Wednesday, as you already know if you’ve been reading thus far in my journey, is my fav day of the week.  And even though I woke this morning feeling unwell, I’m not gonna miss Woman Crush Wednesday.  Especially when this week’s honoree is the phenomenal Domini Kemp.  Besides being a fabulous chef with award winning cookbooks, numerous successful restaurants, as well as her acclaim as an adored food journalist, Domini also embodies the term Wonder Woman. She is a fighter with finesse and female fortitude.  I think there is nothing that she couldn’t achieve or overcome. She quite frankly deserves to be the Woman Crush Everyday!

While I have made many of Domini’s recipes over the years, all with great success, for #WCW I always do a recipe I’ve never done before and I do it live on Snapchat (my username is: blissbakery).  Since I have never tried her Roasted Chicken recipe and it looks unique I had to give it a go.  First off, you start cooking the bird breast side down which I have never done.  And on the ingredients list, two glasses of white wine.  Not for the cook to drink but for the chicken to bathe in, sounds interesting!  We love to have left over chicken in the house for salads and sandwiches so this will be a hit, especially because my dog Stella loves to have a bit too!

Ingredients
2 heads garlic, unpeeled
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 onions, roughly chopped (don’t peel)
1 medium chicken, approx 1.5kg
2 lemons, cut in half
Few sprigs thyme
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp of honey (optional)
2 glasses white wine

Method
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees/gas 4. Make a bed of veg by putting the garlic, carrots and onions in the middle of a roasting tray.
I sometimes slice one head in half, horizontally, and leave the cloves of the other head loose, but unpeeled. Place the chicken breast-side down (yes, upside down) on top of the veg. Then stuff the lemon halves into the chicken. Pour the wine over it and then season generously with thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for about 45 minutes.

Take the roasting tin out of the oven, flip the bird over and squeeze some honey on top. Season again and cook for another 15-20 minutes. At this stage, take it out and leave for a few minutes.

Give the legs a wiggle: they should move about freely. If you aren’t sure, slice between the leg and the breast. Check what colour it is. It shouldn’t be too pink, and the juices should definitely be clear. I like to leave it covered in foil or in the oven – which has been turned off – to sit for at least 30 minutes before carving.
The roast bits of veg are an added perk. But if you can, strain some of that delicious jus at the bottom of the roasting pan, which you can always deglaze with a little water.
This is usually tasty enough on its own, with no adornment, but you can also transfer it to a smaller saucepan and simmer away till it’s nice and rich.
If you must, add some “beurre manie” which is equal parts butter and flour (just a spoonful of each) which you can chuck in as it will help thicken and emulsify it. Add some more honey or wine depending on what it lacks. Simmer until everything is just as it should be.
Once you have eaten your fill and just have bones left, put all those bones into a suitably-sized saucepan, fill it with water and gently simmer for as long as you can. I sometimes only manage three hours before bed time.
Go fishing for the bones and discard. Strain it through a colander and then cool it down. I do this by sitting the saucepan in a sink full of cold water to make a water bath. You just want to cool it down so you can then transfer it to the fridge and have it to use in your soups or as a nourishing broth on its own for the week.

 

Wow I am so glad I made this dish! The house was in heaven because it smelled so amazing, Stella was in heaven because I gave her a few bits, and I was in heaven because I had the most moist and flavorful chicken on my salad for lunch.   I put together a salad of mixed leaves, grapefruit, avocado, toasted pine nuts and goats cheese. The subtle lemon, garlic, and herbs that came through in the chicken was just the right touch.

Now when Hubby gets home we can have a roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings too! And there will probably be some left for a chicken sambo for lunch tomorrow. That is the beauty of a roasted chicken, it’s the dish that keeps giving!

And speaking of giving, I want to give Domini kudos for her latest book called Ketogenic Kitchen.  It is a book she cowrote with Nutritional Therapist Patricia Daly and is based on a high fat and low carb diet. Domini credits this way of eating for helping her regain her strength and energy while overcoming cancer. They are currently on the press tour for the book (you can read about it at Domini’s former journalistic home The Irish Times).  They also have a website (click here) which offers recipes, videos and information about this type of metabolic therapy.

