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Herbs in Recipes

Feeling ALL Kinds of Salty: Why You Need Cornish Sea Salt Company Salts in Your Life

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Freshly Cut Avocado with Cornish Lemon & Thyme Sea Salt 

My name is Joi (“Joy”) and I am an Amazon addict. Not complaining. Not bragging. Certainly NOT looking for intervention… just merely and merrily stating a fact. There are many reasons for this happy addiction (I love buying things for my large family, I’m an avid reader, I collect old movies on dvd…) but the main thing I use Amazon for these days – as in right up there with books – is for salts, seasonings, and other food items I can’t get in stores.

Seriously, using Amazon for food-related goodies is one of the absolutely most enjoyable rabbit holes you’ll ever find.

It’s all in keeping with something I’ve always preached, to be a good cook…

  • You need a passion for it.
  • You need to practice regularly – and, not only with food(s) you’ve never made before, but with those you regularly make. You can always find new tricks, tweaks, and tools to make regular meals more enjoyable and maybe EVEN tastier.
  • Get creative! Never be as boring, predictable, or stale and for crying out loud, never be average.
  • Your food will only be as good as the tools you surround yourself with. Make sure your knives, pans, pots, blenders, mixers, etc are all in tip top shape.
  • Use the best ingredients you can afford. Some items are simply WORTH paying more for – garlic powder and vanilla come to mind.
  • Life (and a kitchen) without seasoning and spice is BORING!

The outrageously delicious and crazy fun salts I want to tell you about today tick off quite a few of the aforementioned requirements. They’re also very affordable and, if I can get super girly for a hot minute, they look amazing sitting on the counter.

Well, they do.

Using different salts, peppers, seasonings, oils, vinegars, and sauces is a huge passion (obsession) of mine. I just counted and we currently have 12 salts in our kitchen. TWELVE! If I were to use full disclosure, there are about to be thirteen (more about the one on the way in a minute).

I recently came across a company who really knows their salt and they have a fan for life. I first spied the Cornish Sea Salt Company on Amazon about a month ago when I was (as I can often be found doing) shopping for fun salt blends.

(Salty Conversation Continued Below…)

Cornish Sea Salt And Pepper Pinch Salt

Cornish Sea Salt Company Salt & Peppery Blend

The first one of their blends I saw and ordered is pictured above, the Salt & Peppery blend (Amazon link). The Cornish sea salt is accompanied by four wonderful peppers and the result is a beautiful and delicious thing. I’ve used (and loved) this blend on burgers, eggs, bacon, chicken, baked potatoes, fried potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, pinto beans… basically anyplace I’d add regular salt and pepper together, this allows me to add them at once in a knock-out blend that brings even more flavor to the moment. Used as a finishing touch, it adds a great deal to the food’s presentation – in addition to tasting fantastic.

When I saw that they had another blend, Fresh & Zesty: Lemon, Thyme & Cornish Sea Salt (Amazon link), I ordered a tub immediately.

The tubs may look small, but these salt blends last a really long time. The flavor is so concentrated, it hardly takes any at all to make a big impact.

I knew the minute I smelled the Lemon, Thyme & Cornish Sea Salt blend that I had another winner on my hands. I’ve used this one on pasta, garlic toast, hummus, salmon (it’s amazing in salmon patties!), shrimp, and other fish. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is also one of the simplest, on freshly cut avocado. The flavors it brings to the avocado party are unbelievable.

Remember when I said I currently had 12 different salts in my kitchen and they were about to be joined by salt number 13? Well, we can blame the Cornish Sea Salt Company for this one, too! They have another blend that sounds as wonderful as these two… Cornish Roasted Garlic Sea Salt (Amazon link) and it is sitting in my Amazon cart as we speak. 

I honestly cannot wait to get creative with this one. I mean, are you kidding me? Garlic!? The possibilities are endless.

I hope you’ll give these salts a try – they’re outstanding! ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Cornish Sea Salt Fresh and Zesty on Avocado

Fresh & Zesty: Lemon, Thyme & Cornish Sea Salt (Amazon link)


Why I Always Have Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried Herbs on Hand (and a Few Favorite Ways to Use Them)

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Fried Eggs with Vegetables and Ground Beef - topped with parsley.

Fried Eggs, Sautéed Vegetables, Ground Beef, and Parsley 

While I LOVE growing my own herbs for use in cooking, sometimes I’ve harvested one to the nub or simply don’t have enough of the one I need on hand to use. That’s when these lightly dried Gourmet Garden herbs come to the rescue. Just a note, this isn’t a paid for post or anything remotely like that – it’s just me raving about something I love and know you will too.

