Nectarine Galette

July 17, 2014 by Taylor Leave a Comment

When you eat pie, do you prefer the filling, or the crust? If you are like me and prefer the filling, a gallete if the perfect summer dessert for you. With a pie, the fruit filling is sandwiched between a top and bottom and bottom layer of crust. With a galette, you only have a bottom layer of crust with a little bit on the sides. A little warning about transporting a galette: don’t travel with it uncovered. Here is what the galette looked like when I put it in my passenger seat before the 15 minute drive from Sally’s place to my house. The scale of the image may be deceiving. Keep in mind that this galette is the size of a full pie and is meant to serve 8 people.

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Watermelon Peach and Feta Salad with Lemon Allspice Dressing

July 10, 2014 by Taylor Leave a Comment

My love for watermelon isn’t bound by one season. Any time of the year that watermelon is available, I’ll eat it. My love of this pink and green melon started at an early age. At Thanksgiving and Christmas, my Granny (Marjorie) will always bring a fruit salad for our family meal. She knows how much I like watermelon, so she will scour the grocery store to find some in season. My siblings know that if they want watermelon in their serving, they need to serve themselves before I pick out all the watermelon pieces. In college, I discovered a new way to consume my favorite summer food. Creating a small whole in the melon’s surface and adding an inverted liquor bottle turns a the watermelon into a cocktail and a food I have to slow down while eating. I still love watermelon and this summer I plan on eating as much watermelon as I can! After seeing palates of watermelon at the grocery store, I was inspired to paint a photography background inspired by the green exterior and beautiful pink interior of this summer treat.

Thanks to Sally, I have a new way to enjoy my favorite summer fruit. Bite sized pieces of watermelon and peaches are marinated sweet and tangy Lemon Allspice Marinade. The salad is served with the marinated fruit, crumbled feta, and pistachios. It is perfect for tailgating, back yard entertaining, or any other summer meal where watermelon lovers will be dining. If I’m eating this salad with you, be careful, I will pick all the watermelon out of the bowl. Continue Reading

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Original Red Roasted Cauliflower Salad

July 2, 2014 by Sally James Mathis 1 Comment

Upon my arrival in Lafayette, I relaxed into the familiar embrace of South Louisiana humidity. In less than 30 miles I was transported to a world unchanged by mixed use zoning and familiar neon signs. I passed through the gate house and onto Avery Island. Past swamps and marshes teaming with wildlife, the terrain began to roll and I was silenced by the beauty of time worn live oak trees draped with Spanish moss.

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Garlic Tabasco London Broil

June 27, 2014 by Sally James Mathis 2 Comments

I have a confession to make. I am a longtime fan of seasoning and cooking with Tabasco. You know this if you are familiar with Taylor Takes a Taste or The Southern Tailgating Cookbook. You may not know that my father, Carl James, introduced me to Tabasco while I spent a college summer in New Orleans. At the time, Carl was the Executive Director of the Sugar Bowl and enthusiastically used Original Red Tabasco on all of his food. Carl passed away 10 years ago and I think of him every time I use Tabasco sauce. Every time.

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Strawberry Shortcakes

June 20, 2014 by Taylor 1 Comment

In my Mom’s kitchen, there is a dark green granite counter top to the side of the oven. This is where the our recipe development occurs. My Mom has her side and I have mine. Over the years, we have spent countless hours on these two sides of the counter chopping, mixing, stirring and whatever culinary tasks are called for in the recipe.

To celebrate strawberry season, we decided to make a classic comfort food that highlights the berry’s juicy and sweet nature. Strawberry Shortcakes are an iconic dessert. With just three elements to it they are fairly straight and to the point. When you have ripe berries at the peak of their season, straightforward is what you need! Shortcake, a ripe berry filling, and a bowl of fluffy home made whipped cream are the makings of a great dessert.

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Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich

June 16, 2014 by Taylor Leave a Comment

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Are you looking for something new to try at your backyard barbecue or tailgate?
Have you ever considered eggplant?

This Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich packs the delicious flavors of eggplant Parmesan and delivers them in a portable sandwich that is perfect for summer entertaining. The eggplant slices can be grilled outdoors or inside on a grill pan. The tender eggplant is sandwiched between a creamy Ricotta spread, tomato sauce, fresh basil, Provolone cheese, and two buttery pieces of Italian bread.

We have worked with The Go Bold With Butter Blog to develop this recipe and you can see full recipe over on their site. Here is a link to the Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich.

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Texas Size Blueberry Honey Streusel Muffins

June 13, 2014 by Taylor Leave a Comment

How will your celebrate Father’s Day this year? Will you walk 18 with your dad? Spend the day boating on the lake? Go for a hike in the mountains? Maybe it will be a day of relaxing and watching the last round of the U.S. Open! Regardless of what activities you have planned for Sunday, you must start the day with something to eat! These Texas Size Blueberry Honey Streusel Muffins are the perfect meal for a Dad on the go, or who wants to relax with the paper in their favorite chair. Their larger Texas size makes a muffin that will fill any dad’s appetite.

Blueberry Honey Streusel Muffins

Makes 12 Texas Sized Muffins

special equipment (2) 6 cup Texas Muffin Pans

Muffin Batter:

3 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups fresh Blueberries

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

11 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 Tablespoons honey (we used wildflower)

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Streusel Topping:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1 Tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray the muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray, if desired. Line the pans with 12 paper muffin cups. Set pans aside. Make the streusel topping. In a small bowl, add the flour, sugar and salt. Stir to blend. Add the honey and vanilla to the melted butter. Stir to blend. Pour the butter mixture over the flour mixture. Stir streusel with a spoon to mix. Streusel will resemble a thick paste. Set streusel mixture aside.