I can only imagine the stress that Domini had to deal with during her health struggle while she continued to run her businesses, work on her food writing, and look after her family.  But she managed to do it all with grace and openness.  Besides sharing her incredible recipes, she also wrote many candid articles in her eight years with The Irish Times, including her final one this past March.  And while I do miss seeing her in that realm, I sense that wherever Domini gets involved she will make that part of the world a bit better.  And so for her new projects, like helping people to heal through food (such as Alchemy) I wish her all the best.

Thanks Domini for being the amazing person you are!  Not only in the foodie world, but the the global world.  You are an inspiration for life!

With love and admiration,

YDP

 

 

 

As it turned out, Monday was not only Meatless but also it was a Museum Monday and a Margarita Monday with my Man!  I awakened with the notion to test out a new recipe I had dreamed up in my sleep:  A hearty stuffed mushroom.  More of a Sunday Brunch variety, but nevertheless eaten as my Monday main meal, minus the meat!   I used what I had on hand in the fridge (mushroom, spinach, feta cheese, sundried tomatoes and eggs) to create a super healthy and delish treat.  I posted the tutorial on Snapchat (username: blissbakery) and got some great feedback.  And my taste buds gave it a thumbs up too (see below for full recipe and pics).

Later, I met Hubby for an early evening date which started at Wahaca for margaritas and nibbles.  I’ve been wanting to share this place with Snapchat since I did my Woman Crush Wednesday of the founder of the restaurant Thomasina Miers.  I love the food (Mexican is one of my fav cuisines and she knows how to do it right) and I respect the ethos.  To be adventurous we ordered a passion fruit margarita and for the other one, a hibiscus margarita. That way we could share.  And we ordered our ‘go to’ sweet potato taquitos and shrimp tacos for our nosh before we took the tube down to our next stop.

My hubby and I have a tradition of seeing traveling exhibitions of world photography. This tradition dates back to when we lived in Los Angeles.  I am not a photographer but simply enjoy every aspect of them, the composition, the subject and the mood to name a few. However Hubby has always enjoyed photography as a hobby has been known to take some incredible photos.  Some day I’ll have to swipe them and do a whole post on here!  But yesterday we went to the Somerset House for the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition.  It was filled to the brim with photos from photographers of every age and every nationality and taken at locations all over the world.  It was a quiet enough night in terms of attendance, but that gave us loads of space to enjoy the plethora of pictures.  My favs included a heart made with water, a heart made with two women who had their hair braided together and an aubergine (eggplant) that was in the shape of a heart.  Yes I have a thing with hearts!

 

And now for the Egg and Spinach Stuffed Mushroom Brunch Boats

Ingredients:

4 free range eggs

200 g spinach (one bag, washed)

1/2 onion

1 clove garlic

4 sundried tomatoes (and some of the oil from the jar in which it is packed)

4 large flat mushrooms (such as Porabello) with the insides scraped out (you can use those bits to add to the spinach filling if you like)

Feta Cheese to crumble (or cheese of your choice)

Parmesan Cheese to grate on top

salt/pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 200c/400f

Steam the bag of washed spinach. While that steams, chop your onion and garlic and sauté them in a frying pan with a little bit of the oil from the jar in which the sundried tomatoes come packed.  Season with a bit of salt and pepper.  Chop the 4 sundried tomatoes and add to the onion and garlic when they have softened.

 

When the spinach is done, pour the water left in the pan back over the spinach. Let this drain then squish the spinach with a potato masher. Get all the liquid out so that the spinach can be made into a ball. Then chop up the spinach and add to the onion/garlic/sundried tomato mix.  Crumble a bit of the cheese into this mixture and taste to adjust seasoning if necessary (feta can be salty so if using that type of cheese make sure you taste after you add as you may not need as much salt).

Put the mushrooms in a baking tray and season them with salt and pepper. Then fill them with the spinach mixture leaving a small well in the center.  Carefully crack each egg into the spinach well and bake for 10 minutes or until egg set.  A few minutes before it is done, you can grate a bit of Parmesan Cheese on top.

To serve you can spritz a bit of Siracha sauce on top of the mushroom if you want it hot and spicy or drizzle with some of your favorite pesto sauce.  If you’re not afraid of carbs, this can be enjoyed with side of sourdough toast or some nice breakfast potatoes.

