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what I'm making right now...

Rubbed the Right Way in this Grill-Tastic Meal.

6/27/2016

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There is a sound produced in the morning that is at once irritating and soothing. It is that raucous whir of my coffee bean grinder as it makes quick work of those oily, dark beans before I brew them in my super-fancy coffee-maker. It is a ritual I follow because I am obsessed with fresh coffee.

And it's such a pity I can only enjoy the deep, earthy and rich flavors of coffee in the morning.--Hmmm. Or can I?
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While browsing the internet the other day, there were several recipe combos that gave me some great ideas for new menus, and one of them included the use of ground coffee in a spice rub. I have long since known the savory powers of coffee. And I am no stranger to its versatile nature. So it's strange that this is my first foray into adding it to my dinner menu. But what a debut! I just decided to start experimenting and this RUB IS AMAZING!
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You should know that absolutely no CoffeeMate was harmed in the making of this recipe...well, it never even got close to THIS coffee creation. Thank goodness, because you won't believe the depth of flavor you can achieve when layering spice flavors ad-infinitum! Cayenne, ginger, tarragon, garlic, coriander, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper! All blended, then pushed lovingly into oil rubbed sirloin steaks prior to grilling.
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Just enough heat, just enough snap, just enough to push your taste buds OVER THE EDGE! And while the dry spices were doing their magic, I added a fresh selection of farmer's market jewel:  Radishes, fennel, baby carrots and fingerling potatoes all combined to work magic on my plate!

​I was especially fond of these little carrots, which came with a huge bouquet of carrots greens still attached. (Those greens are currently enjoying a drink of water standing straight up in a vase and looking oh, so gorgeous.) I like to leave a little green on the carrots when I roast them. It is an elegant way to make your meal just a little more appealing and fresh looking.
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Needing something fresh and clean, I created a quick radish, fennel and cilantro salad with a vinaigrette of lime juice and honey balsamic. -- By adding a silky but hot chipotle cream sauce I dressed up a plate otherwise known as simply "meat and potatoes!"
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I had to snap pics quickly. This meal went fast and the smiles were almost as broad as the ones on my face when I sip my coffee in the morning. Thank goodness I've discovered a way to enjoy my java ALL DAY LONG!
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RECIPE: Coffee Chili Spice Rub for Steak

Makes enough to dress up to 8 steaks. / Click here for printable version.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
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​1 heaping T VERY finely ground bold coffee
½ T cayenne chili pepper
Dash of dried tarragon leaves, cinnamon, garlic powder, ginger powder, coriander powder, cumin powder
¼ t paprika
½ t kosher salt
¼ t black cracked pepper
​ Blend all ingredients. Rub steaks with fine olive oil, pat the rub into the meat on both sides using an amount that reflects your taste.
 
Grill.
 
For the sauce, blend ½ c chicken stock and one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce in a small food processor until very smooth. Add to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, letting it reduce for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add ¼ C heavy cream and 1 T butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over steaks and serve.

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RECIPE: Radish Fennel Salad with Lime Honey Vinaigrette

Click here to download printable version.
Recipe calls for Honey Balsamic. But if you don't have that, substitute it with another white balsamic that's sweet or use 2 t honey and 1 T apple cider vinegar.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
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​1 C shaved fennel bulb, using the white part and not the upper green stalks.
Finely chop and add the fennel fronds
4 thinly sliced radishes
Handful fresh cilantro
1 T fresh squeezed lime juice
1 T white balsamic vinegar like a honey balsamic
1 T fine olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
​Whisk dressing and add to fennel, radishes and cilantro. Can let sit for several hours to create more of a pickled salad, or serve right away for something crisp and fresh.
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Farmer's Market Gems Put a Greek Twist on the Classics.

6/23/2016

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It's not always easy being original. You know that deciding what to make is  about being inspired by ingredients around you. And you can't always be inspired standing in front of the oven thinking, "I should clean this thing...." You have to get out and smell the produce! 

It all started at the @waxhawfarmersmarket this last weekend. Arriving at 12:45 p.m., just 15 minutes before they rolled up the proverbial green carpet, I found little left to plunder. Then they appeared. These little oblong jewels: Roma green tomatoes. I love fried green tomatoes and wouldn't these things make the cutest little southern medallions? So I bought them. A LOT of them...along with a HUGE bag of fingerling potatoes, some fresh herbs and some fabulous granola. YUM.
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Then it happened. While strolling out of the market I saw the booth for Olive Crate oils and vinegars. We all know I NEVER pass up an opportunity to taste fine oils and vinegars, not to mention the most fragrant Greek dried oregano. Wow, was it an experience!!! Then, while dribbling oil on my chin I became best-est-est friends with Dimitri, who is from Greece, and he told me about the six generations of olive oil manufacturing, and we tried all the flavors, and we talked about cooking, and I told him I have a blog, and, and, and, we started to just go crazy with ideas!!!!!

