Skip to main content

Appetizers

White Cheddar, Roasted Garlic and Sriracha Dip

 

Tillamook1

 

The Tillamook cheese factory sits in a small town in the far northern corner of Oregon. A charming setting for a charming cheese factory, one that has managed to remain small in feeling while growing wide in distribution.

While the cheese with the iconic ship on the package is easy to find in stores all over the US, Tillamook has managed to keep a small town feeling to what they’re doing. The cows all graze happily no more than 80 miles from the factory, the cheese makers all must learn how to make the 100 year old recipe the old fashion way (by hand in big metal tubs) before being allow to touch the machinery, the Board of Directors is made up exclusively of the farmers who own those happy local cows, and Tillamook farmers never use artificial growth hormones.

I was able to visit and sample (read: gorge myself) on the award wining cheese that Tillamook produces. From hand made special cheese like the Smoked Black Pepper White Cheddar and the Garlic Chili Pepper Cheese (my favorite) to the award winning Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar, and even the (only available at the factory) Cheese Curds.

I even came back with a suitcase full of Baby Loaf sized cheeses, ready for more of that cheese sampling (gorging) in my own home. Turning these brick sized hunks of cheese into several sharable treats, like this dip.

Roasted Garlic, Sriracha Dip

White Cheddar, Roasted Garlic and Sriracha Dip

Ingredients

  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sour cream ( I used Tillamook Sour Cream)
  • 2 cups extra sharp white cheddar (I used Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar)
  • 1 tbs Sriracha red pepper sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Cut the top tip of the head garlic off, just enough to expose all of the cloves. Place garlic on a separate piece of tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil and seal the foil around the garlic.
  3. Place garlic packet on a baking sheet or baking dish. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  4. In a food processor, add the cream cheese, cornstarch, sour cream, white cheddar and Sriracha. Squeeze the head of garlic until the cloves come out, add the soft cloves to the food processor, discard the rest of the head.
  5. Process until smooth.
  6. Add dip to a saucepan over medium high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until bubbling. Transfer to a serving dish.
Roasted Garlic, Sriracha Dip3

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad4

 

I can’t sit here and tell you that I have no idea why I love to Greek-ify things. I’ve already told you about my midnight boat experience between Italy and Greece, and the indelible moment that created in my life. More than that, it was Igoumenitsa, a port in Greece, where I realized how important food was to me.

I was broke, I’d worked three jobs for two semesters of my senior year of college to save enough money to send myself on a poorly researched trip through Europe, and I was short on cash. But even with the dwindling funds I decided to spend a the last bit of cash I had on a small piece of Baklava because I figured it was the last time I would ever have the chance to eat such an iconic Greek dessert in Greece.

It’s these little stories you collect over your life that give me no regrets of being firmly inside my thirties. I’ve done well, I suppose, on collecting stories over the past decade. If there is nothing else you do with your life, collect stories you’re proud to dazzle a crowd with over a glass of wine. It makes growing up so worth it.

 

Greek Pasta Salad2

 

Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups ditalini pasta
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
  • 1 English cucumber, peeled and dice ( about 2 cups)
  • ¼ cup diced green onions
  • 2 tbs dill, minced
  • ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes, ripe but firm
  • ½ cup crumbled feta
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Add to a large bowl, allow to cool to room temperature.
  2. Gently fold in the remaining ingredients.
  3. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Greek Pasta Salad5

Fried Ravioli Caprese Stacks

SS Photo

Back in January I very vaguely mentioned that I was involved in a Super Secret project that involved being sequestered without phone or internet for almost a week. My intention was not to be ambiguous, but to adhere to the Non Disclosure agreement I signed with Lifetime TV. Yesterday I was finally able to start talking about what I was working on, and if you follow me in Instagram, you already know.

I was on a brand new TV show with the Lifetime Network called Supermarket Superstars. The premise of the show is to take people with great ideas for food related products and turn those ideas into product lines on grocery store shelves. The producers of Shark Tank and Project Runway joined forces for the show.

Jackie and Stacey2

The producers were amazing, really wanting everyone to root for us all. It was obvious in everything we did, they wanted us to talk about ourselves, our brands, our websites (my book!), and even cast the show with people you want to see succed. It’s not a show that’s full of cliche characters you want to see fail. They cast the show full of really wonderful people, really great ideas and fascinating stories.

Jackie and Debbi2

(Photo on the right by Erika Kerekes of In Erika’s Kitchen)

Stacy Keibler, Debbi Fields (THE Miss Fields Cookies), Chef Michael Chiarello, and branding expert Chris Cornyn guided us through this process with so much encouragement and faith in what we could be. "We want you all to win!" I just kept hearing, the entire staff cheering us on, giving us amazing feedback, and they couldn’t stop talking about the opportunities this type of exposure could bring us. It was a great show to be a part of.