I hope you make some of your own special traditions on a Monday as I know it can be a day many dread on the calendar. You don’t need to make it meatless, attend a museum or have it dripping with margaritas. But if you find an activity that you can stick with, that brings you joy and happiness, then you will start to look forward to the 52 Mondays we are blessed with each year and they won’t be manic madness but instead mellow magic!

Much love of a Monday and everyday!

YDP

P.S. As I mentioned in my post yesterday, #snappy will be departing soon to stay with his new foster momma.  So before he goes we are having fun on these last few adventures with his girl Rose. They sure enjoyed the sights in London!

 

 

There is a song that goes “I’d drive all night to see you” well I am going change the lyrics to “ I’d fly all night to get back for #WCW”.  I love Wednesdays so much that no amount of jet lag is gonna stop me from giving a gorgeous gourmet girl some good old fashion props and attention!  And this week’s female chef is so deserving that I am beyond excited to recreate her recipe and share more about her. And since I just flew home to London from Chicago, you won’t be surprised who is the chosen recipient!

Stephanie Izard may only be 37, but her list of achievements in the culinary world is phenomenal. She was one of the youngest James Beard winners at 27, went on to become Top Chef’s first female winner, and also the only winner of Top Chef to also win audience fan favorite. But with her delicious food, awesome smile and infectious personality it is no wonder she is the golden girl of the foodie world.

Born in Chicago (like I was) Stephanie has several successful eateries in the West Loop area near downtown. The famous Girl and the Goat and across the street the Baby Goat Diner and its bakery next door. She just opened another restaurant Duck, Duck, Goat several blocks away. Besides bringing to life these fab food creations, she and her husband have a baby on the way too!  The sky is the limit for this girl!

I was just in Chicago for 24 hours on my way back home to London from a visit to Tennessee to see my son and his wife.  But I did take time to visit two of her restaurants and was very impressed with the food, staff, vibe, all of it. On Monday night the line was out the door for the Girl and the Goat.  And on Tuesday morning I got to taste one of Stephanie’s famous and yummy handmade “pop tart” pastries at the Little Goat Diner Bakery. So so good!  But for our Snapchat tutorial today (which you can watch with my username: blissbakery) I decided to make a savoury dish. Stephanie has a fab looking recipe for a Fish with a green curry sauce.  Healthy and tasty!

Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes
3 tbsp basil leaves, packed
1 cup cilantro (also called coriander) , chopped with stems, about ½ bunch
¼ tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp garlic, chopped small
1½ tbsp ginger, peeled and chopped small
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced and divided
2 tsp jalapenos, chopped with seeds (omit seeds for less spicy version)
2 Tbsp lemongrass, peeled and bottom 1/3 only, chopped
1 14 oz can (400 g) coconut cream
2 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
4 (5-oz) fillets of skin on grouper, snapper, or striped bass
1-2 tsp fish sauce
2-3 tsp fresh lime juice
Blend together basil, cilantro, cumin, coriander, garlic, ginger, one shallot, 1 tsp jalapeno, lemongrass, and coconut cream. Taste and add remaining jalapeno to taste, set aside. Sauce may look broken from the coconut cream, don’t worry it will come together in the frying pan.
Turn fish skin side up and score, cutting just through skin. Season with salt spice mix for fish.
Heat oil in large heavy bottom skillet until almost smoking. Lay fish fillets skin side down and cook over
high heat until skin is very crispy, but not burnt. Turn fillets and continue cooking over medium high heat until fish is opaque and flaky all the way through. Remove to serving platter and tent with foil.
Add the other sliced shallot to pan and cook until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add curry sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice, simmer for 3-4 minutes so sauce thickens a little and flavors come together. Adjust seasoning if
necessary. Pour half of curry sauce over fish and serve remaining on the side. Serve immediately.

I absolutely love this dish! It is so flavorful and clean tasting. And it is dairy, sugar and gluten free!  But at the same time very filling and satisfying.  I served it with a coconut rice and when my Hubby tasted it tonight for dinner he asked if I would make it again tomorrow night.  It would also be a perfect dish for a dinner party for four people. Super easy and yet very impressive.  As well, anything with cilantro (coriander) is a go to for me as it has so many health benefits!

