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Naked Epicurean

eat. drink. bemerry. repeat.

  • eat
  • drink
  • be merry
    • exploring
    • entertaining
    • joie de vivre
    • the raven’s nest
  • about
  • eat
  • drink
  • be merry
    • exploring
    • entertaining
    • joie de vivre
    • the raven’s nest
  • about
  • Greek + Mediterranean,  main course,  salads,  vegetarian

    Panzanella Salad

    2019-07-19 /

    It was bloody hot today. Too hot to hold hands with The Man. Too hot to walk barefoot in the grass (even the grass was hot). And def too hot to cook. AmIright? So here’s what we’re gonna do.  Stay inside, strip down to our skivvies, pour some wine, turn on our favorite music (Justin Timberlake, Outkast, Beck, Nina Simone…whatever gets the hips swaying) and make Panzanella Salad.   It’s a beautiful word, isn’t it? Panzanella. Pane (bread) + zanella (soup bowl) = panzanella.  Saying it feels like a silky + floral Chianti is trickling down your throat. Pan-za-NEL-la! Calling it by its name— Panzanella Salad, a Tuscan bread salad—is much more…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    D@mn Delicious Chicken Souvlaki

    2019-02-26

    Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo

    2019-05-09

    Tzatziki Sauce + Dip

    2019-02-28
  • comfort food,  Greek + Mediterranean,  main course,  pasta + noodles,  vegetarian

    Pasta Aglio e Olio: CYOA

    2019-07-18 /

    On its own, pasta aglio e olio is deliciously simple: pasta + garlic + olive oil. Life doesn’t get much more pure than that.  But we are going to shake things up a bit, go beyond garlic and olive oil. This recipe takes that classic dish of pasta glistening with oil, loaded with caramelized garlic and swanks it up a bit with a toss of crushed red pepper + fresh parsley + (among other things) zippy lemon zest.  Mediterranean confetti, if you will. We’re taking an age-old recipe for pasta aglio e olio and giving it a plot twist of our choosing.  Hence Pasta Aglio e Olio: CYOA (Choose Your…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 3 Comments

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    Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Nachos

    2019-05-02

    Low Country Boil aka Frogmore Stew

    2019-05-30

    Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo

    2019-05-09
  • appetizers + hors d'oeuvres,  cheese,  dips + spreads,  Greek + Mediterranean

    Warm Goat Cheese + Bruschetta Spread

    2019-07-06 /

    Warm Goat Cheese + Bruschetta Spread is quite possibly the most delectable thing to ever kiss your lips! It’s creamy + piquant + pungent + aaaahhhh! It’s the perfect app for a dinner party, but it’s also perfect for a quiet date night in. And by date I mean me + this cheese dip. I’m okay with that. I am dating food. If you do invite people over, make two of these recipes because you will want one all.to.yourself. Then hide in the closet for your date with this spread to muffle the animalistic noises you’ll make. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of guests.   This Warm Goat…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Loaded Baked Potato Dip

    2019-01-30

    Hand-Crafted Gournay

    2019-06-04

    Tzatziki Sauce + Dip

    2019-02-28
  • can be vegetarian,  comfort food,  Greek + Mediterranean,  main course,  pasta + noodles

    Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo

    2019-05-09 /

    I am welcoming summer with mouth wide open!   Yes, I know it it only May, but in Augusta our summer starts in April. But then switches back to winter. And then we will have two outstanding weeks of spring. But now we are in summer again. Sooo…….last night I made this delightfully fresh and lively Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo. This recipe is so easy you’ll have plenty of time to do those warm weather things you love to do, like sleep in the sun or splash in the pool. Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo is sunshine on a plate. This dish is so much…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Mexican Street Corn (aka Elotes)

    2019-05-22

    Vietnamese Shredded Chicken + Noodle Salad

    2019-06-17
  • gluten free,  Greek + Mediterranean,  main course,  poultry,  salads

    Mediterranean Chicken Salad

    2019-05-05 /

    Isn’t this Mediterranean Chicken Salad gorgeous?  You bet your sweet ass, it is! I am an absolute sucker when it comes to beautiful produce. I mean, I get weak in the knees and my eyes glaze over. Then I hear this robotic voice in my head: Must Buy All the Produce. I call it Blog Brain Frenzy where I buy anything and all that is beautiful because in some manner or fashion I can use it in something. Right? In the history of never have I been able to pass up beautiful produce. Today I had to borrow a truck to get it all home. But the positive side of…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Garlicky + Peppery Baby Bok Choy

