Interview with Claire Robinson from Food Network’s 5 Ingredient Fix

I had the pleasure of speaking with Claire Robinson, the star of 5 Ingredient Fix.  If you’re not familiar with her and the show, you’re missing out.  She truly brings you recipes that are easy to make, full of flavor, and many times will remind you of family favorites that grandma made.

I have three recipes here, on My Wooden Spoon, that came from the 5 Ingredient Fix show; Blackened Catfish, Homemade Creamed Corn, and Tomato Bacon & Onion Gratin.  All three were absolutely fabulous and packed with flavor. I had never made catfish. My husband usually takes over when it comes to that type of food but I did it and it was so much easier than I thought it would be.  Imagine Paula Deen but faster, healthier, and more budget friendly.

THE CLAIRE ROBINSON INTERVIEW

When asked, “What 5 tools and pantry items are must-haves?”, Claire replied with the following:

5 Essential Tools

1. A good spatula
2. good set of knives (she has 5 favorites)
3. good “hot” pan
4. food processor
5. and whatever YOU can’t live without.

5 Essential Pantry Items

1. GOOD unbleached flour
2. sugar
3. Olive Oil (one for cooking and one to finish)
4. Balsalmic Vinegar
5. depends on the season, mood–currently a flavorless oil

She recommends that you don’t buy sugar and flour in bulk to insure you are keeping them completely fresh.  She made it a point to say how important it is to check the expiration dates on everything, even the flour and sugar.

When asked, “Are your recipes easy to double and triple?”, Claire said absolutely!  When she first approaches a recipe she’s writing, she looks at it as if it was being made for feeding a big family and then pairs it down to feeding 4.  While she might not always like leftovers, she does like going into the fridge throughout the day to eat more of that dish!  My kind of gal!

When asked, “What substitute refrigerator item should be on hand?” ,Claire replied with Greek Yogurt!  She said it’s good for breakfast, great for substituting for sour cream, great for everything.  She went on and on about it! She’s do dang cute.

Her most favorite snack that fuels her is Pumpkin Seed Dried Cherry Trail Mix.  She said she can eat gallons of it! LOL  It’s her go-to snack!

She stresses the importance of playing with a recipe.  She said too many folks tend to focus on the EXACT ingredients and their amounts that it makes the cooking process less fun.  She says you should read the recipe, put it away, and do your own thing. Don’t be afraid to swap an ingredient out or add more or less.

EXCITING NEWS FROM CLAIRE ROBINSON

Claire had a book, 5 Ingredient Fix, coming out on October 27th. I am extremely excited about that!

She also has recently joined forces with Food Network Challenge!!!  We all love the show and I can’t wait to see her personality and expertise on the show.

It was a great interview and I wish Claire all the best and look forward to seeing much more!