Schwartz Perfect Shake review

I love cooking from scratch and rely on my well-stocked spice rack to keep things interesting because I totally adhere to Schwartz's motto of "add a little, change a lot". Depending on which spices you add, you can totally change the flavour of a dish with zero effort - take a simple chicken breast and choose between American BBQ seasoning, rosemary & thyme or chicken tikka spice mix and you have three totally different meals.

We've already tried the Flavour Shots in the top of the picture - you can click through to read our reviews of the Italian Creamy Herb Tagliatelle Flavour Shot, Spanish Paella Flavour Shot and Indian Spicy Jalfrezi Curry Flavour Shot. Next stop, the new Perfect Shake seasoning jars.

As my spice rack shows, we are already big fans of the Perfect Shake range. We already have the Chicken, Classic BBQ, Steak, Extra Spicy Cajun, Chinese 5 Spice, Thai 7 Spice and Garlic Italian jars. I love the fact that they are no-brainers - Schwartz have done all the blending for you so a quick sprinkle is all you need for some authentic-tasting exotic cuisine.

The new arrivals in the Perfect Shake range are :

Perfect Shake Pasta  - This contains Dried Green & Red Bell Peppers, Dried Onion, Salt, Garlic Granules, Dried Tomato, Oregano, Basil, Black Pepper and Parsley. It's great for giving a simple pasta sauce a nice lift and can also be sprinkled on top of plain pasta, in place of parmesan. We also use this to add extra flavour to our homemade soups.

Perfect Shake Spanish - This is my favourite of the three. It's a blend of smoked paprika and red and green bell peppers and is perfect for injecting a dose of Spanish sunshine into whatever you're cooking ! It's not at all spicy but it adds a lovely smokiness to simple dishes like stir-fries. It's also great in marinades or for sprinkling over meat on the barbecue. It would be fantastic in my Spanish Chicken Calzone and Schwartz also have recipes on their website for using it in Patatas Bravas or Spanish Omelette.

Perfect Shake Chips  - a blend of paprika, onion and garlic. This is the one I was least enthusuastic about because it seemed a bit redundant. We use an actifry for our chips and one of the recipes in the accompanying recipe book is for paprika chips but I have yet to try it because I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to chips, thinking they need nothing more than a liberal sprinkling of salt and vinegar. I have tried this Perfect Shake seasoning on homemade wedges though and they tasted great. It's also lovely sprinkled on top of a baked potato or stirred into mashed potato.

Whether you're a bit of a spice addict like me and want to add extra flavour combinations to your repertoire or if you're nervous of using herbs and spices and don't know where to start with combinations, the Perfect Shake range is ideal for opening up your tastebuds to some new experiences !

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £1.98 for 33g

for more information : http://www.schwartz.co.uk/products/seasonings-and-blends/perfect-shake.aspx

Disclosure : We received the products in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Schwartz 2-in-1 Garlic & Thyme Roast Chicken & Crispy Roast Potatoes review

Flavour Forecast : Brazilian-inspired Spicy Steak Sandwich

Schwartz Dauphinoise Potato Bake recipe mix review

Schwartz Flavour Shots Spanish Paella review

Last week I showed you how we got on with the Italian Creamy Herb Tagliatelle Flavour Shot and the Indian Spicy Jalfrezi Curry Flavour Shot, which were both very successful, so I was keen to see what we'd think of the final one, the Spanish Paella Flavour Shot. (When I say the final one, I mean in the selection that we received to review - they are also available in Chinese Sweet and Sour, Indian Mild Masala Curry, Mexican Fajitas, Spanish Smoked Paprika Chicken and Thai Red Curry, all of which I may have to investigate now I know how lovely they are.)

As usual, you need to stir up the contents of the little pot, to mix up the herb-infused oil and the flavour-packed sludgy sediment at the bottom. Then you pour it into a pan, heat it through and add the various ingredients : onions, chicken, red pepper, peas and chorizo.

I found it very strange to be cooking a paella without prawns - in fact, I'd planned to add some but forgot to take them out of the freezer - but I must admit, I was won over by the seafood-free version too.

The recipe calls for paella or risotto rice but I used wholegrain basmati rice which worked just fine too.