I have, in the past, bought those nice, cheap dried herbs in the supermarket – you know, the ones in the plastic containers that hang above produce? I honestly have never been completely happy with these herbs. I have no idea what happens to the herbs in the process of getting into our supermarkets, but they sure do lose their flavor along the way.

That’s why, last winter, when I wanted some basil for my favorite Italian vegetable beef soup, I grabbed a Gourmet Garden tub of basil. It cost a bit more but, by gosh, my soups are worth it! As soon as I took off the lid, I knew I had made the best decision. Besides, the initial extra pennies spent actually pay for themselves because these lightly dried herbs are so flavorful (tasting like they just came from your herb bed), you actually use less of them than they’re counterparts with the dry personalities.

Gourmet Garden Parsley

Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried Parsley

I have used every single herb available in this line and do so regularly. Heck, I buy the parsley and basil ones every time I’m in the store – I use them that often.

Basil: The basil one is delicious in soups, pasta salads, and sauces. I also use it very often as an appetizer – I slice fresh mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and roll up slices of prosciutto, salami, and/or pepperoni. I drizzle everything with Rachael Ray Balsamic Vinegar Reduction (Amazon link… also found in most grocery stores – it’s the absolute best on the market).  Then I top it all off with a sprinkling of the Gourmet Garden chopped basil. Delicious!

Parsley: I use this one on and with just about everything – especially potatoes and eggs. You don’t realize just how much parsley brings to the party until you send it an invitation. It’s healthy, adds a bright wonderful flavor to just about everything, and… come on, let’s be honest… looks marvelously high brow!

A quick and easy meal (one of those that you almost always have the ingredients for and comes together super fast) is pictured here – simply make your ground beef patties (seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder). When they’re through, set aside and keep warm. Sauté asparagus, bell pepper, and onion in the juices from the beef…. season with salt and set aside with the meat. Add your eggs and cook them either sunny side up or over easy. Unless your meat was particularly fatty (and do they even make them anymore!?), you’ll need to add a little butter, olive oil, or bacon grease to the pan before the eggs.

Who doesn’t love a quick, easy, flavorful meal?!

Fried Eggs with Vegetables and Ground Beef - topped with parsley.

Fried Eggs, Sautéed Vegetables, Ground Beef, and Parsley 

Beautiful Indoor Herb Garden Kits… Santa, are You Listening?? (Delicious Gift Ideas)

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I have officially given Santa my first gift request of the season… the Indoor Herb Garden Kit (Amazon link) I just saw on Amazon. For too many years to count, I have planted herb gardens each spring and lovingly used them throughout the summer and even into the fall. But I’ve always wished for an attractive way to grow them indoors as well – year round.

While it’s certainly possible to set individual pots around the kitchen (something I do during the cold months), they aren’t necessarily attractive and don’t look like they have a plan, you know? Yet I’ve always been loyal to the practice because, frankly, I use fresh herbs with just about every meal – even if it’s just topping something with a little chopped fresh parsley or chives.

The ridiculously handsome Indoor Herb Garden Kit (Amazon link) pictured here promises to take care of three of my favorite herbs for me: Basil, Oregano, and Thyme. BUT it gets even better… there are also matching kits (equally handsome) for…

  • Basil, Cilantro, and Parsley (I use cilantro and parsley about as often as I use salt and pepper)
  •  Cilantro, Parsley, and Chives

My first thought was… in a perfect world, each of the three kits available would have completely different herbs, with none overlapping (as basil, cilantro, and parsley do)… but then it hit me – I use these particular herbs often enough to NEED more than one plant! Besides, who’s to stop someone from planting rosemary, dill, or stevia seeds in one and labeling it such?!

Easy Dill Tartar Sauce: An Easy Tartar Sauce Recipe That Happens to Be One of the Best

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Easy Dill Tartar Sauce

Easy Dill Tartar Sauce: One of the Best

As I’ve said before on the food blog, one of my favorite tartar sauce recipes is from the Barefoot Contessa (The recipe is here… it’s outstanding.). I’m such a fan of that particular tartar sauce that I honestly stopped making any other version for over a year. But then, I got a little tired of having the same one each time, so I switched things up a bit. The result is honestly a tartar sauce I like just as well… something I never thought possible.

Don’t tell the Contessa!

My recipe calls for Duke’s Mayonnaise, simply because it’s the only one I buy and use. If it isn’t available where you live, simply use your favorite. The main thing is that you use mayonnaise and not salad dressing – it really makes a difference.

As for the sweetener – I’ve made this using sugar, stevia, and Truvia and there is no difference whatsoever. Use whatever sweetener you choose to use.


Kick Up Your Burgers with a Pepper Relish (No Recipe Required)

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Pepper Relish on Hamburgers
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million and six times – I love to work vegetables, fruit, and healthy herbs in anywhere and everywhere I possibly can.  When my three daughters were little, I became quite proficient at sneaking all kinds of healthy food into their meals. Once a good sneak, always a good sneak.

