Tea Rubbed Roast Chicken

This tea rubbed roast chicken the best roast chicken I've ever made, and that is not a claim made lightly...The meat is moist and delicious, the pan sauce otherworldly, and all of the components come together to create a beautiful new flavor. The star is our Asian Tea Rub, delightfully balanced with an exotic depth. The blend unites all of the flavors of the dish, while the subtle smokiness of the tea brings the pan sauce to storied heights. Finally, if you have extra room in your pan, go ahead and throw in a few vegetables. We had a sweet potato and a few baby reds on hand.

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Miso Marinated Halibut

Whether you love black cod, salmon or halibut best, try your favorite in this wonderfully decadent dish. Our miso marinated halibut is adapted from the classic Japanese preparation popularized by chef Nobu Matsuhisa. I've enjoying this dish in seafood restaurants for years, but never tried my hand at it until now. It just seemed so fancy! But when we created our Asian Tea Rub, I knew it would be a perfect flavor match, and it is. The umami-goodness of the miso marinade plays perfectly with the smoky tea and subtle spices. Serve this dish with a simple side of rice and vegetables for an impressive and delicious meal.

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Asian Tea Rubbed Pork Chops

These Asian Tea rubbed pork chops make for a satisfying one dish meal. Nestled into a fall vegetable medley, the thick loin chops are roasted to tender perfection. Our Asian Tea Rub is the secret ingredient, steeping citrus and smoke flavors into the meat. Feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand - they'll be delicious, too!

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Vadouvan Vegetable Pie

This savory vegetable pie emerged from our experiments with Vadouvan paste, a wonderfully rich and elegant flavor base. We wanted a warm, comforting meal for the cold weather outside, and this was the prize winning pie. The recipe balances the subtle, hearty flavor of the toasted curry with the earthy goodness of cauliflower and butternut squash. If you don't have Vadouvan paste, then this versatile recipe can easily feature other flavor combinations. Missing one of the vegetables used in this pie? Use whatever you have on hand!

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Vadouvan Paste

Vadouvan Curry is a spice blend with South Indian and French influences, and the name means "sun-dried spices" in French. This fusion blend can be used just like a curry powder, or made into the iconic Vadouvan paste, a rich blend of onion, shallots and aromatics.Making Vadouvan paste takes a little doing, but is worth the effort. Some some specialty shops sell the paste for $100 per pound! A little does go a long way, and the paste is a wonderful short-cut to add fully developed curry flavors into your dish in an instant. The flavor is bold and subtle at the same time, with a meaty base surrounded by an intricate spice melange. Proportions and methods for making Vadouvan paste vary, we tried out several and liked this one best for its simplicity.Try Vadouvan paste in our Vadouvan Vegetable Pie.

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Umami Apple Pie

An essential cookbook on our shelves is The Flavour Principle: Enticing Your Senses With Food And Drink. This cookbook, containing recipes from around the world, focuses on the fundamentals of flavor and suggests pairings to complement the unique tastes of each dish. One of our favorite recipes is this exceptional umami apple pie, which uses white cheddar in the crust for another delicious sweet & savory pairing.From the Author: "One issue I have with apple pies is that the apples are not soft and juicy enough. To avoid that, I use several different kinds of apples, some hard and some soft, and precook them for a few minutes to just soften."

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Japanese Chicken Curry

The Flavour Principle: Enticing Your Senses With Food And Drink contains recipes from around the world, focuses on the fundamentals of flavor and suggests pairings to complement the unique tastes of each dish.  This Japanese curry recipe which balances sweet and spicy flavors for a wonderful, balanced taste, and has become a staff favorite.From the Author: "You can buy Japanese curry powder but it’s just as easy to make your own with our recipe. Serve the curry with rice or udon noodles and Japanese pickles (recipes follow). The grated apple gives sweetness to the sauce.This curry powder gets its traditional deep yellow colour from the turmeric. It is not a hot curry; it is more textured, with layered flavour."

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Lentil Loaf with Awesome Sauce

I've made this recipe for lentil loaf a million times. It is a go-to dish that keeps coming back around. Why? It's true the loaf is moist and flavorful, healthy, and satisfying. It's true that you can make it with just about any assortment of seasonal vegetables and spices. But the real reason is that the sauce is AWESOME. Seriously. For a family that loves to experiment with new dishes, the fact that we keep coming back to this recipe is a testament to its greatness.Credit goes to The Simple Veganista and her perfectly proportioned recipe for The Ultimate Vegetable Lentil Loaf. We've barely adapted it here. For our tastes, the secret is in the sauce, a simple blend of balsamic vinegar, ketchup and maple syrup, that pairs perfectly with all manner of flavors in the loaf. For this recipe I made it with New Mexico Chili Powder and our new Garlic Salt, but Sassy Steak Spice and Creole Seasoning also work well.

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Mayan Cocoa Pumpkin Bark

It's no secret that nuts and chocolate are a delicious pairing, and we never tire of finding new ways to combine them. In this pumpkin bark, toasted pumpkin seeds take center stage with dark chocolate, Mayan Cocoa and Cinnamon Toast Spice. The hints of allspice and chile are delightful alongside three varieties of cinnamon and the toasty crunch of the nuts. We chose to top the bark with sea salt, too. This treat comes together quickly and travels well, so make a round for afternoon snacks or your next gathering.

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