I have one question: Why haven't I found these guys BEFORE? (Yes, I was probably at home cleaning the oven. Hah!) 

​Lucky for me, and for you if you're ever at my table, I did find them. And I was so excited to create not only these beautiful Fried Green Tomatoes with Oregano, Drizzled with Olive Crate's Honey Balsamic Vinegar then sprinkled with Paprika Cayenne Cashews, (above,) but an entire menu using two of their fine products. 
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Yes, those eggs look good, right? This was just the perfect thing to FINISH with a drizzle of their Kores Estate Late Harvest Extra Virgin Olive oil. OH. MY. GOODNESS. SO. GOOD.

So first there's the obvious choice: What to slather on my baking dish before pouring the egg mixture into it to bake in the oven. It elevated my fine mild italian sausage, sweet yellow peppers, and fresh basil to a decadent and creamy level; made even more fluffy by taking some of the egg whites and whipping them. I was really pleased with it, and I thought the neighbors were going to come rescue us I was moaning SO LOUD. 

And don't think you I can't bake with fine olive oil! I combined candied ginger, brown sugar and used the Kores Estate oil to make these AMAZINGLY moist muffins you see next. 

If I'm ever on death row, (of which the chances increase the older I get and the more I come close to going postal,) PLEASE serve me these muffins.
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It was hard not to just eat every single one! See how puffy and beautiful they are?
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You can only imagine how many other things I will make with these oils and vinegars. And the next Farmer's Market is right around the corner. Dimitri, here I come!

RECIPE: Fried Green Roma Tomatoes with Greek Oregano,
​Honey Balsamic and Cayenne Cashews

Serves 6 / Click here for Printable Version
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  • Ingredients
  • Method
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  6 green Roma* tomatoes (or regular sized green tomatoes)
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C plain bread crumbs
2 eggs whisked until smooth
2 T Olive Crate™ Greek Oregano
3 + T of light oil, like canola
1 t kosher salt
½ t fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 C salted cashews chopped into various small sizes
¼ t cayenne pepper
¼ t paprika powder
2 t white sugar
Drizzle generously with Olive Crate™ Honey Balsamic Vinegar
Flat leaf parsley for garnish 
Chop the cashews into small pieces, leaving some large and other very small. The varying size makes the dish look prettier. Add the paprika, cayenne, and sugar, stir and set aside.
 
Slice the tomatoes into ½ inch slices. Make sure they’re patted dry. You’ll need three bowls: Blend the oregano in the first bowl with the bread crumbs, then blend the salt and pepper with the flour in a second bowl, and then a third bowl for the eggs. Heat a large saucepan to hot and add oil. Reduce heat to medium. Working quickly, dip the slices first into the flour mixture, then the egg, then the bread crumbs, pushing the bread crumbs into the egg/flour mixture. Set in hot oil and cook about 1 minute or less on each side until the breading is nice and dark brown and crispy. May need to do in two batches. If your oil gets too dark, wipe out and start again with new oil for the second batch. However…a good Southern Fried Green Tomato is not blonde. It is dark! Remove and drain on a paper towel. Can be served room temperature, in fact they’re better that way. Arrange on a plate, sprinkle with the cayenne cashews, drizzle a generous amount of the honey balsamic and garnish with the parsley. All I can say is, “delizioso, y’all!”
 
*Roma tomatoes are the oblong version and just a bit less bitter than regular tomatoes. Plus the size is simply charming! Little fried green tomato medallions!
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RECIPE: Ginger Brown Sugar Muffins

Makes 12 regular sized muffins / Click here for printable version
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  •  Ingredients
  • Method
  • Serving Tips
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2 C all-purpose flour
½ C sugar
¼ C light brown sugar
¼ C finely chopped candied ginger
1 t ginger powder
½ t allspice
½ t cinnamon
1 t kosher salt
1 heaping T baking powder
½ t baking soda
1 egg
1 C less 2 T heavy cream
½ C water
1 ½ t vanilla extract
¼ C Kores Olive Crate™ olive oil
Raw sugar for dusting
Butter for greasing muffin tin
Butter the insides of the muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
 
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and the other dry ingredients down to the baking soda. Blend well. In another bowl, add the egg first and whisk it well, then add the cream, water, vanilla, and olive oil to the egg. Mix all of that together blending very well. Add that to the flour mixture and mix with a large spoon ONLY until all combined. DO NOT OVERMIX.
 
