COOK WITH SUSAN

Potato Leek Hash with Swiss Chard and Eggs

2012-02-26T09:06:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gone to the farmers market and couldn't stop yourself from gathering up an excessive amount of fresh vegetables only to realize when you got home that you had more than you could eat in a week?

My end of the week inventory consisted of 3 med. sized leeks, a bunch of Swiss chard, 4 med. red skin potatoes and a large chicken breast. So the question was, What was I going to do with this assortment?, and I wasn't feeling like soup.

The internet is an amazing tool! I simply put in my random ingredients and did a search, then BAM!, recipe idea.

I found my dinner solution at MyRecipes. When I looked at their photo I thought that it looked like a mess. But as I read through the recipe I realized that the ingredients were exactly what I was looking for. So I went for it, and after making it, I realize that my photo looked much more like a mess than theirs ever could. I clearly need to work on my food photos... The end result tasted delicious with just enough kick from the smokey paprika and black pepper.

My sad, but incredibly tasty photo.

I added the chicken breast to this recipe because I had it, but it was completely unnecessary and truthfully distracting, so I left it out of the recipe below. This dish is FANTASTIC! I will make it again and again.

You could choose to add scrambled eggs instead of whole eggs to this dish. For my family it would be a good idea to make 2 whole eggs (yolk lovers) and 2 scrambled, to keep everyone happy.

Potato Leek Hash with Swiss Chard and Eggs (adapted from MyRecipes)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups sliced leeks (about 2 large)

1 pound red skin potatoes (about 3 med), cut into wedges or cubes

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ¼ tsp. smoked paprika, divided

¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided

½ tsp. black pepper

4 cups thinly sliced Swiss chard (about 1 bunch)

4 large eggs

¼ cup Swiss cheese, grated

Divide paprika, salt and pepper into two (different) small bowls, so you won't get confused.

Bowl #1 = 1-tsp. smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Bowl #2 = 1/4 tsp. each, paprika, salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over med. heat and add about 2 Tbsp.oil. Add leeks and cook for about a minute and let wilt and cook down a bit.

Add potatoes, garlic and 1/4 c. water and place lid on and let cook for 10 minutes.

Uncover and add seasoning Bowl #1 of paprika, kosher salt and black peeper.

Add chard; stirring constantly and cook for about 2 -3 minutes or until wilted.

Using a spoon or spatula, push potato mixture aside to make 4 egg size spaces. Drizzle a 1/4 tsp. of oil in each space and crack egg into each space. Sprinkle remaining seasoning in Bowl #2 over eggs and potato mixture in pan.

Cover and cook for 3 minutes; uncover, sprinkle cheese over potato and eggs. Cover and cook 2 minutes more or until cheese has melted and eggs are lightly set.

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What to do with Frozen Poi?

2012-02-25T12:43:00.001-08:00

If you live on the mainland and have a craving for poi, good luck!

Nah only joking.

You can buy frozen poi at several Asian grocers, but fresh is hard to come by. When my in-laws come to visit they always bring me a couple dozen lau laus from Young's Fish Market (my absolute favorite, broke da mouth) and a couple big bags of fresh poi. I crave this stuff in a bad way. Honestly, I'm usually a pretty good sharer, but when it comes to my poi and lau laus. I have to admit... I'm kinda stingy.

When I first moved to the mainland back in 1994 and saw frozen poi at the Asian grocery store I got all excited, until I realized I had no idea what to do with it. Luckily my mother-in-law had the inside scoops. 18 years later, I'm a pro at making fresh "Onolicious" poi, straight from my freezer.

I usually only make one or two servings at a time. If you make more just start with 2 minutes in the microwave and continue with 1 minute intervals until the poi is smooth.

So here is a crash course on what to do with frozen poi...

I divide the poi into individual servings (about the size of a fist, I have very big fist) and put them in zip lock sandwich bags and put them in my freezer.

When I'm ready to eat it, I pull a bag out of the freezer and place the chunk in a glass microwave safe bowl, cover it with plastic and microwave for about 2 min. ( I have a very powerful microwave 1100 watts) it may take longer in a lower wattage microwave.

It will look kind of ugly and lumpy, but will smooth out nicely when you mix it.

Start stirring to remove the lumps. Microwave in one minute intervals stirring in between, until you have a smooth consistency.

When the poi is smooth, add ice and stir to mix. This will thin out the poi and cool it at the same time.

Add more ice until you get your desired consistency.

Cover with plastic wrap and hold in the fridge until you're ready to eat.

