KPK Chia Flowers and More !

NEW! KPK Chia Flowers this Sunday, June 10, 2012 at the Frankfort Country Market. Buttery and crisp shortbread cookies with toasted pecans and organic chia seeds. Get your cookie fix AND your fiber! This weekend's menu will again feature a lovely seasonal special . . . fried asparagus bruschetta. We're making a lot more this weekend! Our standard bruschetta items will be served along with  a new refreshing "mocktail", the White Grape Lime Cooler. The popular Herb Infused Lemonade Tea remains available, fresh edible orchid and all! Take a peek here below . . . and, we'll see you at the market!

WHITE GRAPE LIME COOLER

. . . a Kamikaze Flashback . . .

The Frankfort Country Market is held every Sunday thru October from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, rain or shine. Take a ride to historic downtown Frankfort.

KPK Biscotti LOVE

Gourmet Biscotti now available at "KPK At The Market" 

These premium quality cookies are now available for purchase! Made with the finest quality ingredients like whole toasted almonds and walnuts, Grand Marnier and Nocello liqueurs with fresh orange zest and cocoa . . . these crisp cookies are begging to be dunked. Coffee, tea, milk, anyone? 

Come and see us this Sunday at the Frankfort Country Market in historic downtown Frankfort. We're looking forward to serving you!

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Here's a pretty and delicious salad that you can make while your grill is heating up this summer. Only a few ingredients and all you'll need is a vegetable peeler (or a mandoline). Try it and then add a few tweaks if you like and make it your own! Just say YES to colorful food : ) . . . 

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

3 small zucchini, washed & dried, ends removed

Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved - see below

dried oregano - a generous two pinches, rubbed

olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 small or medium ripe tomato, washed, dried, thinly sliced

Slice the zucchini lengthwise, using a vegetable peeler. You'll get the hang of it after a few slices. Place slices into a bowl as you slice. Add shards of Parm by slicing into the bowl, also using a vegetable peeler. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and dried oregano to taste. Rub the oregano as you add it to release the flavor. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow to mingle for at least 15 - 30 minutes. You will see transformation take place. The zucchini will release water. The cheese will become kind of hydrated from the juices of the zucchini liquid and the oil. The oregano, salt and pepper season everything nicely. It's a mildly flavored salad that allows the zucchini to shine. Once you can see the difference in your salad . . . the slices of zucchini become more pliable and look more like ribbons instead of stiff slices and there's more liquid in the bowl.......then, add your thin slices of tomato and toss gently. Transfer to another bowl, leaving the juices behind, if you like. There will be quite a bit of liquid. If you're like us, take a sec to dunk some bread in bowl #1 and sop up the flavors! Enjoy! I'm sure this delicious salad is going to end up topping some crusty grilled ciabatta bread at "KPK At The Market's Bruschetta Bar" when zucchini is abundanza later this summer!

Ribbon Love,

Katie

KPK At The Market May 27th

PEPPERS ARE BACK !

KPK At the Market Menu for Sunday, May 27th


This weekend's Bruschetta Bar menu will still include the Classic Tomato & Basil Bruschetta, the Baby Bella & Gorgonzola Bruschetta and returning from one week off: the Sweet Pepper Tangle Bruschetta, back by request.

See You At The Market!

We will also have lots of refreshing Herb Infused Lemonade Tea which we will be serving with a sprig of fresh mint or basil and an edible orchid . . . .  . . . . . or maybe a PANSY!

Frankfort Country Market is open every Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in historic downtown Frankfort, rain or shine. It's a great time!

KPK At The Market MENU - Sunday, May 20, 2012

KATIE’S PASSION KITCHEN 

  Bruschetta Bar!  

