Kalamata Olive Spaghettini with Tomatoes, Feta and Mint and Game of Thrones S’mores with #braingoals and #joygoals

Well we are delighted to have a new bully in the house. Meet Fats Domino, rescue bully from the New Orleans Bulldog Rescue, the perfect partner to our rescue hound, Kermit Ruffins. Just in time for Jazz Fest we have some new sound in the house—a choir of baying and snuffle snores. With the chickens clucking out back, call us a farmhouse Brady Bunch.

A friend sent me an ad for goats this week, and I honestly considered it. Let’s see if I can get the garden to put out some produce before inviting in more hungry mouths. Maybe a beehive is next?

Since we have been working on training and discipline with these two funny buddies, I am all about easy cooking. This recipe for a simple Grecian pasta is the most delicious and speedy one-pot delight. You can have it ready in a good 25 minutes. Just the right tinge of brine.

Spaghettini with Tomatoes with Kalamata Olives Feta Mint

Adapted from Food and Wine

1 1/4 pounds multicolored cherry or grape tomatoes

12 ounce uncooked thin spaghetti (spaghettini) (I make my own fresh because it tastes so much better!!)

2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups water, plus more

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3/4 cup pitted Alive and Well kalamata mother brined olives, gently smashed

1/4 teaspoon black pepper 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh oregano leaves

1/4 cup O Meyer Lemon olive oil

Stir together tomatoes, pasta, stock, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, and crushed red pepper in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Crush tomatoes in saucepan using the back of a spoon. Cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and liquid thickens and reduces slightly, about 6 minutes. (If needed, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce reaches desired consistency.)

Stir in olives, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with feta, mint, and oregano; drizzle with oil.

If you are cooking this pasta up on Sunday, consider making some Game of Thrones s’mores for dessert! Our neighborhood (Midcity NOLA, the best) set up a screen outside and we camped out in furs, with folding chairs and bows and arrows, roasting s’mores and toasting to new mottos like, “The dead may never die.”

KP and I have long been fans of using Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups instead of milk chocolate squares. Now we take s’mores to the next level, I have a new favorite, instead of plain graham crackers, try Nairn’s Chocolate oat grahams!

Also tasty is Lekkco Belgian Dark Chocolate spread.

And if after eating a mountain of smores you are feeling some repentant and sluggish chagrin, as we should on Good Friday… take a Voke! Vitamin supplement that is Vitamin C, beetroot, guarana, cherry and green tea caffeine.

“Food for thought” –what a brilliant concept. And since I know y’all probably aren’t shoveling beets and cherries on a daily basis, why not supplement?

#braingoals is the hashtag to go with GOT character Bran. I’ll bet Bran started with Voke. Now, as for Fats Domino, here he is enjoying a yellow snoball. A different take on brain goals. #joygoals

Made in Louisiana – Spring Edition

Springtime in New Orleans is a bright and verdant spectacle. Everyone seems to be in a good mood. It’s French Quarter Fest right now. Jazz Fest is not long after. I’ve been intentionally working on gratitude this year, but the weather and the longer days and the sunshine make it easy these days. Consider my garden, for example. I have four chickens that love to snack on anything I plant in the yard, the more precious and costly, the more tantalizing. Even still, my flowers bravely pop their heads up toward the sun in the shadow of beaks; I say Thank You.

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum hosted the “Made in Louisiana” exhibit last weekend, and I am dazzled and inspired to meet new local talent in the foodie-verse.

Here are my favorites:

Robin’s Rockin Cajun Pepper Jam. My favorite was the Apple Bacon Pepper Jelly.

Leisuremann’s dry powder cocktail mixers. Great for camping!

Supereats Puffs. Seriously, every flavor was excellent but truffle rosemary was particularly spectacular.

Seven Three Distillery on Claiborne Ave has delicious local gin and vodka, and a beautiful tasting room!

In the New Orleans Bake This Day kitchen, we have been enjoying porridge breads of late. Here is my favorite oat bread.

