• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Laura Fuentes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Eat Healthy
  • Fasting
  • Meet Laura
  • Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Eat Healthy
  • Fasting
  • Meet Laura
  • Contact
×

Springtime Menu at Next Door Chef Nashville

by Laura Fuentes

Apr 3, 2017
No ratings yet
The texture of Kosher salt pierces the chicken, allowing the curry flavors to distribute as it cooks.
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This post is sponsored by Morton Salt. Thank you for supporting my work.

You probably remember when I went to Nashville to meet Travis, a full-time musician, husband, and father who until that week, had not had a lot of time to master the kitchen because of his busy schedule.

Springtime Menu at Next Door Chef Nashville

Like many of us, Travis not only loves food but also the time he spends with his family and friends bonding over food, either while eating it or cooking together.

I know exactly how difficult it is to want to learn to cook fresh food from scratch when you have a limited amount of time. After all, it wasn’t that long ago (ok, almost a decade) that I found myself in Travis’ shoes.

One of the ways I taught myself how to cook was by watching Ina Garten on Food Network. And, like most chefs, she always seasons her foods with enough salt to bring the flavors together.

Springtime Menu at Next Door Chef Nashville

From experience, I’ve also realized that omitting salt from a recipe that calls for it, can result in a bland dish or worse, not the desired results in baking since it provides flavor, helps breads rise and ferment -for example.

Luckily for Travis, and for my belly, Karl Worley from Biscuit restaurant in Nashville came to the rescue to teach him how to improve his cooking.

Springtime Menu at Next Door Chef Nashville

As a guest to Travis’ back yard and kitchen transformed into a pop-up restaurant dubbed as “Indie’s Kitchen” named after Travis’ daughter and I was lucky enough to be a guest that evening where we were served an amazing meal that blew all of us away.

We were greeted with Lemon Spring Tea, where kosher salt mellows out the bold, tart flavor from the natural lemon, giving the garnish a sweet flavor. Followed by an appetizer tray of homemade Pimento cheese, where Morton Sea Salt was perfect to bring precision and control to the cheese and pimento pepper flavors. I should add that the twice baked crackers with sprinkled coarse sea salt were out of this world.

Springtime Menu at Next Door Chef Nashville

Another of my favorite dishes was the Chicken Country Captain (recipe below) served over cheese grits. The chicken is seared in a cast iron pot (winner!) but the curry flavors that seasoned it came through with the perfection that only a chef could attain. Of course, we all know that Travis prepared this meal, and when we asked him what the secret to the delicious curry flavored sauce on the chicken was, he said Morton Kosher Salt. So, plain chicken without salt is not the same as chicken that’s been seasoned and then cooked to perfection.

Springtime Menu at Next Door Chef Nashville

We ended the evening with homemade Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake, where I have to add that the biscuits were amazing. The fresh strawberries were brined in sugar and a little bit of Kosher salt, bringing out their natural juices, that when topped over the perfectly flakey biscuits they were melt-in-your-mouth amazing.

Springtime Menu at Next Door Chef Nashville

Of course, I was thrilled to attend not just for the food, but to learn how by using Morton Kosher and Sea Salt in cooking, a staple in my kitchen, anyone can transform their everyday cooking into amazing fresh food! You can watch the sweet video of our event below and stay tuned to the website for some amazing summer cooking and grilling inspiration in the coming months. The Next Door Chef event will be headed to New Orleans next!

Chicken Country Captian

Laura Fuentes
No ratings yet
The texture of Kosher salt pierces the chicken, allowing the curry flavors to distribute as it cooks.
Servings: 6 -8 servings
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. Boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • ¼ cup Vegetable oil
  • 1 cup Yellow onion– diced
  • 1 tsp. Morton Kosher Salt
  • ½ cup Yellow pepper– diced
  • ½ cup Green pepper– diced
  • 1 cup Carrots– peeled and cut into rounds
  • 4 Garlic cloves– chopped
  • 28 oz. can Diced tomatoes
  • 2 tsp. Curry powder

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325° F.
  • Place a 6 quart enameled cast-iron pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add ½ the oil.
  • When heated, sear the chicken in batches until brown, (about 3 minutes per side) and place on a plate.
  • Place the remainder of oil in the stockpot and add onions and 1 teaspoon Morton Kosher Salt.
  • Sweat onions for 5 minutes until translucent, stirring often.
  • Add peppers, carrots, garlic, and curry powder and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.
  • Add chicken thighs, stir, and place lid on the pan.
  • Place in the oven for 30 minutes.
  • Remove lid from pan, stir, and return to the oven without the lid.
  • Cook for 20 minutes or the chicken thighs are cooked through and tender and the sauce is thick.
  • Serve over cheese grits.
Like this recipe?Rate and leave a comment below

Cheese Grits

Laura Fuentes
No ratings yet
Servings: 6 servings
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1 cup Heavy cream
  • ½ cup Grits stone ground
  • ¼ cup Cheddar cheese
  • 2 oz. Butter
  • Morton Kosher Salt– to taste
  • Black pepper– to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add milk and cream to pan, bring to simmer.
  • Whisk in grits, and return to a simmer, whisking often.
  • Reduce heat to low, and cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Add cheese, and stir to melt.
  • Adjust consistency with more warm milk.
  • Season with Morton Kosher Salt and serve.
Like this recipe?Rate and leave a comment below

 

 

More Travel

  • How to Road Trip Safely this Summer with your Family
  • How Corn is Grown in Iowa | Corn & Black Bean Salsa Recipe
  • Cinnamon Roll Pancake Recipe {Cinnabon Inspired}
  • Laura Fuentes at Cedar Rapids Iowa
    Seed to Spoon Journey – Quaker Oats Visit

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Stacy Fellows

    April 10, 2017 at 8:10 am

    I use the Kosher salt in everything too! It is my favorite.

    Reply
    • Laura Fuentes

      April 10, 2017 at 8:12 am

      me too!

      Reply
  2. Rachel

    April 06, 2017 at 11:08 am

    Love Morton Kosher Salt! I use it all the time.

    Reply
  3. Emma

    April 06, 2017 at 11:06 am

    Sounds like an amazing event. I love to use salt while I cook but I am always hesitant about using too much since you can always add it later.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Food & Lifestyle entrepreneur, Laura Fuentes, wearing a bring yellow shirt, looking straight at camera

Hi! I'm Laura.
I inspire moms to live a healthy lifestyle while juggling their family and work with fresh recipes and practical advice.

More about me →

Let's Be Social!

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram YouTube
Download The Busy Mom's Guide to a Healthier Life

Fresh Favorites

  • Grilled Chicken Kabobs
  • low carb lunches in glass lunch containers
    20+ Low Carb Lunch Ideas
  • large baking dish of pesto chicken thighs
    Baked Pesto Chicken Thighs
  • closeup view of roasted summer vegetables on a sheet pan
    Roasted Summer Vegetables

Trending Now

  • salmon pasta salad on a large serving plate
    Summer Salmon Pasta Salad
  • Healthy Summer Dinner Ideas
  • a collage with three smoothies and three blenders
    Best Cheap Blenders for Smoothies
  • list of real foods for intermittent fasting
    Intermittent Fasting Food List

Footer

Browse

  • Recipe Index
  • Weekly Meal Plan
  • Clean Eating Program

Download the Busy Mom's Guide to a Healthy Life

laura holding meal plan guide in front of prepped food

Useful Links

  • Contact
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

COPYRIGHT © 2023 LAURA FUENTES · DESIGN BY FUENTES MEDIA