Tagged With: Healthy
Continental Curry Biryani
It’s almost Buddha’s birthday! Buddha’s birthday is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calendar in nearly all east-Asian countries. This year it falls on Friday, May 17th in the Western calendar. Because it is customary to eat rice on Buddha’s birthday, we developed this heavily spiced vegetarian biryani to honor the Buddha and many of the exotic lands from which our spices come. Our Continental Curry is the perfect blend for this occasion, as it combines the best elements of several varieties of yellow curry. While we can’t promise a permanent Nirvana as a result of this dish, we guarantee at least a transient one!
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Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pan over medium heat, add the oil. When hot, add the onion and cook until softened.
- Add raisins, cashews, cloves, cumin, Indian coriander, green cardamom and cassia sticks.
- Saute spices until fragrant and the seeds start to "pop", about 3 minutes.
- Add salt, water and saffron and bring to a boil.
- Add rice and turn heat down to simmer.
- Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Rice will be 3/4 of the way cooked. Spread in a shallow pan to cool.
- While rice is cooking, par-cook the vegetables. In a shallow pan over medium-high heat, add the vegetables and water. Cover and steam for about 5 minutes.
- In a food processor, puree the garlic, ginger, onions, mint leaves, Continental Curry, jalapeno, salt and tomato.
- In a medium saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil.
- Add paste and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add par cooked vegetables, stirring well to combine. Taste for seasoning and salt.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small saucepan, warm a pinch of saffron and the milk. Remove from heat.
- Spray a large ovenproof casserole dish with pan spray.
- Layer in half of the rice and sprinkle with half of the cilantro.
- Evenly spread the vegetable curry paste mixture over the rice.
- Top with remaining rice and sprinkle with remainder of cilantro.
- Drizzle with the saffron-infused milk.
- Cover the casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked through.
- Turn the oven off and let the biryani stay in the hot oven for another 10 minutes.
- While the biryani is baking, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced onions and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Add chopped cashews and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.
- Remove the biryani for the oven.
- Top with fried onions and cashews.
- Serve with Greek yogurt on the side.
Pacific Seafood Halibut Escabeche
The first of the season Alaskan halibut has arrived, and we are thrilled! Considered the world’s premium whitefish, first of the season halibut are the best quality because the fat content of the fish is at its absolute peak. To celebrate the arrival of this delicacy from the icy north, we created an escabeche using our Pacific Seafood. This simple preparation is a luscious showcase of some of spring’s first fresh flavors.
Pacific Seafood Halibut Escabeche
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick saute pan over medium heat
- When hot, add the halibut steaks and saute until golden, about 2-1/2 minutes per side
- Remove from pan and transfer to a dish large enough to hold all of the halibut in a single layer
- Set aside
- Using same oil and saute pan, saute onions, jalapenos, bay leaves and peppercorns until they are almost soft, about 4 minutes
- Add Pacific Seafood and saute for another minute until the onions and jalapenos are completely softened
- Stir in vinegar and cook at a simmer for about 5 minutes
- Pour mixture over the cooked halibut, being sure to spread over and around the halibut
- Top with remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil
- Serve at room temperature
Harissa and Vegetable Couscous
This recipe has been a long time coming. Hardly anyone who comes in to the shop — spice masters and novices alike — can pass over the North African section without some long, lingering sniffs. The spices from that region are so exotic, in their perfect union of sweet-spicy-aromatic. “How do you use the Harissa?” is one of the most common questions following the exclamations of delight, and though my fellow merchants and I have written versions of this recipe on many a business card, envelope, and scratch paper, it’s about time it took its place among our favorites here on the blog.
The tender-crisp vegetables and fluffy cous cous are a perfect vehicle for this sumptuous sauce; our version of the traditional Tunisian red pepper condiment that is so ubiquitous in Northern Africa. The cumin, coriander, and caraway add complexity and depth, with the guajillos lending just enough heat to be interesting without being overwhelming. You can also try the Harissa sauce on grilled meats or eggplant — or even on halibut!
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Ingredients
Instructions
- To make the Harissa – In a small saute pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When hot, add the chopped red onion, and saute until it starts to get a little color. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the tomato paste, roasted peppers, Harissa, garlic granules, 1/3 cup olive oil and red wine vinegar. Pulse until it’s still a little chunky. (You can also puree it until it’s smooth.)
