20-minute Cream Biscuits (Get the Recipe)

These cream biscuits can be on your table in about 20 minutes. With buttery, lightly crispy outsides and soft, fluffy interiors, they’re a quick and crowd-pleasing side dish.

Mashed potatoes might just be my favorite side dish of all time. In my opinion, sides can often steal the spotlight, and mashed potatoes are proof of that. They’re a classic staple in almost every household, and my personal favorite version, creamy garlic mashed potatoes, takes them to the next level. They pair beautifully with just about anything—beef, chicken, pork, or even on their own. For…

A few months ago I was in Natural Grocers looking in the cooler for pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds). I noticed bags of wasabi almonds and decided to try some. The flavor of the hot wasabi combined with the almond’s nutty goodness made me want to create something that might be a delicious combination.

Flavors are another tool in the culinary palette that enthusiasts use to implement someone else’s recipes or create new ones of their own. If you think about reading a recipe book or recipes online, what draws you to one over the other? Is it a photo? Is it the list and combination of ingredients that you can already taste on your tongue or smell through your nose? Is it the amazing description the marketers have written about it? Is it all three? This is the same way people create recipes. The idea about the color combinations and textures creates a mental picture that will create beauty on the table. The memory of different flavors of food creates a roadmap for new combinations. Both of these are why I think it is so important to taste and see each ingredient individually to understand what it contributes to a combination of flavors and colors in a final product. It is the reason when I go to my favorite spice shop that I rarely purchase the combination bottles like chili powder or curry powder or pumpkin spice or Italian seasoning. I believe cooks should understand each individual flavor that is in that bottle to understand each herb’s and each spice’s contribution to the whole. Having the individual spices also allows you to experiment with the flavors to come up with your own combinations. You get to increase the intensity of your favorite flavors and decrease or eliminate others that might be problematic for certain people who may be sharing your table. My Italian friend who doesn’t like garlic or my mom who is allergic to cumin can both be accommodated if I control the process.

Inspired by the wasabi almonds, this is a recipe I have made in all seasons. While I love wasabi almonds, I’ve dropped them in favor of plain almonds and measured the wasabi into the slaw dressing. This allows me more control over the ingredients and their amounts (see paragraph two!). This way I can also toast the almonds to add depth to the final product or not and just keep the light almond flavor.

The slaw has a fresh, tangy flavor that can be served on its own or on sandwiches like roasted or grilled chicken or a delicious pulled pork barbecue! If you serve it this way, make sure to use a substantial slice of bread or bun so the juices have a place to go without breaking down the outer crusts! Because of the ability of cabbage and apples to be stored for the winter, I recently served it with the Oink and Moo Chili (http://plantplatecreate.tumblr.com/post/107901249129/oink-and-moo-chili-is-a-belly-warmer-on-a-cold). It’s a great, bright addition to the winter table.

Red Cabbage and Wasabi Slaw

1 Small Head of Red Cabbage, Cored and Chopped into ½” Slices

1 or 2 Apples, Cored and Chopped into ¼” Pieces

1 Small Red Onion, Finely Chopped

4 Stalks Celery, Finely Chopped

½ Cup Almonds, Coarsely Chopped (Could place chopped almonds on a cookie sheet and over roast until lightly brown)

Slaw Dressing:

3/4 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar

1/2 Cup Organic Sugar (Could substitute with Honey or Agave Syrup)

1 1/2 teaspoons Wasabi Powder

1 1/2 Teaspoons Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Whole Hot Oriental Mustard Seeds, Grind with a Mortise and Pestle

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin 

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

2” Ginger Root, Microplaned

2 Cloves of Garlic, Microplaned

New Potatoes with Broccoli

I made the yummiest side the other week.  Super easy and great for any meal.

Here’s what you’ll need:  (more…)

{New Blog Post} Asparagus on the Grill

I love asparagus.

Besides the fact it makes your pee smell, it’s one of my favorite summertime veggies.

I usually wrap mine in foil with a little steak seasoning and olive oil.  This past weekend we made it directly on the grill and I absolutely LOVED it!

This is a great side for summer. I love the caramel color from the grill and the tang of the lemon.  YUMMM!

Here’s what you’ll need:  (more…)