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

Joseph Joseph Rotary Peeler & Grilled Eggplant, Prosciutto, Tomato & Arugula Sandwiches

July 25, 2016 by Mary 20 Comments

My husband has a thing about peelers. He wants the sharpest one so he can get the thinnest peel – no pith – for his twist for his perfect Manhattan. Yes! These are the important things in life.

Me? I like raw julienned vegetables.

I love eggplant and butternut squash but hate to peel it. They’re so large, it’s uncomfortable and clumsy trying to peel that big thing with a little itty bitty peeler and then you get frustrated so you peel quicker so it’s over with faster and then you slip and cut yourself.

Sound familiar?

Well the twin boys over at Joseph Joseph have done it again with this very neatly designed tool! Because it’s round and large in your hand, you can get a firm grip on it, stand your squash or eggplant upright (cut a flat bottom first) and peel big wide slices off.

There.

Isn’t that better?

This tool has three different blades – a regular peeler, a serrated edge and my favorite, the julienne side. Just think of how quickly I’ll be able to make this chicken dish now. Yippee!!

Take a look at the luscious Grilled Eggplant, Prosciutto, Tomato & Arugula Sandwiches I made for lunch last Saturday. Here, eggplant is the star, along with the peeler, and just one slice of prosciutto gives you the hit of flavor you need. You don’t need a ton of meat, just enough to make it work!

The eggplant had plenty of fresh garlic bringing heat, while grilling it gave it smoky goodness. The just-picked arugula from the farmer’s market along with the juicy tomato – total yumminess!!

My husband was not excited about this sandwich to start. He wanted more meat but then, he loved it. It wasn’t necessary.

Make this and enjoy!

GRILLED EGGPLANT, PROSCIUTTO, TOMATO & ARUGULA SANDWICH – serves 2

1 medium eggplant
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 tomato – on the vine variety
1 handful arugula, washed and air dried
2 large thin slices of prosciutto
One long loaf of Italian bread or a baguette, cut into sandwich size and in half

Cut a flat bottom to the eggplant and trim off the top. Hold eggplant upright and peel a large swath off of two opposing sides. Slice the eggplant in 1/4″ – 1/3″ slices.

Combine the olive oil and minced garlic and brush on both side of the eggplant and salt and pepper both sides. Grill on high heat until softened and you have some nice grill marks.

Lightly brush cut sides of the bread with olive oil and toast on the grill.

Assemble the sandwiches with two slices of eggplant first, then the prosciutto, arugula and tomato. Close the sandwich and cut in half.

A little bit of heaven!!

And so easy to peel that eggplant with the Joseph Joseph Rotary Peeler!

You can still get your very own peeler in our summer box. We have a few left – but hurry before they’re all gone!

Steamed Broccoli with a Dijon Butter Sauce & Carrie Mae’s Kitchen Chia Seeds Crunchy Strips

July 23, 2016 by Mary 6 Comments

Inspired by her grandmother, Carrie Mae started making Crunchy Strips in her kitchen with all natural ingredients. While she makes several flavors, we chose the Chia Seeds to include in our MARY’s secret ingredients summer box. Chia seeds are so darn good for you! They are a “whole grain” food, and are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. Loaded with fiber, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and various micronutrients, these crackers are a delightful little crunch of goodness.

All crackers are handmade with tender loving care; hence the company’s slogan – Made from the heart to feed your soul. I know that Carrie Mae herself hand made each one of these crunchy strips with a lot of LOVE and then actually drove them up from North Carolina to our warehouse in NJ, to make the delivery date for the box. This woman is determined and dedicated to her delicious and healthy craft, she’s bound to become a huge success.

I love using these crunchy strips as a topping to soups, salads and to this yummy steamed broccoli dish I made up. Think of them as croutons, but better because they’s light and thin. Using the strips on top adds another layer of texture, that crunch we all crave.

For those of you with little ones, I’ll bet this could be a great way to get your kids to eat their vegetables. Crush and sprinkle these little crackers on top to add a chia seed nutritious delight to anything.

