Dukkah Spice Blend and October Unprocessed

Today I’m thrilled to be contributing to October Unprocessed! Andrew Wilder created this marvelous challenge on his blog, Eating Rules, and this is my third year to take the pledge and eat only unprocessed food for a month. Each year, I learn something new from the creative, inspiring posts that are shared daily for the month of October, and am motivated to further “un-process” my food while still keeping it delicious.

I’m sharing a recipe today for one of my favorite spice blends, dukkah. You can read the full post and get the recipe here. And please consider joining me in taking the pledge!

Sesame Salad

My older son is graduating from high school this week and I am on a roller coaster of emotions. I'm savoring every moment Sam’s home before he leaves for college. I want to hold on and at the same time let go so he can flourish and grow in new, exciting ways. I find myself swallowing a lump in my throat quite often these days! Time is moving quickly ... how did I get to this point in parenting so quickly? I have truly loved every stage and look forward to this next chapter.

In the meantime (and putting me further out of sorts!), I haven’t been cooking much in June yet due to the whirlwind of end-of-school events, meetings and graduation activities. Happily, though, Isaac and I stopped at the farmer’s market over the weekend and it was bursting with flowers and berries and garlic scapes and so much more.

Isaac lugged home jugs of ginger beer for me while my bag overflowed with gorgeous lettuce, stunning flowers and the biggest radishes I’ve ever seen.

A lovely salad that we all enjoy is one our friend Debbie makes. I had this salad in mind when I picked up a head of red leaf lettuce at the market. A vinaigrette made with soy sauce, red wine vinegar, Dijon, garlic and olive oil is tossed with toasted sesame seeds and leafy greens. This pantry salad comes together quickly. The umami-rich dressing coats the lettuce leaves lightly, allowing the sesame seeds to cling and add warm, toasty flavor.

Simple and flavorful, I’ll be tossing up this salad as we enjoy the graduation festivities and sharing time together, gathered around the table celebrating.

Sesame Vinaigrette and Salad
Makes 3/4 cup vinaigrette
Recipe from Debbie Lawson

1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari sauce
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar (I use coconut sugar)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
A head of red leaf lettuce

In a small skillet, heat the sesame seeds over low heat to toast them. Stir and watch carefully so they don’t burn. When most have begun to brown remove from the heat and set aside to cool. I often make more to keep on hand in a jar.

In a jar, combine the rest of the ingredients, cover and shake until well mixed. The vinaigrette can be made ahead and kept in the fridge. Give it a good shake before using.

Tear the lettuce up into a serving bowl. Gently toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Sprinkle in the seeds and mix so the seeds cling to the lettuce leaves. Any leftover vinaigrette can be stored in the fridge for a week.

Sweet Potato Latkes with Ginger and Sesame

Oil has been sizzling in the kitchen for the past few days, a sure sign that Hanukkah is here! It’s the time of year to light the hanukkiah and indulge in jelly-filled doughnuts and other fried treats. Latkes are, of course, on the menu many times during these eight days, providing ample opportunity to play with new ideas and recipes. Traditional latkes are made with grated potatoes and onions, and can be served with sour cream and/or applesauce. Over the years I’ve had latkes made with carrots, cabbage, zucchini, apples and even rutabagas. Basically, if you can grate it, you can make it into a latke!

The idea is to grate the fruit or veggies, add seasoning, eggs and a bit of flour and then fry it all up into little pancakes. An oil-spattered stove and the lingering scent of frying are givens when making latkes and are all part of the fun. The mess is worth it, especially when you start nibbling.

I want to share a new recipe with you that I put together for a latke party over this past weekend. The invitation said we should be creative, so I began pondering different ingredients. I adore sweet potatoes and still have many leftover from the massive bag I bought at Thanksgiving, so I knew they would be the basis. I’ve had delicious sweet potato latkes in the past which emphasized the sweetness of the potato. For this batch of latkes I wanted to move in a more savory direction, perhaps with a spicy kick. Freshly grated ginger provided the bite I was hoping for, along with some chopped green onions. A scattering of black sesame seeds rounded out the flavor.

