Category Archives: Videos

Curried Butternut Squash Stuffing

A must-have side dish for your holiday spread!

OK, so I admit it. My signature stuffing up until now has been ~~fatty on a platter~~ a sausage smorgasbord. In fact, when I had Thanksgiving with JP’s family for the first time years ago, we had an entire debate about Stuffing vs. Dressing. Down here in the South, it’s called dressing. Where I come from, dressing is what you put on a salad! So, his family nicknamed my dish, “Yankee Stuffing” and like a true chef from north of the Mason-Dixon line, I loaded it with sausage and sage and butter….

The recipe was a hit, bless their little hearts!

So, when the lovely folks at Whole Foods Market asked me to come up with a recipe for a plant based vegetarian stuffing for our segment, I tried to talk them out of it. But Yankee stuffing is my favorite recipe, I sniffed.

Then, I (reluctantly) took the meat-free challenge. When I actually started experimenting with veggie options, I realized that meat doesn’t have to be the star– (sorry, Jimmy Dean!) Instead, butternut squash took the spotlight. It’s light, but savory and scrumptious!

Standing ovation, please!

Ingredients

1 loaf of ciabatta bread cubed and toasted in oven at 375 for 10 minutes

3 cups butternut squash chopped (steam for 10 minutes)

2 Tb curry powder

1 Tb Tandoori Masala spice mic

1 ½ cups vegetable stock

3-4 Tb sage

3 Tb currants

3 Tb toasted almonds

1 box of fresh sliced mushrooms

1 medium onion diced

3 stalks diced celery

3 garlic cloves diced

Saute in 1 Tb olive oil: Mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic

Add 2 Tb curry powder and 1 Tb Tandoori Masala spice mix to 1 ½ cups vegetable stock

Add vegetable stock with spices to bread, squash and mushroom/onion mixture.

Fold in:

3-4 Tb chopped fresh sage

3 Tb currants

3 Tb toasted almonds

1 tsp of kosher salt plus more to taste.

Mix together and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes.

Baked Cod in Parchment with Mediterranean Tapenade

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Substitute in any white fish you like…

Earlier this summer, I had the chance to cook with one of the most inspiring women I know….Deb Shigley is a published author (check out her book The Go-Getter Girl’s Guide) a regular on the Today Show, incredible wife and Mom to 3 (yes, 3 kiddos!) and host of her own cooking blog In Deb’s Kitchen. Together, we whipped up one of my favorite fish recipes, Baked Cod in Parchment paper with a Mediterranean Tapenade. Fish en papillote, if ya wanna get fancy. Watch the video to see the intricacies of wrapping fish, folks….

Ingredients

For each 4-oz cod fillet you’ll need:

A pat of butter

Sprig of Fresh Thyme

Slice of lemon

Splash of white wine

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Parchment Paper

1 Egg, beaten (to seal parchment paper)

For the tapenade:

2 fresh garlic cloves
1 roasted red pepper (jarred)
2 Tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes in oil

Handful of green olives
handful of kalamata olives
1 Tablespoon capers

Crumbled goat or feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place your piece of parchment paper (about 9 X 12 in.) on the counter or cutting board. Arrange one cod fillet in the top center of the paper. Add a pat of butter, sprig of thyme, splash of white wine and lemon slice on top of the fish and season with sea salt and pepper. Using a pastry brush, paint a line of egg wash around the perimeter of the paper, about 1/2-inch from the edge. Fold paper in half to seal in the fish like an envelope. Starting from the bottom left corner, fold and roll the paper over itself in 1/4 inch sections, continuing along the edge toward the bottom right corner until you’ve sealed the fish in its little parchment paper pocket. Transfer each parchment packet to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

For the tapenade, place all ingredients except the goat cheese into a mini-processor. Pulse about 15-30 seconds, until blended but still very chunky (if you pulse too long the tapenade will get soupy). Transfer tapenade mixture to another bowl and top with a handful of crumbled goat cheese. Remove fish from its parchment packet when ready and plate. Spoon a few tablespoons of tapenade on top of baked fillet.

Enjoy!

Turkey Cranberry Salad…Leftover Turkey Heaven

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Leftovers won’t last long with this delish salad!