- Transfer to a bowl and add salt to taste. Add the sauteed red onions and green onions and mix well. (You can prepare this ahead of time – let it get to room temperature before serving. If you have any leftovers, it will keep well in the refrigerator. This works well as a condiment to any meal.)
- To make the Couscous – In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over low heat. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add stock, dried apricots, squash, zucchini, cauliflower florets, chickpeas, turmeric, ginger powder and Aleppo pepper, stirring well. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Place the cover on the pot, reducing the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are tender, but still a bit crispy. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Then mix in the diced tomatoes, peas, cilantro and couscous. Remove the pot from the heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes. (This will cook the couscous.)
- Remove the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle some of the Harissa onto the couscous, serving the rest of the Harissa on the side.
Indian Coriander Energy Bars
Sometimes I get so busy doing things that I forget to eat breakfast and/or lunch. I know, I shouldn’t do that, but I do. I’ve tried various power or energy bars, but I find them too sweet, lacking in flavor, or really just not very healthy. So I set out to make an energy bar that tasted good, was high in all of the “good” stuff we’re supposed to be eating every day, and was full of things that I loved (like Indian Coriander). I’m also a huge fan of chia seeds, and using them eliminated the need to use oil or eggs in my energy bars. (Chia seeds are full of essential fatty acids, antioxidents, calcium, iron, fiber, and are a source of natural extended energy.)
I’ve found this to be a great recipe for experimentation and using up tasty odds and ends. Got a quarter cup left of fig butter? Put it in your next batch. Found an apple or banana you need to use? Mash the banana or grate the apple, and add it to your next batch. (These are also good with grated carrots, too.) I’ll make these every week or so, and bring them into the shop. Somehow, they always seem to disappear…there are even some days where I might actually get one or two pieces! (We have some sneaky people here at the shop, especially where baked goods are concerned.) They’re always a big hit, and no one feels guilty about eating them. Yes, I will admit to sometimes putting chocolate chips in them, but chocolate is good for you, too, right?
Dried cherries and almonds make this a tasty treat…and it’s good for you, too!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil, making sure that you have extra hanging over the sides. (This will make it easier to take the bars out of the pan, as there is no fat used in this recipe. Just pull the foil & bars out, and your pan is still clean!)
- In a small bowl, add the chia seeds and water. Whisk together with a fork, being careful to make sure that all of the seeds are submerged in the water. Set aside for 10 minutes, gently stirring after 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the Indian Coriander, high-fiber cereal, non-white flour, oatmeal, salt, nuts, dried fruit and Poudre Douce. Mix together well.
- Add the maple syrup or honey and the orange zest and juice to the rehydrated chia seeds. Stir well. Add to the ingredients in the large bowl, using a rubber spatula to scrape out all of the chia seeds. Gently mix all of the ingredients together. (It will look like it won’t come together, but it will. If it find that it might need some more liquid, add a tablespoon or two of orange or grapefruit juice. You just want the ingredients to “bind” together – it won’t look like any batter you’ve worked with!) This makes a slightly soft bar - if you want a more cake-like bar, add about 1/4 cup more juice.
- Scoop out into the foil-lined pan and press down to fill every corner, smoothing out as you do it. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes – when you touch the center of the bar mixture, it should be very firm.
- If you want a drier, firmer bar, cook for an extra 5 - 10 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Then remove, using the foil.
- Place a cutting board on top of the pan and flip it over, so that the pan is on top of the board. Unwrap the bar from the foil carefully, and cut the bar into pieces. It’s great cut into bite-sized pieces, or just cut into 16 bars. Place in a zip loc bag or covered container and keep in the refrigerator. These will keep for over a week.
Turkish Baharat Stuffed Zucchini
Zucchini season has officially begun in the Pacific Northwest, and boy is it a successful one this year. The markets are full of this fine summer squash and I was recently gifted a zucchini from the family garden which is about the size of my torso. I needed to find something delicious to do with my bounty, and stuffed zucchini was just the thing.
This Turkish influenced recipe looks and tastes impressive but requires little effort to make aside from tossing a few things together and leaving it to cook. Of course, since this is a Turkish recipe, my favorite spice blend to pair it with is Turkish Baharat- the peppermint and savory are a refreshing addition on warm summer days. For a more complex filling you can move slightly farther north in influence and use the Black Sea regional spice Khmeli Suneli. A filling dinner for three or a starter for 6, all you need is three medium sized zucchinis (or one monster one).