This made a really nice family-friendly dish, which was packed with flavour but not spicy and which was also very visually appealing because of all the different colours.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : 99p (was £1.39)

for more information : http://www.schwartz.co.uk/products/recipe-mixes/flavour-shots.aspx

Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Schwartz Flavour Shots Indian Spicy Jalfrezi Curry review

Having tried out the Italian Creamy Herb Tagliatelle Schwartz Flavour Shots earlier in the week (click through to see what we thought of those), I decided to reach for the Indian Spicy Jalfrezi Curry Flavour Shot when I needed a quick dinner last night.

After stirring the contents of the pot to mix the herb and spice-infused oil on the surface in with the concentrated mixture at the bottom, I poured it into a frying pan and gently heated it.

Time to add the onions - it already smelt divine and this gave the onions a wonderful colour and spicy flavour which was the perfect no-fuss curry base.

Next, if you're following the recipe suggestion on the packaging (which I did), you add peppers - I used all red rather than a mixture of red and green because it was what was in the fridge - along with a tin of tomatoes, some water and some chopped chicken breast. I usually brown the chicken in a frying pan before adding it but putting it straight into the hot sauce to cook resulted in a softer cooked chicken.

Sorry for the photo - the steam kept fogging up my camera lens ! After 15-20 minutes bubbling away on the hob (just enough time to cook some rice), the sauce reduces to the perfect consistency.

The result was lovely with just the right amount of spice for us (but it was slightly too spicy for the kids) - if you like really hot curries, you could always sprinkle in some extra chilli flakes to get the level of heat you desire. As I was tired out after a long week at work, I went for an even easier option and heated up a microwavable pouch of Tilda Brown Basmati Rice which complemented it perfectly.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : 99p (was £1.39)

for more information : http://www.schwartz.co.uk/products/recipe-mixes/flavour-shots.aspx

Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Schwartz 2-in-1 Garlic & Thyme Roast Chicken & Crispy Roast Potatoes review

Flavour Forecast : Brazilian-inspired Spicy Steak Sandwich

Schwartz Flavour Shots Italian Creamy Herb Tagliatelle review

Schwartz recently sent me through some of their Flavour Shots to try out. Looking for a quick lunch using nothing but store cupboard basics and things that were already in the fridge, I decided to try the Italian Creamy Herb Tagliatelle.

The Flavour Shots come in a little plastic container with a foil lid that is reminiscent of a shots glass in shape and size. When you first peel off the lid, you see herb-infused oil.

Once you stir it though, you find all the hidden, flavour-packed, thick sediment lurking at the bottom.

For this recipe, you start by cooking some mushrooms in the contents of the Flavour Shot. I was a bit dubious at first because it went quite dry but it immediately smelt lovely. 

Next you add halved cherry tomatoes, then cooked bacon and crème fraîche. The recipe suggested adding rocket too but I didn't have any so I left it out.

Once it's all nicely blended and the tomatoes and mushrooms are soft and cooked through, you pour the whole lot over cooked pasta and gently toss to mix. 

This made a really nice, flavour-packed dish that we all really enjoyed. It reminded me a bit of my Pesto Chicken with Olives & Cherry Tomatoes and I love the fact that it is so quick to throw together.

I really like the idea of the Flavour Shots. The herb and spice-infused oil gives an instant lift to whatever you're cooking, right from the moment you heat up your frying pan, and the wonderful smells had everyone coming to the kitchen to see what was on the menu. The finished dish had a lovely depth of flavour that was perfectly balanced and didn't need tweaking at all. (I usually find that when using cooking short cuts, I have to add extra seasoning or spice of some shape or form !) I'm really looking forward to trying out the other recipes in the range - Chicken Jalfrezi is next on the menu !

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : 99p (was £1.39)

for more information : http://www.schwartz.co.uk/products/recipe-mixes/flavour-shots.aspx

Disclosure : I received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Schwartz 2-in-1 Garlic & Thyme Roast Chicken & Crispy Roast Potatoes review

I decided to add a little twist to our usual Sunday roast this week (and clear out a sachet that had been lurking at the back of the cupboard for a while !) and used Schwartz 2-in-1 Garlic & Thyme Roast Chicken + Crispy Roast Potatoes Recipe Mix to add a little pizazz ! The sachet comes in two sealed halves, with a mix for the chicken and a separate one for the potatoes.

