Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

SerendipiTea Holiday Cheer in Pancakes

December 27, 2014 by Mary 8 Comments

Tea in pancakes? Whoever heard of that? Well I tried it the other morning and it was just great!! Tea is so versatile, yet we tend to only think of it as a beverage. But tea can be used in so many ways. Brew it as a delicious marinade for chicken, bake it into cookies and yes, use it in pancake batter! So spread some more holiday cheer by using SerendipiTea Holiday Cheer in your pancakes! With cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mint and cardamom, this tea is a ready-made spice blend for creating a perfect breakfast to warm your soul in the morning!

The Company, SerendipiTea, is based on Long Island. They contacted us early in the year wanting to be in our winter box with these holiday teas, so we have been anxiously awaiting the chance to try them. We like this company because besides being nice people, they are committed to working closely with tea gardens, estates and specialists around the world, constantly adding to their knowledge and expertise on all facets of tea and its production. We should never stop learning!

Enjoy these pancakes with a little butter and warm maple syrup along with a cup of SerendipiTea’s Once Upon a Time tea with rooibos, vanilla and chocolate, and dream of good things for the coming year!! Enjoy!

SERENDIPITEA HOLIDAY CHEER IN PANCAKES – serves 2

1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk or milk
1 Tbs. plus 1/4 tsp. SeredipiTea Holiday Cheer Tea
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Butter and syrup to serve

Preheat the oven to 225°F. In a small saucepan, bring the milk and 1 Tbs. tea in a tea ball to gentle simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar in a bowl. When the milk tea mixture is cool, remove the tea ball. Whisk the milk with the egg and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Add 1/4 teaspoon Holiday Cheer tea leaves. Stir until just combined. Let batter sit for 10 minutes.

Heat up a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Brush a thin layer of butter or oil on your pan. Drop the batter into the pan with a large spoon. Cook until tiny bubbles appear on the surface, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Keep the pancakes in the warm oven until you’re finished making all the pancakes. Enjoy warm with butter and syrup.

Red Snapper Wildwood Arbol Hot Sauce in Artichoke Dip

December 24, 2014 by Mary 3 Comments

Red Snapper Wildwood Arbol Sauce is great on anything! The McVea family has been making this sauce since 1895 and they say that this is their medium hot sauce but for me, this is hot! It’s much hotter than Tabasco. However, it has a ton of flavor! I recommend that you test it out and see how it fits on your intensity scale. I’ve been using about half the amount of Tabasco that I would normally use, and this is much better. Made from a Louisiana family recipe, this is a great way to add spice to your life! Perfect on eggs (pic) or in my crab cake recipe (link and photo) and it was really, really delicious in my famous artichoke dip. (My kids tell me it’s famous) Perfect for upcoming holiday parties, here’s the full recipe.

Truly, this sauce took my dip to a whole other level!!

ARTICHOKE DIP with RED SNAPPER WILDWOOD ARBOL SAUCE – serves 6 – 8

One 14oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained of juice
One small can of green chilies with the juice
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, packed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. Red Snapper Wildwood Arbol Sauce
Chopped fresh basil leaves

Take each artichoke heart in your hand, hold upside down, and squeeze the juice out. Then, place in the food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add all other ingredients and process until smooth. Place in an oven proof dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 30 minutes, until browned around the edges and a little bubbly.

This dish tastes great but is not pretty so top it with some fresh chopped basil leaves.

Serve with LOVE along with crudités and pita chips or small dipping crackers.

Cranberry Walnut Muffins in PaperChef Lotus Cups

December 15, 2014 by Mary 9 Comments

I made these Cranberry Walnut Muffins in the PaperChef Lotus Cups and I swear they tasted better because they were baked in these cups. You know, presentation and visual excitement adds to the deliciousness of any food! These lotus cups are the creation of the PaperChef company, an offshoot of a Toronto-based, family-owned company that has been making paper products for the food industry since 1882. Everything is all natural and biodegradable. But most importantly, the parchment assures even baking and makes you look oh so professional, like you bought your muffins at a fancy coffee shop. Everyone should have one of these boxes in their pantry, so when the urge strikes to bake, you don’t have to make a cake, you can make beautiful muffins instead!

In these muffins, I used a combination of fresh cranberries and dried, as well as multi-grain flour along with some white flour. You could toast the walnuts first for an even deeper nut flavor. I didn’t because I didn’t have time. Either way, they are delicious. A friend of mine calls muffins “just an excuse to eat a cupcake in the morning,” minus the icing. I think that most of the time, she is right. But here I tried to make these a bit healthier with the multi-grain flour and they are not too sweet. YOU are sweet enough!

Make these muffins with LOVE while fresh cranberries are still around. They would also be great on Christmas morning. Enjoy!!

CRANBERRY WALNUT MUFFINS IN PAPERCHEF LOTUS CUPS – makes 18 muffins
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups multi-grain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 extra-large eggs
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place fresh cranberries in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse on and off until chopped as in this photo.

