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

Chelsea Market Baskets Oatie Bites Fruit Crisp

May 27, 2015 by Mary 15 Comments

These little cookies from Chelsea Market Baskets are buttery, crisp, full of oats and totally delicious! This is the sixth item from our MARY’s secret ingredients spring box and I’d say they’re addictive. So, my thought with this recipe was to combine them with healthy fruit to be able to justify eating more of them! In your box, you either got a Banoffee flavor, which Is a traditional Scottish combo of banana and vanilla or Maple Pecan. Either flavor works in this Chelsea Market Baskets Oatie Bites Fruit Crisp recipe.

First, a little background on the heritage of these cookies. Donald Reid started this family-run bakery located in Thurso, Scotland in 1966 using his grandmother’s over 100 year-old recipes. He uses the exact same locally grown oats from the exact same mills that his grandmother used to bake her amazing biscuits and cakes. The recipes are unchanged, and we’re so glad about that!

We get savor these cookies via Chelsea Market Baskets, NYC’s premier specialty food and gift basket store. Owner, David Porat searches the world for distinctly high quality, unique, innovative products with a certain indescribable charm, and we can see why these Oatie Bites fit right in his specifications. Chelsea Market Baskets aims to delight customers through their retail shop in NYC, mail order gift business and wholesale imports. And that they do!

Here’s the recipe:

CHELSEA MARKET BASKETS OATIE BITES FRUIT CRISP – serves 6 – 8

10 large strawberries, washed, cored and each sliced into 3 or 4 thick slices
1 pint blueberries, washed
3 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice

TOPPING;
12 Oatie Bites cookies, Banoffee or Maple Pecan flavored
3 Tbs. unsalted cold butter, plus more for buttering pan
1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, preferably fresh grated

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

Butter an 8” x 8” glass baking dish.

Make sure the fruit is air dried before proceeding. Combine the fruit in the buttered dish. Sprinkle the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice on top and toss all gently to combine with a rubber spatula.

Prepare the topping: Break the cookies into small pieces in a bowl. Sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and place in the bowl. Combine all with a pastry cutter to make the streusel topping.

Distribute the topping evenly over the fruit.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly on the edges.

Serve warm, with LOVE. If you want to be really decadent, you could add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, but it is not necessary.

This was so good, I’m making it again tomorrow night for a little weeknight dinner party!

The Chelsea Market Baskets Oatie Bites were in our MARY’s secret ingredients spring box. The summer box will mail on June 25th. You won’t want to miss it!

Gran Luchito & Buttermilk Marinated Roast Chicken

December 17, 2014 by Mary 8 Comments

The next item from our winter box is the Gran Luchito Smoked Pepper Paste from Chelsea Market Baskets. (They also make the best holiday gift baskets!) The owner, David Porat, sent this to me months ago to try out. I immediately loved it and wanted it in a box, but it wasn’t available until just now. This little jar is packed with potent taste and should be invited in to everyone’s kitchen! It truly is an ingredient, not to be eaten right out of the jar as it is super strong. Mixing it with other things allows you to appreciate the full flavor of these rare smoked Mexican chillies that have all been ethically sourced – nice! I made this Gran Luchito & Buttermilk Marinated Roast Chicken recipe and it is so good!! (There are other recipes here as well.)

You may remember that my husband is not a fan of smoked things, but he LOVES this chicken. The paste also has a bit of agave and some garlic. This recipe is so easy with only four ingredients and again, it’s because the chilli paste is packed with flavor. Just plan ahead to marinate it for 2 days. This way, the chilli flavors really permeate the meat and the buttermilk makes it creamy and silky all at the same time. Do it on a Saturday and you’ve got yourself an easy dinner for a Monday evening. Make it with LOVE and it will overflow with extra deliciousness!

GRAN LUCHITO & BUTTERMILK MARINATED ROAST CHICKEN – serves 4

One 3.5 lb. whole chicken
1.5 cups of whole buttermilk – preferably Kate’s
1.5 Tbs. of Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Paste
1 tsp. crushed Juniper berries

Two days before serving, wash and paper towel dry your chicken. Using poultry shears, cut along each side of the chicken backbone and remove it. Turn the chicken breast side up and press on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. Using a sharp knife, cut partway through both sides of the joint between the thighs and the drumsticks as well as cut partway through the joint between the wings and the breast. This will allow the chicken to cook much faster.

Combine the buttermilk, Gran Luchito and crushed juniper berries in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour this mixture in a ziplock bag and put your chicken in. Close the bag and distribute the marinade all over. Store in the refrigerator for two days, turning the bag over and rubbing the marinade in periodically.

On the day you’re serving the chicken, preheat the oven to 450°. Place the chicken with the marinade in a non-stick, ovenproof skillet. (I did this or you can drain it from the marinade as essentially it does make a mess in your skillet but it probably imparts more flavor this way. With the skillet being non-stick, it fortunately cleans up easily.)

Set the skillet over high heat and cook the chicken until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for 30 minutes, until the skin is browned and the chicken is cooked through. Carefully remove the chicken from the skillet (remember the handle is piping hot so do not grab it unless you have a hotpad on!) and place on a platter. Let the chicken rest for 5 – 10 minutes. Cut it into 8 pieces and serve with LOVE.

MARY’s secret ingredients winter box

December 10, 2014 by Mary 2 Comments

It’s been a whirlwind first year for this subscription box business and I’m delighted to share with you the products in our MARY’s secret ingredients winter box!! It’s the last box of the year so we made this one extra special, overflowing with goodness, giving you a great foundation to start the holiday season with some super unique items. We’ve got bitters to brighten your cocktails, teas to warm your heart on a cold winter night, along with buttery rich peppermint cookies – now that’s a great nightcap! Both the hot pepper sauce and smoked peppers in the chili paste will add some terrific new flavors to your life and then you can go make some wonderful muffins in the prettiest paper cups. You could do some hiking to work it all off with the best trail mix, or wait for my most unexpected recipe using this product. A fun time is coming!!

We hope we’ve made your cooking more inventive and stretched your boundaries a bit. We’ve certainly had quite a fun time testing and choosing the most interesting, different and fun products to work with. We wonder, for those of you who didn’t order a box, do you find these “box posts” boring? Should we move them all to the MARY’s secret ingredients site? Or do you find them interesting?

Take a look at our lovely Marie Anello, once again opening the box in this video to the tune of a seasonal classic, Let It Snow!

Here are all the products, along with a tidbit about each company.

Chelsea Market Baskets – Gran Luchito (Smoke and chilli combine for total deliciousness!)

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. And they make great holiday gift baskets!

Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Paste: An authentic Mexican smoked chilli paste made in Mexico using chilies that have been ethically sourced directly from local farmers. When you try the product, the first thing you’ll notice is the smoky flavor, but then you’ll notice a hint of agave sweetness, perhaps the nuttiness of garlic and, of course, a medium heat.

Dutch’s Spirits: (Aren’t these just so cute?? I love the hats!)

Dutch’s Spirits is an artisanal distillery. Named after an infamous New York mobster of the Prohibition era, Dutch’s Spirits inhabits the same location as Harvest Homestead Farm, where Dutch Schultz set up his bootlegging complex. Dutch’s Spirits has steeped their bitters production in a heady combination of historical reference and dedication to the American cocktail craft.

American Era Cocktail Bitters: Inspired by the United States’ colorful history, Dutch’s Spirits crafted bold new recipes blending unique flavors from each era to create a truly distinctive line of cocktail bitters. The variety 3-pack includes:

Colonial Cocktail Bitters: Wild spicebush berries and Kinnikinnick leaf combined with chamomile blossoms, rose petals, lavender, bitter orange, angelica seed, juniper, allspice and cinnamon. A classically aromatic bitters blend.

Boomtown Bitters: Combines the ingredients of sarsaparilla and wintergreen with flavors representing American whiskies of the day such as coconut and oak from the maturing cask. This is an alternative bitters variety for bourbon and whiskey drinks.

ProhiBitters: Blend of flavors tailored to tweak the usual gin martini. Predominant citrus notes blend with licorice, hibiscus, ginger root and coriander.

Maddy’s Sweet Shop: (Bet you can’t eat just one!)

At Maddy’s Sweet Shop they continue to do things the old-fashioned way. Their delightful products are crafted in their artisanal bakery with time-honored recipes and the finest ingredients. Their award winning Lil’ Maddies are delectable shortbread cookies with a sweet candy crunch, covered in a unique powdered sugar coating.

Peppermint Snaps: Refresh your taste buds with the cool flavor of peppermint. It will wake you up and put a smile on your face. This is a surprisingly light and refreshing shortbread cookie with a peppermint candy crunch inside that is perfect for any time of the day.

PaperChef: (Make your cupcakes and muffins spectacular!)

PaperChef, a Toronto-based company founded in 2010, is a subsidiary of Culinary Papers and McNairn Packaging, a family business that has been making paper products for the food industry since 1882. The company is committed to bringing “The Art of Cooking with Parchment” to North America and the globe. The PaperChef line of products includes parchment rolls, parchment cooking bags and parchment baking cups.

Lotus cups: These cups are 100% biodegradable and they add personality to culinary creations while helping them to look their best. The cups’ inherent non-stick properties make them easy to peel away while keeping their shape, with little to no clean up.

Peeled Snacks: (Hiking never tasted so good – and wait until you see this recipe coming up!)

At Peeled Snacks, they know that food starts out delicious and nutritious. It doesn’t need a machine to improve it or an engineer to perfect it. They strive to bring you natural, premium ingredients so you can feel good about snacking. Eating well doesn’t have to mean eating tasteless, bland foods. It does, however, mean eating a healthy, wide range of foods from every food group.

apple APLENTY: This trail mix is a 100% organic, rich and tasty balance of sunflower seeds, walnuts, and peanuts, mixed with juicy Peeled Snacks raisins, dark chocolate, and apples. Whether you’re out on a hike or in for the night, apple Applenty will get you through, and help you bypass the doctor’s office. Enjoy!