Roasted Beets & Parsnips with Orange Vinaigrette

2012-02-20T20:18:00.000-08:00

My husband and I saw some beautiful beets and parsnips at the farmers market and that's how these two root veggies became one dish.
I usually wouldn't recommend mixing a naturally bleeding red vegetable with a white one, but they both looked so fresh, which made it impossible to choose, so I got them both.

My fix was to deal with them separately, but yet together. By placing them in separate bowls to season.

Then separatley on the sheet pan to roast.

I roasted them as I do with so many of my vegetables (thank's Ina), then drizzled them with a light vinaigrette made up of orange juice and red wine vinegar. I clipped a couple stems of thyme from my newly acquired herb pot and added it to the mix before roasting. Oven roasted veggies are a smash hit once again.

Small and medium are relative to who is judging. In my opinion the beets that I use were small, not baby. the same applies to the parsnips, which were about 6 inches long and evenly shaped.

ROASTED FRESH BEETS & PARSNIPS with ORANGE VINAIGRETTE
6 small fresh beets, peeled & quartered
6 small parsnips, peeled
1 tsp. fresh thyme, roughly chopped
2 Tblsp. olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 Tblsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. orange juice

Peel and cut beets and parsnips and place in separate bowls (to prevent the beets from bleeding on to the parsnips).

Drizzle 1 Tbsp.oil over each vegetable, 1/2 tsp. thyme and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Place on a sheet pan separately and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Turning or shaking the pan after 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and immediately toss with vinegar and orange juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve warm. These are also good cold.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

2012-02-16T08:32:00.000-08:00

I found it quite interesting when I discover that split pea soup has been around since ancient times, dating back to around 500 BC., where vendors in the streets of Athens sold it as "hot pea soup". My question is, who brought it to Hawaii? Because that's where I learned to eat it.

Split pea soup seems to have vanished from the landscape of the home kitchen, as well as, restaurant menus. Could it be because of its lack luster appearance? Will this deliciously comforting soup become extinct due to its murky green swamp like look, or is it simply the oink factor? Questions, questions?

Split pea soup screams comfort to me and it has mingled at the top of my list for as long as I can remember. Simply because it just taste so dang good!

My split pea soup has a more rustic appearance because I chose not to blend it. If you prefer a visually greener soup with a creamier finish, blend the soup in batches in your food processor or use a hand held immersion blender to smooth out the soup.

Back in the day… ham hocks used to have meat on them, but they don’t anymore. So pass on the hocks, and search for the shanks. Be picky and look for the meaty ones, and for an additional meat lovers touch, dice up a ham steak to add a little more meatyness to each bowl.

There are a couple of side steps that I take when using my slow cooker to build optimum flavor. Roast or brown any meat that you add.

And always saute your aromatic veggies like onions, celery and garlic before adding it.

Trust me,

both of these simple steps will make all the difference when using your slow cooker.

I grate my carrots so they will break down easier and add to the body of the soup at the same time, but a small dice would be fine also.

You could have this soup cooked up in an hour to an hour and a half on the stove top, but you will have to watch and stir it. The slow cooker will take 4 - 10 hours, but once everything is in the pot, it needs no more attention.

SLOW COOKER SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 pound dried split peas

1 ½ pounds ham shanks

1 large carrot, grated or diced small

1 med onion, diced small (about 1 ½ cups)

2 stalks celery-leafy tops too, diced small

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 whole bay leaf

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 14 oz. can chicken broth

8 cups water

Layer ingredients in slow cooker from the bottom up, in this order;

1. Dried split peas

2. Ham shanks

3. Grated carrots

4. Sautéed onions, celery and garlic

5. Bay leaf, salt and pepper

6. Chicken broth and water

Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off bone. Remove ham shank with bones and bay leaf from pot. Toss out the bay leaf, bones and skin. Shred or roughly chop meat and add it back to the soup.

If you prefer a visually greener soup with a creamier finish, blend the soup in batches in your food processor or use a hand held immersion blender to smooth out the soup.

Easy Banana Puffs

2012-02-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

My husband does not eat fresh bananas, but he loves (craves might be a better description) baked banana pie and unless he is on the north shore of Oahu or charming me into baking him one, you won’t find a double crusted banana pie anywhere (which is a shame, because they are quite tasty).

I occasionally bake him one, but not too often, because he could easily eat the whole pie himself. So when I saw this recipe for cinnamon banana wraps I had to give it a try.

My husband did a little magic and made two of them disappear pretty quick, then renamed them banana puffs (which they truly are). The best part is that I may have found a fix to my husbands banana pie craving, and as a bonus, 8 little banana pastries are much less than a whole pie.

Unfold the puff pastry and lightly flour then gently roll out into a square.

Evenly spread 1 Tbsp. soft butter over the puff pastry.

Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over puff pastry.

Slice into 8 triangles with a pizza wheel or knife.

Layer 4 slices of banana on each triangle.

Fold tip over banana slices.

Then bring in the sides.

To form a pouch.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until they puff and are golden.

BANANA PUFFS (adapted from a box of kitchen blog)

1 sheet puff pastry

1 Tbsp. oil or soft butter

2 Tbs. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch kosher salt

1 1/2 med bananas, cut into ¼ inch slices

Defrost puff pastry for a half hour on the counter or overnight in the fridge.

Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and kosher salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Unfold puff pastry and lightly flour; roll gently to make an even square.

Brush puff pastry with oil or soft butter and evenly sprinkle brown sugar mixture.

Cut pastry into 4 squares, then ,cut each square into 2 triangles to get a total of 8 triangles.

Place 4 slices of banana on each triangle; fold top point of triangle over bananas; then fold in the sides to form a pouch.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown; let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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Fresh Wild Ahi Tuna

2012-02-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

Sashimi grade Ahi tuna at the Eugene Costco? Yup, someone on the "inside" must have had a plan for this chunk of gold, but I got hold of it first and I wasn't going to leave without it. The minute I spotted it I knew that there was going to be some deliciousness in my kitchen tonight.

There is always a sea of different shades of white fish at my Costco, with occasional shades of grey representing the shellfish. But today as I was scanning the seafood selection, I spotted a pack of what looked like, fresh sashimi grade Ahi Tuna. The label read, FRESH - WILD- AHI- TUNA, and as I took in each word, I started to get very excited. I picked up the pack and inspected it from every angle to see if it was anything short of perfect.

Fortunately, I couldn't find a single imperfection, even the price was amazing at $12.99 per pound. This grade of Ahi usually runs about $23 -$25 per pound and up. So, what was a picture perfect piece of Ahi doing at Costco in Eugene, at what appeared to be half price? Seriously, was this a joke? Was someone going to jump out and shout, you've been punk'd! I must admit, I did look over my shoulder to check...

Ok, you might be thinking, what's the big deal? It's just a chunk of fish. No, not just a chunk of fish, but a chunk of fish that is very expensive and hard to come by in my neck of the woods. So for me, this is a gift and right about now, I'm feeling pretty special.

There was still one more test. When I got home I immediately unwrapped the fish to check for freshness and discovered that this was Amazingly Fresh Fish! It was everything that I had hoped for and more.

This is what I did with my find..

First I stopped to admire it.

Then I cut it into blocks for sashimi and...

delicious Sesame Crusted Ahi with Wasabi Ginger Mayo

Then I made Poke and more Poke until it was all gone.

Beef Kielbasa and Kale Soup

2012-02-11T10:32:00.000-08:00

Winter is soup time and this hearty, yet light tasting soup is packed with flavor and textures, as well as, fiber from the addition of cabbage and kale. Sausage can be a soup makers best friend when adding flavor with very little effort. So, keep that in mind when you see a sausage at the store and remember that sausages are not just for breakfast and bbq's.

The kielbasa flavors this soup beautifully, but its not necessary to add the extra fat, so I always take the extra step to render the fat before adding it.

BEEF KIELBASA and KALE SOUP

14 oz. Beef Kielbasa, sliced

½ cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, cubed

2 med red skin potatoes, cubed

¼ head cabbage, shredded

3 cups water

14 oz. can chicken broth

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 cup half & half

1 bunch kale, stems removed

Slice kielbasa and lightly brown in a sauté pan to render fat. Place on a paper towel to absorb fat. Set aside. You can keep the slices whole or slice them in half to make half-moon shapes.

Place a (4 – 5 qt.) soup pot over med heat and add about 1 Tbs. oil. Sauté onions, garlic until soft; add carrots, potatoes, cabbage, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, water, chicken broth and kielbasa to the pot; bring to a boil; lower heat; let cook for 15 – 20 min. or until potatoes and carrots are tender.

Add kale and half & half and continue to simmer for 5 more min. or until kale has wilted slightly.
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Snow Pea Tips with Garlic Sauce

2012-02-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

Snow pea tips are one of those mysterious Asian delicacy's that surprise the palate. Tender leafy greens that are extremely flavorful with the distinctive flavor of fresh peas. Their texture is very much like spinach, but taste nothing like spinach. They cook up surprisingly fast with very little effort and are memorably delicious, simply stir fried with garlic.

Asian greens can be quite mystifying (because they all tend to look alike with different names) and it seems that each year there are newly introduced varieties that I have never seen or heard of. Luckily I stumbled upon The Asian Greens Guide posted by Savuer magazine, as well as, Sunset magazines Guide to Asian Greens, both were quite helpful. But as far as snow pea tips go... Seriously Asian or Viet World Kitchen is where you need to read.

