Aside from being sensual, beautiful, and good for us, saffron has a not-so-secret talent: it adds a tinge of indescribable depth to every dish.
In honor of all of us trying to become the best chefs we can be, here are some ingenious ways to elevate your home-cooking by using saffron.
The cherry on top? Beautiful colors, less inflammation, and more happiness!
Saffron Tahini Granola
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup walnuts
½ cup sunflower seeds
⅓ cup olive oil
⅓ cup tahini
⅓ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons Saffron Latte Wellness Powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
ASSEMBLY
1 | Preheat oven to 300F.
2 | Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
3 | Combine oats, walnuts, and sunflower seeds in a bowl. Mix together. Set aside.
4 | In a separate bowl, combine olive oil, tahini, maple syrup, Saffron Latte Wellness Powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth and combined.
5 | Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture. Stir until fully mixed through.
6 | Spread granola mixture out on a baking sheet and press down into the pan gently.
7 | Bake at 300F for 20 minutes, making sure to move granola around pan halfway through.
8 | Let it cool and harden for at least half an hour without touching. (Preferably several hours.) It will crisp up as it dries.
*Yields 3 cups.
Saffron Banana Bread
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
2 cups mashed bananas (about 4-6 ripe bananas)
⅔ cup Just Date Syrup
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon Saffron Latte Wellness Powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon himalayan pink salt
½ cup Sweet Laurel’s Vegan Chocolate Chips
ASSEMBLY
1 | Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2 | Line two 9×5-inch loaf pans with parchment paper, letting the paper hang over the sides for easy removal (or grease pans with coconut oil).
3 | In a large bowl, beat together the coconut oil, mashed banana, date syrup, eggs, and vanilla with a hand mixer.
4 | In a medium bowl, whisk the almond flour, Saffron Latte Wellness Powder, baking soda, and salt.
5 | A little at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat until a batter forms, folding in the chocolate chips.
6 | Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each loaf comes out clean.
7 | Remove the bread from the pans, set on a rack, and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Coconut Saffron Salmon
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil, separated
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 knob of ginger (about 1 inch), peeled and minced
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon Saffron Latte Wellness Powder
1 cup baby spinach
1 lime
1 8-ounce piece of salmon
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
ASSEMBLY
1 | In a medium saucepan add 1 tablespoon of oil for the sauce.
2 | Add the shallot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 more minute.
3 | Add the coconut milk, saffron, and spinach. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for around 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime. Turn off heat while you prepare fish.
4 | Warm another pan with another tablespoon of oil over medium-low heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high. Place the salmon, skin-side up in the pan. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Turn the fish over with a spatula, and cook until it feels firm to the touch, about 4 minutes more, depending on the thickness.
5 | Plate your salmon over steamed rice or greens. Spoon sauce over the salmon fillets and garnish with cilantro. Serve warm. Reserve leftover sauce for later use.
*Yields 1 single serving.
Saffron & Carrot Soup with Pomegranate Pesto
Soup:
2 tablespoons Brightland Awake Olive Oil (can also use coconut oil)
1 medium-sized yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
6 cups organic carrots, roughly chopped
3 cups low-sodium vegetable or mushroom broth
Saffron Tincture made from the fullest’s Saffron Threads (we used about 6 half-full droppers)
Himalayan pink salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper
*Optional: add up to 1 cup of organic full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk for creaminess
Saffron Tincture:
15 threads
⅛ cup water
(Let sit in the fridge overnight in a dropper vial/bottle.)
Herby Pistachio & Pomegranate Pesto:
⅓ cup mint, finely chopped
⅓ cup parsley, finely chopped
⅓ cup crushed pistachios
2 tablespoons Just Pomegranate Syrup
Zest and juice of ½ an orange, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
*Optional: add a pinch of aleppo or crushed red chiles for some heat.
ASSEMBLY
1 | On medium heat, drizzle the onion and garlic in olive oil in a stockpot or enameled dutch oven. Saute until the onions and garlic are slightly translucent and soft, stirring occasionally.
2 | Add in the carrots, saffron, broth, a few generous pinches of salt, and give everything a big stir to evenly combine ingredients.
3 | Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to medium-low, covering the pot with a lid to let simmer for about 25 minutes or until the carrots are fork-tender.
4 | While the soup is cooking, make the herby pesto by roughly chopping the herbs and pistachios before adding Just Pomegranate Syrup, olive oil, fresh orange zest/juice, and salt and pepper to taste. (Want more tart sweetness? Add more pomegranate syrup. More acidity or the pesto isn’t holding together? Add a touch more fresh orange juice.) Tweak amounts depending on your preference, and set aside.
5 | Once the carrots are fork-tender, transfer the soup mixture from the stockpot to a high powered blender and blend until smooth, gradually adding up to 1 cup of coconut milk if desired for creaminess. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6 | Ladle into serving bowls and top with herby pomegranate pistachio pesto.
