SpiceBreeze Review April 2018
With SpiceBreeze you get to discover popular meals from around the world with minimal time and effort. Receive each month simple recipes for 2 or 4 selected entrées with delicious flavors from different regions of the world. Includes freshly ground pure spices, pre-portioned for easy cooking and no waste. Add 2 to 5 fresh ingredients. Enjoy pure authentic flavors and relax. They kindly sent us this box for review.
SpiceBreeze is a wonderful subscription for anyone looking to up their dinner game. Let’s be honest, looking for recipes can be very time-consuming. I speak from personal experience when I say it can take hours to research new meal ideas. I feel like it’s one of those things that’s never-ending. Once I get started I just can’t stop. So…..I love the idea of someone else picking out the recipes for me and basically just saying, “here, make this”. Oh, and not having to keep a drawer full of spices is pretty nice as well. SpiceBreeze takes care of that for you. New spices each month to go along with your new recipes….love it!
Subscription Details
The Box: SpiceBreeze
Cost: $11.85 per month (Quad Box) or 5.90 per month (Duo Box)
What You Get:
- Choose to cook 2 or 4 global meals per month with either a Duo Box (includes 2 kits) or a Quad Box (includes 4 kits).
- Each kit contains a simple global recipe and the freshly ground spices, pre-portioned in little pouches.
- Additional recipe inspiration included in the box and available on our social media channels.
Ships to: US (free) & Canada ($1-$2)
Here’s a closer look at our April spices…….
April Theme – Water Fights, Songkran (New Year)
What a wonderful way to celebrate New Year with water fights in the hottest month of the year! The festivities for Songkran, the New Year celebrate in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri lanka, parts of India, Vietnam and China, start on April 13. The day after is the Bengali New Year called Bohela Boishakh. It’s a national holiday in Bangladesh and also celebrate in two states of India.
Falafel
Falafel is a classic dish that became a popular street food in many countries. It can make a great substitute for a burger, once in a while or weekly, with beans as a vegetarian protein source. The form of patties instead of balls facilitate the frying. If you want the falafel crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, use only dry beans and prepare for overnight soaking of the beans. If you want it easy and quick, with a bit different texture, the canned beans are the best choice.
For this recipe we received Falafel Spice which is a mixture of cumin and coriander.
I am a HUGE fan of falafels. I make them on a regular basis so this recipe is perfect for me.
Pad Kee Mao
Pad Kee Mao translates to “Drunken Noodles” though no alcohol is used in its recipe. Many stories try to explain the origin of this Thai dish with the mystery name. One thing is sure: everybody loves the delicious invention. The recipe is so flexible. It works with any finely cut protein and vegetable.
For this recipe received a spice mixture of – chili, coriander, garlic, lemongrass, lemon peel, ginger, star anise, cilantro, onion, basil, cumin, white pepper, cinnamon and lemon oil.
This is a recipe I could easily make with tofu. I could also get creative with the vegetables and use up whatever I have in the fridge or try something I haven’t had in a while.
Shukto
Shukto is a must on any festive Bengali dinner menu. The vegetable stew has a slight bitterness balanced with sugar. If you are not up for this, try this Panch Phoron grill recipe or the Purple Panch Phoron recipe.
For this recipe we received two spice blends:
- cumin, fennel, fenugreek, brown and yellow mustard, nigella
- yellow and brown mustard, ajowan, bay leaves
I love a good stew, especially one with lots of vegetables. This one calls for potato, turnip, zucchini, eggplant and green beans.
Spaghetti Napolitana
Despite the name of this dish, it’s not originated in Naples. Pasta al pomodoro (noodles with tomatoes) is a basic Italian recipe. We named our recipe spice kit “Napolitana” not “Neapolitana” to point out the difference. This Napolitana spice blend adds the Mediterranean aroma of sun-dried tomatoes and is enough for two dishes. Try variations with meat or vegetables. Or use it as a meat rub with our online recipe.
For this recipe we received a spice blend of: tangerine peel, sundried tomatoes, garlic, basil, white pepper.
I make spaghetti on a regular basis, at least every couple of weeks, so this spice will definitely get put to use. I make it with ground beef for the fiancé and lentils for myself. I will be able to use this spice with either variation.
SpiceBreeze Review April 2018 – Final Thoughts
This month’s SpiceBreeze is absolutely perfect for me, or should I say our household. All four recipes are dishes I feel comfortable making, some of which I make on a regular basis. The falafels and the spaghetti are a no-brainer for me. The veggie stew calls for chicken but I could easily leave it out or substitute a can of beans. Lastly we have the Pad Kee Mao which calls for beef but can also be made with tofu. Overall, I am extremely happy with this month’s spice collection. It’s nice to receive things I want to use and look forward to using.
XOXO