As of late, I’ve been Glutenfreevegan.me on the cheap. My job of 13 years came to an end in September. I had some vacation pay that took me almost through the end of the year, so I knew I had to wait to receive unemployment. Since Hubby and I eventually want to spend winters in Mexico and I didn’t have to work, we decided to hang out for a few months in beautiful Playa Del Carmen and see what it was like to be residents. We certainly found ways to save money, and it’s free to enjoy the gorgeous beaches. We ate in our little Mexican kitchen and discovered lots of inexpensive and delicious vegan foods. I made my own flour blends and baked bread, cookies, and brownies with local ingredients. We loved our stay, and it was hard to come back to the cold weather at home.
While in Mexico, I met the lovely Kathleen Foland, who was renting a condo just a few doors down. She asked me if I liked to cook. Of course, I shared that I had a food blog and LOVED to play in the kitchen with all ingredients gluten-free and vegan. Turns out, she’s quite the cook too. She even has a company, Midwest Mermaid Muse, that creates all sorts of cool stuff, including spice mixes. She shared a shaker bottle of her fabulous Land and SEAsonings spice mix. I couldn’t wait to try it, especially after I read the ingredients.
And guess what? I loved this spice. That’s why my bottle is half empty, and I haven’t even had it a month!
The spice mix is chock full of goodness; it’s super healthy, and it tastes terrific. What makes this spice mix different is the organic seaweed, nori, and mushrooms added to the traditional spices. Sea veggies and shrooms have health benefits galore, and their flavors are subtle in this blend. You won’t be overpowered by fishy or funky if you’re not a fan of the sea greens or fungi.
The cumin is prominent in this blend. I use cumin in almost all my savory Indian and Mexican dishes. I tried Land and SEAsonings in my Veggie Curry with Riced Cauliflower, replacing 1:1 the cumin and garam masala and cutting back just a bit on the salt. It blended perfectly.
I also added the Land and SEAsoning to my Red and Green Chili, simply replacing the cumin 1:1 with this blend and salting to taste. I loved the flavor.
You could easily sub out the cumin in your favorite recipe with this blend. Because the blend contains salt, taste before adding extra salt to your dish. Land and SEAsoning has a slight kick of spice too – not too hot, but do be aware.
I think it might be great on popcorn too. Haven’t tried that yet. If you try it, comment below and let me know if you liked it.
Kathleen is working on her newest seasoning blend – Caribbean Mexican Land & SEAsoning. I love the Mexican Caribbean and the inspiration from the flavors in that region. I’m guessing a little sweet, a little spicy, maybe? Oh, the anticipation!
If you’d like to try Land and SEAsoning or Midwestern Mermaid Muse’s other tasty treats, please visit midwestmermaidmuse.com to learn more.