Pancakes in the Wild

These pancakes are so good you'll want to enjoy them for more than just breakfast. In our family they began showing up at lunch, and for potlucks and then camping trips so they became "pancakes in the wild". Created by one of the the best Moms we know - here is their story:"Imagine a little boy who never stops moving. Even when standing still he is bouncing. He's a little engine that needs constant fuel and yet is mysteriously never hungry, won’t sit down to eat, and will then melt down from low or spiking blood sugar. Add a couple of diagnoses to that mix and you have my son, age 8.""He loves pancakes, and who doesn’t? One very smart doctor, who was also a mom, advised me to try to hide more nutritious foods inside the foods he likes. Oh, and did I mention he only will eat one food item at a time? Hot dogs, and nothing else, for days. Tortellini, and nothing else, for days.""So pancakes. I started with a regular pancake and little by little, so invisibly he didn’t notice, I morphed that pancake into a tasty bundle of protein and slow burning energy for him. Inflammation inhibits executive function. With this in mind, I started with the Gluten-Free mix to try to reduce any inflammation in the body that wheat might be causing. Next, I doubled the number of eggs. Eggs are brain food and protein! Then I used whole milk for calories, calcium, and more protein — a perfect slow burning fuel. Instead of butter, I opted for coconut oil, another brain food, and most importantly the almond flour. Nuts are rich with good oils and protein. They help hold down those blood sugar spikes that result in crashes.""As a result, I ended up creating a beloved family recipe. My son has been triumphantly devouring these pancakes for the past ten years! I tried more and more almond flour but there comes a point when they become too nutty tasting for him. Try working out your own favorite proportions. You can also thin the batter for a more crepe-like result and spread it with nut butter, apple butter or, best of all, Nutella (my daughter’s favorite)."A few pro tips:- For busy (or lazy LOL) parents, you can mix a big batch and keep in the fridge for several days. Just add a little more liquid each time so the batter softens up and you're good to go!- When you make a batch, make a few extra to have on hand as grab and go snacks for hiking or packing lunchboxes.- And for the campers and picnic-ers, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl with a lid and the wet ingredients in a mason jar and you’re set to go. Put the coconut oil in a tiny mason jar and you can use it to hold any bacon grease (if you go full classic American breakfast).

Learn more

Parilla Piñarita

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Citrus and pineapple combine to quench your thirst in this classic cocktail. Charred pineapple adds extra flavor by fire with a smoky garnish. As if all that wasn't enough, we rimmed the glass with our Limón-Chile seasoning. Inspired by the classic Tajin spice, this irresistible seasoning adds a powerful spark of lime and chili to each sip. Make the Parilla Piñarita your summer grilling go-to, it's easy to shake one up when you fire the grill.

Learn more

Ras El Hanout Cherry Pie

It pays to think outside the π because some unexpected combinations just work! Our house blended Ras El Hanout is a beautifully eccentric medley and it plays delightfully in fruit desserts. This rustic recipe doesn't require a pre-cook of the filling. Just toss the filling ingredients together ahead of time to allow the juice from the cherries to infuse with the Ras El Hanout, allowing the flavors to truly blossom. Vodka in the pie dough? Believe it or not, adding vodka helps the pie become more pliable and workable without becoming tougher. Unlike water, vodka doesn't encourage the formation of gluten so the crust stays flakey and light. As lovers of spice we've used a heavy hand on the flavor here, so enjoy!

Learn more

Limón-Chile Spiced Fruit

Our Limón-Chile seasoning deserves to be celebrated in its simplest form. With fruit! This seasoning goes great with summer flavors so taking advantage of fruit at its peak is a no brainer. This platter is full of color, flavors and texture. If you look closely at our Limón-Chile you’ll see the gradients of different shades of red peppers. It’s tart and salty, making it a perfect compliment for sweet and juicy produce. We’re a long way from the streets of Mexico where you see venders pushing around fruit carts and showering the fruit with chiles and lime, but this platter is sure to add some spice to your fiesta.

Learn more

Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Orange-Rhubarb Glaze

Give boneless leg of lamb the royal treatment with Ras El Hanout and Moroccan Preserved Meyer Lemon Paste. Ras el Hanout is the spice merchants showcase of their finest flavors, and ours is a blend of 24 spices with sweet and savory, piquant and floral notes blended to perfection. Combined with Moroccan Meyer Lemon Paste, and marinated overnight, it is an easy prep for this slow roasted leg of lamb. For a stunning sauce to finish the dish, we made a jammy glaze with rhubarb and honey, orange and mint to elevate the flavors with fresh seasonal ingredients. (To add a little smokiness to the glaze, try our Upper Left Madrona Smoked Honey.) Serve this delicacy with rice or roasted potatoes alongside your favorite spring greens.

Learn more

Valrhona Cocoa and Anardana Cookies

Bite into a chocoholic's dream. These flourless cookies are rich, chewy and have crispy edges. The secret ingredient is the Anardana, dried pomegranate seeds, which is commonly used in chutneys and Middle Eastern dishes. At first sniff, they may remind you of a sweet red wine or fruit leather, making these tangy seeds a perfect accompaniment with our Valrhona Cocoa Powder Bonus - these cookies are flourless and quick to make .

Learn more

Porcini Soda Bread

Irish soda bread is one of the easiest quick breads to make, and it's very adaptable. Whole wheat, oats and rye flours make this a hearty loaf. For this version, we added a full complement of umami with earthy Porcini Pieces mushrooms and our bestselling Cascade Mushroom Mix. From there, we wanted to add some chewy bites, so sweet dried apricots and tart cherries made it into the mix as well. If you don't have dried tart cherries, dried cranberries are equally delicious in this soda bread. The end result was a delicious and hearty bread to brighten your St. Patrick's Day celebration, or to serve with soups or stews.

Learn more

Pear Arugula Salad With Juniper Vinaigrette

It pays to eat healthy, but it can be easy to fall into a rut. When we fall back on our tried and true recipes, the familiar can begin to feel a bit boring. Changing one ingredient while making a classic combination is an easy way to try something new and not get bored. In this recipe, we added one new spice to one of our favorite go-to salads, and it totally transformed the dish.In this pear and arugula salad, we used Juniper in the vinaigrette to add new dimensions to the dish. Vinaigrettes are wonderful for showcasing both bold and subtle flavors, making them a simple and effective way to add spices to a dish. Here, the piney taste of the juniper combines perfectly with the floral sweetness of the honey for a delicious forest vinaigrette. We kept the bold flavors going with peppery arugula, sweet pears and buttery gorgonzola for a simple salad that's anything but basic.

Learn more

Mulled Wine Poached Pears

The striking color of these poached beauties comes from simmering the pears in Merlot with sugar. Letting them soak overnight and bathing them in the reduced sauce afterwards. These pear-fect morsels can be served alongside ice cream, as a dessert all on their own, or as an accessory to cheese plates. For this version of the recipe, we used our Mulling Spice to infuse the poaching liquid. The warm aromatics of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom are an excellent accompaniment to the Merlot, and will leave your kitchen smelling lovely as an added bonus!

Learn more