A Recipe for Success

Teri Turner has always been on the cutting edge of new ideas.  From a precocious 4-year-old who sold water at her daily lemonade stand in the small town of Deerfield, Illinois, Teri moved on to become a passionate foodie way before it was hip. Then she rode the height of the Facebook wave with 200,000 followers and recipes that went viral. Today, this high-energy food blogger has blazed a path for many to follow as she inspires hundreds of thousands with her daily Instagram stories and instructional videos from her home kitchen in Chicago.

Funny thing is, she never set out to become a food blogger. In fact, writing about food wasn’t even on her radar although she certainly knew her way around a kitchen. It wasn’t until after a divorce and the transition from a career of catering high-end events for celebrities that she sat down with a friend to consider her options.  “I felt like I needed something more in life, but I didn’t know what, so we started to think of all the things I could do that would be creative,” stated Teri. 

A life-long passionate foodie, Turner decided to start an Instagram account. Initially, she thought this would be a good way for her kids to keep track of her while she traveled. A lot of her posts revolved around food and soon her followers grew from 44 to 200 and then to 2000. The popularity of her recipes caused her to realize the need for a place to chronicle them, so she started out with a Facebook page, and then transitioned to her blog, NoCrumbsLeft in 2015.

It wasn’t long until Teri’s charisma and her no-nonsense approach to cooking caught the attention of more than just other culinary creatives, and editors began contacting her to write about food. “My articles were shared on Huffington Post and Read It, Nigella Lawson featured me as ‘Follower of the Day’ and Whole 30 asked me to develop recipes for them. One thing after another happened along the way,” she mused. “It just unraveled organically,” she added.

Today, Turner says she is in “Chapter 3” of her life, having raised two kids, gone through a divorce and is now an empty-nester. She faces this challenge with the same courage and tenacity that carried her through every other season in life. “It’s an exciting time with all that is unfolding,” she says. “I am a person who believes, and I do my best every single day. I anticipate and expect magic to show up in my life and I am never disappointed,” she enthused.

If the previous chapters of her life are an indicator, Teri Turner will find a way to express creativity in this new season, and we look forward to the page-turning masterpiece she’ll create. “My feeling is, if you show up every day and you’re excited about life, your path will unravel.” This, along with her philosophy of getting specific with dreams and intentions, and then fully believing they will happen, will ensure Turner's success in life.

And this is a recipe we all can follow. 

Read on for my interview with Teri below...

Seafood Soup with flavors of coconut milk, red curry paste, chicken stock and seafood. 

What was your first job? My Mom said I was always selling, so I had a lemonade stand when I was four. The joke was that every day I had a lemonade stand. And one day my mom said she was going out and that when she came back I couldn't have a lemonade stand. I said, "Ok, fine." So she came back and I was all set up. She said, "Teri, I told you, you cannot have a lemonade stand." And I said, “Oh this isn’t." And she said, "Well, what is it?" And I said, "I'm selling water." She said, "How do you sell water?" And I said, “You put ice in it.” So I was a little ahead of the water craze.

Fabulous Shrimp Bites on sweet potato slices with avocado crema and griddled chipotle shrimp. 

You are an influencer who has inspired many women around the globe to get into their kitchens and start cooking. Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My mother was the biggest influencer in my life. In many wonderful and positive ways she was an amazing woman. In her case, she did not like cooking. I observed what that was like for her. Because she cooked every day and didn't like it, it taught me something: if you’re going to be cooking the rest of your life, you might as well enjoy it. 

Fresh noodles from Chinatown, made crispy on the stove and served simply. 

What makes your cooking and your recipes so attractive to people? First of all, I like to cook. Second of all, there are many magic elixirs I make ahead that really flavor-enhance food. I like to take the time to make garlic confit, to preserve lemons, to pickle things. I keep them in my refrigerator. These are things that can take everyday cooking from ordinary to extraordinary. I take the time to do those things, then - especially if I am pressed for time - I can make something that is really great because of the beautiful things I made ahead. 

Dinner in ten, using ingredients prepped in advance: canned oven roasted tomatoes, Teri's Smoky Paprika Tomato Sauce and chicken jus. Served over pasta. 

