Profiling of a Killer...Salad. Herb Alchemy 101 (4 Salads from One basic Recipe)

I was blessed to be a guest on the The Morning Scramble AZTV7 with the legendary PAT McMAHON and LISA SCHNEIDER-CIPRIANO.  It was one of the most pleasant experiences ever!  They were just simply adorable down there at the studio and warmly welcoming.  I always appreciate that!  It was such a treat! Oh mercy. I just said, "treat"...like my granny. It was such an awesome dude-fest rockin'-down party event. There. Phew. I can't use granny words yet. Oopsie Daisy.  {Crap. Just did it again. Granny word.} Ya know what? Who cares if I use a granny word? I don't.  

Okay. Photo opp:
Aaaaaa-freakin'-dorable. See?!

 On the show we talked about a few recipes and flavor profiles and I wanted to share them here on the blog.  Oh I also wanted to just kiss Pat...but I think he would have taken it wrong. Such a cool guy!  Lisa shared some really great stories about her culinary genius kiddos. She. Has. Triplets. I have no excuse for having a fat butt.  

Okay. Now...as for the recipes.  These are the ones I share in my herb and spice class, but in the class you will get a freakish ton more of information...and you'll get to taste the salads I make. So you should still come to classes darlings.  I do however realize that there are some of you who live waaaaay out of town and I have not forgotten any of you. 


Herb Alchemy 101 Cooking Without a Recipe

How many just read the words "herbs and spices without a recipe" and panic set in? I can hear you saying, "I don't cook like that! I need a recipe.” If that is you, then this post is for you. I want you to try to let go of your cooking inhibitions and think with your heart. If my 11 year old can do this, you most definitely can do it! I believe in you!

So to begin with a basic explanation, herbs are the aromatic leaves, flowers, and stems of plants and spices are seeds and the bark of aromatic edible plants. Fresh or dry herbs and spices will work in cooking applications, but make sure you smell inside the jar. If it smells like the spice or herb, then the stuff inside is still full of flavor. Most spices will need to be in ground or grated form for cooking or baking. If you don't have a spice mill (not many people do), then just buy them pre-ground. 

Below is the basic outline of some flavors that work together well. Follow the steps and you will find success.   

Step 1: Begin with the pasta salad base.

Chef Tess’ Pasta Salad 101

Basic Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta of your choice, cooked al dente and seasoned well with salt and pepper

1 cup chopped bell pepper

1 cup carrots, shredded or chopped

1 stalk celery, sliced thin

½ medium red onion, sliced thin or chopped fine

Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl. 

Step 2: Make one batch of basic vinaigrette.

Basic Vinaigrette for Pennies a Jar! (FAT free available)

Ingredients:

¾ cup olive or vegetable oil (flavored oils are great)

¼ cup red wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1 tsp. fresh pressed garlic

Herbs and spices (see below for variations)

Salt and pepper

Directions: Whisk oil and vinegar with other ingredients in a bowl. Start with a half teaspoon at a time of the herb or spice you want to add and then sample. Adjust flavors according to your taste. For one batch of salad, you will need one batch of salad dressing. Want a fat free salad dressing? You can make this dressing almost completely free of fat if you have ultra gel and juice or broth! Use ¾ cup vegetable broth or juice in place of the oil. In a cold sauce pan, combine the broth or juice with 2 tablespoons of ultra gel. Add the liquid slowly and whisk well. Next add the vinegar and remaining herbs and spices, adjusting the same as above when tasting. Use the dressing immediately and keep refrigerated. If the dressing gets too thick, simply add a little more liquid to thin it out.

Step 3: Add flavor profile to dressing & mix salad. 

Dressing Variations These herb and spice suggestions are to be used in the basic vinaigrette recipe to customize the recipe to fit your need. Add the flavor combinations directly to the basic pasta salad recipe. Come up with your own and try mixing and matching fresh veggies as they are in season. You can even add seasonal fruit you like. For hearty dinners, add some roasted chicken or beef. Try marinating your meat in the vinaigrette to save a lot of money instead of buying those fancy bottles of pre-made stuff. You can do this! It can be very liberating, but for you folks who just want a grab and go dressing fix, just use the pre-made spice blends.


These are lists of flavors that work together for the cuisine you want to create they are not a complete list. They are intended to get you started. 

