Recipe and photo courtesy of McCormick 2018 Flavor Forecast 

To see the entire forecast visit https://www.mccormick.com/flavor-forecast-2018/recipes

Start the day on an invigorating note with this lively, homemade juice booster. Blend clementine, cucumber and a tart Granny Smith apple with ice. Add McCormick® Red Pepper for a spicy zing. Serve purée with cucumber garnish.

4                      clementines, divided

3 cups            coarsely chopped seedless cucumber, plus additional slices for

                      garnish

2 cups             coarsely chopped Granny Smith apple

¼ teaspoon McCormick® Red Pepper, Ground

1 cup               ice cubes

  Juice 2 of the clementines. Peel remaining 2 clementines. Place clementine juice and peeled clementines in blender container. Add remaining ingredients into blender; cover. Blend on high speed until pureed. Pour into beverage glasses. Garnish with cucumber slices, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

                            photo and recipe courtesy of McCormick

1 tablespoon oil

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

½ pound lean ground beef

1 package McCormick® Taco Seasoning Mix

½ cup water

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

2 packages (14 to 16 ounces each) refrigerated pie crusts, (4 crusts)

Optional serving suggestion: Serve with assorted toppings, such as sour cream, salsa or guacamole.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add beef; cook and stir until no longer pink. Stir in Seasoning Mix and water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese.

Prepare crusts as directed on package. On lightly floured surface, roll each crust into 12-inch circle. Using 4-inch round cutter, cut each into 5 circles for a total of 20 circles. Reroll remaining dough scraps to cut 4 more circles for a total of 24.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling onto half of each circle. Moisten edge of each with water. Fold in half; press edge with a fork to seal. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Pierce top of each with fork to vent.

Bake 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with desired toppings.

Makes 24 empanadas.

Butter, for coating 2 cups almond milk 1 cup heavy cream 25 gingersnaps, coarsely crushed 1 piece McCormick® Gourmet Collection Vanilla Beans, Madagascar , split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped ½ teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection Ginger, Ground 6 egg yolks ½ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup Sugar in the Raw®, divided

Caramel Drizzle:

½ cup caramel topping ¼ teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection Cinnamon, Saigon

Ginger-Spiced Cream:

½ cup sour cream 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon almond milk 1 tablespoon granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection Ginger, Ground Pinch salt

Directions

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat 10 (5-ounce) ramekins or shallow fluted dishes with butter. Place in shallow roasting pan. Set aside.

2.      For the Gingersnap Crème Brûlée, place almond milk, heavy cream and gingersnaps in blender container; cover. Blend on medium speed until smooth. Add seeds from vanilla bean and ginger; mix well. Pour into medium saucepan on medium heat. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly.

3.      Beat egg yolks and granulated sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until pale yellow. Gradually whisk in hot almond milk mixture. Strain through fine strainer or cheesecloth. Pour into ramekins, filling each about ½ full. Carefully pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.

4.      Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until custards are almost set in center. Cool custards in water bath. Remove from water bath. Cover each custard with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

5.      Sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoons of the Sugar in the Raw® evenly over each custard. Holding a hand-held torch 4 inches from the sugar, lightly brown the sugar using a slow even motion. Remove the flame just before desired degree of browning is reached, as the sugar will continue to brown for a few seconds. Let stand 2 minutes to allow topping to harden.

6.      Meanwhile, for the Caramel Drizzle, mix all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside. For the Ginger-Spiced Cream, beat all ingredients in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form and mixture holds its shape. Top each crème brûlée with Ginger-Spiced Cream and Caramel Drizzle.

Cooking Tips

• Sugar topping can also be browned under a broiler. Place custards on a baking sheet. Let stand 5 minutes to allow custards to come to room temperature. Broil 6 inches from heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until sugar is melted and golden brown.

