My Family and I have been perfecting 8th Wonder Spice Blend for over a decade.
Inspired by the thought of having one unique spice blend that would work well in many dishes, my wife, my kids and I endeavored to create the best all-purpose spice blend possible. We measured and mixed, and tasted and tweaked until we thought our spice blend was perfect. Now we love 8th Wonder in all of our favorite recipes whether its grilled, blackened, sautéed, seasoned or sauced.
8th Wonder Spice Blend enhances everything it touches with a well-rounded spectrum of flavors that adds depth and character to any meal. It's full of flavor and a bit spicy but it is not over-the-top hot.
Start off using a small amount of 8th Wonder and over time adjust the amount you use. Always use more when Grilling or Blackening as some will char and fall off.
8th Wonder has less salt than most seasonings and rubs so you can use as much or as little as you want. If used lightly you may want to add a little salt.
Try some of our recipes or come up with your own. Share your recipes and if we add them to this web site we’ll send you a tin of 8th Wonder Spice Blend as a gift.
8th Wonder Chicken with Apple Cream Sauce
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 T olive oil
4 T 8th Wonder Spice Blend
2 shallots, finely diced
2 ripe apples peeled and sliced thinly
2 oz dry white wine or apple brandy (such as Calvados)
1 pint heavy cream
Slightly pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness throughout.
Season each breast piece with 1 to 2 tsp 8th Wonder
Meanwhile, heat a saute pan with 2 to 3 T olive oil.
When the pan is quite hot, place the chicken breasts in the pan and saute for approximately 3 minutes on each side or until they are just done but not overcooked.
Remove the chicken from the pan as the pieces are done and place them on a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and add another T olive oil to the pan.
Add the diced shallots and saute for about three minutes or until they are transparent.
Add the sliced apples and saute until they begin to get tender but are not falling apart.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine or apple brandy.
Add the heavy cream and bring to an active simmer, stirring often as it thickens.
Once the cream sauce has thickened add the already cooked chicken and continue to simmer for at least three more minutes.
Serve the Chicken and Apple Cream sauce on wide egg noodles with chopped parsley or chopped green onions.
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8th Wonder Blackened Sweet Potatoes with Balsamic Drizzle
Two large sweet potatoes
1 to 2 tsp 8th Wonder Spice Blend
2 to 3 T Olive oil
2 to 3 T Balsamic Vinegar
Steam the unpeeled, whole sweet potatoes until tender but not overcooked.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut off the ends and peel the skin from the potato.
Slice them into 3/4 inch thick rounds.
Dust the large surfaces of the sliced sweet potato rounds with 8th Wonder Spice Blend.
Bring a saute pan up to medium high heat.
Pour at least 2 T olive oil in pan.
Place the rounds in the hot oil and saute for 1 to 2 minutes on each side to heat through and make a crust of the 8th Wonder.
Serve on a bed of fresh succotash with a drizzle of aged Balsamic Vinegar.
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Pan Fried Chicken Breasts with Smoked Bacon Cream Sauce
4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 to 1/3 cup oil for frying
½ lb. good smoked bacon, diced
1 bunch green onions, diced
3 cups Heavy cream
2 Tablespoons 8th Wonder Spice Blend
Slowly saute the diced bacon in a two-quart saucepan until it is well done and crisp.
Add the diced green onions to the cooked bacon and saute for 2 to 4 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons 8th Wonder and saute an additional one minute
Add the heavy cream and stir well to deglaze the pan.
Adjust the heat to a very low simmer.
Simmer until the cream reduces and thickens, stirring often.
Meanwhile….
Cut each chicken breast half in half again. Lay out the pieces of chicken on a cutting board spaced at least one inch apart. Cover the chicken pieces with a double layer of plastic wrap. Pound the chicken with a meat mallet or small flat bottomed sauce pan to tenderize and flatten the chicken to 1/2 of an inch.
Blend the flour, water and salt and pepper in a bowl to make a batter. Add the chicken breasts and gently stir them to coat them well with the batter.
In a large saute pan, heat about 1/4 inch oil to 180C/350F or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.
Carefully lay the battered chicken in the hot oil and fry them, on both sides, until they are golden brown and crisp.
Arrange the chicken on plates with mashed potatoes and green beans on the side.
Ladle the Cream Sauce over the chicken and mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
8th Wonder Dry Rubbed Ribs
It's impossible to know exactly how many different recipes there are for cooking baby-back ribs. With an almost infinite variety of ingredients and cooking methods it's a wonder that any two racks are ever cooked exactly alike. Nevertheless, everybody seems to adopt their own favorite recipe for cooking ribs that sometimes reach ritualistic proportions.