Tartine Oat Porridge Bread

Adapted from Tartine Book No 3

Wheat flour 500 g

All purpose flour 500 g

Wheat bran 70 g

Water 750 g

Sourdough starter 150 g

Sea salt 25 g

Cooked oat porridge* 500 g

Podor almond oil 50 g

*How to make oat porridge

Combine oat grains in a three to one ratio (I used 750 g of water to 250 g Flahavans Rolled Oats grains) and stir. I decided to pre-ferment my grains with adding 1 TB yogurt to the soaking liquid, and I let it sit, covered overnight. Then I transferred it to the fridge for a few days (because I didn’t have time to get it done), but then took it out, drained off the excess liquid, and cooked on the stove for about fifteen minutes until most of the water had boiled off.

Follow the tartine master method, and after two turns, about 1 hour into the bulk rise, add the oat porridge and almond oil gently by hand until totally incorporated. Follow the tartine method for rising, shaping, and I forgot to coat in oat flakes (wish I had for aesthetics), but is basically breakfast in a slice of toast.

Mocha Overnight Oats

Combine ½ cup Flahavans Rolled Oats with ½ cup milk and ¼ cup Java House Cold Brew coffee. Mix in 1 TB maple syrup (I used Runamok!), 1 tsp cocoa powder and 1 tsp chia seeds, ¼ tsp vanilla. Put in the fridge and let soak overnight (at least 8 hours).

Try this Blueberry Crunch Granola, all made in one bowl and yummy, with milk or on top of Greek yogurt!

Blueberry Crunch Granola

From the PDX Bake This Day kitchen

1/3 cup real maple syrup ( I used Runamok Maple Syrup, cardamom flavored)

1/3 cup brown sugar

4, yes 4, teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup oil, grapeseed or vegetable

5 cups old fashioned raw oats

2 cups dried blueberries

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup chopped raw almonds

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Mix the first four ingredients in a large bowl with a pinch of salt. Add the second four ingredients and mix well. Using a spatula press into a sheet pan lined with parchment.

Bake 20 minutes, turn, and bake another 20 minutes until crispy and brown.

Let cool thoroughly and break into chunks.

Chocolate Cinnamon Almond Loaf Cake, because, Chocolate.

This is a simple post with a simple intention for you on a Friday eve… eat more chocolate. Life is short. And maybe, among the vices, chocolate is the best sin for you. Better than gambling on horses.

Chocolate Cinnamon and Almond Loaf Cake

Adapted from Food and Wine

2 1/2 cups superfine almond meal

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

6 large eggs, separated

1 cup sugar (fancy coconut sugar if you have it)

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/2 cup cooled brewed coffee

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with baking spray and line it with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of overhang on the short sides.

In a medium bowl, whisk the almond meal with the cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon. In a large bowl, whiskthe egg yolks with the coconut sugar, melted butter, coffee and vanilla. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Transfer to a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then unmold and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream with the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon until soft peaks form. Cut the cake into slices and serve with a dollop of the cinnamon cream.

This Lekkco Chocolate Belgian chocolate spread is pretty delicious on toast with peanut butter.

I also want to give a shout out to Kristal Damron, who appears to be a phenomenal woman boss, for her Entertaining and Celebrating book, which is really a coffee table teaser for her website. Gorgeous photography in this book with inspired dishes and table settings–quite and accomplishment by a woman who appears to strive for greatness in every domain of her life. I love the name of her catering company in Arizona, Reward Your Appetite.

Foods for Good Moods Carrot Soup and Apricot Ginger Glazed Brussel Sprouts

In New Orleans, I find that we pivot about Mardi Gras as the rest of the country pivots about New Years. The week after, we reset. I’ve gone back to yoga, to eating salads more days a week than not. I recommitted to self care.

My friend Lucy and I completed the National Women’s Half Marathon for international women’s day. We stayed hydrated with Bolero added to our water. And then we got ready for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade the following weekend.

In my professional opinion, food is fantastic medicine. Our diets are the first places to dial into when looking to look, feel, or think better. Good Mood Food by Charlotte Watts and Natalie Savona is a fantastic tour through general principles of how foods can augment our efforts to improve health.

