This Is Not Poultry Seasoning

We have a homemade spice blend that we use sorta like poultry seasoning.  It is an easy way to season our meal, especially the "meaty" part, with a fragrant and flavorful blend of herbs and spices.  

I call it the UnChxn Seasoning.

A Thanksgiving plate including an UnChxn seitan roast.  11/25/2021

Many cooks use Poultry Seasoning to flavor chicken, turkey, and the other beautiful birds that people eat.    It is particularly common in Thanksgiving mains and side dishes.  Our blend was inspired by Miyoko's UnTurkey recipe, and, like Poultry Seasoning, it can also be used in lots of ways.  We use it for our special holiday meals, but it has become a part of our everyday cookery as well.  We employ it on tofu, seitan, bean patties, and cauliflower a lot.  Matt likes to combine it with some flour (or panko) and use it as a breading, too.    

Airfried cauliflower with a tempura-like UnChxn breading.  9/2/2022 

Tofu with a light breading of UnChxn Seasoning and flour--and a pea fritter!  1/2/2023 

Roasted cauliflower tossed with soy sauce and UnChxn Seasoning.  1/5/2022

Longtime readers might recall my custom spice jar labels.  Well, of course, I had to make one for the UnChxn Seasoning jar, too.  It makes me smile when I grab it out of the cupboard.

I hear the "I am not a bird," in a Richard Nixon "I am not a crook," tone of voice. 

• Storytime with Beth Sidebar:  When I was a kid my friend Julie's family got a place in town that just happened to be right across the street from my house.  Prior to this, they'd lived on the farm.  They still had their farm in the country though and so, at one point, they had something like a hundred baby chicks in their garage in town for a little while.  I'm not a farmer and I can only speculate about why they were at the house in town rather than taken directly out to the farm.  The babies needed close supervision?  I don't know.  In any event, I adored having these tiny little bobs of fluff across the street.  I loved visiting the chicks--trying to pet and hold them and love them.  There was one chick who was easily differentiated from the rest of the flock by appearance.  I named her Nixon.  I have no idea why.  Honestly.  No clue what that was all about.  But!  As the chicks matured...Nixon lost her visual distinction and I was unable to tell her apart anymore.  They all looked the same to me.  At which point I decided they were allllllllllllllll named Nixon.  This is why the UnChxn Seasoning label has the Nixon-homage.  :)

The audio recording tape and the little double victory fingers behind the podium crack me up.  Pretty darn adorable.  If I do say so myself.  Which I do!  :)

The UnChxn Seasoning

2 cups nutritional yeast
2 tbsp sea salt
4 tsp crumbled sage leaves
4 tsp celery seeds
4 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sweet paprika

Combine all ingredients in a food processor.
Process until all spices are pulverized and well combined.
Store in a tightly sealed jar.

Makes about 2.5 cups.

UnChxn seitan with corn, mashed potatoes, and gravy.  3/8/2023