Honey Sesame Sweet Potato Fries, Inspired by the Best Place on Earth

There are many things in life to which I can practice self-control. A trip to Trader Joe’s is not one of them. We are very fortunate to live an entire city away from the nearest TJ’s, because frankly, I would probably not be allowed to own a credit card if we lived any closer. I swear, every time I walk into one of those stores, my eyes turn into giant saucers and my legs go all jello-y. A strange, ethereal melody known only to me fills the room, and I saunter my way through aisles of the juiciest Bosc pears, Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, and ohhhhhh— those delectable organic Fuji apples! Don’t even get me started!

Then comes the cereal aisle. It’s almost too overwhelming to walk by and a lot of times I just have to put my hand up on the side of my face to shield all of the gluten-free granola, lightly-sweetened shredded wheat squares, perfectly mouth-sized O’s and A’s and whatever other types of letters they are using in cereals these days. Next is the yogurt, and I can never make a trip without passing up the Australian-style plain yogurt that has the perfect tartness and goes so perfectly with that granola I couldn’t resist just moments before and a little drizzle of honey (ooh that reminds me, next stop- the honey aisle!). After stocking up on about two dozen little tubs of greek yogurt of every single flavor, I catch a waft of something delectable. Oooooh, freeeeeee samplesssss!!! I drop my basket right where I stand (hopefully I didn’t put any eggs in yet!) and rush over to the little stand in the corner of the store where a man in a TJ’s polo stands spooning up little portions of chicken salad with greek goddess dip, a gluten free tortilla chip, and a plump little cherry garnish. A small crowd hovers in awe. “Excuse me, excuse meeeee,” I say as I push my way through the gathering, a bit exasperated that they are all so annoyingly blocking my path to the FREE FOOD. I feel like a college student again.

But then, after I have finished my sample and my stomach has been temporarily quieted, the REAL reason for my visit is upon me. With sudden tunnel vision, a tongue wetted by the small meal I have just devoured, and lips so pursed that those around me wonder if I need to use the ladies room, I make my way to the aisle of light. Also known as the trail mix aisle.

Around Trader Joe’s trail mixes, all bets are off. No self-control is retained. I have literally spend thirty minutes trying to decide whether to get the “just a handful of simply almonds, cashews, and cranberries” (but why would I want JUST a handful?) mix, “Happy Trekking” mix, “Go Raw,” or “Oh My! Omega Trek Mix.” The owner of the store has literally come over to ask me if I needed his help deciding. I lay out the pros and cons for him of the two bags in hand (“Wellllll sir, this one has the raw almonds, but THIS one has the tart cherries!”) without scaring him. In the end I usually decide to get both and mix them together. You only live once.

One item, though, that somehow always finds a way to jump into my already-overstuffed basket is the Sesame Honey Almonds. Perfectly sweetened with a honey glaze and rolled in raw sesame seeds, these little morsels of decadence are a staple in the McCormick household. I savor them like no other pantry item, taking out about 4 at a time and letting them soften slightly in my mouth before I take the first crunch. (Ok that might be too much information.) Anyway, they’re delish. This recipe is inspired by these gems of honey-roasted genius. These sweet potato fries are like candy. Dip ’em in ketchup, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, or whatever else you dream of. There are no rules in this game! Just promise me you will exercise a bit more self-control that I do the next time you make a trip to that Trader we call Joe. 🙂

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Honey Sesame Sweet Potato Fries
Recipe Type: Side, Fries
Cuisine: Asian
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Here’s a fun twist on a classic sweet potato fries recipe! Inspired by those heavenly honey roasted sesame almonds from TJ’s, I doused sweet potato wedges in some olive oil and honey, then sprinkled them with sesame seeds. Practically like candy!
Ingredients
  • 1 sweet potato, evenly sliced into thin wedges lengthwise
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spread sweet potato wedges on a foil-lined baking sheet (or very well sprayed one) and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and chili powders and toss.
  3. Drizzle honey over sweet potatoes and toss again.
  4. Bake at 400 deg for 15 minutes, then remove from oven to toss and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  5. Return to oven for 15 more minutes, until brown and crispy.

