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Fancy Without the Fuss logo

About Me

Hi there! I'm Katie and I'm so glad you're here!

I’m a personal chef, caterer and former restauranteur based in Seattle.  During my years cooking for weddings, auctions and high caliber dinner parties, I've learned the secret to creating a memorable meal. Hint: It has nothing to do with spending hours stressing in the kitchen. Instead, it's all about using simple, high quality ingredients with a few special finishing touches. I'm excited to use my experience to teach you how to master the art of crafting an unforgettable meal for the people you love without breaking a sweat!

My approach to food

You know that book 'The 5 Love Languages'? Well I'm pretty sure they forgot a 6th love language: food! I know I'm not alone when I say that food is a very important way that people show their love for one another. There is nothing that fills my cup more than feeding the people I love.

I believe you don't have to be a seasoned chef to create a memorable meal that will wow your family and friends. My goal is to share recipes that even the most beginner cooks can feel comfortable tackling to build confidence in the kitchen! I vividly remember being 18 years old with no cooking experience whatsoever, watching the Barefoot Contessa and thinking to myself, "I think I can do that too!"

People eat with their eyes, so I'm all about using a colorful rainbow of ingredients to create magic on the plate. By cooking with high quality ingredients that are in season, you can maximize flavor and freshness without any extra effort. I'm also all about adding a few simple finishing touches at the end to take your dish from average to absolutely extraordinary. Side note: you'll quickly find that I'm a huge fan of micro greens, edible flowers and fresh herbs!

When it comes to throwing a party, my recipe for success is simple:

  • Create a menu where as much can be made in advance as possible.
  • Find ways to infuse as much color and seasonality as possible.
  • Mix up a big batch cocktail that people can serve themselves so you don't have to play bartender all night.
  • If you have a friend who loves to bake or make desserts, enlist them to help!
  • Just remember, your guests will have a much better time if they see you enjoying yourself too so pour yourself a glass and let go of any stress!

Behind the scene

A little about me....Born and raised in Seattle, I'm a Pacific Northwest girl to the core. I love hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and all water sports. My absolute favorite foods are fresh oysters, Dungeness crab, anything citrus, and a vodka martini (extra dirty!) Starting the day with a strong coffee and meditation or breathwork is a non negotiable! I obsessively hoard cookbooks and dream of owning a farm with tons of rescue animals someday.

I'm excited to learn more about you too so please reach out and say hello!

xoxo

Katie

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fancywithoutthefuss

This light and bright summery quinoa salad lets pe This light and bright summery quinoa salad lets peak-season strawberries shine! Lemons add a bright and zippy flavor while cucumbers and pistachios give it a beautiful crunch.  Throw in a handful of herbs, some chickpeas and salty feta for a flavorful, healthy, beautiful and fancy without the fuss salad.  Top it with some grilled chicken for a dinner you’ll want to repeat all summer long. 

Strawberry Quinoa Salad 
4 cups cooked quinoa
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced cucumber
1 heaping cup of quartered strawberries
1 small shallot, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 and a half lemons)
3/4 cup roasted pistachios
1/2 cup crumbled feta
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Cracked black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss gently.

#quinoasalad #quinoabowl #strawberryrecipes #healthyrecipesideas #lightandhealthy #saladrecipes #saladrecipe #saladporn #prettyfood #fancywithoutthefuss
Save this recipe for your Memorial Day cookout! Ro Save this recipe for your Memorial Day cookout! Roasted baby bell peppers with creamy burrata and a zippy lemon basil vinaigrette is such an easy appetizer to assemble but packs some serious wow factor.  It’s the ultimate fancy without the fuss side dish! 

Roasted Bell Pepper and Burrata Salad

1 large bag of baby bell peppers (~1.5lbs)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

Roast at 425 for roughly 20-30 minutes or until deeply colored in spots and softened

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
* 2 cup fresh basil
* 1 whole lemon, zested and juiced
* 2 whole garlic cloves
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* ¼ teaspoon black pepper
* 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine the fresh basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt and pepper into a food processor or blender.  Pulse thoroughly to combine.