Divide batter evenly into the 12 muffin openings. Sprinkle generously with raw sugar. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool in the muffin pan for about 10 minutes, then remove and enjoy!
​
SERVING TIPS: Make these in a loaf pan for a great gift. Or as mini muffins for fun. These are amazing eaten with just good quality butter, or you can serve it with fruit compote and whipped cream for a dessert. Or just a simple bit of fresh herbs for a decadent and grown-up treat with a lovely dessert wine.
 
*The use of this olive oil gave these muffins a velvety and moist feel and an undetectable but perfectly rounded flavor. This oil is mild and slightly grassy, and perfect for baking!
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A Peach of a Dish, that's Mint to Be: Check out All the Ingredients in my Fusion Flavors recipe for Moroccan Stir-Fry!

6/17/2016

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I love summer fruit, especially stone fruit, especially peaches, especially....a...lot. And when I'm done adding them to muffins, or cooking them into jam, or ladling a puree of them into a frosting, I simply must find a way to put them into a savory dish. When I'm thinking of ways to match flavors that seem at odds, (although fruit is the ULTIMATE flavor bridge for savory dishes!) I look to some of the Mediterranean flavors for cues to deliciousness.

​This one was a true match made in heaven...or in the orchard I suppose.
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The best kind of magic happens when a marinade is perfect. And this one did the trick. By putting the tender steak pieces in with lemon, onion, red wine vinegar, oil and lots of Moroccan seasoning blend, the meat was infused with flavor. Then I stir fried the usual suspects of pepper and onion, but added peaches, raisins and mint to the fragrant medley.
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Further enhancing the tanginess of the meal, I created a sauce that was simply a blend of fig balsamic vinegar and honey, and finished it all with a bit of parsley. I couldn't wait to dig into it!
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The best thing to soak up all this Moroccan flavor and juices is good white rice. I amped it up by stirring in copious amounts of smoky paprika. It added a bit of tint, and a lot of heat. What I was most happy about is that all the flavors created were brand new. Nothing popped out as being overwhelming. Just all perfect together. It was truly "peachy." And for sure, "mint" to be.
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RECIPE: Moroccan Stir Fry with Peaches and Mint

Serves 4 / Click here for printable version.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
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2 small lemons, cut
½ white onion cut into chunks
3 t Moroccan seasoning blend
¼ C red wine vinegar
¼ C + 2 T canola oil divided
1 lb tender beef sirloin, cut into strips
1 medium green pepper cut into thin strips
½ c white onion cut into thin strips
3 peaches peeled and cut into 1 inch slices
1/3 C raisins
2 T mint finely chopped
3 T Italian flat leaf parsley chopped
1/8 C fig balsamic vinegar or sweet balsamic vinegar
2 T honey
Salt and pepper
2 ½ C cooked jasmine rice
1 t paprika
​Put beef in a gallon sized zip-lock bag with the red wine vinegar, the chopped lemons, the chopped onion, the Moroccan seasoning, a little salt and pepper. Massage to get the liquid marinade all over beef. Let marinate for up to 4 hours. You can do on countertop for about 2 hours. If you do in the fridge, let the meat reach room temperature before cooking. When removing, just take out beef and discard marinade.
 
Put rice in water, let come to boil, cover and reduce heat to the lowest setting and let cook for 20 minutes. While rice is cooking, heat a large saucepan with 1 T oil. Add the green pepper, onion and raisins. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook until the raisins are almost soft. Add the peaches and cook on high until the peaches are a little charred and the onions are soft.  Remove contents and put on a plate, covered.
 
Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the beef. Sear until beef is medium rare. Add the vegetables and peaches back in to the pan with the meat, and the mint, and sauté for about 2 more minutes, being careful not to overcook the beef. Now add the balsamic honey mixture which you have combined in a small dish. Toss to coat, heat through, add about 1 T of the parsley, stir, and then serve over the rice which you have combined with the paprika. Garnish with the rest of the parsley. 
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This Frittata is EGGS-actly what Dad Wants on Father's Day -  Even his Waistline Won't Be Compromised.