The chicken mix needs to be combined with a couple of spoonfuls of oil then drizzled/rubbed all over the chicken.

The pack suggesting scoring the breasts and legs so that the seasoning can get right into the meat.

The instructions on the potato mix tell you to parboil the potatoes to begin with.

After draining them, you add the coating and mix, before putting them into a separate roasting tin.

This gave the chicken a lovely lift (I'd ignored the bit about putting foil on the top which is why it's a bit black  in places - this didn't detract from the taste though !). Having cooked the chicken on a bed of carrots, onions and mushrooms, the juice from the chicken and vegetables combined with the seasoning made the basis of a lovely gravy.

We really liked the extra crispiness of the roast potatoes too.

So, all in all, a resounding success !

star rating : 4/5

RRP : 65p (used to be £1.29)

for more information : http://www.schwartz.co.uk/products/recipe-mixes/2-in-1/2-in-1-garlic-and-thyme-roast-chicken-plus-crispy-roast-potatoes.aspx

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Flavour Forecast : Brazilian-inspired Spicy Steak Sandwich

Flavour Forecast : Brazilian-inspired Spicy Steak Sandwich

When I saw it as one of the culinary trends on the Flavour Forecast, I wasn't at all sure what Brazilian-inspired cuisine was all about so I went looking on EasyBrazilianRecipes.com for inspiration. Their quick and simple but nevertheless delicious-sounding Roast Beef Sandwich (also known as Baura if you want something more exotic-sounding) looked like a great place to start. I decided to swap the deli roast beef for some spicy seasoned steak and the result was amazing !

 Brazilian-inspired Spicy Steak Sandwich

(serves 4)

ingredients

for the Baiano seasoning :

1 tsp Schwartz Paprika Hot

1 tsp Schwartz Ground Cumin

1 tsp Schwartz Onion Salt

2 tsp Schwartz Italian Herbs

2 tsp Schwartz Garlic Pepper

1/4 tsp Schwartz Perfect Shake Extra Spicy Cajun

4 crusty bread rolls or 1 baguette chopped in 4

400g steak

1 onion, sliced

1/2 red pepper

1 tomato, sliced

1 large gherkin or a handful of baby cornichons

 mozzarella

First throw the seasoning onto the chopped steak (I cut mine with scissors for convenience and nice straight edges) and mix well.

Drizzle over a little oil and stir fry for 2 minutes, then add the red peppers and onions and continue to stir fry for a few minutes until the steak is just cooked and the peppers and onions are soft but barely cooked. (This will continue to cook under the grill so don't overdo it.)

Turn off the heat and preheat the grill. Slice open the rolls and layer slices of tomato and gherkin.

Pile on the steak and lay mozzarella on top.

Pop under the grill until the mozzarella has melted.

This is supposed to be street-food but I put way to much filling for the rolls to close ! It was messy to eat but tasted divine. 

Disclosure : This is an entry in the Foodies100/Tots100 Flavour Forecast recipe challenge with Schwartz/McCormick. 

 In 2014, global flavour leader McCormick, parent company of leading herbs and spices brand Schwartz, is celebrating its 125th anniversary. The yearlong celebration kicks off with the launch of the 125th Anniversary Edition of the Flavour Forecast (which I told you about here) and the Flavour of Together programme, with the goal of connecting people around the world as they share 1.25 million stories about the special role food and flavour play in our lives.  They would love for you to share your own flavour stories too and the company has pledged to donate $1 to United Way Worldwide and its UK partner Focus on Food for every story shared on the Schwartz website, Facebook page or other social channels.

for more information : https://www.facebook.com/SchwartzCookingClub and www.schwartz.co.uk

I'm joining in with the World Cup recipe challenge over on the Cooking Around The World blog

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Schwartz Dauphinoise Potato Bake recipe mix review

Gratin Dauphinois is a dish that I know how to make from scratch - you just put layers of potato in an ovenproof dish, season them with salt and pepper and cover them with milk, cream or a mixture of both. You can top with grated cheese if you like then put it in the oven for a couple of hours. When I came across a sachet of Schwartz Dauphinoise Potato Bake recipe mix in the cupboard, I was keen to see what we'd think and how it would compare.

