Seasonal Archives | Page 26 of 36 | SpiceBreeze

7

Feb, 2020

Encebollado

Ecuadorian Encebollado

Encebollado

Ecuadorian Encebollado

SpiceBreeze

Encebollado is a soup topped with thin onion slices pickled in lemon juice. It's claimed that the soup cures a hangover. The fish version is very popular in the coastal region of Ecuador. Don't worry about the little heat in the soup. It finds a perfect balance with the other ingredients once you stuck up your plate. If you are lucky to find cassava aka yuca roots in your grocery store, we recommend to give it a try. Cut off the firm skin. Then cook it the same way as potatoes.

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Cuisine Ecuadorian

Servings

Ingredients

Shopping List

1 lb tuna steak or fillet or chicken breast or thighs
1 lb potatoes quartered
2 medium tomato/es quartered
2 medium tomato/es thinly sliced
2 medium onions quartered
2 medium red onions thinly sliced
3-6 cloves garlic
3-6 limes or lemons for juice
1 bunch cilantro chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper

Optional Sides

plantain chips, tortilla chips, bread, and/or rice
avocado slices as a topping

Culinary Spice Kit

Aji panca, cumin, cilantro

Instructions

Salad

In a BOWL, mix red onions, sliced tomatoes, half of the cilantro, and 1 tbsp oil.
Season to taste with lemon juice and salt & pepper.
Let it marinate for 1 hour.

Soup

In POT #1, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.
Add quartered tomatoes and onions, half of the cilantro, garlic, the fish, Encebollado spices, and salt & pepper to taste.
Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Scoop vegetables out and blend them in a FOOD PROCESSOR with 1 cup of the soup.
Strain the liquid and add it to the POT.

Fish

Transfer the fish to a PLATE.
When cooled, break it into small pieces. Set aside.

Potatoes

In POT #2, cook potatoes in water with salt to taste until tender.
Drain.
In a FOOD PROCESSOR, blend 1 cup of potatoes with 1 cup of the soup.
Pour this liquid into POT #1. Mix well.

Serve

Serve separately and assemble your plate in piling up the following layers: potatoes, fish, soup, salad.
Enjoy!

Notes

▪ Substitute tuna with another fish and adjust the cooking time if needed.

▪ Substitute potatoes with cassava (aka yuca root).

▪ Substitute cilantro with parsley.

▪ Substitute quartered tomatoes with 1 cup puree.

Enter the Culinary World

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7

Feb, 2020

French Filet Mignon Au Poivre

French Valentine’s Dinner

French Filet Mignon au Poivre

French Valentine's Dinner For Two

SpiceBreeze

Enjoy a French Valentine's dinner for two with classic Filet Mignon au Poivre (pepper steak) and discover the extravagance of a rose-flavored dessert. Filet mignon is the most original choice. Chicken and pork work just as well. Precious green peppercorns give the creamy sauce a less pungent, woody-fruity note.

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hands-on time 30

Course Dessert, Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings

Ingredients

Shopping List

2 inch filet mignon* 1 inch thick
2 tbsp cognac** or brandy or similar
0.5 cup beef broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb potatoes cooked and peeled
8 oz snow peas or thin carrot slices
3 cups yogurt plain, creamy
butter & oil
honey***
milk
salt & pepper

Culinary Spice Kit

[1] Green peppercorns
[2] Rosebud powder

Instructions

Prepare 30 minutes before cooking

Soak Valentine [1] spices in 3 tbsp water.
Rub dry filets with salt and pepper to taste. Let them rest at room temperature.

Dessert

Mix yogurt with Valentine [2] spices.
Add honey*** to taste.

Fry

In a PAN, heat 2 tbsp oil to smoking hot.
Fry filets 2 minutes on each side over high heat without moving them in between.
Add 1 tbsp butter. Fry filets over high heat until the desired doneness.
Transfer filet to a plate and cover with foil.
Carefully, add cognac**.
Cook 1 minute. Add the soaked Valentine [1] spices with the water.
Cook 2 minutes over high heat.
Add broth, cream, and salt & pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce thickened.

Potatoes

Mash potatoes and reheat with some milk. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Peas

In a separate PAN, heat some butter and fry snow peas for about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.
Enjoy!

Notes

* Substitute filet with chicken breast, pork tenderloin or chops, or eggplant slices. Adjust cooking time.

** On a gas stove, make sure to have a lid at hand in case of catching fire.

*** Substitute honey with (maple) syrup. Optionally, add fresh raspberries.

7

Feb, 2020

Brazilian Vatapá

Brazilian Vatapá

Brazilian Vatapá

Brazilian Vatapá

SpiceBreeze

Get right into the center of the Brazilian carnival with this popular street food, Vatapá. Original from Africa, it is known as a specialty from the region of Bahia and spread throughout Brazil. This recipe with a modern twist comes directly from Brazil. Ground annatto seeds add a warm, earthy flavor and natural red color. Though shrimp is a typical ingredient, Vatapá is just as popular without it.

