I have a ridiculous amount of spices in my kitchen. Seriously, when I’m looking for that jar of thyme, rosemary, or curry powder, I always think that I may have a problem. It doesn’t stop me from buying more, of course, but I know it’s excessive.

With that being said, I am also a fan of spice blends. Because when you want to make something quick, and you don’t have time to dig through drawers and cabinets for six different spices to make a blend, having one jar that you can sprinkle on is the best.

So obviously, I was pretty excited when I got some seasonings from Ava Jane’s Kitchen. It’s actually a really cool thing — you sign up, you get some spice blends in the mail every few months, and then you have a whole new reason to get excited about cooking.

My favorite of the seasoning so far is the Hot Roasted Garlic seasoning. It’s like red pepper flakes, which I love, but with the addition of roasted garlic. How can you go wrong? If you’re at all adventurous in the kitchen, this is something you MUST sign up for, even if it’s just to get this one spice blend.

I’ve made a few things with it, so keep an eye out for how I’ve used it. One of the first few times, I made this easy braised chicken dish. It’s a delicious one-pan meal that has tons of flavor. It helps that it’s filling and comforting. Add your favorite green veggie or some rice, and you’ve got a hearty meal. It’s the kind of meal that relies on mostly pantry ingredients and staples, so you don’t really have to plan it.

It starts out by seasoning the chicken with the Hot Roasted Garlic seasoning in and then searing it in Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil until it’s nice and browned. Then you’re going to add a few more things, and simmer until done. It’s seriously easy. I used chickpeas here because I had them on hand, but I think black beans would be nice too.