After a while, the basic foods you’re allowed to eat on the slow carb diet get a little boring. The novelty of super-clean eating wears off and everything suddenly tastes very bland. So it didn’t take me long to kick my arse into gear and find out the best ways to make slow carb diet food more interesting with basic store-cupboard ingredients. This weekend I made jerk seasoning following a BBC Good Food recipe that I’m about to share with you, and I’m also going to introduce you to a few other ways I’ve spiced up the slow carb diet.

• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon or 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp allspice berries
• 1½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ nutmeg

1. Toast the whole spices in a small pan until they are aromatic and have turned a shade or two darker. Don’t be tempted to skip this stage, as it really enhances the flavours.
2. Tip into a spice grinder (or use a pestle and mortar), then add the ready-ground spices and dried herbs if required, and crush to a fine powder. Store in a sealed jar for up to six months.

 Other homemade spice mix recipes

• Ras El Hanout
• Taco Seasoning
• Mansion BBQ
• Cajun Seasoning
• Advieh

My favourite prepared seasonings

Have you got any advice for spicing up meat, veg and beans?

Send it my way!