This spicy treat gives you a little bit of your breakfast back. Try it with eggs and banana pancakes and you’ll think it’s the old days when you ate with wild abandon.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. ground chuck beef
1 tsp ground anise seed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1/2 tsp ground mustard
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3/4 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced (see this video for easy peeling)
1/2 white onion, finely minced
1 large egg, beaten

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix very well. Get yourself some rubber gloves and dive right in.
2. Form thin patties or link shapes.
3. Fry on medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side.

Notes:
Try other meats or add some pork to this recipe if you like.
The egg makes for a more tender sausage, but can be eliminated if necessary.
Fry this up as crumbles instead of patties or links for use in other recipes like pizza or spaghetti sauce (I’d eliminate the egg for this purpose).
Make a bunch and freeze in serving portions for a quick fix.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
2 tsp. ground cumin
16 oz pineapple tidbits in own juice (check for sweeteners)
4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced (see this video for easy peeling)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
About 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips (important note)
fresh cilantro

Directions
1. Sauté onion in olive oil till they begins to brown.
2. Add cumin and sauté 2 minutes further.
3. Add pineapple tidbits and juice, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt and continue sautéing for 5 minutes.
4. Add sliced chicken, cover and simmer on medium until fully done, 10 – 15 minutes.

Top with plenty of fresh cilantro leaves to serve.

Ingredients:
1 lb. (about 2 cups) red kidney beans
1 lb. (about 2 cups) navy beans
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup lard
1 large yellow onion, diced. Do not use sweet onions!
5 cloves garlic, crushed (see this video for easy peeling)
2 Tbs homemade chili powder
2 tsp salt
2 Tbs dried oregano
1 Tbs ground cumin

Directions:
1. Carefully sort through the dry beans to check for debris.
2. Soak beans in water for 24 hrs, changing the water about half way through. The beans will expand by a factor of about 3, so use a large bowl well filled to keep the beans submerged.
3. Rinse beans well.
4. Put beans and bay leaf in large pot and cover with water by 1-2 inches.
6. Bring to a boil then down to a strong simmer. Cook for 1 – 2 hours until the beans are tender, adding water as necessary to keep beans just covered.
7. Mash beans. A potato masher works well.
8. In a second large pot melt lard and add onions, cooking on medium heat just until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.
9. Add garlic and spices to onion and cook a few minutes more to allow spices to come alive.
10. Add mashed beans to onion mixture and stir will.
11. Continue cooking beans if necessary to reduce to a thick paste. If the beans are too thick add water a little at a time. Be careful though, nobody likes runny beans.

Yield 12 cups. Freezes well.

Perhaps you’d like some tacos to go with that?

This Indian staple comes in countless formulas. It’s warm, complex and compliments many foods. My favorite use is in chicken khorma, but it also goes great on many vegetables. Also used in Bombay Beef.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsps coriander seeds
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
3/4 Tbsp black peppercorn
1-1/2 tsps black cumin seeds (cala jeera)
3/4 tsp black cardamom seed
3/4 tsp whole cloves
3/4 tsp crushed bay leaves
(1) 1 inch piece cinnamon stick or 3/8 tsp ground
1-1/2 tsps ground ginger

Instructions:

If using stick cinnamon:
1. Place all spices except for ginger in a large frying pan.
2. Roast over medium heat, stirring occasionally until spices begin to release their smells. Be careful not to burn spices as that will ruin them. Be patient.
3. Cool completely.
4. Grind to a fine powder with a coffee grinder, adding the ground ginger.
5. Store in an airtight container.

If using cinnamon powder:
1. Place all spices except for ginger and cinnamon in a large frying pan.
2. Roast over medium heat, stirring occasionally until spices begin to release their smells. Be careful not to burn spices as that will ruin them. Be patient.
3. Cool completely.
4. Grind to a fine powder with a coffee grinder, adding the powdered ginger and cinnnamon.
5. Store in an airtight container.

Yields 1/2 cup.

This is a useful mix for a variety of recipes. I use it with hamburger to make a sort of taco filling. I also use it in chicken khorma and refried beans. It has a pleasantly hot, but well rounded flavor.

Ingredients:
4 Ancho chilies, dried and stems removed
8 Guajillos chilies, dried and stems removed
4 Thai chilies, dried and stems removed (see notes)
4 Tbs cumin seed
4 Tbs coriander seed
1/2 Tbs black peppercorn
9 Tbs oregano, preferably Mexican

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 300° F.
2. Put all ingredients except for oregano on large flat pan.
3. Roast for 7-10 minutes or until you begin to smell the spices.
4. Cool completely.
5. Remove stems from chilies
6. Add oregano to cooled spices and grind to a fine powder.

Notes:
Any small, hot pepper can be substituted for the Thai chili.

Yields about 1-1/2 cup.

I use a food processor first to coarsely grind then a coffee grinder to make it fine.I use a coffee grinder that I have reserved for spices only. If you use your grinder for both coffee and spices, you will contaminate both. The coffee will taste funny and so will your spices.