Recipes
Sheet Pan Chicken Pot Pie
Need something new to bring to your next potluck, or just an easy meal to feed a crowd? Try thinking beyond the typical foods that come in a bowl: soup, chili, salad, or fruit salad. How about bringing it in style with a fragrant, golden, pastry-topped chicken pot pie, big enough to serve 12? I'm talking about the quintessential comfort food served up in a sheet pan - the 12" x 17" rimmed workhorse of every serious baker's kitchen. Our version takes the classic pie one step further by using our Provencal Seasoned Salt as the secret ingredient. The delicate, summery notes of this French-inspired blend will bloom throughout the saucy filling, bringing hints of fennel, garlic, chervil, and tarragon that perfectly compliment the chicken and vegetables. You can choose to go the quick route, using rotisserie chicken, store-bought pie crust, and frozen vegetables, or channel your inner homemaker with oven baked (or in my case, microwaved) chicken thighs and homemade pie crust. If you're making your own pie dough, using part shortening/part butter makes for a more flexible crust, which is easier to work with in a large sheet like we're doing here. We like the classic combination of carrots, celery, onion and peas, but feel free to throw in whatever vegetables catch your eye. One important note: place a large baking sheet or piece of foil on the rack below the sheet pan to catch any drips. You'll be glad you did!
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Pumpkin Seed Dip with Yucatan Rojo Spiced Oil
This traditional Yucatan dip, known as Sikil Pak, is made from a base of ground pumpkin seeds, or pepitas. On it's own, it has a fresh, creamy, nutty taste, lighter in flavor but similar in texture to a traditional hummus dip. But when drizzled with our Yucatan Rojo spiced oil, something magical happens. Each bite offers a contrast in flavors, with the earthy Rojo-spiced oil adding a vivid contrast to the mellowness of the pepitas, elevating this Mexican party dish to a whole new level. This dip whips up in a jiffy, especially if you use pre-salted and roasted pepitas, though you can opt to toast your own. Serve it with crackers or tortilla chips, along with fresh crudites such as sliced jicama, carrots, snap peas and green pepper strips for an inventive alternative at your next barbeque or potluck. The spiced oil also makes a great topping when drizzled on fish tacos, scrambled eggs, burgers, pizza, or just about anything else you can think of.
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Grilled Polenta and Vegetables Provencal
Summer = grill = good times. Especially when it comes to fresh vegetables. Throwing your vegetables onto a hot grill gives them that "je ne sais quoi" you can't get any other way. And when you add a touch of our Provencal Seasoned Salt, well, it's enough to make the most reluctant veggie eater sit up and take notice. The bright, lively flavors of this seasoning salt can turn the most mundane zucchini and eggplant into a French-inspired masterpiece. Now, those nice crispy veggies need somewhere to bed down, so why not throw a firm piece of creamy, luscious polenta, also spiked with Provencal Seasoned Salt, onto the grill with them? The Provencal Seasoned Salt, featuring a blend of fennel, garlic, chervil, tarragon and other spices carries beautifully throughout the dish. There you have it, a perfectly matched set. This easy method for cooking polenta comes to us from the folks at America's Test Kitchen. Adding a pinch of baking soda to the boiling water serves to soften the outside of the polenta grains, allowing them to quickly break down and release their starch, eliminating the need to stand over a hot stove, stirring constantly for 25 minutes. What's not to like about that?
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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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El Greco Grill
If this El Greco Grill sets the tone for this year's summer grilling, it's gonna be a GOOD year! This Greek feast features chunky vegetable skewers and shrimp in a delightful marinade of ouzo, basil and tomato along with our El Greco seasoning. Make the marinade ahead of time for maximum flavor development and you won't be disappointed. Serve family style on a big platter of rice!
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Orange Tarragon Compound Butter
We've all been there. You want to add a little pizzazz to your finished dish but just don’t have the time or inclination to go that final step and make a sauce. Enter the Compound Butter. Like a knight in shining (glistening?) armor, these handy little life savers can come straight from the fridge or freezer to the rescue, adding a distinctive depth and pop of flavor. A compound butter is simply a combination of softened butter and any mix of herbs and spices you can think of. Bolder flavors, like chilis, cumin or masalas can be paired with heavier proteins like beef, chicken, lamb or pork, while lighter fare, such as seafood or vegetables are better topped with a blend utilizing lighter herbs like dill, parsley or cilantro. Here, we combine the slightly sweet Orange Tarragon with fresh parsley, tarragon and orange zest for a delicate topping that will take your dish to a whole new level. It pairs well with roasted or grilled vegetables, fish and seafood or pasta.
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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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The Day After: Turkey in Mole Olé Sauce
November 23rd. The morning after. As the food coma fades, we find ourselves fridge-gazing at the thought of any more mashed potatoes. The traditional flavors of the season have begun to seem dull and we ask ourselves a question mankind has pondered since the dawn of time: How can we jazz up the leftovers?Enter the mole! This hearty sauce using our Mole Olé blend satisfies the craving for an exotic departure from standard fall flavors and transforms your leftovers into a delicious new dish too easy to believe. Make it a day or two before the marathon holiday cooking begins so that it's all ready to combine with leftover shredded turkey on Thanksgiving Friday. Use it to stuff enchiladas, wet burritos smothered in more of the glorious sauce, or as a filling for tacos.
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