This post may contain affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links See Full Disclosure Here
When the Dr. Oz show calls and asks if you’ll be willing to share a recipe on air using heart healthy Mazola Corn Oil, you of course say “YES” before you can even realize what you’ve just committed to!
Then you quickly rack your brain for the most flavorful, heart healthy recipe that you can come up!
OK fine, first you panic a bit, then you scream with excitement and then you panic A LOT because you just agreed to cook for Dr. Oz and share it on air LIVE with him and professional chef, Kelsey Nixon. HOLY $%#!! What if they don’t like it? What if I really can’t cook? Ok here’s where I needed a little slap in the face, ya know like in the movies when someone is in pure hysteria…. I was like get it together gurrl!
Snap Out of It!
Ok so once I gathered my thoughts and calmed myself down, I sat at my desk to peruse my website for a Dr. Oz worthy recipe. I was asked to come up with 3 of my choice and then email the producers. They quickly got back to me and chose my recipe for “White Bean Cakes”.
Glamorous, I know.
Secretly I had hoped they would ask me to share the Anisette Biscotti recipe that I also submitted. I mean who doesn’t love cookies! But nope, white bean cakes it was. After thinking about it some more, I began to panic again, oh. my. goodness. I am going on national TV to share BEAN cakes… beans… in a patty .. like a bean cake! OMG!
I had a little time for the initial shock to subside and the night before the air date had finally arrived. I gathered all my bean cake ingredients and got to work. I oh so carefully prepared those little patties. So much love and attention went into those little guys. I made sure each one had the right amount of seasoning, texture and golden crust on the outside.
Each bean cake that I brought to the show had to be as perfect as my little perfectionist hands could make them. Of all the foods I can cook, NEVER in a million years did I think the highlight of my culinary/blogging career would be showcased on my recipe for White Bean Cakes, lol!
A Little Self Doubt
The day of the show me and my friend, Kate Hughes (a.k.a IntoxiKate) headed down to the city with our dishes in hand. She also had prepared a dish for the show. Kate lucked out in my opinion because she was chosen to make a dessert. How can you go wrong with a sweet treat, right? She had in tow, the most adorable carrot cupcakes that you ever did see! I loved them (and sighed a little when I saw them,lol).
I looked at her and said, “got my bean cakes”, lol! At this point all I could do was laugh as I traveled down to the city with my little golden patties of white beans, bread crumbs, shallots and sauteed tomatoes. The only thing that kept me from crying were the fresh sprigs of thyme that kept hitting my olfactory sense. For a bean cake, the smell was outrageous!
Never Underestimate the White Bean Cake
No turning back now … we arrived at the studio and headed to our dressing room. We met with the Dr Oz team and handed over our dishes. It was out of our hands at this point. We got TV ready and then headed backstage to get ready for our segment and present our dishes to Dr. Oz and Kelsey Nixon.
Kelsey shared some amazing dishes, one with cauliflower and the other with chicken. Kate was center stage and up next! Her carrot cupcakes looked Ah-mazing on set and Dr Oz really enjoyed it! Kate is a rockstar and a natural in front of the camera. She’s one of my faves, by the way!
Pinch Me Please
Dr Oz: “Next up we have Tina and her Bean Cakes”.
APPLAUSE!
I‘m literally about to duck under the table in sheer embarrassment until it happened … the moment that I have been waiting for … wait for it….
*Dr.Oz and Kelsey Lift forks and dig into my little cakes of white beans*
Dr Oz: “You’re an excellent chef! They actually taste meaty even though it’s a bean cake”, he proclaimed – on TV!!
And both he and Kelsey were both still talking to me about them after we took our pictures and the segment was over. Can someone PINCH ME, please!
There’s of course a lot more to the segment you should watch it ALL on the Dr. Oz website HERE (scroll down past the recipe for the video).
Kind of a Big Deal
It might not seem like a major moment to some but for me it was validation. For all those times I second guessed myself, my skills and my culinary talents. I left there feeling so empowered.
Obviously, I know I can cook but to hear someone as cultured and distinguished as Dr. Oz tell me I am an excellent chef is literally EVERYTHING! My recipe can be found on the Dr. Oz website HERE.
Thank you Dr. Oz and staff for the opportunity to share something that I truly love to do. I have been on the show several times this year and I am very grateful to have been a part of the show this season!
Grab Kate’s recipe for Carrot Cupcakes on the Dr Oz Show website HERE
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THESE TOP BLOG RECIPES: