There are places we feel most ourselves. Places that bring out the best in us, that are resonant with simplicity and honesty. Perhaps it's holding a baton in one's hands that bring us to a place where our souls are soaring. Maybe it is in the garden surrounded by earth and mulch. Or maybe it is singing loudly that makes us feel alive. All of these things we choose because we have a PASSION for them. And although they may not bring us riches or fame, (yet!) they fill us with joy. That is how cooking is for me. I once heard a chef say that you can teach skills, but you can't teach someone how to taste. And I feel that is true. I am always absorbing myself in videos to learn how to handle bread dough and to understand the many, many steps required to make as aspic. But without even a cheat sheet in front of me I can walk the aisles of a food market and choose various items of differing flavors and I KNOW it will produce a fantastic meal. I "know" what coriander tastes like. I "know" what fresh thyme smells like. And I "know" how cardamom feels in your mouth; an almost heady and hot sensation as the aroma creeps into the highest part of your sinuses. These recipes are all lovingly created so that the flavors meld beautifully. It will be a feast for the senses, it will nourish you, and it will make any summer day that much more beautiful. And when you try these recipes, I hope you will love them, too. Here are two easy and healthy recipes that are also beautiful to the eye:RECIPE: Pan Seared Pork Loin over Roasted Butternut Squash with Garlic Wilted Spinach |
Carolina summers are wrapped in moist and sticky mornings, and decorated by the explosion of blossoms on Crepe Myrtle trees. There are lizards jumping along sagging Kudzu vines, marsh birds stepping through the shallow waters of high tide, and butterflies are everywhere. |
I don't ride in the back of a station wagon any more. And I miss giggling with my sisters. And while I'm not fond of sand in my git-a-long, I will still gather some of the white stuff and sift it through my fingers, always saving some for another day.
RECIPE: Baked Halibut with Bing Cherry Shallot Sauce,
and Sea Salt Roasted Zucchini
-
Ingredients
-
Method
3 T light olive oil
3-4 t sea salt
1 t cracked black pepper
Sprigs of fresh thyme
1 T honey
Zest of 1 lemon
2 t fresh lemon juice
½ small shallot, sliced thinly
1 ½ C Bing cherries, pitted and sliced into chunks
¼ C honey balsamic (recommend Olive Crate’s brand)
2 large zucchini sliced into ¾ inch slices
Arrange fish in roasting dish, rub with about 2 t olive oil, and sprinkle with remaining sea salt and pepper. Lay a small slice of lemon on each filet, and the sprigs of thyme. Roast in a 450 degree oven for about8-10 minutes.
Place zucchini on a large baking sheet. Toss with a bit of the oil and sea salt, being generous with salt. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.
Serve sauce over fish, and with roasted zucchini.
RECIPE: Oregano Crusted Baked Chicken over Pasta
with Roasted Peppers and Artichoke Hearts
with a Champagne Vinaigrette
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Ingredients
-
Method
3-4 C cooked pasta (or more if you desire)
1 C bottled marinated artichoke hearts
1 large yellow pepper
10 San Marzano tomatoes halves
¼ white sweet onion sliced
½ C plain breadcrumbs
1 t dried oregano
¼ C champagne vinegar
Squirt of yellow mustard
3 T light oil
¼ C fresh grated parmesan cheese
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T unsalted butter
On a large baking sheet toss the cut tomatoes, onion and pepper with a little oil and some salt. Spread out on pan and nestle thyme leaves around and on the vegetables. Roast on 425 for about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the champagne vinegar, 2 T of the oil, a bit of salt and pepper and a squirt of yellow mustard. Whisk to incorporate and set aside.
In a small square glass baking dish, coat the bottom with about 1 T of light oil and spread around. Arrange chicken in dish and sprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs, the dried oregano and then generously salt and pepper the breasts. Roast at 375 for about 35 minutes or until internal temperature is 170 degrees F.
To plate, toss the al dente pasta with the vegetables, discarding the thyme. Then add the bottle of artichoke hearts with liquid, and the parmesan cheese. Toss well. Place a helping in a pasta bowl, nest a cooked portion of chicken on top, drizzle with the vinaigrette. Serve.
In fact many things that are meant to be over quickly ARE MOST DECIDEDLY NOT.
For instance, mammograms: Like time standing still. Waiting for the light to turn green: Might as well knit a sweater. And making it through Thursday: Epic in it's scale of sluggishness.
So, given these examples of time warping, I submit there is only one way to make the leap past Thursday, and that is with a good, hot, rich and spicy sauce so it carries you through with a smile.
Okay, we're almost there. Add a few stalks of beautiful purple asparagus, and some salty peanuts, and you have created a Camine Bling Meal in no time.
Roasted Chicken Thighs
with Thai Peanut Sauce over Lavender Couscous
and Purple Asparagus.
-
Ingredients
-
Method
-
Side Dish Secrets
6 large purple asparagus stalks, cut lengthwise
1/3 C Trader Joe’s Soyaki Marinade
3-4 T soy sauce
1 ½ T Sriracha sauce (can add more if desired for more heat!)
2 T honey
A heaping T peanut butter (I used creamy, you can use chunky if you prefer)
2-3 T sea salt
¼ t black cracked pepper
2-3 T light oil
4 T chopped salted peanuts
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro
To serve, mound a serving of the lavender couscous on a plate, place a thigh on the top, and then arrange a few stalks of the asparagus on top of that. Ladle sauce over it, sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.
Watch my short video about getting comfy in the kitchen.
Click the image to buy the book!
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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