Additionally, broccoli has huge health benefits. Check out this link http://www.well-beingsecrets.com/health-benefits-of-broccoli/ Broccoli is rich in vitamins, minerals, nutrients and compounds, promoting good heart health and known even to prevent cancer. So eat your broccoli and it’s even better this way, with our Carrie Mae’s Kitchen Chia Seed Crunchy strips!

STEAMED BROCCOLI WITH A DIJON BUTTER SAUCE & CARRIE MAE’S KITCHEN CHIA SEEDS CRUNCHY STRIPS – serves 4

One large head of broccoli, washed, trimmed, stems peeled and stalks cut in half or quartered
3 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
1.25 oz. Carrie Mae’s Kitchen Chia Seeds Crunchy Strips

Steam the broccoli until crisp tender.

Melt the butter and whisk in the mustard and lemon juice.

Remove the broccoli from the steamer, pat dry with a clean linen towel and lay out on a platter. Drizzle the sauce all over the broccoli. Top with crushed Carrie Mae’s Kitchen Chia Seeds Crunchy Strips.

Serve with LOVE and enjoy!!

Carrie Mae's Kitchen Chia Seeds Crunchy Strips on a salad.

Use Carrie Mae’s Kitchen Chia Seed Crunchy Strips to top a salad!

Carrie Mae's Kitchen Chia Seeds Crunchy Strips on chicken noodle soup.

Or garnish a soup!

Sabatino Tartufi Truffle Zested Flatbeans

July 21, 2016 by Mary 4 Comments

THIS Sabatino Tartufi Truffle Zest is one of Oprah’s favorite things!!! Yes!

I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel sooooo baaad. Remember Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music? Of course you do.

Well I can assure you that if you like truffles, one of the most expensive foods in the world, you will LOVE this truffle zest in our MARY’s secret ingredients summer box. We were able to include three little packets, so you can try it out on a variety of dishes.

I love the truffle zest on scrambled eggs. Total delish!! And also great on a baked potato.

And lately I see a lot of truffle salt around, but this zest is so much better. It is much more potent and rich – it’s wonderful!!

I used it on these green flatbeans cooked in butter and water and I’m telling you, this is amazing!! It is simple to cook and quite frankly my favorite way to cook fresh beans. If you can’t find flat beans, just use regular fresh green or yellow beans. Finishing off this simple recipe with the Sabatino Tartufi Truffle Zest moves ordinary green beans into the spectacular, memorable area. And all you have to do is open up this little packet of goodness and sprinkle it on.

Of course you could also sprinkle this on a little buttered pasta or even buttered corn this time of year. Experiment and have yourself some tasty fun!!

Since I will be in Italy the week after next, I wonder if I’ll be eating some truffle garnished pasta…
SABATINO TARTUFI TRUFFLE ZESTED FLATBEANS – serves 3 – 4

3/4 lb. green flatbeans
3 – 4 Tbs. water
Butter
Salt
Pepper
1 packet of Sabatino Tartufi Truffle Zest

Trim the ends of the beans, removing any strings, and wash thoroughly.

Fill your skillet with about ¼” of water to cover the bottom and turn heat to high. Throw in beans and then top with pats of unsalted butter. SEE PHOTO.

Now let sit them a little to brown and then toss over the high heat. You want the beans to get a little brown and they will as the water evaporates. So toss to your liking – taste one for a tenderness check. The butter will start to brown and almost taste sweet. Finish with salt and pepper and place in a wide serving bowl with all the juices.

Sprinkle on the Sabatino Tartufi Truffle Zest. Total time should be 10 -15 minutes. This takes ordinary beans and makes them extraordinarily rich and special to make a memorable meal.

If you like what is in this box, you can still order it here as we have just a few left.

Additionally, our fall box ships on September 25^th! We are a proud supporter of Feed The Children.

