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Armenian Nutmeg Cake is a traditional simple cake that is aromatic and rich. With a brown sugar crust, plenty of fresh grated nutmeg and fresh walnuts, this cake looks simple but tastes heavenly!

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Indian Finger Food - Delicious Khandvi Recipe on Honest Cooking

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Khandvi is a snack bite that comes from the state of Gujarat in India and it’s made with plain sour yogurt and chickpea flour.

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A collection of spice-centric recipes from

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Chewy Lemon & Blueberry Mace Oatmeal Cookies - A collection of spice-centric recipes from

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The fall colors and weather are here, and there’s nothing better to come home to than a warm home flooded with the scent of freshly baked cookies. My grandmother used to make oatmeal cookies with…

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I don't think there's anything better than spending time with family and friends and enjoying delicious food together. I just love food. I love reading about food, writing about food, cooking food and.. not surprisingly, eating food. My latest passion is food-photography! I'm still learning a lot, but I'm trying to post photos with all my recipes and reviews. I read recipe books, magazines and food blogs like novels. I get such satisfaction when someone enjoys a meal or dessert that I have prepared. It is the biggest compliment to me when my family and friends rave about my cooking. There are so many terrific recipes on this site. If I'm looking for something, I'm sure to find it here. I do have stacks of my own favorite recipes which I am slowly but surely getting in my cookbooks here . I have had so many awesome reviews and fabulous photos taken of my recipes... I try to thank everyone personally .. I sincerely appreciate each and every review and or comment left. I know it takes time to photograph and upload photos - So I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for finding and trying my recipes and taking the extra effort...

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This is a simple 30 minute marinade I use to Grill Chicken Breasts. Using just a few seasoning and marinating for 30 minutes, you'll have a great tast

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Sleep deprivation really sucks. I'm hungry every day, but I don't always have the energy nor time to cook something yummy to keep me sustained. Enter "One Pot Meals". I call them culinary life-savers. The entire concept of throwing everything into one vessel and letting it cook until it's done while you chase your kid around, or plop on the couch watching Family Feud - is a frickin blessing. Today, it's all about this one-pot lemon oregano chicken and rice. I cook a lot of different one-pot variations these days, because I just don't have the time to do anything too intricate. Maybe on the weekends, but weekdays? Nah.

We are huge fans of the chicken thigh. It's the most succulent part of the chicken. The best part? That rendered crispy skin clinging to the juicy flavorful meat. My GAWD! If you don't like chicken thighs, I promise it's because you haven't had them properly cooked. My boyfriend used to HATE chicken thighs. But then he met me, and I changed his life. He thought the skin had to be flabby and fatty and super greasy, because that's how most people prepare them, sadly. So I threw some fatty chicken thighs into a super hot skillet, rendered the fat, and then finished them in the oven and he basically got the blessing he had been missing all his life.

Thighs are tasty on their own, needing only salt and pepper at the bare minimum. But just like white meat, they can benefit from some extra TLC. I marinated these in olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh oregano, fresh thyme, dried oregano, herbs de provence, salt, pepper, and fresh garlic. Just a few hours, no need to do this overnight. As a matter fact, I wouldn't marinate anything with this much lemon juice (or any other acid) for more than 2-4 hours. It starts to make the texture of the meat weird, kind like it's almost cooking it. If you'd like to marinate this overnight, leave out the lemon juice or drastically reduce it. I realize fresh oregano isn't widely available everywhere - I've been to several stores and haven't found it, but if you can find it, buy it and use it. It's especially delicious as a garnish on the final product.

So yeah, if you're short on time, or kinda lazy - throw this meal together. I will say this with every recipe I post, because it's worth repeating, but if there's something you're either missing or unable to get your hands on (ingredient-wise), just use what you have.

"Can I use boneless skinless chicken breasts?" Sure. They'll come out drier than the Sahara, but you probably know that already. Braising white meat really isn't a good idea. So you'll have to adjust some things. For example, try taking the chicken breasts out as SOON as they reach 165 degrees internally. Or, just cook them completely on the stove and then cook the rice separately, then put everything together right before you serve it. Proceed with caution, though.

"Do I have to marinade this chicken? I don't have time..." NOPE! You can totally skip the marinade, I promise this will still come out phenomenal. Instead of marinating it, just add the seasoning and dried herbs to the meat side, and season the skin of the chicken with salt and pepper. Boom. See, I just saved you two hours - although when and if you have time, try the marinade, because it's damn tasty.

When you serve it, hit it with a little more fresh lemon juice and some fresh herbs - especially the fresh oregano, and enjoy this stuff. It's really yummy, adaptable, and comes together fast.

One-Pot Lemon Oregano Chicken & Rice

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Sleep deprivation really sucks. I'm hungry every day, but I don't always have the energy nor time to cook something yummy to keep me sustained. Enter "One Pot Meals". I call them culinary life-savers.

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Fennel and Coriander Crusted Salmon with Fennel Citrus Salad

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Fennel and Coriander Crusted Salmon with Fennel Citrus Salad

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Grilled portobello mushrooms make a delicious vegetarian main dish or sandwich filling. The earthy flavor and firm texture make them a satisfying alternative to meat. Some portobello mushrooms are large enough to fill a hamburger bun. Top them with your favorite toppings and condiments and enjoy a meat-free burger. Or offer the delicious mushrooms as a side dish or appetizer.

This recipe calls for two mushrooms per person, but some portobello mushrooms are so large that you might need only one per person.

"A simple mixture of melted butter, garlic, and olive oil combine with a hit of lemon to produce a delicious coating for grilled portobello mushrooms. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt and parsley at the end elevate the mushrooms even more!" - Diana Andrews

Combine the butter, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat-on the stovetop or on the grill-and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts, the mixture is simmering, and the garlic is aromatic. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside.

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Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Make a Delicious Summer Side Dish

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Save Recipe Grilled portobello mushrooms make a delicious vegetarian main dish or sandwich filling. The earthy flavor and firm texture make them a satisfying alternative to meat. Some portobello mushrooms are large enough to fill a hamburger bun. Top them with your favorite toppings and condiments and enjoy a meat-free burger.

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Ginger adds a fragrant zest to both sweet and savory foods. The pleasantly spicy “kick” from the root of Zingiber officinale, the ginger plant, is what makes ginger ale, ginger tea, candies and many Asian dishes so appealing.

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https://vintagekitchennotes.com/authentic-chimichurri-from-argentina/

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Authentic chimichurri recipe from Argentina. Super flavorful, with garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano, and vinegar, it’s the perfect sauce for grilled meats, chicken, and chorizo sandwiches.

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Tarragon Adds a Subtle Licorice Taste to Dishes

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Tarragon is a leafy green herb with a subtle licorice flavor. It is sold fresh and dried and commonly used in French fish, chicken, and egg dishes.

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This recipe comes from Sister Pie, a Detroit bakery specializing in pies and baked goods, like blueberry plum balsamic pie, buttered corn scones and rhubarb blondies, that are “comforting with a side of adventure.” These oversize cookies embody that ethos They’re tender, sweet and peanut buttery, bu…

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Baked Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries - The Lemon Bowl®

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These rosemary sweet potato fries are both easy to prepare and guaranteed to be loved by all. The ultimate nutritious side dish!

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Profoundly aromatic, the small, brownish, seedlike fruits, more commonly known as berries, of the allspice tree ( Pimenta dioica) offer a sharp piquancy followed by notes of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg-a heady mix that some Americans recognize as pumpkin pie spice. The clovelike fragrance and flavor arise from the presence of eugenol, methyl eugenol, and beta-caryophyllene, three key chemical compounds present in the essential oil of the berries. Although ground all-spice has become the most widely used form of the spice, the foliage and wood of P. dioica are still used throughout the tree's Caribbean area of origin. The leaves, which are employed in marinades and in the stuffings for meats, carry far less of the clovelike flavor than the berries do. Wood pruned from the trees is used as fragrant fuel for traditional barbecues.

In the Mayan lowlands of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, allspice, chiles, and vanilla regularly flavored ritually consumed chocolate beverages. When I have had he opportunity to drink Mayan-style unsweetened chocolate drinks that include allspice, I have been struck by how well the two flavors complement one another, perhaps more so than even chocolate and vanilla.

Allspice was first noted by Columbus on his second voyage to the West Indies, but it didn't catch hold in Europe until the seventeenth century. It appears that Sephardic Jewish refugees living in Santiago de la Vega (Spanish Town) and Port Royal in Jamaica shipped allspice to other Jewish traders residing in Old World ports, such as Constantinople, Venice, Genoa, Amsterdam, and London. When it arrived in London, the English named it newspice and became its most fanatic consumers in the Old World, using it in pickling brines for vegetables and other flavoring stews. Because the bulk of its commercial production continued to come out of Jamaica, allspice became known as Jamaica pepper in many of its new destinations. It also grows on other West Indian islands, including Cuba and Barbados.

The natural range of allspice extends over to the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala and then southward into Central and South America, where I have witnessed robust trees fifteen to twenty feet tall. The Yucatecan allspice berries that I have sampled have an altogether different flavor complex from Jamaican berries, though they are in no way inferior to the island's harvests. Within the tropical and arid subtropical climes of Mexico, allspice has been known as pimiento gorda or pimiento de Tabasco and traditionally traded throughout the country. The latter name may in fact be the origin of the term Tabasco pepper, which was introduced to the United States around the time of the Civil War by a Confederate soldier who mistakenly applied it to a particular chile.

In Jamaican jerk pastes and rubs for meats, allspice is the key ingredient that complements black pepper, chiles, cinnamon, garlic, lime juice, and vinegar. It appears that Arabic-speaking moriscos and conversos in Mexico and the Caribbean may have also been involved in the allspice trade, since it became one more kind of "pepper" on the Old World trade routes. In fact, the majority of language groups to which allspice was introduced initially described it as just that: one more kind of pepper ( piment, piperi, pjerets, pepe, Pfeffer), with allusions to it being a sweet pepper in its Arabic ( filfil infranji halu), Mandarin Chinese ( ganjiao), and Cantonese Chinese ( gam jiu) names. The Berbers in Algeria call it fulful mexik, or "Mexican pepper," suggesting that it may have entered the Maghreb through early Mexican exports to Andalusia and Morocco. Bulgarians and Georgians simply treat it as one more Turkish- or Arab-introduced spice ( bahar) suitable for adding to spice mixes such as baharat and ras el hanout.

Bengali and Hindi cooks view allspice as a spice-rub ingredient for Chinese kebabs ( kabab chini) that was originally accessed through Silk Road trade with Muslims from western China. It is also used by my cousins in Lebanon in their rubs and marinades for various kebab, kibbe, and kefta preparations. In fact, in much of the Middle East, allspice from the New World is now so completely integrated into the local cuisines that it is easy to presume that it is native to the region. Today it is also present in ketchups, meat marinades, pickles, rum cocktails, and spice cakes around the world.

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Profoundly aromatic, the small, brownish, seedlike fruits, more commonly known as berries, of the allspice tree ( Pimenta dioica) offer a sharp piquancy followed by notes of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg-a heady mix that some Americans recognize as pumpkin pie spice.

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https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-cinnamon-765161

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Cinnamon is seemingly everywhere during the autumn season. From sweet cinnamon rolls to spiced cookies to pumpkin-spiced drinks, there is no escaping this warm, sweet spice. You may not realize that there are two main types of spice labeled as cinnamon, and the one most commonly used in the U.S. is properly called cassia.

What Is Cinnamon?

Cinnamon is a spice made from the bark of species of the cinnamon tree. It can be purchased in its reddish-brown ground form or in the form of curled sticks (quills). The word cinnamon can legally be applied to both true cinnamon and cassia in the U.S., while in the U.K. and other countries cassia must be labeled "cassia" and cannot be labeled simply as "cinnamon." While most often used in baked goods, desserts, and drinks, cinnamon is also used in savory dishes in some types of cuisine. Cinnamon is a typical ingredient in pumpkin pie spice blend and garam masala spice blend.

Varieties of Cinnamon

In North America, the most common spice labeled as cinnamon is actually cassia, also known as Chinese cinnamon. It is harvested from the bark of the evergreen Cinnamomum aromaticum tree, which is native to southern Bangladesh, China, India, Uganda, and Vietnam. Cassia is cheaper to produce and has a bolder, less subtle flavor than true cinnamon, so it is sometimes referred to as "bastard cinnamon."

The spice more correctly known as cinnamon is harvested from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum verum tree. It is also known as Ceylon cinnamon, a reference to its native country of Sri Lanka (which was formerly known as Ceylon). It is commonly grown in Sri Lanka, India (particularly in the southern state of Kerala), Bangladesh, Brazil, Vietnam, and Madagascar, and other countries. Ceylon cinnamon has a delicate, nuanced flavor that works well in sweet and savory foods and drinks. It has a paler color than cassia and is comprised of many thin layers of bark rather than a single coiled strip of bark. True cinnamon is soft enough to be ground in a (clean) coffee grinder.

Other varieties of cinnamon include Cinnamomum aromaticum (a close relative of Ceylon cinnamon), Saigon cinnamon (also known as Vietnamese cinnamon or Cinnamon loureiroi), camphor laurel ( Cinnamon camphora), malabathrum ( Cinnamon tamala), and Indonesian cinnamon ( Cinnamon burmannii).

Cinnamon and cassia have been used as a spice for thousands of years, even utilized during embalming in ancient Egypt and scenting anointing oil in the Old Testament. It was brought to these areas via land and sea spice routes from India and China, but the sources were kept secret by Arab spice traders. It is one of the spices that led European explorers to seek sea routes to Asia and the spice islands. Eventually, Portuguese explorers found the source in Ceylon and gained control of the trade. Wars followed that then turned control over to the Dutch and then the British.

What Does It Taste Like?

Cinnamon has a warm, sweet flavor and pungent aroma. The taste and scent come from cinnamaldehyde, which makes up most of the essential oil of cinnamon, but also 80 additional aromatic compounds. Cassia has a stronger flavor than the more subtle true cinnamon, which can have floral notes.

Cooking With Cinnamon

If you see cinnamon on the ingredient list for recipes in the U.S., you can safely assume it refers to the common cassia cinnamon from the supermarket. Some recipes call for cinnamon sticks (quills) while others call for ground (powdered) cinnamon. Ground cinnamon can be added before cooking or baking as it will maintain its flavor and aroma. When flavoring drinks, a cinnamon stick can add flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. Or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon can be used to top a hot drink such as hot chocolate, mocha, or latte.

Recipes With Cinnamon

Around the world, cinnamon and cassia are both commonly used to flavor foods and beverages. Although it is often used to flavor sweet foods, cassia can also lend warmth and flavor to savory meat and curry dishes. True cinnamon is sometimes used in savory dishes in the Middle East.

