Midweek meal planning can be a droll job. I know, I actually just said that. The reason is by Tuesday you are just plain tired. It also when you realize that your Sunday grocery shopping was woefully incomplete. It is at this moment one can hear me tearing through my pantry and reading the label of a can far below knee reach. Grrr... Good thing there is one ingredient that I am never without...Yes...the good news every time I say the word, "artichoke" to my husband he perks up. We love the saltiness, the zip, the deep almost citrus notes and we love it WITH CHICKEN. I must say canned artichokes really are easy. Which is good because they will take center stage tonight. And because I was tired, remember I said I was tired? Yes, I am TIRED... I decided that I didn't even want to bring out a saucepan. I would bake the chicken in the oven, and recline, nearly prone, across the countertop while it cooked... Blah, blah, blah.... I'm not sure when the "happy" kicked in. Maybe it's when I whack that first clove of garlic and it released that familiar pungent perfume. Maybe it's when I started to cut up the kalamata olives eating one then cutting one, then eating one. For sure I got happy when I began whisking the creamy tzatziki and we've cranked up the music nice and loud. I think that's when I stopped being tired and started getting danged excited. By the time the chicken began roasting and the rosemary was gently perfuming the thinly sliced yukon potatoes sauteeing in butter, (yes, I did pull out a pan....well, it got fun!) we were laughing and forgetting about the fact that Tuesday can be a tough day. We were glad I was low on fresh ingredients. And we simply raised a fork to scavenging. Opa!!!!! RECIPE: Greek Paprika Baked Chicken with Tzatziki |
Of course I can't fool you. You see don't you, that I have made this recipe absolutely irresistible with the addition of a crisp and salty piece of thick-cut bacon. A little treat to pick up and crunch noisily on while in between slurping. Takes the snob-factor down a notch and the flavor meter through the roof! The secret is again, layering of flavors. You begin with cooking the zucchini to the perfect texture along with aromatics and the right seasonings. Then, after pureeing the vegetables they are added to the cream or milk and the already cooked potatoes and corn. Also, if you're so inclined you can use a fancy blender, which will make a very smooth base and not rustic like the version picture. Every mad scientist is at their core a rebel, so no one is going to chastise you for expressing yourself with another idea for making it awesome. |
RECIPE: Creamy Zucchini Potato Corn Chowder
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Ingredients
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Method
4 C of small cubed unpeeled golden potatoes
1/3 C sweet white onion, chopped finely
6 strips thick cut bacon
½ large jalapeño, chopped finely
1 15 oz package frozen corn
1 chicken bouillon cube
3 C water
½ t of your favorite herb salt medley
4 t + kosher salt and 1 t black pepper
½ C heavy cream (you can use milk if desired)
¼ C fresh Italian parsley
Fry the bacon until almost crisp. Remove and drain. Place the bacon grease (no more than 3 T) in a large and very hot Dutch oven. Add all the zucchini, all the onion and half the potatoes. Stir for 3 minutes until onions are transparent. In the meantime, dissolve the bouillon cube in 2 C boiling water and add to zucchini and potatoes, along with about a 2 t of kosher salt. Let simmer at a low boil until the potatoes are tender. Using an immersion blender*, completely puree the mixture in the pan, or at least until there are no visible chunks. Now add the final C of water, the rest of the potatoes, the package of frozen corn, the chopped jalapeno and another t + of salt, and the pepper. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes until potatoes are slightly tender. (If you’ve cut your potato chunks very small you don’t need more than about 8 minutes to soften them. Check often.) When they’re soft, add the half cup heavy cream and a handful of the parsley. Stir everything together, then season if needed. Serve with a curl of one of the bacon slices on top.
*(You can transfer to a blender and add a little water and blend but it will be a very smooth soup and probably not appear like the rustic version in the photo above.)
I may be reaching for a bit more than I can achieve, eternal gratitude, but you'll still be shivering in pleasure when you try these. That I can promise.
