Taste With The Eyes

Cheers To A Healthy 2014: Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Gravy

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Gravy: Two Ways

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to eat healthier in 2014? Think you have to give up pasta and creamy sauces?

Here’s a technique that produces a super-satisfying pasta dish that’s lower in calories and saturated fats, higher in fiber, and spiked with vegetables. Pureed cauliflower is the base for a thick smooth sauce where roasted garlic adds rich mellow flavor. Pair whole-wheat pasta with an equal amount of your favorite vegetables, then toss with Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Gravy. Interested in gluten-free or low-carb? Simply leave out the pasta altogether, and try this luxurious cauliflower gravy ladled over veggies.

Say good-bye artery-clogging Fettuccine Alfredo and calorie-laden Macaroni & Cheese, and say hello to their svelte cousin…

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Gravy Recipe

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Kimchi & Cheddar Omelette

Kimchi & Cheddar Omelette

Even if you are not among those of us who crave kimchi on a regular basis, you may still find this omelette irresistible. Korea’s most celebrated pickle dish – kimchi – is super flavorful! Here, napa cabbage kimchi’s zingy fermented flavors are balanced by light fluffy eggs, melting cheddar and rich sour cream. The result is an omelette that is tangy, spicy, even a bit crunchy. A real eye-opener. Good morning! Breakfast. Is. Served.

Kimchi & Cheddar Omelette Recipe

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TOP 10 Most Pinned in 2013

Cheeseburger Bloody Mary

Each January I post a round-up of my favorite Taste With The Eyes dishes from the previous year. But this time, I’m posting favorites as chosen by my friends on Pinterest – the pinboard-style photo-sharing website for collecting and organizing the things that inspire you.

Our Cheeseburger Bloody Mary is hands down the year’s winner with over 6,000 pins in 2013. The second most popular pin was the Scallop Sliders, Banh Mi Style with over 3,000 pins. Here’s to sharing and collecting recipes that inspire us! Bon Appétit 2014…

Scallop “Banh Mi” Sliders

Grilled Jumbo Sea Scallop on a Mini Crescent Bun
Pickled Carrot, Radish, and Red Onion
Fresh Cucumber, Jalapeño, and Cilantro
Sriracha Mayonnaise

Hello Summer Salad

Israeli Couscous, Corn, Heirloom Tomato, Zucchini, Jalapeño
Chunky Lemon Basil Dressing, Chervil

cold soba noodles with eggplant and mango

red onion, basil, cilantro
garlic chile lime dressing, peanut and lime garnish

SOUP BLISS

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Apple Soup
Dried Apricot, Cherries, and Raisins
Pine Nuts, Chile de Arbol, Creme Fraiche, Chive Blossoms

Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi
Oi Sobaegi 오이소박이

With Shrimp, Minari, Sesame Oil, Sesame Seeds, Gochugaru

Watermelon Carpaccio

Blistered Shishito Peppers, Mitsuba, Tiny Watermelon Balls
Radish Sprouts, Pistachio, Feta, Lime Vinaigrette, Korean Red Chili Powder, Lime Zest

Chèvre Chaud over a Salad of Arugula

Warm Crusted Goat Cheese, Arugula, Grapes, Marcona Almonds
Limoncello Rosemary Dressing

The BLP Sandwich

Thick Smoky Bacon, Crisp Green Lettuce
Rosemary Balsamic Grilled Summerflame Yellow Peaches
Sharp Salty Bleu Cheese, Saffron Mayonnaise

Pan-Seared Sea Scallops with a Champagne Truffle Cream

Wilted Butter Lettuce and Generous Shaving of Pink-Veined Italian White Truffle

And My Favorite Pin of 2013…

Korean Fried Chicken Salad DECONSTRUCTED

Soy & Rice Wine Marinated Fried Chicken Tenders, Mixed Lettuces
Yellow Pickled Radish, Bamboo Shoots
Fried Seasoned Seaweed, Onion, Potato, Cucumber
Spicy Gochugaru Dressing, Pine Nut Vinaigrette

Wishing you a dazzling New Year!

Do you have a favorite pin from 2013? Please share…

A Tribute to My Hero, Chef Charlie Trotter

With Charlie Trotter
December 12, 1998
Chicago, Illinois

You are my hero… the one I always turn to for ultimate inspiration in the kitchen.
May you rest in peace, Chef.

Dining at Charlie Trotter’s Kitchen Table
February 12, 2006

“I have a goal so lofty it’s almost embarrassing to talk about,” says Charlie. “And that’s to be the best restaurant in the world. But I want the amateur diner to enjoy the food as much as the connoisseur. There are eternal truths to be recognized, just as there are eternal harmonies in a Beethoven sonata. Ultimately, I want to prepare food that will be recognized equally in Tokyo, London, and Paris. I am after that universality, that transcendence.”

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winter canapé – sweet potato, bleu cheese, walnut, kale, cranberry gastrique

winter canapé – sweet potato, bleu cheese, walnut, kale, cranberry gastrique

Here’s a hearty yet elegant hors d’oeuvre to serve at your New Year’s Eve gala. Guests will most likely be imbibing. And this crunchy wintery appetizer pairs perfectly with sparkling… sparkling wine, sparkling water, sparkling lights. With holiday colors and cold-weather flavors, this canapé is sure to be a hit. It certainly was at our year-end party…

winter canapé – sweet potato, bleu cheese, walnut, kale, cranberry gastrique

RECIPE

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