Recipes
Maple Spiced Carrots
Here's a side dish that indulges your sweet tooth during dinner. With some inspiration from pecan pie and some from our pan-Asian super-spice Seattle Salmon Rub, the dish comes together beautifully. Can you put salmon rub on carrots, you ask???? Heck, yes! The toasted savory base of pepper, cumin and coriander is accented with sweet top-notes to make the perfect seasoning. Add a generous amount of maple syrup and butter and these carrots cook down candied and tender. They'll smell of star anise and orange from the Seattle Salmon Rub as the glaze thickens and coats the carrots to perfection. We did an oblique and festive cut on the carrots and, for a bit of crunch, we added toasted whole pecans. This is a delightful change from candied yams but the glaze will work equally well on both. As always, marshmallows optional.
Learn more
Galaxy Pops
While ice pops are a classic, summertime staple; these are simply out of this world. They naturally get their starry night color from Butterfly Pea Flowers. This recipe was inspired by our Butterfly Pea Flower Horchata. Horchata is a Mexican rice milk beverage that is traditionally flavored with cinnamon. We made these pops a little richer using sweetened condensed milk to add creaminess. Additionally, we took some of the rice pudding base and pureed butterfly pea flowers that have a slight green tea flavor. A galaxy-like effect was created by pouring the creamy white horchata mix on top of the beautiful, deep blue, butterfly base. These pops easily freeze in Dixie cups as a mold. For the green Martian pops, we used some basil and lime juice. Treat yourself to one of each! They're sure to be the star of your hot summer day.To make this a completely vegan/dairy-free recipe, substitute cream of coconut for the sweetened condensed milk in the horchata mix.
Learn more
Mango Rooibos Iced Tea
Rooibos is an herbal tea from South Africa. It has delicate hints of caramel and woody flavors. Once steeped, it turns a gorgeous rusty-red color. We added aromatic Jamaican Allspice as the secret ingredient in this brew, having notes of nutmeg, cloves and black pepper. For a touch of warmth we added Cassia Chip Cinnamon and sweet mango puree to brighten your glass. Delicious, thirst quenching, and good for you; sipping this tea is a great way to keep cool on a hot summer day!
Learn more
Floral Chia Seed Pudding
This go-to summer breakfast has infinite possibilities. We used chia seeds which are full of protein, antioxidants and fiber. Once they soak overnight in liquid, they plump up and have a tapioca-like texture that is both filling and easy to build on other flavors. Here we brewed some Floral Sonnets tea, adding a touch of honey and some Beet Powder, resulting in the beautiful magenta layer for this parfait. For the royal blue-colored pudding, we used Butterfly Pea Flower with almond milk. The next day build your parfait with the layers by adding seasonal berries and yogurt. This parfait cup will taste of chamomile, ginger and cinnamon, which bring warmth to the tangy yogurt. It's both festive and a great way to start any breakfast!
Learn more
Grandma's Lemon Wedges
You can never have too many lemon bar recipes, but this one is the only one that you need. This was my Grandma's recipe, and the stains on the recipe card are a testament to how often it's been made. Most lemon bars are made too sweet to cut the tartness of the lemon, but the addition of the glaze in this recipe balances out the sweet and tart lemon flavor perfectly. Sometimes I add poppy seeds to the shortbread crust or sprinkle sumac on top just for fun. These can be made in a square pan and cut into bars, but look pretty cut in wedges too. Make these and I'm sure that they will disappear as quickly as they always did in our home.
Learn more
Butterfly Horchata
Aguas frescas vendors line parks in Mexico with their rainbow of brightly colored beverages. Of them all, horchata is my favorite. A creamy rice and almond blended brew with wisps of mild and exotic flavor from true cinnamon. Refreshing and sweet, horchata cuts the heat from popular Mexican street food and makes a perfect pitcher for any backyard BBQ. This season, we've given it a festive color boost with ice cubes made with butterfly pea flowers. Start a day ahead to make the ice and soak the ingredients for the horchata. The next day blend it up and you're good to go! As the ice cubes, melt they'll turn your horchata a sweet lavender color. True cinnamon might be thought of as more powerful or better than cassia cinnamon, which isn't the case. Of the two, cassia actually has stronger and spicier flavors whereas true cinnamon is more mild and less heat-forward. True cinnamon's soft bark makes it quick and easy to grind at home but also makes it more evanescent. Having fresh sticks and only grinding when need makes all the difference!
Learn more
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
Tostada Salads with Limón-Chile
Here's a great way to eat healthy and enjoy every bite, colorful tostada salad toppers turbocharged with Limón-Chile! Tostadas are a fried corn tortilla kept flat for easy loading of ingredients and we made two different salads to top this crunchy treat. Our first one was a shrimp salad, tossed in a creamy avocado and tomatillo dressing. To make the flavors sing, we garnished generously with Limón-Chile seasoning to add warm heat and tart 'pops' of flavor. For the second tostada, we kept it vegan with roasted Delicata squash. The cooked squash adds sweetness that contrasts with all of the textures in the raw vegetable medley. We lightly tossed the salad in olive oil and added our Limón-Chile, giving it a nice tang from the lime salt and sunny Marash chiles.Create your own tostada bar at your next neighborhood cookout! The sky's the limit with these crunchy canvases.
Learn more
Herbes de Provence Lemon Chicken
The most common question we get in the spice shop is "what's good on chicken" and this go-to Lemon Chicken with Herbes de Provence as always high on the list. Classic but never boring, the lemon-chicken combination is a perfect fit, and this dish is a one pan crowd pleaser. We opted for bone in skin on chicken breast for optimum juiciness and Herbes de Provence for a classic French application. We added lavender for a touch of woodsy flowers that bring out the sweetness in the lemon and a buttery chardonnay to give the broth body. Pull out this recipe for any quick weeknight supper, everyone loves it!
Learn more