I chopped up the potatoes and layered them in a dish.

The mix is very much like a cheese sauce mix - you add milk, bring it to the boil, leave it to simmer to thicken, then pour it over the potatoes.

An hour and a half later, I had lovely soft fluffy potatoes to go with my simple slow cooker pork. They were lighter and less creamy than my usual gratin dauphinois but equally tasty. A unanimous thumbs up from the family who thought it made a nice change to roast potatoes.

The ingredients list for the mix is as follows : Modified Maize Starch, Fat Powder (Vegetable Fat, Lactose, Milk Protein), Garlic Powder (13%), Cream Powder (12%), Salt, Thyme (4%), Protein Enriched Whey Powder, Black Pepper (2%), Flavouring. The garlic and thyme give it a nice lift.

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Mexican World Tour Flavour Forecast : Mexicanestrone Soup

I told you a couple of days ago about "Mexican World Tour" being one of the culinary trends mentioned in the 2014 Flavour Forecast put together by McCormick, the mother-company of UK herbs and spices brand Schwartz. I decided to come up with a recipe combining Mexican and Italian cuisine in this Mexicanestrone Soup, a Mexican twist on the classic Minestrone soup. It's a really chunky, warming, satisfying soup and is also a great way of using up leftover pasta.

Mexicanestrone Soup

ingredients :

2 onions, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

2 tins chopped tomatoes (& 2 tins water)

1 large tin red kidney beans

1 tbsp Schwartz Oregano

1 tbsp Schwartz Garlic Minced

1 tsp Schwartz Onion Salt

2 tbsp Schwartz Chillies Crushed

2 tbsp Smoky Chipotle Sauce

1 tbsp Schwartz Smoked Paprika

1 Schwartz Whole chilli

2 Bay Leaves

Leftover cooked pasta

Diced Feta

In a large pot, gently fry the onions and green peppers in a little olive oil, until they are softened but only slightly coloured.

Add the two tins of tomatoes and two tins of water, the kidney beans and the spices. Stir  then add the bay leaves and whole chilli. Leave to simmer for 1/2 hour.

Remove the bay leaves and whole chilli and add the leftover cooked pasta. Stir and leave to simmer for a further ten minutes.

Serve in bowls and top with diced feta. This can be accompanied with strips of tortilla to dip into it.

Disclosure : This is an entry in the Foodies100/Tots100 Flavour Forecast recipe challenge with Schwartz/McCormick. 

 In 2014, global flavour leader McCormick, parent company of leading herbs and spices brand Schwartz, is celebrating its 125th anniversary. The yearlong celebration kicks off with the launch of the 125th Anniversary Edition of the Flavour Forecast (which I told you about here) and the Flavour of Together programme, with the goal of connecting people around the world as they share 1.25 million stories about the special role food and flavour play in our lives.  They would love for you to share your own flavour stories too and the company has pledged to donate $1 to United Way Worldwide and its UK partner Focus on Food for every story shared on the Schwartz website, Facebook page or other social channels.

for more information : https://www.facebook.com/SchwartzCookingClub and www.schwartz.co.uk

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Schwartz & McCormick are celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Flavour Forecast

McCormick, the parent-company of leading UK herbs and spices brand Schwartz, are celebrating a milestone anniversary this year - an amazing 125 years of existence - and to kick off the year-long celebrations, they've released the 2014 edition of the Flavour Forecast, the annual prediction of what 'flavours' will be most popular in the cooking world. Here's what they think this year's culinary trends will be :

1. Chillies Obsession: Food lovers everywhere are seeking out their next big chilli thrill.

2. Modern Masala: Indian food is finally having its moment, breaking free of its traditional confines with modern interpretations.

3. Clever Compact Cooking: Proving that big flavours can come from small spaces, cooks in urban kitchens are making the most of what’s available.