After all that reading, this is what I did to cook up my tender and tasty snow pea tips with garlic sauce, they were so delicious that I ate the whole bowl while I wrote this post.

Snow Pea Tips

Remove curly tendrils, they will not tenderize when cooked and will remain tough and stringy.

Heat wok over high heat and add 1 Tbsp. oil

Add garlic and stir quickly so it won't burn.

Add pea tips and toss to coat in oil and garlic.

When they wilt by 1/3 add cornstarch mixture.

Toss until wilted to 1/4 its volume. This whole process will take only about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.

Snow Pea Tips with Garlic Sauce

½ pound snow pea tips

1 Tbsp. oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

½ cup water

1 tsp. cornstarch

½ tsp. kosher salt

Note: be sure to pluck off the curly tendrils, they will not tenderize when cooked and will remain tough and stringy.

Mix water, cornstarch and kosher salt together and set aside. Mix once again before adding to the pea tips.

Heat wok over high heat and add 1 Tbsp. oil; add garlic and stir quickly so it wont burn; add pea tips and toss to coat in oil and garlic. When the pea tips have wilted by 1/3, add the cornstarch mixture. Toss pea tips until wilted to 1/4 its volume. this whole process will take only about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.

Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew

2012-01-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

This easy, easy one pot meal is a definite keeper. Hearty pork and hominy chile in a well balanced, flavorful broth that is neither thick nor soupy. We sopped up the broth with a stack of homemade corn tortillas. Delicioso!

Seasoning the pork with the spice mix before browning, then repeating the same spices again in the stew is what makes this dish soooooo tasty.

Don't forget to put 2 tsp. of the spice mix on the side for later.

Even though my local grocer has a pretty large Mexican section with a wall of spices, I could not find ancho chile powder. I was just about to give up when I found a bag of whole dried chiles that read “Chile Pasilla – Ancho” which took me back to the wall of chile powders for one last look.

That’s when I found a bag of “Chile Pasilla Molido” and took a chance that this was going to work, and it did. When I got home I did a bit of homework and discovered that “Chile Pasilla Molido” was simply ground pasilla chili pods and that pasilla chile peppers have an earthy flavor with mild heat, very similar to ancho chile peppers. So, if you can’t find ancho chile powder, pasilla is an excellent sub.

NOTE:

I buy Italian stewed tomatoes in the large pack at Costco and use them for almost everything I cook needing canned tomatoes and that’s why they are oddly listed in the ingredients for this Mexican dish. I think they worked very well but the original recipe asked for a can of fire roasted tomatoes, so once again, you have options.

Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew (adapted by a Cooking Light recipe)

SPICE MIX

2 Tbsp. ancho chile powder

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 ½ tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. kosher salt

STEW

2 pounds pork butt, cut into ½ inch cubes

3 Tbsp. oil

1 large onion, chopped small

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 14oz.can chicken broth

1 29oz.can white hominy, drained

1 14oz.can Italian stewed tomatoes with liquid

2 tsp. seasonings

1 tsp. kosher salt

Mix seasonings together in a large bowl. Remove 2 tsp. and set it on the side.

Add pork to the remaining seasonings and toss well to coat.

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add seasoned pork and cook for about 5 minutes or until browned. Remove pork and place it back in the bowl.

Add 1 Tbsp. oil to the pan and sauté onions and garlic for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add back the pork, chicken broth, hominy, tomatoes, reserved seasonings and 1 tsp. kosher salt.

Bring to a boil, partially cover; reduce heat to low and let cook for 30 minutes or until pork is tender.

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Swiss Chard with Bleu Cheese

2012-01-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

Swiss chard is another vitamin packed vegetable that kinda taste like spinach. But in my opinion, less bitter with more bite. I love swiss chard with cream, but wanted it to be light. So I went internet surfing and bumped into Helen Rennie’s blog, Beyond Salmon. Where she takes a béchamel laden swiss chard recipe and lightens it up, using the oven and only one dish. That is my kind of easy!

I chose not to use the stems and only the leaves because they have a celery like texture and my family has a clear dislike for celery. But the stems are perfectly edible and if you like cooked celery, you will like the stems.

The original recipe called for parmesan cheese as the topping but I didn’t have any so I used bleu cheese, which I found to be a wonderfully pungent finish, but I could easily skip the cheese and enjoy the lightly laced creamed chard all by itself.

Swiss Chard

Wash and cut into large pieces and place in a 8X8 baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake until tender and wilted.

Place on a serving dish and sprinkle with cheese and black pepper.

