Happy Friday, everyone!

I’m celebrating extra hard because I survived Valentine’s Day at the restaurant. It was no small feat. We served over 500 guests each evening last weekend. I am still tending to my battle wounds. Couples lingered a little longer than we anticipated, so our reservations ran behind by almost an hour each night. In order to appease the anticipation and impatience of awaiting guests, we ended up having to pour nearly eight cases’ worth of complimentary Prosecco.

I’m still asking, where’s my complimentary case of bubbles?!

Today I’m changing things up a little and hosting Emilie Raffa of the Clever Carrot here on the blog. Emilie has been a longtime favorite blogger of mine, and she recently released her first cookbook, aptly titled, The Clever Cookbook. I’m giddy with excitement! It’s filled with get-ahead strategies and tips for “stress-free home cooking,” and it is quickly becoming a favorite resource in my kitchen. It was also recently named one of Epicurious’ Top 30 Most Exciting New Spring Cookbooks! Get it, Emilie!!

Emilie is kindly letting me share with you, one of my favorite recipes I’ve tried from her new cookbook, a spice-roasted carrot and avocado salad. Of course, I couldn’t resist pairing it with a bottle of wine. So, to celebrate Emilie’s cookbook release, I’m giving away a copy of her cookbook, along with a bottle of wine from my cellar that pairs perfectly with this particular salad! Simply share one of your favorite time-saving tips in the kitchen down below in the comments OR clue me in one of your favorite springtime rosés.

Cheers!

Spend just a few minutes on Emilie’s blog or her Instagram and you’ll feel right at home, quickly inspired to get in the kitchen and create one of her recipes. Emilie’s warmth and genuine friendliness is evident within all of her posts and every one of her thoughtful comments to her readers. She truly embodies a sense of community and conversation, and, to me, that’s what food and the act of dining together is all about.

That same philosophy and feeling applies to her book, as well. You feel as if you’re perched on a chair at her kitchen counter, casually listening to her talk about food, life, and family. Her beautifully photographed recipes are well-organized and thoughtfully presented. Emilie begins by offering meal-prepping advice and practical, time-saving tips, so you can actually make the time to cook.

She follows through by sharing how-tos for necessary kitchen basics, like chicken stock, a master stir-fry sauce, compound butters, freezer marinades, and spice blends. And then come the actual dishes. More than a few have caught my eye: No-Stir Risotto {yes, this exists!}, a 3-Minute Tropical Breakfast Bowl, Zucchini & Brown Rice Gratin, and, most excitedly, Banana Cloud Cake.

One of the attributes of this cookbook that sets it apart from many others is Emilie’s time-saving tips interspersed throughout her recipes. So many cookbooks simply give you recipes but overlook the opportunity to actually share the tools for how to cook. Emilie takes the time to share quick substitutions, alternative cooking preparations, and versatile kitchen staples.

Tools plus application.

Personally, one of my favorite kitchen staples I like to make is a dried “house blend” of herbs from our garden. Steve and I grow and harvest eight different culinary herbs and make a blend that we share with family and friends every year. It’s an all-purpose, Mediterranean dose of green, our garden captured in a bottle. It’s great on almost anything.

Emilie shares a blend of her own, a Mexican spice blend that is “slightly spicy, not too salty, and perfectly zesty” for Mexican-inspired meals. She doesn’t stop there. She also shares recipes that incorporate that kitchen staple, so that you have several ways to enjoy it. I’ve already seasoned black bean chili and a few omelets with this zesty combination of flavors. Emilie was kind to let me share the blend with you, along with a recipe that uses it. I have a feeling it will quickly become a favorite of yours.

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mexican spice blend

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• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

1. Add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl.
2. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
3. Store in an airtight container or mason jar, label, and date.

This mixture makes approximately 1/4 cup and will stay fresh 6 months to a year if kept in a cool, dry place. Emilie also adds that if you have a stash of “vintage” spices, you can easily revitalize their flavors by lightly toasting them in a dry pan for a minute or two. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tossed out old, dried herbs that had lost their original vibrancy. I will be putting this tip to practice.

I had a difficult time deciding which recipe to share with you. They all sounded so good! I decided upon Emilie’s “Simple Spice-Roasted Carrot & Avocado Salad,” a creative mashup of textures, colors, and flavors. Emilie suggests serving this dish alongside grilled meat or fish, but I made it a standalone meal by tossing it with some quinoa, drizzling it with a little extra virgin olive oil, and squeezing just a little more lemon juice.

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spice-roasted carrot + avocado salad

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• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 heaped teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend {see above}
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 ripe Haas avocado
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• pinch of salt
• large handful of micro greens, sprouts, or baby mesclun

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the carrots in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and sprinkle with Mexican Spice Blend. Toss well to coat. Spread the carrots out on your sheet pan.
3. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are caramelized and tender. Remove them from the oven and add the pine nuts and raisins. Give it a good stir. Allow the carrots to cool slightly.
4. White the carrots are cooling, dice up the avocado. Drizzle with lemon juice to prevent browning and season with a pinch of salt. Add the avocados and greens to the carrots, and toss gently to combine. Finish with extra lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil to taste.
5. Serve at room temperature, rustic style, directly on the baking sheet.

This recipe was kindly shared, with permission from the author, from the Clever Cookbook.

I am so in love with the vibrant textures, spices, and aromas within this simple salad. They basically beg for a dry and racy rosé. In fact, rosés are my go-to choice for pairing wine with Mexican or spicy-savory cuisine. You get exactly what the dish demands in a wine: bright fruit, zesty acidity, and a crisp, dry finish. I paired this recipe with one of my favorite rosés, vintage after vintage, Matthiasson.

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matthiasson, rosé, napa valley, california, 2015

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• on the eyes  –  brilliant, pale salmon.
• on the nose  –  under-ripe stone fruit, wet rock, lemon peel, hint of alpine strawberry.
• in the blend  –  Grenache, Syrah, Mouvèdre, Counoise, and Syrah.
• on the palate  –  bone dry, racy acidity, restrained and elegant, similar flavors that confirm the aromas.
• on the table  –  pairs perfectly with a spring salad, frittatas, green garlic, or rabbit.
• on the shelf  –  around $23.

About that giveaway!

I can’t wait to give away a copy of Emilie’s cookbook to one of you! I’m positive that you’ll find it as helpful in the kitchen, as I have. I’m also sweetening the deal and pairing the giveaway with a bottle of Matthiasson rosé from my personal cellar. The giveaway is open to US residents, and you must be over 21 to enter.

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how to enter the clever cookbook giveaway

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Simply share one of your favorite time-saving tips in the kitchen down below in the comments OR tell me one of your favorite springtime rosés. I’ll be taking notes. 😉 I will choose a winner on Friday of next week and let the winner know here on the blog. I will even toss in some of my garden herb blend and a batch of Emilie’s Mexican Spice Blend, so you’ll be totally set for an exciting evening in the kitchen.

Cheers to a beautiful weekend! Congrats, Emilie, on your beautiful new cookbook, and thank you so much for sharing a copy with me and a seriously lucky reader.

XO,

Jayme