This carrot soup recipe was in the chapter on Sleep Support, which I definitely needed more of in the days after Mardi Gras, and after the race.

Good Mood Carrot Soup

Adapted from Good Mood Food by Charlotte Watts and Natalie Savona

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 TB O extra virgin olive oil

A few sprigs fresh thyme

1 tsp mustard powder

½ tsp wild onion seeds

1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, grated

2 pinches of salt

Sprinkle of cayenne (or a diced red chili pepper, I like dedo de moca)

Fresh ground black pepper, a few turns

1 liter chicken or vegetable stock

1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

Soften the onion and garlic in a cast iron pan with olive oil and herbs and spices. Add a tablespoon of stock to get the flavors to blend. After 4-5 minutes, add carrots and celery. Add the rest of the stock and bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for 40 minutes. Then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. If you want it a little creamier, add plain Greek yogurt to the desired level of creaminess. Eat, and rest well. Doting hound not included.

In the next section of the book, they recommend also for sleep a turmeric and chamomile hot milk tea. Personally, I have a hard time with the metallic taste of turmeric and can’t do doses greater than ½-1 tsp in my cooking. Boscumin has a turmeric supplement, if you are like me and need to swallow turmeric in a capsule to benefit from it’s anti-inflammatory properties.

Brussel Sprouts with Apricot Ginger Teriyaki Glaze

1 lb brussel sprouts, halved

2 TB Salute Sante grapeseed oil, garlic flavored

2-4 TB Terrapin Apricot Ginger Teriyaki Glaze

Toss brussel sprouts in oil in a bowl and saute in cast iron pan for 10-15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally (but not too much so as to avoid disturbing the formation of fond!) Heat oven to 400 and when the sprouts are browned, transfer to the oven to cook for another 10-15 minutes until soft. Put onto serving plate, and drizzle with the apricot ginger glaze.

And now let’s talk about how to bring a salad to work with you every day. Meal prep real talk. Pick lettuce, or spinach, or kale. Anything you want. Wash it, dry it and tear it up and put in tupperwares the minute you bring it home, and stick in the fridge. Then, on the morning you go to work, throw some walnuts (or whatever kind of nut you like, Fiddyment Farms pistachios!, cashew, almond, pecan) into the salad, and mix up a quick dressing to put into a small 3-4 oz container that can be popped right inside the salad container for easy transport.

Here are my absolute favorites of late:

O olive oils and balsalmics. High quality California Mission olives cold pressed on a family farm with real ingredients. Delicious and fragrant. They claim it tastes great on ice cream. Perhaps I’ll give that a try on my birthday…

3 TB O Basil-infused olive oil

1 TB O fig balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Penzey’s Tuscan Sun seasoning

3 TB O Extra Virgin Premium olive oil

1 TB O oak-aged balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Lusty Monk brown mustard

Foods Alive Asian Ginger dressing

KP and I try to bring one tupperware salad to work with us each day of the week. Add enough nuts and sometimes that’s all we need to push through a busy working lunch!

Creamy Cajun Andouille Pasta and Blue Cheese Sausage Jambalaya for Mardi Gras 2019

So many Mardi Gras memories from 2019! The popularity of the Endymion parade makes it now necessary to camp and keep vigil over our favorite spot on Canal Street days in advance of the Saturday Mid City Parade. For over 50 hours we took shifts at “the spot” but it was worth it! Beautiful night for parading.

Gotta have good BBQ sauce. For a low-sugar alternative, try Lillie’s Carolina BBQ Sauce.

Kermit Ruffins our grumpy hound even got a little festive for Mardi Gras with a gifted decorative collar. Really struggled for this photo.

And although the rest of our Mardi Gras festivities had an unexpected chill, (38 degrees on MG day) great costumes come in layers, so we designed warmth into our already radiant outfits for the big day. Marching with Mondo Kayo may be the best thing I do all year. I told someone, “going downtown on Mardi Gras is like going to a costume ball meets wedding reception meets every musical every produced, and Everyone is invited.” Overwhelming and, I hope, a foreshadowing.