4. Mexican World Tour: Mexican flavours are making their way around the globe, with people everywhere discovering new aspects of this bright, casual cuisine.

5. Charmed by Brazil: The world’s attraction to Brazilian cuisine is heating up, thanks to its seductive mix of global and native influences.

I was over the moon to be selected to take part in a Foodies100/Tots100 recipe challenge with Schwartz/McCormick and challenged to come up with a new recipe that is based on the Flavour Forecast trends. I was even more excited when this fabulous hamper arrived, containing all the Schwartz herbs and spices that are featured in the Flavour Forecast recipes and trends.

Schwartz Perfect Shake Chinese 5 Spice Herb & Spice Blend

Schwartz Ground Cinnamon

Schwartz Oregano

Schwartz Garlic Minced

Schwartz Sesame Seeds

Schwartz Cumin Ground

Schwartz Onion Salt

Schwartz Garlic Cooking Paste

Schwartz Cloves Ground

Schwartz Chillies Crushed

Schwartz Coriander Ground

Schwartz Smoked Paprika

Schwartz Ginger Ground

Schwartz Chilli Powder Mild

Schwartz Medium Curry Powder

Schwartz White Pepper Ground

Schwartz Coriander Leaf

Schwartz Black Onion Seed

Schwartz Garlic Granules

Schwartz Cumin Seed

Schwartz Cayenne pepper

Schwartz Garlic Powder

Schwartz Garam Masala

Schwartz Kaffir lime leaves

Schwartz Mint

Schwartz Birds eye chili

Schwartz Asafoetida

Schwartz Whole chilli

Schwartz Curry leaves

Schwartz Rosemary

Schwartz Whole cardamom

Schwartz Fenugreek

Schwartz Mustard seed

I can't wait to get my thinking cap on and see what I come up with. McCormick have also launched the Flavour of Together programme, with the goal of connecting people around the world as they share 1.25 million stories about the special role food and flavour play in our lives. They would love for you to share your own flavour stories and the company has pledged to donate $1 to United Way Worldwide and its UK partner Focus on Food for every story shared on the Schwartz website, Facebook page or other social channels.

for more information : https://www.facebook.com/SchwartzCookingClub and www.schwartz.co.uk

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Schwartz Bag 'n Season Mixed Herb Chicken review

I've had this sachet of Schwartz Bag 'n Season for Mixed Herb Chicken sitting in the cupboard for quite a while now. It gets taken out and perused then put back unused for one simple reason - the instructions tell you to use it with chicken thighs, red onion and butternut squash. Although it's an ingredient we have eaten in the past, butternut squash is not something that we buy regularly so I never have any in the fridge when I'm looking through the cupboard for meal inspiration.

Well, I decided to use it without the added vegetables and increase the quantity of chicken. The instructions tell you to fill the bag with 900g/2lb of chicken thighs (that's about 4), 175g red onion and 325g butternut squash. I replaced this with 6 chicken thighs and there was just about enough room in the bag and enough seasoning to cover it all nicely.

You just add the contents of the seasoning and the chicken to the bag, shake and squish it about to cover it as evenly as possible then twist the top a couple of times and seal the bag with the enclosed blue bag tie. Stab the bag a couple of times and put it in the oven for about an hour - I like to increase the cooking time a bit to be on the safe side, as there is no way of checking that the meat is cooked through when it is in the bag.

As you can see, the chicken was beautifully cooked and nicely browned. You don't get a crispy skin, as it is cooked in steam, but you do get a lovely instant sauce when you empty the bag. You could thicken it with a spoonful of gravy granules or just drizzle it over the chicken as it is.

As I'd removed the vegetables from the original recipe, I served the chicken with rice and ratatouille, but by using the on-pack serving suggestion, you would have a complete balanced meal straight from the bag.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : 89p for 15g

for more information : http://www.schwartz.co.uk/Products/Recipe-Mixes/Bag-n-Season/Mixed-Herb-Chicken.aspx

Disclosure : I received the product in order to write an honest review.

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Schwartz Grill Mates Deep South Brown Sugar Marinade Mix review

Schwartz Grill Mates Mojito Lime Marinade Mix review

Schwartz review #17 : Coronation Chicken