Today’s secret ingredient is…..CUMIN!

So now America, with an open heart and an empty stomach, I say unto you in the words of my uncle: Allez cuisine!

Cumin is such an international spice…..my strategy is to present dishes from around the world.

First dish:
Deep Fryer Curried Vegetable Dumplings and Lentil Soup with Lemon and Pumpkin Seeds

Dumplings
vegetable oil
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup broccoli, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup peas, cooked
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
24 wonton wrappers
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Heat oil in an electric deep fryer to 375°F. Combine next 5 ingredients in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add next 4 ingredients and mix thoroughly by hand. Spoon about 2 tsp. filling in center of each wonton wrapper. Brush edges of circle with lightly beaten egg white. Fold edges over and press together with a fork. Place 2 or 3 dumplings in hot oil and fry about 1-1/2 minutes per side until golden. Drain on absorbent paper.

This recipe serves 12 people. Due to the nature of this recipe, it adjusts the number of servings in multiples of 12 only.

Lentil Soup
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
1 pinch chili powder

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has turned golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of chili powder. Cook and stir 2 minutes more until the spices are fragrant.

Stir in the chicken broth, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
Pour half of the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Do not puree all of the soup, leave it a little chunky.

Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, then season to taste with salt. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of chili powder to serve.

Pumpkin Seeds
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds, washed and dried
cooking spray
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of sugar, the cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne pepper, and set aside.

Place the pumpkin seeds on the prepared baking sheet, spray them with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake the seeds in the preheated oven until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and stir in the toasted pumpkin seeds along with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cook and stir the seeds until the sugar forms a coating on the seeds, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the caramelized seeds into the bowl of sugar-spice mixture, toss to coat, and let cool.

Second dish:

Lamb Tagine served with Moroccan Couscous

Lamb Tagine
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds lamb meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch saffron
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 carrots, peeled, cut into fourths, then sliced lengthwise into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 lemon, zested
1 (14.5 ounce) can homemade chicken broth or low-sodium canned broth
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1 tablespoon water (optional)

Place diced lamb in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and set aside. In a large resealable bag, toss together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron, garlic powder, and coriander; mix well. Add the lamb to the bag, and toss around to coat well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the lamb, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining lamb. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.
If the consistency of the tagine is too thin, you may thicken it with a mixture of cornstarch and water during the last 5 minutes.

Moroccan Couscous
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
1 red, green, or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1″ pieces
2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon kosher salt
grated zest of one orange
1 (14.5 ounce) can low sodium garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups couscous
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Stir in the cumin, ginger, cloves, cayenne, cardamom, coriander, and allspice; gently toast until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in oil and onion, cook until softened. Stir in the bell pepper, and zucchini; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the raisins, salt, zest, and garbanzos.

Pour in the chicken broth and orange juice; turn heat to high and bring to a boil. When the mixture is boiling, stir in the couscous and remove from heat; cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and fold in chopped mint.

Third dish:

African-Style Vegetable Stew served with Egyptian Black-Eyed Pea and Spinach Salad

African Style Vegetable Stew
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 lb. canned garbanzo beans
2 parsnips, cut into thin slices
2 zucchini, cut into small chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeño pepper, diced
2 Tbs. golden raisins or black raisins
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. turmeric, or curry powder
1/8 tsp. cumin powder

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 30-35 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.

Egyptian Black-Eyed Pea and Spinach Salad
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 scallions, minced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 lb. canned black-eyed peas
4 cups spinach leaves, stemmed

Combine first 5 ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Shake vigorously and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients, except spinach, in a bowl. Chill 30-60 minutes. Place spinach on serving plates and top with bean salad. Shake dressing and pour over salad.

Fourth Dish:
Barbecued Pork Kebabs served with Barbecued Baked Beans

Barbecued Pork Kebabs
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup barbeque sauce
1 bone-in sirloin pork roast, about 4 pounds, boned and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, deribbed, and cut into 1-inch squares
2 large sweet onions, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia, cut into 1-inch chunks
12 (12-inch) skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
Vegetable oil cooking spray

Preheat grill for high heat.
In a small jar, combine cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Close the lid, and shake to mix.

Stir the seasonings in a shallow, nonmetallic dish or gallon size resealable plastic bag. Add the pork, onions chunks, and bell pepper chunks and toss to coat. Cover the dish or seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove the pork and vegetables from the marinade. Thread the pork, onions and red pepper alternately on 4 skewers.

Lightly oil the grill rack and heat the grill to medium. Grill the kabobs on the preheated grill until the pork is no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Brush kebabs with barbecue sauce, and grill an additional 5 minutes.

“Baked” Beans
3 slices bacon
1 (28 ounce) can baked beans
½ cup bottled barbecue sauce
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until beginning to brown but still limp. Stir in onion and bell pepper and cook until onion is soft and translucent and bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes more. Chop the cooked bacon and place in small saucepan. Add baked beans, barbecue sauce, and cumin. Cook over medium low heat to thicken slightly and blend flavors, about 10 minutes.

Fifth Dish:

Greek Turkey Burgers served with Spicy Sweet Potato Fries and a Savory Lassi

Greek Turkey Burgers
3 tomatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 Tbs. lime juice
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. cumin
1/4 tsp. salt (optional), or to taste
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
2 tsp. dried mint, or 2 Tbs. fresh mint, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
8 Kalamata or black olives, pitted and finely chopped
4 whole wheat pitas, cut in half

Combine tomatoes and cucumbers in a salad bowl. Combine next 5 ingredients and pepper to taste in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss. Cover and set aside. Turn on broiler. Combine turkey and next 3 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Gently form into two 1 inch thick patties per serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Broil burgers 4-5 minutes per side or until turkey is cooked throughout. Serve burgers in pita bread pockets with tomato and cucumber mixture.

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
Toss 2 pounds sweet potatoes (cut into wedges) with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons each brown sugar and salt, 1/4 teaspoon each cumin and chili powder, and a pinch of cayenne. Roast cut-side down on a baking sheet in a 425 oven until crisp, 30 minutes, turning once.

Savory Lassi
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro leaves
2/3 teaspoon salt
1 pinch black pepper

Combine the yogurt, water, milk, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a blender, and blend until smooth. Serve plain or over ice.