Slice it into bite size portions for attractive appetizers
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook onions in olive oil until soft
- Add pine nuts, currants, rice, and lemon juice
- Add sugar, salt and pepper, 1 1/2 cups water, cover and cook until water is absorbed
- Hollow out zucchini to make “boats”
- Add 1 tablespoon Turkish Baharat to rice
- Fill Zucchini with cooked rice and bake in oven at 350°F for 18 minutes
- Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy! You can also serve the zucchini is chilled with some plain yogurt.
Spicy Smoked Paprika Romesco Over Grilled Trout
Grilled trout topped with spicy romesco and slivered, toasted almonds.
My first taste of romesco was not, sadly, in Catalonia. I first encountered this crimson sauce in Walla Walla, Washington at a going away party for a dear foodie friend. I prepped ribs, halibut, and vegetables while my compatriot raced around the kitchen preparing “the sauce”. He toasted almonds, blistered heirloom tomatoes, roasted peppers and garlic, and (after several stops in the Cuisinart) it came out like ruby velvet. We served it with the halibut, where the rich sauce found its perfect match in the clean taste of the firm white fish.
That meal was my inspiration for this recipe. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but Seattle is my first city. I grew up in northeast Wisconsin, deep in the Northwoods, on the banks of the Wolf River. My home lies on Rocky Rips Road, a dead end named for the Class II whitewater that flows not 50 feet from my back porch. The rushing water was my lullaby as an infant, my playground as a child, and when I found my love for food the river continued to provide. Smallmouth bass hid out in the deep holes at the bottoms of rapids. I pulled gallons of crayfish out of the water with a pair of diving goggles and my bare hands (they’re amazing boiled like lobster and served over linguine with a spicy sauce of diced tomatoes, lemon, chiles, and heaps of garlic). My favorite, though, was the trout. It’s delicious, simple to prepare, and environmentally sustainable. You can pick up Idaho-farmed rainbow trout at many grocery stores for $5-$6/lb and they only take a few minutes to prepare. We grilled ours and served it with our very own romesco. We bumped up the sauce’s heat by adding some Pimenton Picante, spicy Spanish smoked paprika, while reducing the prep time by using jarred peppers and canned tomatoes. You wind up with a dish that’s impressive enough for date night and simple enough for any week night. It even gets Delilah’s paw of approval!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Put almonds in a food processor and process for about 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and roasted peppers and process for another 2 minutes.
- Then add vinegar, salt, Pimenton, olive oil, and lemon, processing until smooth.
- Taste and adjust salt and vinegar if needed.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate in a covered container.
Israeli Zahtar Flatbread
After a long day of working (or running errands and doing chores), I just want something quick and easy for dinner, but it still has to be delicious… And if it’s at least somewhat healthy-ish, all the better! I don’t know about you, but I can always eat pizza, in pretty much any form. I can always find ready-made pizza dough at the store, which means my homemade pizzas or flatbreads can be made without any fuss. There’s also something incredibly soothing about rolling out pizza dough, especially after a long day. The smell of the yeast dough always takes me back to childhood when I would help my mother make bread. Working with that kind of dough has an air of tranquility to it…it’s a blank canvas, just waiting for you to do something fun, interesting and flavorful with it. I’ll roll out the dough, brush it with olive oil, then top it with spices. Now it’s ready for me to add fresh colors and flavors. I’ll rifle around in my fridge or the cupboards of my small kitchen for odds and ends of goodies that I can either put on the dough before I bake it, or after it comes out of the oven. It all depends on my mood at the moment. I have always enjoyed “playing with my food,” and this certainly fits the bill. Israeli Zahtar is my favorite spice to use for this, but I also love Dukka. The smell of the flatbread baking is heavenly, and always seems to perk me up a little bit. It’s a perfect end to a hectic day.
Israeli Flatbread, topped with the salad on the left, and an “untopped” Dukka Flatbread on the right.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees. Follow instructions on pizza dough package. (Sometimes you have to leave it out for 20 - 30 minutes to 'rest' at room temperature.)
- Divide into 3 portions and roll them out thinly - if you roll them into long ovals, and not rounds, they will fit on one cookie sheet. (They will cook more evenly this way.) Brush the cookie sheet with the olive oil and place the dough on it, without any of the sides touching.
- Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle on the Israeli Zahtar. Bake in the oven until the crust is golden brown cooked through. Since there is only oil and spice on the dough, keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn.
- While the flatbread is baking, you can make the salad that will go on top of it. Combine the rest of the ingredients (except for the lemon juice and olive oil), mixing well.
