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

Feta, radishes, watercress and mint toasts

June 21, 2014 by Mary 35 Comments

I always struggle with appetizers. I think I’m not good at them and I think I repeat things too much. I always want to make something different, but it has to be easy. You know how it is, you read all these great sounding recipes and you want to make them all and then the day of, or mid-way through your party menu, you realize, uh oh, this is just too much! You’ve been there? Well this simple recipe of feta, radishes, watercress and mint toasts is really perfect! It’s different, delicious, has wonderful fresh bursts of flavor, and a contrast of textures with the crunchiness of the radishes, the creaminess of the feta, the chewiness of the peasant bread, and then there’s that surprise burst of mint that is so refreshing. And most importantly, it’s easy. Is it hard to tell I like this?

In talking about the mint, which is my addition to the original Food & Wine recipe, don’t put any more than three leaves on each serving. I always keep in mind an article by April Bloomfield (of John Dory Oyster Bar, The Breslin and Spotted Pig restaurant fame) from a few years ago. She said these surprise bursts of flavors, whether it’s a perfectly toasted, spicy warm nut or a wonderful cube of pancetta, should be scattered judiciously in a dish so that you search for them and feel elated and satiated when you’ve discovered the little gem again.

I made this recipe as a starter to a lunch that reconnected me to my dear friend, Joan, and her whole family. We hadn’t seen each other in 30 years! She was one of my bridesmaids. She came in from St. Louis, her sister and mother from Nashville and her brother and his partner live just 20 minutes from us in upstate NY, which we didn’t know before. It was a wonderful reunion on a beautiful sunny Saturday in late April, the kind where you just can’t talk fast enough, you have so much to catch up on. It’s so fantastic to reunite with old friends. Even though you have so much to talk about, you can still speak in shorthand, because of the history you have. Isn’t that just so nice?

Feta radishes watercress and mint toasts serving on a plate.

It’s so pretty, isn’t it? Now if only the watercress could be blue, you would have the perfect July 4th dish with this! (just kidding)

FETA, RADISHES, WATERCRESS AND MINT TOASTS – serve 8

½ bunch watercress, thick stems discarded
16 – 24 fresh mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Four 1/2-inch-thick slices of peasant bread, sliced in half
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 – 5 radishes, thinly sliced (use a hand mandoline)
4 oz. French feta cheese, at room temperature

Heat a cast-iron grill pan or two large skillets. Brush the bread with 1/4 cup of olive oil and grill over high heat, turning once, until toasted. Spread the feta on top of the toasts, distribute radish slices, top with watercress and two to three mint leaves on each. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle very lightly with salt and fresh ground pepper and serve.

Spicy Brined Chicken and Pork

May 14, 2014 by Mary 24 Comments

The wonderful bottle of brine from Sweetwater Spice Company, included in the MARY’s secret ingredients spring box, makes for a super easy way to tenderize and flavor meats. You would have either received the Tres Chilies Fajita Bath or the Pineapple Habanero Jerk BBQ Bath Brine. Both of these flavors are great to make spicy brined chicken and pork or even seafood. If you didn’t order a spring box, you can click on their ad on the right rail here and go directly to their website and order some bottles.

We have received amazing positive and enthusiastic comments and reviews on the box. Such excitement! You can see those reviews here:

http://subscriptionboxmania.weebly.com/1/post/2014/05/marys-secret-ingredients-april-2014.html
http://www.hangingoffthewire.com/2014/05/marys-secret-ingredients-box-may-2014.html
http://www.subscriptionboxmom.com/2014/05/marys-secret-ingredients.html
http://shouldibuythisbox.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/marys-secret-ingredient-spring-2014/
http://2littlerosebuds.com/2014/05/06/marys-secret-ingredients-msi-culinary-box-review-discount-code/
http://www.ramblingsofasuburbanmom.com/2014/05/spring-2014-marys-secret-ingredients-review/
http://modernmommyfiles.com/2014/05/marys-secret-ingredients-box-may-2104/

Best of all, sales of boxes help to feed hungry children worldwide as 10% of our annual profits will be donated to Feed The Children. Because of these great reviews, the summer box is selling fast, as well as the other seasons too, so if you want to get in on the fun, place your order now. Use the promo code 4LOVE when checking out for $4.00 off for a total cost of $21.95.

