Brand Spotlight: Whole Spice (Napa Valley)

I recently had a fantastic trip up to Napa Valley. Of course the wine and amazing food stands out to most people... for me.. it was the spices at the renowned Oxbow Market!

The market itself is just amazing and offers everything from Michelin Nodded Restaurants, to juices bars, olive oil and the most divine cream puffs I have ever encountered! Although, around the corner and across from a gelato shop was Whole Spice. Whole Spice is a spice shop with tons of organic spices in various large containers. I literally spent about $50 getting an ounce of everything I could. I went overboard knowing I may not be back again. However, at the checkout line, a very nice lady told me that they had an online presence and you can purchase these spices on there. I about died from excitement.

Anyways, this weekend I ventured onto their website and she was right! Regretfully you can't really buy an ounce of spice like I could at the market, but the prices are still just as reasonable as the grocery store. Right now, you get 20% off you order and free shipping over $75. EXCELLENT deal. I imagine a lot of my Christmas gifts will come from here.

Above are some photos of the market and the spice shop. The amazing taco at C Casa (Michelin Nodded Restaurant) and my cream puff as well! Please visit the website to purchase! A few of my favorites are as follows:

1. Organic Roasted Chicken Rub
2. Napa Valley Rub
3. Chipotle Honey Rub
4. Zhug Spice Blend
5. Turkey Brining Blend

Spicy Shrimp & Bacon Corn Chowder

So I like to give credit where do and let you all know I got this recipe from Closet Cooking

Great site with awesome recipes. Of course, I am notorious for never following the recipe so I added my own flare and additional ingredients.

First, I halved the recipe on the blog because I just wanted to make 2 servings for me and my boyfriend. I also used a 1/3 of the amount of heavy cream required to make it more healthy. (I also really hate overly creamy soups)

Additional ingredients are as followed (obviously optional)

1 large ancho chili (adds great smokiness)
2.5 tbs of tomato paste (gives it a sweeter taste)
1tsp of the following: rosemary, sage, parsley, cilantro and spicy oregano

I also grilled the shrimp to give it that charred, smokey flavor!

Caprese Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Recipe (serves 2)

4 vine-ripen juicy tomatoes (the juicier the better!)
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
1 buffalo mozzarella ball (or any type of mozzarella)
1 tbs of olive oil
1 tbs of fine balsamic vinegar
Balsamic glaze drizzle on top
Dash of freshly grounded pepper and salt

Instructions: Dice up your tomatoes and mozzarella. Toss everything together (except the balsamic glaze). Drizzle the glaze at the end.

Fairly simple recipe! The balsamic glaze is sweet and really binds the whole salad together but it's all preference. You can purchase it at any World Market, Whole Foods and/or regular/specialty grocery store.

Detox Tuesday - Grilled Turkey Salad with Salmon

So I'm still detoxing and decided to post my recipe for this grilled turkey salad with salmon. I know.. salmon again... I just made a ton, its healthy and tastes delicious!

Recipe

1 piece of grilled Alaskan Salmon (6 oz) - I used about half for the salad
1 grilled turkey burger sliced
4 bunches of romaine lettuce leaves (chopped)
1/4 of an english cucumber (sliced thick)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs lemon
1 tbs Coleman's Mint Sauce
Dash of fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup of grilled onions
1 small vine ripen tomato diced
2 hard boiled eggs sliced
4 piece of blanched asparagus spears

Dressing

1 tsp hummus
1 tsp roasted red pepper spread (I used the Trader Joes version)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp Coleman's Mint Sauce (I purchased it from Amazon - Coleman)

Please refer to my previous post for cooking and seasoning the salmon.

Turkey Burger: I would season the heck out of it just like the salmon. I added one tbs of panko crumbs and one egg to bind it all together but I really just added every herb (rosemary, parsley, oregano, sage) in my garden and every seasoning I own. I also added a dash of cinnamon and cumin to help enhance the flavor, but other than than, go crazy!

Boiling the Eggs: The best trick I have found is to boil the water and then toss in the eggs for about 9-10 minutes to get the perfect yellow yolk!

Asparagus Spears: To blanche asparagus spears, boil your water and add in the spears for 2 minutes. You want that bright green color but for it to remain crispy as well.