We serve these delicious open- 

face snacks on olive oil 

drizzled, garlic-rubbed, freshly 

grilled ciabatta bread 

FRESH TOMATO & BASIL 

FRESH RED & YELLOW GRAPE TOMATOES & 

FRESH BASIL in a lemony vinaigrette 

BABY BELLA & GORGONZOLA 

SLICED BABY BELLA MUSHROOMS marinated, 

sauteed and topped with crumbled gorgonzola 


 NEW! THIS WEEKEND

GRILLED EGGPLANT 

GRILLED EGGPLANT topped with delectable 

sheep’s milk feta and fresh basil 

TRIO 

ONE OF EACH BRUSCHETTA (#1, #2 & #3) 

more variety/small bites~for those who want it all 

 $4.00 

 for each item on the menu

PLUS . . . DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS WEEKEND'S "COCKTAIL" SPECIAL . . . "WINE-NOT" RED SANGRIA, FRUITY, REFRESHING AND COMPLETELY LEGAL ~ SERVED WITH FRESH CITRUS & A SMILE : )


AND...WAIT, THERE'S MORE ! TRY A FRESH AND SWEET
"DOLCE DUO"
THIS WEEKEND. A FRESH BLUEBERRY BRUSCHETTA AND A FRESH STRAWBERRY BRUSCHETTA. EACH SERVED WITH ORGANIC SUGAR ON WARM & TOASTY BUTTERY GRILLED CIABATTA 

KPK At The Market 

SEE YOU AT THE FRANKFORT COUNTRY MARKET 

~ historic downtown Frankfort ~

katiespassionkitchen.blogspot.com

KPK At The Market

KATIE'S PASSION KITCHEN is now mobile and setting up shop at the Frankfort Country Market every Sunday in May from 10 am - 2 pm. Come and see us for Mother's Day!

Our menu will be changing from time to time depending on what's fresh, what's in season, what I'm in the mood for, and what's in demand. Our mission is to keep it fresh, keep it fun and keep it delicious. All food is prepared onsite at the market!

Here's what's on the menu for Sunday, May 13, 2012:

KATIE’S PASSION KITCHEN

           Bruschetta Bar!  

We serve these delicious open-face snacks on olive oil drizzled, garlic-rubbed, freshly grilled ciabatta bread 

FRESH TOMATO & BASIL

FRESH RED & YELLOW GRAPE TOMATOES & FRESH BASIL in a lemony vinaigrette

BABY BELLA & GORGONZOLA

SLICED BABY BELLA MUSHROOMS marinated, sauteed and topped with crumbled gorgonzola

SWEET PEPPER TANGLE

RED, GREEN & ORANGE BELL PEPPERS sauteed right here in all their glory 

TRIO

ONE OF EACH BRUSCHETTA (#1, #2 & #3) more variety/small bites~for those who want it all

Bruschetta Dolce . . .

FRESH STRAWBERRY

 FRESH STRAWBERRIES and butter with organic sugar ~ rock your sweet side

 $4.00

 for each item on the menu 

katiespassionkitchen.blogspot.com


PLUS our drink special . . .


Fresh Herb Infused 

Lemonade Tea     $3.00 

Cool off today with our lemony special 

blend!  Invigorating & packed with 

freshness ~ served on the rocks with fresh 

mint leaves and an edible orchid ~  

  . . . in honor of   

wonderful mothers . . . 

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to 

my angel mother.” ~  Abraham Lincoln 

BOTTLED WATER/COKE/DIET COKE/SPRITE  

$1.00   

KATIE’S PASSION KITCHEN 

        

From The Alps To Your Lips

My love affair with St-Germain continues to flourish. 

Sangria Flora. A refreshing and summery wine cocktail that will put a smile on your face and make you believe that you’re the luckiest hummingbird in town. Fragrant, floral, fruity, flirty, fresh. Try saying that a few times over after you’ve had a glass or two. Try saying it right now. Laughs. Buy yourself (or someone you love - or someone you want to love you) a bottle of St-Germain and treat yourself to a bouquet of loveliness. Seductive. Delicious. Memorable. Elderflower blossoms are a pretty far stretch from your every day hops and barley, I’d say. Take note of the post I wrote about The St-Germain Cocktail. Sheesh, that was in 2008? 

My loves only grows stronger.