Using the Austin, Texas, Sweetwater Spice Company brines, I created this wonderful dinner salad by marinating skinless, boneless chicken breasts in the Pineapple Habanero Jerk Brine and then grilling them. The beauty of this product is that the brining time (30 minutes) is quick and the results produce really juicy flavorful meat. This is not a sweet dish, don’t let the pineapple in the name fool you. It is spicy with just a hint of pineapple on the back end. Here’s the recipe, super easy – use any leftover vegetables you have or grill some fresh.

PINEAPPLE HABANERO JERK GRILLED CHICKEN ON A SALAD – serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, washed, dried and trimmed of all fat
Sweetwater Spice Company Pineapple Habanero Jerk BBQ Bath Brine – follow instructions on the bottle to dilute the brine and marinate for 30 minutes or more. Do not strain the spices and add on unless you like things super firey hot!
Boston lettuce, washed and air dried
Radicchio leaves, washed and air dried
2 vine ripened tomatoes, cored and washed
16 asparagus spears, washed and trimmed of woody stem parts
1/2 lb. okra, washed and tops trimmed
2 tbs. olive oil
Vidalia or other sweet onion, very thinly sliced
Croutons – homemade preferably
Sherry vinaigrette salad dressing

Marinate chicken in the brine for 30 minutes or more – up to 2 hours.

Wash and dry the lettuce and radicchio. Toss asparagus and okra in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut the tomatoes into wedges. Make the salad dressing. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Discard brine. Grill the chicken until just done. Let rest for 5 -10 minutes before slicing on an angle. While the chicken is resting, grill the vegetables until nicely done.

Arrange the lettuce and radicchio on the plates. Place the grilled vegetables, tomatoes and the sliced onions on the sides, leaving the center area clear for the chicken. Slice the chicken breasts and place in the middle. Scatter croutons on top. Drizzle dressing overall to taste. Serve with LOVE.

Enjoy!

Just look at how juicy that chicken is!

I also used the Tres Chilies Fajita Bath to brine big thick pork chops and they turned out divine! I brined them for 3 hours and grilled them – really wonderful!

Smoked Tomato Soup with Nueske’s Sausages and Flathaus Cheese Straw Croutons

May 7, 2014 by Mary Frances 20 Comments

Here are two matches made in heaven to go with the first review of ingredients from our MARY’s secret ingredients box!

For those of you who ordered a box, I know you dug into the cheese straws as your first or second thing, right? They are great directly out of the box! Before discovering these, I was actually convinced that no one could make a cheese straw as good as the ones I made one Christmas, but I was promptly proven wrong by these cheese straws from Mississippi made by the husband and wife team at Flathaus. These are super! Full of cheddar, crisp and light, with a hint of chipotle, these are going to be a staple in my house.

Serve up a bowl of these Flathaus Cheese Straws with some delicious Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Landjaeger Sausages for a quick and terrific appetizer with cocktails. All you need is a pretty little bowl for the cheese straws and juice glass for the sausages. Cut the sausages in long strips and stand them upright in the glass for a handsome presentation. Stand back and watch your guests delight in these two taste treats!

And then I’d like for you to try this smoked tomato soup recipe with some of those lean Nueske’s sausages, diced, and topped with the Flathaus Cheddar Cheese Straws broken into a crouton size — ooh la la – isn’t this to die for? It’s brilliant! Popping with flavor layers and OMG moments, run to the kitchen and make this. If you didn’t get a box, go to these sites and order the sausages and cheese straws now!

