Name: Date Shake with Toasted Nuts (Majoon)
Yield: serves 2 to 4 (makes 3 1/2 cups)
Ingredients: 1 banana, peeled and frozen; 8 Medjool dates, pitted; 1/2 cup plain yogurt (not thick); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; Pinch of ground cinnamon; Pinch of sea salt; 2 cups ice cubes; 3/4 cup to 1 cup water; 1 tablespoon toasted unsweetened coconut flakes; 1 tablespoon toasted almonds, coarsely chopped; 1 tablespoon toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped; 1 tablespoon toasted pistachios, coarsely chopped; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

A date shake topped with toasted nuts and seeds in a glass.

Photo by Sara Remington

I first tasted a majoon at the Café Glacé in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, where these decadent concoctions are whipped up with vanilla ice cream for Westwood's large Persian community. I make majoon with yogurt instead, which gives it a hint of lemony sourness and packs enough nutrients for a healthy breakfast. Although it takes more time, I recommend toasting nuts and seeds in the oven on a dry baking sheet, rather than in a pan on the stove top, because they cook more evenly. You can toast a few cups at a time and keep them on hand for various recipes. Toast the delicate coconut flakes, sesame seeds, and pistachios at 300°F for 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer immediately to a plate to prevent burning. Toast the almonds and walnuts at 350°F for about 12 minutes, until fragrant and crisp.

Recipe information

Yield
serves 2 to 4 (makes 3 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

Shake

1 banana, peeled and frozen

8 Medjool dates, pitted

1/2 cup plain yogurt (not thick)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of sea salt

2 cups ice cubes

3/4 cup to 1 cup water

Toppings

1 tablespoon toasted unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tablespoon toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon toasted pistachios, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Cut the banana into 1-inch-thick slices and place them in a blender. Add the dates, yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, ice cubes, and 3/4 cup water and blend until smooth. Add an additional 1/4 cup water if the shake is too thick. Pour into glasses, top with rows of coconut flakes, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and sesame seeds, and serve.

Reprinted with permission from The New Persian Kitchen by Louisa Shafia. Copyright © 2013 by Louisa Shafia; photographs copyright © 2013 by Sara Remington. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher Louisa Shafia's first cookbook, Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, was nominated for an IACP award. She has cooked at notable restaurants in New York and San Francisco, including Aquavit, Pure Food and Wine, and Millennium. Her recipes have appeared in New York magazine, Yoga Journal, Food Network Magazine, and Every Day with Rachael Ray. Look for Louisa on the Cooking Channel's Taste in Translation series, and visit her at www.lucidfood.com.