I spent the time developing a line of beer infused food products, you’ll have to watch the show to see what happens. It airs on July 22 on Lifetime TV at 10pm. My episode airs on August 22nd at 10:30pm, and even features my husband my little Tater! They spent an entire day just following us around, filming me with my family and friends, cooking, photographing, editing, and even (of course) drinking beer at a local brewery.

SS Press1

Once the show airs, I’ll give you an update and some behind the scenes info that I’m not able to share right now. Until then I have a fun little appetizer that I hope you love.

Fried Ravioli Caprese Stacks via @DomesticFits

Fried Ravioli Caprese Stacks

Ingredients

  • Oil for frying
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
  • 9 weight ounces prepared fresh (not dried) Cheese Ravioli
  • 5 ounces cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • 6 ounces Ciliegine sized Mozzarella Balls
  • 5 leaves basil, ribboned
  • 3 tbs balsamic glaze

Instructions

  1. Place about 5 inches of oil in a pot over medium high heat. Attach a deep fry thermometer and adjust heat to maintain between 325F and 350F.
  2. In a small bowl beat together the eggs and milk.
  3. In a separate bowl add the Italian bread crumbs.
  4. Working in batches dip the raviolis in the milk mixture and then dredge in the bread crumbs.
  5. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Use a metal slotted spoon to remove from oil, allow to drain on a stack of paper towels.
  6. Place half of the raviolis on a serving platter. Top with a slice of mozzarella, and then a slice of tomato, some basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Top with remaining raviolis, secure stack with a toothpick.

Notes

It’s best to use small raviolis for this, look for ones (or make some) that are about 1 1/2 inch square.

Grilled Guacamole

Grilled Guacamole This grilled guacamole isn’t just a product of my grill junky status, grilling avocados is a fantastic idea and the perfect way to get some of that wonderful smoke flavors into your favorite summer dip. After all, the 4th of July is right around the corner, and next to Thanksgiving, it’s America’s favorite reason to take a day off work, eat too much food, and spend the day with people we love.

Grilled Guacamole2

Of course meat was made for the grill, but vegetables have an ever better transformation when cooked with fire. When comes to grilling, anything goes, don’t forget about how amazing fruit is when it has a bit of char, or even slices of pound cake. Don’t discount pizza, it’s quick and fabulous off the grill.

Try something new next time you break out your grill, who knows, you might just find a new way to impress your guests.

Grilled Guacamole

What I’m making for 4th of July:

Beer Chili Cheese Hot Dogs

Watermelon & Cotija Salad

Boozy Watermelon Stars

Roasted Potato, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad

Stout S’Mores Bars

Best Quinoa Salad Ever

Grilled Guacamole

Ingredients

  • 4 avocados, ripe but firm
  • ½ red onion
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tbs fresh squeezed lime juice
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped
  • 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat grill to medium high.
  2. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pit. Bush the cuts side of the onion half and the avocados with olive oil.
  3. Put the onion and avocados on the grill, cut side down, close the lid. Grill until dark grill marks appear, about 5 minutes.
  4. Chop the red onion. Scoop the avocado into a bowl, add the chopped onions along with the remaining ingredients and mash until combined.

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling2

My grill broke last summer. We were in the middle of a move, and I still held onto the hope that we could fix it, so it wasn’t replaced. In Southern California, grillin' isn’t just a summer activity, it’s a year long love affair, making an entire 13 months sans grill a really long time to deprive myself of the chard glory of fire cooked food.

We just replaced it this past weekend and I can’t get enough of it. I had been trying to satisfy my urge to grill via my grill pan. Although it is a pretty fantastic pan, after making this corn on my stove top in a grill pan I couldn’t take it anymore, I had to have the real thing. I think I’ve officially reached Grill Junky status, lets hope I can keep it under control.

Hope you don’t mind too much, but I’ll be posting my grilling adventures over the next few weeks. And probably well into fall.

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling

My favorite pinterest board right now is my Grillin' like a Villain. Feel free to post links to grilled food I should be aware of!