Who wants cold turkey sandwiches for 11 days after Thanksgiving? Not this girl. Your turkey just went to leftover heaven with this fabulous turkey cranberry salad. The secret ingredient is the heavy whipping cream folded in– it takes away that mayonnaisey taste that sometimes overwhelms chicken salad. The result is a salad that is creamy and decadent (and low-carb!) Sounds like the kind of legacy every turkey would want to leave behind, right?

Ingredients

4 cups of fresh roasted turkey chopped

½ cup of full-fat mayonnaise

3 Tb fresh parsley

3 Tb celery diced

3 Tb onion diced

3 Tb fresh cranberry sauce

3 Tb fresh toasted almonds

½ cup heavy whipping cream whipped into soft peaks

1 tsp kosher salt, more to taste

Directions: Mix everything together– fold in heavy whipping cream last. Enjoy!

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Pistachios and Sage

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Savory, smooth, crunchy and delish!

Who doesn’t love the Southern classic Thanksgiving sweet potatoes with marshmallows and pecans? Since I’ve been trying to ~~keep my ass in skinny jeans this holiday season~~ cut down on sugar, I was inspired to come up with a savory version that cut the sugar without cutting out the flavor. Meet Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Pistachios and Sage…

Ingredients

3 sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)

8oz container of whipped cream cheese

1/2 stick melted butter (4 Tb)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup heavy cream or half-n-half

3 roasted garlic cloves (roasted in jackets at 400 for 15 minutes, drizzled with olive oil)

Chopped fresh sage

1/2 cup toasted, crushed pistachios

Directions: Boil sweet potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and add the rest of ingredients to your mixer. Blend until smooth. Top with sage and pistachios.

Dixie’s Cheesecake

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Cheesecake Queens

Recently, I had the pleasure of cooking with the cutest Dairy Farmer in the state of Georgia….Meet Dixie Truelove. (Yes, that’s her real name!) We collaborated on some feature pieces for CBS about dairy farmers and she shared her family’s famous recipe with me. When she’s not managing her 300 acre dairy farm, she bakes a bad ass cheesecake. GetinmymouthRAWTnow kinda good.

She also taught me that milking cows in hot pink heels is not recommended…but the overalls are hot, no?

City Girl in the Country…hot pink stilettos optional

Dixie’s Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 Tb melted butter

Filling:

2 (8oz) containers plus 3oz of full fat cream cheese

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup sour cream to spread on top of cheesecake

Directions: Mix 3 Tb melted butter with the graham cracker crumbs and press down into springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350.
Turn down oven to 300.

In mixer, blend cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and 3 eggs, mixing after each egg is added. Pour into crust and bake for one hour uncovered at 300 degrees.

And if you want to watch an udderly fabulous milking lesson….(I thought you’d never ask!) Here’s more Dixie and Parker on the Dairy Farm:

Gluten-free, Dairy Free Orange Zested Chocolate Mousse

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Gluten-Free and Full of DELISH

Ever since I started having gluten issues, I’ve been experimenting with new dessert recipes, cuz pie crust and cookies ain’t my friend! This mousse is so easy and all you need is a blender to whip it into frothy deliciousness.

Ingredients

1 bag chocolate chips (or 12 oz of your favorite dark chocolate)

Juice from 1/4 of an orange

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tb Grand Marnier

4 eggs

8 oz hot coffee

Directions: Put everything except the hot coffee in a blender and blend for one minute. Mixture will be frothy and chunky. Turn blender back on add the 8oz of hot coffee until everything melts and combines– another minute or so.

Pour into your fave mousse cups and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Top with whipped cream (if you can eat dairy!), grated orange zest and grated dark chocolate.

SCRUMPTIOUS!

Meaty Monday: Crockpot Orange Star Chicken

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You’ll be the STAR of your dinner party with Orange Star Chicken!

‘Tis the season for entertaining…..how about a one pot meal that will wow your friends and family with zero high maintenance prep work? Meet Orange Star Chicken. You’ll be the star of your party…and get to spend your evening sipping on a holiday cocktail instead of stressing in the kitchen! This is fabulous served with rice noodles…

Ingredients

1 package chicken drumsticks, skin removed

1 box of low sodium chicken stock

¾ cup soy sauce

½ cup brown sugar (low carbers, sub out for 1/4 cup truvia)

4-5 pieces of orange peel

4 spring onions chopped

2 Tb garlic chopped

1 Tb whole black peppercorns

5 star anise pieces

3 Tb fresh ginger

1 jalapeno chopped

Juice of one orange

2 Tb dry sherry

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions: Mix and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours

Serve over rice or rice noodles (Pad Thai noodles work great!)