Stephanie is not only innovative in the kitchen but she thinks outside the box when it comes to her philanthropic involvement.  She helps raise funds for Share Our Strength, a charity devoted to helping feed hungry children. When her book “The Girl in the Kitchen” debuted, she did a nationwide promotional tour.  In each stop at the various cities along the way she teamed up with a local chef for a fundraising dinner for SOS.  And if I didn’t already have enough about her to love, she also has a four legged furry friend like I have my Stella!

Thanks Stephanie for being a wonderful Woman Crush Wednesday. You are truly a star and such an inspiration!  I wish you and your Hubby well on the birth of your new a baby. Very exciting times indeed in your household

Congrats and Chi town love,

YDP

So many people complain about Wednesdays, saying it’s the hardest day of the week.  If they can only get over it (the Hump Day) then their lives will happily sail into the weekend.  For me, Wednesday is my favorite day!  I get very excited to spend my day writing this blog post along with prepping and cooking a recipe from some awesome female foodie.

This week’s honoree is beyond awesome.  I am delighted to be showering the gorgeous gourmet Thomasina Miers with some well deserved love.  She is a graduate of the Ballymaloe Cookery School, my alma mater, and went on to win Master Chef in 2005.  Not only is she a cookery book writer and television presenter, but she is the founder of Wahaca, a chain of Mexican restaurants in the U.K with 21 branches!  All this and she’s a wife and mommy of two!  A total rock star in my book!

I nearly met her two years ago at the Ballymaloe Lit Fest.  I had a ticket for her talk “Tommi’s Chilli Notes” all about her love affair with spices.  As a world traveler she has amassed quite an arsenal of knowledge about the subject.  But somehow I also had another booking for a cookery demonstration at the same time.  The coordinator of the festival told me there was a wait list for Tommi’s talk and would I consider giving up that ticket and attending the demo.  I agreed and though I missed out then, I will make up for it today.  As I plan to savor every bit of Tommi’s gastronomic achievements.  She is a total inspiration for anyone in the culinary world, not just for us female chefs.

So today I am recreating her recipe for Broad Bean Rice Pilaf live on Snapchat (username: blissbakery).  My Hubby is a massive fan of any rice dish, so likely I will only get to enjoy my little taste before he arrives home from work and devours the entire dish!  So let’s get cooking shall we?

Broad Bean Pilaf

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons of oil
small onion, finely chopped
1 large chicken breast, very finely chopped or minced.
salt & pepper
2 crushed garlic cloves
ground allspice
400g (14 oz or 2  1/4 cups)  brown basmati rice
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and seeded and cut into chunks
200g (7 oz) of frozen broad beans
zest and juice of a lemon
a pint (20 oz) of chicken stock
fresh mint
METHOD
Warm 4 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and sauté a small onion, finely chopped, for a few minutes until transparent. Add one large chicken breast, very finely chopped or minced. Sauté for another few minutes before seasoning with salt, pepper, 2 crushed garlic cloves and a good grinding of allspice. Add 400g brown basmati rice, butternut squash, 200g of frozen broad beans, the zest of a lemon and a pint of chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes and then turn off the heat. Cover and keep in a warm place for ten minutes for the rice to finish cooking in its steam. Season to taste and stir in a handful of chopped fresh mint and the juice of half a lemon.

This dish turned out so well and looks, smells and tastes AMAZING!  I love the different textures in it and it is so delicious and satisfying.  Though I wasn’t able to find fresh mint in the shops I used fresh coriander (called cilantro in other parts of the world) and it was perfect.  Also I used minced (ground) turkey instead of the chicken as I couldn’t get the chicken already minced. But since turkey is a fav of mine and it has higher protein and lower fat than most other meats I was happy with that change in the recipe as well.  I have a feeling this dish will be in heavy rotation for a while.  It just feels very light and clean, yet I don’t feel like I need to eat anything else.  It is a great all in one dish for a family dinner, or for a couple with some leftovers to take to work for lunch the next day.  Winner all the way around!