Recipe and photo courtesy of McCormick

Vanilla-Malt-Toffee Triangles with Sea Salt

Recipe by Valerie Schucht of Glastonbury,CT  one of the 45^th Pillsbury®  Bake-Off’s 100 finalists

1roll                        Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookie dough

½cup                    original-flavor malted milk powder

1can (14 oz)         Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk

1                              LAND O LAKES® Egg

1 ½teaspoons    McCormick® Premium Imitation Vanilla Extract

1bag (8 oz)           Heath® Bits ‘O Brickle® toffee bits

½teaspoon         McCormick® Sea Salt

Heat oven to 350°F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Line bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan (dark pan not recommended) with foil, extending foil 2 inches over short sides of pan. Spray foil with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Add ¼ cup of the malted milk powder. Mix with wooden spoon or knead with hands, until well blended. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until crust is light golden brown and puffed. Meanwhile, in same bowl, beat condensed milk, remaining ¼ cup malted milk powder, egg and vanilla with wire whisk until blended. Stir in 1/3 cup of the toffee bits. Carefully pour mixture over partially baked crust. Bake 18 to 23 minutes or until edges are golden brown and filling is set. Remove from oven; sprinkle evenly with remaining toffee bits. Bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until toffee bits just begin to melt. Sprinkle bars with sea salt. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove bars from pan  using edges of foil as handles. Cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Cut each bar in half diagonally to form triangles. Store loosely covered.

Makes 24 bars

This subtly sweet cake gets its green tea flavor and color from a matcha spice blend enhanced with ginger and lemon peel. Layered with lemon curd and topped with a light lemon meringue frosting, this dessert offers a welcome twist to classic layer cakes.      

Matcha Green Tea Cake:

6 egg whites
1 ¼ cups flour
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted
2 tablespoons Matcha Green Tea with Ginger and Citrus (recipe below)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup lemon curd

Lemon Meringue Frosting:
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup boiling water
¼ cup meringue powder
½ cup marshmallow creme
¼ teaspoon McCormick® Pure Lemon Extract

Matcha Green Tea with ginger citrus:
2 tablespoons matcha green tea powder
1 ½ teaspoons McCormick Gourmet lemon peel
½ teaspoon McCormick Gourmet ginger, ground

Mix all ingredients until well blended.
Store in tightly covered jar in cool, dry place.
Makes 2 ½ tablespoons matcha green tea powder or 30 ¼ teaspoon servings

For the Cake, preheat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom and side of 1 (9-inch) round cake pan with no stick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat flour, sugar, sour cream, melted butter, Matcha Blend and baking powder in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed to moisten. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Gently stir in egg whites until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 25 to 29 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
For the Frosting, stir sugar into boiling water in large bowl until dissolved; let cool. Add meringue powder to sugar mixture; beat with electric mixer on low speed until just blended. (If using a stand mixer, use the wire whisk attachment.) Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir in marshmallow creme and lemon extract with spatula until smooth.
Slice cake in half horizontally to form 2 thin layers. Place 1 of the layers on serving platter and spread with lemon curd. Top with second cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with the Frosting. Lightly garnish with grated lemon peel, if desired. Serves 12
• Matcha is a green tea powder that can be found in natural food stores, the organic and tea section of some supermarkets or online specialty stores.
• To make your own dried lemon peel at home, remove lemon peel using a vegetable peeler. Place peel on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 200ºF oven 3 hours. For best results, leave lemon peel in oven overnight to completely dry out. Crush dried peel in mortar and pestle or grind in clean coffee grinder.
• Meringue powder is made of pasteurized dried egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and cornstarch. It is used to prepare icings and meringue for pies and other desserts. It is available in the baking aisle of supermarkets, the cake decorating section of some craft stores, or online specialty stores.
Recipe and photo courtesy of McCormick

TUNA TATAKI RECIPE

Recipe courtesy of Chef Johnathan Rodriguez

Serves: 3 people

Prep time: 1 hour

cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

3 ounces of Ahi grade #1 Tuna cut into small perfect dice

2 ounces Sweet Thai chili sauce

½ ounce Tuxedo sesame seeds

3 fried wontons (2-inch cylinder recommended)

1 ½ ounces Wakame seaweed

1 pinch of pickled ginger (finely chopped)

3 drops of wasabi mayo (1 ounce mayo mixed with 1 tsp. of wasabi powder/ whisk well until incorporated)

1 teaspoon of soy caviar 

Toss Tuna, Thai Chili sauce, and Sesame Seeds, in a bowl and toss until evenly coated. Place wonton down and take ½ ounce of Wakame and place on each wonton. Then place 1 ounce of tuna mix on Wakame seaweed in a neat ball on top. Top with a small pinch of pickled ginger and 3 drops of wasabi aioli.

