyed 579 meat-eaters in 2019 and found that taste is one of the reasons keeping them from considering meat-free alternatives. Fortunately, there are countless ways to make meat-free dishes delicious. 

One such way is to pick the right spices and mix them in a spice blend. People use these spices for their dry rubs on steaks, so they should also work on meat-free ones. You can pick up the following spices at your local supermarket or online sellers such as Oregano Spices.

Sea Salt

Salt forms the base for various dry rubs, and sea salt is no exception. Sea salt is different from your typical table salt as it comes from evaporated seawater instead of salt mines. Evaporation leaves some trace minerals along with the salt, which can give your meat-free meat a richer flavor. Apart from having slightly larger crystals than common salt, you can use sea salt just the same.

You can also find smoked sea salt—smoking infuses sea salt with the flavor of the wood. The advantage of smoking sea salt is that it makes sure more of the flavor permeates through the meat with the salt. Smoked sea salt can form the base for other smoked spices.

Nutritional Yeast

For a nutty, cheesy taste that vegans will love, consider getting nutritional yeast. It’s regular yeast, but its yeast cells have been rendered inactive during processing, thus its powdery or flaky appearance. It’s a typical replacement for cheese in various recipes, giving dishes a hint of sharp cheddar.

As its name implies, nutritional yeast is chock full of nutrients like fiber and niacin—but take care not to use too much in your dishes, as not all stomachs may respond positively to the yeast. Experts recommend slowly integrating nutritional yeast into any meat-free diet to mitigate the side effects.

Turmeric

A staple spice in Indian cuisine, turmeric has enjoyed a spike in popularity in recent years. That’s because promising studies have investigated turmeric’s alleged wellness properties, which ancient medical anecdotes first purported. The curcumin present in turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory substance and antioxidant.

Turmeric and black pepper are a healthy combination, as the piperine in the black pepper improves the absorption rate of curcumin into the bloodstream. If turmeric isn’t available in your local store, you can use other substitutes like saffron, curry powder, and ginger.

Chili Powder

If turmeric isn’t spicy enough for your tongue, you can up the ante with chili powder. It’s not one spice but rather a blend of spices that include, but not limited to, chili peppers, paprika, cayenne, cumin, and garlic powder. You’re getting the best of multiple worlds with this spicy rub.

Chili peppers can also be smoked and crushed into powder, resulting in smoked chili powder. The smoky flavor enhances the earthy undertones already produced by certain spices in the blend. You can experiment with various peppers and spice blends to create your own chili powder.

Garlic

Although technically a vegetable, garlic is widely considered one of the most versatile spices. The possibilities of using garlic in cooking are endless: sauteed, roasted, or ground into powder. Almost every known recipe utilizes garlic in some form—a dish would be bland without it.

Like turmeric, garlic is thought to have medicinal properties. Multiple studies have revealed the various benefits of garlic, from lowering blood pressure to regulating cholesterol in the body. To maximize garlic’s flavor, grate or puree the cloves. 

Improvise!

Your meatless dish may require more than one spice, but that’s the beauty of it. The perfect blend of spices can make any dish, vegetarian or otherwise, stimulating and palatable. Test various spice blends and see how it changes your meat-free dish. You’ll be surprised at the endless possibilities spices have to offer on your next Meatless Monday.

Spread the love

Categories: Lifestyle

Previous Post: « Top 5 Random Ways to Help Start a Healthier Lifestyle
Next Post: 12 Healthiest Foods Options to Start Your Day With »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Us

Hey All!! Welcome To “ginafordinfo.com“. I’m Gina A. Herrera – a blogger and a chef. Besides taking care of my kids, I usually spends time writing about the countries that I has been to, the cultures that I has experienced, and the foods that I has tasted.

Recent Posts

  • Keeping Your Fish Healthy: How to Clean an Aquarium (the Right Way!)

    Keeping Your Fish Healthy: How to Clean an Aquarium (the Right Way!)

    February 24, 2021
  • 10 Backsplash Ideas That Will Transform Your Kitchen

    10 Backsplash Ideas That Will Transform Your Kitchen

    February 23, 2021
  • How to Store Coffee Beans – If You Care About Your Coffee, Then Store It Right!

    How to Store Coffee Beans – If You Care About Your Coffee, Then Store It Right!

    February 23, 2021
  • 12 Healthiest Foods Options to Start Your Day With

    12 Healthiest Foods Options to Start Your Day With

    February 21, 2021
  • Top 5 Random Ways to Help Start a Healthier Lifestyle

    Top 5 Random Ways to Help Start a Healthier Lifestyle

    February 2, 2021
  • What is the Main Purpose of Mushroom Fruiting Chambers?

    What is the Main Purpose of Mushroom Fruiting Chambers?

    January 20, 2021
  • How Drinking Kirkland Tequila Can Make You Feel Better

    How Drinking Kirkland Tequila Can Make You Feel Better

    January 16, 2021
  • 10 Best Herbal Teas That May Help An Upset Stomach

    10 Best Herbal Teas That May Help An Upset Stomach

    January 10, 2021
  • How to Choose the Best Catering Service in Melbourne

    How to Choose the Best Catering Service in Melbourne

    January 8, 2021
  • Choosing a Kitchen Sink: 5 Tips to Help You Choose the Right Material

    Choosing a Kitchen Sink: 5 Tips to Help You Choose the Right Material

    January 7, 2021

Recent Posts

  • Keeping Your Fish Healthy: How to Clean an Aquarium (the Right Way!)
  • 10 Backsplash Ideas That Will Transform Your Kitchen
  • How to Store Coffee Beans – If You Care About Your Coffee, Then Store It Right!
  • 12 Healthiest Foods Options to Start Your Day With
  • How to Spice Up Meatless Mondays With Smoked Spices

Time For Shopping

Footer

http://ginafordinfo.com/ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Disclaimer: This site does not provide medical or legal advice. This website is intended for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Statements made on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and any information or products discussed are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease or illness. We make no warranties or representations as to the accuracy, validity, timeliness or suitability of the information contained on this web site for any purpose.

Our Reviews

  • Gotham Steel Pan Reviews
  • Best Toaster Ovens Under $100
  • Best Lump Charcoal Guide
  • Best Fillet Knife For Fish

Copyright© 2021 · by Shay Bocks