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 28 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Artichokes:

  • 2 fresh artichoke
  • 4 tbs melted butter
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • Vegetable oil for the grill

For the Filling:

  • 4 rings fresh pineapples (cut off rind and remove core)
  • 12 ounces fresh lump crab meat
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp mustard powder
  • ¼ tsp hot pepper sauce
  • 8 large Brussels sprouts
  • 2 ounce crumbled goat cheese

Instructions

  1. Prepare a pot of lightly salted boiling water. Preheat the grill
  2. Slice the artichokes down the center, lengthwise. Using a melon baller and a paring knife remove the hair from the choke as well as the inner purple leaves, leaving a cavity in the center of the each artichoke half.
  3. Boil in the pot of lightly salted boiling water until the outer leaves tear away easily, about 20 minutes.
  4. Grill the pineapple rings until strong grill marks appear on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill, allow to cool slightly, chop.
  5. In a small bowl stir together the crab meat, pineapple, sour cream, hot pepper sauce, ½ tsp each of salt, pepper, chili powder, and mustard powder.
  6. Using a cheese crater, grate the Brussels sprouts, this should equal about 2/3 cup. Stir the grated Brussels sprouts into the crab mixture.
  7. Once the artichokes are done cooking, remove from water and allow to drain.
  8. Mix the melted butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Brush artichokes on all sides with melted butter mixture.
  9. Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Grill artichokes, cut side down, until nice grill marks appear, about 5-8 minutes. Baste artichokes with melted butter while grilling.
  10. Remove from grill, fill the cavity of each artichoke with crab mixture and top with crumbled goat cheese. Return to the grill, crab side up, and cook just until the filling is warm and the cheese has started to melt, about 3 minutes.
  11. Serve immediately.

Notes

Starting at the outside and working inward, use the artichoke leaves to scoop out and eat the filling.

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling3

Fried Coconut Almond Shrimp with Apricot Dipping Sauce

When I edit photos, I just pick the ones that I think are the stand outs (often only one or two) edit those, export and review what I’ve done.

It wasn’t until I pulled this set up in review that I saw that it seemed to tell the story of shrimp desperation. Maybe it’s just me, spending too much time behind this computer with limited human interaction, but this is what I see:

First, the recently transformed shrimp, fresh out of a scorching oil bath, sees potential solace in an a pool of amber liquid.

Coconut Almond Shrimp with Apricot Dipping5

He makes his move, hesitant at first, he throws himself towards the cool pool of dipping sauce that will surely quench the scorching heat that radiates in his coconut crusted core. He’s close, but there’s still a ways to go before he can dip his heated middle in the apricot flavored oasis. He pushes on, hoping a few more flips will land him in his sticky sanctuary.

Coconut Almond Shrimp with Apricot Dipping4

He pulls all the strength he can muster after his recent collision with the deep fryer and launches forward, landing cleanly in the middle of the delicious basin. It’s not enough, he wants more. He takes a moment to gather his strength.
Coconut Almond Shrimp with Apricot Dipping2

One more explosive shove and he’s there, right in the middle of the refreshing wellspring. He lets out a deep sigh. 
Coconut Almond Shrimp with Apricot Dipping

It’s ok to judge me for that. I’ve mostly spared you all from the incessant rambling of my haywired brain, but today has been a long day, you’ll have to forgive me. And my shrimp crazed ramblings.
But I do hope you come back tomorrow, I’ll have a lovely cocktail for you that will go well with this delicious shrimp.

Fried Coconut Almond Shrimp with Apricot Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

For the Shrimp:

  • Oil for frying
  • 12 shrimp, raw, deveined, shell removed (tail still on OK)
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup sweetened shaved coconut
  • ¼ cup almond slices
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tbs water

For the Sauce:

  • ¾ cup apricots, chopped (fresh but soft work best)
  • ¼ cup thai sweet chili sauce
  • ¼ tsp sriracha
  • 1 tbs soy sauce

Instructions

  1. Add 3 inches of canola oil to a pan, clip a deep fry thermometer onto the side. Bring the oil to 375 to 400 degrees, adjust heat to maintain that temperature range.
  2. Add the coconut and almond slices, pulse until well combined, add to a small bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl whisk the salt and flour.
  4. In a third bowl whisk together the egg whites and water.
  5. One at a time, dredge the shrimp in flour, then coat in egg whites, and finally roll in coconut mixture.
  6. Drop into the hot oil, fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on a stack of paper towels.
  7. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small food processor or blender, blend until smooth.
  8. Serve shrimp with dipping sauce.
Coconut Almond Shrimp with Apricot Dipping3

Seven Layer Hummus Dip

Seven layer Hummus Dip 2
I wasn’t going to do a post on this, because it’s not a recipe. Not really, it’s more like assembly instructions. But then two things happened, first, I keep making it for parties, and people keep loving it. Second, I went to a goat cheese making class this weekend and was sent home with a bag of fantastic Redwood Hill Farms goat cheese products, including a fabulous goat feta.