6/17/2016

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MMMMOIST.    CREAAAMMMMY.    CHEEEESY. 

With just three simple words, it would seem that skinny jeans are suddenly out of the question. That a two piece bathing suit would be outlawed. And having only one chin? A thing of the past. But I say that good food and a good figure can go hand in hand. With only 368 calories per serving*, you can be sure this is an EGG-cellent choice for Dad, for anyone. Let's add another word to our descriptive list:

​YESSSSSSS!!!!
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Just the right amount of moist yumminess is obtained by stuffing lots of fresh zucchini and yellow squash amid good, lean sausage and a bit of silky Gruyere cheese. - Below you'll see how beautifully browned and finished the frittata is when it comes out of the oven. In less than 20 minutes, you're in heaven!
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Add a few berries in lieu of syrup or other topping and it is not only healthy, but pretty!
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*Calories are only an estimate based on cursory research. For actual caloric content please consult your own research.
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I'm loving the sheen of the cheese, and the crust of the eggs. Fresh rosemary, right from the garden is what sets this apart from all other egg-stravaganza recipes!
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Go ahead. Turn the oven on. Whisk those eggs. Give Dad what he deserves! #fathersday2016

RECIPE: Squash, Sausage and Gruyere Frittata

Serves 6 / Click here for printable version.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
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​ 8 eggs
1 C yellow squash diced small
1 C zucchini squash diced small
¼ C thinly sliced white onion
1/3 C heavy cream
¼ t kosher salt
¼ t black pepper
½ t fennel salt
2 t fresh rosemary chopped finely
½ lb mild Italian sausage, removed from casings and browned
½ C grated gruyere cheese
3 T butter
Parsley to garnish
​Brown the sausage and set aside. Whisk together the eggs, cream, salts, and rosemary. In an 8 inch oven safe sauté pan, melt the 3 T butter. Add the squash and onion and sauté on medium until soft, about 4 minutes. Add in the cooked sausage and rewarm if it had cooled. Now add the egg mixture. Don’t stir, just move the pan back and forth a bit for everything to settle. Sprinkle with the gruyere cheese. Let sit on the stove on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, just to set the outside and bottom. Put in a 400 degree oven for about 12-15 minutes, until sides are lightly browned and middle is set. Serve with a garnish of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.
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Work all day, Blog all night. A girl needs a nourishing meal!

6/11/2016

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,I'm getting closer. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...or shall we say the oven light at the end of the hallway? Either way, I am determined that someday I will make my money cooking, and also teaching and writing about food. But until then, the cooking and blogging are relegated to the evening, after I am done with my work as a Brand Therapist and Communications Consultant. I love what I do. I love it a lot! But cooking is quickly taking the top spot in my heart.

Case in point. Here it sit at 10:30 pm on a Saturday night, updating recipes I've created during the week, adjusting and enhancing photos for Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and organizing new content while friends are out enjoying a summer evening. But I wouldn't have it any other way!
HOWEVER. Sooner or later I run out of steam. And even my stomach growls a bit for something comforting and quick. Yep, a girl's gotta eat. So here's another of my quick and yummy dinners to keep us both going long into the night.
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You know the grill is your best friend. But so is a TASTY sauce. This one takes simple pineapple, pineapple juice, raisins and other assorted Asian inspired ingredients and turns it into a velvety, spicy glaze. Your pork will actually sing for it. And it's the perfect accompaniment to this popular white meat. Full of heat, balanced with sweetness and a sour, and finished with a sprinkling of fresh mint to offset the acidic and earthy depths of the sesame oil, it's work putting your mouse down for a few bites!
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Those other colorful elements are just as satisfying. A quick blanched green bean salad makes it pretty, but my roasted sweet potatoes with a tequila honey glaze make it unforgettable. The glaze pairs perfectly with the sweet potato's gentle, yielding texture and almost dessert-like character. Try it when you don't have much time, but want to impress those who may question just how much magic you can do in the kitchen! 
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The point is, never stop feeding  your passion.  -- Or your appetite!

RECIPE: Grilled Pork Loin with a Pineapple Sesame Reduction and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tequila Honey Glaze.

