The Simply Luxurious Kitchen - Seasonal Fare to Elevate the Everyday Meal

Visit the show notes - https://www.thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/vodcasts1e7

Perhaps you've found yourself in the middle of the week, tired and hungry. Thankfully, your home épicerie is stocked, but you don't want to spend a lot of time cooking or making something all that complex. But . . .

. . . you want a delicious meal, complete with a satisfying dessert (not too sweet, but you, know, sweet with a little flaky, butter crust). 

I have found myself at this exact moment many times during busy work-weeks, and one of the simplest meals, that doesn't appear to be, is the focus of today's episode of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen. One of my favorite proteins that is plentiful here in the Pacific Northwest is salmon, and as I will share in the video, there are three types of salmon I recommend. As well, lentils: French lentils (but any lentils will do), can add numerous nutrients and a wonderful complement to a fish dish. Add some vegetables, and the dinner is complete. But wait - dessert.

Yep, it is fall, so that means apples are abundant. But I usually don't have time to make a full apple tart or pie in the middle of the week. So, what has been my solution?

For the past few years, I have been loving a rustic apple tart that requires no finesse in the pastry department and not a lot of filling which might add the excess (and often unnecessary) unnatural sweetness. Choose beautifully ripe and flavorful apples, just a dash of brown sugar and dizzle with honey and that is it. A truly delicious weekday dinner is done and yum. :)

But there is more. Enjoy a tour of one of the largest potagers (French vegetable gardens) in France from my trip this summer. An episode full of inspiration to step into the seasonal selections all the while enjoying weekday meals without the extra stress or fuss. 

~Visit the Show Notes - https://www.thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/vodcasts1e6

One of my favorite appetizers to serve in the summer as the tomatoes are at their peak and the basil is growing seemingly nonstop begging to be enjoyed is the classic Caprese Bruschetta. A crispy crust baguette with chewy insides becomes all the more scrumptious with a few added flavor amplifiers and quality fresh mozzarella.

As you will see in today's epsiode, there are three different ways that I enjoy it depending on the ingredients available and what the kitchen makes offers for cooking purposes (an oven or just a stovetop, or any cooking mechanism at all). Each one offers the traditional three ingredients of Caprese - Basil, Tomato and Mozzarella. And with those three ingredients, you really cannot go wrong.

Also, it is important to note, regarding the taping of today's episode that it was actually the first episode I taped for the season. There were, as you will see, a few learning curves that needed to be maneuvered (ahem . . . running out of recording space before the cooking session was done), but I did what I could to salvage the final presentation. Thank you for your patience with this first-time stepping in front of the camera, and regardless of the season, if you are craving Caprese Bruschetta, it is a simple and quite delicious appetizer to pull together. Every time I have chosen to include it at any one of my many dinner parties or gatherings at my home, it is a crowd favorite.

Included in this episode is a short tutorial on knife skills, which size and design of knife to use and how to properly hold and use a knife to avoid any accidents (aka cutting one's fingers). Now to the episode! I do hope you enjoy!

Welcome to The Simply Luxurious Kitchen and its first season and episode!

I am very excited to welcome you into my kitchen which has become a haven of curiosity and exploration for me over the years and share with you what I have learned to simplify and amplify the flavor in your everyday cooking excurions. 

As I shared in the pilot episode, the ultimate goal of this new vodcast series is to help viewers discover how to enjoy the everyday cooking that will elevate the quality of our lives. In other words, enjoy stepping into the kitchen. 

The first season is focused on simple everyday meals - with ideas for dinner and lunch as well as breakfast and of course a few desserts to enjoy as well. There will be eight episodes in our first season, and a new one will air first here on the blog (as well as on iTunes or wherever you download your podcasts/vodcasts) each Saturday morning through October 27th (and become available on Youtube within 24 hours).

Each episode will be accompanied with detailed show notes which will include the full recipe, links to anything that was mentioned, as well as kitchen tools and utentils that were used in the episode. 

~View the show notes for this episode (Episode 1, Season 1) here - https://www.thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/vodcasts1e1/ 

~Want a preview of the upcoming episodes for the first season?Subscribe to TSLL's Weekly Newsletter which is delivered each Friday and shares exclusively with subscribers the subject of the upcoming episode which will go live the next day. 

And now, to the first episode of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen! Discover how to make Sole Meunière, a side of Haricots Verts (green beans), a simple fresh green salad tossed with homemade vinaigrette and paired with cheese - two courses of simple, flavorful food.

Episode #7, Season 3, The Simply Luxurious Kitchen

Cherry trees in full blossom in April. Little did I realize the gift I had in my new garden with two dwarf cherry trees. Situated just outside my reading nook window, their beauty from spring through the summer and early fall gifts me with not only beauty but gorgeously delicious brilliant red cherries for making . . . you guessed it – Clafoutis aux Cerises or Cherry Clafoutis.

As I share in today’s episode, clafoutis can be made with any fruit you have available (but don’t say that too loudly as technically a clafoutis is only made with cherries) – the more in season, the more flavor, but frozen works well also. In fact, while I made this recipe with cherries for the first time in July – fresh cherries just hours before picked off of my tree – for today’s recipe I am using frozen cherries from my tree. Still absolutely delicious.

Find the Recipe here - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/vodcasts3e7/

View more episodes of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen on TSLL Blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/category/vodcast/

In the introductory episode of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen, travel with the host Shannon Ables to the English countryside and discover the tips and tricks (as well as the health benefits of a simple everyday luxury: a cup of tea.