Set the Table 2017 | Week 45

It's time to SPICE UP your Thanksgiving family table planning!

Spiced Mango and Orange Chutney
Inspired by Emeril Lagassi's Mango Orange Chutney

1 diced red pepper
1 diced onion
1/2 jalapeno minced
1/2 knob fresh ginger minced
1-2 garlic cloves minced
1 small mild red chili pepper
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp Ras el Hanout seasoning
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp sea salt (salt more to taste)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large oranges (zest first then slice off pith and segment/dice)
3 cups frozen mango
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup coconut sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine diced red pepper & onions, minced jalapeno & chili, ginger, garlic, curry, ras el hanout, cayenne, sea salt and olive oil in a large bowl. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the pepper and onion soffritto evenly. Roast for 10 minutes. In the meantime, add diced oranges, mangno, vinegar, sugar to a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Remove soffritto from oven, toss, spread evenly again and roast for another 5 minutes.

Once soffritto is finished roasting in the oven, add it all into the simmering mango pot. Simmer gently uncovered for 30-40 minutes and reduce until it becomes nice and thick like jam. Remove from heat, mash down the bigger chunks of mango if needed, let cool and serve. Or store in refrigerator until your big lovely dinner.

Cooking from scratch = Throwing a change up.

I don't do it every night... But ohhhhh when I do, gurrrrrrrrrl is it GOOD.

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• Each #SettheTable2017 post begins with a featured recipe(s) + upcoming week's game plan followed by a picture diary of last week's chaos. I sign off every post with a handy reference list of my favorite foodie articles. 
• #CatchmyGrit on my Instagram throughout the week to capture the fun, the food and the family table reactions (good and bad). C'est la vie, I selfy-ishly light it UP in pics and videos to keep truckin! 
• New to this series? Here's the STORY behind my #SettheTable2017 food adventures with Pure Barre Kildeer.
• My go to's for meal planning inspiration: 1. Jamie's Ultimate Recipes App + 5 Ingredients - Quick & Easy Food 2. Sarah Britton's My New Roots Blog + Recipe App) 3. Rachael Ray's Week in a Day Cookbook 4. Kimberly Snyder 5. The Pollan Family Table  6. Toss your Own Salad

Week 45's Game Plan:

• Linguine with Spinach and Golden Parmesan Breadcrumbs (Pollan Family Table) TONIGHT!
• Taco Tuesday
• Cherry Chard Wild Rice (Quick & Easy Food) or this Rainbow Chard with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Vinaigrette recipe
• Harissa Squash Salad (Quick and Easy Food)

Wrap it UP with last week's family table action:

This dinner was off the cuff. I had some dried mushrooms and felt like stretching my table with a meatless pasta dish. I think I was the only one who ate the mushrooms:) Made a little stroganoff sauce with this and it turned out pretty good.

This One Pan Fabulous Fish is simply Fab. I still can't believe how easy, fast and delicious it was. It's been my most requested recipe off my instagram stories (just direct message me for it and I'll send it to ya). Jamie's meal and method is officially part of my monthly meal repertoire (that's a hard word to spell). 

I couldn't resist - Our Taco Tuesday matching, cozy slipper shot. 

Sideways - I turned the leftover mushroom stroganoff into a pot pie:) 

This is my dear friend and epic sous chef Jenn. She joined me in preparing last night's surprise 28th dinner party last night! I'll be her sous any day.

Check out this rad charcuterie! Thanks for heading that one up Jenn!

Surprise Corey!

Now let's set your birthday TABLE!!!! 

My friend Allie (aka wife of the year) hired me over 6 months ago to cook a surprise birthday dinner and boy did we have a great time! Go Big Ten! Northwestern all the way...

My Three Sister's Gazpacho and Succotash Salad has never looked or tasted so good! I'll be sharing this recipe in the coming weeks!

 Grill master Jenn. Gurl, you cooked those to perfection!

"Porked out waffles" with the lovely spiced mango & orange chutney!
(My dear Christina, our championship dish lives on and on and on and on... )

CHEERS!!!!!! I am officially ready for the holiday season!!!!!

Set the Table.
It all starts at home plate.

To the Mullies we go... 

xoxoL

ps

My Top 11 #SettheTable2017 Topics:

1. Study: Eating Food with Fewer Pesticides Boosts Women's Chances to Conceive.
2. Will the Gut-Brain Connection Revolutionize Wellness?
3. Come to the table - Join Slow Food USA!
4. Stay on TOP of the Global Food Revolution Newsfeed.
5. Robyn O'Brien: Why Our Food Is Making Us Sick.
6. Kimbal Musk Wants to Reengineer the American Stomach | Why Food is the New Internet. 
7. Buy Antibiotic Free and Know the Source of Your Family's Meat.
8. The EWG "Clean Fifteen + Dirty Dozen produce guidelines helps you save money + reduce the pesticides and herbicides = Antibiotics harmful to our gut microbiome + mycobiome.
9. Avoid artificial colors and preservatives to keep your gut, your "second brain" happy + healthy.
10. Why, When and How to Eat Wheat.
11. Why do Some People do well as Vegans and Vegetarians (Clues from the Magical World of Genetics).

Set the Table 2017 | Week 24

Happy Father's Day Sunday! 

Here's what we set the table with last night, a perfect plate for the perfect Dad in your life!