SWISS CHARD with BLEU CHEESE

1 bunch swiss chard, tough stems removed

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 good pinch kosher salt

2 good pinch black pepper, divided

2 Tbsp. heavy cream

2 Tbsp. bleu cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut off tough stems from the swiss chard and cut or tear leaves into large pieces. Place leaves in a bowl and cover with cold tap water to wash. Dry on paper towels or in a salad spinner.

Place leaves in an 8 X 8 baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. Toss gently to mix and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and pour cream over chard. Return to the oven for 10 minutes or until chard is tender and wilted. Place in a small casserole dish and top with bleu cheese and a pinch of black pepper.

Bacon Hot Sauce - BBQ Chicken

2012-01-26T07:49:00.000-08:00

Oink - Oink -Sizzle - Oink... The package showed up last night and I was so excited to check it out. If you are a fan of bacon and hot sauce, this sauce is a dream come true.

Nice one DK, this was a great find!

Think about it? Smokey bacon and hot sauce, married together in a convenient package without the fat. Which is stated and sold as Vegetarian, Vegan and Kosher. Brilliant! Not that I’m concerned about the V, V and K as much as I’m amazed at the flavor and versatility.

My first attempt at testing out this new find was with my breakfast. I was feeling a bit porky and drizzled some bacon hot sauce on my ham and eggs. Damn good choice! Then for lunch, I splashed some in my leftover vegetable beef soup that I made for dinner last night and “Wow”, instant and unexpected slow cooked ham bone flavor in the background of my beef soup, with a hint of spice. Yowzah!

Ok, I was moving in the right direction… That’s when I decided that I had to do something with the bacon hot sauce for dinner!

It's no surprise to those who know me that I had a whole chicken in the fridge that was brined and spatchcocked (butterflied) and ready to be cooked (long story...). I had planned to herb roast it for dinner and at the last moment decided to change it up, because I had to, there was bacon hot sauce in the house. So, I stirred up a batch of bbq sauce focusing on the qualities of the bacon hot sauce, and came up with a surprisingly delicious creation. This crazy bacon hot sauce plays tricks on the mind... and it is exactly what its name states, bacon flavored hot sauce, that turned a simple mixture of pantry ingredients into a thick savory bbq sauce and glaze without the use of heat.

To my surprise my bacon-less bbq sauce, tasted like bacon. No, it wasn't as good as bbq sauce that was actually cooked with bacon, but it was pretty dang good. Bacon hot sauce rocks and I look forward to playing with it more.

This is what I did with the bacon-less - bbq bacon hot sauce…

I placed my spatchcocked chicken on a foil lined sheet pan, I used a whole split chicken, but parts would work well also. If you use breast, cut the cooking time by 10 minutes.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Drain fat from pan.

Pour about ½ cup bbq sauce over chicken and place back in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and sauce has caramelized.

Serve extra sauce on the side.

DK’s BBQ Bacon Hot Sauce

1 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp. molasses

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

3 Tbsp. bacon hot sauce

1 Tbsp. yellow mustard

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Then use your imagination…

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Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

2012-01-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

My husband’s biggest complaint about this dish is that it’s almost too sweet. I think that most would disagree, but I will have to agree with my husband on this one.

These bite sized pieces of basic no frill vegetables literally turn into caramelized candied pieces without the addition of any sugar. Move over candy dish and make room for the roasted veggies. Ok, maybe that's taking it a bit too far, but, you have to try it to believe it.

Parsnips have the look and sweetness of a carrot, the creamy starchy texture of a potato and the delicate bite of a turnip, without the bitterness. So in my opinion... if you took a carrot, potato and turnip and made a vegetable, it would taste just like a parsnip.

Peel and cut veggies and place them on a sheet pan.

Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to mix, then spread out evenly.

Roast in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes or until tender and sprinkle with parsley.

We ate the roasted parsnips and carrots with Corned Beef and Cabbage
which was a great match because the saltiness complimented the sweet.

Roasted Parsnips and Carrots (adapted from Ina Garten)

2 med. parsnips

4 med. carrots

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley or dill, minced

Peel and chop parsnips and carrots into 1 inch thick slices. Slice the larger pieces in half, but don't cut them too small because they will shrink. Place them on a sheet pan and season with oil, salt and pepper. Toss to mix and spread out evenly on the pan. Cook in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes or until they are tender; Place on a platter and sprinkle with parsley.

Baked Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce

2012-01-20T08:32:00.000-08:00

Salmon is always a good choice in my house. We eat it fried, grilled, steamed, poached, smoked, sashimi-ed, lomi-lomi and baked. The choices are endless. Salmon is an extremely versatile fish that always cooks up moist and has a mild flavor that blends well with all types of recipes.

