Passion for Spices™ Team Wishes Everyone a Happy Easter

Passion for Spices™ wishes everyone a Happy Easter and Passover. We are looking forward to celebrating the spring with nature’s abundance from local farmers, creating recipes, and sharing the knowledge of preparing them to our community.

Please enjoy the complimentary recipes from award winning Chef Kathleen Sanderson, from her recent Easter Brunch menu, recently enjoyed by our customers.

Fruited Nut & Wild Rice Salad

8-10 Servings

Procedure:

1. Place rice in a sauce pan, add 1 Tbsp. oil and 4 cups boiling water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook rice 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes.

2. In a large bowl whisk together mustard and vinegar slowly whisk in remaining oil. Add peppers, scallions, cranberries, nuts and rice, stir to coat. Add parsley and adjust seasoning. Let rice salad stand at- least one hour or refrigerate 2-3 days before serving.

Ingredients:

2 cups Wild & Long Grain Rice blend

4 cups of water

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/3 cup raspberry vinegar

2/3 cup Salad oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 cup sliced scallions (1 bunch)

1 cup plumped dried cranberries, cherries or raisins

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

1/3 cup chopped parsley

 

Double Rich Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Serves 10 to 12

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan (12-cup capacity). Position rack in the lower third of the oven.

2. Place the nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the basket of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse 6 to 8 times or until the nuts are chopped medium and the ingredients are combined. Do not over process. Set aside.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a triple sifter. Set aside.

4. Cream the butter on medium-low speed in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and light in color, about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, taking about 6 to 8 minutes to blend it in well. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat for about 1 minute longer. Blend in the vanilla.

5. On low speed, add the dry ingredients alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour (3 parts flour/2 parts sour cream). Mix only until incorporated after each addition. Scrape the side of the bowl and mix for 10 seconds longer.

6. Spoon about 1/3 of the batter into the Bundt pan, smoothing the surface with the back of a tablespoon. Using the tip of a teaspoon or your fingertips, break apart the filling and distribute ½ of the filling evenly over the batter.

7. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining batter into the pan, then the remaining filling. Cover with the remaining batter, spreading the batter evenly from the center out. It is important that the last layer of filling be covered with the batter. Smooth the surface.

8. Center the pan on the rack and bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and it begins to come away from the sides of the pan. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Cool the cake on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert and gently remove the pan. Before serving, dust the top with confectioners sugar.

Ingredients:

The Filling:

1 ¼ cups walnuts or pecans

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

The Cake:

2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

11/3 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

11/3 cups sour cream

 

Please enjoy more complimentary recipes to spice up your Spring season.

 

For Mother's Day, Cook Together

An ode to all mothers everywhere

The Passion for Spices™ team would like to honor and celebrate mothers everywhere. Our curated cooking classes is a great way to create memories with mom! We cherish all these moments, looking back and realize that these are special moments in everyone’s life.

The Passion for Spices™ team would like to honor and celebrate mothers everywhere. Our “Cook at Home” is a great way to create memories with mom! The pandemic has made family gatherings even more meaningful and intimate. We cherish all these moments, looking back and realize that these are special moments in everyone’s life.

For me, my mother was the center of our family, and I want to honor her memory. I was fortunate to have her as my mother and as well to be a mother myself to my son.

Passion for Spices sustainable methodology showcases the importance of Families Cooking Together and we are here to help you experience the joy of cooking with your entire family, especially your mom or grandma.

Special Menu for Mother’s Day

For anyone who wants to register for our special Thai class taught by Shelley Wiseman and our Mother’s Day High Tea class.

To read more about our memories on Mother’s Day, click here for more of our blogs.

We have a perfect gift for mothers Day! Please click here to buy our gift cards!

Passion for Spices™ Team Wishes Everyone a Happy Easter

Passion for Spices™ wishes everyone a happy Passover and Easter. We are looking forward to celebrating the spring with nature’s abundance from local farmers, creating recipes, and sharing the knowledge of preparing them to our community.

Please enjoy the healthy fig and date bar, Anjeer Khajoor Barfi, for your holidays

Anjeer Khajoor Barfi (Fig & Date Bars)

Makes 6 Servings

Procedure:

1. Soak the dry figs and dates, separately, in hot water, just to cover the dried fruit for 15~20. Drain the water and grind them to a smooth paste adding a tablespoon of water. 

2. Melt ghee and oil in a heavy bottom pan, and add the figs and date puree and cook on medium heat low, stirring frequently, until the mixture dries out about 15 minutes.

3. Stir in the nuts and the cardamom and mix well to combine the mixture well.

4.  Continue to cook the barfi, on medium low heat, stirring frequently, for another 10 minutes or until the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan.

5. Remove the mixture into a greased plate or tin and press down to form the barfi.

6. Set aside to cool. Cut into squares or diamonds when completely cooled.

 

Here is a curated menu for you and your family to enjoy and have a memorable experience this holiday season.

We have a few Easter Special Classes in the link at the bottom of the page with details.

Celebrate Easter Mediterranean Style

Shelley Wiseman’s Easter Special

Ingredients:

1 cup (about 15) Dry Figs, chopped

1 cup (about 18) Dates, pitted and chopped

3 tbsp almonds, finely chopped

2 tbsp plain cashews, finely chopped

2 tbsp unsalted pistachios, finely chopped

3 cardomom pods, seeds removed and crushed fine.

1 tsp ghee + 1 tbsp sunflower oil