English Provender Caramelized Red Onion Chutney Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Peppers & Luxury Lemon Curd Chiffon Pie with Strawberries

July 19, 2016 by Mary 8 Comments

Across the pond, the English Provender Company makes excellent chutneys, jams and spreads. They use only the finest premium ingredients to make each one of the products in their line. That’s why when they approached MARY’s secret ingredients to be in the box, after our testing and trial, we said a resounding “YES!” We’ve got two of their products in the box, which makes it twice as nice!

This caramelized red onion chutney is insanely good and you’ll want to put it on everything as I have been! I have used the chutney to finish off a fresh Bing cherry sauce for duck, it’s terrific as is served on the side of a broiled or grilled steak and it even goes great with scrambled eggs! You can tell I really love this stuff! But then I buckled down and made these Caramelized Red Onion Chutney Pork Chops with Apples and Sweet Peppers that you will LOVE. They are super easy to make, gorgeous to look at and taste out of this world. All good things.

Finishing the chops with a squeeze of lime and the sprinkling of chopped parsley adds the right amount of acid and really wakes up everything. I’ve been playing with limes a lot lately. A squeeze of lime is softer than lemon and not so distinct on a dish. It’s nice. Try it!

And then you can serve this super easy dessert to finish your meal that is light, delicious, refreshing, pretty and screams summer. Lemons and strawberries are a wonderful combination. A perfect way to end a meal is with this Luxury Lemon Curd Chiffon Pie with Strawberries. Enjoy!!

ENGLISH PROVENDER CARAMELIZED RED ONION CHUTNEY PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES AND SWEET PEPPERS – serves 2

2 ½” thick heritage pork chops
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
Salt
Pepper, fresh ground
1 Fuji apple, cored and cut into 16 slices
5 small red, yellow or orange small sweet peppers
2 heaping Tbs. of English Provender Caramelized Red Onion Chutney
3 springs of Italian parsley, chopped for garnish
1/4 of a lime in a wedge

Wash and dry your pork chops with paper toweling. Season the top side with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet on medium high heat until foaming mostly subsides. Lay pork chops in, seasoned side down. Add in apples and peppers around the chops and salt and pepper the top side of the chops and sauté for 4 – 5 minutes.

Turn chops and put on 1 heaping Tbs. of English Provender Caramelized Red Onion Chutney on each chop and spread around on the top of the chop. Turn apples and peppers and place them on top of the chops. Sauté for 5 – 6 minutes on this side.

Remove chops carefully to a platter, keeping all the toppings in place. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Squeeze on the lime wedge all over and sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with LOVE and enjoy!!

ENGLISH PROVENDER LUXURY LEMON CURD CHIFFON PIE WITH STRAWBERRIES – serves 6 – 8

10 – 12 oz. heavy cream
4 oz. English Provender Luxury Lemon Curd
1 qt. strawberries, washed, air dried, stems removed and sliced in half
1 9” baked pie shell

Make the pie crust from the recipe here, (or buy a ready made one). Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake the pie shell for 8 minutes with parchment paper and dried peas, beans or pie weights in the center to weigh it down. Remove the parchment paper and weights at the 8-minute mark and return the crust to the oven for 4 – 8 minutes more until pastry is light brown, crisp and dry. Let the crust cool completely on a rack before filling.

Whip the heavy cream until nearly stiff peaks form. Gently fold in all of the lemon curd evenly throughout.

Spread the filling in the pie shell and chill for at least 4 hours.

Right before serving, place all the halved strawberries on top of the filling evenly. Cut in wedges to serve. Enjoy!!

Summer 2016 MARY’s secret ingredients box revealed

July 17, 2016 by Mary 3 Comments

Summer breeze – makes me feel fine…

Summer is BBQ’s and frosty cocktails and salads with crunchy things on top. New seasonings to spice up your grill to add to the fun!

We’ve got it all here in the 2016 MARY’s secret ingredients summer box!! So if you didn’t get yours, here’s what you missed. (And you can still get one here as we have just a few left.) All products are taste tested, with recipes created and specially crafted by yours truly using each product. (This is my favorite part of the job!) The products span the pond as you can see here in this adorable video our talented team of designers put together. Please take a minute and watch.

