The Mountain Rose Herbs catalog is a chef’s paradise. High quality, organic herbs and spices vastly improve every kitchen creation. My counters and cabinets are well stocked—in fact a bit over stocked—with bulk seasonings from allspice to za’atar. I definitely have my favorites like chipotle, Himalayan salt, thyme, curry, cinnamon, oregano (okay a lot of favorites), but I am always up for trying something new.
One thing I adore is a super creative blend of herbs and spices—something I can use on its own without having to grab different bottles from all over the kitchen. I’ve been thrilled to experiment with Mountain Rose Herb’s West Indies Rub from their Epicurean Organics line. This blend is a Caribbean inspired seasoning with garlic, pepper, sea salt, ginger, fenugreek, coriander, mustard seed and of course, some other secret spices. It’s wonderfully fragrant with just the right amount of heat and saltiness. Where we may normally think of “rubs” for meat dishes, I found this blend to have the perfect mix of flavors to add excitement to some simple tossed veggies. Having a bottle of Mountain Rose’s cold-pressed Pumpkin Seed Oil also on hand made a lovely addition too my dish. With its robust flavor, you’ll find that this oil perfectly complements fresh veggies. I tend to get stuck in an oil rut—using olive oil for my savory dishes and coconut oil for desserts, so playing with pumpkin seed oil is a welcomed change.
When it comes to simple salads, my go to seasonings have always been salt and pepper. It’s a comforting combination for me, something that has followed me from the diet I grew up on to today’s raw food lifestyle. Of course, the quality of the salt and pepper I use has improved, like all of my food. In addition to exotic spices and oils, Mountain Rose Herbs carries some unique culinary salts and high quality peppercorns to finish your plates off in style. I tried the Red Alaea Salt and Rainbow Peppercorns. The earthy notes that this Hawaiian clay salt added to my salad gave new life to my simple mix of greens. The Rainbow Peppercorns are just perfect—with a gentle heat, more mild than black pepper on its own, and a lovely blend of pink, green, black and white colors. If you have yet to branch out and try these distinctive varieties of salt and pepper along with unique, high quality oils and exotic spices, I highly recommend giving the Mountain Rose Herbs catalog a try. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a passionate foodie, Mountain Rose Herbs will help all of your dishes shine a little bit brighter.
Enjoy a sampling of Mountain Rose Herbs products in this flavorful raw food recipe!
Sweet Chili Cabbage with Spicy Pumpkin Seed Crunch
Sweet Chili Cabbage with Spicy Pumpkin Seed Crunch
Serves 4
Sweet Chili Cabbage
- 6 cups shredded red cabbage (one small cabbage)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves, well packed
- 1/3 cup cold pressed sesame oil
- 4 teaspoons raw honey or agave
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- juice of ½ lime
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed chili pepper
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
Toss the cabbage and cilantro together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, honey or agave, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, chili pepper and salt to create the sauce. Pour the sauce over the cabbage and toss well to coat. Set aside.
Spicy Pumpkin Seed Crunch
- 3¾ cups cubed zucchini (about 3 medium zucchini)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
- 3 tablespoons red onion, diced
- ¼ cup Mountain Rose Herbs pumpkin seed oil
- 2 teaspoons Mountain Rose Herbs West Indies Rub
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
Toss the zucchini and salt together in a large bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the other veggies. Drain the zucchini, as the salt will have helped it to release some liquid. Place the zucchini back into the bowl and toss with the carrots and onion. Add in the pumpkin seed oil, West Indies Rub and pumpkin seeds. Toss well to make sure all of the flavors combine.
To serve: Divide the Sweet Chili Cabbage into four equal portions and place on a plate. Top each portion of cabbage with ¼ of the Spicy Pumpkin Seed Crunch. Serve and enjoy with pure pleasure!
Natalia
Natalia KW is an innovative and passionate raw & living foods chef. Through her Pure Luscious Lifestyle, Natalia wants to inspire you to live your juiciest & happiest life. She works to empower individuals to take control of their health and happiness through pure food and conscious nourishment. Natalia is the author of Pure Pleasures, her debut cookbook featuring an abundance of creative and accessible raw food recipes. Natalia strives to create recipes focusing on local and seasonal ingredients and never compromises when it comes to organics. She wishes to share the joy she has discovered through a clean, green diet. Recently, Natalia created an organic live & vegan menu for Mi Pueblo’s University location. Find her on Twitter @NataliaKW and Facebook.
IMHO you've got the right asnewr!