Serves 4 / Click here for printable version of Pork / Click here for printable version of Sweet Potatoes.
  • Ingredients for Pork
  • Method for Pork
  • Recipe for Sweet Potatoes
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PREP FOR PORK:
4, 4 ounce boneless pork loins
2 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 t salt, ¼ t black pepper
 
REDUCTION:
12 ounces of pineapple juice
1 ½ C fresh pineapple chunks
1/3 C golden raisins
2 T chopped candied ginger
3 T soy sauce
½ t sesame oil
1 T rice wine vinegar
½ t hot chili flakes
1/4 t coriander powder
¼ t allspice
1 T corn starch
2 T chopped fresh mint to garnish
​Rub loins with the oil, balsamic and salt and pepper. Let rise to room temperature before grilling. Grill to medium rare. Let rest for 5 minutes covered with foil.
 
In a saucepan mix the reduction ingredients and bring to a boil. Take off the heat, whisk in the corn starch and stir to thicken. Serve over the grilled pork loin chops. Garnish with the mint.
​Roasted Sweet Potatoes  
With a Tequila Honey Glaze
Camine Pappas / June 2016 / Serves 4
 
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium sweet potatoes peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
2 T olive oil
2 T fig vinegar
1 t salt and 1/8 t pepper
Pinch of allspice
¼ C honey
2 T tequila
Fresh mint to garnish
 
DIRECTIONS:
Toss pieces of sweet potato in the oil, balsamic, salt and allspice. Roast in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 35 minutes, or until tender. Mix the tequila and honey together and pour that mixture over cooked potatoes that have been put in a large metal bowl. Serve with a sprinkling of fresh mint.
 
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Cake + Fruit = An Excuse to Indulge!!!

6/8/2016

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There's a serving of fruit in this dessert. I'm not lying. It's in there...juicy, sweet, and healthy. Oh, sure. Give me a bad time because all you can see is that glistening frosting and those dancing pecans....It's THERE! Well, maybe underneath about a million calories of other stuff, like sugar. I'm just saying, what is your point?

Sometimes we do that, don't we? Find a way to rationalize our way into eating dessert? Well, this recipe gives you that nudge you need to take a giant bite without 100% of the guilt afterwards.

It's really simple actually. By including some orange zest, orange juice, and your favorite fruit, your cake is gonna be "lick-the-plate" amazing!!!
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The truth is, I'm in LOVE with baking. Once I realized that measuring things did NOT frustrate my creative juices, I was in heaven. This cake uses a basic recipe I created that is so easy, and can showcase most any fruit. Today it is nectarines. And you won't believe how much you love it. I created it to serve as a birthday cake because as long as you put candles in it and sing while the celebrant makes a wish, and blows out the flame, it IS a birthday cake.
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Loaded to the brim with yummy sweet things like orange zest, golden raisins, and a buttercream frosting that starts with fruit puree, every bite pops in your mouth with excitement and promise.
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It was hard to get a shot that didn't include my slobber and tongue marks ALL OVER this gem.
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All you need is a chain and a clasp and this dessert could qualify for bling around your neck! (Never mind that a bit of it might end up on your hips...we don't talk about that. No we don't.)
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It's actually gorgeous before you even frost it. But I couldn't help myself!
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I'm kinda in love with how it looks. And tastes! Mix and then make your journey to fruit Nirvana!
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RECIPE: Nectarine Golden Raisin Spice Cake
​with Nectarine Puree Buttercream Frosting

Serves 8 / Click here for Printable Version
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  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Nectarine Puree Buttercream Frosting
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​ 1 ½ C all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
½ t cinnamon
¼ brown sugar
¼ C white sugar
½ t kosher salt
1 egg, beaten
3 T butter melted plus more for greasing
2 t vanilla extract
3/4 C less 1 T milk or heavy cream
Zest from one orange
2 T fresh squeezed orange juice
Heaping 1/3 C golden raisins
1 C peeled and diced ripe Nectarine
​Butter the bottom of a 10 inch round metal cake pan. Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, brown sugar, white sugar and kosher salt in one bowl, stir with fork to incorporate. In another bowl combine the beaten egg, milk, vanilla, orange zest, orange juice and melted butter that has cooled a bit. Pour the wet into the dry and stir just until incorporated. Gently fold in the nectarines and raisins until blended. Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 35 minutes. Done when edges begin to pull from sides and the cake is browned. Let cool for about 15 minutes, invert onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Frost the cooled cake. Can be done the day before. Does not need refrigeration for just 1 overnight, however you should refrigerate the leftovers after serving for up to 2 days.
​Frosting: 1 nectarine, peeled and pureed smooth. ½ C of salted butter, 1 t kosher salt, ½ t cinnamon, ½ t vanilla and about 3 C of powdered sugar, or what is needed for spreading consistency. Use an electric mixer to combine all ingredients, starting by creaming the butter, vanilla, salt and puree, then adding the powdered sugar a little at a time, for best results.
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Four Dinners That Satisfy, and Why it YOU Should Know It Can TASTE AMAZING!

