Power Up Your Pantry

Making meals healthier doesn’t always require drastic ingredient swaps or fistfuls of extra greens. By utilizing your kitchen’s best-kept health secret, the spices in your pantry, cancer-preventive recipes for every meal of the day are within your reach. For these recipes (except for the one with cayenne), spicy isn’t referring to their heat level, so spicy food avoiders can still join in on the feast. A few of the spices used work together, increasing the health benefits of one another, so don’t be afraid to layer and experiment with the combinations. You’re just a pinch or two away from flavourful, health-promoting meals. Fresh spices can be used in place of dried. As drying concentrates the flavour, you’ll need a larger quantity of fresh herbs (about three times more fresh herbs than dried). Spices will keep for approximately six months; stale spices lack flavour, colour, and aroma. Buy in smaller quantities and replace more often. Store spices in airtight glass jars away from any light or heat. Toasting spices in a dry skillet brings out a richer, nuttier taste. This is also a great way to perk up older spices that have been hanging around for too long in the pantry.