While I think she rocks the culinary world, what I really admire most about Tommi is her involvement in philanthropic endeavors.  She really is trying to make the world a better place!  Last year she was chosen by Women for Women International as their ambassador.  And with the confidence in a photo like the one below she’ll defo take on the world!  Love it, you go girl!  You are so incredible the world wouldn’t be the same without you.  Thanks for everything you do!

Though I haven’t met you yet Tommi, I hope I do one day. You are a such a great role model!  Until then, I am going to enjoy this gorgeous rice pilaf dish, and maybe even pay another visit to Wahaca tomorrow to get my Mexican food fix!

Muchas Gracias y el amor,

YDP

 

Is it me or did this Wednesday fly in without warning?  Maybe because of the long Easter weekend.  But nevertheless, since Wednesday is my fav day, I am delighted it is already here. Because this is the day I get to shower a female foodie with some culinary cuddles!  And today’s gorgeous gourmet is chef and cookery book author Mimi Thorisson.

Though Mimi is originally from Hong Kong, growing up she spent time traveling to France to visit her grandmother. Moving to Paris full time she worked her way through careers in modeling and media, before marrying her Icelandic photographer husband Oddur. As their family grew they relocated to the French countryside, Medoc specifically, and Mimi birthed more than babies. Her famous blog Manger brought to life her passion for food.  Oddur’s passion for photographing Mimi and her creations only added to the fairytale.  With over 200 thousand followers on Instagram, her account (@mimithor) is frequently on ‘best of’ lists.  It is understandable when you look at the sumptuous photos of her food and life with her beautiful family. With six children between them and fourteen dogs, there is ample photographic material!

Yet somehow, Mimi manages to make her incredibly delicious food unfussed and accessible. Her well received book A Kitchen In France just oozes with freshness, simplicity and exquisiteness.  It is really something out of a dream.  And she has a second book on the way. So before that comes out, you can give this recipe of hers a go, as I did live on Snapchat today (my username is:  blissbakery).  It is just the recipe to have on hand to make for picnics this spring when the weather is fine.  Or even for a lazy Sunday brunch when the skies are grey. Either way, Mimi and her stunning food will make it all a bit better!

Zucchini flans (makes about 10 small flans)

2 large zucchini, sliced in half-rondelles

5 eggs

4 tbsp cornstarch/corn flour (maïzana in France)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

A handful of chopped mint

150 g grated cheese (Emmental or Gruyère)

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, sliced finely

½ tsp nutmeg

Salt & black pepper

Method:

Preheat oven 180°C/ 350 F

Slice zucchini thinly in half rondelles.

Slice shallots and garlic finely. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and fry shallots, garlic and zucchini for a few minutes, until slightly golden.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and cornstarch, then add grated cheese, nutmeg, salt & pepper.

Combine zucchini/shallots/garlic, lemon juice and sliced mint – stir gently.

Pour mixture into a muffin pan. Bake in oven for 20 minutes, until slightly golden on top.

Just because this recipe isn’t complicated doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste complex. Because it does!  The use of fresh mint and lemon is genius.  It is literally bursting with flavor. The shallot and garlic are a lovely earthy backdrop with the zucchini, as it tends to be a vegetable that is more on the neutral side in the taste spectrum.  But these little savory flans are absolutely divine!  Perfect to make in advance and have for a breakfast on the go, or a post work out pick me up. The choices are endless. You could probably swap out the mint for another fresh herb if you couldn’t find mint or if you aren’t a fan of mint in savory food.  And they are gluten free too!  Like a mini quiche but without the crust.  I must say that these fabulous flans are going to be my new ‘go to’ goodie!  If I only had so many helping hands in the kitchen like Mimi!

I’m really in awe of Mimi and her husband Oddur as I know it is a team effort. They have literally created a lifestyle, and are an inspiration for anyone wanting to achieve their dreams. I am beyond excited to see what is next. Best wishes to you and your family! And a giant Happy Birthday to you Mimi! How fortuitous that you were chosen as a #WCW on your birthday! Delighted!

Amour et joyeux anniversaire!

YDP

P.S. As per usual Mimi I did some bad singing and dancing to go along with the cooking tutorial. Stella my eleven year old dog wasn’t too happy. After seeing the pics of your pups in the French countryside, I think Stella will be begging you to take her!