Where to Buy Cinnamon

Cassia, in the form of ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks, is readily found in the spice section of the supermarket. True cinnamon is often labeled Ceylon cinnamon and is more likely to be found at a specialty spice store or gourmet grocery. Both kinds of cinnamon can be purchased online.

Store ground cinnamon or cinnamon quills (sticks) in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. As with all ground spices, it is best to buy small quantities as it quickly loses its flavor and aroma. For the most flavor, grind your own from cinnamon quills using a spice grinder. However, cassia quills are often too hard to grind, and this is best done with true cinnamon quills.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Significant scientific research has been done to see if cinnamon is effective in treating a variety of diseases and conditions, but none has had results that support using it as a treatment as an alternative to conventional medical care. For those with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, cinnamon has not proven to help in long-term control of blood sugar levels. Supplements containing cinnamon, calcium, and zinc did not help control high blood pressure in people with Type 2 diabetes. There is a concern that cassia contains coumarin, which in large quantities can worsen liver disease in those with that condition.

Cinnamon is used for a variety of purported health benefits in alternative medicine. These include treatment for colds, digestive problems and painful menstrual periods.﻿﻿ In traditional medicine, it has been used for bronchitis.﻿﻿

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Cinnamon and Cassia: Differences and Uses

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Cinnamon is seemingly everywhere during the autumn season. From sweet cinnamon rolls to spiced cookies to pumpkin-spiced drinks, there is no escaping this warm, sweet spice. You may not realize that there are two main types of spice labeled as cinnamon, and the one most commonly used in the U.S.

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https://houseofyumm.com/black-bean-soup/

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Thick and hearty, this easy to put together Black Bean Soup is made with simple pantry ingredients and a fresh burst of cilantro and lime juice to bring it to life. Make it mild or spicy to suit your family, and serve up with some of your favorite toppings to truly make it a meal your entire family will love!

Who doesn't love a quick and easy family meal? This soup is hearty, comforting, and healthy. Made with mostly pantry ingredients this is a meal that you can toss together with little planning for those nights when you need something quick. Here's just a few reasons for you to love this soup:

Use dry or canned beans

Add in extra veggies your family will love

Season and spice it up to your taste

Ingredients Needed:

Notes on some ingredients:

Red Chile Flakes: optional and not pictured. Taste the soup at the end and if you feel the need for some more heat, add a sprinkle in and add as desired.

Black Beans: use 15 ounce cans. Drain and rinse the beans. You can use dried beans for this recipe. Just make sure to soak the beans overnight before using. Substitute the 4 cans with 2 pounds of dried black beans.

Broth: bone broth adds a nice richness and nutrients to the finished dish. You can also use a vegetable broth to keep it meat free.

Avocado Oil: a great option for cooking, although you can substitute for evoo or other oil of choice if desired

How to make (step-by-step):

Step 1: Sauté the onion and jalapeño, then add the garlic and seasonings.

Step 2: Add beans and broth. Stir this all together, bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low.

Step 3: Remove the lid and let the soup continue to cook while stirring and mashing the beans against the side of the pot. Stir in the lime juice and fresh cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Expert Tips:

Heat: if you want more heat to the soup, leave the membranes in the jalapeno, or you could substitute the jalapeño for a Serrano pepper. Then taste and if more heat is desired add some crushed red Chile pepper. This recipe is written to be mild and will be pleasant for little ones or those who don't like, or can't have spice.

Thicken: this is a nice hearty soup, nice and thick. To make it thick, simply mash some of the beans on the side of the pot during the cooking process. If you want it even thicker, use an immersion blender or transfer a portion of the soup to a blender carefully and blend.

Extra Veggies: if you have vegetables on hand you want or need to use, this is a great soup recipe to add them to. Great options include carrots, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, or other squash. Dice up and sauté with the onion to soften them up.

FAQ's:

Is black bean soup good for you?

There are many health benefits to eating black beans, you can read more in this article.

Can I freeze black bean soup?

Yes. Store the soup in a freezer safe container and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove to the refrigerator to thaw overnight and reheat on the stovetop.

More Soup Recipes:

Add onion and jalapeño, and cook until softened and translucent

Add in the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.

Add the seasonings and stir to combine.

Pour in the black beans, and broth. Stir to combine.

Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Stir and mash beans against the side of the pot to thicken the soup, if needed use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup to desired consistency.

Add the lime juice and fresh diced cilantro. Stir to combine.

Taste and adjust seasonings/salt to taste. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes if desired for more heat.

Red Chile Flakes: optional and not pictured. Taste the soup at the end and if you feel the need for some more heat, add a sprinkle in and add as desired.

Black Beans: use 15 ounce cans. Drain and rinse the beans. You can use dried beans for this recipe. Just make sure to soak the beans overnight before using. Substitute the 4 cans with 2 pounds of dried black beans.

Broth: bone broth adds a nice richness and nutrients to the finished dish. You can also use a vegetable broth to keep it meat free.

Avocado Oil: a great option for cooking, although you can substitute for evoo or other oil of choice if desired.

Storage: This soup can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Freezing: Let the soup come to room temperature. Pour into a freezer plastic sealable bag, or into a freezer safe container. Store in the freezer for 4-5 months. To reheat, place the soup in the refrigerator overnight. Then warm on the stovetop in a dutch oven or stock pot.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Photography done by the talented @KJandCompany

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This hearty black bean soup recipe is loaded up with veggies! Thick and creamy, this soup is quick and easy to put together.

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Chunky Fresh Tomato Oregano Soup. A recipe to deliciously use up surplus summer tomatoes while they are at their seasonal best; so bright, fresh and tasty.

This recipe is designed to be used with fresh vine ripened tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are good but fresh are great in this recipe. With so many tomatoes still available at this time of year that shouldn't be a problem.

This is a tasty soup that can be made and properly safely bottled in mason jars too. It's perfect to enjoy during the coming winter months too as a welcome taste of summer.

Come February, a grilled cheese sandwich and a steaming bowl of this delicious soup will make a welcome lunch indeed.

Although this is meant to be a chunky tomato soup, it is easily pureed as well if you prefer a smooth tomato soup. The pinch of brown sugar added to the soup just brings out the natural sweetness of the ripe tomatoes.

Originally published Sept 2013. Updated July 2020.

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Chunky Fresh Tomato Oregano Soup. A healthy delicious lunch!

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This recipe is designed to be used with fresh vine ripened tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are good but fresh are great in this recipe. With so many tomatoes still available at this time of year that shouldn't be a problem. This is a tasty soup that can be made and properly safely bottled in mason jars too.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/masala_chai_24115

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Simmered with whole spices, ginger and made mainly with milk, this chai tea is strong, milky and with just the right amount of sweetness.

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(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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This is an easy vegetarian recipe for whole-grain quinoa flavored with garlic and Parmesan cheese. Parmesan garlic quinoa isn't quite enough to make a full meal on its own, but it's a good start. It would be great alongside some tofu, a side dish of vegetables, or maybe even alongside a simple vegetarian stir-fry.

For a vegan version of this quinoa recipe, smother the quinoa in nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese and use olive oil in place of the butter. Need it to be gluten free? Just be sure to use a gluten-free vegetable broth, as all the other ingredients (including the butter, onion, garlic, quinoa, and Parmesan cheese) are all gluten free and safe for anyone avoiding wheat. Read the label and look for a vegetable broth clearly labeled to be gluten free, or make your own vegetable broth at home to be on the safe side. ​

1. In a medium-sized pan, sauté the diced onion and the minced garlic in butter or olive oil over medium-high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the onions are just starting to turn soft. Reduce the heat to medium-low.​

2. Cover the pan, and allow it to simmer until the liquid is mostly absorbed and quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.

3. Serve and enjoy!

I don't like this at all. It's not the worst. Sure, this will do. I'm a fan-would recommend. Amazing! I love it! Thanks for your rating!

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Enjoy This Easy Vegetarian Garlic and Parmesan Cheese Quinoa

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(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.) Save Recipe This is an easy vegetarian recipe for whole-grain quinoa flavored with garlic and Parmesan cheese. Parmesan garlic quinoa isn't quite enough to make a full meal on its own, but it's a good start.

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Besides water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage worldwide.

There are many different types of tea, all with varying caffeine levels, flavors, and potential benefits.

Many types of tea are a great alternative to coffee for those sensitive to or who are avoiding caffeine.

Like most things, tea is usually less expensive if you make it yourself compared to buying it at the store - and ginger tea is no exception.

What is ginger tea?

Ginger tea is a herbal drink made from ginger root. The ginger root is commonly harvested in South and Southeast Asia (India, China, Nepal), tropical Africa, parts of Central America and the Caribbean, and Australia. Ginger root takes about 8-10 months between planting and harvesting.

You can find ginger tea in stores and/or make your own. Some store-bought ginger teas combine ginger root with green tea, while others only use ginger root combined with other herbs, spices, and flavors (herbal tea).

Ginger tea can be served hot, or you can enjoy it chilled. Iced ginger tea is refreshing when combined with flavors like lemon, honey, and fruit like pineapple.

How to make ginger tea (powder and fresh)

There are several different recipes for homemade ginger tea. You can use fresh ginger, dried ginger, and even ginger powder to make ginger tea.

Here are a few recipes for ginger tea to help get you started:

1. Ginger tea recipe using ginger powder

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon ground ginger (powder)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 small lemon

Honey, to taste

You will need:

Steps:

This recipe is simple - begin by boiling the water and then add the ground ginger powder and cinnamon to the hot water. Stir, and squeeze in lemon juice and honey to taste and then allow the tea to steep for several minutes. Simply strain the mixture and enjoy the tea hot or iced when you're done.

2. Ginger tea recipe using fresh ginger

Ingredients:

1-inch chunk of sliced fresh ginger

1 cup water

Steps:

This recipe uses fresh ginger. You don't have to peel the ginger first, but it should be clean and free of dirt.

Use a one-inch piece of sliced ginger per cup of tea, roughly. Add the ginger to cold water in a saucepan and then bring it to a boil for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and add optional ingredients like a fresh slice of lemon or orange, honey, maple syrup, or another sweetener.

3. Ginger and turmeric herbal tea

Ingredients:

2 cups water

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 lemon wedge

Steps:

Boil the water in a saucepan, and then add the turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon. Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes before straining it into a mug and adding lemon and honey to taste.

What else could you add to ginger tea?

Ginger provides a strong, spicy flavor, so you might prefer to add other ingredients as a cooling component. Other ingredients can further boost the intensity of the warm, spicy flavors.

Here are some popular additives for your ginger tea:

Lemon juice

Maple syrup, honey, or another sweetener

Cinnamon (sticks, powder, etc.)

Peppermint

Chai

Mint leaves

If you're still getting used to the intense flavor of ginger, you can also add orange or apple juice as a sweetener.

Do I need to peel ginger for tea?

You don't need to peel ginger to make ginger tea. However, you should wash and scrub off any dirt on the exterior of the ginger before using it.

What are the health benefits of ginger tea?

Ginger tea is a popular drink to ease nausea during pregnancy, help settle an upset stomach, and for its potential anti-inflammatory properties.

Here are some of the benefits of ginger tea:

1. Might help ease nausea and vomiting

Ginger has been used as a natural remedy for nausea and vomiting ( 1). Since ginger tea is naturally caffeine-free, it's a good option for pregnant women experiencing nausea and vomiting from morning sickness due to hormonal changes.

Ginger tea might also help ease nausea from other causes like chemotherapy. A small study of 100 people undergoing chemotherapy were divided into two groups - one received ginger tea, and the other didn't ( 2).

The conclusion of the study: "Ginger tea reduced the experience, development, and distress of nausea, vomiting, and retching in the intervention group."

2. Help fight inflammation

Ginger is rich in an antioxidant called gingerol, which helps fight inflammation ( 3). Many of today's most common chronic diseases are rooted in inflammation, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and more.

3. Might help with weight loss

Drinking unsweetened or lightly-sweetened drinks like ginger tea can help provide health benefits without added sugar. For comparison, a 12-ounce can of standard ginger ale contains 36 grams of added sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup.

Drinking large amounts of sugary drinks can thwart weight loss efforts by contributing extra calories and worsening insulin resistance, which can lead to more fat storage and difficulty with weight loss.

In addition, the ginger root itself might have properties that help aid in weight loss. A small study of 80 obese women concluded that ginger exerted a "minor beneficial effect" on weight loss and metabolic components of obesity, such as insulin resistance ( 4). However, more research needs to be done on larger groups of people before any conclusions are drawn.

4. Might improve blood sugar control

According to a small study on people with type 2 diabetes, those taking ginger daily for 12 weeks had significantly reduced fasting blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c levels, indicating improved blood sugar control ( 5).

A review of 8 research studies conducted between 1997 and 2017 was completed in 2019 ( 6). The conclusion was that ginger consumption didn't result in significant reductions in fasting blood sugar among patients with type 2 diabetes, but there was a significant reduction in hemoglobin A1c levels. Lower A1c levels indicate better blood sugar control over time, including postprandial blood sugar levels.

5. Boosts hydration

Drinking non-caffeinated tea like ginger tea is a great way to get your fluids in and stay hydrated. Unlike caffeinated teas, which can have a slight dehydrating effect, ginger tea helps provide water to your diet.

If you have a difficult time drinking enough plain water, you might find that ginger tea is a great alternative to help you meet your fluid needs.

Is it OK to drink ginger tea every day?

Ginger tea is safe to drink daily. If you happen to drink too much ginger tea, you might experience mild symptoms like heartburn, gas, stomach ache, and a burning sensation in your mouth.

How much ginger tea can you drink per day?

There is no maximum limit on how much ginger tea you can drink in a day. If you add a sweetener to your ginger tea, you'll want to keep an eye on your overall added sugar intake in the form of sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.

What is the best time to drink ginger tea?

Ginger tea is naturally caffeine-free, so you can enjoy this warming drink at any time of the day. Drinking a lot of fluids in the evening can lead to frequent waking in the night to urinate, so try to avoid drinking a large amount of tea close to bedtime.

If you're experiencing an upset stomach, including nausea and indigestion, enjoy a cup of herbal tea at the onset of symptoms. You can also drink a cup of ginger tea after a large meal to try to prevent stomach upset if you're prone to indigestion, heartburn, etc.

Conclusion

Ginger tea is a safe drink for people of all ages, but may especially be beneficial if you're experiencing nausea or another type of stomach upset.

Not only can drinking ginger tea help you meet your fluid needs, but it comes with other potential health benefits as well. Best of all, you can make this flavorful drink at home with only a few ingredients.

