Sephardic Spice Girls – Sephardic Recipes With A Modern Twist

Sephardic Recipes With A Modern Twist

Skip to content

Sephardic Spice Girls

HOME
Full Recipes
Articles
Our Story
Get in Touch
PRESS

Sephardic Spice Girls

Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem.

Award for Excellence in Writing about Food and Wine

Our Most Popular Recipes

(Gluten-free) Cakes

Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake

Moroccan Olive chicken

Moroccan Olive Chicken

Pastelle (Moroccan Potato Pie)

Pastelle (Moroccan Potato Pie)

Keftes de carne

Keftes De Carne

Membrillo Candies Quinces

MEMBRILLO-CANDIED QUINCES

Hanukkah Latkes

Hanukkah Latkes

What's New Here

COD BROCHETTES

Admin – July 17, 2025

Green Rissoles

Admin – July 17, 2025

The Heart of Cooking Healthy Green Rissoles

Admin – July 17, 2025

Whipped Feta And Tomato Garlic Confit

Admin – July 10, 2025

A Snapshot of Love and Herby Fish Brochettes

Admin – July 10, 2025

Forest Herb Salad

Admin – July 3, 2025

Refreshing Summer Salads

Admin – July 3, 2025

Arrow Con Pollo

Admin – July 3, 2025

Meatballs and Artichoke

Admin – June 26, 2025

Omelette Maakouda Tortilla

Admin – June 26, 2025

Cloudy with Meatballs and Artichoke Stew

Admin – June 26, 2025

Preserved Lemons

Admin – June 24, 2025

Burrata Caprese Salad

Admin – June 24, 2025

Peach Tarts

Admin – June 19, 2025

Simply Summer and Perfect Peach Tarts

Admin – June 19, 2025

Shredded Beef Pastel (Potato Meat Pie)

Admin – June 17, 2025

In Praise of Shredded Beef Pastel

Admin – June 12, 2025

Bright Green Beans with Tomato

Admin – June 11, 2025

Okra & Butternut Stew

Admin – June 8, 2025

Grilled Pargiyot

Admin – June 5, 2025

Most Popular Recipes Instagram

In our family, my grandmother’s ba’ba tamar we

In our family, my grandmother’s ba’ba tamar were highly prized (and jealously guarded). On baking days, she would start early. She would proof the yeast and mix it with the flour, oil and water. She would knead the dough until it was a wonderfully soft, stretchy texture. She would cover it with a muslin cloth and let it rest, like a precious baby. She would soften the pitted date paste with a bit of oil and in her own untraditional take on the recipe, she would add crushed walnuts. Watching her oiled hands work the dough and dates was like watching a magician at work. Roll the dough into balls. Roll the date mixture into balls. Press the dates into the middle of the dough and make it disappear. Take the wooden rolling pin and flatten the dough into a perfectly round cookie with no date filling breaking through the thin crust of the cookie. Turn the end of the rolling pin and make four indentations in the center. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Then the cookies would be lined up on baking sheets and placed in a warm oven. The cookies had to be watched with a hawkish eye — too little time in the oven would result in a pale doughy cookie, too long and they’ll have the texture of a hard brick.

My grandmother would pack the cookies in brown paper bags to give to her children and grandchildren. The rest would be stored in a big airtight container to serve to guests with a cup of her cardamom scented mint tea. 🌴🌴❤️Sharon
Read the rest of this week @jewishjournal article and get the recipe on our website. LINK IN BIO.

International Women’s Day—a moment for all of

International Women’s Day—a moment for all of us to reflect on our power in the world.
As Sephardic Spice Girls we honor the amazing, inspiring legacy of our mothers & grandmothers. And we strive to empower our beautiful daughters to create the best future ❤️💃🏻🧿. #internationalwomensday #sephardicspicegirls #sephardicwomen

