Tagged With: finger food
Ancho Chili Beef Empanadas
Who doesn’t love food that you can hold in your hand? The beauty of empanadas is that the rich, buttery dough can be filled with almost anything - sweet or savory. Our Ancho Chili Powder is mild-medium in heat and adds magnificent depth to the beef and vegetable filling we chose. Ancho chiles have a wonderful, darkly sweet flavor, so we added a little Alderwood Smoked Salt for just a touch of smoky contrast. They can be served either hot or at room temperature; we like ours with salsa, sour cream and a Hibiscus Margarita. They freeze well, so make a bunch and plan to enjoy them another day, or surprise yourself at how quickly your guests devour the extras.
.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Sift flour into a large bowl. Add salt and chilled, cubed butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, mix together until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, chilled water and vinegar and add to flour mixture.Combine until well incorporated.
- Empty onto a lightly floured surface and knead just enough to bring the dough together. Cut dough in half and form each half into a rectangle. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- In a heavy skillet heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions, red bell peppers and garlic and saute until softened. Add Alderwood Smoked Salt, Ancho Chili Powder and Mexican Oregano, and saute for about 1 minute.
- Add ground beef, breaking up any lumps and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add olives and mix well. Taste for seasoning, adjust as needed. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until chilled.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator. Cut each rectangle into 12 pieces. Form into discs and cover with a towel.
- On a lightly floured surface, take one of the pieces and roll it out into a circle (about 1/8 inch thick). Holding the circle in the palm of your hand, place 2 heaping teaspoons of the chilled filling in the center.
- Fold the two edges of the circle together over the filling. Press the edges to seal. Using a fork dipped in flour, crimp the edges so the filling won't escape.
- Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling. Lightly brush the empanadas with egg wash.
- Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. They are done if they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Serve with salsa and sour cream.
Rooster Spice Asparagus
Songkran (สงกรานต์) is the traditional Thai New Year water festival which starts on April 13 every year. Traditionally, the throwing of water is said to be a symbol of luck to bring good rain for the crops. Well, we are swimming in good luck with a bountiful asparagus harvest this year and a brand new spice blend, Rooster Spice! We designed this spicy chili powder drawing inspiration from Indonesian sambal, Thai nam phrik, and Vietnamese tuong ot toi. Rooster Spice has limitless possibilities but here we combine the seasonality of asparagus with the celebration of Thai New Year. Enjoy!
Rooster Spice Asparagus
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a deep saute pan, gently heat oil to 375 degrees
- Bring 4 quarts of heavily salted water to a rolling boil
- Add asparagus, cook for 50 seconds
- Transfer to a bowl of ice water to shock, then dry thoroughly
- In a medium bowl, mix egg yolks with flour, cornstarch, Rooster Spice and beer, taking care not to over mix
- In a separate bowl, beat eggs whites to soft peaks
- Fold egg whites, very gently, into egg yolk mixture
- Do not over mix or allowed batter to sit too long
- Toss asparagus with a few tablespoons of flour, shaking to remove excess
- Dredge in batter and fry in oil, until golden and crisp
- Season with Sel de Mer, a squeeze of lemon, or a generous dousing of malt vinegar
- Serve in newspaper cones
Le Quebecois Mini Pies
We were recently asked by another spice company to change the name of our Montreal Steak Spice because they owned the rights to the name. Well, okay….
We had to brainstorm a new name, take the labels off of jars in gift sets, redo the store displays, and adjust our website all in a very short amount of time. We were busy! While all of this change was taking place, I recalled a quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, ‘We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.’ Change can be good, our store displays are fresh and new our website got a nice update, we have a fantastic new name for one of our earliest blends and an outstanding recipe to go with it. Introducing……Le Quebecois Steak Spice (applause, applause)!
Paying homage to the Canadian Provence were the blend originated, Le Quebecois Steak Spice showcases both the French flair for deft seasoning, and the British love of beef. While usually associated with steak, we tried it in these vegetarian mini pies with great success – you know how how we love to play with our food! Bon appétit.