So moist, sweet and satisfying! These fresh blueberry muffins get their sinful taste from a handful of white chocolate chips added to the batter along with the transformation texture of yogurt. | No bake, no fuss, no kidding! My peanut butter, almond, oatmeal and blueberry cookies make you feel like a kid eating the dough right out of the bowl. But these have a more sophisticated taste! |
RECIPE: Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins
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Ingredients
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Method
3 t baking powder
2/3 C sugar
½ t ground nutmeg
2 ounces of plain Greek yogurt
¼ C oil
1/3 C whole milk
1 large egg
¼ C unsalted butter, melted (+ extra for greasing tins)
2 t vanilla extract
1 t kosher salt
¾ C blueberries
1/3 C white chocolate chips
Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 19 minutes or until golden brown. Remove, let cool for about 5 minutes and remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
These freeze BEAUTIFULLY!
RECIPE: No Bake Peanut Butter, Oatmeal,
Almond and Blueberry Cookies
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Ingredients
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Method
1 C granulated sugar
½ C smooth peanut butter loosely packed (I use Trader Joe’s organic no stir)
1 T vanilla extract
1 ½ t kosher salt
1 C flour
3 T whipping cream
2 T real maple syrup
¾ C Quaker oatmeal (quick or long cook. I like the texture of the long cook!)
½ C slivered almonds (better crunch than sliced)
½ pint blueberries
Confectioner’s sugar to coat
Form into 1 ½ inch balls, roll in powdered sugar and serve. Keep extras in fridge without rolling in sugar. Add sugar right before serving. These will keep several days in the fridge, covered in a container.
I can't say why the bottle had so few cherries at the bottom. I don't recall using them AT ALL. But the aroma was so sweet, and formal, and I knew that combined with a little cardamom they would sing in a batch of scones. I needed a treat to take to a photo shoot. I wouldn't have time in the morning. However, I could bake and then freeze these that evening, and no one would be the wiser that I had discarded the stems unceremoniously before even beginning the recipe.
RECIPE: Maraschino Cherry Scones with Amaretto Glaze
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Ingredients
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Method
½ C unsalted butter
½ C sugar
1 T baking powder
½ t kosher salt
¼ t cardamom powder
¾ C heavy cream
1 ½ t vanilla extract
1/8 t almond extract
1/3 c chopped maraschino cherries
GLAZE:
1 C confectioner’s sugar
2 T amaretto liquor
½ t kosher salt
1 t vanilla extract
Empty onto a floured surface and gently form into a ball, pushing it together and rolling it until it is nice and smooth. At this point you can roll the circle out to about a 2 inch thickness and form into a square. Cut into 16 equal pieces. Place on a light buttered baking sheet. Cook for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool until set, about 5-6 minutes. Remove.
In another bowl mix the ingredients for the glaze, adding more or less milk to make it a very runny glaze. Drizzle over scones and serve!
NOTE: You can freeze these immediately after cooling and then frost when you use them. Will stay good frozen for 3-4 days.
I was alone in the house with the windows open, during an unseasonably warm January day when my dad cycled over from around the corner to visit. (I am assuming you would call 74 degrees and sunny unseasonably warm!) And, oh, this day! It was a day that begged to be enjoyed while sipping a crisp white Chardonnay, noshing on some salty English cheddar, and reveling in a good talk with my dad. I loved how the afternoon was turning from yellow, to pink to dark blue. This was something to celebrate.
"No! I am enjoying our talk, and the wine." He replied. And I worried that by asking him to stay for dinner I would scare him away, as one would startle a humming bird who, appearing engaged with you, had only momentarily forget he was scared of everything.
"I will make steak if you will stick around," I said while looking at my wine, trying my best to seem quite neutral. Surprisingly he nodded in agreement, and the deal was struck.
Now I needed to hurry and get things made. He may be larger than a small bird, but flying home in the middle of a conversation was always a possibility.
Let's just say that everything turned out perfect. With cutting board poised, and everything fresh on hand. Look for yourself at our beautiful meal....
I adore a steak finished in the oven after it has seared in a pan with oil, butter and fresh garlic. The oven seals in the taste and insures it is perfectly cooked in the center without over-searing the outside. It looks especially pretty with a bit of yogurt mixed with preserved lemon, salt and pepper! |
Meet the Cook...
My name is Camine Pappas and I love to create beautiful and delicious food that anyone can make. My signature style centers around a love for combining things in a way you might not expect as I work to find a hidden combination of colors, textures and flavors from the things that are in my pantry and/or easy to obtain.
Want to get spontaneous with me? It's pretty exciting. Let's all find out what happens when, "I Feel Like Cooking."
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