I’ve been spending a lot of the last few months experimenting with all types of food delivery services – HelloFresh, Blue Apron, Home Chef and more. Meal kits have their pros – I love how convenient they are and how they can push me a little bit out of my comfort zone, but they have their cons too. For one thing, the costs can really add up and for another the produce isn’t always in the best shape by the time it gets to my door.
This is where Raw Spice Bar comes in. It’s not your typical subscription service – unlike Blue Apron or HelloFresh, they send you a batch of recipe-ready flavor kits along with accompanying recipes, highlighting a new region each month. The best part? They’re super affordable.
Since you’re only paying for the spices, the costs are as low as $6 per kit (a savings of almost $50 over your typical meal delivery service). If you don’t like the recipes they send you, you can check their website for more or even create your own.
I received the October spices which were Chipotle Salt, Coffee Chili Steak Rub, and Sun Dried Tomato seasoning.
The chipotle salt recipe was for roasted veggies, which I did make, but I also used it to make elotes and ended up liking it so much I just started putting it on everything!
My first recipe, Sun Dried Tomato Pizza, I mostly followed the recipe but took some liberties with the toppings. Topped with grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes, feta, and fresh basil the pizza was to die for! This spice would also be an excellent addition to pasta, like a penne alla vodka or lasagna.
Lastly was coffee chili rubbed steaks, which had a few extra steps that I deemed unnecessary. Instead I just added some salt and rubbed it along with the spices all over some sirloin steaks. I grilled the steaks like regular and served them atop a deliciously filling arugula salad. That’s the recipe you’ll find below! If you’re interested in trying out these spices for yourself, I’ve got an extra kit right here for one lucky winner – just enter below!
You can find this recipe featured alongside 59 other healthy recipes here!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces steak
- 1 packet coffee chili rub
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 cups fresh arugula
- 4 inch piece of cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
- 8 to 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- pickled onions (recipe below), to taste
- 2 tablespoons feta, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons parmesan, finely grated
- croutons, to taste
- dressing (recipe below)
- 1 small or 1/2 large red onion, sliced
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 small red onion
- 3 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil, depending on preference
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar together. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved.
- Add onions and cover, let sit for at least 1 hour.
- Mix first 3 ingredients until combined.
- Stream in olive oil while whisking.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine packet of seasoning with salt. Rub mixture over all sides of the steak (you will have about half left over, you can make an extra steak or save it for later).
- Heat grill to high heat.
- Cook steak on the grill for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches at least 135F.
- Remove from grill and tent lightly with foil, set aside while you make the salad.
- Wash and dry all produce.
- Toss arugula with cucumber, tomatoes, pickled onions (you won't use all of them), cheeses, and croutons. Add desired amount of dressing and toss to coat.
- Slice steak on a bias and top salads (or place next to the salad).
this sounds SO GOOD! honestly, i love thoughtful premixed spices and salts – it just makes things super simple, you’re not paying for a billion jars that you may not use again, and it makes things just go faster when you’re getting a meal ready. Can’t wait to get my hands on some of these!