Baking salmon is probably the fastest and easiest way to cook it and it always comes out moist and tender. Once the fish is in the oven, it will be a short 15 - 20 minutes before you ring the dinner bell.

For a fast and easy meal I placed the whole filet on a foil lined (for easy clean up) sheet pan and drizzle it with oil, then seasoned it with fresh dill, salt and lemon juice. The leftover salmon will be delicious cold the next day.

The creamy dill sauce is a nice compliment to the salmon and it's almost... as versatile. I listed a combination of yogurt, sour cream and mayonnaise for the base of the sauce, but the amounts of each can be adjusted to your personal taste. So play with the sauce to make it your own. One small pack of fresh dill at your grocer will get you about 3 Tbsp. chopped, enough for your sauce and garnish.

You can serve it as a condiment on the side, like you would tartar sauce.
toss it with some cucumbers to serve on the side
spread it on your salmon before baking to create a hot creamy dill sauce.
use the leftover creamy dill sauce to dress a shrimp or seafood salad.

BAKED SALMON WITH CREAMY DILL SAUCE

2 pounds salmon fillet

Season salmon with;

1 Tbsp. oil

1 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Drizzle oil over the fish, sprinkle with dill, salt and lemon juice. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes depending on how thick the fish is.

Creamy Dill Sauce

2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped

1 Tbsp. cappers, run a knife through them a couple of times for a rough chop

1 cup sour cream

¾ cup plain yogurt (6 oz. container)

1 Tbsp. Mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 ½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. white pepper

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Pluck the dill off of the branches and chop. Place 2 Tbsp. in a bowl for the sauce and sprinkle the last Tbsp. on the fish.

Cucumber Salad

1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 Tbsp. creamy dill sauce

Peel cucumber and slice in half length wise, scoop out seeds with a spoon and slice cucumber into thin strips. Place on a paper towel and wrap and place in the fridge to allow the cucumber to crisp and release extra moisture.

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Bo Ssam Noodle Bowl

2012-01-19T08:45:00.000-08:00

Now that I have had the pleasure of experiencing amateur Momofuku Bo Ssam at home, “What do I do with the leftovers”?

Make a Bo Ssam Noodle Bowl, of course. Ginger scallion flavored capellini (you could stop here, it was pretty tasty), topped with kim chee, bo ssam and finished with ssam sauce. This is was a noodle bowl with punch!

This noodle bowl was fantastic. It had all the layers of flavor that the original bo ssam did and came together deliciously well. I think I would make Bo Ssam with all the fixing again just to eat this noodle bowl.

This is what I did…

REHEAT THE MEAT: I had a large palm-full size of pork left that became quite salty as it sat in the fridge. So, I pulled it apart into large chunks and placed it in a small sauce pot and filled the pot with water to almost cover the meat. I brought it to a boil; covered the pot; lowered the heat for about 3 minutes to keep the temperature more even; then turned off the stove and let the meat stand while I cooked the noodles.

NOTE: the meat had so much flavor that as a bonus the water quickly turned into a delicious well balanced liquid that you could simply drizzle over rice or turn into a soup broth for your noodles or make into a or sauce.

COOK THE NOODLES: I chose capellini (angel hair) because it reminds me more of an Asian noodle, but I’m sure any long noodle would work, and I cooked it using the frying pan method great trick for a half pound of pasta or less.

Toss noodles with ginger scallion sauce while still hot and place in a bowl.

Top with kim chee

Add pork pieces

Finish with a good scoop of ssam sauce and dig in!

Greek Couscous Salad with Feta

2012-01-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

This is a Greek salad with a twist. Bites of crispy vegetables, briny Kalamata olives, salty feta cheese, olive oil and lemon juice, brought together with delicate bits of tender couscous.

I love the texture and feel of couscous when it hits my palate. It is so different than anything I have eaten before. Couscous has the look of bread crumbs and the taste of tiny bits of pasta.

Couscous has a neutral flavor which makes it very versatile and is a wonderful alternative to pasta, rice or potatoes in cold or hot sides or salads.

The best part is that it is ready in about 10 minutes. The box never says “instant”, but it should. I used whole wheat couscous that I got from Trader Joes and it was deliciously easy.

You can make your couscous in a pot as stated on the box or make it in the bowl that you plan on making your salad in. That will be one less pot to wash. Simply place dried couscous in the bowl, add boiling water and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 5 minutes and fluff.

Because everyone likes it different, I listed a few items below as options for these reasons…

· The garlic; because the flavors of the ingredients in the salad are already pretty strong without the addition of garlic.