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Hands-on Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Brazilian

Servings

Ingredients

1 lb raw shrimp cleaned
1 cup coconut milk shake can well
2 tomatoes diced
4 cups cooked rice
up to 1 cup broth fish recommended
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic grated
2 slices sandwich bread crust removed
salt
oil

Vatapá Culinary Spice Kit

Annatto, turmeric, ginger, cumin, white pepper, bay leaves

Optional

1-2 tbsp peanuts ground
1 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
1 lime for juice
8 oz watercress

Instructions

Prepare

Cut the bread into small pieces.
In a BOWL, add the bread and the coconut milk.
Let it soak for 15 minutes.
Mash it with a fork.

Cook

In a PAN, heat 2 tbsp oil over high heat.
Fry the shrimp until brown on all sides.
Take them out and set them aside.
Fry the onions over medium heat until translucent.
Add garlic, tomatoes, and Vatapá spices.
Stir fry for about 2 minutes.
Add the coconut milk with the bread, salt to taste, and optionally peanuts.
Cook about 15 minutes over medium-low heat to get a thick creamy sauce. Add some broth if necessary.
Return the shrimp to reheat.
Optionally, add cilantro and lime juice to taste.

Serve

Serve with rice and optionally watercress or a fresh salad of your choice.
Enjoy!

Notes

Substitute the shrimp with fish filet (e.g. cod or snapper), cut into 1-inch pieces, or chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1/2-inch strips. Return them with the coconut milk.
Omit or substitute the shrimp with garbanzo beans.
Add 1-2 jalapeno pepper and/or 4 small sweet peppers to the onions, cut into thin slices.

Enter the Culinary World

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5

Feb, 2020

Falafel with cabbage

Egyptian Falafel

Egyptian Falafel

Falafel can make a great substitute for a burger, once in a while or weekly. Consider our variations as a start for your creativity. You can change the type of beans and herbs, add vegetables to the beans, serve them with any type of bread, sauce, and salad.

Frying Or Baking

Though baking the Falafel is easier, we recommend frying them to get a crunchy outside.

Variations

The Falafel Culinary Spice Kit includes the following spices:

Coriander, cumin, paprika

Egyptian Falafel

Egyptian Falafel

SpiceBreeze

Falafel can make a great substitute for a burger, once in a while or weekly. Consider our variations as a start for your creativity. You can change the type of beans and herbs, add vegetables to the beans, serve them with any type of bread, sauce, and salad. Although baking the Falafel is easier, we recommend frying them to get a crunchy outside.

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Cuisine Egyptian

Servings

Ingredients

Shopping list

2 cup garbanzo beans dry
1/4 cup cilantro or mint, or parsley, finely chopped
6 oz red cabbage finely sliced
1 cup yogurt
6-8 pita bread or any other flatbread, baguette, or rolls

You might have

2-3 tbsp flour
4 cloves garlic grated
1-2 lime or lemon for juice
olive oil
salt

Culinary Spice Kit

Cumin, coriander, paprika

Instructions

Prepare beans

In a BOWL, cover dry garbanzo beans with water. Let soak beans for 24 hours. Rinse. Drain.

Prepare paste

In a FOOD PROCESSOR, add beans, herbs, garlic, 2 tbsp flour, salt to taste, and half of the Falafel Spices.
Mix all into a paste. Cover the bowl and let rest in the fridge for 1 hour.

Form Falafel

Form small patties. Add lime juice or more flour if necessary.

Option 1: Bake Falafel

Preheat OVEN to 350°F.
Place patties on a non-sticking BAKING PAN and brush or spray them with a bit of oil.
Bake the patties for 20-30 minutes until they become crisp and light brown.

Option 2: Fry Falafel

In a PAN, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil (other than olive oil) over high heat.
Add patties. Do not crowd the pan.
Fry patties for about 5 minutes until they become crisp on both sides.
Flip the patties halfway.

Yogurt Sauce

Mix yogurt with lime juice and salt to taste.
Add grated garlic (optional).

Serve

Serve Falafel in bread with cabbage and sauce. For more options see the links in the notes.
Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe for Falafel with cooked garbanzo beans from a can.

Recipe for Falafel with Beetroots or Spinach.

Recipe for Tahini.

2

Feb, 2020

Mie Goreng

Indonesian Mie Goreng

Mie Goreng

Indonesian Mie Goreng

SpiceBreeze

Mie Goreng is a popular dish across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, featuring stir-fried noodles that are reminiscent of Chinese Chow Mein, likely reflecting its Chinese culinary roots. The dish offers a versatile ingredient list, allowing for a mix of vegetables and the option to add meat or shrimp. What truly sets Mie Goreng apart is its distinctive spice blend, highlighted by the earthy notes of galangal, giving it an exceptional and unforgettable flavor.

