Author Archives: Amanda
10 Spice Vegetable Soup with Cashew Cream
The timing is perfect! As spring beckons and we are craving healthier fare, what better way to welcome the weather than with this spice-centric soup from one of our new favorite cookbooks, The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out by Angela Liddon.
“This is quite possibly the ultimate bowl of comfort food, made with a decadent, creamy broth and loaded with an array of health-boosting spices. It’s really hard to stop at one bowl! Be sure to soak the raw cashews in water the night before (or for at least three to four hours) so they are ready when you plan to make the soup.”
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sweet or yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 11/2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potato, regular potato, or butternut squash
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 1 tablespoon 10-Spice Blend
- Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 to 2 cups baby spinach or de-stemmed torn kale leaves (optional)
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas or other beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the soaked and drained cashews with 1 cup of the vegetable broth and blend on the highest speed until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
- Add the carrots, bell pepper, potato, celery, diced tomatoes with their juices, remaining 5 cups broth, the cashew cream, and the 10-Spice Blend. Stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and black pepper and add the bay leaves.
- Simmer the soup, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and black pepper.
- During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the spinach and beans, if desired. Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.
- Tip: If you don’t have the ingredients on hand to make the 10-Spice Blend, feel free to use your favorite store-bought Cajun or Creole seasoning mix and add to taste.
Reprinted by arrangement with Avery, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Angela Liddon, 2014.
If you are interested in exploring and tasting more recipes from Oh She Glows, pick up a copy in our store or online and join us for the World Spice Cookbook Club, coming up March 4th. RSVP to [email protected].
Oh She Glows 10 Spice Blend
Many chefs have a go-to spice blend all their own and we are pleased to share this one from Angela Liddon, author of The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out. We fell in love with the book from page 1 and have chosen it as one of the World Spice Cookbook Club selections for 2015.
” This spice blend takes less than five minutes to throw together, and it can be used in a variety of dishes, from soups and stews to baked potatoes, kale chips, tofu, beans, avocado toast, and more.”
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium jar. Secure the lid and shake to combine. Shake the jar before each use.
Reprinted by arrangement with Avery, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Angela Liddon, 2014.
Cookbook Club 2015
For those of us who joined cookbook club last year – THANKS! – for making it such a huge success. 2015 is shaping up to be even bigger and better, with loads of new cookbooks to explore and an expanded summer series of social cookouts at our warehouse location. Here are the selections:
February 4th: World Spice at Home: New Flavors for 75 Favorite Dishes by Amanda Bevill and Julie Kramis-Hearne
March 4th: The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out by Angela Liddon
April 1st: Fresh & Fermented: 85 Delicious Ways to Make Fermented Carrots, Kraut, and Kimchi Part of every Meal by Julie O’Brien & Richard J. Climenhage
May 6th: Afro Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean & Southern Flavors Remixed by Bryant Terry
June 3rd: Brazilian Barbecue and Beyond by David Ponte, Jamie Barber, and Lizzy Barber
July 1st: Cocina Tropical: The Classic & Contemporary Flavors of Puerto Rico by Jose Santaella
August 5th: Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Springrolls, Samosas and More and The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes for Crazy-Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches by Andrea Nguyen
September 2nd: At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: Celebrating the Art of Eating Well by Amy Chaplin
October 7th: 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer
Membership in the club is free, and we “Meet & Eat” the first Wednesday of the month. Every member brings a dish prepared from the featured cookbook and we all gather to discuss the book, the food and whatever else comes to mind! Benefits include a 20% discount off cookbook club selections and a giveaway at each meeting.
Sign up in the store or email us at: [email protected]
Sassy Short Ribs
We love all things sassy, and these short ribs are no exception. The bold flavor of our Sassy Steak Spice is infused into every bite along with orange marmalade and fresh oregano for an impeccable flavor combination. The great charm in this dish is the layers of flavor developed by adding spices in stages along the way, and finishing with fresh herbs… who says you can’t have it all? The melt-in-your-mouth beef is pretty good too.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 3 pounds small bone-in beef short ribs
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Sassy Steak Spice, divided
- 3/4 cup orange marmalade
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano, divided
Instructions
- Add the oil to a heavy, medium skillet, over medium heat. Working in batches- brown the short ribs, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer the seared ribs to a platter or bowl.