I usually hand grate the potatoes since I prefer this texture, but if you are frying latkes for a crowd then by all means use a food processor to make quick work of it. A nice benefit of using sweet potatoes is that they do not release as much liquid as white potatoes, saving yourself the added step of squeezing out the mixture multiple times.

These speckled little orange pancakes fried up into tasty latkes with a little flavor punch, tender on the inside with lacy, crispy edges. And I’m delighted that they were enjoyed at the latke party!

Sweet Potato Latkes with Ginger and Sesame
Makes 14 - 2 1/2 inch latkes

2 medium sized, orange fleshed sweet potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), scrubbed
4 green onions (including the white parts), finely chopped
2 heaping tablespoons freshly grated ginger (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Canola oil for frying

Using a box grater, grate the potatoes (I leave the peels on) into a large mixing bowl. Add the green onions, grated ginger, sesame seeds, flour and salt. Lightly toss with your fingers to mix. Pour in the eggs and use a wooden spoon to stir together.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. In a large frying pan, pour about 1/2 inch oil in and heat over medium-high heat. With a large tablespoon, gently place scoops of the potato mixture in the hot oil (the patties should measure about 2 1/2 inches across). Do not crowd the pan. Let the latkes cook for a few minutes until nicely browned before trying to flip (if you try to flip too soon, they will tear and stick to the bottom). When the edge of the latke lifts easily, gently flip it over (be careful for splatters). Fry on the other side until golden brown and crispy.

Remove the latkes to the lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat the latke frying until potato mixture is used up. Adjust the heat as needed (may have to lower a bit if the oil gets too hot and edges start to burn a bit) and add additional oil as needed. Let the latkes drain, and then move them to a platter to serve.

If you are making the latkes ahead of time, store them on paper towels at room temperature and then rewarm on a baking sheet before serving.

Delightful Dukkah

Meet my new spice mix addiction…dukkah. You, too, can be addicted to dukkah! Dukkah is an Egyptian spice mix that is incredibly versatile. Traditionally, nuts, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds are toasted and ground together with salt to form an aromatic mix to sprinkle lavishly. You can be creative and add other seeds and spices to make it your own (such as dried mint or coconut). I had eaten dukkah while traveling in Egypt and Israel and loved it. Searching for it back at home, though, I was disappointed in the store bought version, a musty and bland powder.

This past week, I had the pleasure of testing a recipe at Food52 that was a candidate for an Editor’s Pick (and won!). Antonia James submitted her recipe for Hard Cooked Eggs with Lime Aioli and Dukkah. Let me just say, her dukkah is terrific. It has crunch and pizzazz. The toasted spices are fragrant and pounding with a mortar and pestle is always so much fun. Bob used to live in Jerusalem and when he caught a whiff he was transported back. All week, I have been liberally dusting dukkah on roasted fingerling potatoes, salads, tomato sandwiches and even my morning oatmeal (which made a lovely savory porridge).

I made canapés from the Food52 recipe and could not assemble them fast enough for my family (toasted baguette slices slathered with aioli, layered with sliced hard cooked eggs and sprinkled with dukkah). These canapés will make regular appearances at summer parties. And the dukkah has become a pantry staple.

Dukkah
from Antonia James at Food52

2 heaping tablespoons raw sesame seeds
2 tablespoons lightly roasted pumpkin seeds (or, more traditionally,¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins removed, or roasted garbanzos)
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon grains of paradise or freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Toast the sesame seeds in a small heavy skillet. Remove and partially crush using a mortar and pestle, just enough to release a bit of fragrance.

Finely chop the roasted pumpkin seeds (or hazelnuts or garbanzos).

Toast the cumin seeds and the coriander seeds, separately, in a small heavy skillet just until fragrant. Watch carefully, and remove immediately, lest they burn.

Crush the seeds together using a mortar and pestle, or by pulsing in an electric spice grinder. They should be coarse, and not fine.

Combine all of the ingredients in the mortar and pestle and pound lightly a few times. Give the blend a few final good stirs, to combine. It should smell divine.

Store any leftover dukkah in the refrigerator, tightly covered.