An Explorers Kitchen

An Explorers Kitchen Food Travel Recipes

Inspired by Renowned Restaurants and International Travel

This salad feels like spring. A bed of baby arugula , with whole fresh mint leaves , peas and a chiffonade of basil leav...
04/04/2026

This salad feels like spring. A bed of baby arugula , with whole fresh mint leaves , peas and a chiffonade of basil leaves tossed in . Then topped it with crunchy sweet pea pods sliced in half. Burrata nestled in between and for the final touch, a fresh lemon, olive oil, mint and honey drizzle with basil and Dijon. Easy to make Assembled and ready in 20 minutes. Recipe below. We have made it twice already this month. From the garden.

Salad
5 cups organic baby arugula
½ cup whole mint leaves
½ cup shredded basil leaves
1 cup peas, frozen, thawed, rinsed
1 - 8 oz bag sweet pea pods sliced in half lengthwise to reveal seeds
4 large or 8 small balls burrata

Lemon mint dressing:
1/3 cup good Olive oil
3 Tbs Fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Grainy Dijon mustard
3 tbs Honey
1/2 cup Mint leaves, minced fine
1/2 cup Basil leaves , minced fine
1/2 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
Lemon zest

Directions:
1. Make dressing. Combine all wet ingredients in a blender with salt and pepper, or whisk briskly. Stir in lemon zest and finely chopped herbs. Set aside. Or refrigerate day in advance. Real olive oil will congeal so if you make the dressing in advance, then set out thirty minutes before serving.

2. Arrange arugula on platter. Toss with chiffonade of basil leaves (sliced thinly ).
Pour peas evenly over the top. Nestle burrata throughout salad. Sprinkle on whole mint leaves and place pea pods in a decorative pattern on top . Drizzle dressing on before serving. We added sliced watermelon radishes from our garden for color and crunch.

Decided to use kumquats from my tree and flowers from my backyard vines to wrap a present today. Just tuck them amidst t...
02/16/2026

Decided to use kumquats from my tree and flowers from my backyard vines to wrap a present today. Just tuck them amidst the ribbon.

This morning's squash blossoms in my gardens. I got the seeds in Italy last summer. Thinking of stuffing them with ricot...
02/14/2026

This morning's squash blossoms in my gardens. I got the seeds in Italy last summer. Thinking of stuffing them with ricotta, fresh mozzarella and a touch of nutmeg, then frying them up in a light batter of rice flour and Perrier.

Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup. Even in Miami , we are in need of some warming soup occasionally. An easy, quick recipe....
02/08/2026

Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup. Even in Miami , we are in need of some warming soup occasionally. An easy, quick recipe. Thicken left over soup with cornstarch & serve over pasta.

Ingredients:
1 lg onion, chopped
1.5 lbs sliced mushrooms
5 Tbs butter
4 cups bone broth
3/4 cup milk
¼ cup white wine
1 Tbs tamari
3 Tbs flour
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbs fresh
1 Tbs sweet Hungarian Paprika
½ cup sour cream
1 Tbs chopped fresh dill
2 Tbs fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp lemon juice
Dash of cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chives, parsley and dill for topping & Bread for serving

Directions:
1. Melt butter. 2. Saute onions until translucent. 3. Add sliced mushrooms, saute until golden 4. Add Paprika and Thyme and flour, stir well one minute. 5. Add broth, wine, milk and whisk well. 6. Whisk in sour cream. 7. Stir in fresh herbs before serving.

It's Mango Season !!! Let's make some Mango Blackberry Cheesecake in a Graham Cracker Crust. We decorated with fresh edi...
07/13/2025

It's Mango Season !!! Let's make some Mango Blackberry Cheesecake in a Graham Cracker Crust. We decorated with fresh edible flowers from our garden. Plumbago, orchids, impatiens. We adapted this recipe from a similar one from Gordon Ramsey.

Crust:
1 ½ cup Graham cracker cookie crumbs
¼ cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Filling ingredients:
3 - 8 oz packages cream cheese, room temp
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mango puree
1 cup blackberries

Topping:
1 cup cubed fresh mango
1 cup blackberries
Mint sprigs
Edible flowers

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 2. Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper on the bottom and on the sides. 3. In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs with the butter & sugar. 4. Press mixture firmly into bottom of pan 5. Bake 10 minutes, remove, cool. 6. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese vigorously with the sugar. Add the vanilla & each egg separately until well incorporated. Fold in mango puree. Pour into pan on top of crust. 7. Sprinkle blackberries on top. 8. Place in oven & bake for 1 hour, until set, but still jiggly in the middle. If it starts to brown too fast, tent with foil. 8. Turn off oven, leave inside 45 minutes. 9. Remove, cool, refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Use spatula around edge. Remove the pans sides. 10. Decorate with fresh mango and blackberries before serving, add edible flowers.