 

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Gourmet Grilled Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches, Starring Ninth Street Bakery Sourdough

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I promise that this time I am actually using real cheese. But this is not just any grilled cheese recipe (you know the kind I’m talking about, with the gross perfect-right-angle-so-orange-it-probably-doesn’t-even-need-to-be-refrigerated type singles that come in their own little plastic packages). This is a GOURMET grilled cheese recipe. You know why? Not only because it tastes way better, but because the bread demanded it. I didn’t just use any bread, I used fresh Ninth Street Bakery bread! If you haven’t heard of this local bakery based in downtown Durham, NC, you need to go check it out. They sell all types of organic breads, pastries, and other baked goods, using only the highest-quality ingredients. They have a spot at the Durham Farmers’ Market, too- I swear every time I walk by I get a waft of something different and delicious. They’re always handing out samples of some creative hand pie or blueberry turnover.

Since I was using NSB’s sourdough French (it was a hard decision between this and the sunflower loaf!), I wanted to make sure to do this sandwich right. I decided to slather each slice with pimiento cheese (not local, I confess. judge me.), top it with some spinach and crushed tomatoes (oooh those were local and from the farmers’ market too!), and some leftover mole chicken I had on hand. I decided to toast the buttered slices on the stovetop first, then fill them up, close them and finish in the oven. This way I was sure to get that nice, crispy top and bottom instead of having one side of the bread all soggy from not flipping it before baking!

Try it and let me know what new grilled cheese creations you come up with! Thanks again to Ninth Street Bakery for making it possible for me to share this gourmet sandwich with ya’ll!

Gourmet Grilled Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches
Recipe Type: Sandwich, Grilled Cheese
Cuisine: Grilled Cheese, American
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Here’s a gourmet grilled cheese recipe perfect for a cooler summer night! Smothered with pimiento cheese and topped with fresh sautéed cherry tomatoes, spinach, and mole chicken! Serve it with a side salad or a nice n’ plump fried egg!
Ingredients
  • 1 loaf sourdough French bread (I used Ninth Street Bakery!)
  • 1/2 stick butter, melted
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 12 oz container pimiento cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup leftover shredded chicken (I had some leftover mole chicken on hand that I wanted to use up!)
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large nonstick skillet, add olive oil and tomatoes. Cook on medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Crush tomatoes against side of skillet so that they are no longer plump.
  3. Add spinach to skillet and remove from heat, stirring, until wilted. Set entire mixture aside.
  4. Microwave the butter in a shallow dish until melted.
  5. Dredge each slice of bread or use a spoon to drizzle butter over both sides of bread. Place each slice in skillet and cook on medium-low heat for about 2 minutes per side, or until nice and golden-brown. (Don’t worry if it’s not completely browned- we’ll finish them in the oven!)
  6. Continue above step with remaining slices. Remove from heat and set on a few large paper towels. (It’s helpful to keep the slices in the order they were placed in the loaf to match sizes later!)
  7. Line up the slices of bread in order on a large baking sheet. Spread pimiento cheese on each slice of bread.
  8. On half of the slices, layer spinach and tomato mixture on top of cheese, followed by the chicken. Sprinkle on a few red pepper flakes if you like a little more heat!
  9. Close the sandwich with its “partner” slice.
  10. Bake 4 minutes at 350 degrees, then flip and bake 4 minutes more.
  11. Allow to cool slightly, then slice on the diagonal.
  12. Serve with a side salad (like my Southwestern Quinoa Salad) and a fried egg!

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Smokey Grilled Cheeze Panini featuring “SPREAD”: “Cheeze that’s to LIVE for!”

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Welcome to the first post of my new blog theme! Ben and I have been working on coming up with a new design for Claire Tastes for a while now, and we finally found this one! We wanted something that would showcase the pictures (I mean, that’s all that ya’ll look at anyway, isn’t it?) and otherwise be pretty minimalist. Keepin’ it classy. I can’t wait to see how this one evolves over time! Still working on a header logo, but I am told that I can’t do it all. Or at least not all at one time. 🙂

Anyway, this weekend was my White Coat Ceremony (more on that in a later post) and so my parents were down visiting from CT. Eager to do all the Durham-y things, we noshed at Nosh (see what I did there?), went to the Durham Farmers’ Market, went biking on the ATC (ok that was just me), took Samoa for a walk, and enjoyed a fun dinner at the Mediterranean Deli in Chapel Hill. Oh, I guess that last part isn’t Durham-y. But it is still amazing and you need to go.

