One Great Spice Blend

There is a lot that can be said for Emril Lagasse from his famous "bam" to making cooking a fun televised event. But what is often overlooked, if you have not had the opportunity to eat in his establishments, is that he is an amazing chef and restaurateur.

The recipe below is for Emril's famous Essence Spice Blend that he is always talking about. It is available commercially or you can make it from scratch as outlined below. The best part is that the recipe calls for highly common ingredients...that I am sure most will have at home.

Outside of my own personal blends, I have to say that this might be the best universal spice mix for everything from - grilled veggies, grilled chicken, grilled fish, potatoes (roasted, grilled, salad), rice/pasta dishes, eggs, pizza and beyond.

For the purposes of this article, I want to focus on grilled veggies. Simply placed cut veggies in a large zip lock add oil and essence blend and grill - toss bag with ingredients to coat. The spice blend grills wonderfully with carrots, zucchini, squash, potato, onion and more.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme

Process:

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Store in cool, dry place.

Best to use within three months of making.