And now for more in-depth descriptions:

CARRIE MAE’S KITCHEN

Carrie Mae’s Kitchen specializes in uniquely flavored gourmet crackers called Crunchy Strips, which are made with all natural ingredients. All crackers are handmade with tender loving care; hence the company’s slogan – Made from the heart to feed your soul.

Carrie Mae herself hand made each one of these crunchy strips and then drove them up from North Carolina to our warehouse in NJ to make the due date for the box. This woman is determined and dedicated to her delicious and healthy craft, she’s bound to become a huge success.

Chia Seeds Crunchy Strips
Chia Seeds Crunchy Strips are not only delicious, but these tiny chia seeds pack on some good health benefits as well. Chia seeds are a “whole grain” food, and are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. They are loaded with fiber, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and various micronutrients. These crackers are a delightful little crunch of goodness combined with just the right amount of sweet.

CHEF’S CUT

Chef’s Cut Real Jerky was created by Chef Blair Swiler and Dennis Riedel. Blair has been smoking meats his entire life; a tradition passed along from his father. Today the vision to change the jerky world has resulted in the best tasting, highest quality jerky on the market. They use only premium cuts of steak and white breast meat and always hand-cut each piece, using only the finest real ingredients – just like you would find at your favorite steak house. Chef’s Cut Real Jerky is the jerky you’ve always wanted. It’s Jerky Done Right. Dig In.

Honey Barbecue Chicken Jerky
What’s the result of combining a blend of spices, honey granules, and a touch of molasses? The best tasting chicken jerky on the market – barbecue grill not included. Chef’s Cut is healthy, high in protein, low in fat and great-tasting, making it the perfect alternative to the standard high-fat, high-calorie snacking fare.

ENGLISH PROVENDER

At The English Provender Company they have a real passion for food, that is evident in the quality and flavor of every product they create. They believe in keeping it simple. Their products have clean, all-natural, premium ingredients and are packaged in attractive glass jars to retain optimum quality and taste.

Caramelized Red Onion Chutney
Elevates burgers, sandwiches, sausages, and meatloaf. Delicious with cheese and crackers and cold cuts. Adds richness to sauces. The secret ingredient in moist, savory cheese muffins.
Luxury Lemon Curd Spread
Delicious spread on warm toast, pancakes, scones and muffins. Dessert topping for ice-cream and cake. Helpful consumer serving suggestions on lid. A soft creamy spread with a yummy bright sweet flavor.

GUSTUS VITAE

Gustus Vitae is a Californian crafter of authentic, artisan seasoning blends and gourmet finishing salts. Using locally harvested California sea salt and herbs and spices, their all natural, certified non-GMO ingredients are blended in small batches, before being packed by hand in their unique magnetic tins. They started in Venice Beach Farmer’s Market and remain driven by the same value:Quality Above All.

Taste of Provence
An exquisite blend of fragrant, fresh, and herbal flavors, the Taste of Provence brings the flavors of the French countryside to your kitchen. Crumble onto olives, goat cheeses, roasted vegetables, or sprinkle on seared seafood or grilled poultry. Add a couple of pinches of the Taste of Provence to a bowl of tomato or pumpkin soup for a wonderfully warm
and minty flavor with beautiful color contrast throughout the dish.

JOSEPH JOSEPH

Founded in 2003 by twin brothers Anthony and Richard, Joseph Joseph specializes in creating design-led products for the kitchen and home with a strong emphasis on form, functionality and quality. As one of the fastest growing companies in the worldwide homewares market, the brand has earned global recognition for its multi-award winning designs.

Rotary Peeler
Made from high-quality stainless steel, Rotary Peeler™’s three blades are razor-sharp and are housed in a tough case that takes up very little space in your drawer. Simply select the desired blade – standard, serrated or julienne – by rotating the unit’s brushed metal hub. The Rotary Peeler™ makes short work of even the toughest fruit or vegetable skin and the design also includes a potato-eye remover. The case can be opened for easy cleaning.