Explore More

Tasty Turmeric Tea and Smoothie Recipes.

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Besides water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage worldwide. There are many different types of tea, all with varying caffeine levels, flavors, and potential benefits. Many types of tea are a great alternative to coffee for those sensitive to or who are avoiding caffeine.

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https://www.olivetomato.com/classic-tabbouleh-a-favorite-mediterranean-salad/

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Tabbouleh is such a great salad. It combines all the classic ingredients of the Mediterranean: tomatoes, cucumbers. herbs (parsley, mint), olive oil and lemon. While it is not a Greek dish, it definitely combines ingredients common in the Greek cuisine and I love it!

So there are many different versions of Tabbouleh, I tend to like the one with more parsley and less bulgur. The original recipe uses bulgur (in Greek we call it pligouri) a cereal made from the kernels of wheat, which maintains much of its bran and therefore is a good source of fiber, but sometimes couscous is used instead, although I much more prefer it with bulgur- healthier and tastier.

Nutritional Value of Tabbouleh

The nutritional value of this dish needs no explaining, but I'll go ahead just in case. First of all this salad (as most salads) is a great source of fiber, which means it keeps you full for a long time. This salad is full of antioxidants from the tomato, onion, olive oil, parsley and lemon. Also as this salad has some starch in it, it can make up a whole meal that is satisfying and filling. This salad is a bit deceptive, you may think it is light, but actually it is very filling and hearty. I actually ate only this salad for lunch and dinner the other day and I was very full.

Also this salad tastes much better when it sits overnight, not only do all the flavors meld together, but it softens the herbs and the onion.

I followed a recipe given to me by my former colleague and the friend at the American College of Greece, Deree, Sophie Themelis, a personal trainer, pilates and yoga instructor with a Greek, Jordanian and Palestinian background. Thank you Sophie!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Photo by Elena Paravantes

Elena Paravantes, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Writer and consultant specializing in the Mediterranean Diet and Cuisine. She has been active as a clinician, consultant and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece.

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Classic Tabbouleh - A Favorite Mediterranean Salad

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Tabbouleh is such a great salad. It combines all the classic ingredients of the Mediterranean: tomatoes, cucumbers. herbs (parsley, mint), olive oil and lemon. While it is not a Greek dish, it definitely combines ingredients common in the Greek cuisine and I love it!

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Tarragon Panna Cotta - GeorgiaPellegrini.com

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Georgia Pellegrini shares her simple recipe for tarragon panna cotta using a medley of edible flowers. This creamy light texture serves as a base for all sorts of wonderful herbs.

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Add the and to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Add the and . Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in and . Add the chicken. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes. Uncover and simmer for a further 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

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Add the and to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Add the and . Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in and . Add the chicken. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes. Uncover and simmer for a further 25 minutes.

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https://bakedbree.com/lemon-rosemary-yogurt-cake

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This Lemon Rosemary Cake is beautiful, moist and has a unique sweet and savory flavor best served as a dessert, snack or breakfast treat.

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1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Combine brown sugar, sugar, and allspice on large plate. Place butter in shallow bowl.

3. Halve large bananas lengthwise, then cut halves in half, or halve baby bananas lengthwise. Coat banana pieces in melted butter, then in sugar mixture, then set cut-side down on prepared baking sheet. Roast 10 minutes, or until sugar melts and turns to bubbly caramel sauce. Cool 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to plate, and scrape sauce into measuring cup with rubber spatula.

4. Scoop ice cream into bowls. Top each serving with 2 banana pieces, and drizzle with caramel sauce.

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1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. 2. Combine brown sugar, sugar, and allspice on large plate. Place butter in shallow bowl. 3. Halve large bananas lengthwise, then cut halves in half, or halve baby bananas lengthwise. Coat banana pieces in melted butter, then in sugar mixture, then set cut-side down on prepared baking sheet.

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https://goop.com/recipes/kapama-braised-cinnamon-chicken/

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https://lightenupblog.com/cilantro-lime-sauce/

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So many so-called “healthy” entrees are spoiled by deceptively high calorie sauces and marinades, hiding several hundreds of calories of fats and carbs in just a few tablespoons. This C…

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/beef_cashew_vindaloo_95019

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If you like spicy food then this is a vindaloo that lives up to the hype. It contains lots of chilli but is balanced with aromatics and cashew cream.

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Chinese Pineapple Chicken can be baked or stir fried then smothered in sticky sweet pineapple sauce with a ginger Sriracha kick that is WAY better than takeout.
This Baked Chinese Pineapple Chicken recipe might just become your favorite chicken - ever. Every bite is a an explosion of tropical flavor paradise and you can customize it with any veggies, rice, noodles/zoodles, etc! There are so many ways to eat these delicious Pineapple Ginger Chicken!
BAKED Pineapple Chicken Recipe

Since I started blogging last year, I have discovered the best and hardest part for me are the food pictures. "Best" because I now love taking pictures (it's been quite the learning curve from never picking up a nice camera before - evidence in all my early pics to these Baked Pineapple Chicken pics). "Worst" because I have to look at the pics and then I get hungry.

Guys, like I'm hungry all the time.

Or maybe hungry isn't the best word - I am craving all the time. I'm usually craving whatever I am posting next because as I sit here and decide what pictures to post, and relive the flavors of every bite so I can try and describe them (but never do them justice), my mouth begins to water and my belly begins to yearn. Yearn for Chinese Pineapple Chicken.

Another thing about being a food blogger is we are always concocting and perfecting new recipes so once they get photographed and posted, its onto something new because the weeks keep coming and we need to keep posting. Its always a bittersweet "goodbye" of deliciousness. But not this time. Not you Baked Pineapple Chicken, I just love you too much to part!

- And this is when I proceeded to stop writing and make my Pineapple Chicken - again -
Hello gorgeous. I missed you.
It felt so freeing to feed my cravings. My cravings for sticky sweet pineapple sauce concocted of tropical pineapple juice, pineapple preserves, soy sauce, sweet brown sugar, tangy red wine vinegar, garlic and a kick of ginger and sriracha. I love this sauce.

I love this sauce smothering every nook and cranny of baked chicken breaded in spiced flour with ginger, paprika, garlic and onion so every bite is an explosion of tropical flavor paradise. Far better than any restaurant as far as my critic is concerned. I agree with my critic on this one.

I used my traditional preparation method of breading and baking chicken for tender, flavorful crispy morsels BUT the aforementioned time I interrupted this post to make it, I stir fried the chicken after shaking in some cornstarch and the spices instead. The chicken doesn't get crispy, but it is still out-of-this-world nestled in a soft spiced breading.

So, if you are short on time or patience, I recommend the stir fry method, which I have also included in the recipe instructions. Either way, just make this Chinese Pineapple Chicken. LOVE this chicken. Repeat. Repeat often so I can live vicariously through you. Aaaannd you can live vicariously through me for all the recipe posts you haven't made yet. Win. Win. And even bigger win when you make this chicken.

Baked Chinese Pineapple Chicken. Don't keep her waiting.

Baked Pineapple Chicken Ingredients

In about 30 minutes, you'll be ready to dive into a homemade Pineapple Chicken bowl! Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:

Chicken breasts: Need to be pounded thin and cut into even-sized pieces.

Eggs: The chicken is dipped in an egg wash first so the breading sticks to it easily.

Coconut oil: You can use olive oil if desired, but I think coconut oil complements the pineapple flavor nicely.

Flour: If stir frying, use extra cornstarch rather than flour.

Cornstarch: Makes the chicken super crispy.

Spices: I used a blend of garlic powder, paprika, ground ginger, and more to flavor this dish!

Pineapple juice: You can find canned pineapple juice at any grocery store.

Pineapple preserves: Adds multidimensional fruity sweetness and intense pineapple flavor.

Soy sauce: Use reduced sodium soy sauce to control the amount of slt in this dish.

Red wine vinegar: Adds a fruity tang which complements the pineapple juice.

Brown sugar: Adds a little sweetness and balances out the tang of the pineapple juice.

Garlic: Just three cloves flavors the sauce nicely.

Ginger: I used a combination of fresh and dried ginger to amp up the flavor.

Asian hot red chili sauce: Something like Sriracha would be perfect.

How to Make Baked Pineapple Chicken

This Chinese Pineapple Chicken is a breeze to make! Here are the basic steps:

1. In a large bowl, whisk 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons water together.

2. Combine the breading ingredients in large freezer bag.

3. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg wash, let excess drip off, then place chicken in the flour mixture and shake until evenly coated.

4. Evenly space chicken on a cooking rack that's been set on top of a baking sheet and lightly spray chicken with cooking spray.

5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes then move baking sheet 8-10 inches away from broiler and broil to desired crispiness.

6. While the chicken cooks, make the pineapple sauce. Coat the chicken in the sauce when done.

Tips for Making Chinese Pineapple Chicken

Use clean hands. I love using a bag to shake the chicken in the breading because it keeps the chicken from becoming a gooey mess. Just make sure your hands are clean and dry when you remove the chicken.

Don't chop chicken to small. The chicken should be chopped 1" thick, erroring on the side of larger so that it doesn't overcook and dry out.

Bread the chicken in small batches. By adding only half of the chicken to the flour, it is able to move around and shake around better to become fully coated. If you notice any of the chicken isn't fully coated when you're removing it, give it another toss in the flour with a clean hand.

Recipe Variations to Try

If this Baked Pineapple Chicken recipe isn't exactly how you want it, MAKE it how you want it! It is easy to customize the sauce by:

add sweet heat with sweet chili sauce

spice it up with additional chili sauce or red pepper flakes

make it tangier by adding additional red wine vinegar

amp up the garlic and/or ginger for a stronger punch of flavor

Can I Prep baked Pineapple Chicken in Advance?

Even though this Chinese Pineapple Chicken is quick to make, you can still prepare it in stages if that works better for you.

Pineapple Sauce: Whisk the pineapple sauce ingredients together but do not simmer/thicken. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Breading: Whisk the flour breading ingredients together in a Ziploc freezer bag. You can store the breading for weeks or proceed to dredge chicken then refrigerate.

Chicken: Prepare chicken through dredging and place on a greased cooking rack placed on a baking sheet. Cover the chicken tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before cooking.

How to Store Chinese Pineapple Chicken

This Baked Pineapple Chicken recipe is best served fresh because it is at peak crispiness, sauciness and the chicken is the juiciest. You will find leftover chicken is not quite crispy or as flavorful. However, leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How to Reheat Baked Pineapple Chicken

How to reheat on the stove: Leftovers are best reheated on the stove, even if they are small portions. To reheat, heat a drizzle of vegetable, canola or peanut oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken, stirring occasionally until warmed through.

Reheating in microwave: Microwaving leftovers is not advised as the chicken can become rubbery and the breading will definitely not be crispy. It is better to reheat in the skillet.

Can I Freeze Baked Pineapple Chicken?

If you are making Baked Pineapple Chicken specifically to freeze, then I recommend freezing the chicken and sauce separately so the chicken doesn't get soggy.
TO FREEZE CHICKEN WITHOUT PINEAPPLE SAUCE:

1. Cook chicken according to directions.

2. Let chicken cool to room temperature (on the baking sheet) then transfer baking sheet to the freezer.

3. Let freeze for 1-2 hours or until the chicken is solid. This prevents the chicken from clumping together.

4. Add chicken to a freezer size bag, squeeze out excess air and label.

5. Add pineapple sauce to a separate airtight container.

6. When ready to use, defrost chicken and sauce in the refrigerator overnight.

What to Serve with Chinese Pineapple Chicken

For me, Chinese Pineapple Chicken and rice is the best combination! However, you can make pineapple chicken bowls a few different ways:

RICE OPTIONS

Rice. I like jasmine rice or brown rice but any rice will work. Just pop the rice in your rice cooker for a hands' off, easy side. You can also use microwave rice pouches if you're making a serving for one or meal prep.

Low carb. Cauliflower rice, quinoa, broccoli rice or a blend of brown rice and any of the aforementioned options. You can also use low carb noodles such as zoodles or spaghetti squash.

Noodles. Ramen, soba noodles, rice noodles or even linguine are a fun way to mix things up!

IN ADDITION TO RICE, YOU CAN SERVE Pineapple CHICKEN WITH:

Appetizers: Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Pineapple Cream Cheese Wontons, Sesame Chicken Egg Rolls, Sweet and Sour Chicken Egg Rolls or Chinese Chicken Wings.

Soup: Let the Chinese feast continue with soup! I love to warm up to Egg Drop Soup which is SUPER easy and always a sultry, satisfying favorite.

Veggies. You can stir fry any veggies your heart desires from broccoli, to bell peppers, to mushrooms, to carrots, etc. or you can serve with roasted veggies such as my favorite Honey Sriracha Roasted Brussels Sprouts - so good! You can also serve with Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Broccolini, Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Carrots, or Roasted Squash. When roasting veggies to serve with Asian dishes, I like to add a ginger, garlic, salt, pepper and Chinese 5 spice.

Shortcut Veggies. You can purchase pre-chopped veggies perfect for stir fries or use a frozen stir-fry blend or steam-in-the-bag microwavable frozen veggies.

Salad: Crunchy Asian Salad, Chinese Salad, or Asian Pineapple Salad.

More Easy Asian Dinner Recipes:

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @CarlsbadCravings and Use #CarlsbadCravngs

Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You!

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This Baked Chinese Pineapple Chicken recipe might just become your favorite chicken - ever. Every bite is a an explosion of tropical flavor paradise and you can customize it with any veggies, rice, noodles/zoodles, etc! There are so many ways to eat these delicious Pineapple Ginger Chicken!

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https://eatlittlebird.com/creamy-tarragon-chicken/

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Tarragon Chicken

When it comes to cooking traditional French food, most people think of a complex concoction of ingredients in a Le Creuset pot which has been simmering away on the stove for hours and hours à la Julia Childs.

But with the popularity of fast-cook meals, 30 minute meals and the like, many traditional French dishes have been adapted for the busy cook, and this Creamy Tarragon Chicken recipe is one such delicious example.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken

My children are half-French, so I try to cook the occasional French meal at home so that they have some connection to their French heritage. Although, one could probably argue that their daily dose of croissants at breakfast should be enough to ensure that they do not forget their French roots!

This Creamy Tarragon Chicken recipe combines the classic pairing of - you guessed it - tarragon with chicken, and no French kitchen is likely to be absent of cream and white wine, which are also essential to this dish.

Tarragon Sauce

The tarragon sauce contains dry white wine for deglazing the pan, as well as cream for richness.

Fresh tarragon is also essential to this dish for that distinct aniseed flavour, but dried tarragon also works in a pinch.

My recipe below includes a cornflour slurry to thicken the sauce slightly, but you can omit this if you prefer a thinner sauce.

