Ahh, coffee! That first cup o’ joe can usually set the tone for the rest of the day. And certainly the Pacific Northwest is known as THE mecca for coffee drinkers and connoisseurs alike.

We definitely love our coffee just as much as our wine with many local independent coffee shops offering coffee “cuppings” – imagine a wine tasting, but for coffee!

We know Coffee is d’lish paired with dark chocolate … so why not get a bit savory and cook with it?  Ground espresso adds a deep rich flavor to spice rubs like in my Dish D’Lish Rain City Seasoning – excellent on steak, Alaskan salmon or try in my recipe for Savory Roasted Squash.

How about adding a cup of brewed coffee to your next slow cooked beef stew or chili recipe – it will add such a rich flavor to the dish.

On the sweeter side of things, add a little ground espresso to chocolate cupcake batter or your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for a mocha-licious twist. Or for your next brunch try working in a little strong brewed coffee or espresso into your next “Coffee Cake” – for a true COFFEE cake experience! –Kathy

Savory Roasted Squash
The rich coffee notes in the Rain City Seasoning bring out the sweetness of the squash. Snazz up this tasty side dish with a sprinkling of blue cheese, pomegranate seeds and toasted hazelnuts.

Makes about 6 servings.

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dry vermouth, white wine or apple juice
6 cups peeled 1 1/2-inch cubed winter squash, such as Hubbard, Butternut or Acorn
1 Tbsp. Dish D’Lish Rain City Seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl whisk the oil, brown sugar and vermouth together. Then add the squash and stir to coat well. Sprinkle the squash with the Rain City Seasoning and then toss to coat.

Lay the squash out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast the squash for about 25 – 35 minutes until they are tender and the edges are caramelized.

Recipe and Photo © Kathy Casey Food Studios.

Ever since ancient times, salt has been a valuable ingredient for everyday life. From food preservation to food enhancer, it was even used as currency to trade amongst earlier civilizations.

Salt varieties are bountiful these days. Just take a look at your local grocery store. There are so many d-lish options to choose from fleur de sel (a French sea salt) to hickory smoked flavored and even cabernet red wine salt – so yummy on a steak!

Salt just pops the flavor of any dish. Chicken, grilled fish, roasted veggies…and even cocktails! Just remember, a little bit goes a long way.

We have a great new salt in our Dish D’Lish line up: Rain City Seasoning – inspired by Seattle’s coffee addiction. It’s a blend of Caffè Umbria Coffee Roasters coffee and Theo Chocolate cocoa nibs with two types of salt, dried orange peel, allspice, and other spices to deliver a versatile and d’lish seasoning! Rain City Seasoning is perfect on salmon or steaks or sprinkled on roasted root vegetables. And it’s D’lish as a Bloody Mary rimmer.

But why not get creative and try your hand at making your own flavored salts? It’s easy! Here is my favorite method and a great combination for a DIY Citrus Salt:

Place 2 cups of kosher salt in a bowl
Add in 2 tablespoons each: of lemon zest and finely minced fresh rosemary, sage or thyme
Toss together then spread on a sheet pan.
Let sit out for about a week uncovered in a cool dry place – mixing daily.
Once the lemon and herbs dried, place in a food processor and whiz it up – or go old school and use a mortar and pestle.

You can also add in orange zest, or lime zest too to switch it up! Or double the amount of zest and herbs for extra flavor.

Now you have a delicious hand crafted salt – great on almost everything! –Kathy

Alright, we are in the dog days of summer, and things are heating up outside and on the grill. So let’s talk steak.

First things first, start with a good piece of meat: New York, filet, or rib-eye would be perfect! Something nice and thick.

About 30 minutes before you grill, take the steak out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temp. This will help you get a good, even cook once it hits the heat.

Be sure to pre-heat your grill to high. Lightly rub your steaks with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with my Dish D’Lish French Seasoning Salt (this is so delicious on steak!), or sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and some smoked paprika. Or if you want to try something really different, our new Dish D’Lish Rain City Seasoning has Caffé Umbria Coffee in it and Theo’s Coco Nibs. It’s super savory, dark and delicious on steaks!

Place the steaks on the grill and cook until nicely marked on the first side. Leave it be now – don’t move them around!

Then turn over and cook on the other side. Depending upon your steaks thickness will depend upon how long to cook it.

Remember the meat will continue to cook a bit after removing from the grill. And you can always put it back on for more heat; you just can’t go back the other way!

Serve topped with a simple to make herb garlic and blue cheese butter, your family’s favorite local veggies, and an ice cold local brew.

This is a photo of the delicious Grilled Rib Eye
with Red Wine Salt and Blue Cheese Butter on California Pizza Kitchen’s new menu!

So get the grill ready, it’s time for some mouth-watering steaks! –Kathy

Blue Cheese Herb Butter
This is a big bold flavored butter so a little dab will do ya!
You can freeze any leftover or use on grilled veggies too!

Makes about 1 cup

6 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

Whip the butter, cheese, garlic, hot sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper together until smooth. Then add the green onions and herbs. Mix until well incorporated.
Refrigerate until needed. Bring to room temperature before smearing on grilled steaks, or veggies.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios® – www.KathyCasey.com