I could eat chèvre goat cheese every day of my life, it’s one of my favorite foods, and by far my favorite cheese. Which I found out is a good thing since goat milk products are easier on the human digestive system and lower in calories, cholesterol and fat than cow cheeses. Which reminded me to try smoked goat cheddar next time I have a craving for a late night grilled cheese, at least I’ll feel less guilty about it.

Speaking of less guilty, this dip is a less guilty version of that other seven layer dip, that one that has refried beans, cheddar, sour cream, you know the one. It’s great, I love that guy. But this one is just as tasty, but with much fewer calories and you don’t even have to resort to "fat free" or fake ingredients, it’s just a big pile of tasty produce sandwiched between hummus and that naturally lower in calorie cheese we talked about. It’s just about winning at party dip making while bikini season rears its ugly head.

Seven layer Hummus Dip 3

Seven Layer Hummus Dip

Ingredients

  • 10 wt ounces hummus
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 4 persian cucumbers, chopped
  • 1 large beefsteak tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • 6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 4 wt ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

Starting with the hummus and ending with the feta cheese, layer all ingredients in an 8X8 baking dish or similar sized serving dish. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.
Notes

  1. Make sure and chop all vegetables smaller than you would for a salad, they need to be small enough so that all seven layers make it into the same bite. 2. If you find raw onions too intense, soak them in ice cold water, rinse and allow to dry before proceeding with this recipe.

 

Seven layer Hummus Dip_

Beverly Hills Potatoes with Pesto Butter

Beverly Hills Potatoes 10

I’m cooking on The Today show on Wednesday.

I wish I was cool enough to have a witty lead in and build up to the exciting news, but I’m just going to digitally blurt it out:

I’m cooking on The Today Show, in New York, on Wednesday. I’ll be battling it out with two other cooks in The Joyful Cook-off for supreme Healthy One Pot Meal domination, although the big prize is merely bragging rights. With a free trip to New York, and the opportunity to cook on The Today show, I feel like I’ve already won.

Beverly Hills Potatoes_

 

Back to these potatoes, that will forever be known as Beverly Hills potatoes. I went to Bazaar in Beverly Hills with a friend for her birthday a few months ago. The food was beautiful, intricate and far beyond my culinary abilities. Then there were these lovely and delicious miniature potatoes that had been salt roasted, served on tooth picks with a side of pesto butter. It’s a good thing I choose to fall in love with the one thing I could actually duplicate at home, although there were these fantastic Japanese Taco’s I’ll need to stop thinking about because I’ll never be able to figure out how to make those.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 3

 

The hardest thing about this dish is finding these miniature potatoes, although I have seen them in several markets. They are far smaller that the baby red potatoes that you might think of, closer to the size of large grapes. I’ve seen them called "teeny tiny potatoes" and "miniature potatoes," either way, they are really small.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 2

Now I’m hooked. I’ve served them as a side dish, and also put toothpicks in the and served them as an appetizer.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 7

And this is what happens when I try to photograph anything while tater is awake. She was laying down the potatoes with toothpicks in them saying, "Potatoes are tired boys."

Beverly Hills Potatoes 6

 

She’s the best.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 8

 

Beverly Hills Potatoes with Pesto Butter

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs miniature potatoes
  • 1 to 2 cups kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup pesto
  • 2 tbs melted butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. Wash the potatoes well, prick each one with a fork.
  3. Place potatoes in a loaf pan. Pour salt over potatoes until most of the potatoes are covered.
  4. Roast for 25-35 minutes or until fork tender. Break up the salt crust with a fork, pour into a large bowl or pot, remove the potatoes (insert one tooth pick into each potato if serving as an appetizer).
  5. To make the pesto butter, combine the pesto and melted butter. Serve alongside the potatoes.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 4

 

 

Greekamole: Greek Guacamole

Greekamole: Greek Guacamole

Did I ever tell you about the time I was on a boat halfway between Italy and Greece and had my first Greek salad? I was just out of college, completely broke, and had nearly smuggled myself on board an overnight cruise ship. Although I was supposed to stay on the lower deck, I wandered up to the dinning room, looking for whatever I could afford on my tiny daily food budget. I found these small Greek salads that had all those great flavors found in a Greek salad but with no lettuce. And when you have cucumbers, Kalamata olives, Feta cheese and a lemon vinaigrette, you have no need for any lettuce.

Greekamole: Greek Guacamole

I spent the rest of the night playing "Italian Poker" on the top deck with a father and son from Naples who spoke no English (I, consequently, speak no Italian). Somehow, we managed to communicate, and for hours we played the poker I was familiar with but only used cards ranked 7 and above. They continued to order me those Greek salads, as well as cup after cup of the strongest espresso I have ever had.

