Spicing It Up With Tajín!

I’ll admit that when it comes to cooking with herbs, spices and seasonings, I am not very adventurous. Because my cooking forte is Italian American, I tend to stick with the basics: basil, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme – using fresh herbs whenever possible, or Litehouse freeze-dried herbs (which are available in the produce section…and which I highly recommend) when fresh herbs are not available. When it comes to adding a little heat to a recipe, I’ll add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, a light sprinkle of cayenne, or even a dash of Frank’s Hot Sauce (which I personally prefer over the more trendy Sriracha sauce). It’s not so much of a spice tolerance issue, I just always felt that adding too much heat would masquerade the flavor of the recipe itself, not allowing me to enjoy the dish for what it is.

Recently, however, I came across a spicy seasoning that added just enough heat, with an additional zesty kick. I found it to be both interesting and pleasing to my palate, it has since found a place in our kitchen spice rack, and has been put to use quite often. Ironically, this spice has no direct link to Italian American cooking. But, with a little creativity and versatility, this spices has added a fresh and vibrant accent to many of our favorite dishes.

Tajín (pronounced ta-heen) Clásico Seasoning is a blend of roasted red chile, salt and dehydrated lime juice. It is a popular Mexican seasoning powder, that is also known in Spanish as salsa en polvo, which translates to salsa powder, The taste, as you could probably imagine, is a combination of spice, tang and citrusy zest. Think of it as a combination of paprika and the flavoring on a lime tortilla chip. In its native country, the spice is sprinkled liberally over fruits and vegetables to enhance their flavor to a whole new level.

The spice was introduced to my wife and I through our good friend John, whose mother is of Mexican descent. He used the Clásico Seasoning as an accent on grilled corn on the cob. The spice added such a nice zip…it was like sprinkling a little bit of magic on the corn! My mission right away was to find my own jar of this zesty spice. Unfortunately, it is not commonly available in your regular grocery store. However, you can find it in specialty shops, and it is available on Amazon, which is where I made my purchase. We use it not only on corn, but also as a seasoning for potatoes, fish, chicken, fresh cut melon, cucumbers, and eggs.

Below is my recipe for Spiced Fried Egg and Avocado Toast, which has become a breakfast staple in our household. Avocado Toast on its own is a tremendous breakfast treat. The addition of the fried egg and the Clásico Seasoning elevates it to a level of pure bliss. Even if you want to leave the egg out, just a dash of this miracle spice on Avocado Toast makes for a perfect start to the day!

To order your jar of Tajín Clásico Seasoning, click here!

To check out the variety of Litehouse freeze-dried herbs (available in your grocery store’s produce section), click here!

Spiced Fried Egg and Avocado Toast

1 slice of bread (wheat or white preferred)
1/2 ripe avocado
1 egg
olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Tajín Clásico Seasoning

Step 1: Preparing the Egg
Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil into a heated medium size non-stick skillet, until the oil starts to shimmer. Add the egg to the pan, let it cook until the edges are golden brown. Slightly tilt the pan, and carefully spoon the hot oil over the egg whites. Let the egg cook for an additional minute or so. The longer the egg cooks, the harder the egg yolk will be…however, I personally prefer having the yolk just a bit runny for this dish. You could also flip the egg if you prefer it to be sunny-side down.

Step 2: Preparing the Toast
While your egg is cooking, toast up the slice of bread until golden brown. Spread the avocado on the toast, then lightly drizzle with olive oil, and season with sea salt, pepper and Tajín Clásico Seasoning.

Remove the egg from the pan, slide it on top of the avocado toast. Season the egg with additional salt, pepper and Tajín Clásico Seasoning.

Nutella and Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast

Another Nor’easter in the Philadelphia area…another day spent indoors, figuring out what to eat next. If you’re stocked up on the snowstorm essentials (bread, eggs and milk), try giving this decadent recipe a shot. With just a few additional ingredients (sliced fruit of your choice, and my two favorite Italian spreads, Nutella and Mascarpone), this breakfast beauty will be sure to add a little sunshine to yet another dreary winter’s day!

Nutella and Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast

Makes 3 stuffed sandwiches
6 slices of bread (white or wheat are preferable)
sliced fruit (my personal choices are banana and strawberries)
Nutella (any other brand of hazelnut spread will work)
Mascarpone cheese (you can also use cream cheese)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup milk

Start by lightly toasting the bread (it helps hold the sandwich together). Spread one piece of the toast with Nutella, spread another piece with Mascarpone cheese. Add the fresh sliced fruit to the two pieces of bread to make a sandwich. Repeat with the other four slices of bread and remaining fruit.

Mix together the egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon and milk. Dip the sandwiches into the egg batter.

Cook the sandwiches on a lightly greased medium hot skillet or griddle until golden brown on both sides. Top with powdered sugar and serve with syrup on the side.