6/8/2016

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I should begin with this alert:  I am toting a serious soap box in this blog post, so beware the roaring culineer!!!

That said, I was in Sam's Club yesterday. And I just don't know what to say. I used to be turned off by 5 pound jars of mayonnaise even when everyone around me was singing the praises of LARGE equals GOOD. Now I'm just turned off altogether. Is this bashing? No. Is this an honest opinion by someone who, over the course of refining my cooking techniques over the last few years has reached a point where I am almost sickened by what we pass off as food? 

YES.

Why? Because someone is fooling you into thinking your lives are complete WITHOUT it. By relegating nourishment to the basement of your priority list, you're depriving yourself of something so wonderful. ​
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Just a gorgeous picture of me making a Mediterranean Meatloaf. Pretty, huh?

​You have five senses. So do I. Some folks have perhaps lost the use of theirs, which is not the case for most of us. We just choose not to use them. It's like we are all morphing into creatures who can only taste salty and sweet. I'm just wondering why TASTE and QUALITY got trampled along with bell bottoms and rotary phones back in the 70's? We have all seen the charts. We spend less of our earned living on food today than 50 years ago. And in America, where food is plentiful, we still go for big, puffed up, sugary fillers instead of choosing to explore the most rewarding adventure of all: REAL FOOD. 

I get it. We turned the tide on civilization when food became easy to grow, distribute and buy. We saved countless people from starvation and helped entire countries create economies that allowed them access to better education, healthcare and the opportunity for peaceful lives. But somewhere along the way we started caring more about the quality of gas for our cars as opposed to the quality of food that goes into our bodies. We started feeling like if we could get dinner for $1, why on earth should we pay $20? And while there is certainly an argument to be made that expensive is not always good, why not use a different benchmark, if you can, to calculate what your own body is worth?

Hmmm. Let me just show you with pictures. Which of course come with recipes. Because that's what I do. And to get them you have to read a little editorial. But I will make sure I give you some tips along with the raving and ranting. Deal? And you? You will promise to try something new and give those two senses, SMELL and TASTE a little more excitement and reward than usual?

​Excellent. I feel MUUUUCH better now.

So enjoy these four main dish recipes from someone who wishes I was COOKING THEM FOR YOU!

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The quintessential chicken dinner. Except that everything is prepared by your hands. And although it is tempting to buy that $4.99 rotisserie chicken, how about just this once you spend $10 on one without hormones and see what real chicken is supposed to taste like? YOU'LL be hooked. I promise.

RECIPE: Easy Roasted Chicken with Herbs

  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Side Dishes
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1 6 lb chicken, preferably organic or cage free.
1/2 white onion
1 lemon, quartered
4 T olive oil
salt and pepper
sprigs of thyme and rosemary
1 head of garlic, top trimmed and extra layers discarded
4 C good chicken stock. Use your own if you have it! SO MUCH BETTER!
You can use 1 C of white wine and 3 C water as well.
Although this is debated, I choose to rinse my chicken thoroughly removing any gizzards that may be included. Please, be careful about where your water splatters, and blot the chicken dry with paper towels. Thoroughly clean and dry your surface after cleaning.

Rub external skin with the olive oil and salt and pepper. One word, here: GENEROUSLY. Including a little salt and pepper inside, too. Then cut the onion into small chunks and stuff into the cavity of the bird along with the onion, garlic, lemon and herbs. 

Put in a large dutch oven, with a tight fitting lid. Roast at 300 degrees F for 4 hours. When done simply watch the meat fall off the bone!
I mean, what doesn't go with chicken? I know, trick questions. Here's what I served with it:
1. Cook 1 C of white jasmine rice according to package directions using chicken stock. Add 1/4 T tumeric, 1/4 t coriander, 1/8 C sliced white onion. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cut up 4 C broccoli, 1/2 red pepper, 1/3 C craisins, and 1/4 C yellow onion. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, a pinch of allspice, a pinch of curry powder, zest from one orange. Roast until perfectly irresistible.

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You know why I posted this....because Chinese Chicken Salad with your own roasted chicken is simply the ASIAN Bomb!!!! By the way, those aren't tongs. I eat it in giant bites! Hahah!!!

