‘Tis the season of packed social calendars, buying and wrapping presents and keeping school kids busy during winter break. Who has time to make a complicated dinner?

To help with dinner-in-a hurry situations, keep a selection of pre-made spice blends in your cupboard. Ready-made seasoning blends can save time and effort by eliminating the need to measure and mix individual spices. They can also introduce a variety of flavors, easily enhancing your culinary repertoire with minimal preparation.

Shawarma spice blend is one of my favorites. Made with allspice, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, coriander and nutmeg, it has a bold, brash flavor. It’s the backbone of shawarma, a popular Middle Eastern street food made from meat such as lamb, chicken or beef that’s most often cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The highly seasoned meat is typically shaved off in thin slices and served in pita or atop a salad.

Spice things up with the easiest and tastiest wrap this holiday season.

Chicken Shawarma

You can find pre-made shawarma spice blends at Middle Eastern markets and in the spice aisle of well-stocked grocery stores. Once the chicken is seasoned with the spice blend, it can be cooked immediately or refrigerated for up to 24 hours, which will result in a deeper flavor.

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Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, accompanied by Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith, provided an update to the press during a media tour at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. They discussed the new Simulation Center, which will enable officers to train for various crime scenarios, including domestic disputes, commercial robberies, and kidnappings. Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.
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