Chermoula is a North African sauce usually served

Chermoula is a North African sauce usually served with fish. A bright fresh mix of parsley, cilantro, garlic, Lemmon, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. Add as much or as little spice as you like. We recently had a girls night dinner and we served this delicious sea bass smothered and baked in Chermoula. So flavorful! Send us your photos 🧑🏻‍🍳🧑🏻‍🍳🌶🍋🧄
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup parsley leaves
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp aleppo pepper or
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp sweet paprika
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Combine all the ingredients, except for olive oil, in food processor until finely chopped. Slowly pour in the olive oil. If sauce is too thick, add additional olive oil. Use at room temp. Or store in airtight glass container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. ❤️Rachel . #chermoula #fishrecipes #meatlessmonday #sephardicfood #sephardicspicegirls

The Crown of the Persian Kitchen: Shiran Polo, al

The Crown of the Persian Kitchen:
Shiran Polo, also known as Jeweled Rice, is a truly spectacular dish. The rice is steamed so that each grain is separate and then the top layer is stained yellow with saffron water. Then the rice is layered with the delicately spiced toppings—carrots, sliced almonds, pistachios, orange peel, currants, raisins and barberries.
In the past, Zereshk, the tart barberries that give this dish it’s uniquely sour notes, were expensive and hard to find, so it is no wonder that Shiran Polo was reserved for Rosh Hashana, weddings and other festive occasions.
We were experimenting in the kitchen and we came up with our own recipe. We caramelized onions, sautéed some Zereshk and raisins, toasted some almonds and pistachios, popped open a bag of candied orange peel and shredded carrots. We washed and soaked the rice but we skipped the step of parboiling and rinsing again.
We served the dish at one of our girls’ nights and we were all obsessed with the delicious flavors.
We thought we’d share our much simpler Sephardic Spice Girls version of this rice in honor of the month of Adar and the very Persian holiday of Purim. Find the recipe on our website, Link in bio. and read our article from the @jewishjournal
The Crown of the Persian Kitchen: Jeweled Rice🍊
#persianrice #persianfood
#shirinpolo

This North African staple is known as Maakouda or

This North African staple is known as Maakouda or Tortilla. It’s basically a delicious omelette made with fluffy mashed potatoes, carrots, peas and eggs. @laguioleus (pan)(not a paid partnership)
🥔🥚🥕

Recipe-

1 large onion, finely diced

8 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 large carrots small dice
1 cup frozen peas

10-12 large eggs

1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, or cilantro finely chopped

3 tablespoons turmeric
2 tablespoons chicken consommé

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Squeeze of lemon, for serving

Boil potatoes with tumeric and coarsely mash, leaving a few chunks.
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Sauté onions till golden, set aside.
In large bowl, lightly beat eggs, then add parsley and seasonings.
Add warm mashed potatoes, carrots and peas and combine all ingredients.
In deep, heavy frying pan, heat oil and pour mixture into pan.
When it is sizzling, lower flame, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
Wrap pan handle in foil and bake until top turns golden brown.
Cool for 20 minutes, then flip onto serving dish.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon.
Serves 10-12.

Kubbah Bamia For recipe - Link in bio #kubbah #b

Kubbah Bamia
For recipe - Link in bio
#kubbah #bamia #sephardicfood #iraqifood #sephardicspicegirls

Kubbah Bamia is a labor of love. For me, it’s a

Kubbah Bamia is a labor of love. For me, it’s a way of transmitting the love that my grandmothers gave to me. My children were lucky enough to taste my grandmother Nana Aziza’s Kubbah Bamia and they loved it. After her passing, I would always cook okra stew minus the Kubbah. I was too intimidated to even try. Rachel pushed me to do it and together we made the most beautiful Kubbah. The shells were thin and didn’t fall apart when cooked in the stew and the dough was soft enough to absorb the flavor of the soup. Served over fluffy basmati rice, it’s heaven in a bowl. One day, when you have a little love, time and patience, maybe you will try our recipe for Kubbah Bamia. ❤️Sharon
Read about this very special recipe in this weeks @jewishjournal or get the recipe on our website🍅 Link in bio. Semolina Kubbah and Okra Stew.
🍅💚🍚🧅🍅#bamia#okrarecipes #okrasoup #kubbah

Find Recipe on previous post. 🐟

Find Recipe on previous post. 🐟

Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2025 Sephardic Spice Girls | Powered by Sephardic Spice Girls

×

Log In

Email Or Username

Password

Remember Me

Forgot Password?

Not registered yet? Create an Account