I don’t remember parting ways with those two, although I’ll never forget them, but I do remember stumbling off the boat in the wee hours of the morning, in Cofu Greece, rattled by the Espresso Shakes and being handed a shot of Ouzo as I got into port.

Since then I can’t get enough of that magical combination of ingredients. Since you all already know my deep love of the avocado  it was only a matter of time before I made a greek version of guacamole. This was so good I ate the entire bowl for lunch, and then made it again over the weekend.

Greekamole: Greek Guacamole

Greekamole

Ingredients

  • 2 large avocado
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup red onion, chopped
  • 2 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • ½ cup feta cheese

Instructions

  1. Add the meat of the avocados, greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chili powder, mash until well combined.
  2. Stir in the cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese. Garnish with additional feta cheese if desired.

Rum Soaked Pineapple Pops

Rum Soaked Pineapple Pops

Pineapple season is here! Although it’s still a tad colder here in the US than in the tropics, it’s still completely acceptable to soak your vacation-related produce in booze. My hard liquor consumption is fairly infrequent, but lately booze has worked it’s way into my kitchen. I’m much more of a beer and wine kind of girl, but rum has some beautiful flavors that pair nicely with pineapples.

Although this would make an excellent blended drink, there is something that feels special about eating liquor right off a stick.

Just soak

Pinneapple Rum Pops

 

Skewer

Pinneapple Rum Pops2

 

and freeze

Rum Soaked Pineapple Pops2

Rum Soaked Pineapple Pops

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 cup rum
  • 1 large pineapple, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

Instructions

  1. In a pot over medium high heat, add the water and sugar. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature, stir in the rum.
  2. Add the pineapple pieces to a 9×13 inch baking dish, pour rum syrup over the pineapple and allow to soak at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.
  3. Remove pineapples from soak, skewer with toothpicks or small skewers.
  4. Place on a baking dish that has been covered with aluminum foil.
  5. Freese pineapple for 1 to 2 hours, serve immediately.

Rum Soaked Pineapple Pops3

Maple Chipotle Chicken Wings

Maple Chipotle Chicken Wings2

I have to admit, I did think about adding blood orange juice to this. I have a thing for blood oranges. But, I refrained, I was afraid I’d lose all of you who aren’t as into those guys as I am.

But I did fall back on my love of chipotle. We all have these "go to" flavors, don’t we? Even though we want to broaden our culinary horizons, we seem to be drawn back to that same section of the pantry. That’s ok, isn’t it?

I’m a chipotle, smoked paprika, roasted garlic, fresh basil,  sriracha, kinda girl. I also love with burrata cheese, masa harina and almost bitterly dark chocolate.

Just once I’d like to walk into the kitchen and have Ted Allen hand me a "basket of mystery ingredients" just so that I can figure out how to use them in a delightful way without any of my usual culinary crutches.

But for now, here are some chicken wings, beautifully balances with sweet and heat.

Maple Chipotle Chicken Wings

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 chipotle peppers plus tsp adobo
  • 2 lbs chicken wings
  • salt and pepper
  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ tsp brown sugar
  • pinch cayenne
  • Olive oil spray

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450.
  2. Add maple, balsamic and chipotle to a food processor, process until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
  3. Rinse the wings in cold water and pat dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides.
  4. In a large bowl add the flour, brown sugar, pinch cayenne. Toss the chicken wings in the flour until completely coated.
  5. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray.
  6. Add chicken to the baking sheet in an evenly spaced layer. Lightly spray with olive oil.
  7. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, brush with glaze, return to oven for 10 more minutes, turn over, brush with glaze. Repeat. After 30 minutes (3 rounds) turn the oven to 500 and cook chicken until cooked through, about 10 to 15 additional minutes. Remove from oven, brush with remaining glaze.

 

Maple Chipotle Chicken Wings

Potato Artichoke and Goat Cheese Gratin

I think I need to buy a goat. And some chickens.

Although I grew up on a farm, and at the time I found very little of our remote, sequestered-from-civilization-and-my-friends, life very appealing, I now want a little bit of that back. Not all of it. I want to live in the city, a big, huge, full of energy, and excitement, city but with a goat and a couple chickens.

I hope that can someday be possible.

Maybe I’ll move from food blogging to creating lofts in downtown LA with rooftop chicken/goat farms. I think people would be into it.

Until then, I have to settle for putting goat cheese in everything.