Le Quebecois Mini Pies
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat
- Add onion to pan and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes
- Add chard stems and celery, cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add chard leaves, raise heat to medium high and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes
- Add scallions, arugula and herbs. Cook for two minutes more and transfer to a collander
- Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as you can
- Transfer to a bowl and mix in cheese, zest, eggs, salt, sugar and Le Quebecois Steak Spice
- Lay out a sheet of filo, cut into 12 squares and brush with olive oil
- Lay the oiled squares into the cups of a muffin tin
- Repeat, alternating the angles of the squares so that they cover the sides of each muffin cup, until you have 5 layers of filo
- Fill each cup with herb mixture and fold excess filo over the edges of the filling
- To top each cup, make another 5 layer filo piece, cut in a round, and place atop of each cup
- Brush lightly with olive oil and bake for 40 minutes until the filo turns golden brown
- Serve warm or at room temperature as an an appetizer or an accompaniment to roast lamb or beef
Kala Masala Skillet Cornbread
This savory cornbread knocked our collective socks off at first bite. Our Kala Masala spice blend is a complex one, and that complexity of flavor transfers easily to the skillet cornbread. There’s a tiny bit of heat from some guajillo chiles in the blend that is balanced perfectly by a healthy dose of toasted coconut for sweetness. Try it with a fish, lentil or vegetable soup for maximum enjoyment!
Cast Iron is essential for crusty cornbread!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to get hot while you make the batter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda and Kala Masala. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and the ¼ cup melted butter together.
- Take the hot cast iron skillet out of the oven, and add in the butter. Swirl it around until the butter starts to melt, being sure to tilt the pan to coat the sides and bottom evenly.
- Pour the wet ingredients in the dry ingredients and mix quickly, just until moistened. Do not overmix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cornbread until it’s golden brown, about 20 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven, and try to let it cool for a few minutes before you dive into it. Cut into 8 wedges.
Salami Wrapped Melon With Candied Fennel, Anise, Coriander and Pink Peppercorns
This easy and refreshing starter is a playful take on the favorite Italian appetizer, Prosciutto e Melone. Featuring Finocchiona Salami and Salumi Salami from our friends at Salumi Cured Meats we finish it all off with colorful, crunchy and exquisite candied anise, fennel, Indian coriander and pink peppercorns. The salty savoriness of the salami is a perfect compliment to the super sweet melon.
You’ll want a completely ripe melon for this dish so look for melon skins that are firm and free of bruising or soft spots. The stem end should not be green, and the end of the melon opposite of the stem should have a nice strong pleasant aroma.
A great offering for the upcoming Labor Day BBQ’s and picnics. Enjoy!
Salumi Wrapped Melon with Candied Seeds
Ingredients
Instructions
- For Candied Seeds:
- Toast fennel, anise and Indian coriander seeds, lightly, in a dry skillet. Transfer to a plate.
- Put sugar, water and butter in a saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Once the sugar dissolves, increase heat and boil for about 2 minutes (or until the liquid is thick and syrupy.
- Remove from heat and add the baking soda, toasted seeds and pink peppercorns. Mix rapidly to coat seeds and peppercorns with syrup.
- Pour mixture on a parchment lined cookie sheet, pressing them lightly to separate.
- Allow to cool completely and they are ready to use with the melon recipe
- Store remaining in a tightly covered container in a cool dry place.
- Slice melon in half and remove seeds
- Using a melon baller, scoop out the melon balls
- Place melon balls atop a lovely slice of salami and secure with a toothpick
- Sprinkle each melon ball with the candied seeds and pink peppercorns
- Arrange on a platter and serve
Popcorn Toppings
The endless number of various popcorn toppings out there make popcorn one of the easiest and most versatile snacks I know. It’s my go-to snack not only for movies and Dr. Who marathons, but also ball games, potlucks and picnics. Everyone loves popcorn and if you can bring yourself to cut down on the butter (I know I sure can’t) it can be a low calorie, high-fiber option for snacking.
For summertime fun, nothing beats a trip to the old ball yard, and in Seattle we’re lucky to have Safeco Field, one of the nicest parks in the country. We’re also fortunate that on most nights you can get in for as little as ten bucks, but as everyone knows the real cost comes inside the park on the expensive food and drink. So to stretch my budget I like to make a big batch of popcorn, toss it with a few different popcorn toppings, put each batch in a paper bag and head down to watch King Felix and the gang. It was the perfect snack to watch the recent historical perfect game and I even had enough money left over to celebrate with a cold adult beverage!
In the recipe below I’ll tell you about some of our favorite popcorn toppings, but these aren’t the only options by any means. We’re always discovering great new spice blends to use as popcorn toppings and would love to hear what your favorite is! Let us know in the comments below and it just may end up in my bag at the next big Mariners game, Go M’s!
.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pop the popcorn, we prefer an air popper for the perfect pop corn every time with nothing to clean up!