How to Make Creamy Tarragon Chicken

Step 1

Start by browning the chicken breasts in a large skillet or saucepan. You want the chicken to get a good colour and caramelisation on each side, and this is best achieved by letting the chicken sear on each side for at least 2 to 3 minutes until they are nicely coloured.

Remove the chicken to a plate. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through at this stage.

Step 2

Sauté the shallots (or onions) and garlic for about 1 minute, or until they are fragrant and softened.

Step 3

Add the white wine to pan and let it bubble away for about 1 to 2 minutes until it has slightly reduced.

Next, add the chicken stock, cream and tarragon, and give everything a good stir, using your wooden spoon to scrape any caramelised bits from the pan. Simmer gently for a few minutes and then taste for seasoning.

If you wish, add enough cornflour slurry to the sauce to thicken it slightly.

Step 4

Then return the chicken breasts to the sauce, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Garnish with parsley or more chopped tarragon before serving.

What to Serve with Creamy Tarragon Chicken

The creamy tarragon sauce is delicious served with some vegetables on the side, such as:

boiled potatoes

mashed potatoes

Crispy Roast Potatoes

steamed asparagus

steamed broccoli

steamed green beans

You could also serve some buttery pasta noodles alongside, such as tagliatelle, fettucine, or parpadelle.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken

DRIED TARRAGON
If you can't find fresh tarragon, I recommend using 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CREAMY TARRAGON CHICKEN
* boiled potatoes
* mashed potatoes
* Crispy Roast Potatoes
* steamed asparagus
* steamed broccoli
* steamed green beans

MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE
To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the cream for a plant-based soya cream. Start with half the quantity of soya cream, and add more to taste.

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment below and share your photos by tagging @eatlittlebird on Instagram and using #eatlittlebird

#eatlittlebird

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When it comes to cooking traditional French food, most people think of a complex concoction of ingredients in a Le Creuset pot which has been simmering away on the stove for hours and hours à la Julia Childs.

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https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/mac-and-cheese-roasted-chicken-and-goat-cheese/

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This creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken and Rosemary is simple enough to make for a weeknight dinner but elegant enough for a special date night in.

INTRO

CREAMY GOAT CHEESE PASTA

Years and years ago, I used to frequent Michael Symon's former restaurant, Bar Symon, in my hometown.

It was there that I discovered this pasta recipe. From the first time I had it, I was hooked. The goat cheese sauce was creamy, tangy, and perfectly infused with fresh rosemary, while the chicken made it hearty enough for a main course.

It's one of those dishes that forces you to instinctively close your eyes and truly enjoy what is dancing around in your mouth. It was love at first bite and I knew I had to find a way to replicate it at home.

I expected to need a long list of ingredients to make such a gorgeous plate of food. I was pretty amazed that it actually consisted of such a short list of ingredients:

Rigatoni

Heavy cream

Fresh rosemary

Fresh garlic

Goat cheese

Shredded roast chicken

Salt and pepper

I know what you might be thinking. No, this isn't a low-calorie recipe. But sometimes you just have to go a bit decadent, especially for a celebration or a date night in.

HOW TO MAKE GOAT CHEESE PASTA SAUCE

The ingredients are not the only thing that's simple about this recipe - the prep work is also a breeze.

Sometimes I use leftover roast chicken, but you can make it even more simplistic by picking up a rotisserie chicken from your local market.

To make the goat cheese pasta sauce, pour the cream into a large saucepan and add the crushed garlic cloves and chopped rosemary. Bring the cream to a simmer and let it reduce by about half.

Simmering the cream with the garlic and rosemary in it infuses the cream with way more flavor than just adding them at the end!

Once the cream has reduced, stir in the goat cheese and chicken and let the sauce simmer until it coats the back of a spoon.

When the sauce is ready, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in cooked rigatoni pasta.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS PASTA

The chicken in this Goat Cheese Pasta really helps to make this a dish that can stand on its own as an entree. I like to serve mine alongside a green salad (usually with homemade blue cheese dressing).

If you want some bread, try making buttery Parker House Rolls or grab a loaf of crusty bread and make some Extra Virgin Olive Oil Herb Dip.

If I'm making this for a dinner party or a special date night, I like to wrap up the meal with dessert. Classic tiramisu would be just special and elegant, or you could go with something bright and tart like Lemon Cheesecake to balance some of the richness from the pasta.

If you love goat cheese, I know you'll adore this creamy, simple pasta recipe!

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Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken & Rosemary | My Baking Addiction

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This creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Chicken and Rosemary is simple enough to make for a weeknight dinner but elegant enough for a special date night in. INTRO Years and years ago, I used to frequent Michael Symon's former restaurant, Bar Symon, in my hometown. It was there that I discovered this pasta recipe.

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Preparation

Preheat a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Heat until the butter is melted then add the mushrooms. Cook 2-4 minutes, stirring only occasionally, so they become lightly golden brown.

Next add the shallot, garlic and spices. Sauté until the shallot is soft and fragrant, 2-4 minutes more.

When the mushrooms are tender and cooked through, deglaze the pan with the white wine and finish with chopped parsley and an additional dab of butter.

Serve hot as a side or on toast.

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Allspice Mushroom Medley : World Spice Merchants : Seattle's Premier Spice, Herb & Tea Shop

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Allspice Mushroom Medley - From our artisan shop adjacent to Seattle's Pike Place Market, World Spice Merchants has been providing superior quality herbs, spices and teas to discerning chefs for nearly 20 years. We go to the ends of the earth to get the freshest spices possible, then bring them home to create original blends inspired by regional traditions.

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https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/moroccan-spiced-baby-carrots

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Warm spices like cumin and cinnamon play deliciously off the sweetness of the carrots in Moroccan-Siced Baby Carrots side dish.

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https://www.cleverlysimple.com/dried-cilantro-in-my-salsa/

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Homemade salsa made with dried cilantro. This recipe is easy to make and absolutely delicious! #salsa

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Smokehouse Rub With Paprika, Brown Sugar, White Sugar, Onion Powder, Ground Rosemary, Garlic Powder, Coarse Ground Black Pepper, Ginger Powder, Cayenne Pepper

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https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/carrot-soup-with-orange-tarragon/

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A pretty orange color, a delicious hint of citrus and a garden-fresh flavor make this soup a requested dish at my many celebrations. Try sprinkling individual bowls with fresh tarragon before serving. —Phyllis Schmalz, Kansas City, Kansas

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New recipes cycle through the kitchen often around here (occupational hazard of writing a food blog), so when one stops us in our tracks, I know I've hit on something special. This Jamaican Curry Chicken is one of those unique recipes.

In fact, Ben, who has the happy (or unhappy depending upon the day) task of sampling not only the final versions of the recipes you see here, but also their various testing iterations (some of which are markedly most successful than others), called this recipe "one of the best things you've made."

It's more than a longing for a Caribbean vacation that will have this Jamaican curry chicken hitting the spot.

While curry might not sound like the typical dinner rut for some, whenever I'm not sure what to cook and need an easy meal ( soooo almost every night), curry is one of my defaults: Thai Chicken Curry, Slow Cooker Chicken Curry, and Coconut Curry are three frequent menu items.

This Jamaican curry chicken is different.

While it has some of the usual curry ingredients like coconut milk and spices, the heat has a subtle sweetness to it and the spices are more warm than other curries.

The sauce is thick and rich, so this curry is comforting on a chilly evening if that's when you are craving it, but the spices also work surprisingly well on even the hottest summer day. I suspect that's why curry is so popular in countries known for their warm climates, like India and the Caribbean.

Traditional Jamaican curry is made with scotch bonnet peppers and Jamaican curry powder, neither of which I have easy access to here in Milwaukee.

As with any culturally inspired recipe, from my Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala to this Slow Cooker Butter Chicken, I'll never ask you to go from store to store hunting for specialty ingredients. If I can't find them, I know there's a good chance you can't either, which is why I jerry-rigged this recipe to have the same flavor profile, without actually using these two.

How to Make Jamaican Curry Chicken

This is an adapted, easy-ingredient version of traditional Jamaican curry chicken. If you want authentic flavor, made over to be healthy and done with ingredients you can find at the average American supermarket, you've come to the right place.

Traditional Jamaican chicken curry is a bold, flavorful dish that's cooked slowly over low heat, allowing time for the spices to develop. It's believed that the dish (and its corresponding spices) came to Jamaica in the 17th century when workers from East India were brought to the British colony.

Here's how I substituted Jamaican curry powder and scotch bonnet peppers for my at-home version.

How to Substitute Jamaican Curry Powder

Like all curry powders, Jamaican curry powder is a blend of different spices. There's no one single recipe for it, though most blends contain cumin, coriander, mustard, anise, fenugreek, allspice, and turmeric.

Jamaican curry powder is different than curry powder you'll typically find in the average U.S. supermarkets because it contains more turmeric (which is why Jamaican dishes are often yellow) and more allspice in comparison to the other spices.

To substitute Jamaican curry powder, I started with regular curry powder (which contains most of the same spices), then added extra turmeric and allspice. This allowed me to use ingredients that were easy for me to find, AND I didn't have to toast and grind the spices myself.

It might not be a perfect, 100% authentic option, but it is a delicious one that gave me excellent results.

Substituting Scotch Bonnet Peppers

Scotch bonnet peppers are the other Jamaican ingredient I couldn't find easily. They are very spicy but also a little sweet and fruity.

To substitute scotch bonnet peppers, dice a red bell pepper VERY finely. This mimics the sweetness of scotch bonnets.

Add a spicy pepper you *can* find. Jalapeno is a good option.

Up the spice level. Scotch bonnets are spicier than jalapenos. A pinch of cayenne pepper and extra hot sauce are a good way to increase the heat.

Jamaican Chicken Curry From Scratch - Recipe Overview

Here's what you'll need to make Jamaican curry chicken with coconut milk. It's a fresh way to liven up your dinner routine.

Chicken. Lean, boneless, skinless chicken breasts become perfectly tender and moist as they slowly cook in the sauce. The protein-rich chicken helps make this curry hearty and satisfying. You can also use chicken thighs.

Red Bell Pepper + Jalapeno. My easy swaps that mimic the flavors of the traditional scotch bonnet peppers. Both red peppers and jalapenos are rich in Vitamin-A and Vitamin-C, making them healthy additions to this curry (see more health benefits of jalapenos here and red peppers here).

Garlic + Ginger. Essential flavor additions to curry dishes.

Spices. The flavor powerhouse! A mix of curry powder, turmeric, and allspice make this curry warm, cozy, and deeply satisfying.

Potatoes. I used Yukon gold potatoes because they have a deliciously buttery flavor, and their texture holds up nicely. Regular russet potatoes would work too. For an extra veggie, you could make this Jamaican curry chicken with potatoes and carrots, swapping out one of the potatoes for two medium carrots.

Coconut Milk. Making Jamaican curry chicken with coconut milk thickens the sauce and also helps tame the heat. I found light coconut milk resulted in a sauce that was still plenty thick and satisfying, but if you'd like to make it even richer, you can use full fat coconut milk.

Worcestershire Sauce. Adds a touch of savory, umami flavor to the curry.

White Wine Vinegar. Brightens up all the flavors and adds a touch of acidity.

Cayenne + Hot Sauce. To achieve that signature Jamaican curry heat, I used cayenne and hot sauce. Use a little or a lot of each to reach your desired level of spice.

Cilantro. For freshness and beautiful color.

The Ingredients
The Directions

1. Salt the chicken, then saute the onions.

2. Add the bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, and ginger.

3. Stir in the spices.

4. Saute until the chicken is golden.

5. Add the potatoes.

6. Pour in the remaining ingredients, stirring before bringing everything to a simmer. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes.

7. Serve with cilantro and rice. DIG IN!

Is Jamaican Curry Chicken Spicy?

Yes, this recipe is spicy, at least compared to most of the other curries on this website. I'd put it at a 3 or 4 out of 5, with "1" being mild and "5" having you mopping your brow.

If you are sensitive to spice, I suggest dialing back the cayenne and hot sauce to start.

If you adore spicy food, you'll go gaga for this. You might want to even add MORE hot sauce.

How to Store and Reheat Jamaican Curry Chicken

To Store. Leftover chicken curry can be stored in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To Reheat. Gently reheat leftovers in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You can also rewarm this dish in the microwave.

I don't recommend freezing this dish, as the potatoes may become mealy once thawed.

What to Serve with Jamaican Curry Chicken

Rice. This curry was made to be served over rice. White rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice (for a low-carb option) would all work well. Make this a Jamaican curry chicken with rice and beans by also adding red beans to the rice.

Salad. For a healthy, simple side dish, pair this curry with Arugula Salad.

Veggies. Add more vegetables to your meal by serving a side of Tahini Roasted Carrots.

More Delicious Curry Recipes

Recommended Tools to Make Jamaican Chicken Curry

Jamaican curry chicken saved us from our dinner rut-at least until it became the only thing either of us wants to eat! I hope it becomes a habit for you too.

If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out for you. I'd especially love to know how you feel about the spice level. Do we want more curry? Let's discuss!

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Jamaican Curry Chicken {Easy Ingredients} - WellPlated.com

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New recipes cycle through the kitchen often around here (occupational hazard of writing a food blog), so when one stops us in our tracks, I know I've hit on something special. This Jamaican Curry Chicken is one of those unique recipes.

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https://www.food.com/recipe/cinnamon-cookies-48241

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"These are one of the best cookies I have ever eaten. They make up easily, and they disappear fast. I make these every year when we put up our Christmas Tree. I serve them with hot Cocoa while we decorate our tree. I swear the cookies are anticipated as much as the tree!"

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"These are one of the best cookies I have ever eaten. They make up easily, and they disappear fast. I make these every year when we put up our Christmas Tree. I serve them with hot Cocoa while we decorate our tree. I swear the cookies are anticipated as much as the tree!"

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https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13838/sugar-coated-pecans/

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These sugar-coated pecans are coated in egg white and cinnamon sugar then roasted low and slow until crunchy for a wonderfully sweet candied snack.

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https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7048/zucchini-pineapple-bread-i/

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Luscious pineapple is strewn throughout these ambrosial zucchini loaves, perfectly spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon.

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Make the buss up shut:

1. Whisk together 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in center; add 1 1/4 cups warm water and 1 tablespoon ghee. Stir using a wooden spoon to bring dough together. Knead dough using your hands until a soft, sticky dough forms, about 1 minute. Using floured hands, divide dough evenly into 6 pieces (about 4 ounces each). Cover with a clean towel; let rest until dough is easy to use and stretch, 15 to 30 minutes. (Resting the dough helps relax the gluten and not only makes it easier to work with but also produces tender paratha.)

2. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with remaining 2 tablespoons ghee. Place 1 dough piece on a heavily floured work surface, and roll out to an 8- to 9-inch round. (They do not need to be perfect circles.) Using your fingers or a small offset palette knife, rub 1 tablespoon butter on surface of dough; lightly sprinkle with 2 teaspoons flour. Using a knife, cut a straight line starting from outer edge to center of circle to make a radius. Pick up dough at lower outer edge of where you made the cut, and roll dough clockwise, using your hands, into a tight cone shape. (The cone will be somewhat flat in shape.) Pinch the ends into the bottom (wider part) of the cone. Place the bottom (wider part) of the cone on the work surface, and push cone tip down into cone to create a volcano-like shape, folding the cone tip into the center until the dough is pushed down to an about 2-inch mound. Press down lightly to flatten the dough. Transfer to prepared greased baking sheet, and brush surface with ghee to prevent dough from drying out. Repeat process with remaining 5 pieces of dough, butter, and flour. Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap. Let dough rest in a cool (about 70°F) place for 2 hours.

3. Heat a griddle, nonstick skillet, or tawa over medium. Lightly flour a work surface. Uncover dough. Gently flatten each dough mound, and roll each out into a 10-inch round, starting from center of each mound and working outward, rotating the dough each time you roll it to help form a perfect circle. (The dough rounds should be thin at the edges.)

4. Working with 1 dough round at a time, gently transfer rolled dough to heated griddle. Cook until bubbles or air pockets appear on top of dough, about 4 minutes. Heavily brush top of dough, including edges, with ghee, oil, or melted butter. Flip and cook until golden, puffed, and flaky in parts, about 3 minutes. To create a torn texture, use 2 spatulas to crush paratha inward from outer edges while still on the griddle. Alternatively, wrap paratha in a clean cloth, and shake it. Sprinkle buss up shut with additional salt to taste, if desired. Place buss up shut in a bowl or on a platter. Cover with a clean towel to keep warm until ready to serve. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Make the curried pumpkin:

1. Cut a square of cheesecloth about 8 inches wide. Place curry leaves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, coriander, cardamom, and whole cloves in center of cheesecloth. Tie sachet closed with kitchen twine. Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Add onion, ginger, turmeric, and habaneros; cook, stirring often, until onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garam masala and spice sachet; cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, callaloo, and salt. Stir in stock and coconut milk. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until pumpkin and callaloo are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard spice sachet. Taste for seasoning, and add additional salt if desired.

2. While curried pumpkin simmers, make the pumpkin seed salsa: Place chopped garlic and oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low. Simmer, undisturbed, until garlic just starts to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Fold in pepitas, lemon zest and juice, grated garlic, and salt. Serve pumpkin seed salsa alongside curried pumpkin and buss up shut.

Buss up shut dough can be rolled into spirals up to 2 hours in advance.

Callaloo, popular in Caribbean cooking, is a leafy green with a strong, spinach-like flavor. Look for it at Caribbean grocery stores.

Suggested Pairing

Earthy, spicy natural red: Matassa Tattouine Rouge

Originally appeared: September 2022

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Curried Pumpkin and Buss Up Shut (Paratha Roti)

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Nina Compton's Curried Pumpkin and Buss Up Shut (Paratha Roti) recipe features tender, spiced pumpkin and callaloo with with a flaky, crinkled flatbread and pumpkin seed salsa.

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This warming beverage is easy to prepare by steeping spices in hot water and milk before adding black tea. It’s not as milky as the chai often sold at American coffee bars; to make it richer, add more milk and sugar to taste. What Is Chai and How to Make It

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Jonathan Melendez’s recipe for Hot Buttered Rum Biscotti combines browned butter, warm spices, and rum extract in a cookie perfect for dunking in coffee.

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Nadege Fleurimond Updated on January 25, 2023

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Soup Joumou is a Haitian beef and vegetable soup. It gets its rich flavor from an aromatic flavor base called epis, plus marinated beef, winter squash, and a myriad of other winter vegetables.

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Pumpkin-Spice Snickerdoodles from Kelly Fields have a secret ingredient: orange blossom water.

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Not sure what to make for dinner? This chicken biryani recipe is easy and delicious. Find more dinner inspiration at BBC Good Food.

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Aromatic flavours transform the ordinary parsnip into a delicious warming soup. From BBC Good Food.

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Beef dripping keema naan recipe | BBC Good Food

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These naan breads are made with minced beef and fragrant Indian spices including cumin, turmeric, chaat masala and chilli. Great for a weekend dinner

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This delicious orange turmeric cake recipe is so easy to make, colorful, and absolutely delicious, too. If you've found yourself with a bunch of turmeric and wondering what to do with it, why not make a cake? Believe it or not, combined with orange, it's a tasty combination!

I love making surprising desserts. Like my vegan apple cider cake or this yummy golden turmeric latte (beverage meets dessert!).

This turmeric cake is another excellent example. If you take this to a potluck, it's the one dessert that catches everyone's eye. They may be wary of the bright colors at first, but once they dive in? They're bound to want another!

Why This Recipe is a Winner

Based on my wacky cake recipe, this cake is made with simple ingredients and it's ready in no time

Ground turmeric adds color and subtle flavor

Vegan cream cheese is added to the frosting to balance out the flavors from the cake, making every bite irresistible!

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipe:

Flour - I recommend using all-purpose flour

Turmeric - I use ground turmeric to add flavor and color to this cake.

Orange zest - Use some of the zest from one fresh orange.

Vegan butter - Use store-bought dairy-free butter (such as Earth Balance) or make your own vegan butter.

Vegan cream cheese - I use Tofutti or Daiya.

How to Make Turmeric Cake

1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, like flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and turmeric. Stir to combine.

2. Stir together wet ingredients in a separate bowl, such as water, vinegar, orange zest, and vegetable oil.

3. Make the cake batter by pouring the wet mixture in with the flour mixture and stir it together until there are no more big lumps of flour.

4. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out clean.

5. Make the frosting and spread it across the top of the cooled cake before serving.

If you don't have any oranges or orange zest, simply use a teaspoon of orange extract. No orange extract? You can substitute vanilla, coconut, or even lemon extract.

Creamy Orange Frosting

For the Creamy Orange Turmeric Frosting:

1. Cream the vegan butter and vegan cream cheese in a bowl with a mixer to blend until light and fluffy.

2. Add the powdered sugar, orange zest, and turmeric.

3. Continue beating with the mixer until you reach a nice, fluffy consistency. (Vegan cream cheese has a thinner consistency, so we don't need to add soy milk to this frosting).

4. Slather a thick layer of frosting on the cooled cake.

5. Sprinkle the top with orange sugar crystals. I had some from a Halloween decoration, but if you don't, it's easy to make by stirring together some sugar with orange food coloring.

If your frosting is too soft, add a little more powdered sugar. You can add a teaspoon of plant-based milk if it's too thick.

Turmeric is healthy

So let's talk seriously about turmeric. I knew I was going to make an orange cake. The Food Network magazine just about made me do it with those glorious Orange Cream Cupcakes. Adding turmeric just seemed like the way to go.

Turmeric is one of my favorite ingredients because it's a superfood. That means for the calories; it offers lots of nutrients. Of course, so do many fruits, veggies, and spices.

I also love the orangey-yellow tint it adds to my recipes. For example, I even add it to my vegan creme brûlée to add just a bit of color.

Cover the cake and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days. It can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Vegan Frostings

Try some of these different vegan frosting recipes:

Delicious Vegan Cakes

If you love easy vegan cakes, you'll want to try these for sure:

For the Orange Turmeric Cake

For the Creamy Orange Turmeric Frosting

For the Turmeric Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C and spray a 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable spray.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and turmeric in a bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the water, vinegar, orange zest, and vegetable oil. Stir to combine. Pour the water mixture into the flour mixture and stir to combine. Make sure all big lumps of flour are mixed. This might take 40 seconds to a minute at most.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. When it's ready, remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool completely before frosting.

For the Creamy Orange Turmeric Frosting

Place the butter and vegan cream cheese in a bowl and use a mixer to blend until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, orange extract, orange zest, and turmeric. Continue beating with the mixer until a nice, fluffy consistency is reached. If it's a little too soft, add a little more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add a teaspoon of plant-based milk.

Once the cake has cooled and the icing is ready, slather a thick layer of frosting on the cake. Prepare the Orange Sugar Crystals by combing one-half cup of sugar with food coloring. Stir until well combined and sprinkle this over the top of the cake.

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

In the cake, you can substitute 1 teaspoon orange extract in place of fresh orange zest. If you don't have orange extract or oranges, you can use any of the following instead: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, coconut extract, or lemon extract.
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.

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Come on. You know you have a bunch of turmeric in the cupboard. Why not make a cake! A cake? YES! This orange turmeric cake is colorful and delicious! #vegancake #turmeric #vegandesserts

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Side Essentials: Dill-Flavored Golden Potatoes

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This is an easy side dish to construct, and they come out of the oven with a wonderful hint of vinegar and dill. The only potato that I have tried with this recipe are the...

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Adapted From Emma Spitzer

Photographer Claire Winfield

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the baharat, sumac, cumin, coriander, preserved lemon rinds, garlic, chicken stock, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Seal the bag and gently massage everything together. Open the bag and toss in the chicken thighs and onions, reseal, and massage again to fully coat the chicken. Toss the bag in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight to marinate, turning the bag once or twice.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Dump the chicken and the marinade in a large roasting pan and arrange the chicken, skin side up, on top of the onions. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and the juices run clear when pierced with a knife, 40 to 50 minutes.

Ladle the chicken, sauce, onions, and lemon onto mounds of rice or couscous.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

This baharat roast chicken is a deliciously simple family recipe that plates perfectly for company. Roast chicken is a childhood favorite of mine, even for birthday dinners. Although my own mother would have done her chicken simply with oregano and lemon, this is a great alternative and reminds me it's okay for you to cook only the pieces of the bird you love most. Moist thigh meat with the skin on is a great way to portion this. The spicing is interesting. I made up a batch of the baharat seasoning, freshly grinding everything except for using ground cinnamon, so I had a fresh batch for this recipe and to use again. I made it up on a previous day, then mixed with the additional freshly ground spices and homemade preserved lemons. For just two of us, I made a half recipe using 6 bone-in, skin-on thighs. I gave it overnight to marinate, and then turned it out on a half-sheet (18" x 13") as it looked a bit crowded on a quarter sheet and might have cooked too wet. The skin was turning a nice golden brown at 40 minutes and the internal temperature near the bones was above 170℉ (77°C) on all pieces, and the onions were just starting to slightly char at the edges of the pan.

Served over rice, the perfect serving per person was one piece of roast chicken, although it would not have been excessively greedy to go back for seconds. I think the combination of the gently warm spicing with the tang of the preserved lemons and earthy sweetness of the red onions, tamed by marinade and roasting, was very good.

I found that by cutting the onion in half and then placing it flat side down, I was able to safely get uniform 1/8-inch-thick half moon slices, which were easily distributed with the chicken both in the marinade and the roasting. Next time I might even take the time to remove the bone from the chicken and leave the skin on to make the final serving even more elegant.

55 mins

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This baharat roast chicken entree is easy to make and relies on a Middle Eastern spice blend to lend an exotic flourish to chicken.

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Creamy, savory, smoky eggplant dip with tahini, garlic and citrus, this authentic baba ganoush recipe is a must-try! Expert tips + video.

People of the Mediterranean sure love their dips! From Greek tztaziki to hummus, muhammara, and, of course, baba ganoush! I mean, what better way to kick-start your dinner than a creamy, dreamy dip and some homemade pita to go with it?!

I'm excited to share with you my family's baba ganoush recipe (smoky eggplant dip), complete with a few secrets that make all the difference!

What is Baba Ganoush?

Baba ganoush--also known as baba ganouj, muttabal, or salat hatzilim--is a smoky, rich, and creamy eggplant dip, traditionally made by mixing tender roasted (or charred) eggplant and nutty tahini with garlic, citrus, and spices.

The literal meaning of baba ganoush or baba ganouj is "spoiled dad," referring to the fact that when you eat it, you just can't help but feel a bit spoiled! There is a reason the French call it caviar d'aubergines, it is that delectable!

Luckily, this eggplant dip is easy to make at home, and I'm excited to share with you my family's recipe complete with tips for how to make baba ganoush perfectly every time!

Baba ganoush ingredients

Let's walk through the simple ingredients you need to make it:

Eggplant. I use 2 smaller eggplant. Italian eggplant or the smallest glove eggplant you can find work best, they will have less seeds and the flesh is tender and not bitter.

Tahini paste. Tahini paste is made of toasted sesame seeds. I use Soom tahini made of 100% roasted and pressed organic Ethiopian White Humera sesame seeds offering a creamy texture and a nutty flavor.

Garlic. 1 to 2 fresh garlic cloves, depending on how garlicy you enjoy your dips.

Lemon juice. Citrus gives this eggplant dip a nice lift. You can make it as subtle or lemony as you like.

Greek Yogurt (secret optional ingredient) If you're going for a vegan baba ganoush, omit the yogurt, but otherwise it is a great way to thicken the dip, making it even more creamy, while also enhancing the color turning it from a deep beige to something a little brighter and more appealing.

Seasonings. Salt and pepper, of course. If you like, add a bit of Sumac and cayenne pepper for heat.

Extra virgin olive oil. A drizzle of a rich and peppery extra virgin olive oil over this dip is the perfect way to finish it!

Garnish. If you like, add toasted pine nuts and some chopped fresh parsley to serve.

How to make baba ganoush

Baba ganoush is easier to make than you think, you'll start by cooking the eggplant (either by grilling over open flame or baking it in the oven), and then mixing it with the remaining ingredients to make a delicious dip! Here is how:

Grill or bake the eggplant. Grill the eggplant whole over an open flame over medium-high heat (I used my gas burner, but you can cook it on the grill), turning occasionally, with a pair of tongs, until the eggplant has fully charred on the outside and the flesh has collapsed and softened (about 15 to 20 minutes).
Alternatively, you can roast the eggplant in a high-heated oven. Int his case, cut the eggplant in have and place it flesh side down on a large lightly-oiled baking sheet and roast at 425 F for about 40 minutes or until the eggplant is very soft and cooked through.

Cool and Drain Well. Put the cooked eggplant in a colander and, using a knife, open it up a big so that it will cool quickly and drain its juices. Push down on the eggplant with the back of the spoon so that any excess water will drain well.

Peel off the skin. When cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin off the eggplant and the stem and discard (Note: if you baked the eggplant instead, you may simply need to scoop out the flesh with a spoon.