RECIPE: Classic Chinese Chicken Salad

Served 4-6 / Click here for printable version.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
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​ 1 small head of green cabbage, sliced thinly
1 large red pepper, chopped into small chunks
1/3 C slivered almonds
2 green onions, chopped
¾ C fresh cilantro chopped
1 ½ C chicken, chopped (I used left over roasted chicken. It’s the only way to go!)
DRESSING:
¼ C rice wine vinegar
1/8 C soy sauce
Just slightly less than ¼ C mild oil, like canola
½ t sesame oil
Salt and pepper
1 T sugar
Okay, read closely. I know there are a LOT of directions here:

Mix dressing and set aside, combine all other ingredients, toss with dressing, serve.

​YUM!

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I cheated. It's called "bacon glaze." And it is to die for. It tastes like candied bacon. Really! And since I wanted to try it on, of all things, salmon, I used it even though it came from a jar. It was organic, y'all! Plus, those brussel sprouts? They're roasted with apples. And that is amazing, too. And that pickled red onion on top? Well, you're gonna want to eat that first.

RECIPE: Bacon Glazed Salmon with Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Mashed New Potatoes.

  • Ingredients
  • Method
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Roasted Brussel Sprouts
<
>
Salmon filets for each person, assuming this is a dinner for 4.
6 medium new potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks.
1 head of garlic
4 T olive oil
1/4 C heavy cream
3 T butter
salt and pepper
4 C Brussel Sprouts, bottoms trimmed off and cut in half
1 large Fuji apple, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 C red onion, sliced thinly
2 T honey
Flat leaf parsley to garnish

Rub each salmon filet with a little olive oil, and the sprinkle the tops generously with bacon glaze. You can also candy real bacon, cut into small chunks and use with a good lemon pepper. Roast in a shallow baking pan on 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
Cut top off of garlic head revealing the open cloves, then pour a slight amount of oil into the center, fold in foil, and roast in a 375 degree F oven for about 40 minutes. Let cool, squeeze out the roasted cloves, mash. Cook the potatoes until soft. Drain the water. Add the mashed garlic, 3 T butter, the heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste. Rough mash with a big fork until it's the right lumpiness and all the ingredients are incorporated.
Toss the apples, sprouts, onion, seasonings, honey and about 2 T olive oil. Spread out on sheet pan and roast for about 40 minutes on 375 degrees F until sprouts are tender!

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This comfort food dinner thing was taking on a life of it's own! Seriously fun stuff and sooooo easy. Here's the stuffed peppers that got RAVE reviews!
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RECIPE: Italian Stuffed Peppers with Tomatoes and Rice.

Serves 6 / Click here for printable version
  • Ingredients
  • Method
<
>
​6 yellow or orange peppers
1 lb ground mild Italian sausage
1 lb 92% lean ground beef
Handful of fresh oregano
3 T of fresh oregano
1 T of fresh rosemary, chopped
1 egg
¼ C heavy cream
¼ C plain bread crumbs
1/3 C sweet white onion, chopped
½ C grated parmesan cheese
Zest from one lemon
Kosher Salt and pepper
½ lb mozzarella cheese grated
3 T olive oil
1 t paprika
1 T butter for greasing baking dish
SAUCE:
2 15 ounce (or that appx size) cans of basil and oregano flavored diced tomatoes
1/3 C tomato sauce
1 T fresh oregano
​Cut the tops off the peppers and dig out the white pith in each one. Make a cut on the bottom to flatten the pepper being careful not to cut so deep you cut through and open the pepper so it has no bottom. Put in a large baking dish that has the bottom lightly buttered.
 
Grate the cheese and set aside. Put the two cans of tomatoes and the tomato sauce in a saucepan along with the 1 T fresh oregano. Bring to simmer and cook for 10 minutes, cover and keep warm.
 
In another large bowl combine the sausage all the way through the salt and pepper. Blend with hands, divide and fill each of the peppers with the meat mixture all the way to the top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle paprika on top. Cook in a 400 degree F oven for about 40 minutes. Top each with about 1/3 C mozzarella cheese and return to oven with broiler on. Cook until the cheese is melted and begins to bubble. Serve over rice, and ladle the tomato mixture on top.
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Coming Home to Cook. (Showcasing Desserts that Dazzled!)