On a platter, scatter a few handfuls of arugula and drizzle with the lemon basil vinaigrette.  Top with the roasted peppers.  Tear about chunks of burrata and dollop on top of the peppers.  Drizzle with more lemon basil vinaigrette.  Sprinkle with sea salt, cracked black pepper and optional micro greens.

#burratacheese #sidedish #sidedishes #memorialdaybbq #potluckfood #easysalad #prettyfood #saladrecipes #saladrecipe #eatwithyoureyes #fancywithoutthefuss
It looks fancy, but it’s secretly the easiest br It looks fancy, but it’s secretly the easiest brunch ever 😏. Just let the blender do all the work for you! 
This Dutch Baby pancake makes magic in the oven and puffs up like a dream—just top with fresh berries and some edible flowers for major wow factor 🍽️✨

Sign up for my weekly newsletter and you’ll get a free download of my summer cookbook where you can find this full Dutch baby recipe!
#FancyWithoutTheFuss #Effortlessentertaining #DutchBaby #Brunchgoals #brunchrecipe #castironcooking #breakfastrecipes #prettyfoodtastesbetter
Since you can never have enough summer salad recip Since you can never have enough summer salad recipes in your back pocket, here’s one more for ya! 🥗My kale Caesar with addictive everything bagel croutons and flakey everything but the bagel salmon. 😮‍💨. I could honestly eat this every day! That kale makes it so hearty and store-bought Caesar dressing is your best friend for weeknight ease.  Give it a go tonight! 

#salmonrecipe #salmonrecipes #ebtb #bagelporn #summersalad #summersalads #summerrecipe #healthyrecipes #healthyrecipeideas #seafoodrecipes #weeknightdinner #weeknightmeals #weeknightcooking #saladsofinstagram #healthysalads 

1/2 lb salmon filets, bones removed
6 cups shredded kale
1 everything bagel, cubed
1 avocado, sliced
1 tbsp everything but the bagel seasoning, divided
1/3 cup caesar dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup shaved or shredded parmesan
1 tsp olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
 
•Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
•Toss cubed everything bagel with 2tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp of everything but the bagel seasoning. Spread onto a sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan and giving it a little shake halfway through.
•Bake until golden crown and crunchy throughout with no softness in the center of the cubes.
•Spread a teaspoon of olive oil onto the salmon filet. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tsp of everything but the bagel seasoning over the top of the salmon. 
•Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
Depending on the thickness of your filet, 8 minutes should cook through to medium rare. To be cooked well done, it will take closer to 10-12 minutes.
•While the salmon and the croutons cook, put the shredded kale into a bowl. Drizzle over the caesar dressing and massage it into the kale using your hands.
Massage well for 1 minute and then left the kale rest for 5-10 minutes while the items in the oven finish cooking.
Assemble salad by dividing kale into two bowls. Place a salmon filet on the top of each and scatter around croutons. Shave or grate parmesan over the top. Place sliced avocado around and serve with a fresh lemon wedge.
THE big batch drink of the summer for all your bbq THE big batch drink of the summer for all your bbq, bridal shower, birthday party or beach picnic gatherings!  It is so incredibly refreshing and light but has a tendency to sneak up on you so pace yourself and make sure you enjoy it with a heaping plate of food! 🥂

Blend together 1 1/2 cups halved fresh strawberries and 1/4 cup Fresca until smooth.  In a pitcher, add your strawberry puree, 1 bottle of rose, 1/2 cup vodka, 1/2 cup sliced strawberries, 1/2 cup fresh raspberries, 1 sliced lemon, the juice of 1 lemon, and 1 cup fresca.  Stir together.  Add ice to your glass and fill with sangria, leaving room at the top for a little floater of fresca or soda water to serve.  Garnish with edible flowers such as chamomile, violas or pansies. 
#sangria #sangría #sangria🍷 #rosé #batchcocktail #boozy #summerdrink #summerdrinks #summercocktails #summercocktail #cocktailrecipes #cocktailrecipe #summerrecipes #cocktaillovers
These jalapeño corn fritters are my son’s favor These jalapeño corn fritters are my son’s favorite dish I make and they will be yours too! They are the perfect side dish for salmon, chicken, steak, you name it! 🌽. Sweet corn packed with fresh herbs, cheddar and hint of heat.  Did I mention how easy they are?! There’s nothing better! 🤌🏻