SANGRIA FLORA

1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine

1 cup St-Germain

2 fresh peaches, sliced or diced

5-6 fresh strawberries, sliced or quartered

6 fresh raspberries, whole

1 bunch fresh grapes, red or green, sliced, halved or whole

Stir ingredients in a pitcher or carafe. Soak for approximately 15 minutes or longer. Serve in an ice-filled glass with more fresh fruit. . . created by Lynnette Marrero and slightly adapted here . . . Source: St-Germain

Try this with Prosecco if you're in the mood for a little sparkle. I've made it with apricots, apples and strawberries. The pitcher above was made with pears, strawberries and a Sicilian orange. I also added a splash each of apricot and orange liqueurs.  Be creative. Be fresh. And eat your fruit.

Chirp, Chirp

Love, Katie

Hot & Spicy Roasted Sweet Potato "Fries"

Sweet, salty, hot, sticky, tender, and chewy all at the same time. I had to be descriptive here because the picture just doesn't do these puppies justice.

After having made sweet potato "fries" in the oven twice before, I liked them a lot, but this version is  definitely the bomb.

I had the urge to grill some fish last night and I wanted to use a sweet-hot marinade reminiscent of some wonderful grilled wild caught (by Jeff) salmon that we enjoyed at Jeff & Amy's last summer. I knew that the marinade was a combination of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and honey. The rest of the ingredients were a toss-up. I was thinking fresh ginger (?) and maybe some citrus juice (?) and probably cilantro (?).  I used the two main ingredients, added some o.j., soy sauce, fresh squeezed lemon juice, fresh cilantro, fresh parsley and some sliced scallions. I marinated wild salmon and wild lake trout and grilled it. It was moist and delicious (especially the trout) however, I am refining that recipe and method and will post it later! I want to make extra marinade, cook it and drizzle it all over the place. Work in progress.

So, what does that have to do with these potatoes? Well, I thought a spicy-sweet-hot potato would be a perfect side for the fish, so I had this vision in my head (it's really crowded up there) of an awesome photo of curried sweet potato fries, found on Pinterest, (from joythebaker.com). I didn't even pull up the recipe but I knew that sweet potatoes and curry would be a kick-a_ _ combo. I did remember that she used egg whites and I was just going to roll with olive oil and spices so I went to town on the potatoes and the result was friggin' awesome (is awesome the most over-used word in the English language?). Now, officially introducing a new KPK standard (and not too typical of my usual flavors)  . . Here's the recipe ... be sure to adjust and tweak to your liking - I think you can go crazy with spicing variations:

Hot & Spicy Roasted Sweet Potato "Fries"

3 smallish or medium sweet potatoes OR 2 large OR 1 HUGE (LOL)

 (enough to lay out in a single layer on an 11 x 17 sheet pan)

olive oil - a few tablespoons

curry powder - about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste

dried ginger (powder) - about 1/4 teaspoon or to taste

 ground cayenne pepper - about 1/4 teaspoon or to taste

light brown sugar - about 1 heaping tablespoon

kosher salt - to taste

freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Scrub the heck out of the potatoes cuz you're leaving the skins on. Pat them dry. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut each potato in half lengthwise. Then, with cut side down, cut each half into slices about 1/2" thick. Then, lay those slices on their sides and cut each in half vertically. Voila'! Place onto a sturdy baking sheet in a single layer. I use an 11 x 17 sheet pan . . . for everything. If you don't have any, go buy some. They're cheap and they don't warp at high heat. I know I've mentioned these many times. It's considered a "half-sheet" at the restaurant supply companies. Repeat 

Repeat Repeat. LOL. Easy, Spard. 

OK. Now, drizzle with olive oil, but NOT a ton, just a few tablespoons. 

Sprinkle with all of the rest of the ingredients and toss well with your hands.

Place pan into your hot oven on the middle rack.

Roast for about 20 minutes. Flip fries with a spatula. Roast for another 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with a little more kosher salt while piping hot. Let cool slightly. Garnish with some parsley or cilantro if you have it. Or not. Chow down. 

Suhhhwwweeeeeeeet! . . . AND hot!

