Grain-Free Yucatan Tamales

What could be more enticing than a tender, fragrant home-made tamale? Pillowy soft steamed masa on the outside, secret pockets of glorious filling and sauce on the inside. Home-made food is all about the love, and this recipe has that and more, because it's also all about the carbs, or, more specifically, the lack of them. You see, these babies bypass the use of corn for the masa, opting instead to incorporate our old friend, the cauliflower. Yes, it can be done!This new take on a traditional food is actually easier to make, since we'll be using parchment paper instead of corn husks, and baking in the oven instead of steaming on the stove. This technique allows the excess moisture in the cauliflower masa to evaporate out, and the eggs provide the necessary lift to make the dough puff up. The Yucatan Rojo BBQ Rub adds a subtle, spicy note that helps tame the flavor of the cauliflower, and the nutritional yeast adds a touch of umami. We've used any number of fillings for these tamales, from a quick store bought pork chili verde to your favorite pulled pork recipe. So gather up a few extra hands, and get ready for a tamale party!

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Nigella Watermelon Salad

Nothing says summer quite like watermelon, and this salad has all the right flavors to complement it. Juicy watermelon chunks are dressed with lime juice for an unbelievable sweet/tart pairing. Nutty arugula and savory onion hints from the nigella seeds add a hint of savory crunch. And because my crowd is always game for a little extra summer heat, a sprinkle of Marash chile flakes round out the finish. This salad is easy to whip up for a weeknight side dish and scales up nicely for a crowd pleasing BBQ or picnic.

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Crunchy Harissa Lemon Pickled Vegetables

These overnight pickled vegetables are easy to make and delicious! They are crunchy and full of flavor with the warm spice of Harissa, bright Meyer Lemon Paste and a hint of honey. Serve as a crunchy salad topper or condiment on a lamb sandwich or in fish tacos. Go ahead and double or quadruple the batch for your next gathering and keep some on hand in the refrigerator, they keep well up to a month. Save the brine for sauces marinades and salad dressings.

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Harissa Spiced Carrots

Stunning flavor and presentation makes these Harissa spiced carrots a perfect side dish for holiday entertaining. If you're looking for fresh flavor on the holiday table, this is a dish that will have your guests clamoring for more. Harissa is a traditional African spice blend that is robust, with hints of chile and citrus. These flavors pair easily with the sweet fruitiness of the carrots, the smokiness of the Urfa Biber and the snap of the pomegranate seeds.

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Curried Roasted Cauliflower

Here at World Spice, we have some "tried and true" cookbooks that we can't do without. When we look for inspiration to jazz up our usual side dishes, The Side Dish Handbook by Tori Ritchie is one we reach for again and again. This wonderful cookbook can be used as a primer for side dishes using grains, vegetables and legumes. It's helpfully organized alphabetically, having a stand-out recipe for each main ingredient, including this tasty recipe for Curried Roasted Cauliflower.You'll also find such delicious dishes as English Pea and Onion Gratin, Creamed Corn with Chipotle and Queso Fresco, Butter-Braised Turnips with Caraway and Braised Moroccan Eggplant, just to name a few. These dishes use global flavors to make "basic" ingredients fresh, new and interesting. After all, the right accompaniments can liven even the most simple roast chicken dinner.From the author: "If you can find an orange cauliflower (check your local farmers’ market), the electric hue is a fun way to amp up the curried color of this dish, although a classic white one is fine. Don’t amp up the amount of curry, however, or that’s all you will taste."The following recipe has been excerpted from The Side Dish Handbook: Featuring 40 recipes and expert tips on your favorite ingredients by Tori Ritchie. It was published by Weldon Owen in 2015. 

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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."

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Chole

We loved Chetna Makan on "Great British Bake Off" and her first cookbook, The Cardamom Trail was full of many flavorful and stunningly photographed dishes. For Chai, Chaat & Chutney: a street food tour through India, she returned home to India and the street food that she grew up on. The book has four chapters that are organized by cities that make up the four corners of India - Chennai, Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta), Mumbai and Delhi. The fifth chapter? All masala and chutney recipes. Some recipes will look or sound familiar, others will not...but the photos and descriptions of the food will make you want to eat (or drink!) all of them. If you love Indian food or any form of street food, this is the cookbook for you! This recipe is a wonderful example how curries in the North of India use lots of fragrant and aromatic spices to make this mouth-watering vegetarian curry made with chickpeas.From the author: "One of the ultimate curries of the North, this chickpea curry is often paired with Bhatura, a deep-fried flatbread sold piping hot originally on the streets of Delhi but, now, all over the country. This combination should be on everyone’s must-try list when visiting India. You can keep it light by eating this curry with rice or chapatti, if preferred."

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Fried Eggplant Roll-Ups

One of the countries in the Persian culinary region that has colorful and flavorful food is Georgia. Nestled between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea, Georgia has a climate similar to the Mediterranean's, and a love of vegetables blended with walnuts and vibrant herbs. This recipe from Naomi Duguid's book Taste of Persia shows up how the combination of eggplant and a rich walnut paste can make for one delicious dish. From the author: "These succulent roll-ups are one of the treasures of the Georgian table. Strips of fried eggplant are coated with spiced walnut paste and rolled up. They're best if made an hour or more ahead of time and slightly chilled, so that the filling firms up and the flavors have time to blend. Badrigiani make a great appetizer, though in Georgia they are usually served as part of a wide selection of dishes at a meal."

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Summer Squash Soup

Summer squash soup? What a revelation! This soup is light and lemony, with a delightful range of flavors from our Emerald City Seasoning. Lemon thyme and chives are paired with pink and green peppercorn for a mild seasoning that allows the yellow squash to shine through. A quick and easy cook time yields this beautiful dish that is very refreshing on a hot summer day. You can serve it lightly chilled or gently warmed alongside other summer favorites.

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