12 May 2018

Weekend Cooking: Katie Lee's Easy Breezy Eats

Review: Katie Lee's Easy-Breezy EatsI'm very sad that my year as a member of the Abrams Dinner Party is winding down, but I still have a couple of cookbooks I want to highlight here, and I have many recipes I hope to share in the coming weeks and months.

Today I'm talking about Katie Lee's Easy-Breezy Eats (Abrams Books, April), which I received from the publishers. The subtitle reads "The Endless Summer Cookbook," and it is indeed filled with recipes for warm-weather cooking, eating, and entertaining.

Food Network star Lee spends her summers in the Hamptons, on the South Fork, though she's quick to point out that her roots are in West Virginia, not Park Avenue. This collection of recipes reflects her casual lifestyle from Memorial Day to Labor Day: nothing too fancy; lots of outdoor dining.

The recipes in Easy-Breezy Eats are all about vacation (or weekend) fun and relaxed days on the beach. If you're in an area with an abundance of fresh seafood, you'll find new ways to serve it: lobster Ruben sandwiches, Thai-flavored fish cakes, and shrimp burgers, for example.

Review: Katie Lee's Easy-Breezy EatsLee's idea of summer entertaining includes the familiar classics--like hamburgers, three-bean salad, and pesto--but her versions feature easy, flavorful updates: turkey burgers with peach chipotle ketchup; green and wax bean salad with walnuts, blue cheese, and cranberries; and nutritious kale and flax seed pesto.

Now that the outdoor farmer's markets are open again and we're starting to see farm-fresh veggies, I'll be able to put Easy-Breezy Eats to good use. I'm especially interested in the salads and grilled meats, but I wouldn't say no to a super-easy strawberry brownie cake!

One of the other Abrams Dinner Party members loved Lee's spinach salad with strawberries and poppyseed dressing. I plan on making it just as soon as the local strawberries come into season. I also want to try the honeydew margarita (shown in the scan from the book); I bet it's really refreshing on a hot summer day. Maybe I'll make that part of my July 4 menu this year.

I recommend Katie Lee's Easy-Breezy Eats to those of you looking for new summer dishes or contemporary twists to old standards. Younger cooks, especially, will be attracted to Lee's recipes; experienced cooks who have no trouble tweaking Grandma's panzanella or cabbage slaw may want to look before buying.

I made the following Moroccan carrots a few weeks ago. They were so good, Mr. BFR and I finished off the whole bowl in one meal. They were really just that good. (The photo is mine.)

Moroccan Carrots
Serves 4

  • Katie Lee's Moroccan Carrots3 large carrots, peeled
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • Pinch ground cinnamon
  • Pinch ground cayenne
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated or finely minced
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Harissa (I didn't use this)
Using a mandolin or very sharp knife, very thinly slice the carrots on the diagonal, about 1/16th inch (2mm) thick and put them in a bowl.

Put the cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Cook stirring frequently until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the oil and swirl the pan; when the mixture begins to bubble, add the garlic and cook, swirling the pan for 15 to 20 seconds, until the dressing is very hot. Pour the hot dressing over the carrots and toss with a large rubber spatula until the carrots are evenly coated and have absorbed the dressing. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper, and toss until combined.

Serve at room temperature, with harissa, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
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10 comments:

rhapsodyinbooks 5/12/18, 6:08 AM  

The Moroccan Carrots look great. Maybe it will be a way to get Jim to eat carrots. I actually use a topping very much like that on sliced cooked apples, and it probably has a similar effect - a spicy combination with the sweetness of apples (or carrots) is very good. I too am always excited at the return of farmer's markets, although we have to travel a bit to get to any that have more than pastry (which of course is not necessarily a bad thing!)

Unknown 5/12/18, 7:23 AM  

sounds like another great cookbook

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz 5/12/18, 7:25 AM  

Since there are currently about a thousand carrots in my garden, I should probably bookmark your recipe and look for this cookbook. Thank you.

Mae Travels 5/12/18, 8:06 AM  

Moroccan flavors fascinate me! I just ordered another Moroccan cookbook. So those carrots are very appealing.

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

jama 5/12/18, 8:09 AM  

Love carrots and the recipe sounds yummy. Katie Lee's cookbook sounds like a wonderful way to get into the summer mindset. I'm looking forward to all the fresh produce and grilling more.

Jackie McGuinness 5/12/18, 8:17 AM  

Farmers' Markets are finally open here too! Sitting here eating a bacon and tomato sandwich made with a very tasty heirloom tomato.

I am pinning this carrots recipe, it looks so good.

Deb in Hawaii 5/12/18, 12:51 PM  

Great review. Those carrots do look tempting I like cookbooks that feature foods for warmer weather and I like Katie Lee so I'll be checking this one out. ;-)

Vicki 5/12/18, 3:47 PM  

This sounds like a book I'd like.

When I first saw Katie Lee years ago I thought she was the granddaughter of Ali MacGraw because they look so much alike!

Carole 5/12/18, 5:41 PM  

Now on order from the library. Although it is Autumn here in New Zealand. Have a great week. Cheers from Carole's Chatter

gluten Free A_Z Blog 5/13/18, 6:14 AM  

The first time I ate Moroccan carrot salad was as an appetizer in a Moroccan restaurant. We loved it so much I searched until I found an authentic recipe. This recipe sounds delicious

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