Archive for May 28th, 2012

May 28, 2012

Almond and Pumpkin Seed Dukkah

Let’s ease back into this whole thing…

This whole dang thing….new season….new schedule…new opportunities…just easing in.

I’m talking about being kind to yourself.
I like to be kind to myself by pre-cooking a boat load of quinoa and roasting heaps of veggies to prepare for a busy week. And by making time to get outside every day. And by easing back into the kitchen with countless comfort meals centered around soft scrambled eggs…with dukkah.

Say it with me: dukkah. Doo-kah. Sure, it sounds a little funny, but no biggie. We’re all adults here.

It’s an Egyptian spice and nut blend that adds unexpected crunch and a zesty, nutty flavor to simple things. My favorite ways to eat it include: on good crusty bread after its been dipped in olive oil (pure joy!), sprinkled on roasted veggies and chicken, over sauteed greens, or laced through just-cooked, super fluffy, bright yellow scrambled eggs.

Add a bit of flair to everyday things to kindly get your brain moving again…that’s being straight up kind to myself right there.

Almond and Pumpkin Seed Dukkah
Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini
Makes 1 1/4 cup
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 1/4cup (150g)pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup (150g) sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper berries
- 1 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet and set aside. Toast the seeds and berries (from pumpkin seeds to black pepper) one at a time in the skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant, shaking the skillet frequently. Let cool completely.

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and chop until all elements are nearly uniform in size. (The almond pieces will be a bit bigger.)

Pour into a jar, close tightly, and keep somewhere cool and dry.

Dukkah scrambled eggs for one:
Heat a little oil or butter in a small pan over a medium-high heat. In a bowl, beat two eggs well.
Pour eggs into the pan and using a rubber spatula, scrape the eggs at the sides and down the middle, allowing them to move to different parts of the pan. After about a minute, add dukkah to still runny eggs and remove from heat, folding the eggs over once or twice to finish cooking. (The residual heat will continue to cook the eggs, but will still leave them a little wet.)

Serve immediately with an extra sprinkling of dukkah on top.
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