I am no exception. I cook my baby-backs using a method I discovered through trial and error and I hesitate to change anything about it. It's not the only way to cook ribs but, I think it's the best. My 8th Wonder Dry Rubbed Ribs, cooked over charcoal and hickory have been described "as good as bacon on a stick". The marriage of meat, smoke, patience and 8th Wonder creates a delicious treat that will make you wonder why anyone does it any other way.
This is my recipe for cooking ribs.
2 racks of baby-back ribs, cut in half, rinsed with cold water and patted dry with a paper towel.
1/3 to 1/2 cup 8th Wonder Spice Blend
In a non-reactive pan, heavily season the ribs with enough 8th Wonder to cover them. Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours.
3 hours before you want to serve the ribs, light a charcoal fire and begin to soak hickory or other hardwood chips in water. When all of the charcoal has turned gray spread it evenly on one side of the grill. Place the seasoned ribs over the charcoal and grill them for 20 to 25 minutes, turning and spinning them frequently so they do not burn but do get nice grill marks on them.
When the ribs are nicely browned and carmelized, move them to the cooler side of the grill. Place a handful of wet wood chips on the hot coals and close the lid. Allow the ribs to cook over indirect heat while they get a good dose of smoke.
Check on the ribs every 15 minutes, for an hour, spinning them and flipping them so they cook evenly. Add a few pieces of soaked hickory each time to keep the fire going but don't let it get too hot.
After an hour, place the ribs in a metal baking pan and cover them with foil. Place the pan back on the grill over the indirect heat and allow the ribs to cook for an additional one hour, spinning the pan after 30 minutes and adding a few more pieces of hickory to keep the fire going.
By now the ribs have been cooking for about 2 1/2 hours. Remove the foil from the pan and close the lid of the grill without adding any more hickory. Allow the ribs to crisp up a bit while the fire slowly dies out and you prepare the side dishes. Serve them before they get cold. The ribs should be moist, juicy and pink on the inside with the perfect hint of smoke and spice.
8th Wonder Blackened Fillet of Beef with Bearnaise Sauce
Many people think that "Blackening" has been around for a very long time. In fact, Paul Prudhomme is credited with creating this very popular method of cooking meats and fish sometime around 1980. I first tried it in 1987 and have been hooked ever since. I developed 8th Wonder Spice Blend to be used as a blackening seasoning as much as anything else.
Blackening confuses many people. I have ordered blackened items in high-end restaurants only to be served an overly- spiced piece of fish with barely a scorch mark on it. To achieve the sublime flavors that blackening produces, one must follow a few basic rules.
- Always blacken anything outdoors unless you have an industrial strength exhaust hood in your kitchen.
- Only use a cast iron pan for blackening.
- The pan must get very hot but not so hot that a white ring appears.
- The pan must be dry. Butter and oil should NOT be added to the pan.
- Only the surfaces which will come in contact with the pan should be seasoned.
- The pan should be wiped clean, and re-heated, between batches of blackened meat and fish.
- After blackening, the meat or fish should go right to the plate and not stacked so the crust remains crispy.
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2 beef tenderloin fillets no more than 1 1/4 inch thick
2 tbs. butter
1 - 1 1/2 T. 8th Wonder Spice Blend
Begin heating up a cast iron fry pan or skillet on a propane or charcoal fire.
Trim all of the silverskin and most of the fat from the fillets.
Melt the 2 T. butter and pour it into a small plate.
Measure out 1 tb. of 8th Wonder Spice Blend onto another small plate.
Check the temperature of the pan by dropping a small pinch of 8th Wonder into it. It should not ignite into flames but it should start smoking immediately.
Dip the surface of the fillets in the butter and then carefully press the buttered surface into the 8th Wonder Spice Blend. Do not season the surfaces which will not touch the pan.
Drop the seasoned fillets into the hot pan, no more than 2 at a time. It will immediately start billowing large amounts of smoke. Use Caution: There could be a flare-up. It should subside in a few seconds but if not, cover with a large pot lid to smother the flames and then remove the lid.
Let the fillets cook in the pan for approximately 4 minutes before flipping them over.
Cook an additional 4 minutes and then remove them to the plates.
Serve with a generous spoon full of bearnaise sauce. (Recipe to follow)
8th Wonder Green Beans Pakora
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3 tbs. 8th Wonder Spice Blend
1 1/4 cup water
1 lb. whole fresh green beans (stems removed and washed)
Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and 8th Wonder Spice Blend in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture and gradually stir in the water, mixing thoroughly to form a batter.
Fill a deep fat fryer or a heavy pan 1/3 full with vegetable oil and heat to 180C/350F or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.
Meanwhile, stir the green beans into the batter, coating them well.
Drop about 10 beans, one by one, into the hot oil and cook them for about 2 minutes or until they are brown and crispy.
Serve piping hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
8th Wonder Wings
10 chicken wings, cut in sections, tip discarded
2 to 4 tbs. 8th Wonder Spice Blend
4 oz. Melted butter
3 oz. hot sauce (We use Texas Pete)
Wash and dry the wing sections
Season them well with 8th Wonder Spice Blend.