SMOKED TOMATO SOUP – serves 6 to 8

13 vine ripened tomatoes, (or 16 plum) cored and tops sliced off
1/4 cup plus 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
2.25 cups diced leeks (white and light green parts), split in half, washed thoroughly & dried
1 heaping cup chopped yellow onions
1 cup dry red wine
2 thick slices diced smoked bacon, preferably no nitrates & remove and discard really fatty areas
5 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Landjaeger Sausages, diced
12 Flathaus Cheddar Cheese Straws, each one broken into 3 pieces

Preheat the grill to medium. Arrange the tomatoes in an aluminum pan. Sprinkle the cut tops with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, some salt and fresh ground pepper. Cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil and grill for 20 minutes. Remove from grill, uncover and cool for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the tomato skins.

Meanwhile, place 1/4 cup of the olive oil, as well as the leeks, onions, and bacon in a soup pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Crush or roughly chop the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and all the juices and olive oil from the roasting pan, wine, garlic, salt, vinegar, pepper, and cayenne to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

Add the parsley. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup (or cool slightly and puree in a regular blender in small batches). Add the diced sausages and stir for 5 minutes to warm them up. Divide evenly among warm soup bowls and float cheddar cheese stick croutons on top. Serve immediately.

You have just entered heaven!

Grilled eggplant, prosciutto, mozzarella, basil and tomato sandwich

March 23, 2014 by Mary 37 Comments

While in the midst of a cooking frenzy yesterday, I had an eggplant who’s calling had come and the other ingredients needed to be used, so I quickly put together this grilled eggplant, prosciutto, mozzarella, basil and tomato sandwich. It was divine!!

Yesterday was our oldest son’s birthday. Our family celebration is today. It is a rule in our house that the birthday boy gets to request whatever he wants for dinner. I’m thinking of changing that rule. He requested Thomas Keller’s Beef Stroganoff. I responded with, “All that cream!! Are you crazy?” He insisted. My husband and I cooked all day yesterday and will start again today at 3:00 for dinner tonight. I sure hope this is good and worth it.

Keller must have been an engineer in another life. His precision and aim for perfection is daunting. What I’m really making is a homemade, made from scratch version of the beef stroganoff we all had as kids made with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup. Do you think we’ll be able to taste the difference? I’ll let you know later this week, after I recover from all of this.

As I chop and cook away, I’m reminding myself to make this with a smile on my face and love in my heart.

Meanwhile, make this sandwich sometime. This you won’t regret and it can be ready in a jiffy.

GRILLED EGGPLANT, PROSCIUTTO, MOZZARELLA, BASIL AND TOMATO SANDWICH – serves 2

1 baguette
1 medium-small eggplant, washed, trimmed, and sliced lengthwise into 5 or 6 slices
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbs. olive oil plus more for drizzling
3 thin slices of prosciutto
1/2 of a ball of mozzarella cheese, sliced
2 small tomatoes, sliced
8 – 10 large fresh basil leaves, washed and dried

Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Salt and pepper the eggplant slices. Mix the minced garlic with the 2 tbs. of olive oil. Brush that on one side of all the eggplant slices. Grill both sides on a fairly high heat until nicely charred and tender.

Cut two 6-inch pieces off of the baguette and slice those in half lengthwise. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on the cut sides. Assemble the sandwiches with grilled eggplant, the cheese, tomato, salt the tomato lightly, the basil, then finish with 11/2 slices of prosciutto and the other half of the bread. Slice the whole sandwich into 2 halves. Enjoy!!

In Southern Cali!!

March 9, 2014 by Mary 27 Comments

We are in California for a few days, on little Balboa Island, visiting my brother and sister-in-law, getting a little R & R and will do some business in Beverly Hills on Tuesday before heading back east. It is so darn pretty here, I have to pinch myself. We arrived last Thursday and every day is more gorgeous than the last. We reached 80 degrees yesterday, over 80 today. The lyric – “It never rains in Southern California…” keeps on going through my head. This warm sunshine is a very, very welcome relief, after the constant wearing of long underwear, rubber boots and two sweaters with at least one being a turtleneck every single day, back in NYC.

