Recipes

Moroccan Chicken Salad

1 hr, 5 min

Discover the delectable flavors of our Middle Eastern Chicken Salad, featuring our beloved Cascade Mushroom Mix. Infusing the marinade with this mix was a game-changer, intensifying the umami goodness and making the chicken irresistibly "meatier". In this salad, we combine the mushroom mix with exotic Moroccan Ras El Hanout, creating a sweet, spicy, and complex medley. With the addition of grapes, pears, and walnuts, this dish becomes a delightful option for a satisfying lunch or a light supper.

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.

Rose 75 Cocktail

Blending the tart flavor of Sumac and the heady sweetness of Roses, this cocktail tickles the palate with a full spectrum of flavors. As is so often the case, we perfected the recipe by happy accident and now consider it essential for any festive gathering. Pretty, pink and refreshing, Rose 75 is perfect for special occasions or as the perfect sip to enjoy the last days of summer.

Sumac Strawberries with Jasmine Pearl Pound Cake

In college, a friend from Azerbaijan first introduced me to Sumac. The deep reddish-purple spice is sour and bright, and makes for a beautiful garnish. Ever since then, I've always thought of it as a curious and versatile alternative to lemon.That substitution takes center stage in this luscious summer desert. Sumac and strawberries make an excellent flavor pairing, with the tartness of the spice balancing the berries. As a subtle twist, we added the delicate floral taste of Jasmine Pearl green tea to the syrup and cake batter. The tea adds some complexity to the dish, and scents your whole house with a flowery aroma as a bonus. For no mess plating we dished these up like a trifle, to display the beautiful layers.

Sumac Cauliflower Steak with El Greco Spelt Salad

Crusted with sumac and Alderwood smoked salt, this cauliflower steak is a healthy vegetarian entree full of texture and color. The dish is inspired by Mediterranean flavors that compliment summer vegetables, and it's accompanied by a hearty spelt grain salad tossed in El Greco Citronette. The salad has orange and lemon juice for acidity and garden herbs like oregano and basil. To finish the dish, we sprinkled on some chopped dried cranberries for tart and chewy sweetness, although dried tart cherries or dried blueberries would be delicious, too. This dish makes you feel like you're eating the rainbow!

Raw "Couscous" Cauliflower with Almonds, Dried Cherries, and Sumac

Winner of a James Beard Award Best Book in Vegetable-Focused Cooking and topping many "Best Cookbook of the Year" lists, Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables highlights the evolving attributes of vegetables throughout their growing seasons - from spring to early summer to midsummer to the abundant harvest of late summer, then ebbing into autumn and, the the earthy mellow sweetness of winter.Joshua McFadden, chef and owner of renowned trattoria Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon, is considered to be a "vegetable whisperer", and has learned to appreciate every part of the plant and how to get the best from vegetables at every stage of their lives. Each chapter begins with recipes featuring raw vegetables at the start of their season, progressing to sautés, pan roasts, braises, and stews. We think you'll enjoy this Raw "Couscous" Cauliflower with Almonds, Dried Cherries and Sumac - it tastes as good as it looks!From the author: "In this dish, I crumble the raw cauliflower so that it has the look and texture of couscous—it’s easy and unexpected and makes you think of cauliflower in a whole new way. If you can’t find dried tart cherries, use golden raisins or even chopped dried apricots; the idea is to have a sweet-tart and chewy element as contrast to the granular vegetable. And be sure to dress and season this salad generously. Underdressed, it risks being dry."

Kofte Meatballs with Marash Yogurt Sauce

These lamb meatballs made with our Kofte Spice are a crowd pleaser, and are even more marvelous with Marash Chile Flakes and warm yogurt sauce. Sound exotic? It is! But they are easy to make and the seasonings have wide appeal. Serve them over your favorite grain pilaf or roll them out at your next cocktail party for a new take on everyones favorite hors d'oeurve.

Khingal

We are so excited to feature another recipe from Olia Hercules' wonderful Georgian cookbook, Kaukasis: A Culinary Journey through Georgia, Azerbaijan and Beyond! Full of stunning photographs evocative of the region, this book is a celebration, weaving personal narratives and recipes for a little known cuisine that combines European and Middle Eastern ingredients in ways that are fresh, new, and totally unexpected. Olia Hercules will take you on a culinary journey unlike any other. If you liked her Ukranian cookbook Mamushka, you will love this book.From the author: "We often perceive comfort food as something lovely yet also a little bland, unassuming. It may not blow our minds with flavour, but it gives us that feeling of safe satiety. When I tried khingal in the Azerbaijan capital Baku, it was a complete revelation to me. It did all those things that comfort food does, except it also made my eyes widen as my mouth was filled with firm pasta, crispy aromatic lamb and milky, but also oh so fresh, sauce. And then there is the butter. Pasta, spice, butter, crispy meat bits, yogurt, herbs – this dish has every single component that makes me feel safe and yet also titillates my senses, what I imagine a perfect marriage may be like."

Advieh-Spiced Persian Meatballs

Lamb is the perfect pairing for our version of the signature Persian spice blend, Advieh, and this easy meatball recipe will have a flavor feast on your table in no time. You can serve them on a bed of greens, over grains, as a sandwich or a wrap. Garnish with feta, mint, parsley, and pomegranate seeds and complement with a tangy sumac salad dressing or a mellow creamy tzatziki. Fabulous! Our version uses Panko bread crumbs as the binder, but for a gluten-free option you could use lentils, quinoa, or gluten-free bread crumbs.