Tyler Florence Blog

The Perfect Valentine’s Day Meal – Pan Roasted Chicken

If you’re looking to really impress that special someone tomorrow night, I recommend skipping the restaurant reservations and preparing something right in your own kitchen. Nothing is more romantic than showing off your culinary skills, especially when the table is set for two!

To create an impressive meal without the hassle, try preparing my Pan Roasted Chicken recipe. This recipe masquerades as a hard-to-prepare recipe, but is simple to make! All you’ll need to bring this recipe to life is one boneless chicken breast, fresh chanterelle mushrooms, shallots, thyme, Alexia Oven Reds and a little bit of salt, pepper and olive oil. After browning the chicken on the stovetop and cooking the Oven Reds about half-way through in the oven, simply throw the chicken, Oven Reds, mushrooms, shallots and thyme together in a large pan and place in the oven until they bake to perfection. While your chicken and veggies bake, you’ll have time to set the table, light a few candles and create a special atmosphere for the evening.

Once everything is done, you can whip up a quick sauce to pour over your chicken and vegetable dish by using the leftover flavors from your original skillet and adding a little water and lemon juice. Before you know it, you’ll have a delicious recipe that will top anything from a restaurant. Plus, it serves just two – making it perfect for the occasion!

For the full recipe and more great tips on creating delicious meals, visit the "Chef Tyler" tab on the Alexia Foods Facebook page. You can also enter to win a trip for two San Francisco for an exclusive meal prepared by myself at one of my local restaurants. Now that would be romantic! Just visit the "Reinvent a Classic" tab at Facebook.com/Alexia Foods and cast your vote for the next Alexia french fry flavor to enter.

I hope to see you in San Francisco. Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Game Day Snacks

The big game coming up on February 5 will mark another great reason to get together with friends for a day of football, fun and great food. I love serving a variety of small bite options during the game because it gives me an opportunity to experiment with new flavors.

While chips and dips are a great staple (especially when served in my scooped out bell pepper dip bowl), Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs. or Panko Breaded Onion Rings are delicious, all-natural appetizers that are ready hot from the oven in just 20 minutes. It’s a perfect way to impress guests without having to spend hours in the kitchen – which gives you more time to enjoy the game! You can put your own touch on the appetizers by serving them alongside a homemade dipping sauce. Check out some great ideas for dips here.

For this year’s game, I’m also planning to make my Tuna Melt Fries recipe featuring Alexia Lemon Parmesan Waffle Fries. I just top the baked fries with my homemade tuna salad, a slice of cheddar cheese and a fresh roma tomato slice. It’s a fun new twist on the classic tuna melt in a perfect, bite-sized form.

Another great idea is to lay out a "build your own sandwich" platter and let guests pick what they like. Try baking any of Alexia’s Artisan Breads, like Classic French Rolls or Ciabatta Bread, and create a visually appealing array of meats, cheeses and toppings for guests to choose from. Letting guests get creative will add to the fun and save you time on food prep.

For more information and to view Alexia’s full line of products, visit www.alexiafoods.com.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Celebrate National Cheese Day with my Ultimate Cheese Fries!

If there’s one classic combination I can’t get enough of, it’s cheese and potatoes. Topping any potato dish with fresh cheese like buttery monterey jack or aged cheddar instantly makes for a great side dish or snack.

Did you know that today, January 20 is National Cheese Day? In honor of this seemingly odd but spectacular holiday, I’m planning to make my ultimate cheese fries. The best cheese fries are made with waffle cut fries, which makes Alexia’s Waffle Fries the perfect starting point for this dish. Lightly seasoned with a distinctive blend of sea salt, pepper, onion and garlic, Alexia’s crispy fries complement any combination of ingredients.

To make my ultimate cheese fries, just pop Alexia Waffle Fries in an oven for about 20 minutes, remove and then add your favorite toppings. I like using bacon or pulled pork along with fresh cheddar and spicy pepper jack cheese. Once the toppings are on, I simply place the fries back in the oven for 3-5 minutes to melt and blend all of the delicious flavors together. The last step is to top them off with sour cream and fresh avocado. It’s a side dish that’s worthy of celebrating National Cheese Day!