Creamy Cajun Andouille Pasta

2 TB butter

1 ½ onion, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

5-6 red and green hot peppers (I used chimayo and dedo de moca from my yard)

4 links Bovine and Swine Andouille sausage, (or pepper and bleu cheese!) sliced in ¾ inch rounds

2 cans diced Rotel tomatoes with green chiles

2 oz No Bull Original starter

½ cup heavy cream

1 TB Cajun seasoning (I used Creole Crack, which you can only buy at the Kitchen Witch shop in New Orleans)

1-2 pounds fettucine (I like mine home made, I use 2 1/3 cups flour, 3 eggs and 1 TB olive oil for the pasta dough, cooks in about 2-3 minutes)

This is possibly the best sausage I’ve ever had. Bovine’ and Swine’s Andouille is also heavenly.

Start with the onions, saute in butter for 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic and the No Bull scratch starter and stir until it becomes fragrant. Add the sausage and heat, and sear the edges a bit. Then add the peppers, the tomatoes and cajun seasoning. Boil water and get your pasta done while you add the cream, the final step. Keep warm until the pasta finishes, then spoon the pasta into bowls and top with the spicy delicious sauce!

If you need a cajun meal even faster, I love throwing some Dede’s Jambalaya Sauce on rice, adding some seared Bovine and Swine sausage to it if you like!

We made this on Lundi Gras after marching in the Dead Beans parade because we knew we needed to make a fast turn-around the next day with an early wake up call at 5A to get lined up for Mondo Kayo! Dead Beans is an off-shoot of the Red Beans Parade, starts in MidCity, NOLA. Our theme this year was Dead Poets, so I went as Emily Dickinson. KP was Walt Whitman. It was a marvelous day for a walking parade.

Sharree Walls was a krewe member of ours who was tragically killed three days before our parade by a drunk driver while riding her bicycle home from Endymion.

These organic juice smoothie’s by Ceres were super easy to bring along and kids loved them.

And on the other side of Mardi Gras, we rest. I’ve been enjoying my Sips By, a monthly sampler of tea you can subscribe to. Goes great with a hound nuzzle.

Mardi Gras 2019 Survival Guide

Mardi Gras season is here! The most wonderful time of the year in New Orleans! With parades every night of the week, the key to survival is remembering that Mardi Gras is a marathon, not a sprint. Same principles apply: good fuel, stay hydrated, and wear good shoes.

I’ve got my bases covered. For shoes, I’m in love with the A’rcopedico brand. I have worn these boots to a few parades and costume parties and they are super comfortable, light and sturdy. They went great with my human canon ball costume at Stomper Ball, where I was runner up in the costume contest!

For hydration, I like Metta. It’s an energy drink, but with vitamins like riboflavin and B6 and ginseng, not caffeine. Tastes great, just a splash of sugar. Yummy.

And for fuel, you gotta eat hearty during parade season. The week after Mardi Gras is basically St. Patrick’s Day this year, and on those parade floats they throw potatoes, so here is what to do with them! Make soup with cheese. I have to say, it takes a lot for me to love cheddar cheese that isn’t Tillamook (being from Oregon originally), but this Grafton Village cheese from Vermont is a game changer. Probably the best cheese I’ve ever had, and so many different varieties! My favorites are the aged cheddar and the white cheddar.

Also, a great way to make soup is to use these freezer-ready, super fresh scratch starters from No Bull. Real ingredients, simple and delicious. Carrot Ginger and Mediterranean starters are my favorite.

Creamy Cheddar-Potato Soup with Bacon

Recipe adapted from Southern Living

1 bunch scallions 1 (12-oz.) pkg. bacon, roughly chopped

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1⁄4-inch pieces (7 to 8 cups)

2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion)

3 tablespoons butter

3 small garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

6 cups water

2 TB No Bull Mediterranean scratch starter

8 ounces Vermont Grafton Village white Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 ounces Vermont Grafton Village Cheddar cheese (I like the spicy chili cheese for this), shredded (about 1⁄2 cup), for topping

Chop scallions, separating green and white parts. Set aside.