· The oregano; may distract from the fresh parsley.

· The garbanzo beans; which I would have added to give my salad more bite, substance and protein. But when I went to my pantry I found six types of beans and none of them were garbanzo. So they never made it into this batch.

GREEK COUSCOUS SALAD

1 cup couscous

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 cup boiling hot water

Place the dry couscous, oil and salt in a bowl. Pour in one cup of boiling hot water and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. Let cool to room temperature before adding the rest of the ingredients.

ADD IN’S

½ red pepper, chopped small

1 sprig green onion, sliced thin or 1 Tbsp.sweet onion, minced

6 oz. crumbled feta cheese

½ pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half

½ cucumber, seeded and diced small

½ cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced in half

2 Tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

½ can canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (optional)

DRESSING

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

4 Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Pinch oregano (optional)

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over salad and toss to mix.
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TJ's Tahini Sauce Hummus

2012-01-17T08:33:00.000-08:00

I was strolling through the cold section of Trader Joes and discovered next to their vast selection of hummus, a container of TJ’s Tahini Sauce. The main ingredient was tahini which was appropriate, followed by lemon juice, water, garlic and salt.

Hummm… tahini ready to go in a sauce format. If that doesn’t wake up your Middle Eastern taste buds, what will? A touch of tomato paste, cumin and fresh parsley was all it needed to be the perfect topping for falafel.

I ordinarily buy tahini paste in a jar which is usually three times more than I need and rather spendy for something that will sit on my shelf until I whip up another batch of hummus or baba ghanosh.

Even though I still had over half a jar of tahini at home I decided to give this sauce a try. Because if it worked… I would no longer need to have a jar of tahini taking up space on my shelf, patiently waiting for my next tahini inspiration. All I needed was a couple of cans of garbanzo beans and I would be in hummus heaven.

Well, it worked as planned with the addition of a couple ingredients. I suppose you could skip the other additions, except maybe the water to thin it out. But in my opinion, a touch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice really made the difference.

With the help of my Cuisinart, I had a beautiful garbanzo bean mush within seconds, exactly what I was shooting for. I added the whole 8 oz. container of tahini sauce along with some water, salt and lemon juice. I didn’t think that it needed anymore garlic, but you could add more if you chose. The end result was quite tasty with only a few additional ingredients to get it to where my taste buds were giving me the thumbs up.

This recipe could easily be cut in half. But then you would have leftover tahini sauce in your fridge. So, make the whole batch and share it with your friends and neighbors.

TJ’s Tahini Sauce HUMMUS

2 15oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 8oz. Trader Joes Tahini Sauce

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ - ¾ cup water

½ fresh lemon (about 1 ½ Tbsp. juice)

1 clove garlic (optional)

Drain and rinsed garbanzo beans and place them in the Cuisinart along with tahini sauce, salt, ½ cup of water and lemon juice. Blend until you get a smooth paste. Add more water if needed, until you get the right consistency.

If you choose to add the garlic, place it in the bowl of the Cuisinart first and mince by itself before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Click on the links below to see my other Hummus and Easy Pita Bread Recipes.

EASY PITA BREAD

HUMMUS

Microwave Chocolate Cake in a Mug

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to try this cake in a mug recipe. It had tons of promise. The idea of whipping up an almost instant chocolate cake in a coffee mug was fascinating to me. But it didn’t work (at least the first two times). My first attempt, I cooked it for 4 minutes and the second for 3 minutes. Both times the cake came out as hard as a rock. As you can imagine, I was quite disappointed. It was a waste of good ingredients and time. How could someone post such a bad recipe? In the end it was the cooker (me) not the recipe.

After two failed attempts following the recipe exactly, or so I thought... I did some research and discovered that my microwave was a whopping 1150 watt model and it was over cooking the cake. So I decided to give it one last try, cooking it for only 2 minutes. It worked like a dream. The top of the cake was cake-ee, and as you reached the bottom it was fudgy, because of all the chocolate chips that settled to the bottom and melted together. A scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream would finish this sweet treat perfectly.

I guess you could say that it was due time I got acquainted with the power of my microwave. I never cook in it; I only reheat, so until now I didn’t need to know the wattage. But before you attempt this easy cake in a mug, know your wattage. The recipe suggests 4 min. in a 700 watt oven, 3 min. in a 1000 watt oven and now I can add, 2 min. in an 1150 watt oven. If I only knew my wattage ahead of time I would have eaten and enjoyed three cakes instead of only one.

You could as I did the first two times, mix the ingredients right in the mug, but I think the extra effort of mixing the ingredients in a bowl first, then into the mug blends the batter better. I mixed it as I would a regular cake. Place the dry ingredients in a bowl, mix to blend. Add the whole egg along with the rest of the wet ingredients and mix to blend. Pour into the mug and microwave. Instant satisfaction.