6/6/2016

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PictureThe Cache Valley in Northern Utah is quite simply one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

Lately, and with increasing frequency, I am noticing that the passage of time has been amped up to warp speed. Days turn into weeks. Weeks turn into Months. And months turn into, well, let's just say I am now coloring my hair every 25 days. YIKES!


But there is always the ability to come home to a place where, it seems, time stops. Creeping with an odd familiarity, and reminding us of our roots, our mistakes and our successes, it is the anchor point for relinquishing the hurriedness and the hardship. However, the opposite of this is when we come for an event, such as the wedding of my niece that brings us to this place. Then when I hug cousins and sisters and nieces and nephews I feel old. Gray hair showing or not.


Mmmm. Strawberry season yields such lovely results. With a crust of sugary puffed rice cereal and butter the layers of custardy tart cream and peanut butter are topped with homemade strawberry jam, courtesy of my mother Lenis and her husband Ted. 
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RECIPE: Peanut Butter Mousse with a Sugary Puffed Rice Crust

Makes 4 servings - Click here for printable version.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
<
>
​ 2 of 5.3 ounce containers plain Greek yogurt, or that approximate size. Low fat is fine as well as the regular yogurt
½ C creamy peanut butter
1 C heavy whipping cream whipped
½ C sugar
2 t vanilla
1/8 t ground allspice
4 T unsalted butter melted
2 C Sugar Smacks™ cereal
¼ C jam
​Using a small food chopper, process the cereal until the consistency of chunky bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and combine, then press into the bottom of 4 parfait cups.
 
Measure out the 1 C of heavy cream and beat to soft peaks. Then add ¼ C of the sugar and 1 t vanilla. Whip again until stiff peaks. In another bowl, blend the yogurt, peanut butter, ¼ C sugar and 1 t vanilla. Using a whisk, blend until all is very creamy and incorporated. Now add the allspice and blend. Then, using a spatula, carefully fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Spoon each serving onto the Sugar Smacks crust and swirl tops. Chill until ready to serve and top with your favorite jam and a sprinkling of whole Sugar Smacks.

"How do you cook with figs?" My mother asked. "With abandon!" I respond.
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RECIPE: Pineapple Fig Puff Pastry Hand Pies.

Makes 9 - Click here for printable version.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
<
>
​ 1 sheet of Pepperidge Farms puff pastry
1 ½ C dried mission figs, chopped
1 ½ C fresh pineapple cut into small chunks
3 T white sugar
2 t vanilla extract
¼ t ground ginger powder
¼ t cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
Extra white sugar 
​Mix the figs, pineapple, sugar, vanilla, ginger and cinnamon. Roll out the puff pastry sheet into a 12 inch square. Cut into 9 equal squares. Place 1/3 C of the fruit mixture in the center of each square. Brush the edges with the beaten egg, and fold over the seal the hand pies. Brush each with more of the egg wash, and sprinkle the sugar on top. Cook for 20 minutes on 400 degrees Fahrenheit or until browned and bubbly.
 
If desired, top the hand pies with a mixture of 4 ounces cream cheese and ½ C peach syrup blended

There's only one thing to do on a Sunday night. Make cake! Spicy, smooth, punctuated with the moist flavor of ripe pears and tangy raisins, not to mention lovely to look at, these little sweet desserts are the BOMB with homemade caramel and ice cream. 
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RECIPE: Pear Raisin Spice Cake with Caramel Sauce

Makes 4 large or 8 small cakes - Click here for printable version.
  • Ingredients
  • Method
<
>
​ 1 ½ C all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
½ t cinnamon
¼ brown sugar
¼ C white sugar
½ t kosher salt
1 egg, beaten
3 T butter melted plus more for greasing
2 t vanilla extract
½ C plus 2 T milk (1% is fine)
Zest from one orange
2 T fresh squeezed orange juice
Heaping 1/3 C raisins
Heaping 1/3 C diced ripe Bartlett pear
​Butter the bottom, insides and lip of the ramekins. Mix the flour down to the kosher salt in one bowl, stir with fork to incorporate. In another bowl combine the beaten egg, milk, vanilla, orange zest, orange juice and melted butter that has cooled a bit. Pour the wet into the dry and stir just until incorporated. Gently fold in the pears and raisins. Divide batter into the ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish and fill with ½ inch water up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 35-40 minutes. Done when edges begin to pull from sides and the cakes are browned. The smaller the ramekin, the faster they’ll cook!
 
Serve with ice cream and caramel sauce!
 
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    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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