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 10 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in Dutch oven.

Add potatoes, onion, butter, garlic, and white scallion pieces to Dutch oven, and cook over medium until onions are slightly softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add flour, salt, and pepper, and stir until all ingredients are coated. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in water and scratch starter until combined. Bring mixture to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.

Using a potato masher, lightly mash mixture, leaving some whole pieces of potato. Add white Cheddar and cream, stirring until cheese melts. Keep warm.

Another delicious idea is to make tacos with jackfruit instead of the regular ground meat. Use it exactly the same way you would meat, I cannot believe it is a plant!

And top with Kumana Avocado sauce. We use this on everything! Pulled pork, omelets and scrambled eggs, and tacos, tacos, tacos!

Kimchi Masala with Poached Eggs on Wheat and Chardonnay Grapeseed Flour Bread

Currently my favorite breakfast, a variation on a theme.

First make the Daily Bread—I literally eat a slice of this bread every day, and over the years I’ve perfected it into a fiber-packed, omega 3-loaded, crunchy-crusted and well-structured crumb delight. This version has a new ingredient I’ve been experimenting with, Salute Santé Grapeseed flour. Grape seeds are full of polyphenol antioxidants, and there is a surprising plethora of studies in the cardiovascular literature linking grapeseed extract consumption to improved cholesterol, reduced blood pressure, decreased inflammation, etc. So. Why not add it to my daily diet? The flavor is pretty intense, and because of that it needs to be added in relatively small amounts to bread.

Daily Bread with Chardonnay Grapeseed Flour

200 g sourdough starter

850 g water

500 g Giusto’s Vita Grain All-purpose flour

500 g whole wheat flour (fresh milled for best results)

1 heaping TB Salute Santé chardonnay grapeseed flour

50 g flax seed, milled

20 g salt, dissolved in about 1/8 cup water

Everything bagel seasoning spice PRN for proofing

Starting by dissolving the sourdough starter in water. Slowly add the chardonnay flour and the flax seed. Add the 1 kg of the whole wheat and all purpose flours slowly, mixing along the way to blend evenly. The dough will be super sticky. Let rest covered on the counter for 2 hours. Add the salt water to the top of the risen mixture, and distribute by squeezing the dough with your fingers. Turn it several times every few hours, always recovering with plastic wrap between each turn. (Do not knead, just turn). I cannot say enough how important it is to use high quality flour in your baking. I like to mill my own whole wheat, and this all-purpose “white” flour from Giusto’s is splendid.

Maybe 6-7 hours after you start (the time will depend on the humidity, heat of your kitchen space, etc), pull the dough onto your floured surface and split into two loaves, shaping into round boules. The dough is wetter than most so feel free to use ½ cup flour per loaf when shaping and in prep to proof. I like to sprinkle my cloth-lined proofing baskets with everything bagel seasoning, so that it will become part of the crunchy crust. Proof boules for about 1 hour while heating up two cast iron pots (dutch ovens) in the oven with the lids on, oven to 500 degrees.

I like to turn out my proofed loaves onto parchment paper and then use parchment as a hammock of sorts to lower each boule into the HOT HOT HOT cast iron. Sometimes I like to score the tops for a fancy flourish. Replace the lids and place into oven and bake for 30 minutes with lids on. (This seals in the moisture, which will evaporate and then ever so gently drip into the surface, making the crust thick and delicious). Decrease the oven heat to 450, remove the lids, and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the tops are dark dark brown. Wait at least 20-30 minutes before slicing to serve.

I make this bread about once a week, or once every two weeks. I eat one boule and freeze the other. It is delicious and so hearty. Once slice of a tartine and I’m full.

Today I topped the slices with a kimchi masala, collard greens, broccoli and poached eggs.

