One of the founders of Stonyfield yogurt went on to found the American Halal Company. The company has nationally launched Saffon Road, its flagship brand.

The stylish and tasty brand is the first halal-certified product line to be sold nationally in all Whole Foods stores (it’s also in 6,000 other retail stores across the U.S.).

Now people hankering for anything from Lamb Saag to Pad Thai can have it after only four minutes in the microwave.

The foods are all-natural, antibiotic-free, locally sourced and Certified Humane. They are not heavily spiced, so have a broad appeal.

Most products are Certified Gluten-Free; select products are vegan/vegetarian and Non-GMO.

Two of the frozen entrees, ready in four minutes. Photo courtesy Saffron Road.

A BOUNTIFUL BUFFET

Everything is ready in minutes, with the exception of the crunchy chickpea snacks, which are ready as soon as you tear off the top of the bag:

Saffron comprises the dried stigmas, called threads, of the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus. The reddish-colored stigmas are used in global cuisines from Spain to India, as a seasoning and coloring agent. The stigmas contain the carotenoid dye crocin, which imparts a rich golden-yellow hue to dishes (and in earlier times, textiles).

Saffron is the world’s most costly spice by weight; each flower produces only three stigmas, so many are needed to produce just one gram of the spice. Fortunately, you need very little to flavor a dish.

Saffron is native to Greece, and was first cultivated on the Greek island of Crete, as early as the Bronze Age (500 B.C.E. to 1200 B.C.E.). It was slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia, North Africa, North America and Oceania. The first written record dates to a 7th-century B.C.E. Assyrian botanical treatise.

Today Iran grows 90% of the world’s saffron, although Afghanistan, Greece Italy, Iran, Kashmir (India), Morocco and Spain are also producers. Saffron from different regions has different potencies; for example, Kashmiri saffron is very strong and you may need to use less than what is called for in your recipe.

The spice is used in dishes such as arroz con pollo and paella (Spain); bouillabaisse (France) an other Mediterranean seafood soups; chelow kabab (Iran), chicken biryanil, kashmiri lamb and saffron rice (India); lamb tagine (Morocco) and saffron bread (Sweden).

As with many herbs and spices, it’s hard to describe the flavor (what do garlic and paprika taste like?). However, it is glorious with a heady perfume, imparting a tastes of honey, hay and earthiness.

Too much saffron is not a good thing: It can make a dish bitter.

A Margarita is more than a fruity tequila-based drink. It combines tequila with lime juice and Cointreau (or other orange liqueur) with a salted rim. Here’s the history of the Margarita and the original Margarita recipe.

Orange and lime are the flavors that ride on the backbone of the tequila. In the spirit of the recipe, you can add fruit purée to make a guava, mango, passionfruit, peach, strawberry, etc., Margarita.

But you can’t switch the orange liqueur for pomegranate liqueur (or other fruit liqueur) and call it a pomegranate Margarita. You’ve created a pomegranate and tequila drink that requires a different name.

This recipe adheres to the script. It’s from the book, Frontera Margaritas, Guacamoles and Snacks by Rick Bayless with Deann Groen Bayless.

It’s rimmed with homemade rimming salt, flavored with guajillo chiles, medium-heat chiles. You may like it so much that you use it on all your Margarita recipes.

Fresh, puréed pineapple makes this
Pineapple Margarita a special treat. Photo by
Paul Elledge | Frontera Margaritas, Guacamoles and Snacks.

PINEAPPLE MARGARITA RECIPE

Ingredients For 8 Cocktails

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur and pineapple purée in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

2. WET the rim of eight 6-ounce Martini glasses with a lime wedge. Then dip the rims into a plate of the guajillo salt to coat them lightly.

The pineapple purée can be made in advance.

4. GARNISH each glass with a spear or two of cucumber and jicama, plain or dipped into the guajillo salt.
 
 
PINEAPPLE PUREÉ RECIPE

This can be made up to three days in advance. It makes about 3 cups of pineapple purée.

1. PEEL and core ½ medium pineapple. Cut it into roughly 1-inch cubes (you’ll have about 3½ cups) and place in a blender or food processor. Add ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water, cover and pulse until the pineapple is finely chopped. Then process until smooth and foamy, usually a full minute.

2. STRAIN into a sealable container and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days.
 
 
GUAJILLO SALT RECIPE

1. MIX 1 part pure crushed or powdered guajillo chile to 2 parts coarse (kosher) salt.

2. ADD a little more chile if you’d like extra heat.
 
FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE MARGARITA RECIPES.

Every person who’s stood on our Wellness Mat and has purchased one. (No, we’re not commissioned salespeople, although we did receive one as a gift.)

The revolutionary anti-fatigue floor mats are ergonomically engineered and medically proven to provide unsurpassed comfort, safety, relief, and support while you stand, wherever you stand.

There are plain and decorator versions, in colors to suit every decor. See the choices on WellnessMats.com.

We can guarantee that for a mom who spends a lot of time at the stove, kitchen counter or sink, this will be the most appreciated Mother’s Day gift of all. What could be better than unmatched comfort?

For people who are in tip-top shape, it’s a pillowy yet supportive standing surface that feels like heaven on your feet (and it’s puncture-resistant if you cook in heels). Those who have a few aches can say goodbye to back, knee, and foot pain.
  

[2] Start with ground beef (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Layer with your favorite grated cheese. (photo © Darryl Brooks | Dreamstime).

Here’s a fun and tasty Tex-Mex comfort food dish for Cinco de Mayo, from Taste Of Home: Mexican lasagna, which adds Mexican flavors to the classic Italian dish. Serve it with a big green salad.

The correct spelling of the word, by the way, is lasagna.
 
 
MEXICAN LASAGNA RECIPE

Ingredients For 12 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COOK the beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, chilies, taco seasoning, and hot salsa.

2. LAYER 1/3 of the noodles and meat mixture in a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat layers twice.

3. COMBINE salsa and water; pour over top. Cover and bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until heated through.

4. TOP with sour cream, olives, onions, tomatoes if desired and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
 
Variations

 
 
WINE PAIRING

Enjoy this recipe with a medium-bodied red wine such as Chianti, Malbec, Sangiovese or Zinfandel.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Just in time for Mother’s Day gift-giving comes a new line of gourmet chocolate bars. They’re made by an old hand in the industry, the founder of Seattle Chocolate.

It’s the best thing the company has done to date, a new degree of sophistication and elegance from a popular regional chocolatier.

Every detail, from the velvety feel of the recycled paper box to the photography on the three one-ounce bars inside, is first class.

And then there’s the chocolate. Made of fine Belgian couverture, it delights in three flavors plus plain (but hardly plain!) milk and dark chocolate. We urge you to try the:

For Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or general gifting, tie a ribbon around the stack of five bars. For party favors, individual bars will be a hit. Although it’s early in the year, we’ve already earmarked Jcoco for this year’s stocking stuffers.

Read the full review and order a large amount!

FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE CHOCOLATES & GOURMET CHOCOLATE BARS.