Italian

Herbs: Basil, rosemary, thyme, flat leaf parsley, marjoram

Spices: Fennel, caraway, crushed red pepper, celery seed

Flavoring: Hard cheeses like parmesan, asiago, olives, roasted peppers, citrus zest, capers

Greek

Herbs: Dill, oregano, rosemary, mint, parsley,

Spices: Fennel, anise, black pepper, dill seed

Flavoring: Feta cheese, olives, pickled peppers

Mexican

Herbs: Cilantro, oregano, thyme

Spice: Cumin, coriander, chile pods, black pepper, allspice

Flavoring: Lime zest, roasted corn, green onions, radish, black olives

Asian

Herbs: Cilantro, mint, lemon grass, sesame oil (use 2 tsp. in place of some of the oil)

Spices: Cumin, chile paste, curry paste, fennel, ginger

Flavoring: Lime zest, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, citrus zest, peanuts or cashews

©Chef Stephanie Petersen. 2011. All rights reserved. Copies NOT permitted without written consent from the author even for personal or church use! Chef Stephanie Petersen can be contacted at Stephanie@cheftessbakeresse.com and is Chef Tess on Facebook and Twitter. www.cheftessbakeresse.com 

There you go darlings. Begin learning some flavor profiles. I'll be posting more in the future! I promise.

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Here are the blends that started it all!

 
The highest quality. The best flavors. A blessing to our family when you buy them here. Thank you so much.

6 ingredient Tomato and Herb No Knead Bread Anyone Can Make

 For the last few weeks I've been working on this new bread recipe that I think is perhaps one of the best I've ever tasted...and you know how I feel about bread.  On Saturday I took a loaf right from the oven and drove down to radio station and Jan D'Atri In the Kitchen for her show.  When she ate this bread she said on the air, "If you've ever doubter there was a sweet  Lord in heaven above, I'm here to tell you yes, yes, yes there is! I've just tasted his bread through the hands of Chef Tess!" Well...it is good...

Here's the recipe darlings!

Chef Tess No-Knead Tomato Herb Artisan Bread
Ingredients:
6 c Alta Artisan Bread Flour
1tsp SAF instant yeast
2tsp salt
½ c tomato powder*
1T Chef Tess French Provencal Seasoning (or herb bled of your choice)
2 1/2 cup cool water

cornmeal as needed (about 3/4 cup)

*tomato powder gives it a concentrated tomato taste. If you use tomato paste, use 1/2 cup and use only 2 cups water.

Directions: Mix all ingredients until well combined in a 2 gallon bucket with a lid. Place in the fridge and allow to raise overnight (at least 8 hours and up to 7 days). No knead to knead it. Just mix it until a nice dough is formed. 

To bake bread: Remove bucket from the fridge.  Form into 2 baguettes and roll each lightly in cornmeal or oats. Place in French Baguette perforated Pan (I use Chicago Metallic Commercial Non-stick ) and allow to raise until triple in size, about 2 hours (or 1 ½ hours in a lightly warmed oven no hotter than 110 degrees). Preheat convection oven to 425 degrees (regular oven 450 degrees). 

Place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. This helps steam the loaves. 

 Lightly slash the tops of the loaves with a sharp serrated knife. Bake degrees 25 minutes. Yield 2 baguettes

I use this same dough for pizza on demand! Use half the dough and roll out as you would for your favorite pizza. Allow it to raise at room temperature 30 minutes, top and bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes (depending on the toppings). 

There you go darlings! Easy and divine bread dough! 
Have fun!!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Thank You! Onward Gingham Project!

I just had to share this update from the Gingham Project on what has been happening with the school. It makes me ever so grateful for the conveniences we have here and for the blessed people who are willing to travel half way around the world to make a difference in the lives of these kids! Oh...and for those here who support the spice sales. All benefits from the sale of our Chef Tess Spices through the Generous Giant go toward the Gingham Project! 





Onward we go! 

Always My Very Best,
Your friend Chef Tess

Lemon Vanilla-bean Spiced Sweet Friendship Bread ...and Starter...and some Love.

When I was on the  Radio Show with Jan' D'Atri there was time to chat between live sessions and we got talking about sourdough starters and Amish Friendship bread.   I had read earlier in the week what she had written on her website about her dear brother Johnny's Sweet Friendship Bread (including how to make a starter). He had passed away at a very young age and left behind some beautiful kiddos. I bawled my ever-lovin'-eyeballs out reading about it. Mind you, that is the moment that Ace came walking by and saw me blubbering at my computer.  I promised him it wasn't a female hormone disorder (yaa riiiight)...I think it was probably because I have my own dear brother Johnny who I love dearly. That fact combined with female hormones and a complete lack of chocolate turned me into a blubbering idiot...in a good way.  I couldn't imagine a better tribute to a family member than to make a starter that you share with friends...especially friends who love to bake.  Jan came to see me at work a day or two later. Aside from the absolute thrill of having a Phoenix cooking and television legend come visit me (and invite me back on her show often)...she brought me this jar of Johnny's sweet friendship bread starter that she's loved and had taken care of since Johnny's death six years ago. 