Here’s how I did it:

Kimchi Masala, Collards and Poached Eggs, Oh My, Tartine

½ cup kimchi

2 oz Le Bon Magot Tomato and White Sultana Chutney (with ginger and garam masala)

3-6 garlic cloves, divided (3 whole and 3 minced)

8-10 oz collard greens, stems removed and cut into strips

2-3 TB Podor Olive Oil

2-3 dedos de moca chili peppers, minced

2-3 eggs, poached

Just like you need high-quality flour for bread, so too it is always better to have high quality oils. I love the Podor collection! So for this I start with putting 1.5 TB olive oil in my skillet and toss in the strips of collards. Stir occasionally to ensure doesn’t char. While this is cooking, boil your water to poach the eggs (with salt as you like). Throw the kimchi, 3 garlic cloves, 1 TB olive oil, and the tomato chutney into a food processor and pulse until chunky and more smooth. Toast a slice of the daily bread. To the skillet with the cooking collards, only when they are like 2-3 minutes from being softened and done, toss in the chili peppers and the 3-ish cloves of minced garlic.

Spread a layer of the kimchi goodness on the toasts, top with the collard green mixture, and then poach a couple eggs real quick and put them on top. I like to sprinkle a little Tuscan Sunset seasoning (Penzeys) on top for garnish.

And as with any eggy breakfast enjoyed in the south, feel free to add a little Dede’s Hot Sauce as needed. I got to meet Dede at the Winter Fancy Food Show in SF in January. She is a delight!

Enjoy! And Happy start of Spring from what is newly planted in my “raised” (read: chickenproof) beds.

Mushroom Chicken, Rice and Pasta for Comfort Food

Pardon the radio silence on Bake This Day, but we lost a key member of our team, my beloved bulldog Izzy. She passed away on Wednesday, and with her, she took my appetite for a brief while to the grave. We have been overwhelmed, just overwhelmed, with kindness and an outpouring of love and sympathy from all who loved her. Izzy was loved by so many. Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem begins, “Before you know what kindness really is, you must lose things.” I hate that this is true, but so true.

“Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,

you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.

You must wake up with sorrow.

You must speak to it till your voice

catches the thread of all sorrows

and you see the size of the cloth.

Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,

only kindness that ties your shoes

and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,

only kindness that raises its head

from the crowd of the world to say

It is I you have been looking for,

and then goes with you everywhere

like a shadow or a friend.”

We rescued a new shadow, Kermit Ruffins, from the Louisiana SPCA today. He is shy and not as food-obsessed as our prior business partner, but I think he will continue the trend of pathetic charm.

Meanwhile, we have been seeking out comfort in all forms. Food we find most effective. This delicious dish is your Birthday, Valentines, Anniversary, drown your sorrows, ‘why eat out?’ ever, sort of dinner.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Roasted Garlic Basmati Rice

From Bake This Day PDX kitchen

Mushroom Chicken

Serves 4

The night before, put the chicken breasts in a gallon zip lock and add one liter of warm water and 35-40 grams of kosher salt. The next morning drain and store in the fridge until you are ready to use. Do NOT leave out this brining step!

3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 T grapeseed oil.

6 chicken thighs (about 3 pounds

8 ounces mushrooms sliced ( I like Cremini)

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped

One ounce Brown Sugar Bourbon

fresh tarragon

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chicken thighs to the pan in one layer and brown over high heat. Don’t move them around during this process, let them brown and create a nice brown fond on the bottom of the pan.
Turn and heat for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and sprinkle on the flour. Turn the chicken pieces with tongs so the flour is dispersed evenly. Stir in the wine and water and mix well. Be sure to scrape the fond off the bottom of the pan. Remember! “FOND=FLAVOR.
Bring to a boil and add the salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook gently for 25 minutes.
Add the cream, the Bourbon and bring to a boil uncovered, for about 3 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with the chopped tarragon, if desired.

While that is finishing get your fancy rice going!