Gently mix the eggplant with the tahini and remaining ingredients. At this point, make sure your eggplant is fully cooled and is rid of excess water, then transfer it to a large bowl. Add in the tahini (a good ¼ cup for rich and nutty flavor), minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, and, the optional secret ingredient, about 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt. Season with a good pinch of kosher salt, and if you like, a little sumac and Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes, if you like heat. Using a wooden spoon, mix gently to combine.

Chill. If you have the time, cover the baba gnoush and chill it in the fridge for a few minutes or sit it aside while you work on something else

Serve. Spread the baba ganoush on a serving rimmed plate or bowl and drizzle with a good bit of extra virgin olive oil. Finish with toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley.

What to serve with it

Obviously, I'm a big fan of serving babaganoush the traditional way with pita bread to dip. But you can use baba ganoush in different ways:

As a spread. Just smear a bit of baba ganoush on sandwich bread. It will add so much more dimension and flavor to an ordinary sandwich!

As part of a larger mezze platter

As a side to grilled lamb chops or chicken kabobs

To create the perfect dinner bowl! Add baba ganoush next to your favorite protein and a side salad for the perfect dinner bowl (something like I did with chicken shawarma bowls here).

5 Important tips for the best baba gnoush:

1. If you're looking for the best smoky flavor, grill your eggplant (whole) over open flame until fully charred on all sides. Like I mentioned earlier, you can always roast the eggplant in the oven, if that is all that is available to you. But if you have access to a gas burner, that is the best way to get the smokiest eggplant dip! (Tip: cover up around the burner with some foil like I do in the video, it can get messy)

2. Don't skip the draining step, no one likes a watery baba ghanouj!

3. For best consistency and texture, do not use a food processor or a blender. Instead, stir gently using a wooden spoon. This eggplant dip is meant to be creamy and rustic with some texture, it is not meant to be extra smooth. If you do really want to use a food processor, only pulse a few times to combine so that it does not turn watery.

4. Chill or set aside for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the dip to thicken (chilling will help it).

5. For vegan Baba Ganoush, simply omit the Greek yogurt. I use a little bit, and I think it does help the consistency and texture, but can certainly do without.

More Recipe FAQs

Is baba ganoush healthy?

Although it tastes super rich, creamy, and delightful indulgent, you can see from the list of ingredients that it is a healthy option. The main ingredient here is eggplant, which is a great source of vitamin B, vitamin E, fiber, and antioxidants. Plus, we have things like garlic, citrus, and tahini, which is also rich in nutrients and contains some anti-inflammatory properties. Baba ganoush is Mediterranean diet friendly, vegetarian (vegan if you don't use the yogurt), and fairly low in carbs.

What is the difference between hummus and baba ganoush?

Both are popular delicious dips throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. But, they are two very different dips. While hummus is made of cooked chickpeas with tahini, garlic, and citrus, the star ingredient in baba ganoush is eggplant (grilled or roasted).
The preparation method is also different. Hummus is meant to be silky smooth, and it is prepared in a food processor (see how to make hummus). Baba ghanouj is a more rustic dip that is best prepared by gently mixing the cooked eggplants with the rest of the ingredients using a wooden spoon or a fork. A food processor is not recommended for making this eggplant dip because you do risk the texture as it can easily become runny.

How long will it keep?

Homemade baba ganoush can be stored in the fridge in a tight-lid container for about 4 days or so (some say up to a week, but mine never lasts that long).

More dips to try

Browse more Mediterranean recipes
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This article first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015 and has recently been updated with new information and media for readers' benefit.

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How to Make Authentic Baba Ganoush | The Mediterranean Dish

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Expert recipe and tips for how to make the BEST Baba Ganoush! Creamy, smoky eggplant dip with tahini, garlic and lemon juice.

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Easy Homemade Pistachio Cardamom Ice Cream (Kulfi)

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This homemade ice cream is super easy, no churn kulfi, full of pistachio and cardamom flavor! No ice cream maker needed! No churn! Why This Recipe Works This homemade ice cream recipe is SO easy!No ice cream maker or “churn” is required.The flavor of the cardamom is absolutely delicious with pistachios! What is Kulfi? Kulfi is a popular Indian-style ice cream that is richer and creamier than a typical American ice cream. Traditionally, it is made by slow cooking milk to create a think caramelized mixture, similar to a combination of evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Pista Kulfi (kesar

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Cardamom Buns are to Sweden, what cinnamon rolls are to us. (Meaning those in the USA) Traditionally eaten in Sweden during coffee break or fika (as they call it), I made these Swedish cardamom buns to accompany our Swedish brunch. But to be honest, I made these because I really wanted to know what cardamom tastes like!
I grew up in a home with a father who had an aversion to spices.

In fact, he has improved as he ages, but he is still leary of cilantro and cumin and if I ever mention a particular spice, my mother always says, "your father doesn't like that."

I'm not really sure what he doesn't like, but my dad prefers simple food.

Cardamom was not in my repertoire growing up and it only recently became something I kept in my spice cabinet.

To truly discover what cardamom tastes like I figured these traditional cardamom buns would be worth trying.

Good question. Quite aromatic, cardamom is a bit citrusy, with a hint of mint and pepper and unlike anything I can compare too. Because of the way it is used, one could substitute cinnamon for cardamom, though cinnamon and cardamom taste nothing alike. They do tend to compliment each other though, and are often used in the same dishes.

Brought from Turkey by the Vikings, cardamom is used throughout Scandinavia. Per capita use of cardamom is 60% more in Sweden, than in the US. It's said that f you want to taste Sweden, add cardamom to whatever you are eating. And I always thought it should be lingonberry jam!

What is cardamom used for?

Indian and Middle Eastern foods often use cardamom. Besides flavoring baked goods, cardamom is used in syrup or other drinks.

My favorite tea from Sadaf has cardamom in it. I can only find it in Middle Eastern groceries, but of course Amazon has it!

Cardamom can be used as a breath freshener, by chewing its seeds. For other Swedish cardamom recipes from The Cooking Channel click here.

Saveur has another great assortment of international recipes using cardamom, if you want something besides Swedish food.

Swedish recipes almost always use green cardamom,which comes in green or white pods.

The white pods are bleached green pods.

Apparently when green cardamom pods made their initial ocean crossing, the dryness, heat and salt air bleached the green pods, which turned them white. Now most think the green pods have more flavor because they are fresher. These are found in Scandinavia.

White and green pods are found in the US. I know, because I found them, but before researching I had already bought the white.

Black cardamom may be the same (my fact checking wasn't clear on this) as green cardamom, though harvested later.

It has a stronger flavor and also a smokier one, because they are dried over a fire pit. Black cardamom is often used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking.

Uncommonly found is red cardamom, which is often called Chinese cardamom.

This cardamom is strong, resembles walnuts and often used in Chinese long braised stews.

Cardamom is the third most expensive spice in the world after saffron and vanilla.

Cardamom comes in a small seed pod that when broken open, looks like small black peppercorns. The seeds are easily ground up and their odor resembles pepper, at least to me.

You need about 6 pods to make one teaspoon.

Cardamom is one spice I try to buy in bulk or at the spice store. This way I can grind it myself and since I don't need much, I don't need an entire bottle to get old in my spice cabinet.

Not having a spice grinder, I used a meat mallet to pound my cardamom pods between two paper plates. It worked!

Where is cardamom grown?

Cardamom is grown in cool humid weather at a high altitude, and is a member of the ginger family.

Since 1980 Guatemala has been the world's leading producer, which is strange, because I can't name one food from Central America that uses cardamom.

Maybe you can! Cardamom thrives in Guatemala's cloud forests. But how did it get there?

In 1914, a German coffee farmer tried growing it to see if he could undercut Indian growers. Well, it must have worked because now Guatemala produces over half the global supply.

So after all this, I hope you know a bit more about cardamom.

Rather than having my Swedish bun with coffee, I will have mine with cardamom tea.

At brunch Zoe, and her friends who are from Philly and New York, raved about how much they love cardamom.

Well, maybe I'm not in the right place because here in Denver a Swedish cardamom bun is hard to find.

I should probably say that with a question mark. because my guess is that if I ventured out of my little suburb, I'd have no trouble finding them downtown.

In any case, I now have a freezer of cardamom buns, because I forgot to send the extras back with Zoe.

Not that that's a bad thing because these buttery, rich and sugary buns are heavenly.

They are sprinkled with sugar, baked until golden and the aroma that emanates from the oven would send the neighbors running over...if the windows were open.

However right now it is about 17 degrees and the windows are closed.

Which means Swedish cardamom buns are residing in the freezer until Zoe returns, or Manservant finds them first!

Note: Saveur had a great post on cardamom in their global baking issue.

It is there I learned about the Guatemala connection and it is there I got this great recipe.

These buns are not hard to make, but please allow time because you are using yeast. To be honest I loved shaping these...that was a lot of fun. (I know; I'm easily entertained!) I love the rosette shape and couldn't believe I could figure it out!

I do also have a great BBQ sauce that has cardamom in it. Check it out!
Need some other winter baking projects?

Cardamom Buns and Cardamom

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Cardamom Buns and Cardamom - This Is How I Cook

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Cardamom Buns are to Sweden, what cinnamon rolls are to us. Traditionally eaten in Sweden during coffee break or fika, they are a great alternative.

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Ingredients

6 to 8 Servings

4

4

large yellow or orange bell peppers

4

large fresh Anaheim chiles

1

/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3

tablespoons drained capers

2

tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram plus leaves for garnish

2

1

tablespoon white wine vinegar

Preparation

Char bell peppers and chiles over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Place in large bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap and cool. Peel, seed, and stem peppers and chiles. Cut bell peppers into 1-inch-wide strips. Cut chiles into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Place pepper and chile strips in medium bowl. Add olive oil, capers, chopped marjoram, garlic, and vinegar to bowl and toss to incorporate evenly. Season pepper and chile mixture to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Sprinkle marjoram leaves over and serve.

Nutrition Per Serving

One serving contains the following: Calories (kcal) 98.2 %Calories from Fat 67.4 Fat (g) 7.4 Saturated Fat (g) 1.0 Cholesterol (mg) 0 Carbohydrates (g) 8.0 Dietary Fiber (g) 3.0 Total Sugars (g) 3.9 Net Carbs (g) 5.0 Protein (g) 1.6

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Roasted Mixed Peppers with Capers and Marjoram

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Roasted Mixed Peppers with Capers and Marjoram Recipe

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1. In a medium nonstick frying pan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic, carrots, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and the dried marjoram, if using. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

2. Uncover the pan. Raise the heat to moderate and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots are very tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes longer.

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt, the lemon juice, and the fresh marjoram, if using.

Originally appeared: October 2014

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Sautéed Carrots with Lemon and Marjoram Recipe

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Lemon juice and garlic balance sweet sautéed carrots flavored with fresh marjoram. A simple yet exceptional side dish, it goes equally well al...

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Recipe photo courtesy of Marcus Nilsson

This hearty country dish from the Provence region of France is an easy mix of seasonal vegetables, garlic, and olive oil.
Source: Everyday Food, October 2010

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Ingredients

Directions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tomatoes and juices on a rimmed baking sheet and use your hands to break tomatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and bake until thickened, 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a colander, toss eggplant with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Let sit 20 minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until onions and garlic are soft, 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, bay leaf, and marjoram to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook at a gentle simmer until vegetables are tender but not mushy, 15 minutes. Season to taste with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Cook's Notes

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Recipe photo courtesy of Marcus Nilsson This hearty country dish from the Provence region of France is an easy mix of seasonal vegetables, garlic, and olive oil. Source: Everyday Food, October 2010 The Food Newsletter Great tips & recipes delivered to your inbox. Sign Me Up Ingredients 1.

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Middle Eastern Tomato Salad is a traditional salad that’s found all over the middle east, and I make this salad every summer!

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Baked Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint, and Feta is an interesting combination and this is a super-easy but amazing summer squash recipe! Check out the other suggestions in the post if you're not a fan of mint. PIN the Baked Summer Squash to try it later!
We're just heading into that "what to do with zucchini" season, so it seems like a perfect time to make Baked Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint, and Feta. This is a recipe where the unique preparation method really spotlights the flavor of mint, and even if you think you're not a mint fan, you might want to consider trying it!

The idea of roasting zucchini and yellow summer squash with lemon and chopped fresh mint came from a recipe I found in Vegetable Love (affiliate link), and I was skeptical about the idea of roasting the mint, but it definitely worked! I've made this quite a few times, and I've started using even more mint the last few times I've made it.

And then one time I had the idea of tossing the finished dish with a generous amount of crumbled Feta cheese, which definitely kicked it up several notches. And if you're a regular reader, I'm sure you're not surprised that I loved the addition of Feta! But if you're not a lover of Feta Cheese, it will still be delicious without it. I hope you'll try this if you have an abundance of summer squash this time of year

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

yellow summer squash or zucchini

Olive Oil (affiliate link)

fresh lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice

finely chopped mint

salt

crumbled Feta cheese

fresh-ground black pepper to taste

What kind of squash can you use for Baked Summer Squash?

You can make this recipe with yellow summer squash, zucchini, or other summer squash varieties like patty pan squash. It's fun to have more than one variety of squash if that's an option for you.

How low in carbs is the baked summer squash recipe?

This combination of summer squash, lemon juice, olive oil, mint, and feta has about 9.3 carbs per serving.

What if you're not a fan of mint?

You can probably tell by the introduction to this recipe that I'm a big mint fan. But I know some people aren't fans of fresh mint and if you'd like to roast the summer squash like this without the mint, I'd love the addition of some fresh or dried thyme when you toss the squash with the lemon. Another fun option is this recipe for Roasted Summer Squash with Feta Cheese and Basil, and in that recipe the squash is roasted *with* the Feta Cheese, for lots of melty Feta flavor.

More about using fresh Mint:

Mint is a perennial herb that lots of gardeners love to hate, but I've been a mint fan for many years now and I even shared my ideas for Cooking with Fresh Mint. Two things I know about growing mint:

1. Be sure the mint is planted in a spot where it's completely contained by some kind of barrier or in a pot, or it will take over everything in its path!

2. Mint is very hardy, and if you have mint growing you're probably searching for ways to use it by mid summer!

How to make Baked Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint, and Feta:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Cut up the zucchini and/or summer squash into strips about two inches long.

2. Chop up about 1/2 cup fresh mint, more or less to taste.

3. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, chopped mint, and salt.

4. Put the squash in a bowl and toss with the mint mixture, then spread it out on a baking sheet, in a single layer as much as possible. (Mine is a bit too crowded! It's best to have some space between the squash even if you need to use two baking sheets.)

