Recipes
Roast Chicken and Corn Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce
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When you live in the Southwest it’s hard not to love Mexican food. Not the drive-through stuff; I’m talking about homemade. My favorite dish is chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce. It’s what I used to order at Mexican restaurants until I created my own healthy and tasty recipe. Now I always make them at home.
A nice thing about this recipe is that you can roast the chicken and prepare the sauce a day or two ahead, then assemble your enchiladas and bake when you are ready for dinner. Read More→
A Fast Dinner – Linguine with Clams
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The first time I remember eating steamed clams was at Gladstone’s on the beach in Malibu. The sun was sparkling off the blue pacific and the air was briny and clean. A galvanized pail arrived like I’d used as a kid to make sand castles on the beach. It was filled with fresh steamed clams and nothing more. With my face over the pail, I breathed in the heavenly aroma. It smelled like the ocean. I’ve been a fan of steamed clams ever since. Read More→
Nectarine Chutney and Sun-Dried Apricot Vinegar
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Strolling happily into my favorite grocery store, I was drawn as if magnetically to a display of beautiful nectarines. I instinctively picked one up, held it to my nose and took a deep breath. The smell was ripe and richly sweet, reminiscent of its cousin the peach. Like big baseballs of burgundy, red and gold, their skin was smooth and soft. Who could resist. I had to bring a few pounds home.
Besides eating one out of hand, I love to make nectarine chutney. For me, it’s one of the pleasures of summer cooking. Nectarine chutney is a quick and delicious accompaniment to sautéed or grilled chicken and grilled or roast pork tenderloin. Spread a thick layer on a turkey sandwich for a fantastic twist. Plop some on a plate next to skewers of sizzling grilled shrimp. Read More→
Pistachio-Crusted Salmon and Food Styling-Photography Workshop
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Always seeming to be on the run, the first half of the year went by in a blink. With trips to Santa Fe, New Mexico and Washington DC, then the Chef Challenge I didn’t have time to write about one of the most fun things we did in the first half of the year – the Food Styling and Photography Workshop.
Offered by Food Fanatics, the dynamic duo of Denise Vivaldo and Cindie Flannigan taught the food styling side of the workshop. Denise and Cindie, both professionally trained chefs and incredibly experienced food stylists, are also authors of several books. The talented and tattooed twosome of Matt Armendariz and Adam Pearson, professional photographer and blogger and professional food stylist, taught the food photography side of the workshop with more insight on food styling. Getting the opportunity to learn from such top-notch professionals was fantastic! Gathered were a great group of fellow food bloggers and photographers eager to learn. We had a fun and information packed two days. Read More→
Hard to believe that today was the last and final event in the Sears Chef Challenge! It’s been great fun and an incredible experience. Best of all, I’m competing for two wonderful charitable causes – the Saddleback Church Food Pantry and The Sheepfold. Individual videos of each chef are being created from event 3 for voting, which begins on June 26 through July 10. Please, vote for me daily and help me win for these two giving and caring organizations!
Today we were at the Sears in Buena Park, CA. It’s so close to Knott’s Berry Farm that you can see the roller coasters. My roots go back to Buena Park as my family lived there until I was five. My dad’s first church was the little white Church of the Reflection in Knott’s, long before it was an amusement park. Walter Knott himself agreed to allow my dad to hold services there if he would also hold a service for employees on Sunday before the park opened. My history with Knott’s is still to this day why I am completely crazy about boysenberries! But today we are talking about salmon. In season right now, what could be better (not to mention good for you) than fresh, wild salmon.
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The Sears Chef Challenge Event 3 – Grilled Jalapeno-Mint Shrimp with Hominy Succotash
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The third of four events in the Sears Chef Challenge took place this weekend. I was cooking and teaching at the Sears store in Orange, California. Another terrific day, thanks to Linda Cooper and the Sears team. We were fortunate to have the vivacious Chef Rachelle Boucher in attendance. So good to finally meet her face to face as she definitely added her own special spice to things!
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Double Strawberry Ice Cream and Quick Strawberry Muffins
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The Sears Chef Challenge Event 2 – Smoked Salmon Nicoise Salad
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We had another fun weekend with the Sears Chef Challenge! This weekend was event number two. We were at the Sears in Brea, California. My thanks to tore Manager Phil, Operations Manager Darlene Lima, Sebastian and the Sears Blue Crew for a great setup and successful event! If you missed the first post, please check it out for details on the Sears Chef Challenge and be sure to visit the website for recipes, games, information and an update on the competition.
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The Sears Chef Challenge Event 1 – Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups and Ahi Tuna Salad
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The Sears Chef Challenge – Event 1
What an exciting weekend! I was selected to participate in the Sears Chef Challenge representing the Los Angeles area. Saturday May 8th was the kickoff event.The Sears Chef Challenge is taking place in four major cities across the U.S. – Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York and Chicago. There are twelve chefs, three per city, competing to win money for our favorite food related charities.
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On The Road: Enchanting Santa Fe
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Red or green? When you travel to New Mexico it’s all about the chiles.
I recently arrived in Santa Fe just in time for dinner. My taste buds were clamoring for a plate of real New Mexican food and a great margarita. New Mexican cuisine is influenced by the cuisines of Spain as well as Mexican and American Indian cultures and relies heavily on their wonderful chiles. They are generally red or green with the green chiles being the same chile as the red before it ripens on the vine.
To take care of my dinner requirement we headed to Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen, famous for their traditional New Mexican food and margaritas since 1950. I ordered chicken enchiladas with both red and green chile sauces. It definitely took care of my chile craving. Deep, rich flavor and a heat that sneaks up on you rather than hits you in the face. By the end of dinner I was smiling and breathing very clearly!
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It's about cooking fresh, cooking seasonally and discovering fun new ingredients, tips and tricks. I hope it brings you inspiration, education and enjoyment. Thanks for stopping by!