I did just find out about Redwood Hill. A goat cheese farm in Sebastopol, CA that is 100% solar powdered and nearly landfil-free, reusing and recycling as much as they can. As well as giving all employees & their families members great health benefits, this is a company I can give my full support. Along with being a pioneer in the humane treatment of animals (they love the crap out of their goats, even the old ones who are past the milk giving prime) they were eco-friendly and free range before it was hipster chic. I love places like this. I love being able to tell you about them.

I hope they will let me visit, feed me cheese and let me pet their goats.

 

 

Potato Artichoke and Goat Cheese Gratin

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1 large leek, chopped (white and very light green parts only)
  • 2 cups Sunchokes, also called Jerusalem Artichokes, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch slices (can sub peeled red potatoes)
  • 4 cups red potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch slices
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 14 ounces artichoke heats, quartered
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 6oz parmesan cheese
  • 6 oz goat cheese, crumbled
  • 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. In a large skillet with a lid, melt the butter. Add leeks and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the Sunchokes and the potatoes and toss to coat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender, about 12-15 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat. Add the cream, artichoke hearts and the parmesan, stir until combined.
  4. Transfer to a 2 litter baking dish.
  5. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top, cover evenly with panko.
  6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. (To make ahead, you can stop here. Return to the oven the following day and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until warmed through and browned.)
  7. Remove foil and bake until panko has browned, about 15-20 additional minutes.

 

 

Brown Butter Sage Hummus & And The Web’s Top Ten Hummus Recipes

There seems to be something so paltry and vapid about trying to talk about hummus when half of the United States is bracing for an epic natural disaster.

Because it seems to be only in those times when the brushes with disaster get top billing in our lives that we take the time to be thankful, today seems to be the prefect hour. Take a moment to relax the expectations you had for today, step back and be grateful and thankful for what you do have. And send thoughts, prayers and love to those on the East Coast who could possibly lose today what you forgot to be be thankful for yesterday.

Brown Butter Sage Hummus

Ingredients

  • 4 tbs butter
  • 3 sage leaves, minced
  • 3 tbs tahini
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • 15 oz Chickpeas
  • 3 tbs olive oil (plus additional as needed)

Instructions

  1. Add the butter to a pot over medium heat. Stir continuously until it has turned an amber brown color and has a nutty aroma. Remove from heat. Add the sage and stir.
  2. In a food processor, add the remaining ingredients along with the browned butter.
  3. Process until smooth. Add additional olive oil for a smoother texture.

White Bean & Garlic Hummus – Bran Appetit

Truffle Roasted Tomato Hummus – Bake Your Day

 

beet Hummus – Heather Christo

 

Zucchini Paleo Hummus – Amazing Paleo

Edamame Hummus  – Oh My Veggies

Jalapeno IPA Hummus – The Beeroness

Pumpkin Hummus – Domestic Fits

Bacon Hummus – Just A Taste

 

Chipotle Hummus – Domestic Fits

 

 

Broccomole: Broccoli Guacamole

 

It’s broccoli guacamole. You’re skeptical, I can tell. But this is really great, and with a creaminess that was slightly shocking, I will be making this again.

And, if you set a serving size at an ounce, as Livestrong is telling me to do, it’s only 22 calories a serving. And only about 250 calories if I eat the entire bowl, which I am prone to doing.

I love guacamole. I profess honest culinary devotion to avocados and guacamole. It is chocked full of healthy fats, vitamins, and protein. A great food that can not be improve upon. This recipe isn’t about improving guacamole. It’s a new food, a lower calorie creamy green dip that is about 1/3 the calories of that guacamole I love. But with twice the protein and less fat.

And broccoli is known cancer fighter, bone strengthener, cardiovascular health champion, bone-fide superfood and one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. We could all stand to be a wee bit addicted to a bowl of this stuff.

And it was so tasty, I ate it for lunch. And dinner. It’s like a dip with a mission, you don’t even have to feel bad about it. You are preventing heart disease and stroke one bite at a time. Really, it’s like medicine.

 

This recipe was inspired by Ludo Lefebvre. While giving an interview about his book, Ludo Bites, he spoke about a Broccomole he made. This is my version.

Broccomole

Ingredients

  • 3 cups chopped broccoli
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped, seeds removed
  • 2 tbs green onions
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 ounces fat free cream cheese (or silken tofu, goat cheese, sour cream, cashew cream, something creamy)
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbs cilantro
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Cook the broccoli in lightly salted water until very soft. Overcook the broccoli in comparison to the al dente cooking that most recipes recommend.
  2. Drain broccoli very well.
  3. Transfer to a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth, add additional olive oil for a smoother texture.
  4. Serve warm

 

 

Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Rolls

 

I’m going unprocessed this month. Which, as my favorite byproduct of this exercise, has pushed me out of my grocery buying comfort zone and reminded me to wander into local bakeries and specialty food stores to rely on what they have to offer. I love supporting local mom & pop shops, and even though I eat a very unprocessed diet on a regular basis, this is a great way for me to double check all of my eating habits.

