Recipes by Shannon Smith

I've been taking and teaching cooking classes all over the world for twenty years. I read cookbooks like they're romance novels and I love hopping into the kitchen to whip up new, exciting creations. This section is all about the globally inspired recipes I've created, taught, or learned over the years, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Fattoush

Fattoush is a middle eastern salad made with lots of fresh vegetables and “day-old” pita. It was likely a recipe started in Lebanon when the farmers’ wives would toss stale pita into a bowl of fresh vegetables, drizzle with olive oil and call it dinner.

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Blueberry Cabbage Salad

I love mixing both fresh fruit and dried fruit in salads and desserts. The dried berries offer a tart flavor and chewy texture while the fresh fruit is juicy and sweet. While cooking with Chef Nir in Tel Aviv, we prepared fish with a salad of chopped cabbage and ripe blueberries from the Carmel Market. We set a table on the balcony of our friend, Inbal, which had a view of the Mediterranean Sea.

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Tomato and Peach Panzanella

In Italy no bread goes to waste.“Day-old” bread is commonly put into soups and salads to absorb all the flavors it comes into contact with. I prefer to grill or toast the bread before adding it to this summery salad, vibrant with ripe tomatoes and peaches.

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Sides, Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Sides, Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Tabouli Salad

This traditional Lebanese salad made from bulgur wheat is a refreshing way to enjoy fresh vegetables and herbs that are in season. I've eaten tabouli in Israel, Greece, and Turkey. Some cooks prefer to use less wheat, while some use a variety of herbs, including cilantro and dill. Combine the ingredients you like the best, and make it your own recipe!

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Israeli Salad with Ricotta and Yogurt

If I’ve made a favorite recipe among my peers this year it would be this salad! I had a similar version in a high-end restaurant in Tel Aviv, and I could not wait to make my own version. The spice mixture za’atar is a middle eastern spice that is not easy to find, so you can substitute with dried oregano and sesame seeds. I prefer to use ricotta and yogurt from my farmers market because it tastes so fresh. I use metal rings to assemble this salad for parties, and the layering is so much easier and a beautiful presentation.

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Harvest Salad

When summer ends, and fall squash is in season, I crank up the oven and go into roasting mode. It's my favorite way to cook butternut squash and other "winter squash" like acorn, pumpkin, and kabocha. Harvest salad combines crispy lettuce, buttery squash, and sweet apples and pomegranate with the easiest dressing you'll ever make (just 3 ingredients). Put this on your autumn table and watch it disappear!

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

I’ve eaten Wedge Salad at a lot of restaurants around the country, and I’m not sure I’ve ever had it as good as this recipe. Sometimes I make it with butter lettuce instead of iceberg, and it’s just as good. You might want to make a double batch of candied pecans because it’s too hard to save them all for the salad without snacking on them until they’re all gone. Trust me on this.

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Mains, Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Mains, Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Potato soup is one of the easiest soups to make, and I because I love a loaded baked potato, I make my soup with all the toppings I would use on a loaded baked potato, including cheese, bacon, and chives. If that isn’t enough, I add chopped tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream.

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Lyonnaise Salad

I’ll never forget the narrow alleyways of Lyon, France where small restaurants called bouchons were crowded with small tables and chairs teetering on the cobblestone street. People were eating sandwiches, soups, and the frisée salad that was named after the city.

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Mains, Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Mains, Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Chicken and Noodles

My maternal grandmother, who we affectionately called “Nina”, was an incredible artist. Her passion was painting canvases with brightly colored flowers. She could also throw fabulous dinner parties for her friends, where she served food on hand painted tablecloths with place cards sketched with each guest’s name. When I asked my family what Nina’s specialty was in the kitchen, everyone mentioned her chicken and homemade noodles.

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Appetizers, Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Appetizers, Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Vegetable Ceviche with Tiger Milk

When I was in Peru I fell in love with ceviche, a simple dish made with fresh fish. One night at a restaurant in Lima I saw “vegetable ceviche” on the menu and ordered it. It was so different and tasty I decided to design my own version. Tiger milk is a sauce for ceviche that is made with minced white fish, but I use coconut milk for this vegan version. I actually won an award in a chef competition with this recipe, and I’ve been serving it at my “Around the World” dinners for the past year. It requires a bit of preparation with so many ingredients, but it is worth it, I promise!

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Cucumber and Tofu Salad

In the south of Bali there is a beautiful volcano called Mount Batur that is surrounded by lakes and lush green valleys. While driving nearby, my friends and I stopped at a coffee shop. The shop had a gorgeous balcony where we sat and gazed at the gorgeous mountain surrounded by clouds floating in the sky.

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Corn and Long Bean Salad

At the end of the summer I stock my freezer with loads of corn kernels from the farmers market, and I’m often looking for creative ways to use it. Especially in winter months I like to make this salad, which reminds me of the warm tropics of Indonesia.

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Gazpacho

I’ll never forget sitting in the exquisite courtyard of the Alfonzo Hotel in Seville, Spain. I was surrounded by tall arched windows flanked with hand painted tiles. The hot sun was beaming into the room, and I ordered a refreshing bowl of gazpacho. The server told me that her mother makes it at home to cure any sickness, sadness, or hangover.

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Red Chile Caesar Salad

The city of Chimayo, New Mexico is known for growing some of the best red chiles in North America. Chimayan chiles get their earthy and pungent flavor from the unique soil in the fields surrounding the historic city north of Santa Fe. I purchase bags of the ground chile powder when I visit, and one of my favorite ways to use it is in this Caesar salad, both in the dressing and the garlicy croutons.

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Every island in the Caribbean seems to have its own variation of soup, depending on what they grown and the traditions they hold. Back in the days of slaves and indentured servants, the workers would put on a pot of soup in the morning so it could simmer until their lunchtime break. They blended their traditional African foods with what was grown on the islands. The calabaza squash grows in abundance throughout the Caribbean, and is often cooked into rich soups.

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Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas Soups and Salads Evan Wei-Haas

Sweet Corn Soup

There’s nothing quite like hiking through the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru. We were the first to enter the gate one drizzly morning, and the clouds covered most of the views. After hours of walking and climbing, the sun finally peeked out and the clouds drew back, as if they were a curtain revealing a most spectacular stage set. The long day of admiring such beauty ended in the bar at the Sanctuary Lodge nearby, where I took a pisco tasting lesson from the elegant bartender. He presented 13 piscos for me to try, each different in its own way. The chef brought a steaming bowl of corn soup for dinner, which was a perfect pairing to the piscos.

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