I’d love to hear about your own ultimate cheese fry creations. Share yours on the Alexia Foods Facebook page and while you’re there, don’t forget to check out other great recipes using quick and easy sides from Alexia.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Adding a Twist to Holiday Brunch

The holidays are by far my favorite time of year. The season is full of great traditions and lots of delicious food. As a chef, this is a time I enjoy getting creative in the kitchen and sharing meals with my friends and family.

Although holiday cooking is often for family dinners or parties, one of my favorite Florence family traditions is to host a post-holiday brunch. It is a great way to catch up with each other and get everyone together for a casual, delicious meal.

For an easy brunch recipe that’s sure to be a hit with the whole family, try my new Potato & Chorizo Brunch Frittata featuring Alexia Hashed Browns with Seasoned Salt. Made using fresh chorizo sausage, eggs, onions and Alexia’s tasty blend of Yukon gold potatoes, sea salt, onion, garlic, white pepper and organic sunflower oil, this delicious brunch frittata takes less 20 minutes to prepare and makes 10-12 servings – perfect for a large group.

Alexia Hashed Browns are available at Whole Foods and other natural retailers, and can be located in a store near you by visiting Alexia’s online store finder here. For the full Potato & Chorizo Brunch Frittata recipe, visit my "Chef Tyler" tab on the Alexia Facebook page at Facebook.com/AlexiaFoods.

Until next time, happy holidays!

-Tyler

Help Reinvent the Next Alexia French Fry

Last weekend, I had the privilege of kicking off Alexia Foods’ "Reinvent a Classic" campaign and hosting a live cooking demonstration for more than 350 food bloggers at the annual Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco. The fun campaign is inviting consumers across the county to help "reinvent" the next Alexia french fry by casting their vote for one of four flavors created by top food bloggers.

In addition to unveiling the top four flavors, I had an opportunity to meet the culinary talents behind the four delicious flavors. Needless to say, I was very impressed with the skills and personalities of the talented bloggers and was inspired to create some delicious recipe pairings.

• Caprese Topped Bruschetta Waffle Fries (Made with Bruschetta Waffle Fries) – A tasty twist on an Italian classic, this recipe uses beefsteak tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and olive oil to build on the Bruschetta Waffle Fries’ full flavor.
• The Ultimate Turkey Sandwich (Served with Classic Dill Julienne Fries) – This delicious sandwich features cranberry sauce, brie cheese and fresh ground black pepper that pairs perfectly with the flavor profile of Classic Dill Julienne Fries.
• Elevated Salad Nicoise (Made with Herbes de Provence & Garlic Sweet Potato Fries) – A french classic, this gourmet salad is enhanced by the flavor of the Herbes de Provence & Garlic Sweet Potato Fries and features tuna fish, green beans and capers.
• Thai Spiced Chicken Salad (Made with Thai Spiced Sweet Potato Julienne Fries) – This spicy salad uses flavors of pineapple, cilantro and jalapeño for a touch of heat, and is the perfect accompaniment to the Thai Spiced Sweet Potato Julienne Fries.

For the full recipe pairings and to cast your vote in this year’s "Reinvent a Classic" campaign, visit Facebook.com/AlexiaFoods.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Tyler’s favorite entertaining / dip pairings and tips

Fall is one of my favorite seasons to entertain and cook. With the weather changing and the holiday season almost upon us, the months ahead are full of opportunities to gather with friends and family. From festive red, yellow and orange colored place settings to incorporating seasonal vegetables like squash in a classic recipe, fall is the perfect time for hosts to get creative with seasonal dishes. You’ll be amazed what a difference a few small additions can make!

One of the easiest ways to make the most of seasonal colors is with presentation. Think like an artist, and construct your dinner menu based on your favorite fall colors and flavors. For me, this involves warm, hearty dishes served next to Alexia sweet potato fries and a homemade dipping sauce. Sweet potatoes are a signature part of the fall season and incorporating Alexia’s gourmet varieties like Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries with Sea Salt & Pepper or the new crispy, bite-sized Sweet Potato Puffs are an easy way to save time in the kitchen while playing up seasonal tastes. Pair your favorite Alexia sweet potato side dish with a homemade sauce to provide guests with an additional layer of flavor.

A great idea for entertaining is to play up fall colors by creating a dip bowl from a scooped out bell pepper, mini pumpkin or squash. For multiple dips, try using all three! Simply cut your desired vegetable in half, carve an area for the dip and rinse away any leftover seeds. The creative presentation is sure to impress guests without much cost or time spent in the kitchen. Just be sure to fill your veggie bowl with dip only minutes before your guests arrive to avoid the bowl getting soggy.

For more ideas on how to create dips that add a new level of flavor to your next meal, visit here.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

The importance of family meals

There are two loves in my life: family and food. That’s why I wrote my book, "Family Meal," which is all about delicious recipes to enjoy in the company of the ones you love. In today’s busy world, recruiting the entire family for a sit-down dinner can be a bit of a challenge. The kids have soccer practice, parents have outside obligations, and eating together slowly trickles down to the lowest priority on our to-do lists.

Although making time for family meals a few days per week can seem daunting, showing kids the importance of gathering together at a young age is important – even if you only have 30 minutes to spare! Aside from clearing schedules during dinner time, I have found the key to successful family meals in my house is to keep the kids smiling! And for us, that means lots of sweet potatoes.

Alexia’s sweet potato varieties are the perfect solution for a quick dinner my kids love. From Waffle Cut Sweet Potato Fries to their new Sweet Potato Puffs, creating a tasty side dish has never been easier. What’s more, each of Alexia’s five sweet potato varieties take just 20 minutes to prepare!

For ideas to get regular family dinners started in your house, check out my delicious meal pairings on Alexia’s Facebook page: here.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

A Recipe for Success

Many find themselves intimidated by the thought of cooking an extravagant gourmet meal, but if there’s one thing that I’ve learned from my experience as a professional chef, it’s that being a great cook doesn’t have to mean a formal degree or years of training. What’s more, a gourmet meal doesn’t have to mean hours of preparation in the kitchen or expensive, hard-to-find ingredients. With the right shortcuts and a positive mindset, anyone can cook! I like to call this my "Recipe for Success."

I always recommend starting out with the type of flavors you like. You can buy the fresh herbs you enjoy most in bulk and dry them out to store and use later. This gives meals extraordinary, flavorful taste without much hassle. Simply wrap the herbs in a paper towel, heat on high for 1-2 minutes in the microwave until herbs are dry and brittle, and then crush and store in either a Ziploc bag or canning jar.

Next, determine which part of meal preparation slows you down most. For me, I find that sticking to one-pan meals saves time without compromising meal quality. For example, when cooking a chicken or roast in the oven, simply pour a bag of Alexia Oven Reds and assorted variety of your favorite vegetables into the pan halfway through cooktime for a simple, complete meal. The potatoes and veggies will absorb the meaty flavor and leave dinner guests begging for seconds!

Last but not least, remember that it’s okay to get a little help from the experts. Alexia has a variety of delicious, gourmet-inspired side dishes that allow you to focus on the main entrée without worrying about what to serve alongside. And don’t be afraid to get creative! I love baking Alexia’s Julienne Sweet Potato fries in the oven with a variety of my favorite vegetables, a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Just twenty minutes later, you’ll have an impressive side dish to accompany any main course.

For more time-saving tips and easy, gourmet-inspired meal ideas, visit the Chef Tyler tab on Alexia’s Facebook page: here.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Fourth of July Party Ideas

Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate with family. Between fireworks, family outings and backyard barbeques, there’s so many fun ways to celebrate our country’s independence!

What Fourth of July wouldn’t be complete without great food, good friends and fireworks? If you’re planning to host a get together this year, I have a couple of tips to help you pull off a perfect summer party (and leave yourself some time to actually enjoy it!):

• Visualize the party. Do you want to host an all-American barbeque with red, white and blue decorations or a cocktail party with friends over passed appetizers? Having an idea for what you want the party to be like, will help with all of the planning details from decorations to your menu and even the entertainment you choose.
• Do as much as you can ahead of time. Make shopping and prep lists, clean and chop vegetables and pre-make marinades and other sauces. Getting some of the work done in advance will help you relax on the day of the party.
• Get your space ready for entertaining. Put together a list of what you’ll need to have on hand a week or so before the party. This can include everything from having enough place settings and food to remembering to have fun games on hand to keep guests entertained.
• Make party prep a family activity. My kids love helping out in the kitchen! Invite your family members to help with things like washing vegetables, setting the table or selecting music for the party.
• Keep the menu simple. Fourth of July is a time to host fun, casual parties. Give yourself a break by serving food that is easy to make and eat. Hot dogs are the quintessential Fourth of July food and are a crowd favorite when served alongside Alexia’s delicious Waffle Cut Fries or their Spicy Sweet Potato Fries. Invite guests to bring their favorite side dishes and let everyone create their own plates with a beautiful buffet spread.

You can check out more of my cooking and meal prep tips on the Alexia Foods Facebook page.

Happy Fourth of July!

-Tyler

Beyond potatoes and fries

I love a good old fashioned stuffed mushroom, but the Alexia Mushroom Bites with Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil have become my new favorite. I’m also known to try to sneak vegetables into the kids’ food without them knowing what they’re eating. I know it’s cruel, but they’re two and three-year-old toddlers, so it’s easy to sneak something by them every now and then.

These Mushroom Bites are a perfect example. I throw handful of them in the oven or even just into our toaster oven, and let the kids help me make a delicious homemade ranch dressing to go with them. They’re crunchy, creamy and full of flavor. Paired with a homemade dip, the kids think that they are delicious and have no idea that I’m actually getting them to eat field mushrooms!

Even better, mix it up and throw in some Alexia Mozzarella Stix – everyone loves a good mozzarella stick.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Sweet Potato Puffs Recipe Pairing

Summer is finally here! While beautiful San Francisco tends to be nice all year round, summer is definitely a different season when it comes to our lifestyle – time to relax and spend time with family outdoors. For me, there’s nothing better than grilling out on a hot summer day. Start with a refreshing summer drink, throw a few items on the grill and add a tasty side dish to match, and voila! You’ve got the perfect afternoon summer barbecue.

For your next summer get-together, try something new that’s sure to leave family and friends with satisfied taste buds and full bellies – pair new Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs with my latest Shrimp with Homemade Barbecue Sauce recipe. Shrimp are perfect for a light summer meal and taste delicious when prepared on the grill. After you’ve prepared the barbecue sauce and are ready to grill, just pop Alexia’s Sweet Potato Puffs in the oven for 20 minutes. Before you know it, you’ll have an extraordinary summer meal with a sweet twist.

To see the full recipe, visit Alexia’s Chef Tyler tab on Facebook here: Grilled Shrimp.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Sweet Potato Puffs

Have you tried Alexia’s new Sweet Potato Puffs yet? My family and I love them! They just hit store shelves but have already become a staple in our freezer. These tasty, bite-sized puffs go a long way in our house - from an afternoon snack to a side for our dinnertime meal. If you ask my kids, they would eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Lucky for busy parents like my wife and I, they cook up in just 20 minutes. When the kids are hungry, there’s no hassle. It’s great that we can just grab a bag of Sweet Potato Puffs out of the freezer and know that our kids will be happy. They are perfect!

Want to check out Alexia’s new Sweet Potato Puffs? Visit the "Where to Buy" page on Alexia’s website and be sure to sign up for the Alexia Club 350° newsletter to get future coupons and news from Alexia.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Tips for healthy eating

One of my favorite tips surrounding healthy eating is to roast your vegetables in the oven. I'm a big fan of roasted vegetables and so is my family. It is amazing how much different the flavors of something simple like broccoli become just by switching it up and roasting them in the oven instead of steaming them. I love to roast broccoli and asparagus in the oven for my kids at least once a week. In fact, one of my favorite weeknight dinners for the kids involves cooking dinner entirely in the oven.

I start by searing a pork tenderloin on the stove in a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper for seasoning. Once it's nice and brown, I transfer it into the oven to finish cooking. At the same time, I throw some Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs on half of a cookie sheet and fill the other half with some broccoli drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper. It's such a huge time saver. It all finishes cooking in the oven together, and is a really easy and nutritious dinner for my family without a lot of cleanup or prep time in the kitchen. Although, I find that the kids debate over who has the most Sweet Potato Puffs on their plate, so we count them out like currency just to be fair.

This is a great weeknight family meal and Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs go with almost any kind of protein entree you want to serve. Plus, saving time in the kitchen on a weeknight gives me more time to play with the kids or watch Angelina Ballerina with Dorothy.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Mother's Day Meal Idea

Mother’s Day is coming up so I’ve been planning a way to make my wife Tolan feel special. For me, that means showing her how much she’s appreciated by spending quality time with her and our kids. Instead of being in the kitchen for hours on end putting together a gourmet meal, I plan to use a few shortcuts to make a delicious dinner that she’ll love that still gives us plenty of time to spend together as a family.

My game plan is to make a true Florence family favorite - my Cold Fried Chicken - which takes about an hour from start to finish. To keep the meal easy, I’ll let Alexia help with the side dish. Their Sauté Sweets have the perfect combo of sweet potatoes, sweet corn, black beans, red bell pepper and onions and tastes great alongside the chicken.

If you want to try making this dish, just follow the recipe for the chicken, and while you wait for it to cool, toss the Sauté Sweets in a skillet for 10-12 minutes until they’re hot and ready to go. You can check out Alexia’s great variety of side dishes to help make the mom in your life feel special this Mother’s Day!

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Easter Brunch

Easter is this Sunday. Do you know what you’re planning to cook this year? I always like a casual Easter brunch with friends and family. I recently created a tasty omelet recipe paired with a quick, easy and delicious side dish from Alexia Foods. I call it the Perfect Omelet with Watercress and Roasted Mushrooms.

An omelet is excellent as a breakfast dish or even as an entrée, which makes it a great fit for a Sunday brunch menu. The recipe I created serves six and is prepared with fresh eggs, crushed white peppercorns and finely chopped chives. The flavors pair perfectly with Alexia Roasted Red Potatoes and Baby Portabella Mushrooms.

Click here for the complete recipe and other delicious meal ideas for your Easter gatherings. Be sure to check back for my next few blog posts for additional tips and recipes.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Tyler and Alexia Products
in his freezer

Do you have Alexia products in your freezer right now? When Alexia contacted me about working together this year, I knew it would be a perfect partnership because my wife Tolan and I use Alexia products a lot. Our kids love the Alexia Sweet Potato Julienne Fries and on any given day you can usually find several bags of them in our freezer. The products are great for us because they allow us to bring an all-natural, gourmet side dish to the table, providing more time for us to focus on a main entrée or just spend more time together as a family.

Just the other day, we were running around preparing for the opening of our new restaurant, El Paseo, and Tolan only had about an hour to whip together dinner for the kids. She was able to make homemade chicken meatballs and serve them with Alexia’s Roasted Red Potatoes & Baby Portabella Mushrooms. Our family loved them and everyone was asking for second helpings!

Alexia’s line of tasty, all-natural side dishes, breads and appetizers help you be a star in the kitchen.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

“Reinvent a Classic” winner and recipe pairing

If you’re like me, you like adding unique touches to traditional dishes. Alexia has been doing the same thing for almost a decade by reinventing classic side dishes through the addition of simple, yet extraordinary ingredients. Hopefully you were able to cast your vote on Facebook over the past few months to help Alexia “Reinvent a Classic” and decide the next Alexia French fry flavor. There were four great flavors to choose from including Carolina BBQ Sweet Potato, Chili Lime Sweet Potato and Caribbean Jerk Russet Potato and my favorite - Parmesan Lemon Russet Potato.

Well the votes are in (almost 20,000 of them!) and Parmesan Lemon Waffle Fries were picked to be the next Alexia fries to hit store shelves later this year. I’m happy to see that my pick ended up taking the crown!

Click here to check out my new recipe pairing for Oven Roasted Chicken with Warm Lettuce & Spring Peas that I think goes perfectly with the new fries.

Until next time, happy eating!

-Tyler

Tyler Florence/Alexia Partnership

Hi everyone and welcome to my new blog here on AlexiaFoods.com! I’m excited to announce that I’ve partnered with Alexia to help people just like you learn how to prepare quick, gourmet-inspired meals with the help of Alexia’s line of tasty, all-natural side dishes. Now we all know that planning and preparing weeknight meals for your family can be daunting, not to mention time consuming. Over the next few months, I’ll be working with the folks at Alexia to give you new tips that will help speed up meal planning and prep time. I will also be sharing some new recipes I’ve created that pair perfectly with Alexia side dishes to help make your everyday meals extraordinary.

So how can Alexia help you be a star in the kitchen? Well, that’s easy - their all-natural appetizers, breads, potatoes and sides go from the freezer to the table in just minutes, leaving you more time to enjoy with family. Also, with all of the options from Alexia, the meal possibilities are endless so you always have something new to bring to the table.

Be sure to check back here often as each week I’ll be sharing exclusive tips and recipe pairing ideas to help inspire you in the kitchen.

Until then, happy eating!

-Tyler