5. Roast the squash about 35 minutes (or until it has browned to your liking), turning every 15 minutes or so.

6. When the squash is done, toss it with the crumbled Feta.

7. Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper and serve hot or at room temperature.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

For a low-carb meatless summer dinner, I think this Baked Summer Squash would taste great with Green Tomato Gazpacho or Spicy Cabbage Salad. If you'd like to eat this with meat, chicken, or fish, choose one of my 35 Amazing Low-Carb and Keto Grilling Recipes.

More Summer Squash Recipes:

Ingredients

5 small zucchini or yellow summer squash (see notes)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice (see notes)

1/2 cup very finely chopped mint, or more (measure after chopping)

salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp.)

1 cup crumbled Feta cheese (more or less to taste)

fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475F/245C, and put oven rack as high as it will go. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

2. Wash squash and cut off stem and flower ends.

3. Cut each squash into quarters lengthwise, then cut into pieces about 2 inches long.

4. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, mint and salt ; then put that mixture into a plastic bowl and toss squash with the mixture.

5. Arrange squash on roasting pan, in a single layer as much as possible. (I would recommend using two baking sheets if it seems really crowded.)

6. Roast squash, turning every 15-20 minutes, until slightly browned and cooked to your liking. I turned my squash twice, with a total cooking time of 40 minutes, but I would start checking after 35 minutes.

7. When the squash is done, put it back into the same bowl and toss with the Feta cheese.

8. Season with fresh-ground black pepper to taste. This can be served hot or at room temperature.

Notes

You can use a combination of zucchini and yellow summer squash like I did, but feel free to substitute other varieties of summer squash for this recipe. I used squash that were about 8 inches long.

I use my fresh-frozen lemon juice for this recipe.
This recipe adapted from Vegetable Love (affiliate link).

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Baked Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint, and Feta is a perfect low-carb or Keto side dish that would also be great for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. You might want to use a bit less cheese for South Beach if you're following the letter of the law!

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Zucchini Recipes or Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn's Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I'm sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for baked summer squash was first posted in 2007, and I've been making it ever since! The recipe was last updated with more information in 2024.

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Baked Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint, and Feta

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Baked Summer Squash with Lemon, Mint, and Feta is an interesting combination and this is a super-easy but amazing summer squash recipe!

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This refreshing Cucumber Avocado Salad is a fantastic combination with Feta, lime. and mint adding so much great flavor! And this salad favorite with cucumbers and avocado is a low-carb vegetarian salad that's perfect for summer. PIN Cucumber Avocado Salad to try it later!
I think this Cucumber Avocado Salad would make a stellar side dish to serve all summer long. There's cucumbers, creamy avocado, Feta cheese, and plenty of flavor from mint and lime juice in this tasty salad! This is delicious and refreshing on a hot summer day.

I love cooking with fresh mint, and every year I love to buy a few mint plants, even though now I'm growing them on the patio. And this Cucumber Avocado Salad recipe was a perfect way to use some of that mint, and it was also desperately crying out for better photos, so I hope the new ones will entice some of you to try it!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

chopped cucumbers

pinch of salt, for drawing water out of cucumber

avocados

fresh-squeezed lime juice, I used my fresh-frozen lime juice

finely chopped fresh mint (see notes)

crumbled Feta

Olive Oil (affiliate link)

What cucumbers did I use for the Cucumber Avocado Salad?

You can see in the photos that I made the Cucumber Salad with Avocado with large garden cucumbers, which of course taste great with the ingredients in the salad. But if you don't have a garden I'd use little Persian cucumbers so you don't have to worry about the skin or the seeds.

Can you make Cucumber Avocado Salad without mint?

I absolutely love the mint in this salad, but if you have to buy mint at the grocery store or you're not a fan of mint, you can get away with a little less mint than the recipe calls for. I hope you won't skip it because the mint flavor really wakes up the flavors, but if mint is just not happening for you I think this would be good with parsley or sweet basil as well.

What Feta do I use for the Cucumber Avocado Salad?

I'm a huge fan of Feta cheese! But I don't buy the pre-crumbled Feta, which doesn't stay good in the fridge nearly as long. And I have a strong preference for sheep's milk Feta, which is a bit milder. My current preferred Feta is this Kirkland Organic Feta from Greece; check it out if you shop at Costco.

What if you're not a fan of Feta Cheese?

If you'd like to make the Cucumber Avocado Salad but don't enjoy the pungent flavor of Feta cheese. I think a creamy Mexican cheese like Queso Fresco or the more strongly flavored Cotija cheese would be great.

Is this salad low in carbs?

This Cucumber and Avocado Salad has about 7 net carbs in a serving, or you can make a version that's a bit lower in carbs by using less avocado.

Will Cucumber Avocado Salad keep in the fridge?

This salad is not as good after it's been in the fridge overnight because the mint overpowers all the other flavors. If you can't eat it all at once I'd set aside part of each ingredient to store separately and combine them right before you eat the leftovers. Save one avocado and chop it right before eating the leftovers.

Tips for making Cucumber Avocado Salad (with Feta):

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Cut off both ends of cucumbers, peel some or all of the skin, slice in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Then cut into half moon slices. (If you're using small mini cucumbers, just cut into slices.)

2. Put cucumbers into a colander and sprinkle with a little salt, and let the salt draw out some of the water from the cucumber.

3. Whisk together the fresh-squeezed lime juice and olive oil to make the dressing.

4. Wash mint in cold water, spin dry in a salad spinner (affiliate link), and finely chop.

5. Crumble the Feta Cheese.

6. Cut up avocado and toss with the lime juice.

7. If your cucumbers seem wet, you might want to lay a paper towel on the cutting board and spread the cucumbers out on the towel. Cover with another towel and blot dry (this will also remove excess salt.)

8. Toss the drained and dried cucumbers with the avocado and the dressing. Then add the chopped mint and the Feta and gently toss to combine.

9. Serve right away.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

This amazing Cucumber Avocado Salad would be great to serve with Rosemary Mustard Grilled Chicken, Chicken Cutlets with Mustard Sauce, Grilled Salmon Burgers with Caper Mayonnaise, or Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken.

More Delicious Salads with Avocado:

Ingredients

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped cucumbers (see notes)

generous pinch of salt, for drawing water out of cucumber

2 small ripe avocados, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 T fresh lime juice (to toss with avocado, see notes)

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint (see notes)

1/2 cup crumbled Feta (more or less to taste)

Dressing Ingredients:

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 T fresh lime juice

Instructions

1. If you aren't using small Persian cucumbers I would peel the cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise, and scrape out seeds with a sharp spoon. (Persian cucumbers don't need to be peeled and you can keep the seeds in.)

2. Cut cucumber into 1/2 inch slices and put in colander.

3. Sprinkle with generous pinch of salt and let sit for 20-30 minutes.

4. While cucumber is draining, whisk together olive oil and lime juice to make dressing.

5. Wash mint in a salad spinner (affiliate link) with very cold water, especially if it's even the tiniest bit wilted, and spin dry. Finely chop the mint with a chef's knife.

6. Crumble the Feta and measure out desired amount.

7. Peel the avocado and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Put avocado into large salad bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of lime juice.

8. After cucumbers have released water for 20-30 minutes, check to see how wet they are. If they're very wet you might want to lay a paper towel on the counter, spread cucumbers out on the towel, and use more paper towels to blot the cucumbers to remove the water and salt.

9. Add drained cucumbers and dressing to avocado and stir to combine.

10. Then gently stir the crumbled feta and mint into the salad.

11. Serve immediately.

Notes

You will need 6 Persian cucumbers or 3-4 medium cucumbers. I used my fresh-frozen lime juice for this recipe. Measure the mint after chopping. If you're not a fan of mint, I'd use thinly sliced green onion to replace it.

If you'd like a version of this with fewer carbs, use just one avocado.
Recipe created by Kalyn.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Cucumber Avocado Salad would be a perfect side dish for low-carb eating plan, including Keto. The salad would also work for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, although South Beach might prefer a bit less cheese.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn's Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I'm sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This salad recipe with cucumbers, avocado, Feta, mint, and lemon was first posted in 2007 when I had masses of mint in my garden! It was updated with better photos in 2017 and updated again with more information in 2024.

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This refreshing Cucumber Avocado Salad is a fantastic combination with Feta, lime. and mint adding so much great flavor!

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Ingredients

1 lb. delicata or acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, sliced crosswise 1/2" thick

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

Preparation

Step 1

Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Toss squash, garlic, sage, thyme, oil, and salt in a shallow 2-qt. baking dish to combine.

Step 2

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Hands down one of the most popular creations here - My Simple Basil Vinaigrette Recipe. Not even exaggerating, it's the best vinaigrette in the world and it's going to make your recipes THAT much better!

I'm all about taking a shortcut in the kitchen every now and then - and that is exactly what this Basil Vinaigrette allows me to do! It's my go-to basil salad dressing (and has been since I first posted it in 2014) for all of my favorite summer meals and you'll be seeing it make an appearance in a few recipes over the next several weeks as I try to stretch out this California summer until November 🙂 I whip up a batch of Basil Vinaigrette every few days and keep it on hand for anytime I'm in a pinch and need to eat something STAT. (because, like I've said before, no one wants to see me when I'm Hangry) It's not a pretty picture. Watch the Basil Vinaigrette video below to see how easy it is and then make it STAT!

AND - you guys asked for it on Insta live recently. Here are a billion ideas on how to use the basil vinaigrette recipe:

Simple Basil Vinaigrette

Photo by Matt Armendariz // Food Styling by Adam Pearson // Recipe by What's Gaby Cooking

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I'm all about taking a shortcut in the kitchen every now and then - and that is exactly what this Basil Vinaigrette allows me to do!

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Gnocchi with burnt butter, lemon and basil

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Go meat-free with this flavoursome burnt butter, lemon and basil-infused gnocchi.

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Lemon Basil Chicken is so quick and easy! It’s perfect to toss in pasta, salad, wraps, pitas, etc. You will LOVE having this on hand! This Lemon Basil Chicken Recipe is crazy juicy from an easy marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes!

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Toasted cheese, basil and tomato sandwich

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Look forward to lunch time with these bold Italian flavours! This tasty sandwich oozes brie, fresh tomato and classic pesto!

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A refreshing summer blend of fresh basil, lime and vodka, paired perfectly with the delicate effervescence of sparkling Schweppes soda water.

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This Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and Zucchini is OMG-level good! Tender chicken thighs, sautéed and then simmered in a creamy coconut and lemongrass sauce, sits next to a steamy pile of jasmine rice, fresh herbs, and your choice of veg.

Hello and happy flavor day to you! Because this right here is a flavor all-star.

This recipe involves tender chicken (thighs, please!) sautéed and then simmered in an OMG creamy-coconut-lemongrass-flavor-packed sauce, with steamy jasmine rice, and fresh herbs, and some veggies on the side if you want.

And all I have to say is big, big love for this.

Why Everyone Needs This Lemongrass Chicken ASAP

As with most superdelicious foods, this lemongrass chicken is giving us the best of both worlds:

1. Fresh, energized, life-giving flavor from the lemongrass and lime and cilantro;

2. Creamy and totally comforting lusciousness from the coconut cream, chicken, and rice.

So it eats like a comfort food, but it tastes like lightness and zippy zing and flavor excitement, and it is all-around one of my favorite things to cook and eat right now.

How To Make This Lemongrass Chicken

The method of making this is fairly straightforward: sauté the chicken, build the sauce, add the chicken back in. That's pretty much the bones of it.

For vegetable activity - zucchini is all up in my CSA right now, so I like to serve this with pan-fried zucchini half-moons with their little tender-crispness and golden browned spots. But I can confirm that any vegetable, including a very delicate and simple green side salad, is just as lovely.

Use What You Have On Hand

For substitutions, chicken breasts will work, although I prefer thighs. For a vegetarian option, pan-fried tofu would be fabulous. I am also having visions of shrimp and feeling really excited about it. Right? With a little fish sauce or something? That would be awesome.

And coconut milk could work in a pinch, but COCONUT CREAM is the gold standard for achieving a sauce that ladles on like a gravy, which I just cannot seem to quit. It is cash money deliciousness.

Sending lots of love to summer and fresh flavors that support a good food mood. Lemongrass, you star, you.

Lemongrass Chicken: FAQs

So chicken breasts can work here, right?

Chicken breasts could work, but you'll lose a bit of the juiciness and tenderness, so chicken thighs are the way to go if those are available to you. For a vegetarian option, pan-fried tofu would be perfect!

I can only find coconut milk. Will that work?

Coconut milk will work a pinch, but you might lose some of the creaminess. Make sure to use full-fat coconut milk instead of light coconut milk.

I'm trying to cut out refined sugar. Do I need the brown sugar in the sauce?

The brown sugar really helps balance out some of the flavors of the coconut cream and the lime juice, so it's best to keep it in. For a refined sugar-free option, you could try coconut sugar instead.

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
Source notes: My version of this recipe was modeled after a pre-made product (I am very fancy) called Kevin's Lemongrass Chicken. I have also tried a lemongrass chicken from a local Vietnamese restaurant that was similar (and also delicious!), but the version I tried was more of an oil-based sauce vs. cream-based sauce, so in making this I was attempting to replicate the former!

Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and Zucchini

Author: Lindsay

Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

More Chicken Recipes That Are Just So, So Good

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Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and Zucchini

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This Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and Zucchini is OMG-level good! Tender chicken thighs, sautéed and then simmered in a creamy coconut and lemongrass sauce, sits next to a steamy pile of jasmine rice, fresh herbs, and your choice of veg.

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Lemongrass and Peanut Butter Curry - Lucy & Lentils

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Let’s Make Lemongrass and Peanut Butter Curry Similar to my 15 minute peanut butter curry recipe, this is a more ‘mature’ version with lemongrass and a few extra ingredients. Vegan friendly and ready in just 25 minutes this chickpea and pepper packed curry uses store cupboard essentials. It’s easy to change the ingredients to fit

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Juicy, fragrant Lemongrass Chicken infused with a dynamic marinade is stand-alone-delicious but also makes killer salads, wraps and zoodle/quinoa/rice bowls!

V ietnamese Lemongrass Chicken is not only marinated with lemongrass but red curry paste, Asian sweet chili sauce, garlic, ginger, basil, soy sauce and fish sauce for a tantalizing complex, can't-stop-eating chicken! Once the marinating is complete, this chicken can be on your table in less than 15 minutes!

I am so in love with Asian cuisine from my Pad Thai to my Tandoori Chicken to my Panang Curry. I actually have to pace my recipes so you don't only get Asian recipes in your inbox! Case in point, I've already made two more recipes with this Lemongrass Chicken to share with you because I am obsesssssssssed.