- Drizzle the butter over the popcorn, tossing to coat
- Sprinkle the salt and Ranch Seasoning over the popcorn and toss well.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Variations:
You can omit the salt and add 3-4 Tbl of our Bar-H Beef Rub (It sounds a little weird but is always a big hit at our popcorn tastings).
You can omit the salt and substitute one of our Tofu Scramblers, such as the Garlic Herb Tofu Scrambler, Curry Tofu Scrambler, Thai Tofu Scrambler, or Chipotle Tofu Scrambler.
The possibilities are endless! Let us know what fun combinations you've come up with!
Chaat Masala Butter and Grilled Corn
One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh corn on the cob. I was excited to see the first of the season’s crop available at my local Farmer’s Markets and was inspired to spice-up this classic BBQ side. Adding Chaat Masala to butter makes a perfect addition to grilled corn. This beautifully flavored butter is delicious on just about anything that comes off your grill… fish, steak, veggies, you name it!
Chaat Masala Butter and Grilled Corn
Ingredients
Instructions
- For perfectly grilled corn, heat your grill to medium. Pull the outer husks down the ear to the base, and strip away the silk from each ear of corn. Fold the husks back into place and tie the ends together with kitchen string. Place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with the kosher sal for 10 minutes.
- Remove corn from the water and shake any excess water. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, or until kernels are tender when pierced with a paring knife. Remove the husks, slather the corn with the Chaat Masala Butter.
- For the butter, mix together the unsalted butter, the Chaat Masala and 1 tsp. Murray River Flake Salt in a small bowl . Roll butter into a log using parchment paper or transfer to a small covered container. Refrigerate until needed.
Svaneti Seasoned-Salt Kale Chips
I adore kale. The moment I discovered this particular leafy green it immediately beat out broccoli and chard at the top of my favorite vegetable list. Luckily for me it is available practically year-round here in the northwest, and right now there are some exceptionally beautiful bunches showing up in the Farmer’s Markets and grocery stores. My favorite way to prepare kale is to bake it into chips with a little bit of salt to bring out its natural savory flavor. Whether you are new to kale chips or they are an old favorite of yours you’ll love mixing it up with some of our seasoning salts. Along with our Svaneti Salt, some of my favorites are Celery Seasoned Salt and Osaka Seasoned Salt.
Kale Chips
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 °F.
- In a bowl, toss kale with just enough olive oil to lightly coat each piece.
- Spread the kale pieces in a single layer, touching but not overlapping, on a baking tray (parchment paper or aluminum foil on your baking tray makes for an easier clean-up).
- Sprinkle Svaneti Seasoned-Salt lightly over the kale.
- Bake for ~15 minutes until crisp but not browned. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
- If you are using a scrambler, sprinkle to taste over the baked chips after cooking and enjoy!
- Leftovers they will keep for a day or two in an airtight bag.
Kashmiri Garam Masala Pecans
Sometimes I just like to have fun with my food, and this recipe is a direct result of a playful Sunday afternoon in the kitchen. The delicate aromas wafted out of my kitchen window enticing neighbors to stop in and sample my latest creation. These little yummies will astonish and delight. A divine blend of cassia, cloves, cardamom and black pepper mixed with a sweet, salty, crunchy combo…trust me, you’ll double the batch the second time around.
.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- In a medium saute pan, combine sugar, water and butter. Bring to boil and stir gently to dissolve sugar.
- Add pecans halves and toss to coat. Cook over medium-high until sugar has thickened and coats nuts
- Add salt and Kashmiri Garam Masala. Toss to combine
- Place nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until lightly toasted.
- Cool completely. Nuts will become crunchier as they cool.
Classic Hummus
Hummus is one of those things best made fresh from scratch, and neither grocery store nor restaurant versions can compare. Served with crunchy veggies, olives, feta and warmed pita bread, hummus is always a crowd pleaser! Our hummus always comes to the table with a hearty sprinkle of spice right on top. Our taste-testers couldn’t agree on just one, so we recommend, Israeli Zahtar, Syrian Zahtar or Sumac.
Perfect hummus!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Soak garbanzo beans overnight. Discard soaking water, and place in a pot and cover with water by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until tender. Strain and reserve cooking liquid.
- Place all ingedients in a food processor or high-speed blender. Add just enough of the cooking liquid to get the mixture moving. Process to desired consistency.
- Note: You can also substitute 2 15 oz. cans of garbanzo beans, drained, for this recipe - just use water in place of the cooking liquid.
- Garnish hummus with a sprinkle of sumac (or Israeli Zahtar or Syrian Zahtar) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. (This would be where you could use that good extra virgin olive oil you have.)
