Recipes

Reagents

½ teaspoon     Celery salt

¼ teaspoon     Ground thyme

¼ teaspoon     Rubbed sage

2 teaspoons    Ground turmeric

½ teaspoon     Ground white pepper

¼ teaspoon     Ground black pepper

½ teaspoon     Garlic powder

1 teaspoon      Onion powder

¼ teaspoon     Ground cumin

5 teaspoons     Paprika (or smoked paprika)

½ teaspoon      Dried and crumbled parsley

½ teaspoon.     Dried and crumbled basil

1 teaspoon       Salt

Pre-Lab

None

Experimental Protocol

Measure all reagents and combine together. Store in an air-tight container.

Post-Lab

The post-lab for this experiment is quite simple: Adjust the amounts/ratios of the various spices until you obtain your ideal blend.

Note: This blend mixture will deepen in flavor upon the application of a heat source (baking, frying, roasting, etc.)

Reagents

~1 lb.    Yukon Gold Potatoes (baby potatoes are fine, too)

1 Tablespoon     Olive Oil

1-2 Tablespoons     Dr. D's Spice Blend

Pre-Lab

Cut your potatoes lengthwise into 8 wedges (for med.-large potatoes) or 4 wedges (for baby potatoes). 

Wash and dry the wedges.

Experimental Protocol

Pre-heat your oven to 190 °C (375 °F).

Place the wedges into a bowl and add the olive oil. Mix to cover potatoes evenly with the oil.

Add the spice blend and mix thoroughly.

Place the wedges on a cookie sheet and cook 20-30 minutes until tender, turning over halfway through cooking.

Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before serving.

Post-Lab

1. Experiment with different potatoes to find your preferred kind. I like the Yukon Gold, but you may like Russet, Red, or any other kind out there. Do you think this mixture would taste good with sweet potatoes? I sure do!

2. Adjust your spice blend until you find your optimal amount. I like my potatoes to have a lot of flavor, so I pile on the spice. But, the blend packs a little bit of a punch. A little bit goes a long way for most folks.

3. What other foods would you like to try the spice blend on? Roasted asparagus? Corn on the cob? Black bean burger? Whip a batch or a double batch and keep it on hand at all times. 

Reagents

~2 lbs  Roma tomatoes 

1 Tablespoon  Olive Oil

2 cloves  garlic, minced

1/2 cup  vegetable broth

1/2 cup  diced carrots

1 teaspoon  celery salt

1 teaspoon  turmeric

1 tablespoon  soy sauce

1 tablespoon  dry basil

1 tablespoon  lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Pre-Lab

Peel and seed your tomatoes. Cut a small "x" in the tomatoes and place them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and place into cold water or rinse under plenty of cold water. Peel the skins off. Cut off both ends and use your thumb to push the goop and seeds out of the three segments of the tomato. Roughly chop your tomatoes. 

Prepare your other reagents as necessary.

Experimental Protocol

Heat the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, broth, and carrots over low heat, covered, for at least 1-2 hours. I sometimes let this cook all day. 

Thirty (30) minutes before the end, add the spices, soy sauce, and lemon juice.

After thirty minutes, use a blender or immersion blender to puree the components together. 

Taste and add salt and/or pepper to taste.

Post-Lab

1. Be sure to peel and seed your tomatoes!

2. Try adding some steamed spinach near the end for an added bonus.

3. You can add other garden vegetables to this mixture if you like. I like to add a little green pepper and a few mushrooms to mine (not much, maybe 1/2 cup total of both.)

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