When I had the idea for these stuck in my head, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for the both of us. I found out a few interesting short cuts for pizza dough. While I am working on perfecting a pizza dough recipe, I realize that good dough takes time and my pizza making cravings don’t allow me the requisite 24 hours that good dough really needs. I did learn that most pizza places will sell you raw and ready to use pizza dough if you just ask, but don’t count on them delivering. Also, look for an Italian deli, I have two really great ones in my neighborhood. They usually sell homemade pasta, home cured meats, homemade cheese AND (you guested it) raw and ready to go pizza dough. Sometimes you even get handmade recipes passed down from generation to generation shipped over from the Motherland. So much better than I could ever do myself. As much as I WANT to make everything from my own hands, even on my best day I could never top an Italian Grandmother on her worst. So, my secret to these is "store bought" dough is getting it from my local Italian deli.

You can also look at your local regular-guy markets (Trader Joe’s, Fresh & Easy, Whole Foods) if you don’t have any Italian culinary entrepreneur  in your neighborhood. But it’s worth a Yelp search, just incase they flew under your radar, or call the nice folks at your local pizza restaurant to see if they will break you off a hunk of their dough.

 

Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Rolls

1 batch Pizza dough

1/2 cup marinara sauce

2 oz peperoni, chopped

1/2 cup cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, whatever you want)

1/4 cup baking soda

2 tbs sugar

3 tbs melted butter

course salt

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Start by placing the hunk of dough on a lightly floured surface.

 

Shape the dough into a long log. Cut into two equal halves, then cut each half in half (giving you four equal logs)

Then cut each log in half the other way

Now you have 8 pieces! Cut each piece in half and you are finally done with the cutting and you have 16 dough pieces ready to be filled.

Roll each dough piece on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Top with about 1 to 2 tbs sauce, 2 tbs cheese and 1 tbs pepperoni.

Wet the edges of the dough (the best way to do this is to place a small bowl of water near you and wet your fingertips) and pinch the edges tightly together.

Place on a baking sheet, covered with a Silpat.

Fill a large pot with water, making sure you have enough room for it to bubble up, but deep enough for the rolls to fit in. Add the 2 tbs sugar and allow to boil, add the baking soda (there will be lots of bubbling), add the buns (about 4 at a time) and allow to boil for about 30 seconds, remove with a large slotted spoon and return to baking sheet.

Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until a dark golden brown.

*Note: if you want to freeze these, allow to cool, place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 weeks. To re-heat, bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cooked though.

 

Jalapeno Bacon Dip

This is a Game Day win.

Maybe it’s cliche but my favorite part of game day parties is the food. And the socialization.

I understand football, don’t get me wrong. I played powder puff in college at the Free Safety position, I even made a girl cry once. But that’s on her, if you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the end zone.

It’s just that my attention span is pretty short when it comes to things I have no emotional investment in the outcome.

But I do love being at the house of true fans, which give me some emotional investment in their team winning. I’ll root for your team, and bring you some bacon dip, as long as your team isn’t playing The Seahawks. Because if I root against The Seahawks, I might wake up a single woman the next day.

Jalapeno Bacon Dip

Ingredients

  • 2 fresh jalapenos
  • 16 ounces cream cheese
  • 6 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup divided
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Cut the stems off the jalapenos.
  3. Since the seeds of the jalapenos contain most of the heat, you can adjust the heat level of your dip depending on how many seeds you leave in. For a mild dip, remove them all, for an extra spicy dip, leave them all in. I removed the seeds from one pepper and left the seeds from the other. The dip was perfect heat level for some, but too spicy for others. I would recommend removing at least half of the seeds to serve to a large group.
  4. Chop the peppers.
  5. In a food processor add the chopped jalapenos (with the amount of seeds you want), cream cheese, 1 cup parmesan, sour cream, bacon (reserve a few tbs for a garnish on top), smoked paprika, and garlic powder and process until well combined.
  6. Pour into a baking dish. Garnish with remaining cheese and bacon.
  7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  8. Serve warm.

 

 

 

Cheesy Potato Pancakes with Jalapeno Sour Cream

I like to throw parties, invite people over and make them feel at home. I like to make more than enough food, and for everyone to leave very full and with a take away bag of goodies. But the last time I had a little gathering at Casa De Dodd, I had overlooked my Gluten Free friends. I had remembered the vegetarians, and the vegans, the people who don’t drink beer, but for the ones who are allergic to gluten there wasn’t much. I felt terrible.

