Smart spices: For the freshest spices look no further than this ~ Recipe: Curried brown rice pilaf with pistachios and cherries

There are many ways to extend the shelf life of your spices: tightly close the jars, keep away from air and light, use them up quickly, and of course purchase the smallest amount you can. Well, the last one is tricky because no matter how hard we try, even if we can find a small jar of spices or herbs, we invariably still do not go through them quickly enough to prevent some loss of flavor. Sometimes we buy only that spice or herb for a particular recipe, never to come around to it again for a long, long time. And let’s not forget storage space. All those jars get clumsy and bulky on our shelves and in our drawers.

So that’s why Smart Spice was invented. Convenient neat little packets of pre-measured spices and herbs. Just tear open the packet and use the 1 teaspoon of measured aromatic . The packets seal out all the elements, solve your storage dilemma, and because so many recipe call for only 1 teaspoon, all the spice is used. And the spices are all organic to boot.

Your food is only as flavorful as the potency of your spices, so keeping them in top notch form is only a packet away.

Smart-Spice.com and on your grocer’s shelf

Curry powder isn’t a spice we use everyday, so these packets are perfect for the occasional indulgence in this far East flavor. Enjoy the perfumed slightly peppery flavor of curry in this fluffy rice pilaf.

CURRIED BROWN RICE PILAF WITH PISTACHIOS AND CHERRIES
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (1 tsp) Smart spice Curry Powder
1 ½ cups rinsed long grain brown rice
3 cups low fat, reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup minced parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and saute for about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add in the curry powder and dry brown rice and saute for 3 minutes.

2. Add the chicken broth to the rice mixture. Bring the rice to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes until tender.
3. Meanwhile, toast the pistachio nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan frequently until the nuts are fragrant.
4. Add the nuts and cherries to the brown rice and mix. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh parsley.

All photographs courtesy of Olga Berman (Sorry if the photos are a bit dark: I made the dish at 10 pm last night, so there was no natural light.)