Salsas “del Toro” and Celebrity Free Passes

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Refreshing and Delicious Mango Salsa

I posted these recipes on my Facebook page over the summer, but these are great year round! Mango salsa is da bomb on fish tacos and the black bean salsa packs a flavor punch to burritos. Think Benecio del Toro on a plate. Is it getting caliente in here, or is it just me?

Delicioso

Benecio is my ‘celebrity free pass,’ by the way…any hot, rugged man with a last name that means “of the bull” is hawt. I won’t go into my personal thoughts about JP’s celebrity free pass choice of Megan (can’t act but sure has cute fake boobs) Fox.

It’s prolly no coincidence that Benecio actually looks like a Latino version of JP– with those brooding, hooded green eyes and full luscious lips. *sigh.

Pretty boys just don’t do it for me.

What’s on Parker’s Plate….

Hungry yet? I am!

MANGO SALSA

2-3 mangos diced

2 pinches of fresh chopped cilantro

1 jalapeño chopped (no seeds)

2 Tb red onion

Squeeze ½ lime

Mix together and top on tacos or eat alone as a mango salad

BLACK BEAN SALSA

1 can of Black Beans drained

½ red bell pepper chopped

2 pinches of fresh chopped cilantro

1 jalapeño chopped (no seeds)

1-2 cloves fresh garlic

1 tsp chipotle chili powder

Sprinkle of sea salt or kosher salt

Mix together and serve hot as a side dish or cold as a salsa. Combine with mango salsa too, for double the delicious!

And Benecio, querido, cariño, lemme know if you ever need a homecooked meal….

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

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No baking required!

I love everything pumpkin– from pie to yogurt to muffins. I make a scrumptious no bake cheesecake with the combo of Cool Whip and cream cheese with some sugar and vanilla or almond extract, so it got me thinking, “What about adding pumpkin?”

Bam.

If you want to make this sugar-free and/or gluten free, substitute sugar-free whipped topping and a 1/4 cup of truvia for the real sugar. You can also make a crust similar to my Guilt-Free Lemon Cheesecake with ground almonds or pecans.

Ingredients:

1 8oz package cream cheese

1 tub all natural whipped topping (like Cool Whip)

1 can pumpkin

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

½ tsp cloves

1 Tb vanilla extract

¼ cup white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

Directions:

Bring cream cheese and whipped topping to room temperature so they’re easy to mix. Blend together all ingredients in mixer. Pour into pre-made graham cracker crust and freeze for 2 hours. Take out of freezer 30 minutes before serving.

Top with whipped cream and ground nutmeg.

If you have extra filling, pop it into some cups and serve with graham crackers drizzled with chocolate. Pumpkin Mousse. Your welcome!

Rice Crispy Treat Halloween Pumpkins

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Punkin’ Head

Ingredients

Rice Crispy treats balled up into the size of golf balls

Orange melting chocolate wafers

Orange sanding sugar

Green tic tacs or green twizzlers for stems

Candy eye balls

Gourmet writing pen

Lollipop sticks

*I get all my supplies at Cake Art in Tucker, but if you aren’t local in Atlanta, you can get melting chocolate and decorating supplies at Michael’s Craft store.

Directions

Ball up Rice Crispy Treats and insert lollipop sticks. Melt the chocolate wafers in a double boiler or in a glass bowl on top of a small sauce pan with 1-2 inches of simmering water. Stir until melted—about 5 minutes. Let chocolate cool for 10 minutes before dipping balled up Rice Crispy treats. Dip treats in chocolate and twist sticks to shake off excess chocolate. Sprinkle sanding sugar on if desired, and place one tic tac at top of the treat for the pumpkin stem. If you’re using candy eyeballs, stick them on before chocolate dries! Once chocolate is hardened, use your Gourmet writing pen to draw on cute or scary pumpkin faces!

Pumpkin Pop Party Favors

These are the perfect favors for a Halloween party– whether you’re entertaining kids or adults. I made a bunch this weekend for a party– instead of drying the pops upright, I had the sticks facing up so they’d be easy to grab. I also used green twizzlers for the stems because I couldn’t find Green tic tacs!