Recipes
Garam Masala Meatballs with Mango Chutney
These meatballs are sweet, spicy, fruity and tangy. We seasoned our meatballs with an all purpose blend, Indian Garam Masala. For the chutney, we used some over-ripened mangoes and chopped dried tart cherries, although dried cranberries would be delicious, too. Making it the perfect sauce adding warmth and bite from nigella seeds and cayenne. Chutney has a lot of uses and is normally used to add sweet and sour tang to Indian dishes. Next we stewed the meatballs in the chutney. After 45 minutes of simmering these meatballs melt in your mouth! We used beef here, but lamb would be delicious, too! Add a toothpick to them for an easy appetizer or serve over basmati rice.
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Goulash
Goulash is a big bowl of comfort! We used Hungarian Paprika and Caraway Seed to make this rich tomato beef stew. Hungarian Paprika is bright and mildly sweet, while the Caraway Seed is nutty and earthy. Both of these serve as an excellent base to bring out the hearty flavors of the beef and the tomato's umami character. When you're looking for something rich and flavorful, goulash is a perfect answer. This meal is made of kitchen staples, which is perfect for when you have no idea what to cook. Chances are, you've got most of the ingredients already on hand! Goulash is delicious with your carb of choice. Potatoes, pasta, rice or root vegetables all work equally well. For our photo-shoot, we used egg noodles as a family favorite.
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Cuban Picadillo
Picadillo is a Latin comfort food with many regional variations. Every country has their own version, but ground meat, olives, capers, and raisins are all staples of the dish. Picadillo can be served as a standalone, stuffed inside savory pastries, or even be used as filling for tacos. We used our Cuban Spice as the principal seasoning in this picadillo, alongside white wine and olive oil in the traditional style. Cuban cuisine typically sees the dish served alongside black beans and rice. This recipe keeps the overall heat level low, so the dish is family friendly while still full of bold flavors.
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Asian Tea Rubbed Brisket
This slow cooked brisket takes all day, but requires little more than patience to turn out a delicious meal with plenty left-over. Instead of traditional Texas-style seasonings, we prepped the brisket with a coating of mustard and our Asian Tea Rub, which is smoky and sweet with hints of orange and ginger. The smells coming from the oven will tempt you to peek and rush to the finish, but don't! The results will be worth the wait.
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Hopi Beef Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings
When the weather starts to cool off, there's nothing quite so comforting as a hot bowl of chunky, homemade stew. This Southwestern style Hopi Beef Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings brings together some of the crops which originated in the Americas - squash, pumpkin, chile peppers and, most importantly, corn.Corn is considered sacred amongst the Pueblo and Navajo people, and plays an important role in their legends, ceremonies and daily lives. Most of us are used to only seeing yellow corn, but it also comes in a variety of colors, including red, blue and multi-colored. Here, we've combined yellow cornmeal along with other traditional ingredients and our own New Mexico Chili Powder, a mild, earthy blend of New Mexico chile, guajillo chile, paprika, cumin, garlic and onion. We've also included our own Alderwood smoked salt and, in the dumplings, some ground sage to bring a dash of Southwestern flavor.Recipe adapted from Marcia Keegan, "Pueblo and Navajo Cookery," Earth Books, 1977
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English Beef Rub
English Beef Rub offers up a bold combination of cinnamon and juniper along with salt and pepper for incredible flavor! Influenced by medieval beef rubs, the intense flavors stand up to and takes the edge off of gamey flavors in meat. Perfect for elk and venison, as well as beef.One technique for tenderizing tough cuts of meat is to season them liberally and then apply weight, like a cast iron skillet, and allow the meat to sit for 24 hours before cooking. The results are tender and delicious!
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Poudre Forte
Poudre Forte is a wonderful spice mix that was used throughout medieval Europe and is still used today by culinary recreationists. The actual components may vary, but Poudre Forte, or "strong powder," is commonly based on cinnamon, clove and black pepper, some of the most important tender of the early spice trade. We've added grains of paradise to enhance the flavor. A sweetly aromatic blend with a good bite, it can be used liberally in both sweet and savory dishes.
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Meatballs with Pumpkin & Spice Butter
With its location between the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Asia, Turkey has an amazingly rich and varied cuisine. For most of the past twenty years, Journalist Robyn Eckhardt and her photographer husband, David Hagerman, have traveled around Turkey tasting all of the country's most delicious dishes. Now they're sharing them with us in their wonderful cookbook, Istanbul and Beyond: Exploring the Diverse Cuisines of Turkey. They first start in Istanbul, which is home to one of the world's great fusion cuisines. Then they travel to some of the lesser-known provinces, which feature cuisines influenced by neighboring Georgia, Syria, Armenia and Iran. These authentic and easy to follow recipes all come from local bakers, village home cooks, farmers, fishermen and café chefs. This Meatballs with Pumpkin & Spice Butter is an example of one of the many colorful and flavorful dishes found in this cookbook. We're sure that you'll fall in love with this cookbook just as much as we have.From the author: "For this warming dish from Hakkâri, delicate lamb of beef meatballs studded with ground rice are laid atop a bed of pumpkin chunks and then steam-simmered in a light tomato sauce. Before serving, the dish is drizzled with sizzling tomato butter seasoned with purple basil and red pepper flakes, which play off the richness of the meat and the sweetness of the pumpkin. I ate this dish at the home of Sehmur and Baran Kurt, in Hakkâri.A good meatball is light and tender, attributes achieved in Turkey by hand-chopping the meat, something even I am unwilling to undertake on a regular basis. But you can achieve a similar texture by spreading ground meat on a cutting board, sprinkling the seasonings over it, and cutting everything together with a knife. (This keeps the meat from turning into a paste, as it would if you mixed the ingredients in a food processor or by squeezing and kneading with your hands.) The process takes only about 5 minutes. Combine this technique with very light handling when you form the meatballs, and they'll end up tender.You must soak the rice for 1-1/2 hours before proceeding with the rest of the recipe, during which time you can peel, see, and slice the pumpkin and complete other prep work. The meatball mixture can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. Serve the dish with a simple cooked vegetable like spinach and plain Strained Yogurt. For a dinner party, give your guests an appetite-rousing preview by placing the pot in the middle of the table before pouring over the sizzling spice butter."
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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.
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