Fancy Rice

1 1/2 tablespoons Salute Santé grapeseed oil, roasted garlic flavor

1 T butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 cloves chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup Basmati rice, I used the brown rice variety

2 cups homemade chicken stock or commercial variety

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Heat the garlic flavored oil and butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cilantro and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice and mix well, then add the stock, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.
Stir, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook the rice for 20 minutes, or until tender.
Try my method for perfect rice every time. Drain all the liquid off and turn off the heat. Let the brown rice finish cooking by a 15 minute steam. Then stir and let cool for 10 minutes.
Using a ½ cup mold, coated with the garlic oil, pack in rice, flatten and then unmold on your serving platter. Repeat until you have used all the rice and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Smells amazing.

When plating, feel free to serve your guests, a rice mold, your roasted veggie of choice and a chicken thigh. A nice drizzle of that creamy mushroom sauce just blasts this whole effort into the stratosphere of memorable meals.

Delicious oils from Napa Valley–where there are just so many grapes

Special thanks to Salute Santé Oils for their delicious specialty cold-pressed Grapeseed Oil.

From the New Orleans kitchen, we used grapeseed oil for pasta, my grief food of choice. This meal is quick and simple and requires almost no skill.

Spicy Pasta That Pairs Well with Grief

1 lb of Tuscanini pasta noodles (really doesn’t matter which shape, I chose Gigli)

1 pint container of Tasti-Lee grape tomatoes, cut in half

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp thyme

4 red chili peppers, seeded and chopped (dedos de moca are what I have in the yard)

½ cup-3/4 cup garlic grapeseed oil

½ cup pistachios, chopped

Pinch of kosher salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese PRN

Boil your noodles. Strain, and return to the pot. Add ½ cup grapeseed oil to the cooked noodles and stir, return the pot to the stove and reduce heat to low. Add garlic, thyme, chili peppers and tomatoes. Stir until the tomatoes are heated a little bit exploded, and the oil gets a little pigmented. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with crushed pistachio and parmesan cheese.

Another thing you can do with these tomatoes are to drizzle them with Tuscanini balsamic glaze, add garlic and toss with a little oil and use as topper on toast, frittata, etc.

Spice Lab Bake This Day Style- West Coast meets Gulf Coast for Friday Night Dinners

Some people’s idea of romance is getting flowers. We love getting spices.

Portland and NOLA are in on this challenge. For Portland, “You had me at one pan.” This 20-minute prep dinner gives you a whole hour to take a nice walk, pour a glass of wine on return and it leaves only three things to wash. SO good! Welcome to your Friday night supper, a delicious wind-down from the week. Thanks Spice Lab for your delicious spice mixes making the whole taste balance a no-brainer. Enjoy. If you want to upgrade this recipe for company, consider boning and brining the chicken…even better!

Spicy Mustard Chicken and French Onion Potatoes

From the kitchen of Bake This Day’s Andrea

For the Chicken:

2.5 lbs of chicken thighs and legs

1.5 cups of seasoned bread crumbs

1/3 cup mayo

1/3 cup real sour cream

1 T whole grain mustard

2 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. lemon juice

1 T Spice Lab Mediterranean Citrus Blend

Now this is Friday Night Easy. Dry off the chicken with a paper towel and set oven to 400 degrees. Mix the bread crumbs and the Spice Lab mix. Combine all other ingredients to make a sauce. Take a spatula and coat each piece of chicken with the sauce, roll in the bread crumbs and place on a large sheet pan.

For the Potatoes:

2 lbs of Yukon Golds, halved and sliced into 1/3 inch wide half-moons.

Toss with 2 TB olive oil first, then with 1 T of Spice Lab French Onion mix.

We have been enjoying Caroli Olive Oils, and you can use the lemon-flavored olive oil in this, or plain.

Fill in all spaces around the chicken with the potatoes and put in the oven.

About 50 minutes to an hour until the potatoes and chicken are lovely and brown.

Or try this one, a vegan option from the Bake This Day New Orleans Kitchen, also quick for a Friday Night Supper:

Smoky Carrot Dogs Redux with Cajun Kimchi Sauce

Adapted from Cooking Light

8 large carrots, rinsed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Sauce

½ cup kimchi

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon Spice Lab Fiery Southern Charm

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

8 whole-wheat hot dog buns, lightly toasted

2 small jalapeños, thinly sliced

1/4 cup diced red onion

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Trim ends from carrots to fit hot dog buns. Using a vegetable peeler, peel carrots, and round edges to create a hot dog shape.

