Spice 101: Grains of Paradise

Grains of Paradise are the seeds of a plant in the Ginger family.  It is native to West Africa.  It is also known as Guinea pepper, Melegueta pepper, or alligator pepper.  Its flavor is a blend of mild black pepper, cardamom, coriander,and ginger.  They may be little, but they pack a lot of flavor.

In the Middle Ages, many European chefs used Grains of Paradise instead of the much costlier black pepper.  Today, it is common in West & North African cuisines.  The Portugese are also very fond of this amazing little spice as is Northern Europe.  Grains of Paradise are growing in popularity here in the US as well.  TV chefs such as Alton Brown are featuring it in their recipes (Alton uses it in his delicious Apple pie). Brewers like Sam Adam's and Blue Moon use them as a flavoring agent in their Summer Ales.
Grains of Paradise compliment many vegetables including potatoes, eggplant, and pumpkins/squash as well as many meats.  Toast and grind the seeds and add a liberal amount to get a satisfactory flavor.

"Alligator" Chicken
4 large chicken breast halves, with bone and skin
8 small hot dried chile, or about 3 tb STM cayenne or chipotle
1 1/2 tsp STM Lemon zest
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp STM Spicy Mango balsamic
2 tb STM Coriander seeds
1 tb STM Cumin seeds
1 tb STM Caraway
1 tb STM Grains of Paradise
2 tsp Kosher salt
4 tb STM Citrus Habanero EVOO
  Toast the spices until fragrant.  Grind to a course powder.  Combine with the remaining ingredients to form a thick paste.  Rub all over the chicken breasts and let marinate for 1 hour.  Grill over med-hot coals for about 10 minutes.  Flip and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until just done.  Don't over cook - it'll get tough and dry.  Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Curried Quinoa Salad with Asparagus

1 c quinoa
1 1/2 c Chicken or Vegetable stock
1 tb STM Meyer Lemon EVOO
1/2 c diced Onion
2 minced Garlic cloves
1 tb minced Ginger
1 tsp STM Cumin
1 tsp STM Grains of Paradise
1 bunch fresh Asparagus or fresh Green Beans
1 c Peas, fresh or frozen
1 c diced Squash, Zucchini, etc *optional
For the Dressing:
1/2 c STM Meyer Lemon EVOO
1/4 c STM Spicy Mango balsamic
1 tb Lemon juice
3 tsp (+/-) STM Madras Curry powder
1 tsp STM Mustard seeds, ground
  Cook the quinoa in the stock according to package directions.  Trim and slice the asparagus.  Saute the onion and garlic until they start to brown.  Add the ginger and spices.  After a minute or two, add the vegetables.  Let them cook a few minutes (to desired texture - I like them crisp) Stir in the quinoa and remove from the heat.  Mix up the dressing and toss into the salad.  Let rest for a few hours so the flavors can develop.