- Add the chopped onion to the skillet and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the Sassy Steak Spice over the onion and cook one minute more. Lower the heat and add the marmalade, cooking just long enough to melt it with the onion. Transfer the mixture to the insert of a 5-6 quart slow cooker, scraping out every tasty bit!
- Add the chicken broth, red wine and soy sauce to the cooker and stir to combine. Now nestle the ribs into the sauce and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 9 hours, until the meat is fork tender. Don't peek while it is cooking! You want all those luscious flavors to circulate for the whole cooking time.
- At the end of the cooking time, transfer the ribs to a serving platter and then strain the sauce into a fat-separator. Remove the strained bits of meat and onion to top the ribs on the serving platter and, after the fat has separated, pour the de-fatted sauce into a medium saucepan.
- Add the remaining teaspoon of Sassy Steak Spice and simmer the sauce 4-6 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavors. Add 1 teaspoon of the oregano and cook 1 minute more.
- Pour the sauce over the ribs and garnish with the remaining teaspoon of oregano.
- Serve with brown or white rice, and lightly sautéed chard and/or bok choy.
Tip: For those of you with slow cooker inserts that are stovetop safe, go ahead and use it in place of the skillet to start the sauce and save a dish!
Take Out-Fake Out: Lemon Chicken
Many foods convey a sense of place. Unless you are lucky enough to be in China, there’s no doubt that Chinese food tastes best delivered on a stormy night in the 212 area code. But for those of us outside the delivery area, there has to be an alternative and this is it – Take-Out/Fake-Out: Lemon Chicken.
While it may not be as easy as dialing up the Chelsea Big Wok, this juicy crockpot lemon chicken is the next best thing. Set it and forget it, and at the end of the day just stir fry your favorite vegetables to serve alongside and enjoy. We have tried many spice blends in this dish and they are ALL fantastic, so whether you are in the mood for a little Thai Seasoning or Indonesian Ayam, take your pick, it is hard to go wrong with lemon chicken.
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Thai Seasoning, divided
- 1 teaspoon Rooster Spice (optional)
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- Lemon wedges, Gomasio and sliced scallions for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken thighs well, and pat dry.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken broth, sliced onion, soy sauce, honey, 1/4 cup lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Thai Seasoning and 1 teaspoon Rooster Spice. Stir the sauce well to combine, and pour it into a 5-6 quart crock pot.
- Nestle the chicken pieces in the sauce and cook on low for 4-5 hours, until the chicken easily pulls apart with a fork.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the crock pot and set aside. Adjust the crockpot to high heat.
- In a small measuring cup, mix together the arrowroot and cold water to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the sauce in the crockpot, then add the sesame oil, 1 additional teaspoon Thai Seasoning and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Adjust the heat setting to warm or low, and return the chicken to the crockpot and gently shred the pieces before serving.
- Serve with rice and vegetables, and garnish with a lemon wedge, Gomasio and sliced scallions. Some folks like an extra sprinkle of Rooster Spice as well.
Voodoo Cheese Ball
The Seattle Seahawks are at it again, and we are busily prepping food for the next playoff game. This time it is a spiced up version of the classic cheese ball, enhanced with a little voodoo, smoked paprika and Harissa Spiced Pecans. The presentation is fun and easy, and the football shape allows for more nutty crunch on the outside.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 8 oz. medium cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 teaspoons minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon minced pimentos
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Voodoo
- 1/2 cup Harissa Spiced Pecans
- Carrot and celery sticks for garnish and dipping
Instructions
- Take the cheeses out of the refrigerator about an hour before assembling to allow them to come to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cheeses, shallots, pimentos, smoked paprika and Voodoo. Mix well.
- On a plate, form the cheese mixture into a football shape and press firmly on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- While the cheese ball is chilling, make the Harissa Spiced Pecans.
- When the pecans have cooled, measure 1/2 cup from the batch and chop finely.
- Remove the cheese ball from the refrigerator and use celery or carrot strips to make the "laces" of the football. Then sprinkle the chopped nuts on the cheese ball and press firmly to make them stick. Allow the excess to fall off the cheese ball and repeat until all sides are covered.
- Serve with veggie sticks and chips on game day!
If you want more fan fare, whip up a batch of Hawk Wings too!
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