Remember that time (3 days ago) when I posted about making more things instead of buying them? There’s another aspect to that philosophy that I didn’t really include. To borrow a phrase from Rachel Wilkerson’s earlier writings, “Don’t be ridiculous”. I have a full time job, I’m a graduate student, I have a husband who likes to spend time with me, and I have several local organizations I’m involved with. I could certainly make everything I eat from scratch, but I’m pretty sure it would be at the cost of my sanity.
So when I was given the opportunity to try out Healthy Solutions Spice Blends, I quickly accepted. Though spice blends are certainly something I could strive towards developing on my own, I won’t be working on it any time soon. I keep a well stocked spice rack, but spice blends aren’t something I’ve explored much. But I do know that the right spices in a dish can make a world of difference. 
There are 16 spice blends in the Healthy Solutions Line:
- Herb Crusted Tilapia
- Shrimp Scampi
- Cajun Seafood
- Encrusted Haddock
- Lemon Pepper
- Sesame Ginger Tuna
- Grilled Swordfish
- Salmon with Dill
- Bold Beef Rub
- Authentic Chili/Tacos
- Hearty Beef Stew
- Italian Meatballs
- Perfect Steak
- Savory Meatloaf
- Ultimate Burger
- Pork & Poultry
Each blend comes in a resealable plastic pouch and includes ingredients, nutrition facts and a recipe on the back. Choosing which varieties I wanted to try was a little difficult, as many of the options are intended to be used for meat and I’m an indecisive person by nature. I knew I could do something more creative with them then their intended uses, but I was also open to trying something different than my usual seafood applications. In the end, I requested and received samples of the Authentic Chili/Taco, Shrimp Scampi, Cajun Seafood, and Grilled Swordfish blends.
So far, I’ve really only used each mix once. The fact that I received the spice blends during my recent meal planning slump was both a blessing and a curse: the provided recipes were really helpful in figuring out what we were going to eat, but I also didn’t have the creativity to come up with unique uses for each spice blend.
For the tacos, I simply followed my standard recipe, using the spice blend instead of my usual spices. The result, which was served over kohlrabi slaw, was very close to the usual taste of my tacos. No complaints here about that; it was nice to open one packet instead of several jars. I really enjoyed the shrimp scampi blend, which I sprinkled over shrimp that I then cooked with tomatoes and vegetable broth. The spice blend was buttery, garlicky and flavorful. I think the Shrimp Scampi blend may be my favorite of the bunch. The Cajun seafood seasoning was the first blend I tried and I mistakenly attempted to use almost the entire packet on one pound of fish. It wasn’t until I looked at the recipe after dinner that I realized I was only supposed to use a couple tablespoons. This is what happens when you don’t read directions carefully. As a result, the fish was way too spicy. That said, it’s nice to have a pre-made spice mix that really packs a punch and I’m looking forward to re-testing it again soon. Finally, I followed (correctly) the instructions for the swordfish seasoning and then cooked the fish on my George Foreman grill. Though my swordfish ended up a bit overcooked, the lemony seasoning was still awesome. Next time I think I’ll use more than the recipe called for and cook the fish less, but the mix is definitely a keeper.
Each of the packets includes enough seasoning for several meals and, after exploring their website, it’s nice to see that they’re reasonably priced for dried spices. I’m looking forward to using up what I have remaining in some more creative applications in the weeks to come. The spice blends are available in a number of stores and are available for purchase online.
Want to try Healthy Solutions Spice Blends for yourself? Enter to win your choice of any 4 of the spice blends using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Disclaimer: I was provided with 4 varieties of Healthy Solutions Spice Blends in exchange for a review and giveaway. As always, all opinions are my own. Product photos used with permission from the Healthy Solutions website.
I’m a cajun lover, so I would pick the cajun seafood.
Salmon with Dill. I’m not a huge seafood lover, but salmon is delicious!
I’d love to try any of the fish ones, especially the tilapia and the tuna. We eat tilapia a lot – it’s quick and easy. Thanks for the giveaway!
These all look so good!! But probably any of the fish ones – I don’t cook fish nearly enough in our house, so this would be a great way to try something new!
I just want to say, these food photos look great! At first I thought maybe they came from the product’s site, but then I recognized the dishes!
They all sound great! Salmon Dill I think is my top choice right now. I love Salmon a lot. I’ve tried Lemon Dill a few times and I’m hooked. So guess I’ll stick to what I really like!
i think i’d like to try the savory meatloaf or the perfect steak. i actually have a lot of lamb left over from our CSA and need to come up with creative ways of cooking with it! great blog! :-D
Salmon with dill.
I would love to try the bold beef.. but they all sound amazing!
I’d like to try the ultimate burger
I would like to try the Shrimp Scampi. I would make Shrimp Scampi with it, of course! LOL.
I can understand the convenience of having a pre-made blend, esp taco seasoning that we use all the time and I always seem to be missing one ingredient; this week its oregano, last week it was cayenne pepper, etc. I usually don’t get the pre-made blends because they are either too specific – and therefore I wouldn’t go though them fast enough – or contain lots of salt, MSG, or other ingredients I would use.
On a side note, why are spice blends often sold in the larger 1 or 2oz bottles, where as the individual spices are usually in 1/2oz containers? Hmmm….