At the Farmers’ Market (which my dad, who knows farmers’ markets, said was the “best one he’d ever been to”), I just had to introduce them to my “cheese friend Justin,” the long-haired, bearded man who stands just on the outskirts of the market near the fresh-squeezed lemonade stand. Justin and I bond almost every week as I bike down to the market, and every week I take his samples and have the (very legitimate) excuse that I “can’t actually buy anything today because I don’t have a way to get it back.” Well, this time, I told Justin, I will definitely be buying some “cheese” because my parents brought a car! Justin and his wife work at SPREAD, a Gourmet Plant Based “Cheeze” that is vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. If you’re wondering what’s left to make anything good out of, there are always almonds! And that’s exactly what you’ll find here- its main ingredient is almonds! Low in saturated fat and rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, SPREAD is freshly made in Downtown Durham and sold at Whole Foods as well as the Durham Farmers’ Market. You can like their Facebook page here.

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I’m no vegan, and I don’t have an issue with gluten or soy products (or dairy, for that matter), Since I am a lover of all things almonds, I was instantly hooked. They sell a cheddar variety, smokey variety, and jalapeño variety. All are equally good (and yes, I know this because I sample them every week. Don’t judge me.) They taste almost like hummus, but a little more dense and well, cheesy. Justin has told me that they make a great sauce for mac and cheese, a theory which I definitely will be testing out. So far I’ve been sticking to using SPREAD (I bought a container of the smokey kind) on sandwiches and crackers. Uh-mazing! It gives a great little kick to a sandwich and works in place of hummus AND cheese. Since today was a rainy, dreary day here in Durham, I decided to make some grilled “cheeze” on Ezekiel bread (which I have also gotten into lately and LOVE). I added a bit of red pepper flakes and basil on top of the spread, topped with spinach, red onion, and tomato, and pressed it in the Geroge Foreman for about 6 minutes at 350 degrees. Served next to a mug of lentil soup with a dollop of greek yogurt on top, and some juicy red cherries!

The perfect cozy-day lunch! Happy Monday!

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Smokey Grilled Cheeze Panini with Gourmet Plant-Based “SPREAD”
Recipe Type: Panini
Cuisine: Lunch
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
The perfect lunch for a dreary Monday afternoon! I used SPREAD, a Gourmet Plant Based Cheeze made of almonds, and spread it on the bottom slice of this panini to give it an extra smokey kick!
Ingredients
  • 2 slices Ezekiel bread
  • 2 tbsp SPREAD Gourmet Plant-Based Cheeze (I used the “smokey” variety)
  • Sprinkling of red pepper flakes
  • Sprinkling of basil
  • Fresh spinach
  • 2 slices tomato
  • A few slices of red onion
  • S&P
  • Cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat George Foreman or panini press to 350.
  2. Spread the Cheeze SPREAD on the bottom slice of bread.
  3. Sprinkle red pepper flakes and basil.
  4. Layer spinach, tomato, and red onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Top with other slice of bread.
  6. Press in George Foreman for 6 minutes, until cheese is melted and onions are soft.
  7. Serve on the side of a mug of lentil soup, with a dollop of greek yogurt and fresh cherries! Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

 

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Mustardy Mediterranean Potato Salad (Mayo-free!)

Though the Fourth has come and gone, picnic season is in full swing! This recipe was created out of the desire to make potato salad for our Fourth of July guests while staying as farrrrrrr away from mayo as possible. Well, in the spirit of all things substitutions, why not use Greek yogurt? (all the cool kids are doing it!). Add a few spices, some mustard, and a squirt of honey and you’ve got yourself a mayo-free and lightened-up potato salad that complements that juicy burger next to it on your plate. 🙂 Just think, now you can have the cheese on your burger AND those irresistible baked beans that have been wafting through the house all.day.long!