2.In a large bowl, add the flour, blueberries, sugar, baking powder and salt. Toss ingredients with a spoon until they are well blended. Set bowl aside. In a small bowl, add the milk, melted butter, eggs, honey and vanilla extract. Stir until well mixed. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the blueberry flour mixture. Stir the mixture until a batter just forms. Lumps in the batter are okay. Fill the 12 prepared muffin cups with the batter. Using a fork, fluff the streusel mixture until is breaks apart into pea sized clusters. Top each of the muffins with the streusel mixture. Put the muffin pans in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffins are done. Cool muffins in the pan. Serve.

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Buttery Brioche Rolls

May 16, 2014 by Taylor 1 Comment

Buttery Brioche Rolls

These Buttery Brioche rolls are the perfect roll for a summer slider. Here are a few different ways that you can enjoy a Buttery Brioche slider this summer. If you are grilling, these rolls are great with grilled pork tenderloin or with a slider sized burger patty. Taking a picnic on the road? Try filling these buttery brioche rolls with chicken or shrimp salad. If you are camping, you can make burgers the dinner and then finish off the remaining rolls with a fried egg sandwich before packing up your campsite to head home. A roll with this kind of versatility is something that you can enjoy all summer long!

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Pesto Bacon Chicken Salad

May 2, 2014 by Taylor 1 Comment

Welcome to May! If you plan on enjoying those May flowers brought by April showers, I suggest you take your food outdoors. How about a picnic? This Pesto Bacon Chicken Salad is a dish that is great for picnicking. Pack a container of the salad in your cooler. Add a container of sliced tomatoes and a small bag of fresh basil leaves. All you have to do is bring a loaf of bread and you have the ingredients for a delicious and filling Pesto Bacon Chicken Salad Sandwich. If you are more interested in a snack size portion at your picnic, bring a sleeve of your favorite cracker to accompany your container of chicken salad. Once at your destination, you can spread the beautiful pale green salad onto your cracker. If crackers are too much, there is nothing wrong with just grabbing a spoon and eating the salad straight from the bowl. Regardless of how you accompany it, this Pesto Bacon Chicken Salad makes a perfect spring meal!

Pesto Bacon Chicken Salad

Serves 8

8 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

1/2 pound bacon, cooked, drained and chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

2/3 cup Basil Arugula Walnut Pesto**

1/3 cup finely chopped poblano peppers

1/3 cup finely chopped vidalia onions

2 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper

1. In a large bowl add the chicken, bacon, mayonnaise, pesto, peppers and onions. Stir well to blend.

2. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Stir well to blend. Cover the chicken salad with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Serve over lettuce or as a sandwich.

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Zucchini Carrot Tea Bread

April 17, 2014 by Taylor Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a versatile baked good? Look no further than this Zucchini Carrot Tea Bread. There isn’t a bad time of day to have a slice or two. You can serve it with coffee or OJ for breakfast, as an appetizer for afternoon tea, or end your day and have a slice for dessert! The bread has hints of ginger from the Ginger Sugar and is loaded with zucchini, carrots, raisins, coconut, and walnuts. Are you a fan of carrot cake? You have to give this bread a try! Continue Reading

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Flavored Sugars: Lemon, Ginger and Orange Earl Grey

April 4, 2014 by Sally James Mathis 6 Comments

flavored_sugars_intro

Making Lemon, Ginger and Orange Earl Grey sugars can enhance the fun factor in many a recipe. The making of flavored sugar alone, is like returning to childhood sandbox play! Lemon sugar is a delightful addition to a sugar cookie recipe. Use Lemon Sugar to up the volume of a simple syrup for a whiskey sour base. Rim a glass with Ginger Sugar when making a Moscow Mule. Mix the Ginger Sugar with cinnamon and make zesty cinnamon toast or add it to your favorite ginger bread recipe. Orange Earl Grey Sugar bolsters the flavor of hot tea. Mix the Orange Earl Grey Sugar in Vanilla yogurt for a flavorful topping for fresh fruit. Muffins, scones, cookies and quick breads will all benefit from using a flavored sugar in place of granulated sugar.

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Paprika Baked Chicken

March 27, 2014 by Taylor 1 Comment

Baked chicken is one of those staple recipes that you can always count on to feed a crowd or as the foundation for the coming week’s make ahead meals. There was a few month stretch where every Sunday afternoon was baked chicken day. I would fill a sheet pan with 6 to 8 chicken breasts. After a sprinkling of salt and pepper, it was off to the oven. Once the chicken’s skin was crispy and the meat had cooked through, I would let it cool and then pull the meat off the bone to use as lunch or dinner throughout the week.

A little warning for you guys out there who are recently married. Pulling chicken can be a slippery business. I lost my wedding ring, for the first time, when pulling apart baked chicken. Luckily a dig through the trash revealed that it had slipped off while pulling.

I was looking to up my baked chicken game, so I turned to my Mom (Sally) for help. I explained to her about the chicken rut that Sara and I were starting to fall into and she had one word to solve our problem: PAPRIKA.

I wasn’t sure what my Mom had planned, but upon seeing a sheet pan of deep red colored chicken with vibrant orange pan juices emerge from the oven, it became clear that Sally was right. Paprika was exactly what my baked chicken needed. The mix of smoky, sweet, citrus, and the smallest amount of heat was a welcome change to my traditional baked chicken. This Paprika Baked Chicken pairs well with Elegant Cauliflower Puree or can be a great foundation to a chicken salad. If you find yourself in a baked chicken rut, give Paprika Baked Chicken a try.

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