Jan Oed is my badass sister in law and joined our family officially 40 years ago when she married my brother, John. She melded with our family when I was so young I hardly know life without her. My brother hit the jackpot! I will never forget Jan inviting me to bake cookies with her mom when I was in second grade. They introduced me to those ‘Magic Cookie Bars’ which were way out of my repertoire of the classic chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal. Though the details of the other recipes we made escape me, I remember thinking I’d be home late for dinner which didn’t matter because I was well nourished with homemade cookies.

Jan can whip up a five star meal with what’s on hand, assemble a gorgeous charcuterie board for friends stopping by, or cater a feast for hundreds. She catered my wedding! And she recently surprised my mom and me with a beautiful brunch after church, popping up a little canopy in her driveway and serving up eggs benedict with the works, all accompanied by tropical flowers from her backyard. For 12 years and running, she’s been a volunteer chef with The Haven for Children, preparing and delivering dinner once a month.

Her adventure extends beyond the kitchen. You can find her visiting her son in Puerto Rico, wandering the wilds of Morocco, or enjoying her local beach. Her Labor Day trip to the Wine Country is put on hold for a safer date in the future.

What’s your 20 minute recipe? I wanna tell you I tried this really cool quick recipe for boneless chicken thighs. You season them and coat them in fresh herbs and cook them in a little olive oil in a super hot skillet. Five minutes each side, then move them to the edge and make the sauce in the middle. It’s a little quickie thing I did the other day and it made great leftovers! We have a rating system at our house. WOW is the best, then YUM is the second best. GOOD is not worth repeating.

What’s your favorite city? I’m gonna say Barcelona because I love that walking area with all the tapas bars with the chalkboards out front. It’s so fun to peruse. I love the tapas thing!

What’s your Favorite restaurant in your current city? Giggles. Is that a trick question?! Fat Snook in Cocoa Beach. Local seafood, innovative dinners, presentations and desserts. Also they have cool, lesser known wines.

Treasured find in the back of your fridge? A chunk of bread from somewhere I’ve traveled. We don’t have a bakery here. I usually bring bread back in my carry-on.

Who taught you to cook? My mom and my home-ec teacher at Mel-Hi, and digging through cookbooks, just jumping in!

What’s your go-to dish for company? The easiest one is Tyler Florence’s pulled pork recipe. Its quickie-easy and everybody loves it!

What’s on your cooking playlist? I put the radio on Jack FM. There’s a big variety, everything from Fleetwood Mac, to Guns N Roses, Maroon 5 and Jazz. You never know what’s coming up next.

Coffee, tea, or Kombucha? Coffee in the morning, kombucha in the afternoon. I like the green one from GT.

Date night--at home? or out? If we’re gonna call it date night, we’re going out.

Most stained cookbook? Probably my binders collection! I have three big binders all categorized and bulging with recipes I’ve printed off. There are definitely a lot of stained pages in there.

Surf? or Turf? Depends on where I am. I’d probably lean toward a combo. If it was really good fresh seafood, I would go with surf.

What’s your go-to olive oil? I look for the country of origin and the extra virgin part, definitely from Spain or Portugal. I pick them up at TJ Maxx or Home Goods. I keep a varied selection on hand.

Indispensable kitchen tool? Probably a toss up between an immersion blender and a microplane. I couldn’t do without either of those.

Staple childhood comfort food? Maybe my mom’s homemade fudge. That’s such a treat! I have her recipe but I never make it. It is super chocolatey.

Who would you most like to share a meal with? past, present or fictional? Anthony Bourdain. In the country of his choice. I love that you could transport far away through his travel shows. He always interviewed the most interesting diverse people.

Favorite pizza topping? Pesto with bacon and either burrata or fresh mozzarella. You cook it with raw kale on top and it gets super crispy. With the cheese, it’s insane.

Where would you want to take a cooking class? In Spain with Jose Andres. I really want to learn how to make grilled octopus or anything he wants to teach me to cook. He’s so cool! He seems very generous and spirited!

Do you pack any ingredients with you when you travel? Almond flour and vanilla extract, but I can’t put that in a carry-on.

What’s your Counter Intelligence cooking tip? Explore new recipes, just jump in and have fun cooking! It gives you a broader scope. It’s OK if it doesn’t turn out perfectly.

Three things next to your stove? A selection of oils, a few different salts and a big utensil caddy. All three categories are essential.

Favorite Sports Team? I’m gonna have to go with Miami Dolphins. I’ve been watching them since back in the day when Howard Cosell was the commentator.

20 minutes? You better believe it! As delicious as it is quick!

Herb Crusted Chicken Thighs with Garlic Glaze

Boneless chicken thighs are a girl’s best friend. They cook quickly without drying out. Break out your biggest/best skillet for this dish and be ready for YUM!

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6-8 fillets)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Heaping half cup of chopped fresh herbs (I used rosemary and thyme, Jan uses oregano and rosemary)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
¼ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth

COMBINE the onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl and season the chicken on both sides with the mixture.

SPRINKLE the mixed herbs over both sides of the chicken and press to adhere.

HEAT the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil ripples, give the skillet a swirl and add the chicken in one layer.

SEAR the chicken for 5 minutes, adjusting the heat so you get a nice sizzle without smoking.

TURN and cook the second side for 5 minutes. Move the chicken to the perimeter of the pan, then melt the butter in the center and add the garlic.

STIR just until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high and add the wine and chicken broth, stirring to incorporate browned bits.

REDUCE the heat to medium-low and return the chicken to the center of the pan. Baste with the sauce and let simmer a few minutes until chicken is cooked through.

SERVE with good bread and sauteed spinach.