Gluten Free isn’t a fad diet. It isn’t Paleo or Raw or Weight Watchers. It isn’t a choice. It’s a medical condition and a food allergy  that is one of the fasted growing diagnosed food allergies in the United States.

Gluten Free (Celiac’s Disease) people don’t want to give up bread. And regular pizza, or hamburger buns and flour tortillas, they don’t have much of a choice. Eat gluten free or become debilitatingly ill. Have you ever had food poisoning? In away, it’s like that.

And with over 3 million American’s allergic to gluten, chances are your next party may have one. It might even be you, Celiacs is most often diagnosed in adulthood. Because we want everyone who walks into our parties to feel at home, we all need to have a stock pile of appetizers to accommodate. Because unlike other diets, this isn’t a choice.

Because gluten is used as a thickener in tons of processed foods, it can easily hid in obscure places like canned soup, pre-made salad dressing, imitation crab, cheese spread and some brands of soy sauce.

At each party I need to have a few Celiac Friendly dishes that I made from scratch so that I can be sure there isn’t any rogue gluten waiting like a digestive ninja to attach my friends insides. Potatoes are a great place to start. Because who doesn’t love potatoes? It’s like not liking puppies or The Beatles.

So when you come across Gluten Free appetizers and dishes that you love, bookmark for them for gatherings. Because your friends would do it for you.

Cheesy Potato Pancakes with Jalapeno Sour Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red potatoes, grated with a cheese grater
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbs masa (corn flour used to make corn tortillas)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • pinch cayenne
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (if using pre shredded, check to make sure it does not contain gluten)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 jalapeno, diced, stem and seeds removed
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

  1. Place grated potatoes between several sheets of paper towels, press to remove some of the moisture. In a bowl, combine the grated potato, egg, masa, salt, pepper, cayenne and onion powder, mix until combined.
  2. Heat olive oil over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Form potatoes into silver dollar sized pancakes about 1/4 inch thick. Add to the pan and cook until browned, about 2 minutes, then flip pancake. Top the pancakes with a small amount of cheddar cheese, cook until cheese is melted and underside of the pancake is browned, about an additional 3 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to drain on a paper towel.
  3. In a bowl, combine the sour cream, jalapenos and smoked paprika, mix. Top the potato pancakes with sour cream. Serve warm.

 

Cucumber Cups Stuffed With Goat Cheese Caprese

 

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

On Friday I fought a culinary chicken battle that ended with a giant foam core check with my name on it. This was my second attempt to win the Semi-Finals of the Foster Farms Chicken Cook Off, last year wasn’t my year. But this year, I won a giant check, a trip to Napa, the opportunity to cook at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (my favorite prize so far) and the chance to grab another Giant Check worth ten grand.

I’m so excited. Not just because the other dishes I was competing against were incredible and each worthy of their own Big Check, but because, in a way, this Big Check (that currently sits on my bar, in all it’s 4 foot long splendor) serves as a validation for what I do. I’m good at this! See, look, other people picked my recipe out of thousands of other ones!

Maybe that seems silly, I create 3 to 5 recipes a week, post them for you and you seem to like them. You send me emails and post comments telling me that you liked my little creations. That should be enough, right?

But for some reason, that Big Check gave me tangible evidence that my recipes are good. Other people, who don’t even know who wrote that recipe, liked it.

Maybe I have a future here.

;

For this, I’m resurrecting and re-creating one of my most popular posts.

I love these little cucumber cups, so easy, so versatile, the perfect thing to throw together for a party. They take about 5 minutes, and they look so fancy. I used persian cucumber for these, smaller than your standard English cucumbers and the skin is so thin, there is no need to peel them.

Just use a small melon baller to scoop out a good portion of the middle, or use a paring knife to cut a wedge out of the middle and you can fill them with just about anything.

Cucumber Cups Stuffed With Goat Cheese Caprese

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup balsamic
  • 4 Persian Cucubers
  • 2 oz goat cheese
  • 1 large beefsteak tomato, chopped
  • 3 large basil leaves, chopped
  • salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. Place balsamic in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Cook until reduced by half (you can also by pre-reduced balsamic, called balsamic glaze, in the market near the balsamic vinegar).
  2. Cut the cucubmbers into 1 1/2 inch slices. Use a melon baller to scoop out the middle, leaving the walls and bottom in tact.
  3. In a bowl, add the goat cheese, tomatoes, basil and stir until combined. Salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Fill cups with goat cheese mixture, drizzle with balsamic reduction.