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Hands-on Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indonesian

Servings

Ingredients

Shopping List

2-3 cups vegetable mix carrots, leek, Savoy cabbage, all thinly sliced
8 oz noodles e.g. ramen or chukka soba
1 onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped or grated
soy sauce or tamari
agave syrup or sugar

Optional

1-2 tbsp anchovy paste recommended
1 lb shrimp precooked
1 bunch green onions sliced
1 cup peanuts chopped
1 lemon
3-4 fried eggs
6-8 slices fried tempeh fermented soybeans
1 cup fried onions
1 bag krupuk shrimp crackers

Mie Goreng Culinary Spice Kit

Galangal, turmeric, black pepper, nutmeg, chili, amchoor, tamarind

Instructions

Noodles

Cook noodles according to package instructions.

Fry

In a large PAN, heat 1 tbsp oil. Fry onions and garlic over medium heat until the onions turn slightly brown.
Add vegetables and fry them over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes(*) until they are almost cooked.
Stir in 2 tbsp tamari, Goreng spices, and 1 tbsp syrup. Add salt to taste.
Optionally, add anchovy paste and shrimp.
Add noodles and stir-fry over medium heat until noodles are well blended with the vegetables.

Serve

Optionally, sprinkle with green onions, peanuts, lemon juice, fried onions.
Place tempeh slices and/or add fried eggs on top.
Serve with krupuk.
Enjoy!

Notes

(*) Leftover vegetables are fine as well. Reduce the cooking time accordingly.

▪ Substitute shrimp with chicken breast, cut into bite-size cubes and add them with the vegetables.

▪ Other vegetables: mung bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, napa cabbage, bok choy, or bell pepper.

Enter the Culinary World

Be Inspired | Explore your boundaries and creativity

28

Jan, 2020

French Boeuf aux Quatre Épices

French Bœuf aux Quatre Épices

Hearty Winter Stew

European cuisine has an interesting range of hearty stews to survive the cold season. Enjoy the deep flavor in French Bœuf aux Quatre Épices. Choose the main recipe for a beef stew or one of its variations.

Quatre Épices

Quatre Épices or “four spices” is a French staple blend with white pepper in a prominent role. Quatre Épices is used to season hearty stews and soups, or braised root vegetables.

The Star: White Pepper

Black and white pepper derive from the same plant but have different flavors and heat profiles. They are harvested at different stages. In the next step, to receive the white pepper, the skin is removed from the pepper berry.

Variations

Substitute beef with lamb or rabbit.
Substitute 1-2 cups of broth with red wine.
In the end, stir 1/2 to 1 cup of heavy cream into the sauce, and bring it to a boil. Adjust salt.
Instead of the heavy cream, top your plated meal with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Vegetarian Version

For a vegetarian version, make the following changes to the recipe:

Step (1) – Add 1 lb mushrooms.

Step (2) – Skip this step.

Step (4) – 1 tbsp flour is enough for this version.

Step (5) – Use not more than 2 cups of broth.

Step (7) – Cooks fast in only 30 minutes.

The Bœuf aux Quatre Épices Culinary Spice Kit includes the following spices:

White pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg

Fresh carrots and small onions cook for three hours in this stew. Use shallots or beautiful boiling onions.

Boeuf aux Quatre Épices

French Bœuf aux Quatre Épices

SpiceBreeze

Quatre Épices or "four spices" is a French staple blend with white pepper in a prominent role. Black and white pepper derive from the same plant but have different flavors and heat profiles. They are harvested at different stages. In the next step, to receive the white pepper, the skin is removed from the pepper berry. Quatre Épices is used to season hearty stews and soups, or braised root vegetables. This recipe is for a French-style beef stew or one of its variations.

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hands-on time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings

Ingredients

Protein

1.25 lb beef stew
7 oz bacon

Produce

5 carrots cut into 1-inch slices
10 small shallots peeled
2 cloves garlic peeled, crushed

Dairy

4 tbsp butter

Packaged Goods/Staples

5 cups beef or vegetable broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp flour
salt

Bœuf aux Quatre Épices Culinary Spice Kit

white pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg

Suggested sides

potato croquettes or dumplings, boiled or mashed potatoes, gnocchi, or thick noodles of your choice
lettuce or cucumber salad with a light lemon dressing

Instructions

In a large POT, melt the butter.
Add the onions whole and the bacon.
Cook over medium-low heat until golden, stirring constantly.
Scoop them out and set aside.
In the same POT, cook the meat over high heat until it turns brown, stirring frequently.
Add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Sprinkle the meat with flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add the broth, mix, and scrape the bottom. Return the bacon and onions.
Add the tomato paste, garlic, and Quatre Épices spices. Season with salt to taste. Mix well.
Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Vegetarian (optional)

Add 1 lb mushrooms with the onions.
1 tbsp flour is enough for this version.
Use not more than 2 cups of broth.
Cooks fast in only 30 minutes

Notes

Optional/ Variations

▪ Substitute beef with lamb or rabbit.

▪ Substitute 1-2 cups of broth with red wine.

▪ In the end, stir 1/2 to 1 cup of heavy cream into the sauce, and bring it to a boil. Adjust salt.

▪ Instead of the heavy cream, top your plated meal with a dollop crème fraîche.