❤️

Sometimes it is all about how you display your food. This delicious hummus served in a delightful charming bookstore in...
07/07/2025

Sometimes it is all about how you display your food. This delicious hummus served in a delightful charming bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina called is drizzled with olive oil and topped with marinated olives. The focaccia was gluten free. Love the live music every afternoon. Enjoy an amazing cocktails in the midst of used books, rare books and fancy collections. Sink into an oversized, soft leather couch and enjoy an extensive wine list, specialty cocktails & yummy hors'deouvres.

A Traditional Spanish Tapas. Gambas Ajillo ( Shrimp with Garlic) in a savory olive oil, paprika and garlic sauce. It tak...
06/23/2025

A Traditional Spanish Tapas. Gambas Ajillo ( Shrimp with Garlic) in a savory olive oil, paprika and garlic sauce. It takes only 10 minutes to make. Serve as an appetizer or as a main course. Serve warm with crusty bread. The dipping sauce is so flavorful it's hard to get enough of it. Make sure to use a very good, strong, first press olive oil as they would in Spain. Now pretend you're in Barcelona.

Ingredients:
1 lb large shrimp, shelled & deveined
salt
½ cup olive oil
15 garlic cloves, peeled, sliced thin, lengthwise
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp paprika
2 Tbs dry sherry
Lemon zest from 1/2 lemon
Juice from ½ lemon
½ cup coarsely chopped parsley

Directions:
1. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. 2. Salt the shrimp liberally. 3. Heat olive oil on medium, add garlic and red pepper flakes, only 30 seconds. Do not burn garlic. Remove garlic with slotted spoon. 4. Stir in paprika. 5. Add shrimp to pan and cook until opaque 1 ½ minute each side. ( Time will vary depending on size of shrimp. It will be a little undercooked but will continue to cook In the sauce. 6. Remove pan from the heat, return the garlic to the pan, sprinkle sherry, lemon zest and lemon juice over shrimp, toss well. 7. Pour shrimp with the sauce into your serving dish, top with parsley and serve with crusty bread.

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Stone Fruit And Arugula Lemon Pasta Salad with Fresh Basil, Cherries, Peaches, Feta, Arugula & A Savory Lemon, Dijon Dre...
06/09/2025

Stone Fruit And Arugula Lemon Pasta Salad with Fresh Basil, Cherries, Peaches, Feta, Arugula & A Savory Lemon, Dijon Dressing. We served this last week and everyone was asking for the recipe . Super easy. Even good two days in the refrigerator as leftovers.

Ingredients:
8 oz package pasta
(We used the lemon pasta from Trader Joes)
2 cups baby arugula
4 oz Feta cheese
2 cups fresh pitted cherries
½ cup shredded basil leaves
6 peaches, skinned and cut into wedges

Dressing:
½ cut very good, strong, first press olive oil
2 Tbs grainy Dijon mustard
3 Tbs honey
3 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp dried basil leaves
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions ( perhaps 1 minute less so it is al dente ) 2. Whip salad dressing ingredients together 3. Drain pasta, cool to room temperature. Toss in the peaches, arugula and basil leaves. Pour dressing overall. Top with cherries and crumbled Feta cheese. 4. Adjust with extra salt if necessary. 5. Serve room temperature. We are a nut free home, but if your not, pine nuts would be delicious in this.

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Felt inspired to do a French Provincial theme. We used a tablecloth I bought in Aix En Provence 25 years ago . Filled th...
06/07/2025

Felt inspired to do a French Provincial theme. We used a tablecloth I bought in Aix En Provence 25 years ago . Filled the center of the table with asparagus fern growing wild and rampant in our backyard. Continuing the theme, we filled mini vases with lavender flowers and place them randomly through the ferns. Our Yummily tall candles are always our favorite purchase of all times. Wish we could have used real lavender,but it doesn't grown in the heat, humidity and loamy soil of Miami. What did we cook? Recipes coming.

Italian White Fish Crudo with A Lemon, Orange Honey Emulsion. Topped with salty, briny capers and tart cornichons. An ea...
05/21/2025

Italian White Fish Crudo with A Lemon, Orange Honey Emulsion. Topped with salty, briny capers and tart cornichons. An east, simple recipe but oh so impressive.

Ingredients:

2 large filet firm white fish (snapper, yellowtail, sea bass, tilapia all work well) de- b***d, no skin

Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
⅓ cup good extra virgin , first press olive oil
1 Tbs honey
2 Tbs capers, drained
12 cornichons, drained,sliced
¾ tsp salt

Directions:
1. Freeze fish for 2 hours or overnight to kill any parasites.
2. Zest 1 lemon
3. Combine juice of orange and lemon in a blender. Blend in honey. Add olive oil in a very slow stream until emulsified. Add in salt.
4. Thaw fish 15-20 minutes. Use very sharp knife to cut fish into thin strips
5. Arrange fish on platter. Brush fish with sauce.
6. Pour remainder of emulsion over fish and top with capers, lemon zest and sliced cornichon. Edible flowers, lemon wedges or spoute and greens like arugula or mache optional.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve. No longer than 3-4 hours after marinating. The marinade can be made the day before.

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1 Page Ave, #101
Asheville, NC
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