Red Snapper Sauce: (No this is not made of fish – the name is a misnomer and the sauce is hot – a tiny bit goes a long way!)

The story of Red Snapper Sauce and the history of the McVea family are essentially one and the same. Some of the family’s happiest memories have been made while gathered around tables stocked with their legendary Louisiana-style hot sauce. Since they can’t invite each of you to their table, they’re sharing their history and family pride in each and every bottle.

Wildwood Arbol Sauce: This medium heat sauce is made with Chile De Arbol peppers, (a relative of the cayenne), and is quickly becoming the condiment of choice on many food lovers’ tables. It is extremely flavorful, with a woody base. Every bite increases the heat, giving warmth and flavor to any dish.

SerendipiTea: (Just the cutest names!!)

SerendipiTea is committed to the highest quality loose-leaf tea, selecting fine certified organics when available. They work closely with tea gardens, estates and specialists around the world, maintaining knowledge and expertise regarding all facets of tea and its production.

Holiday Cheer: Spread some Holiday Cheer this season! Enjoy this hand-crafted blend of warming spices, festive orange peel, invigorating mint & a touch of Black Tea for fortitude.

Once Upon a Tea: A fairy tale beginning with a delectable ending! Boldly based on rooibos, the mellow notes of vanilla, rich texture of chocolate & the defining essence of mint all blend together, deliciously ever after.

Get Bolder with Smoulder! Shrimp and Tomato Appetizer

October 10, 2014 by Mary 22 Comments

Smouder on fresh tomatoes with olive oil

Smoulder on fresh tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil

On uncooked salmon – so you can see how much I put on.

Smoulder seasoning.

Well this stuff is so good, I don’t know what you can’t put it on! You WILL want to put it on everything. In fact, the only thing that has stopped me from putting it on everything is that I didn’t want all the things in my meal to taste the same! Everything really can get bolder with Smoulder! It is a wonderful spice blend from South Africa that has smoked peppers, garlic, some salt and pepper. It comes in it’s own grinder so everything comes out fresher.

And here’s the thing, my husband hates smoked things, so at first I was sneaking this stuff on. I mean after all, it’s my duty to be able to tell you the best way to use it, so I had to use it. But he’s loved everything with this! The smokiness is real flavor – real flavor of the peppers, not just smokiness for smokiness sake. And the salt content is light so you can grind away to get more pepper flavor and not worry. You can put it on before you cook or use it as a finishing flavor for more intensity, right before serving, as I did here with the tomatoes.

The finished roasted salmon – use the cooking method in this link.

So let me go through all the things I’ve been putting it on lately:

Tomatoes
Any vegetable – grilled eggplant, roasted okra, roasted zucchini, cauliflower, green beans, yellow flat beans, bok choy and Brussels sprouts
Tilapia
Fillet of Sole
Salmon
Turkey Burgers
Pork chops
Chicken
Even eggs

And you can go on. Probably even popcorn!

Just go ahead and grind and smile like you’ve worked hard in the kitchen! Enjoy!!

Chelsea Market Baskets, where you can buy Smoulder, has so many interesting products, just like this one. Check out their site and order away!! Remember the holidays are coming and they make the best gift baskets.

Smoulder on shrimp and tomatoes topped with sorrel sauce

Here is a super easy, terrific recipe:

SMOULDERED SHRIMP AND TOMATOES APPETIZER – serves 2

6 – 7 large shrimp
Several grindings of Smoulder
1 plum tomato, sliced into 6 or 7 slices
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. dry vermouth
Sea salt – optional
Sorrel sauce – optional

Wash and dry shrimp and season liberally with grindings of Smoulder on one side. Season the sliced tomatoes with grindings of Smoulder as well.

Warm the olive oil in a small skillet. Turn heat to medium high and add the unsalted butter. When the sizzling ceases, add the shrimp and tomatoes, seasoned side down. Cook for 2 minutes. Lightly salt the top side, while the seasoned side is cooking. Turn the shrimp and tomatoes over and add the vermouth. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp, when just no longer pink and divide on two plates. Remove the tomatoes and add to your shrimp. Let the sauce simmer a minutes longer, then pour over the shrimp and tomatoes.

Optional: Top with a little sorrel sauce and serve or garnish with fresh chopped Italian parsley.

We hope you enjoy this amazing product that was in our fall MARY’s secret ingredients box.

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

Chelsea Market Baskets Oatie Bites Fruit Crisp

Gran Luchito & Buttermilk Marinated Roast Chicken

MARY’s secret ingredients winter box

Get Bolder with Smoulder! Shrimp and Tomato Appetizer

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