- When the flatbread is done, remove from oven. It will be easier (and less messy) if you cut the flatbread into pieces now before you put the salad on top. Put the cut up flatbread on your serving plates. Add the lemon juice and 2 Tbl. olive oil to the salad and toss to coat. Evenly top the flatbread with the salad.
- Feel free to drizzle more olive oil on top before you serve it. Or anything else you choose!
Aleppo Pepper Basil Lemonade
It’s not back-to-school-time in our backyard yet! The sun is shining, the BBQ is fired-up, and a wild game of badminton is underway. The players and onlookers are thirsty and I’ve got just the thing. This refreshing lemonade is perfect for hot summer afternoons like these. The soothing taste of fragrant basil and the zesty flavor of ruby-red Aleppo Pepper create a delicious, thirst quenching treat. The simple syrup can be used to make wonderful cocktails as well. Many thanks to Carol Peterman of SpiceCare for sharing her recipe with us.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- For Simple Syrup - Combine all of the ingredients for the simple syrup together in a medium-sized sauce pan and bring to a boil. Let the syrup boil for 5 minutes and then remove from the heat. Be sure to let cool to room temperature before using it for the lemonade. Once it has cooled, strain and refrigerate it for use in beverages.
- For Lemonade - Combine the simple syrup, fresh lemon juice and water in a large pitcher. Stir to combine, and chill until ready to serve. Pour over ice, adding fresh basil sprigs and lemon slices for a garnish.
Notes
Thank you to our good friend and spice goddess, Carol Peterman of TableFare, for this fantastic recipe!
Aji Mirasol Salsa
Aji Mirasol Chiles, the dried form of the Aji Amarillo, are a unique chile pepper absent from the arsenal of many chefs. A staple of Peruvian cuisine, their uniquely fruity flavor make Aji Mirasols a versatile pepper; great in a wide variety of dishes, but especially salsa. You can use this salsa as a dip with tortilla or cassava chips, but it’s even better served with grilled meat or seafood. Aji Mirasol Salsa is the perfect accompaniment for anticuchos, the grilled meat kebabs that are classic Peruvian street food. The combination of fresh citrus, cilantro and the slightly spicy Aji Mirasol chiles just begs to be eaten with grilled halibut, shrimp, chicken, pork or goat. Try some at your next barbecue and wow your guests with one-of-a-kind South American flair!
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Snip stems from chiles, then cut lengthwise, and remove ribs and seeds. Cut chiles into 1" pieces, and place in heat-proof bowl. Pour boiling water over chiles until just covered, and allow to sit 30 minutes.
- Strain chiles, reserving liquid, and place in blender with 3/4 cup of the liquid. Add 1 tsp. salt, and blend until smooth. Strain the paste through a sieve, pushing through patiently. (The flavor and texture will be worth the effort!) Discard pulp remaining in sieve.
- Whisk in the onion and lime, and salt to taste. Add the chopped fresh cilantro, mint and parsely, and stir. Allow to sit at least 15 minutes for flavors to meld.
Tasmanian Pepperberry Berries
The Tasmanian Pepperberry is a rare find, native to Australia and wild harvested in limited quantities. There are a dazzling array of flavors in that little pepperberry! It has many uses, but one of our favorite ways to use it is in all kinds of infusions, such as honey, oil and alcohol. (An added bonus – it adds a pinkish-purplish color to your infusion.) Tasmanian Pepperberry-infused honey is easy to make and can be used for any recipe that calls for honey. We found that when mixed in with fresh strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, it makes a heavenly combination perfect for brunch or dessert. Try it on waffles, french toast or pancakes, or better yet…liberally pour it over ice cream, then sit on the front porch and enjoy the lazy summer afternoon. We won’t tell…
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Put the honey into a small pan and heat on low until the honey has become more "liquid". Pour into a bowl and add the ground Tasmanian Pepperberry, mixing well. All to cool before you add it to the berries. (You can make the infused honey ahead of time - make double, so you have extra to use for other things.)
- Put the berries into a big bowl. Whisk together the cooled honey, orange juice and alcohol (if using) in a small bowl. Pour over the berries and gently toss. (It's ok if some of the berries get smooshed.) Let sit at room temperature for about an hour, stirring occasionally (to help the berries "break down" a bit - that just makes it taste even better).
- You can serve this for any meal or snack. This tastes just as good on pancakes as it does on ice cream or even just mixed in with Greek yogurt.