Jalapeno Corn Fritters

3 ears of corn kernels (~2 cups)
1 shallot, minced (~1/4 cup)
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup grated white cheddar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs

Mix everything together in a mixing bowl until flour and eggs are incorporated.  If you have time, let the mix chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.  Over medium high heat, add 2-3 Tbsp of avocado oil to a pan.  Using a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop out corn fritter batter into pan and smash into a flat disc.  Pan fry until golden brown on both sides.

#cornrecipes #itscorn #summerrecipes #summerrecipe #sidedish #sidedishes #sidedishrecipes #easyrecipe #vegetarianrecipes #vegetarianfood #summerfood #summerfoods #bbq #jalapeno #fritters #fritter
Need to bring an appetizer to your next summer par Need to bring an appetizer to your next summer party? I’ve got you covered with this everything bagel, smoked salmon dip!  The food processor does all the work for you, so you don’t need to turn on the oven on those hot summer days.  Serve with cucumber slices for your gluten free friends ❤️

Everything Bagel Smoked Salmon Dip
8oz flaky smoked salmon
8oz block cream cheese, softened
1 lemon zested and juiced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp sour cream
3 tbsp minced shallot
2 tbsp minced fresh dill
1 tbsp minced fresh chives
2 tsp everything but the bagel seasoning
1 tbsp capers 

In a food processor, combine smoked salmon, cream cheese, sour cream, lemon zest and juice and garlic powder.  Pulse until creamy but with small chunks of salmon.  Should not be a mousse texture.  Scrape into a bowl and stir in shallot, dill, chives, ebtb seasoning, and capers.  Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. 

#summerrecipes #bbqrecipes #appetizer #appetizerrecipe #easyappetizer #smokedsalmon #picnic #girldinner #gfrecipes #glutenfree #diprecipe #dip #fancywithoutthefuss
This earl grey crème brulee is a delicious twist This earl grey crème brulee is a delicious twist on a classic and it’s my go to make ahead dessert for almost all my personal chef gigs. It may sound intimidating, but I promise it’s actually really simple! Best of all, you only need a few ingredients!

Earl Grey Creme Brulee
2 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
6 bags earl grey tea
4 egg yolks
1 wholk egg
2/3 cup white sugar
extra white sugar for the topping

Preheat your oven to 325.  In a medium saucepot, add your heavy cream and vanilla bean paste.  Heat over medium low heat until you see bubbles starting to form around the edge of the cream, but not a simmer.  Add your tea bags and remove the saucepot from the heat, stirring so that a skin doesn’t form on the cream.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Using the back of a spoon, extract as much of the earl grey tea from the bags as possible and stir.  P

In a mixing bowl combine your sugar, egg yolks and whole egg.  Beat using high speed until the mixture turns a pale yellow color, 30-60 seconds.  Then start slowly adding in the cream mixture to the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, so that you slowly temper the mix without curdling the eggs.  Once you have about half of the cream mix remaining, you can add it to the eggs all at once. 

Place your ramekins in a baking dish.  Fill your ramekins with the cream and egg mix almost to the top of the ramekins.  Place your baking dish in the oven.  Pour super hot water into the baking dish until it’s halfway up the sides of your ramekins.  Take care not to move the baking dish so that the water doesn’t slosh over into your ramekins.  Bake for 25-30 minutes (depends on the height of your ramekins) or until the center has a slight jiggle to it still.  This will firm up as it cools. 
Let your ramekins cool in the baking dish for 10 minutes and then transfer to a rack to fully cool. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours before serving. 
Sprinkle the top with an even, thin layer of white sugar and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar, keeping the flame moving so it doesn’t burn. #dessert #cremebrulee #sweettooth #baking #earlgrey #easydessert #personalchef #dessertporn
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