Let the wings stand at room temp while you light the grill.
When the grill is hot, slowly grill the wings until they are well done and the skin is very crispy.
Transfer the cooked wings to a bowl with a lid.
Pour the melted butter and hot sauce over the wings and toss well.
Serve them with your favorite blue cheese dressing and carrot and celery sticks.
8th Wonder Tacos (Or Fajitas or Quesadillas)
8th Wonder is great as a Taco or Fajita Seasoning
For Ground Beef -
1 lb lean ground beef
2 to 3 tbs. 8th Wonder Spice Blend
1 cup water
Brown the ground beef in a medium hot saute pan until all of the moisture has evaporated and the meat is"sizzling" in the residual fat.
Add the 8th Wonder Spice Blend and stir well for one minute, allowing the spices to heat up and become aromatic.
Carefully add one cup of water (or beef stock) and stir well to deglaze the pan.
Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer.
Simmer until the water has almost completely evaporated, leaving it slightly moist.
Use the seasoned ground beef in Tacos, Quesadillas, Nachos and Ten Layer Dip.
8th Wonder Ten Layer Dip
This is a great snack that always gets finished off at any gathering. The secret to it's success is not only in it's taste but also in it's execution. Consisting of hot and cold layers, it's important to time its preparation. Fortunately, all of the layers can be prepared ahead of time and then assembled just before serving.
The ten layers are: re-fried black beans, 8th Wonder seasoned ground beef, grated sharp cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes,sliced black olives and chopped green onions.
First: Prepare one pound of ground beef as if for 8th Wonder Tacos. Cover and refrigerate.
Secondly: Prepare Re-fried Black Beans
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Jalepeno pepper, seeded and diced fine
2 T. olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
1 can chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 tsp salt
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the finely diced Jalepeno and saute for two to three minutes.
Add the cumin and salt and saute for about 30 seconds to allow the cumin to become aromatic.
Add the rinsed and drained black bean and the can of stock. Bring the mixture to a medium simmer.
After simmering for 5 minutes, coarsely mash the beans with a potato masher or a large fork.
Stir the mashed beans and reduce the heat to low. Stir occasionally until mixture is thick.
Remove from the heat. Cover and refrigerate.
Thirdly: Grate12 to 16 ounces quality sharp cheddar cheese. Cover and refrigerate.
Fourth: Dice 2 handfuls of lettuce, one large tomato, 1/2 cup black olives and one bunch green onions. Set aside in separate covered dishes and refrigerate.
Fifth: Prepare the Guacamole.
1 ripe avocado
1 large clove of garlic
1/4 tsp coarse sea salt (table salt will work also)
Spit the avocado, peel it and remove the pit. Place the two halves in a small bowl.
Peel the clove of garlic and dice it fairly small. Leave it in a small pile on the cutting board.
Sprinkle the salt onto the diced garlic and with the flat side of the knife begin to mash the garlic, a little at a time, using the salt as grist. Mash the garlic into a salty paste and then add it to the avocados.
With a fork, mash the avocados, mixing well with the garlic.
Cover and refrigerate.
To Assemble the Ten layer Dip
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Slightly oil a shallow 3 or 4 qt baking dish. Spread the re-fried Black Beans in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the 8th Wonder Taco Meat over the beans. Sprinkle the grated cheddar over the meat. Cover the dish with foil and cook at 325 degrees for 20 or 30 minutes.
Remove the dish from the oven and pour salsa over the first three layers. Then arrange one cup of sour cream over the salsa in small dollops. Sprinkle chopped lettuce over sour cream and then dollops of guacamole over the lettuce. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes, olives and green onions over the top and serve with tortilla chips.
8th Wonder Beans and Rice
1 lb. Kielbasa or Andouille sausage, sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced in 1/2" pieces
1/2 green pepper, diced in 1/2" pieces
1 large onion, diced in 1/4" pieces
2 ribs celery, diced in 1/4" pieces
¼ cup red wine
1 can (14 oz.) beef stock
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 to 3 tbs. 8th Wonder Spice Blend
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
½ lb sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
1 bunch green onions, chopped
In a heavy saucepan, brown all sides of sausage and then remove from pan, set aside.
In the drippings from the sausage, saute the onions until they are transparent.
Add the celery and the red and green peppers and saute for about 10 minutes.
Add the red wine, the stock the diced tomatoes and the 8th Wonder Spice Blend. Stir well and then add the browned sausage.
Bring to a slow simmer for 20 to 30 minutes then add the pinto beans and simmer an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve over a bed of steaming white rice generously garnished with grated cheddar cheese and chopped green onions.