As you look back over your life, what has been a highlight in your career?  What’s unfolded the last couple of years has been the most rewarding. I’ve been to a lot of wonderful places and I have had great opportunities. I am a person who believes in the power of positive thinking. I have always been a believer in reaching your hand back to people who are on the same journey. A lot of people have reached their hand back for me. But when I look back on my life I would say being a mother trumps any of that. Having a family that you love is in many ways the most important. 

Salmon Nicoise salad - a beautiful Whole 30 option. 

What advice would you give to a young person just starting out? I would say the universe is limitless, follow your passion and nothing is as good as hard work. It’s like the combination of following your passion and then really matching it with hard work. I think it’s important to get up in the morning and like what you do.

Tuna Poke Stuffed Avocado made with green onions, sesame seeds, macadamia nuts and crushed red pepper. 

What are five ingredients you always keep stocked in your refrigerator? Garlic confit, preserved lemons, Nicoise olives, sheep’s milk feta, salami. My cooking tends toward real food, homemade, healthy. It tends toward low dairy, low carb, low sugar. Feta doesn’t fit in that category, but it’s a necessary thing to have in your kitchen. It makes any dish better. And something not in my refrigerator but which I keep in my cupboard is marinated onions.

Heroine Chicken, the dish that made Teri famous. Get the recipe here. 

Any other thoughts on life in general? I'm a believer in destiny. I believe we should give 100 percent to every moment. Also, my parents were amazing. They believed in my sisters and me and told us to follow our dreams. I want to live my life in such a way that my parents could look at me and be proud. 

Recipe...

Welcome Home Salad 

Welcome Home Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients

• Tangy Skyr Dressing, see recipe below (use the compliant version if doing Whole30)
• 1/4­ - 1/2 cup NoCrumbsLeft marinated red onions, see recipe below
• 2 roasted chicken breasts, see recipe below
• Potato crisps, see recipe below
• 5 oz. baby romain lettuce, or your favorite greens
• 1 cup parsley
• 5 small radishes, sliced thinly
• 6 pepperoncini
• 12 Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 vine of green grapes
• 2 cups pomegranate seeds

Slice fruits and vegetables into beautiful pieces. Arrange greens and parsley on a gorgeous platter. Fill the platter with your sliced fruits and vegetables. (This is akin to an art project in kindergarten: setting up the different sections and creating a masterpiece! Have fun!) After arranging your salad, place the marinated onions on the platter–it’s fine if some of the oil comes along. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and drizzle with the Tangy Skyr Dressing. Perfection!

Tangy Skyr Dressing

 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Icelandic Provisions Plain Skyr
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp horseradish
• 2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1­2 Tbsp water to thin, if needed

Place all ingredients in a bowl (except mint) and whisk to combine well. Add the mint and stir. If needed, add 1­ 2 Tbsp water to thin for desired consistency.

Whole 30 Tangy Dressing

Ingredients

• Creamy coconut(to make this mix 4 Tbsp creamed coconut with 6 Tbsp water)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp mango
• 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp horseradish
• 2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1­2 Tbsp water to thin, if needed
• Dash of Cayenne

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well. Add the mint and stir. If needed, add 1­2 Tbsp water to thin for desired consistency.

NoCrumbsLeft Marinated Red Onions

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• ¾ cup olive oil

Thinly slice the red onion. Place the slices in a container and pour the olive oil and red wine vinegar over. Add the dried oregano. Cover and let sit at room temperature to marinate for at least an hour.

Roasted Chicken Breasts

 Ingredients

•  2 chicken breasts, bone­ in and skin ­on
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Rub every crevice generously with olive oil, then sprinkle with plenty of kosher salt and black pepper. Bake for about 35 minutes, then brush the top of the chicken with the juices. Return to oven for 5 minutes to brown the top. Remove from the oven. Let rest for 10 minutes, then slice.

Potato Crisps

Ingredients

• 2 russet potatoes or 4 Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Slice potatoes into 1/4 inch pieces. Place potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cayenne and coat each potato slice evenly. Evenly place the potato slices on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove, flip, and return to oven for 15 more minutes. Repeat this step until the edges are brown and crisp and the inside of the potato is soft.

Teri Turner, front and center during the #NoCrumbsLeftNapa2016 photo shoot with photographer, George Lange.

Photos courtesy of NoCrumbsLeft. Used with permission.