It just makes perfect sense to utilize healthy foods anytime you can. Fortunately, some of the most delicious foods in the world are also the healthiest.

When I was making hamburgers and cottage fries recently, I wanted to up the ante by throwing more nutrients into the mix. I was afraid I was nearing the “Please, no! I can’t take another salad!” zone with my husband, so I turned to Plan B.

Bell Peppers, mini peppers, and jalapeno peppers happen to be foods I have on hand AT ALL TIMES. I’m a pepper junkie and actually kind of proud of it.   Naturally, any food blogger had onions on hand as well, so I broke out the colorful cast of characters to make a “relish” to go on the hamburgers.

If the raccoon family who calls our property “home sweet home” hadn’t stomped through and ransacked my herb garden, I’d have added cilantro too.

They’re such cute little buggers, I can’t even be mad at them.

Pepper Relish on Hamburgers
You could use any combination of foods for your Burger Relish:

  • mini peppers
  • bell peppers
  • jalapenos
  • cilantro
  • parsley
  • garlic
  • black olives (especially good with black bean burgers)
  • onion
  • green onion
  • shallots
  • poblanos (if you can take the heat!)

It’s a fun way to add new dimension to an old favorite while working in a few extra vitamins in the process.

If you’re lucky, you’ll have a little pepper relish left over. My husband is probably the biggest omelet fanatic ever born and this pepper relish makes a delicious omelet filling. It’s also good thrown on top of fried eggs if you’re one of those who balks at the idea of making omelets.

See Also: Fellow pepper lovers, check out the Chile Pepper Bible Review.


Saucy Swiss Steak in a Slow Cooker

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The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes Cookbook

Talk about a cookbook living up to its name. The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes is as appropriately named as the Big Dipper.

Make no mistake about it, whether you call them crock pots or slow cookers, I know my way around them. I love food that has cooked for hours. For one thing, the flavors all blend in a magical sort of way, each bringing out the best in all the rest. For another thing, I work from home and kind of get off on the aroma that fills the house. When they asked me if I’d like a copy of this cookbook to review for the food blog, it was all I could do not to reply in ALL CAPS… YESSS!!! I tried to keep it classy.

So I pitched a tent next to my mailbox and awaited its arrival. I said “classy,” but I never promised to be patient.

The first recipe I tried was the Saucy Swiss Steak. Amazing, amazing, amazing. Most of the time, aromas from the kitchen make it into the dining room, the living room, the den, and (if they’re really on their game) down the front hall and into the two front bedrooms. However, as the Saucy Swiss Steak cooked for 8 glorious hours, the aroma filled not only the front of the house, it made it’s Heavenly way back to the back of the house – into the master bed room and even into our walk in closet! The recipe could have cooked on high for 4 but I don’t like to rush great things. I prefer to… draw… them…. out…)

From the back cover of The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes: Enjoy old standards and new classics in this completely revised and updated edition. While 100 of the original and your favorite recipes remain, many have been refreshed to emphasize healthy eating, and 75 new recipes (including 25 bonus recipes!) have been substituted to reflect today’s contemporary tastes. Consequently, the number of fish, seafood and vegetarian/vegan recipes has been expanded and there is more emphasis on whole-grain options. It’s all here: from great family food to more sophisticated recipes for entertaining, not to mention luscious desserts.

The author of The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes is Judith Finlayson, a food writer, journalist, and bestselling author. Her slow cooker books have sold over 750,000 copies!

Saucy Swiss Steak

2 TBSP oil, divided
2 lbs round steak or “simmering steak”
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 small carrot, thinly sliced, about 1/4 cup
1 small stalk celery, thinly sliced, about 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 TBSP all purpose flour
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, drained and 1/2 cup juice preserved
1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce

  1. In a skillet, heat 1 TBSP of the oil over medium-high heat.  Add steak, in pieces, if necessary, and brown on both sides.  Transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
  2. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining TBSP of oil to pan.  Add onions, carrot, and celery to pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf.  Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and reserved juice.  Bring to a boil, stirring, until slightly thickened.
  3. Pour tomato mixture over steak and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High 4 hours, until meat is tender. Stir in Worcestershire sauce.  Discard bay leaf and serve.

Bay Leaves
If you’re unable to find fresh Bay Leaf in the produce section of your store, look in the spice aisle.  Bay leaves are a bit of an obsession – the add so much flavor to soups, stews, and countless other dishes. Just remember to always discard the leaf after it has fulfilled its duties.

For year round delicious slow cooker recipes (and aromas you’ll become addicted to!), order your copy of The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes today. I can’t say enough good things about this wonderful cookbook.