When I read the words of Momma Livia I lost it..."The bread that is meant for you, no one can ever take away." You all know how I feel about bread and the Bread of Life. It just touched my soul to have it expressed so simply.  

When I actually made the bread, I was in heaven. It is a light, creamy, tender, moist, vanilla bean loaf completely enshrouded in this caramelized buttery spiced-sugar crust that just melts in your mouth. Seriously. Look at that crust. It is ridiculous. It is a miracle. It is...evil. Yup. I'm saying it. Evil. Add to that the fact that I turned the original recipe into a lemon version by adding fresh lemon zest and some Crushed Meyer lemon olive oil. I topped this  with a gentle kiss of lemon juice for tartness mixed with a hint of Rose Water drizzled over the warm loaf after baking. It is subtle. It is sweet and fresh...and amazing.

That being said...here's the details on Amish Friendship bread starter.

Obtain a starter or make your own using the directions in the post on Johnny's Sweet Friendship Bread. I was just giddy to get some. I know some people who, if they know you have friendship bread starter, will run away from you at church...but I'm not that friend. I'm a real friend. The directions are pretty clear about how many days to feed it and how much to stir it...and I wish you could just smell it...

 The stir happens more than the feeding so don't worry...it has been a fun project but hasn't taken over my life. 

 My favorite new tool for the starter is the bamboo Spatuloon that is great for being bacteria free and stirring starter. I'm a big fan!

Bakeresse' Lemon Vanilla Bean Spiced Friendship Bread

Adapted from Johnny's Sweet Friendship Bread

Bread:
1 cup friendship bread starter

 1/2 cup Crushed Meyer lemon olive oil

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
3 egg
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Natural Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste
1 box instant vanilla pudding (or one batch of my homemade instant pudding mix)

Zest of one lemon, micro-fine

Coating:

3 tablespoons sugar (mixed together with cinnamon for coating pan and topping)
1 tablespoon  Chef Tess Wise Woman of the East Blend here
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature (for coating pans)

After baking drizzle:

1 tsp Rose Water (optional)

1T lemon juice

Friendship Bread Directions:

 Mix together all ingredients except butter and sugar/cinnamon mixture for topping. Make sure your lemon zest is very fine grated.

The genius coating is achieved very simply. Combine the 3T sugar and 1T Wise Woman of the East Blend. The genius of this blend, aside from the fact that I love it as a pastry chef, is that it is a one bottle grab. Saigon cinnamon, spices, citrus, rose-petal and lavender. 

Grease two 8 inch bread loaf pans generously with butter and dust with sugar and spice. 

 Pour batter into loaves and coat with butter and remaining sugar and cinnamon.

 I lightly score the top of the loaf with a knife so that when it bakes it has a nice middle-of-the-road break. 

Bake at 325 for 60-70 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from pan immediately and lightly drizzle the top of the warm loaf with the lemon juice/rosewater combination. Allow to cool and slice.

There you go my darlings. Some beautiful sweet starter...and a lot of love. For more details on other sourdoughs, see my posts on Sourdough.


Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Spice Blends are In! Now We Have 8! Remember when we only had One?

Just over 8 years ago, I started blending and milling spices late at night to earn a little extra grocery money while my kids were asleep and I was a full time mom. This is one of the very first printed labels. Initially...I wrote them all by hand. 

 A few years later, I had a different look and sold the spices exclusively on Etsy. 

 I'd go to boutiques and hope that a few bottles would sell so I could get something special for my kids at Christmas. I remember one year a friend and her husband bought about 25 bottles. I bawled all the way home. It made such a difference to me at that time, not only to have that huge vote of confidence, but that boost of cash for some essentials. 

 A year and a half ago...this is how the Wise Woman of the East Blend label looked.  I thought I had come pretty far from the days of hand-written labels. This was also about the time I was staying up until well past 3 AM about 4 nights a week filling orders and making more blends. It was crazy!

 Last June, my spices were bottled. I went to Salt Lake City, Utah and blended and packed each bottle myself at the Honeyville kitchen. It was the first time I got to see them on an actual store shelf! I was so excited!

 A few months later, these new labels were made. The spices were not only popular, but getting more popular!  I was officially adopted as a Honeyville product! Waaawhooo! At that time I had four blends that I had developed and loved. They were (and are) blended by one of the finest spice companies I know!  