Place oil, tamari, liquid smoke (if desired), paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Stir with a whisk. Place carrots in a single layer in prepared baking dish. Pour oil mixture over carrots; rub to coat on all sides. Bake at 450°F for 35 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes.

Place kimchi, yeast, spices and salt in a high-powered blender. Pulse briefly.

Place 1 (or two!) roasted carrot(s) in each bun. Top each with 2 tablespoons sauce; top evenly with jalapeño slices and diced red onion. I sprinkled some bacon crumbles I had leftover on this one. Delicious! My husband has a signature technique with carrot dogs wherein he cuts the carrot in half to make a bun-inside-of-a-bun situation and puts sauce inside and out. YUM.

Another way to vegan up your carrot dog with AMAZING flavor is to go pick up some Bitchin Sauce. Cold-processed, raw, vegan and DELICIOUSness. My favorite flavors are the Original and Chipotle, but there are myriad options for all tastes. This sauce even has my one-eyed carnivorous bulldog licking her lips.

Funfetti Breakfast and Collard Greens Ramen for the Unwatchabowl

Saints win!!! In the parallel universe in which NFL refereeing is not corrupt, we are celebrating an amazing victory today. Regardless, New Orleans celebrates. This is the lesson of Mardi Gras. What an amazing celebration we had today while boycotting the Superbowl!

All of New Orleans watched the game today–Superbowl of 2010.

Our day began with a celebratory breakfast with The Invisible Chef’s Funfetti pancakes, and waffles drizzled in Blackberry Patch syrup, which is SO delicious, especially the blackberry flavor.

This stuff is incredible. Just delicious.

We snacked on Mushroom Jerky, enjoying most the zesty thai flavor.

We drank Wonder Drink Ginger Peach kombucha. Crisp and refreshing.

Then we cooked up the collards which are growing like wild shrubs in the backyard, and we ate ramen.

What Superbowl? NFL, we will care when you do to keep it fair. Meanwhile, we keep our ways Southern and genteel.

Collard Greens Ramen

Adapted from Food and Wine

1 (1 1/2-pound) bunch collard greens

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 bacon slices

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)

4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 pound smoked ham hocks, at room temperature

1/4 cup (2 ounces) bourbon or other whiskey

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

8 cups cold water

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce

12 ounces uncooked instant ramen noodles, cooked

4 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved

8 scallions, thinly sliced

1 lime, cut into wedges

2 teaspoons shichimi togarashi

Using a sharp knife, remove stems from collard greens. Cut leaves into 2-inch squares (about 14 cups), and rinse in cold water.

Heat olive oil in a 4-quart stockpot over medium. Add bacon; cook until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving drippings in pot. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Add onions and garlic to hot drippings in pot, and cook over medium, stirring often, until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Add ham hocks, and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes, turning ham hocks every 45 seconds. Add bourbon and vinegar, and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pot, until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Add 8 cups cold water; bring to a simmer.

Add salt and pepper to soup. Add collards in large handfuls, stirring each addition until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes, before adding next handful. Return to a simmer; cover and cook until collards are tender, about 1 hour.

Remove ham hocks; cool slightly. Pull meat from bones, and chop meat. Discard bones and skin.

Divide soy sauce evenly among 4 serving bowls. Ladle 1 1/4 cups liquid from cooked collards into each bowl. Divide noodles evenly among 4 bowls, and stir noodles twice in broth to combine.

Top bowls evenly with ham hock meat, collards, eggs, bacon, scallions, lime wedges, and shichimi togarashi.

Collards are a food we eat to signal or summon prosperity. Saints, next year we are excited to support your rightful pursuit of greatness. And we celebrate this year that the Superbowl was ours in our own hearts, the year we became as blind to the big day as the ref was on that missed call.