SABATINO TARTUFI

Sabatino Tartufi is the world’s largest truffle manufacturer. For over 100 years, they have been cultivating and distributing the highest quality Italian truffles. They offer a range of truffle products, such as truffle honey, truffle salt, and truffle oils. The blend of their modern technologies and traditional recipes create the ultimate truffle experience.

Truffle Zest
Truffles are one of the most expensive foods in the world. We bring you this highly praised ingredient into our revolutionary truffle seasoning. This truffle powder is packed with flavor, and can be added to everything, such as pasta, pizza, rice, potatoes, salads, and anything else that needs a dash of zest! It is gluten free, non GMO, allergen free and contains no MSG.

Please remember, always cook with LOVE and your food will taste better!

Our fall box ships on September 25th. Order one now before we sell out.

Makes a great gift! 🙂

Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade Juicy Chicken Breasts

April 26, 2016 by Mary 22 Comments

I have a confession to make. I hate orange marmalade. I hate the bitterness of the rind and I’m really not a jelly, preserve or marmalade person. I’d just much rather have honey on my toast or nothing. That was until I met Jan and tasted her jam gems. This Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade is ridiculously good!!!

Of course you can use it on buttered toast and go straight to heaven. You see this marmalade is softer if you will, not at all bitter and not too sweet. It’s juuust right. `

Jan was in the movie business out in LA and it was well known to her friends that she made an amazing fig spread, just as gifts to her buddies. Well word got around and she ran into a food veteran who had heard of her jam. And the rest is history. She makes 11 varieties now, sweet and savory and an absolutely fantastic lemon curd. You can see the whole line here.

But my favorite was this new tangerine marmalade. Because it’s so good, I’ve been using it on everything!! Try this recipe of Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade Juicy Chicken Breasts and then move on to the sea bass fillet recipe and don’t forget to start your day with it on toast. You can make it a Just Jan’s day!

See how the marmalade glistens like jewels!

JUST JAN’S TANGERINE MARMALADE JUICY CHICKEN BREASTS – serves 5

Plan on the time to marinate. I like to do this on a Sunday afternoon. Then your dinnertime prep work is super quick!

2.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts – about 5
1 heaping Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 scant Tbs. coarse sea salt
13 grinds of Szechuan peppercorns
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. grainy mustard
2.5 Tbs. Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade

4 hours before starting to cook, wash and dry the breasts, trimming off all fat. Place the breasts in a ziplock bag. Add the rosemary, buttermilk, salt, pepper and oil. Remove air from the bag and close. Mix everything around until blended and all breast meat is covered. Marinate for 1 – 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Remove the bag from the fridge about an hour before cooking.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a large non-stick, ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil and butter until very hot on medium-high heat. Remove the breasts from the marinade and place on a plate to spread the 1 Tbs. grainy mustard evenly across all breasts on one side only.

When the oil and butter are very hot and the butter has stopped sizzling, carefully place the breasts in the skillet, mustard side down and brown for 3 minutes.

Flip over and spread Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade evenly across all the tops of the breasts.

Place the skillet in the oven to roast for about 7 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 150 – 155 degrees. Remove from skillet and let rest on a platter for 5 – 10 minutes and the temperature will gain.

Serve with LOVE and some juices from the platter and enjoy!!

You can also make this DELICIOUS, super easy sea bass recipe.

JUST JAN’S TANGARINE MARMALADE GLAZED SEA BASS – serves 3 – 4

1.5 lbs. sea bass fillet
1 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade
Olive oil to slick the pan
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slick a rimmed baking pan with olive oil.

Wash and pat dry your fish with paper toweling. Salt and pepper one side of the fish, then evenly distribute the oregano over all. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add in the Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade to melt and whisk to combine. Brush on your seasoned sea bass fillet. Roast for 10 minutes per inch of thickness of your fish. I roasted mine for about 12 minutes.

Finish with a light sprinkling of Maldon salt, serve with LOVE and enjoy this totally yummy main course.

This jam with butter is outstanding, so naturally it’s great on toast!

You can still get this product in our MARY’s secret ingredients spring box for sale here. We only have a few left so hurry. Perfect gift for Mother’s Day!!

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