Once you have all the ingredients above prepared, mix it all together before adding the dressing. Once tossed, add the small amount of dressing and mix (it may seem as if there is not enough dressing but the flavors from everything else will enhance the salad). Add more pepper if you would like and serve immediately.

Detox Monday - Salmon Salad with a Lemon Olive Oil Vinaigrette

It's Detox Monday! After eating pizza and pasta during my business trip, it's time to get healthy! This recipe is very easy and fast for those long work weeks!

Recipe

1 piece of grilled Alaskan Salmon (6 oz) - I used about half for the salad
4 bunches of romaine lettuce leaves (chopped)
1/4 of an english cucumber (sliced thick)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs lemon
Dash of fresh ground pepper

Get a large piece of salmon and season with all your favorite seasonings. The salad itself is pretty plain mainly because the flavors will come from your cooked salmon. I do overdo my seasonings since salmon can still be fishy! I added cumin, crushed red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and some of my favorite Whole Foods seasoning mixes (post soon to follow). I also added some sliced lemons on top and fresh dill.


Grilling - (on a cedar plank) Takes about 15 minutes (just make sure you can flake off the salmon which to me ensures that it is cooked thoroughly)

Bake - Put the seasoned salmon on a baking dish with aluminum foil on the bottom. Seal the dish with additional aluminum foil. Bake at 375 for about 35-45 minutes until the salmon flakes with a fork.

Mix all the ingredients together and serve, chilled!

Sausage and Tomato Bow Tie Pasta

Good Afternoon Readers! Just a quick introduction to this blog. I started out with Instagram but decided to broaden my horizons and create a lifestyle blog featuring fashion, cooking and home decor. Enjoy.

This is a pasta recipe that I came up with one weeknight with some random items in my fridge. As far as recipes go, I will try to be as accurate as I can, but I usually just eyeball.. so my motto is start with less because you can always add more.

Recipe

3/4 Box of bow tie pasta
3 spicy italian sausage links (In case you were looking for a recommendation, Whole Foods has the best italian sausage out there)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves (I'm a huge garlic and onion fanatic --- you can put more or less garlic based on preference)
Salt, italian seasoning, oregano, and pepper, crush red pepper to taste (1 teaspoon each) - add more while you taste - or less based on preference
2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 of a green, red, and yellow pepper
1/2 cup of fresh parsley, basil, and oregano
Olive oil (you can sub in coconut oil)

1. Boil water, with half water and half low sodium chicken broth (1 cup of broth - if you want to be exact). Add a little bit of salt so the pasta doesn't stick. Right when the water is boiling, add your bow tie pasta and cook for about 7-8 minutes; stirring occasionally

2. Meanwhile, get out a large pan with olive oil to cook your italian sausage. (the pan should be large enough to mix your pasta and sauce for later) That should take about 6-7 minutes, but make sure you check the inside so its not pink and cooked thoroughly. I usually chop up the sausage while cooking to make sure everything is evenly cooked. Once the sausage is done, set it aside on a plate with a paper towel on top to soak up the fat and oils.

3. In the same pan, add a little bit of olive oil to cook your garlic and onions. (trick of the trade: if you remove the middle stem of the garlic, it won't be as garlicky tasting, in case you don't to sweat garlic later on). Once the onion and garlic has browned, add the crushed tomatoes, 1 cup of broth, 1/2 cup of wine, and chopped up fresh parsley, oregano, and basil, with all the seasonings listed above. Let it all simmer for about 5-10 minutes

4. Now, time to cut the peppers length wise (thin strips) and toss them with a little olive oil and pepper. Preheat your oven to 400 and roast the peppers. A little char on them is a good thing, as it will enhance the flavor. (You can also do this on a grill, but I used the oven since my boyfriend doesn't let me use the grill when he isn't home.. as he is afraid I will burn the house down #legitimateconcern).

5. Add the sausage and roasted peppers to the sauce. Let simmer for another 5-10 minutes and toss in the pasta and serve immediately. I always add a little bit of fresh basil, oregano, and parsley for garnish. You can add parmesan cheese at the end... but it's all preference.