Welcome to October!

Hi everyone! Welcome to October!

This month brings cooler weather, maybe not quite yet in California, as we still have some Indian summer days coming! But that is not stopping me from getting ready for the fall. The farmer’s markets are overflowing with tasty fresh produce this time of year. My seasonal favorites are apples, pumpkins, winter squash pomegranate, and of course, sweet potatoes and beets. October is also the perfect time to start making soups!

There’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of soup on a chilly day in October

On my end, I was putting off cleaning my pantry closet for a while until last week, when I decided it was time to get organized! It was a weekend project with a couple of trips to Target to get some containers and labels, but I can proudly say I am so happy with the final result. I was able to divide the shelves and organize them by ingredients; one shelf for grains, one for dried fruit, nuts, and seeds, one for spices, and one for condiments and cans! I also discovered that even though I have more than fifty species and herbs, I still miss a few; go figure! 

Feeling inspired to try out new recipes this October?

It may just be time to look at your spices cabinet and fill up on the fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and pumpkin spices. With fall just around the corner, get ready to pull out all your pots, baking trays, and pans ready for a month full of great, seasonal recipes! 

Thank you again for your continuous support, and please share these delicious recipes with your friends and family! As always, I love to hear back from you, so please send me an email or leave me a comment on my blog! Any and all feedback is welcome! 

Here are some of my top five recipes to kick off the Fall season! 

Apple kale salad 

Apples are a Fall staple, so what better way to celebrate the start of fall than with an apple kale salad? This sweet and tangy salad is perfectly refreshing and has many delicious ingredients, such as sweet apples, avocado, cucumber, feta cheese, and pumpkin seeds. I also like to give this dish a Middle Eastern twist by adding sumac, a tangy and floral Middle Eastern spice. 

Lentil kale soup 

This lentil kale soup combines many unlikely ingredients to make a harmonious, hearty soup. You can get plenty of valuable vitamins and minerals while enjoying a tasty dish with many healthy ingredients, including leeks, celery, sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, and lentils. Lentil Kale soup is ideal for a cold, breezy autumn day. 

Chicken buried in vermicelli 

I grew up eating chicken buried in vermicelli, and it is one of those comforting dishes that remind you of your childhood. All you need is chicken, vermicelli, onions, ghee, and Arabic spices. This flavor-packed meal has a fantastic combination of spices that will make you want to curl up on the couch.

How to make butter and ghee at home?

Many great dishes start with butter and ghee. Their unique flavor makes recipes creamy, rich, and aromatic. While ghee and butter may sound very difficult to make, it is actually a straightforward process. Homemade versions are also far better than anything you can find in the grocery store. So if you plan on making Middle Eastern dishes (such as chicken buried in vermicelli) or even Indian dishes, make yourself some homemade ghee. You can even make a traditional Middle Eastern spiced ghee with hewaja spices. Try it out and let me know what you think.