Spice of Life

SAVORSpice

The Spice of Life

BY CAROL KAHN

V“Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor,” is a proverbial saying by the late 18th-century English poet William Cowper. However, in the case of Ryan Alarie, spices are his life and that spice comes in different varieties.

Alarie is owner and creator of RA Seasonings, signature spices that add flavor to your meals while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle. According to Alarie, spices contain a high level of both salt and sugar in addition to preservatives such as silicon dioxide, modified cornstarch, MSG and maltodextrin. These chemicals can harm the body, especially the kidneys and the liver. Alarie is extremely cautious when ingesting anything with high levels of sodium, sugar and added chemicals.

Alarie says that his family has a history of polycystic kidney disease and that in 2015 he donated one of his kidneys to his cousin in order to save his life.

Since that time, he has had to switch up his diet and be more conscientious as to what he was putting in his body. “I worked in the fitness industry for a long time and was already healthconscious. I did not necessarily look out for salt and sugar at that time, but once I donated a kidney,

I paid a lot more attention to it – so I can last a long time and not have to go on a transplant list myself,” he said.

RA Seasonings is all natural, low sodium, sugar-Free, gluten free, dairy free/vegan and is made from 100% herbs & spices.

The product is fresher than store-bought brands, therefore it tastes better. “We specialize in bringing you bold fresh flavors to season your food with, but allowing you to eat and live a healthy lifestyle,” Alarie said.

Alarie likes to cook and has a passion for food. “I started by growing fresh herbs and vegetables in my home garden.

I experimented for months to create seasonings that were full of flavor without all the sodium and fillers packed into other seasoning brands.” He says that he sources herbs from

Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and California. “It’s based on availability, and things [herbs] grow better in different states, and our growth season in Arizona is not necessarily year-round. For example, there is not a commercial garlic farm in Arizona – that’s one of our biggest ingredients that we use. And we source Hatch chile from New Mexico.” Currently RA Seasonings has 17 different blends and they release new flavors all the time. The newest is All Natural Greek, which contains garlic, onion, black pepper, dill, thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, lemon granules, paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon and sea salt. The most amount of sodium added to RA Seasonings is 60 mg, which is 3% of Recommended Daily Values based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Alarie explains that he tastetests his spice blends to make sure that they work with food pairings. “I know flavor profiles and experiment a lot. I have tried lots of things that don’t work. Recently, I tried a pesto that I thought was going to be dynamite and it didn’t hit the mark. We do four different versions and narrow it down to two. We want to see which one tastes better on the food, because when you cook, the spices could change the profile with food. I do a blind test – then my wife [tries it] and other people in the Photos courtesy RA Seasonings culinary field.” And, which is his favorite so far? “The Zesty Garlic – it contains garlic, onion, lemon, lime, orange, black pepper and sea salt,” Alarie said. RA Seasonings can be found at farmer’s markets throughout Arizona, or can be ordered online at raseasonings.com. Editor’s Note: For the holidays, if you like all things pumpkin, you may want to try the Pumpkin Pie. It contains pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, ginger, clove, and monk fruit. There is no salt or sugar added. Alarie tells us that he has added the Pumpkin Pie in a few cocktail recipes he created such as Pumpkin Martinis and coffee with Kahlua. Also, sprinkle the Pumpkin Pie spice on those baked sweet potatoes to add a bit of spice to your Thanksgiving dinner.

COOK TIME: 6 HRS. SERVES 4

2 lbs pork, beef or chicken, cubed 2 lbs fresh green chili (or two 10 oz cans fire roasted diced chili)

2 Tbsp flour or flour alternative

3 TB RA seasoning Chili Verde 1 yellow onion 3 tomatillos 2 jalapenos

4 garlic cloves 1 can light beer (I use Tecate) 1 Tbsp oil

Preheat oven to 425° to roast chilis, onions, jalapeno, garlic and tomatillo. Drizzle with olive oil, RA Seasonings and pepper. Roast for 20-30 min. Peel and pulse in a blender for 10 seconds, looking for a rough chop. Combine flour and ⅓ RA Seasonings Chili Verde in a bowl or large Ziplock bag. Add cubed meat. Shake to coat. Heat oil to medium high in a large skillet. Brown meat on all sides. Remove meat from pan and deglaze pan with some beer. Add to the crock-pot. Add roasted vegetables, browned meat, RA Seasonings and beer. Stir to mix. Cook in crock-pot for 5 hrs on high or until the meat is fork tender. Let sit overnight for the best flavor. Serve with sour cream or your favorite cheese.

Coconut Curry Shrimp Bisque

GLUTEN-FREE AND DAIRY-FREE

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved 2 cups seafood stock 3 Tbsp good olive oil 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (3 leeks) ¼ cup RA Seasonings Coconut Curry 1 Tbsp chopped garlic (3 cloves) Pinch cayenne pepper ¼ cup Cognac or brandy ¼ cup dry sherry 1/3 cup tomato paste

2 cups cauliflower puree

Place the shrimp shells and seafood stock in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock. Add enough water to make 3 3/4 cups. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and cook them for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, or until the leeks are tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the cayenne pepper and shrimp and cook over medium to low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Cognac and cook for 1 minute, then the sherry and cook for 3 minutes longer. Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor or Vitamix and process until coarsely pureed. In the same pot, add the cauliflower puree and mix in RA seasonings coconut curry and heat on medium low, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock and tomato paste. Heat gently until hot.

Cauliflower Puree

1 head of cauliflower

4 cups water or vegetable stock 1 tsp vegan cream cheese

Boil cauliflower in water or stock. Place cauliflower in vitamix or high power blender w/cream cheese and a little cooking liquid at a time to reach creamy consistency.