Line 18 muffin cups with PaperChef Lotus Cup liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir quickly just to combine. Add both of the cranberries, walnuts, and both sugars and stir just to distribute the fruits, nuts, and sugar evenly throughout the batter.

Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned on the top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.
Delish!

Perfect Poach!

October 31, 2014 by Mary 8 Comments

I love poached eggs! Poached eggs and corned beef hash – my all time favorite diner breakfast! I know, lots of calories, but every once in a while…a bit of heaven. Did I ever make poached eggs at home? No. Never. Too scared they’d just be a mess. And then I kinda remembered from my mom that you were supposed to put in a little vinegar or something…too complicated, especially when you’re really hungry in the morning and just want to eat quickly.

Well Perfect Poach is here to the rescue! This is our seventh and last item in our fall MARY’s secret ingredients box. This is from the Tovolo company and they believe that time spent cooking should be fun. They believe in creating kitchen tools that out-perform your expectations, but also put a smile on your face. Isn’t that nice?

So here are these little babies. They’re open-ended little bags, made of coffee filter-like material and shaped like the toe of a shoe. You put these in cups and open up the top. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Crack your eggs into each cute little bag and immediately pick up the bag with tongs and lower it into the simmering water – four minutes for a soft yolk poached egg, six to seven minutes for a harder poached egg, like my husband prefers. Lift those little bags out with tongs when ready and place on a side plate. Tilt out any water that got into the bag on that side plate, because you don’t want water on your toast. Then slide the little bugger onto your toast. Voila! A perfect poached egg – courtesy of Perfect Poach. You can check out their website for other little handy tools that will also brighten your day. I LOVE people who want to make my life easier and put a smile on my face!

Spinach Dip Mix Omelette

October 28, 2014 by Mary 9 Comments

The Spinach Dip mix is our 6^th item in our fall MARY’s secret ingredients box. This dip mix is made by a sweet company in Florida, called The Pantry Club. The company was founded by husband and wife team, Alicia and Matt Webb, and while typically I’m not a dry mix user kinda gal, this dip is totally all natural and when rehydrated, tastes just like a fresh spinach mixture. Alicia and Matt have changed my mind about dry mixes. Just smell the fresh goodness coming out of it. And, it’s gluten free!

Of course you can make a dip out of it for crudités, crackers or pita chips. They say to make it with sour cream and mayonnaise. I used zero fat unflavored Greek yogurt and added the 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise or you might try adding 2 tablespoons of olive oil as my friend Daina did. It is important to make it ahead of time and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, as they recommend. You need that time to let the flavors meld and bloom from their dried state.

Alicia and Matt also say you can use the dried dip as a flavoring agent. Perhaps adding it to a vegetable broth with some juices from sautéing skinless boneless chicken breasts would be great. But what I found to be super terrific is to add it to eggs to make the most delicious spinach omelette. Try this with your mix!

THE PANTRY CLUB SPINACH DIP MIX OMELETTE WITH SUNNY GOLD TOMATOES, PARSLEY AND ROMANO CHEESE – serves 2

4 eggs
2 Tbs. whole milk
½ package of The Pantry Club Spinach Dip Mix
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
½ cup sunny gold tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbs. roughly chopped parsley leaves
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Additional parsley sprigs for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs and milk with a whisk. Slowly add in the ½ package of Spinach Dip Mix and mix thoroughly to combine.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Swirl to completely cover bottom and sides of the pan. Pour in egg mixture. Let sit until the bottom has just cooked. Then transfer the skillet to the oven to let the eggs cook on top for about 5 minutes.

Bring skillet back up to the stovetop (make sure you’ve got a hot pad on the skillet handle) and scatter the tomatoes, parsley and cheese over one-half of the omelette. Fold over the remaining egg side on top and let cook until eggs are done to your liking. Or put back in the oven for a minute or two.

When done, slide out of the pan and onto a platter. Garnish with parsley and serve with LOVE!

Enjoy!!

MARY’s secret ingredients Fall Box Revealed

October 8, 2014 by Mary 6 Comments

We really are having such a grand time with MARY’s secret ingredients! The fall box shipped out on schedule on September 25^th so everyone should have theirs by now. We hope that all of you who ordered one were just as excited as we were with the mix of ingredients this season. This box is full of wonderful things to spice up your cooking and make preparing a gourmet meal a breeze with all the interesting flavors and the two very exciting new tools enclosed.

A very big thank you to all of you who purchased, as every box sold adds to a contribution to Feed The Children. We will donate 10% of all profits to that global organization at the end of this year. No one should go hungry.

And now our lovely Marie, who will be performing in the premiere of a new opera in November here in NYC, (we’re so excited!) introduces the products to the tune, HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS IN THE MORNING from the musical “Rich, Young, and Pretty”, written by Cahn & Brodzky, and made famous by Dean Martin and Helen O’Connell.

We’re having so much fun!