This Lemongrass Chicken is everything. I mean, just look at the marinade ingredients. I honestly don't know if it gets any better and it's so easy! Just marinate chicken, cook/grill and eat! Which makes this Lemongrass Chicken perfect for back-to-school hectic weeknight dinners when you don't feel like cooking but tastes restaurant delicious. Gotta love the magic of marinades.

What Does Lemongrass Chicken Taste Like?

If you've never cooked with lemongrass before, don't be intimidated! It is easy to use and adds a complex slightly sweet, pungent, and lemony taste. This Lemongrass Chicken is tangy, the perfect combo of sweet and sour with hints of lemon and herbs. You can make it as spicy as you like with 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce being very mild and going up from there.

What is Lemongrass?

Lemongrass lives up to its name - it is perennial grass that grows in tropical climates with a pungent, lemony taste. It is widely used in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine and as a medicinal herb in India.

Lemongrass grows in clusters and can reach anywhere between six to ten feet in height but is chopped and sold in about 18" stalks. A stalk of lemongrass consists of a few layers of tough outer husks and a softer white core.

The tender white core is traditionally chopped or ground for marinades (like in our Lemongrass Chicken), curries or stir fries. The stalk of lemongrass can also be bruised to release its flavor and added to stews and soups like in my Tom Kha Gai Soup. Lemongrass can also be dried and powdered.

Where Can I Buy Lemongrass?

As the name Lemongrass Chicken implies - you need lemongrass for this recipe! Lemongrass can be found at Asian markets and often in the produce section of your grocery store. If your grocery store doesn't have it, then specialty stores such as Sprouts and Whole Foods will carry it. If you don't spot it right away, make sure you ask someone because it is fairly common and probably hiding somewhere.

How to Choose Lemongrass

Lemongrass Chicken is only as good as your lemongrass! When selecting lemongrass at the store, look for stalks that are firm but slightly pliable rather than soft and rubbery or dried out and brittle. Look for stalks that transition from pale yellow at the base to bright green in the husks and avoid stalks with leaves that are starting to brown.

How do you make lemongrass chicken?

Lemongrass Chicken is very, very simple to make. We are really just whisking together a bunch of marinade ingredients. The only question you might have is how to prep your lemongrass which I've detailed below:

Trim Lemongrass. Trim the end off of the lemongrass and remove the tough outer husks - about 2-3 layers until you reach layers where the bottom is white and tender.

Chop lemongrass. Chop the white bottom section of lemongrass up until it gets tough - about the bottom third/5" of the lemongrass stalk.

Chop some more. After chopping the lemongrass off the stalk- chop some more so it's chopped and not left in round sections. You don't need to worry about finely dicing though because we want the pieces large enough to pick out once cooked if needed. I didn't have to do this as all my lemongrass came off as I cooked my chicken.

Whisk marinade together. Add all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl or Ziploc bag (whatever you are going to marinate your chicken in).

Pound Chicken. Pounding chicken to an even thickens not only helps tenderize the chicken but ensures the chicken cooks evenly. Even cooking eliminates dryness caused from overcooking the chicken in order to make sure the thickest part is cooked at the peril of the thinnest.

Add chicken to marinade. Add chicken and massage marinade into chicken so it's evenly coated.

Marinate. Marinate Lemongrass Chicken 30 minutes at room temperature up to 24 in the refrigerator - the longer the better!

Let chicken rest. Let your chicken sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before cooking so it will cook more evenly.

Cook. You can grill or cook this Lemongrass Chicken on the stovetop per recipe instructions, both work fabulously well.

Lemongrass Chicken Breasts

I know many of you are going to ask if you can use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs for this Lemongrass Chicken - and the answer is yes! I chose chicken thighs because they are more commonly used in authentic Lemongrass Chicken, are inherently juicier and reheat better but chicken breasts will still work.

If you choose to use chicken breasts then I would pound the to an even thickness before marinating. If your chicken breasts are extra large, then slice them through the equator to create fillets.

How to Serve Lemongrass Chicken

Lemongrass Chicken is divine just with a hot side of rice, zoodles or cauliflower rice and some stir fried or fresh veggies. It would also be delicious in a wrap, or on top of a salad.

You can also make a Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry by slicing your chicken before you marinate it. If you do this, then I wouldn't marinate the chicken longer than 8 hours.

But my favorite way to serve Lemongrass Chicken is in my Lemongrass Chicken Rice Bowls and Vietnamese Noodle Bowls - coming soon!

Looking for more Asian favorites?

LOOKING FOR MORE ASIAN RECIPES?

WANT TO TRY THIS LEMONGRASS CHICKEN RECIPE?

Pin it to your CHICKEN, DINNER or ASIAN to SAVE for later!

Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes! I am always pinning :)!

©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com

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Tag @CarlsbadCravings and Use #CarlsbadCravngs

Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You!

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Juicy, fragrant Lemongrass Chicken infused with a dynamic marinade is stand-alone-delicious but also makes killer salads, wraps and zoodle/quinoa/rice bowls!

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Vegan lemongrass noodles - quick and easy recipe

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This quick and easy super aromatic vegan lemongrass noodles recipe can be enjoyed warm or cold, and as a main or side dish.

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Eating fresh vegetables during winter is not as difficult as you might think; you just have to shift gears a little. Don't expect to find a good tomato or ear of corn; instead, focus on what's in season. There are plenty of local, leafy greens to choose from during the coldest and darkest months-and they are tasty! Greens cooked with popped mustard seeds take on a slightly smoky aroma and a slight nutty flavor.

The burst of lemon juice at the end brings a bright zing to the greens, as well as adding vitamin C to help your body absorb the calcium in greens. Any cooking green - chard, kale, collards, mustard, and turnip greens (or a combination) will work in this recipe.

Ingredients

2 bunches greens (about 1 ½ pounds total), cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces from Wild Rose Farm

1 Tablespoon yellow or brown mustard seeds (find them in Bulk spices)

2 cloves garlic, peeled & thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

½ cup water

1 wedge (about ¼ ) lemon for juice & garnish

Directions

1. Tear or chop thoroughly cleaned greens (we used kale) into bite size pieces.

2. Heat oil in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add mustard seeds, cover, and cook until seeds pop (you'll hear them), about 30 seconds.

3. Remove cover and reduce heat to medium-high. Add garlic and red chili flakes, if using. Cook, stirring consistently, until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds.

4. Add greens, water, and salt. Stir several times to coat greens with oil and seasonings.

5. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, about 5 minutes. Serve warm with lemon wedge & lemon juice. See final product above.

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Greens with Mustard Seeds · North Coast Co-op

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Eating fresh vegetables during winter is not as difficult as you might think; you just have to shift gears a little. Don't expect to find a good tomato or ear of corn; instead, focus on what's in season. There are plenty of local, leafy greens to choose from during the coldest and darkest months-and they are tasty!

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Beetroot and coconut stir fry(Kerala style) Recipe by Anjana Balakrishnan

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Great recipe for Beetroot and coconut stir fry(Kerala style). #GoldenApron23 This is a side dish for rice.an easy and healthy dish .

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California Farm Pickled Eggplant Recipe by Hobby Horseman

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Great recipe for California Farm Pickled Eggplant. This is my version of cookpad member Ulrikes’ pickled sour fish rolls made from japanese eggplant instead of fish filets. She calls them rollmops, I love the word. I am using Taiwanese lavender eggplants from the city of Ping Tung, they grow well…

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Brown sugar bourbon pickled mustard seeds, I know you agree, just the name sounds exciting and awesome.
The recipe evokes so many sensory triggers, letting you know there is something different and exciting about this condiment. The pickled mustard seeds, are tiny and crunchy, yet still chewy with bursts of vinegary-sweet bourbon flavor, adding layers of happiness to so many different dishes.

Yellow Mustard Seeds and Bourbon:

Whoever came up with the idea to add bourbon to mustard seeds was a genius - period!
Maybe it was an innovative-driven chef in Kentucky who wanted more complexity in pickled mustard seeds, or was it just a desperate attempt to consume more Bourbon? Either way, they are amazing, the brown sugar adds a deep sweetness, and molasses flavor, and the bourbon gives it that Southern twist.

Pickled mustard seeds are a staple in my refrigerator. They are one of my favorite condiments and can be used with so many different recipes and preparations. Stored in the refrigerator, the flavor enhances over time and they will keep in the fridge for months. They are very simple to prepare, inexpensive, and deliver huge flavor.

Enjoy yourself while cooking:

More than anything, remember, recipes are guidelines. I've been cooking professionally all of my adult life and the one thing I learned is that sometimes you need to have that "lost in the refrigerator attitude" and explore flavors. If you want to add more Bourbon to the pickled mustard seeds do so, if you like them a little sweeter add more brown sugar. Don't be shy to explore the different layers of flavors when manipulating ingredients.

I have cooked all the recipes on my blog several times, and sharing them with you is something very personal.
I hope that you find the time to cook and enjoy some of the recipes. Cooking is work, no question about it, but the pickled mustard seed recipe is pretty simple and creates a large batch of goodness in less than an hour.

Why blanch Mustard Seeds:

Yellow mustard seeds are a versatile spice that you can use to make your food tangy and flavorful.
Yellow seeds are considered the mildest of all mustard seeds. They are used in American ballpark mustard, which is better known for its vinegary tang. However, mustard seeds have an inherent bitterness to them. In my opinion, blanching seems to work best to remove the bitterness.

I've tried them without blanching, trust me it's a waste of time and good mustard seeds. I usually blanch my mustard seeds twice, bring them to a boil in water, drain them, discard the water, and rinse the seeds. Taste and repeat the blanching if they are still too bitter for you.

How and when to use Yellow Mustard Seeds:

Mustard seeds have been around forever and their applications are endless with their flavorful sweetness, spiciness, and crunch. I use them on eggs, salads, avocado toast, charcuterie platters, or slathered over grilled vegetables adding amazing flavor. A slice of freshly baked sourdough bread, panfried in a skillet to a golden crisp with some good olive oil, topped with hard-fried eggs, a simple hot sauce, and topped with mustard seeds is pure Sunday morning joy! Another favorite of mine is serving them over pistachio lamb meatballs and lemon kale chickpeas.

Pistachio Lamb Meatballs |Lemon Kale Chickpeas | Yogurt,
Brown Sugar Bourbon Pickled Mustard Seeds
Simple Hot Sauce | Mango Tango Cilantro Celery Salad

Brown Sugar, Bourbon Pickled Mustard Seeds

The TasteUndeniably satisfying.
Amazing balance, crunch, contrast, and layers of flavors.

The Process
Easy to make and very rewarding.

The Verdict
Layers of flavors and a favorite of mine.
Very versatile condiment.

Chef's Tips
Make the pickled mustard seeds a few days ahead.
Making ahead allows the flavors to develop.

Brown Sugar Bourbon Pickled Mustard Seeds

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate

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Brown Sugar, Bourbon Pickled Mustard Seeds - Norbert's Kitchen

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Brown Sugar, Bourbon Pickled Mustard Seeds are undeniable satisfying; I call them stunning little tiny bursts of happiness, flavor & crunch.

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A healing, soothing, restorative vegetable broth flavored with bay leaf and peppercorn. A vegan, nutrient-dense sipping broth or for using in recipes.

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With Thanksgiving behind us and December looming near I think it is only appropriate to slow down, take a moment to restore and feed our bodies some nutrient-dense foods. One of my favorite ways to do that is through soup, and broth.

All you need are simple ingredients., A lot of love. And just a little bit of time and you will create something magical. A bowl so rich it will nourish you mind, body and soul. And this restorative vegetable broth is exactly that.

The base of this broth is olive oil, salt, onion, celery and carrot. Then you add water, bay leaves and peppercorns. Simmer, strain and you are done. If can be used as a simple broth, or as a broth in any of your favorite recipes. I make large batches and freeze them so I always have some on hand.

Contrary to popular belief - bay leaves actually do provide flavor to broths and dishes. And they also provide wonderful health benefits like regulating blood sugar, supporting your immune system and aiding in digestion. All things we need lots of help with this time of year.

But something to remember is that it matters how you source and store your bay leaves. If you can find them - fresh bay leaves are wonderful. But high quality, dehydrated and properly stored dried bay leaves - like the ones from my friends at Mountain Rose Herbs are arguably even better. Some say, and I agree, that their aroma and benefits are even more potent than their fresh counterparts.

Bay leaves to avoid? Poor quality bay leaves. And any bay leaf you've had bottled up in your pantry for over a year. They won't hurt you, but they will be rather tasteless. These old, dried up bay leaves might be the reason they get such a bad rap.

This restorative vegetable broth with bay leaf and peppercorn is in partnership with Mountain Rose Herbs. I am proud to partner with Mountain Rose Herbs because their passion for what they do is woven into every fiber and thread of their operations. They put customers and the environment over profit. And that is powerful and refreshing.

They also offer one of the most thorough selections of certified organic herbs, spices, and botanical products available today. Some of my favorite Mountain Rose Herbs products, besides the olive oil, bay leaf and peppercorn I used to make this vegetable broth, is their Hemp Seed Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Herbal Coffee (more on this soon!) and their wide variety of salts - especially the Cyprus Flake Salt.

Restorative Vegetable Broth with Bay Leaf and Peppercorn

More restorative broths and soups you will love.

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This post is sponsored by Mountain Rose Herbs; all opinions are my own.

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Restorative Vegetable Broth with Bay Leaf and Peppercorn

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A healing, soothing, restorative vegetable broth flavored with bay leaf and peppercorn. A vegan, nutrient-dense sipping broth or for using in recipes.

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8 Bay Leaf Chicken. Delicious, Tender, Bold & Exotic Flavor Made with Basic On Hand Ingredients, Herbs & Spices. Quick & Easy to Make. This Bay Chicken is really one of my favorite chicken

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An incredibly moist and fragrant bay leaf pound cake from David Lebovitz’s new cookbook. A perfect road trip cake.

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Great recipe for Bay Leaf Tea. #GoldenApron23 As a Greek-American, I grew up with bay leaves used as an herb in roasts, soups, & stews, but wondered what else they could be used for in recipes. After researching recipes online, I learned that bay leaves can be boiled along with herbs and...

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This star anise and ginger braised chicken is a wonderfully aromatic, easy, and healthy way to prepare chicken, and can be done on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. #chicken #chickenrecipes #slowcooker #healthyrecipes

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Star Anise Porridge (Havregrøt med Stjerneanis) - North Wild Kitchen

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Star anise porridge is made with steel-cut oats, warm spices, fragrant vanilla, and flaxseeds. It’s heartwarming, you’ll feel good eating it.

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Roasted tomato & chickpea curry with coconut & star anise - Charlotte Puckette

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Two simple main ingredients go into this light and fragrant vegetarian curry.