Wise Woman of the East was (and still is) my most popular blend. I use it anywhere a recipe calls for cinnamon. It is amazing. 

 During all of this... I had four more spice blends  that I had "off menu"...if you knew they existed, you asked for them by name and if I loved you enough...I'd make a bottle for you. 

 Now I have eight blends! 

Well...Nine.
 I have nine if you count my Gingham Masala Spice Blend. 
It totally counts.
Gingham Masala- An exotic blend based on an ancient recipe.  Formulated by me as a colorful accent that highlights any meal with tongue tingling flavor and beauty. Packaged in collectible glass bottles adorned with art by Erik Johnson, these spices complement any cook’s kitchen. Proceeds from the sale of this spice go 100% to help feed, educate and cloth impoverished HIV orphans in India through the efforts of the Gingham Project. It can be found Here.   One day...I'm going to bring one of those kids home.  I just know it. 

Today, I have to show you the new labels!

The new blends should be in stores very soon! I know that they have already shipped...so now it is just a matter of time. 

Introducing:

Cheftessbakresse™ French Provencal Essential™ 

A bold blend of rustic French herbs, citrus, and garlic with a hint of sea salt to add depth and Provencal charm to your salads, poultry, sauces, pasta dishes and potatoes.

Ingredients: Granulated garlic, granulated onion, Herbs, Spices, and Sea salt

No Sugar or MSG. 

Cheftessbakresse™ The Big Dill ™(Salt-Free)

Wake up your taste buds to a Salt-Free dill, bell pepper, citrus, garlic and onion blend that is designed to add brilliant bright flavor to your life! It is remarkable on seafood, in potato salad, egg dishes, sour cream dips and cream cheese spreads. 

Ingredients: granulated onion, dill weed, bell pepper, lemon peel, garlic, spices. No sugar, salt or MSG.

Chef Tess Bakeresse™ Greek Olympian™ 

Bold, powerful, and able to make anyone fall instantly in love! Call down the thunder. This is the Venus of spice blends! With a perfect balance of beautiful Greek herbs,  spices, lemon and garlic it is remarkable on roasted meat, vegetables, salads, and pizza. Salt Free!

Ingredients: Herbs, Spices, Garlic, Onion, Lemon peel, pepper. No Sugar, Salt or MSG.

Chef Tess Bakeresse™ Amazing Wok-Star ™ 

Beautiful musical notes of the Orient will burst from your latest dish when you add this tangy, spiced-citrus blend to your stir-fry, marinades, rice dishes, sauces and grilled vegetables. It is sure to transform any ordinary dinner into a concert for your mouth!

Ingredients:  natural soy sauce powder (contains wheat), natural lime juice powder, garlic, onion, lemon zest, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, spices, coconut powder, natural misquite smoke flavor.Contains Wheat. No sugar or MSG. 

There you go! I'll be certain to post when the bottles are in my sweet little hands! This is such a huge blessing!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Savory 10 grain, Quinoa and Herb French Onion Muffins

My friend Stephanie F. made some quinoa muffins for me to taste recently and I loved the idea of making a whole grain muffin using cooked quinoa in the batter so much! The little chewy pieces in the muffins add a great chewy texture as well as a great amount of complete protein and fiber. So. Thank you darling Stephanie's for the idea!  I decided to use some cooked quinoa (How to Cook Quinoa Tutorial) and some of my homemade French Onion Soup Mix to prepare some rather righteous muffins (If I do say so myself). They're lightly sweet but have just the right balance of hearty grain and onion. You get just a hint of French herbs when you make the soup mix with Herbs de Provence instead of parsley. I always make it that way. 

Serve them hot with crisp cool salad or a bowl of soup and you'll be happy. I promise. I can also promise that Ace ate 5 muffins in one sitting and had so much fiber that he...um...never-mind. 

Chef Tess 
Savory 10 Grain, Quinoa and Herb French Onion Muffins
3 cup Chef Tess 9 Grain All Purpose Baking Mix
1/2 cup granulated erythritol (zero calorie natural sweetener)
2 cup cooked quinoa (measure one cup after cooking)
1/4 cup homemade  French Onion Soup Mix 
1 1/3 cup water
2T garlic or lemon infused olive oil
1/2 tsp  Chef Tess Romantic Italian Seasoning

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine baking mix, erythritol, cooked quinoa and onion soup mix in a quart size bowl.  Add water and mix just until combined. Scoop into oiled muffin tins, each muffin 3/4 way. Bake in a hot even 20-25 minutes until golden brown and muffins spring back when touched gently. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and Chef Tess seasoning. Brush the tops of the muffins with the olive oil combination. Serve warm. Keep any left overs in the freezer for later use. 