CALPHALON

Calphalon is a leading manufacturer of professional quality cookware, cutlery, bakeware, kitchen electrics and accessories for the home cook. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Calphalon is a part of Newell Rubbermaid’s global portfolio of leading brands.

Nylon Solid Turner: This spatula is smartly designed with a unique serrated edge to cut food, and the low-profile head is angled to slide under food for easy turning. Crafted with heat-resistant soft-touch silicone accents, this utensil gives you a perfect balance of comfort and control. Dishwasher safe, heat resistant to 400° F, and won’t scratch nonstick cookware. Full lifetime warranty!

FALKSALT

Falksalt sea salt flakes are extracted from pure, clean Mediterranean Sea water using traditional methods. It’s harvested in Cyprus and sold by Swedish Salinity Food with 180 years experience in trading salt. It’s a 100% natural product with no chemicals, no anticaking agents and all natural additives. Falksalt offers a wide range of natural and flavored sea salt flakes.

Falksalt Crystal Flakes Citron: These light flakes add a burst of bright lemon flavor to everything from fish and vegetables to ice cream and chocolate. Bake, cook or just top off your favorite dish before serving. Be daring!

PRODUCT OF CYPRUS BY WAY OF SWEDEN

HARMONIAN

Harmonian is a Greek brand established in June 2013. The company’s aim is to bring a new understanding of “healthy and taste conscious” food to the market.

Kalamata PDO Extra Virgin Olive Oil : Olive Oil is the true “juice of life” and is a secret shared by people at the Mediterranean basin for ages. The land of Messenia, at the southwestern end of Peloponnese in Greece, produces the fine oil of the “Koroneiki” olive variety. Harmonian selects only its top quality crops and embottles their most precious extracts with the utmost care. This oil is silky in texture, keen in flavor and rich in aroma, extra virgin, high quality. It can be enjoyed both raw and cooked.

KIND

KIND® was launched in 2004 with the aim of inspiring people to do the kind thing for your body, your taste buds, & your world. From its delicious foods made from ingredients you can see and pronounce to its commitment to social entrepreneurship, KIND® is focused on making the world a little kinder one act (and snack) at a time.

Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond bar: A brand new flavor! Dark roast coffee and whole almonds blended with honey and drizzled in dark chocolate to form a bar that, with just 5g of sugar, only tastes indulgent.

CHELSEA MARKET BASKET – Kalk Bay Food Smoulder

Their founder’s passion for inspired specialty foods, and thoughtfully designed gifts, led to the creation of Chelsea Market Baskets in 1993. Owner David Porat continues to search the world for innovative products that are distinctly high quality, fresh, unique, and have a certain indescribable charm. Chelsea Market Baskets’ ultimate goal is to delight their customers through their Chelsea Market retail shop in New York City, their mail order gift business, and their wholesale imports. They believe in product integrity and a high level of customer service. Their mission is to heighten each and every customer’s experience with these core values.

Smoulder Spice Grinder – Elements Of Spice By Kalk Bay Food : Warning: Smoking Is Addictive! A few grinds of this mix will conjure up barbeque fun. Everyone’s favorite spices, artisanally cold smoked over beech chips, make the perfect seasoning for meat on the braai. Kalk Bay Food, based in Capetown, South Africa, blends spices from around the globe into unique and delicious combinations. They are known for the quality and freshness of their products. From rare single-origin salts to inventive spice blends, Kalk Bay Food will enhance the flavor of whatever is on the dinner table.

THE PANTRY CLUB

Founded in 2010, The Pantry Club is part of a family business established by Matt and Alicia Webb. It offers ten gourmet-quality dip mix flavors that are made from natural ingredients, are MSG-free, nitrate-free and are gluten-free (with the exception of Bacon Cheddar which has gluten in it). The dip mixes can be made with the classic recipe, or they can be used to create a wide variety of meal ideas; for sauces, soups and marinades – creating hassle-free cooking that is simply delicious.

Spinach Mix Dip (Gluten Free): This special combination of seasonings not only has incredible taste, but it is a delightful complement to fresh vegetables, crackers, baked potatoes, seafood or pasta salad, or use dry as a seasoning.

TOVOLO

Tovolo believes time spent cooking should be fun, and they are honored to be a part of this experience in your home. They challenge themselves to improve the performance, function and appearance of kitchen tools. They obsess over every detail to ensure their product will out-perform expectations. However, performance alone is not enough; they want to put a smile on their customer’s face as well. They strive to add a colorful element of fun to each of their items.

The Perfect Poach: Finally, a solution to make a perfect, delicious poached egg EVERY SINGLE TIME without oil or butter! These handy bags take the guesswork and mess out of poaching eggs. Simply crack an egg into the pouch—use one pouch for each egg—immerse in simmering water, and remove after four to six minutes. Slide your perfectly poached egg onto a plate and enjoy. Bags can only be used once but they are recyclable, biodegradable, and non-stick.