Recipes

Fresh Herb Falafel

Truly well executed falafel is a revelation to the palate, and this recipe from Rose Water & Orange Blossoms by Maureen Abood provides exactly that. You can also make the falafel mix a day ahead, as well. For more delicious Lebanese recipes, be sure to check out this cookbook - you will want to make every recipe! From the Author: "What a fantastic discovery homemade falafel is! Completely fresh and such a difference from falafel in restaurants, because of the copious fresh herbs and balance of spices. We’ve never cooked with cumin in my extended Lebanese family, but here you can add a pinch if you like."

Zesty Biscayne Chicken Skewers

2 hrs, 15 min

Get ready for a taste explosion with our Zesty Biscayne Chicken Skewers! The vibrant flavors of the Caribbean, bursting with zesty citrus, allspice, and a hint of chile pepper heat, will transport your taste buds to a tropical paradise.Our secret weapon? The Biscayne Citrus Rub marinade, infused with the essence of sunshine and good vibes. Picture this: light beer and honey joining forces to create a magical elixir that lets the flavors of the rub truly shine. So grab those skewers and let the Caribbean flavors take you on a culinary adventure.

South Asian Coconut Butter

If you love sauces, and want to try something new, check out Mastering Sauces by Susan Volland. This book is full of inspired and delicious sauces like this coconut "butter," using classic South Asian flavors like Turmeric and Brown Mustard Seed to add a little zing to coconut oil. From the Author: "In South India, coconut oil is the cooking oil of choice. Many dishes are garnished with a drizzle of coconut oil, popped black mustard seeds, crispy fried curry leaves, and frizzled small red onions. I like to stir these wonderful ingredients together like a compound butter and spread or melt it on various foods as the whim strikes: on savory pancakes, pilafs, or grilled whole fish."

Sri Lankan Banh Mi

Who doesn't love a great sandwich! We are all fans of banh mi sandwiches, and loved this recipe from Andrea Nguyen's The Banh Mi Handbook: Recipes for Crazy-Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches. We have tried many different types of banh mi, and loved this one made with a Sri Lankan Curry.From the author: "When Viet people eat curry with baguette, they typically dip the bread into the spiced coconut-scented sauce. San Francisco chef Alex Ong sent me his recipe for this bewitching curry (the name comes from the dark-colored spice blend), insisting that it would be perfect stuffed inside a baguette for banh mi. He was right, but to avoid a soggy sandwich, I hand shredded the cooked chicken and recooked it in the sauce, allowing it to fry in the residual oil and become encrusted with the seasonings. It became like an Indonesian rendang or, as my husband put it, a curried chicken carnitas. It’s fantastic."

Chermoula

Afro-Vegan by Bryant Terry is a mainstay vegan cookbook on our shelves at home. He researched traditional Southern cooking, going back to its roots in Africa and the Caribbean, but made the recipes vegan. The results are delicious! (Bonus: Every recipe has a song choice, too!) We especially love this recipe. Chermoula is a versatile marinade combining fresh herbs with dried spices, oils and citrus to create layers of flavor. It is used liberally in Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking to flavor fish, seafood, meats and vegetables.

Caribbean Curry Carrot Soup

A word of advice from a novice gardener: Carrots are much bigger than carrot seeds. Somehow, fifty-odd square feet of garden space doesn't seem like that much when it's being planted, but it can produce a surprising haul, most especially in the carrot department. Praise be that carrots are delicious, so their being excessively plentiful is a problem I'm thankful to have! This soup is hearty and delicious, made velvety by the soft puree of carrots, and the sunny flavors of Caribbean Curry. We've dressed it up a little with the prawns, but this soup can easily be made vegan by omitting them and using red miso paste in favor of the Worcestershire powder.