8th Wonder Grilled Chicken with Miss Alyce Sauce
4 pieces split chicken breast
2 to 4 tbs. 8th Wonder Spice Blend
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbs light corn syrup
1 tbs. white vinegar
Scant ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp salt
Season the chicken breast halves with 8th Wonder Spice Blend.
Let them sit at room temperature while you light the grill.
Meanwhile….
Blend the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate.
Slowly grill the chicken until it is well done and the skin is crispy. A mesquite or hickory fire is best but charcoal or gas will work also.
Serve the grilled chicken with a small dipping bowl of Miss Alyce Sauce. The cool, creamy sauce compliments the spicy chicken in a way that will have your guests thanking Miss Alyce.
8th Wonder Pork and Clams Portuguese on Crispy Fried Potatoes
3 to 3 ½ lbs boneless pork loin in one-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic mashed with ½ teaspoon coarse salt
2 tbs. 8thWonder Spice Blend
4 tbs. Olive oil
3 large bay leaves, crumbled
1 ½ cups white wine
40 to 50 fresh little neck clams scrubbed well
6 medium Russet potatoes and oil to fry them in
Combine mashed garlic, 8th Wonder Spice Blend and olive oil in glass bowl. Add the cubed pork and mix well. Add the bay leaves and white wine, Cover and set aside for up to 24 hours.
Heat 2 tbs. oil in a lidded pot or Dutch oven.
Remove the pork from the marinade, reserving the liquid. Brown the pork in the oil until it is well browned on all sides. Add the marinade to the browned pork and bring it to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the pork is fork tender..
Peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into skinny wedges. Fry them in small batches in hot oil or lard until they are crispy. Set aside in a warm oven.
Bring Pork to a gentle but persistent boil. Place the well-washed clams on top of the pork and cover with lid. Simmer about 10 minutes or just until the clams open.
Arrange crispy fried potatoes in large bowls. Ladle pork and clams over potatoes with plenty of sauce. Serve with hot crusty bread.
8th Wonder Seafood Boil with Andouille, New Potatoes and Corn on the Cob
Almost any type of seafood works well in this recipe if you adjust the cooking times accordingly. I use whatever is available at the market that day.
1 lb peeled and cleaned shrimp
6 to 8 small peeled lobster tails
18 to 20 well scrubbed clams
18 to 20 well scrubbed mussels
1 Leek, cleaned and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbs. Olive oil
2 cups water
1 cup white wine
2 tbs. 8th Wonder Spice Blend
1 lb Andouille or similar smoked sausage in 2” pieces
15 to 20 small red potatoes, scrubbed well
6 ears of corn, shucked and snapped in half
In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the sausage on all sides, remove browned sausage and set to the side.
Add the olive oil to the hot pot or Dutch oven. Saute the diced Garlic and Leeks in the oil until transparent.
Add the Sausage back to the pot along with the water, the wine, the 8th Wonder Spice Blend and the well-scrubbed potatoes. Bring to a gentle boil, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are almost done Add the corn on the cob and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Then add the shrimp. Lobster tails, clams and mussels. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the clams and mussels open. Serve in big bowls with crispy bread.
8th Wonder Sugar and Spice Bacon
1/2 pound sliced bacon
2 Tbs. brown sugar mixed with
1 tbs. 8th Wonder Spice Blend
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay out the sliced bacon on the foiled pan
Sprinkle ½ of the 8th Wonder and sugar mixture over the bacon
Cook at 350 degrees for 10 minutes
Remove the pan from the oven and flip all of the bacon
Sprinkle the remaining sugar/8th Wonder mixture over the bacon
Cook for an additional 8 to10 minutes at 350 degrees
Remove from oven and remove the bacon from the pan immediately or else it will stick to the foil. Put it on a warmed plate.
8th Wonder Holiday Snack Mix
1 ½ sticks butter
4 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
3 tbs. 8th Wonder Spice Blend
16 to 18cups total BLEND of the following: Wheat, Rice and Corn Chex, pretzel sticks, cheerios, Cheese Nips, Mixed Nuts.
Heat large pan in 250 Degree oven.
Melt Butter in pan.
Add Worcestershire sauce and 8th Wonder Spice Blend
Add Mixed Nuts and stir well
Add Pretzels and stir gently
Add other cereals and stir gently
Put pan back in the 250 degree oven for approx. 1 hour
Stir gently every 15 minutes
Allow to cool before storing in airtight container
Coming Attractions!
Pan Seared Snapper with Spinach and Chick Peas
Chicken with Shallots in Apple Cream Sauce
Blackened Tuna
These are only a few of the many dishes that we have made with 8th Wonder Spice Blend.
Here are a few more things that we've seasoned with 8th Wonder.
Olive balls
Sausage balls
Pecans
Popcorn
Fried Mushrooms
Chili
Pot Roast
Corn Chowder
Gumbo
Campers Stew
Crab cakes
Fried Chicken
Fried Flounder
Dirty Rice