There you go. Make some warm divine muffins of love and glory. Try not to pass out. 

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Wise Woman Sweet Apple Cake with Orange-lavender infused Salted Caramel Sauce

Mondays I generally try to show some great ways to cook or bake with your food storage. Tomorrow I teach a class at Honeyville Farms on Edible Christmas Tree ornaments at 10 AM! That will be a blast and give ya a lot of projects to do with the kiddos during the Holiday break. Hopefully they'll be healthier cookie choices too! This week will speed by and by this time next week, Christmas will be over. Yikes.  So...what better way to prepare for the upcoming events of the week than to share a dessert cake that could easily double as a breakfast cake?! It's fast and easy. Thanks to my friends at Lucky Leaf premium pie filling who sent me a copy of the new Bake Your Heart Out Recipe Book and several cans of their filling to play with for Christmas. Grin. Grin. Grin. Give a chef something  she can use will ya?! I was soooo excited!  I couldn't resist trying some of the new recipes and I have to say that I am a huge fan of the new book. It's short, but packed with some great ideas! Among them a baked oatmeal, Apple Fire BBQ chops, Strawberry Slow cooker scoop cake, and Cherry bliss brownies. In it there was a recipe for Pretty Peach cake with Pineapple frosting. It looked beautiful with the fruit peeking though and I just wanted to make it. I love creating recipes. It's my passion. So...I decided to bake my heart out too! We had the apple filling from Lucky Leaf and some caramel...How did I end up with this Sweet Apple Cream Cake with Orange-Lavender infused Salted Caramel sauce? I have no idea. Sometimes stream of consciousness takes over when I create. However, I did use their basic recipe for the Pretty Peach cake as a guide for the cake.

Pretty Peach Cake by Lucky Leaf
1  white cake mix
1 can Lucky Leaf Peach Pie filling
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a fork mix together the cake  mix withe the peach pie filling and eggs. Gently fold in the sour cream.  Spread into a  greased 9 by 13 inch cake pan. Bake 30-35 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center come out clean. Cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Wise Woman's  Sweet Apple Cake 

 4 1/2 cups of My Homemade Cake Mix ( I made it with a NEW 9 grain flour... Recipe to follow soon!)

1 can Lucky Leaf Premium Apple Pie filling

3 eggs (or 6T Powdered Whole Eggs )

1/2 cup sour cream (OR 1/3 cup powdered sour cream)

1 1/2 tsp Chef Tess Wise Woman of the East Spice Blend

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a fork mix together the cake  mix withe the apple pie filling and eggs. Gently fold in the sour cream. * If you use the powdered egg and sour cream, simply combine them with the cake mix. Combine the pie filling, 1 cup water and the dry ingredients. 

 Spread into greased and floured 9 by 13 inch cake pan and sprinkle with the Wise Woman of the East Spice blend.

Bake 30-35 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center come out clean. Cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve...though we ate it pretty fast.

While the cake bakes, I made the orange-lavender infused salted caramel sauce.

You need 1 cup of Kraft Kraft Caramel Bits

                                            1/2 cup Gossner Shelf Stable Whipping Cream or fresh whipping cream

Heat the cream and caramel over a double boiler with a whisk until the caramel melts and the sauce is smooth. Now add  1/2 tsp culinary lavender.

Breath. Relax. It won't make your sauce taste like soap. It will be a subtle yet beautiful touch.

 1tsp zest of a fresh orange.

Micro-plane zest the orange and add to the sauce. Let the flavors marry about an hour.

Slice the orange as a garnish for the cake if desired.

After an hour, strain out the lavender. You know why? Because I don't want to have anyone say, "There's a fruit fly in my caramel sauce!" Lavender looks like a fruit fly. 

Well...maybe it's a purple fruit fly, but its crazy to keep it in the sauce and risk it right?

Get a sprinkle of French Sea Salt.

Drizzle  the sauce over the cake. Be afraid. Pinch a little of the salt onto the sauce.

Share it with someone you love. 

 There you go! A wonderful way to use your food storage and make a divine dessert or breakfast cake for the holidays!

Now the folks at Lucky Leaf said they are excited to give away two of their cookbooks to my readers. If you want one...just leave a comment after this post. I'll be doing a giveaway with their book this week. I'll also be catching up on all my low fat Holiday baking! Wah woooo!!

There you go. Make some Christmas memories...and bake your heart out!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess