Summer | Kitchen Konfidence

Rainbow Watermelon Pizza

June 2, 2017 by Brandon Matzek 5 Comments

June is national LGBT Pride Month, and today I’m kicking off celebrations with Ralphs and this Rainbow Watermelon Pizza.

As you may know, pizza is one of my favorite things. This Watermelon Pizza is far from traditional, but it’s super tasty, healthy and so, so pretty. The crust here is made of wedges of juicy, ripe watermelon, the cheese is a luscious mix of mascarpone and Greek yogurt, and the toppings are a colorful array of sweet, summer produce. Berries, nectarines, kiwis, grapes and tomatoes all arranged to form a vibrant rainbow. This simple dessert would be perfect for any summer bash, but especially fitting for a colorful LGBT Pride celebration. Continue reading for the recipe plus more details on Ralphs LGBT Pride support!

Guava Passion Fruit Margarita Recipe

September 29, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 1 Comment

You guys, I am SO excited to share this cocktail with you all today.

Why, you might ask? Well, the main flavors here come from fresh guavas and passion fruit, two ingredients that are a pure delight to cook with. The floral aromas present in ripe guavas can instantly whisk you off to the tropics, and the complex tanginess of both fruits is perfect for a margarita.

This Guava Passion Fruit Margarita recipe starts with a sweet-tart purée made with the aforementioned fruit. Hued a sunny shade of yellow-orange, the purée is then mixed with barrel-aged Olmeca Altos Reposado tequila. Notes of citrus and vanilla in the tequila work beautifully with the tropical fruit. Lime juice and simple syrup are mixed in to snap flavors into balance. I decided not to add a liqueur element to this margarita, because the fruit purée is so robust in flavor, nothing else is really needed. With just one sip of this golden marg, a sense of warm, carefree summer will immediately wash over you. Continue reading for the margarita recipe.

Baked Red Pepper Pasta Recipe

August 25, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 6 Comments

Say hello to my new favorite baked pasta dish.

It’s melty. It’s gooey. It’s creamy. And it’s packed with delicious roasted red pepper flavor.

The base of this dish is a pantry sauce that comes together in the food processor. Jarred roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and red wine vinegar are blitzed with some olive oil until a smooth and fiery red. Cooked pasta is then tossed in the sauce and layered in a skillet with a simple Bechamel, shredded mozzarella and chopped fresh basil (from my back yard!). The skillet spends a little time in the oven, allowing the flavors to mix and mingle while the mozz turns soft and gooey. As the skillet emerges hot and bubbling, it’s seemingly impossible to let the pasta rest for 5 minutes before digging in. You’ll be pleasantly rewarded after the brief wait though. This dish is so damn delicious. Continue reading for the recipe.

Watermelon and Tomato Panzanella Recipe

August 11, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 12 Comments

I’m going to kick off today’s post with a little personal news!!

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been consumed with developing 25 new breakfast recipes for a local San Diego health and wellness group, The 30 Clean! I’ll be spending the rest of August photographing and putting together a full eBook. More details to come once it’s done! If you’d like a first look at some of these recipes, be sure to check in with me on Instagram where I’m documenting my testing using the new Instagram Stories feature.

Speaking of IG Stories, what do you guys think of them? Do you like using the function? Or just viewing Stories? So far, I’ve really been loving them! When it comes to social media, I spend most of my time on Instagram, and I really like that I can now share quick clips of my day-to-day. Jorge and I are always checking out new restaurants around San Diego, and many of those experiences don’t make it to my IG feed. With Stories, I feel like I can quickly share these visits without worrying about the perfect lighting or plating or whatever. They’re fun and they’re casual. So if you’re interested in following along, be sure to find me on Instagram: @brandiego.

Now, let’s get to the recipe.

Summer Cheese Board + Tangy Cucumber Pickles Recipe

July 29, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 4 Comments

Hello friends and Happy Friday!!

That thing. That thing that you see up there. That’s one of my favorite things. A massive cheese board filled with a bounty of flavor possibilities. Something creamy. Something crunchy. Something sweet. Something tangy. To me, it’s truly a thing of beauty.

During the summer months, when simple, no-cook meals are many and close-between, I’ll often throw together a cheese board filled with an assortment of light cheeses, fresh fruit and veggies from the garden. Add some sliced bread, crisp crackers and punchy pickles to the mix, and you’ve got an impressive meal ready in moments. Of course, this cheese board would also be an appropriate appetizer for any summer gathering. Continue reading for some cheese board guidelines plus a Tangy Cucumber Pickles recipe!

Nectarine Coffee Cake Recipe

July 25, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 14 Comments

I’ve got a special treat for you all today!!

In addition to an absolutely delicious Nectarine Coffee Cake recipe, I’m sharing some interesting coffee details from an interview I recently conducted with Keurig Green Mountain®’s SVP and Managing Director, Lindsey Bolger. First, let’s talk cake.

The base here is a simple cake infused with rich vanilla. Whole milk Greek yogurt, a unique addition, provides a slight tang while giving the cake a moist, tender crumb. The next layer up is a jumble of juicy white nectarine slices that turn melting when baked. Finally, the cake is finished with a buttery crumb flecked with bits of almond meal. Each bite of this cake is light and tender with a sweet floral note from the nectarines. The crumbs on top add a nice richness and contrast in texture. Continue reading for the recipe, coffee pairing ideas plus interview details!

Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad with Basil Dressing

July 15, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 12 Comments

You guys, this salad is pure summer sunshine.

Chicken breasts are marinated in a simple mix of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, sugar and pepper, then grilled over dual-heat fire until golden on the outside and tender within. The lemon grilled chicken is then sliced and paired with curly lettuce, rich avocado, crispy bacon, colorful cherry tomatoes and a rustic basil dressing. Each bite of this salad always seems to be better than the last. There are lot different flavor combinations on the plate, making this salad a pure delight to eat. It’s not that bad on the eyes either 😉 Continue reading for the recipe.

Watermelon Tomato Margarita Recipe

June 30, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 15 Comments

Hello and Happy Thursday!!

Today, I’m sharing a fresh and vibrant Watermelon Tomato Margarita perfect for your 4^th of July weekend. Watermelon margaritas are a common occurrence at my house, and recently, I thought it would be fun to switch out the orange element for some juicy ripe summer tomatoes.

The combination of watermelon and tomatoes just works. Both are fresh and juicy, but the watermelon is sweet and the tomato is tart. In this cocktail, the watermelon is at the forefront flavor wise while the tomato provides a complementary vegetal note. The base of the drink is bourbon barrel-aged Olmeca Altos Reposado Tequila, rich with sweet vanilla, oak and citrus. I also tried this recipe with Olmeca Altos Plata, and the silver tequila works well too, so use whichever one you’ve got available! Each drink is finished with a sprig of fresh basil. I snipped the ones pictured here from my garden :)! Continue reading for the recipe.

Charred Zucchini Baba Ganoush Recipe

June 28, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 18 Comments

A rainbow made edible, this plate of rich and creamy Charred Zucchini Baba Ganoush surrounded by colorful fruits, veggies and chips tastes just as good as it looks.

So far, I’ve been all about zucchini this summer. In this baba ganoush recipe, I’ve charred the summer squash under the broiler until jet black and crackling all around. Seriously, it’s going to come out of the oven looking like a log of charcoal. Don’t worry though! Hidden beneath the hideous exterior is a mess of tender squash infused with the flavor of blackened char. After a brief drain, the zucchini is blitzed with tahini, lemon, olive oil, garlic, cumin, cayenne and avocado. The finished dip is bright and smoky with pleasant grassy note from the zucchini and avocado.

To amp up flavors even more, I’ve topped this Charred Zucchini Baba Ganoush with an aromatic mix of fried pine nuts and za’atar. The topping is optional, because this dip is seriously tasty on its own, but the option is there if you want to add some contrasting texture and flavor. Continue reading for the recipe plus pairing ideas!

Zucchini Pizza Recipe

June 24, 2016 by Brandon Matzek 20 Comments

Happy Friday!!!

Today’s actually the first Friday of summer, so I’m celebrating with this Zucchini Pizza which is pretty much summer in pizza-form. Half moons of salted zucchini are cooked atop a white pizza along with raw garlic, goat cheese and thin slices of fresh lemon. The pizza is then finished with a scattering of chopped chives. A riot of green and yellow, this Zucchini Pizza is light, bright and packed with flavor. Pops of fresh lemon cut through the rich goat and mozzarella cheeses, while the al dente zucchini and flecks of chive add grassy, herbaceous notes. Thin slices of garlic melt in with the mozzarella, infusing each bite of the pizza with a garlic flavor that’s definitely present, but not too overpowering. Stop by the market on your way home from work tonight, grab all these ingredients and make this immediately!! Continue reading for the recipe.