    2019-04-27

    Cioppino

    2018-12-26

    Sticky Honey + Hoisin Lacquered Ribs

    2019-06-18
  • comfort food,  Greek + Mediterranean,  vegetarian

    Fakes (Greek Lentils)

    2019-03-29 /

    Sometimes a girl just wants some beans and rice. Or beans and pasta, as the case may be. Pronounced fa-KEE and sometimes called fakorizo, THIS is my comfort food. I absolutely begged for it as a child. It’s a security blanket in a bowl, like chicken noodle soup. Eating comfort food is my class of self-medicating. It soothes me physiologically. So when I am feeling blue, I reach for my drug of choice: comfort food. Hello, I’m Naked Epicurean, and I am a comfort food addict. My drug must meet requisite standards. For example: Is it easy to make? Check. Does it evoke nostalgia? Check. Is it loaded with calories?…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo

    2019-05-09

    Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Nachos

    2019-05-02

    Lemony Creme + White Chocolate Trifle

    2019-05-28
  • appetizers + hors d'oeuvres,  dips,  Greek + Mediterranean,  party food + snacks,  sauce,  vegetarian

    Tzatziki Sauce + Dip

    2019-02-28 /

    Should you or shouldn’t you on the first date?   The answer depends on how confident you are with yourself and how comfortable you are with your partner. It really has to be a commitment from both parties. After all, if you both eat garlic, you should be fine because your garlickyness will cancel out his garlickyness. Right? We were face to face with this dilemma on our first date. The culprit was tzatziki, loaded with garlic and garnished with scrapes. Garlic galore! The Man and I looked each other square in the eye. I think he could tell I do not easily part from my food. I was elbows…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 1 Comment

    You May Also Like

    Loaded Baked Potato Dip

    2019-01-30

    Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna Bites + Ginger-Soy Butter

    2019-05-23

    Oysters with Pink Peppercorn Mignonette

    2019-02-14
  • Greek + Mediterranean,  poultry

    D@mn Delicious Chicken Souvlaki

    2019-02-26 /

    Do you remember the first time you ate souvlaki? I mean authentic souvlaki? You strolled down the narrow cobbled street under a canopy of bougainvillea, winding your way between colorful buildings. Architectural footprints left by previous civilizations cast shadows all around. The scent of gardenias wafted through the air as you took a seat at an outdoor taverna, the background buzzing with a quiet hum of chatting diners. You were at the Plaka, nestled at the foot of the slope upon which the proud and glorious Acropolis stood. You thought you were in heaven. So many years ago, yet you remember it as if it were yesterday. As luck would…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Mediterranean Chicken Salad

    2019-05-05

    Pasta Aglio e Olio: CYOA

    2019-07-18

    Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo

    2019-05-09
  • Greek + Mediterranean,  salad dressing,  salads,  vegetables + sides

    Chopped* Greek Salad

    2019-02-25 /

    You may have heard me pontificate about what makes a real Greek salad–the Horiatiki salad, like my mom used to make, straight from the bounty of our garden. Ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and pungent onions topped with a swirl of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Pure and utter goodness. So when I refer to a real Greek salad, that is my point of reference. I am not saying other ingredient combinations are wrong, I am just saying they are not right. (I can be a real know-it-all pain-in-the-fanny kinda gal sometimes.) But enough quibble. Don’t mind me. Just roll your eyes and read on. This Chopped…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 1 Comment

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    Chunky Mediterranean Hummus

    2018-10-11

    Lemon Zest + Spring Pea Parmesan Orzo

    2019-05-09

    Fakes (Greek Lentils)

    2019-03-29
  • 4th meal,  appetizers + hors d'oeuvres,  Greek + Mediterranean,  party food + snacks,  vegetarian

    Chunky Mediterranean Hummus

    2018-10-11 /

    This recipe is one of the reasons I am invited to parties. For years I thought it was my irresistible charm or my clever wit that was so alluring, but no.           “Hey, we’re having a get-together Friday. We hope you can come! Around 7PM?”           “Sounds great!”           “Oh, and can you bring your Chunky Mediterranean Hummus?” My hummus. That’s the caveat. But who can blame anyone for loving this dish? My recipe takes hummus, a Middle Eastern staple, and loads it up with Mediterranean goodness. Hummus is like a beautiful neutral palette that complements anything that…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 2 Comments

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    Ultimate Fully Loaded Vegan Nachos

    2019-01-30

    Mexican Three-Way* BLT Dip

    2019-02-10

    Curried Chicken Wings + Mango Chutney-Yogurt Dipping Sauce

    2019-04-01

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2018 Ann Beth Strelec Out of professional courtesy, please contact me if you plan to republish one of my recipes. You can get in touch with me at nakedepicurean@gmail.com
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