Garnish with soy caviar

Soy Sauce Caviar

¾ cup soy sauce

2 grams agar powder

At least 3 cups vegetable oil

In a tall container, pour the oil in and place it in your freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. When your oil is almost ready, combine the soy sauce and agar powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking continuously. Once boiling, turn the heat off on the saucepan and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Take the oil out of the freezer and drop the soy sauce-agar mixture into it one drop at a time. You can either use a plastic dropper to do this (easily purchased online) or a small spoon. Work rather quickly here as the longer the mixture sits, the more it will begin to solidify in your saucepan. Don’t worry if some of the first drops sit at the top. They will begin to sink as you add more. When you have created all of the desired beads, or when you have used all of the agar mixture, you are ready to collect your beads. Over a large bowl (do not just dump the oil down the sink!), pour the oil mixture out so that it is running through a fine-mesh strainer. The beads will be at the bottom of the container and collect in your strainer as you pour them out. Set the bowl of oil aside and rinse the soy sauce beads with cold water over your sink. Store the beads in the fridge until you are ready to use them or put them on your dish immediately. As for the oil, pour it into a sealable container and throw it away or reuse it as you see fit.

Parker House Rolls

The headnote says, “These soft, fluffy, and buttery yeast rolls will disappear soon after they are pulled from the oven. Named for their creation in the 1870s at the Parker House hotel in Boston, these rolls differ from regular yeast rolls in that they are folded into layers, brushed with butter, and baked close together. The dough will be very soft—one reason these delicate rolls are so tender. Start with 3½ cups of flour; if the shaggy dough is still too sticky, add the remaining ¼ cup.”

Makes 16 rolls

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

¾ cup unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces and divided

½ cup warm water (105 degrees to 110 degrees)

1 (.25-ounce) package or 21/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 large egg

3 ½ to 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Flaky sea salt (optional)

1.  Place milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat;
stir in sugar and 8 tablespoons butter. Let stand until butter melts. Transfer to bowl of a stand-up mixer and let cool.

2.    Combine warm water and yeast in a small cup and let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Stir yeast mixture into milk mixture.

3.    Stir in egg, 1½ cups flour, and fine sea salt with the dough hook attachment or paddle, mixing until smooth. Add remaining 2 cups flour, ½ cup at a time, mixing until smooth (dough will be very soft). Knead for 3 minutes with dough hook or paddle, or transfer dough to a floured surface and knead lightly for 5 minutes. Place in a lightly greased (with butter) bowl, rotating dough to coat all sides. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours or until doubled in bulk.

5.    Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Brush bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch (3-quart) baking pan lightly with some of the butter.

6.   Roll or press half of dough out to a 12x8-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Brush with melted butter. Slice dough in half lengthwise, then fold each piece in half lengthwise. Cut each piece into 4 pieces, creating a total of 8 folded rolls. Arrange tightly in half of prepared pan. Repeat with remaining half of dough, creating 16 rolls total. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes or until puffy.

7.          Preheat oven to 350°. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with remaining butter and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.

Recipe and photo courtesy of :

Maple Leaf Cocktail

Photo: Kevin Scott Ramos

The headnote says, “Maple syrup and bourbon make for a great combination that’s not too sweet and naturally good.”

Ice

2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 part bourbon

3 parts seltzer

Peel of 1 orange

Black cherries

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour maple syrup over ice. Add bourbon and seltzer, stirring to combine. Add orange peel and desired amount of cherries. makes 1 serving

Recipe and photo (Kevin Scott Ramos) courtesy of

Four Seasons Sheet Pan Pizza—Pizza Quattro Stagioni

The headnote says, “This pizza is a bit of a showstopper, maybe a bit of a show off too. It’s just so pretty to see a sheet pan full of four different pizza choices. If you’re like me, you’ll want a square of all four choices. If you’ve got picky eaters in your group, you could top one quadrant of the pizza with just plain cheese.”