Love, Katie

Grilled Chicken Salad

Grilled chicken does NOT have to be ho-hum. If you season it up and marinate it before grilling, it will be moist and delicious and incredible with a great salad! The usual thought with skinless, boneless chicken breasts is that skinless, boneless can easily = flavorless. Here are a few tricks that always seem to make for delicious grilled chicken breasts. Heat your grill to medium and make sure the grates are clean. After rinsing the chicken breasts, pat them dry and season them well with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and any other seasonings you enjoy. I like dried thyme, dried oregano, maybe some chili powder, and I really like Tajin, which is a really tasty Mexican spice flavored with chile peppers, salt and lime. Excellent! Google it if you've never heard of it or just buy some when you're at your local Mexican grocery store. My link gadget is not currently working on Blogger (?).....

Ok, so place the seasoned chicken breasts into a nice large freezer ziploc bag. The 2-gallon size is great if you're making several. I like to pound the breasts to uniform thickness while in the ziploc. Do this carefully while the bag is unzipped. Use a heavy can or something if you don't have a mallet.  Don't pound them to be super thin. Just pound them so that the thickest part of the breast is the same thickness as the thinner part. Now, add some olive oil to the bag. Add something acidic like freshly squeezed lemon juice (probably my favorite) or your favorite vinegar (or both!). Add fresh herbs if you have them on  hand. Thyme, chives, oregano, basil, rosemary would all work well. If you don't have any, don't sweat it. Add a cut garlic clove or two. Add some sliced onion. Zip it. Massage it. Pop it in the fridge to chill while you're getting the rest of your dinner together and waiting for the grill to heat. I personally do not marinate the chicken for a long period of time because the acid will begin to "cook" the chicken before you cook the chicken. Usually about a half hour or so.

Get your salad together. For this particular dinner, I tossed a salad with the following ingredients: Mixed greens (baby spinach, baby kale, baby chard and romaine hearts), red onion, a nice firm avocado, feta cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, a shot of white balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and a bit of dried oregano (home grown, I know, I know).

Using tongs, place the chicken breasts directly from the bag onto the grates (medium heat). Close the lid. Let the grill do it's thing. Don't mess around with continual flip-flopping. The chicken will certainly stick if you try to remove it prematurely. Let them cook. Walk away. I think that most of the cooking is done on that first side, before flipping. I'd say you should grill the chicken breasts for about 10-15 minutes until you have nice grill marks and the breasts are easily removed. Flip, close the lid, let them cook for another 10 minutes or so. It's so hard to gauge. I'll time the cooking process the next time I grill them. The actual time will depend on the size and thickness of the breasts and your particular grill. The chicken should be firm, but not hard and dry. I always slice one in the thickest part just to be sure it's cooked through.

Place the grilled chicken breasts on a platter and let them rest (why, are they tired?) while you drizzle them with some fresh olive oil, scatter some red onions or sliced scallions and some fresh herbs on top. I also grill a few lemon halves or wedges and serve those with the chicken. Throw some bread on the grill while you're at it. Just brush slices of rustic bread with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and grill. I wouldn't walk away on the bread, though. It burns pretty quickly. It is so worth not walking away!

Slice, serve on or beside your salad with the grilled bread. Overeat. Enjoy!

Grillin' & Chillin',

Love, Katie

Last Night's Pea Soup

Here's a deliciously fresh green pea soup to add to your collection of light and easy spring dinners. Just pair this with a great salad. Green always makes you feel happier. I have included a link to my recipe but please know that it's one of those basic recipes that you can improvise pretty easily. If you don't have shallots on hand, just use onions. If it makes sense, do it. I'm sure vegetable broth would be a great substitution for the chicken broth if you'd like to keep it vegan. If you don't have all of the fresh herbs on hand, just try to get some fresh mint because it really makes a difference. Fresh chives are a nice garnish but you can also get a way with a few thinly sliced scallions. Add more peas if you'd like the soup to be even greener. That's what I'm going to do the next time I make this.

One of my favorite soup tricks is to add a potato as a thickener without having to add cream. It works well with Roasted Tomato Soup and Roasted Red Pepper Soup also.

Enjoy this delicious spring soup exactly as I present it or enjoy your very own rendition. It's wonderful. I think I'll

go have the last bowl for lunch. It makes enough for four, I'd say . . . . which was enough for Mark & I, lol.

Color your evening green tonight.

PEA SOUP RECIPE

Love and good health,

Katie