We’ve gone for local walks visiting friends, long bike rides, and hiking in a state park.

Here’s my husband “hiking”

They’ve cooked fantastic meals and we had a wonderful dinner out last night. Just to share with you, here’s our lunch from yesterday. Seared sesame crusted tuna on a salad with raw beets and sugar snap peas. And our breakfast from this morning – sunny side up eggs on a bed of frisee with bacon, finished with a tomatillo sauce. But tonight I will cook. So we went to the farmers market yesterday morning. You know you’re in California when you see the most gorgeous heads of lettuce all lined up, all perfect and so green and fresh along with the largest array of succulents I’ve ever seen. Just look at how pretty they are! We got some great local corn chips and homemade tomatillo salsa to start our evening. I also bought some burrata and buffalo mozzarella from the nicest Italian man, to serve with beautiful tomatoes and basil.

Take a look at this squash. I’ve never seen anything like them before. I’m going to make a mustard coated chicken and I’m going to grill these little babies with some radishes tossed with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Aren’t they just too cute?!! Some fingerling potatoes will be roasted and we’re going to have a rockin’ good time tonight as my brother Steve has, as usual, picked out some stellar wines to serve with all. Stop in to his wine pairing blog to know what you should serve with your meals.

Newport Beach

May warm weather shine upon you soon, wherever you are!!

Chicory salad with walnuts and parmesan

October 11, 2013 by Mary Frances 32 Comments

Chicory. I grew up with the smell of baked root chicory brewing with coffee that my father got from his Southern business colleagues. It’s a New Orleans favorite and he traveled there often. My mother and father just loved it and I remember that very distinctive smell. I think it made Mom and Dad feel special and exotic. No one in our St. Louis suburb of Webster Groves had ever heard of it in those days. So just recently, on this past Father’s day, my son made a warm wilted green salad of chicory to go with his Beef Wellington he made for my husband. It was a riff on a recipe from Tyler Florence. Tyler wants you to use Swiss chard, radicchio or escarole. I liked my son’s choice of chicory much better. I loved that salad so much that I have tinkered with it and made this chicory salad with walnuts and parmesan mine.

Chicory is a bitter green but with the dressing of warm honey and balsamic vinegar, it combats the sharpness and just makes the whole thing interesting and a bit addictive. Then adding the chopped toasted walnuts along with a bite here and there with a sliver of Parmigiano Reggiano, and well, I think you have a little bit of heaven in your mouth.

At our upstate farmer’s market last week, they had the biggest, most beautiful head of chicory. I was smitten and grabbed it up and starting excitedly telling the farmer about my recipe and what I was going to do with it. Suddenly, I noticed that everyone around was listening and taking notes. The farmer was so happy to hear my recipe as he said that most folks just don’t know what to do with chicory. Poor misunderstood thing, it needs some new positioning as a favorite wilted salad green, as it is mine. Try this and you’ll fall in LOVE too!

WILTED CHICORY SALAD WITH WALNUTS AND PARMESAN – serves 3 – 4

1/8 cup honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 medium or ½ large head of chicory, washed, spun dry and cut into 1½” pieces
1 shallot, very thinly sliced
½ tbs. grainy mustard
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese shavings, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place walnuts in a baking dish and toast for 7 – 8 minutes. When you can just begin to smell them, remove from the oven and let cool on a cutting board. Coarsely chop and set aside.

Cook honey and balsamic together over medium-high heat in a small saute pan, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Do not let it boil. Pile chopped chicory and sliced shallots in a large salad bowl. Whisk the grainy mustard into the balsamic-honey dressing, then whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste and pour over greens and shallots. Toss. Toss in toasted chopped walnuts, and garnish with shavings of Parmesan and serve immediately.