1. Add the toasted cumin to salads along with toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
2. Add them to bread dough for a smoky and savory taste (I also like to add roasted onion)
3. Sprinkle over roasted red pepper and tomato soup.
4. Yogurt sauce for curry dishes with the following preparation:
Ingredients
1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
1 small tomato (seeded and chopped)
4 mint leaves (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds (toasted)
6 whole peppercorns
½ teaspoon sea salt
Steps
Toast cumin seeds in a pan for 1 to 2 minutes, add peppercorns and toast for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
Using spice or coffee grinder, pulverize cumin and pepper until powdered.
Pour the yogurt to a large bowl. Stir in pulverized cumin and pepper, salt, and garlic. Add chopped mint and tomato to the mixture and stir to combine. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
5. Grilled chicken with the following preparation:
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
3 to 4 limes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons salt
7 tablespoons vegetable, canola, or sunflower seed cooking oil (divided)
Steps
Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make two pieces of even thickness. If one end of the chicken is thicker than the other end, use the flat side of a mallet to pound the chicken into an even thickness.
Place all the chicken into a bowl. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of salt and cover chicken with water. Let chicken brine in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
Remove chicken from brine, rinse, and pat dry. Place chicken in a Ziplock bag. Juice the limes and add the lime juice and the olive oil to the bag. Let the chicken marinate in the lime juice, refrigerated, for another 2 to 6 hours.
Mix the kosher salt, cumin, and ground pepper together in a small bowl. Remove the chicken from the lime juice marinade and place in a dish or on a plate. Rub the chicken on all sides with the cumin/salt mixture.
Heat the grill. When the grill is hot, cook the chicken breasts for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until they are browned and just cooked through (cut into the chicken to test for doneness - the juices should run clear and the meat should be firm and opaque all the way through).
Remove chicken from grill to a clean plate and serve warm with salsa or chimichurri sauce.
6. Toasted Cumin with the following preparation:
When using whole cumin seeds, toast them first in a hot, dry pan. This intensifies their flavor, giving a deep, smoky quality. Do not be afraid of getting the pan nice and hot, just keep the pan moving to make sure they do not burn.