Porked Out Waffles 

(in layered order):

1-2 Waffles (depending on size)

Pork tenderloin (2-3 slices or a mound of pulled pork)

Organic Strawberry and blueberry compote

Organic green apples (match-sticked)

Maple syrup or honey drizzle

Rosemary and mint sea salt

Lindsey’s Famous Sunday Morning Waffles (gluten free)

3 c Pamela's all-purpose flour mix (or any gluten free flour blend)
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 organic, pasture raised egg yolks (whites separated into another bowl)
4 c organic rice milk 
1 c melted organic butter (avocado or coconut oil works well to make it completely dairy-free)
Optional - 1 package cooked and roughly chopped antibiotic free bacon (I only add real bacon bits when making this dish. It's delicious made without!)

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Whisk in vanilla, egg yolks and rice milk. Whisk in melted butter (My Grandma Dorothy's top waffle tip: Make sure to mix in the warm butter last as it will clump if you mix it in before the cold milk!). Let batter sit and thicken up for at least 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, whip up the egg yolks into stiff peaks. Fold in egg whites, then bacon bits. (Tip: You should have little clumps of egg whites throughout your batter.) Pour into waffle maker and make as many waffles as you possibly can!

12 hour Honey Marinated Pork Tenderloin

For every two pork tenderloins, marinate them in a plastic gallon bag with the following ingredients:
1/2 c local honey
1/2 c organic gluten free soy sauce
1.5 lemons juiced & zested
4 small cloves of garlic

1 T freshly grated or minced ginger
Optional: 2-3 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean Chili Sauce) or sriracha for some heat 

Grill to perfection and slice over freshly made or leftover waffles (toasted up of course). 

OR 

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker for 6 hours on low. Shred and place over warm waffles.

Strawberry and blueberry compote

1 package organic strawberries sliced

1 package organic blueberries

2 T coconut sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and place in the refrigerator to macerate.

Rosemary Mint Sea Salt

Mince 2-3 T sea salt and 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves + 1 Tbsp mint leaves together. You'll have extra salt leftover and it keeps beautifully to use again and again.

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• Each #SettheTable2017 post begins with a featured recipe(s) + upcoming week's game plan followed by a picture diary of last week's chaos. I sign off every post with a handy reference list of my favorite foodie articles (some new, some repeated). 
• #CatchmyGrit on my Instagram throughout the week to capture the fun, the food and the family table reactions (good and bad). C'est la vie, I selfy-ishly light it UP in pics and videos to keep truckin! 
• New to this series? Here's the STORY behind my #SettheTable2017 food adventures with Pure Barre Kildeer.
• My two go to's for meal planning organization (the grocery list app features are rad): 1. Jamie's Ultimate Recipes App 2. Sarah's My New Roots Recipe App 

Week 24's Game plan (I only cooked ONE meal from last week's plan, so we're in REPEAT!):

• Taco Tuesday 

• Cook out

• Multi-Veggie Slaw with Herby Yogurt Dressing (Jamie app) or this Sweetheart Slaw with Passion Fruit dressing

• Red Lentil Carrot Bisque (Sarah's app - Sorry, couldn't find anything close to link online.)

Wrap it UP with last week's action:

How about a floating table?

It's Summer so we'll cookout every week. And yes, Tommy finished his salad first:) #welovechips

Christina's tomato and goat cheese galette.

Banh Mi toppings.

A big arse salad.

What I put in the vegan tapenade. I subbed in the fresh VeganMozz for the firm tofu. It was AWESOME.

Organic, grass fed beef tenderloin.

Crazy eyes = crazy good.

A killer first recipe go at Banh Mi - And I'm thrilled with how the "vegetarian tapenade" went (A much better description than vegan liverwurst if you want to avoid the "What did you just say weirdo?" comment.)

Yesterday, I started the Fresh Start Business Incubator dinner auction food shopping with Allison and Alex at their Radical Root Farm Stand. Gawd I love this place. It's one of my favorite organic and local food destinations where I can get all the eggs, meat and produce I want. Allison is on the Slow Food Chicago Board of Directors - I am so proud she lives here in the Northern Suburbs!

Pickled kohlrabi & daikon radish, sliced Japanese turnips and radishes, raw cheddar cheese and goat cheese from Radical Root Farms, Salami (some pickled!), assorted olives and some gorgeous Italian imported "sandwiched" dates and olive oil crustini twists from Sunset Foods in Libertyville - Thanks Cosimo, it was so fun talking food with you!

Inspired by my Slow Food Canandian Summit adventure in Shediac, New Brusnwick, I recreated this incredibly delicious and creative seafood macaroon! Chef Claude's (Taste of Paris Bakery) vanilla macaroon on the bottom, topped with salted & herbed mayo and steamed lobster or crab with fresh chives. It stole the show.

Christina put together this beautiful corn and asparagus salad. Find the recipe inspiration here.

I love local meat!

 My homemade vanilla ice cream was the perfect topping! A little lemon zest and fresh mint sealed Christina's gorgeous strawberry galette with a kiss.

I love cooking with you Christina! Cheers to cooking, setting the table, gathering with friends and spreading fun food education together! 

To the Mullies we go...

xoxoL


ps

My Top 10 #SettheTable2017 Topics:

1. Come to the table - Join Slow Food USA!
2. Stay on TOP of the global Food Revolution.
3. How to Cook With Oils.
4. Buy Antibiotic Free and Know the Source of Your Family's Meat.
5. The EWG "Clean Fifteen + Dirty Dozen produce guidelines helps you save money + reduce the pesticides and herbicides = Antibiotics harmful to our gut microbiome + mycobiome at home. 
6. Avoid artificial colors and preservatives to keep your gut, your "second brain" happy + healthy.
7. Why, When and How to Eat Wheat.
8. 50 Years Ago, the Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists to Point Blame at Fat.
9. Kimbal Musk Says Food is the New Internet. 
10. Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Starts With Ignoring the Guidelines (Video)