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Mustardy Mediterranean Potato Salad (Mayo-free!)
Recipe Type: Salad, Side
Cuisine: Picnic, American, Mediterranean
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12-16
Perfect picnic potato salad that uses Greek yogurt in place of mayo, and a squirt of whole grean mustard and honey for some extra zest and sweetness!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp whole grain mustard
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp italian seasoning (optional)
  • 2 28 oz bags red potatoes or potato medley
  • 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • green beans, chopped into thirds
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese (or to taste)
Instructions
  1. Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients (up to the potatoes) in a bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, half the potatoes and place in a large, microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 8-12 minutes, until soft (I found that the purple and red ones took slightly longer to cook than the yellow!)
  3. While potatoes are still warm, pour dressing on top of them and mix to combine.
  4. Chop parsley, green onion, celery, red onion, and green beans and toss with cooked potatoes.
  5. Top with feta cheese and refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow flavors to set. (Can also be made a day in advance!)

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Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad

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Crunchy Thai Noodle Salad
Recipe Type: Salad, Pasta
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 16
I made this easy Thai noodle salad for a baby shower I was hosting, after making wayyyyy too much spaghetti earlier in the week!
Ingredients
  • Leftover spaghetti
  • 1 pound sugar snap peas
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 ginger
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, thinly sliced
  • 1 package Asian slaw (mixture of cabbage, grated carrots, peanuts, sugar snap peas)
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • S&P
Instructions
  1. Cook sugar snap peas (either by steaming, or in the microwave!)
  2. For the dressing, whisk together vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, garlic powder, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.
  3. Combine spaghetti, sugar snap peas, peppers, Asian slaw mixture, and green onions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the mixture and combine.
  4. Serve sprinkled with peanuts or extra sesame seeds!

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Chicken and Bacon Mac n’ Cheese

For all you cheese-loving, bacon-craving, mac n’ cheese worshiping picnic-goers out there, here’s a perfect dish that you can bring along to your next potluck! Perfect as a side, but also hearty enough to stand on its own! I chose shells for their sauce-soaking-up abilities, but you could also use any other type of pasta! (Isn’t it crazy how you SWEAR that different shapes taste differently?). Feel free to play with the cheese, too- I chose a mix of soft swiss and shredded “fancy blend,” but you could go with cheddar, cream cheese, gruyere, etc. to your little heart’s content! Originally this recipe used cubed ham instead of bacon (Chicken Cordon Bleu style), but I decided on the bacon to please the man in my life. 🙂 I had to throw a few peas on top (there had to be SOME sort of green in there!), inspired by the Cheesy Smashed Potatoes I made for Easter.

Chicken and Bacon Mac n’ Cheese
Recipe Type: Main Dish, Casserole
Cuisine: Comfort Food, Pasta
Author: Claire McCormick of “Claire Tastes”
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
A hearty and decadent comfort food meal for all the mac n’ cheese (and bacon!) lovers out there!
Ingredients
  • 3 large chicken breasts, cut into 1″ pieces and seasoned with salt & pepper
  • 1 package center-cut bacon (about 12 strips)
  • 1 package pasta shells
  • 
2 Tablespoons flour
  • 
1 cup milk, divided
  • 1 14 oz can chicken broth
  • 
salt & pepper
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
  • 1 package laughing cow soft swiss cheese (about 6 wedges, unwrapped and at room temperature)
  • 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bacon in a medium skillet on medium-high heat until crispy. Reserve grease from bacon and set aside. Drain chicken on a paper towel.
  2. Saute seasoned chicken pieces in the same skillet over medium-high heat, tossing occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Add a bit of the reserved bacon grease and continue to cook until cooked through, about 4 more minutes. Set chicken aside.
  3. Add pasta shells to a large pot of salted, boiling water then cook until al dente (about 10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
  4. Whisk flour and 1/2 cup milk together in a small dish then add to the skillet over medium heat. Slowly add remaining milk, swiss cheese, and chicken broth, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring continuously until thick, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
  5. Add the rest of the cheese into the skillet and stir until smooth. Add cooked chicken, bacon, and pasta shells.
  6. Pour into a non-stick sprayed 9×12 casserole dish and top with any remaining cheese. Top with frozen peas. Cook, covered, in oven until golden-brown, about 15 minutes.

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Happy Fourth, and Happy Picnicking!

ClaireLeave a comment