Serves 6

Olive oil cooking spray

2 tbsp (25 g) cornmeal

1½ cups (180 g) self-rising flour, plus more for working with the dough

1½ cups (375 g) plain Greek yogurt

1 (14-oz [400-g]) can petite diced tomatoes, drained

3 tbsp (75 g) tomato paste

3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, divided

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried oregano

Pinch of sugar

Salt and pepper

3 cups (345 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded

4 oz (115 g) cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 oz (90 g) prosciutto, thinly sliced

1 cup (170 g) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and thinly sliced

3 large Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

10–12 small basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray and the cornmeal.

For the dough, in a medium bowl, combine the flour and yogurt until a shaggy dough forms. Knead the dough in the bowl for a few turns, just until the dough forms a smooth ball. Turn out the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Press the dough into the pan, sprinkling the top of the dough with a bit of flour as needed to prevent sticking, until the dough reaches the edges of the pan.

For the sauce, in a medium bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the pizza with 1 cup (240 ml) of the sauce, leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) border all around. Spread the mozzarella cheese on the pizza.

For the assembly, in a small bowl toss the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil. Place the mushrooms on one-fourth of the pizza, creating a square area for each of the seasons. Place the prosciutto on one-fourth of the pizza, the artichokes on another one-fourth of the pizza and finally the tomatoes and basil on the remaining quadrant, tucking the basil underneath the sliced tomatoes. Drizzle the tomatoes and basil with the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil.

Bake the pizza for about 22 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Recipes reprinted with permission from 2-Ingredient Miracle Dough Cookbook by Erin Renouf Mylroie. Page Street Publishing Co. 2019. Photo credit: Ken Goodman.

Smoky BLT Tomato Soup with Croutons

The headnote says, “Does spinach count as lettuce? I hope so, because that is the “L” in this smoky, bacon lettuce tomato soup. The “B” is covered by generous amounts of crispy bacon as a topping, plus a bacon-drippings roux that also thickens the soup. The bread is there too, but it’s in crouton form, adding a delightful crunch. Instead of the mayonnaise, a traditional component of a BLT sandwich, each bowl gets a dollop of lemony cream cheese for a little bit of luxuriousness.”

Yield: 6 servings • Freezer Friendly • Vegetarian Option

6 slices thick-cut sourdough bread, cut into 1ʺ (2.5-cm) cubes

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

Salt and pepper, as desired

12 slices uncooked bacon, cut into 1ʺ (2.5-cm) pieces

1 large onion, diced

Salt and pepper, as desired

¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 (28-oz [794-g]) can whole tomatoes, undrained (preferably San Marzano tomatoes)

4 cups (960 ml) chicken broth, plus more if needed

2 cups (60 g) chopped fresh spinach with stems removed

4 oz (113 g) cream cheese at room temperature

1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tbsp (30 ml) milk

Vegetarian Option:

Omit the bacon. Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place the bread cubes on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake, stirring here and there, for 15 minutes, or until the croutons are browned and crunchy.

While the croutons bake, place the bacon in a large pot and turn the heat up to medium. Cook the bacon until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate. Set aside. Pour off all but ¼ cup (60 ml) of the bacon fat. (If you don’t have enough fat, add butter or oil to make up the difference.) Add the onion to the fat and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the tomatoes and broth. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the onion is tender. If desired, use an immersion blender to puree the tomatoes a bit, or even use a potato masher for a more rustic texture. Stir in the spinach and cook until the spinach is just wilted. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper, adding more broth if the soup seems too thick.

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, zest and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into six bowls. Top each with the crispy bacon, croutons and a generous dollop of the cream cheese mixture.

Credit:

Recipe reprinted with permission from 101 Greatest Soups on the Planet by Erin Mylroie. Page Street Publishing Co. 2022. Photo credit: Becky Winkler.