Cake batter before cooking.

The cake after cooking. It was taller than this, but as soon as the microwave stopped it started to deflate.

The cake deflated almost to the rim.

So here are my tips for a successful microwave chocolate cake in a mug…

· Use a 12 oz. mug or larger (I used a 12oz.mug)

· Mix ingredients in a bowl before adding it to the mug

· Watch your cake cook (at least the first time) and if using a 12oz. mug, when the cake starts to expand and reaches about 2 inches above the rim it will only be about 30 seconds away from being done.

· The cake will deflate once the cooking stops and will shrink back to the rim of the mug

· Enjoy

MICROWAVE CHOCOLATE CAKE IN A MUG (adapted from a Serious Easts recipe)

4 Tbsp. flour

4 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1 large egg, whisked

3 Tbsp. milk

3 Tbsp. canola oil

3 Tbsp. chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place all of the dry ingredients in the mug and mix with a fork.

Add the whisked egg and combine well, it will be pretty sticky at this point.

Stir in the milk and oil until combined.

Add the chocolate chips and vanilla.

Microwave 2 minutes in an 1150 watt oven, 3 minutes in a 1000 watt oven, 4 minutes in a 700 watt oven.

The cake will puff up in the mug while it bakes, but don’t panic, it will deflate when you remove it from the heat.

Top the cake with powdered sugar, frosting, ice cream or whipped cream.

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Momofuku Bo Ssam

2012-01-16T08:50:00.000-08:00

I took one look at the photo of the Momofuku Bo Ssam and knew I had to make it. After wiping up the drool from the side of my face, I got to work.

This is a relatively easy recipe. The pork pretty much cooks itself while filling the house with its savory aroma. The ginger scallion sauce takes a bit of chopping but comes together pretty quick, and reminds me of Chinese Cold Ginger Chicken Sauce. The hardest part of making the ssam sauce is tracking down the fermented bean and chili paste. I use a lot of kochujang to flavor with, so I had that available, but have never used ssamjang, which was not easy to find in my little town. If you don’t read Korean, like me, the kochujang container is red and the ssamjang container is green.

Other than that, the lettuce and kim chee come straight off the shelf at the store, and in our house, we always have a pot of cooked rice on the counter. I had all the ingredients I needed except for the sherry vinegar, so I substituted with red wine vinegar (which I thought was a bit over powering, but not in a bad way). The next time I make this I will be sure to have sherry vinegar on hand. With that said, I can’t tell you how much of a difference it made because this will be my first time.

The original recipe calls for an 8 – 10 pound bone in pork butt. That would take me and my family forever to eat, so I shrunk the recipe to a quarter. I used a 2# boneless pork butt that I had in my freezer and cut the brine to a quarter also, which still seemed like a lot. But since I had never made this before, I stuck with the plan. I was intrigued that the brine was made up of a ridiculous amount of salt and sugar, and was leery as to the end result. But I had to belive that it was going to work as stated in the article and all I had to loose was a 2# pork butt and some time.

The end result was an OMG moment! This dish was well worth the effort. The pork was perfectly seasoned and tenderly pulled apart into delicious juicy chunks of meat heaven. It all was surprisingly balanced with sweet and salty all at the same time. The process of layering made it even better. Crispy butter lettuce, sweet & salty tender pulled pork, spicy kim chee, finished with, the pungent ginger scallion and ssam sauce. It was delish! Crisp, savory pungent flavors, came together in one simple bite. I will definitely make this again. All the parts made my palate go wild.

I will say that I wish the ssam sauce was spicier and think that the perfect fix would be to use 2 Tbls. of kochujang and 1 Tbsp. ssam jang. That is only one person’s opinion... But don’t change or skip the ginger scallion sauce it wakes and shakes up the dish

My final thought is that this pork could be served without all the accompaniments and still be delicious. But if you have the time. Dress it up!

Brine overnight and ready for the oven.

Half way point (about 2 hours)

Finished pork (about 4 hours)

Finished pork

Kim Chee, Ginger Scallion Sauce, Ssam Sauce

see the THEORRIGINAL MOMOFUKU BO SSAM RECIPE

My Shrunken Momofuku Bo Ssam

2 pound boneless, pork butt with a cap of skin

Brine

¼ cup kosher salt

¼ cup white sugar

Mix the salt and sugar together in a bowl and rub all over the meat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Glaze for the final step

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 Tbs. + 1 tsp. brown sugar

Mix together in a small bowl and set aside.

Ginger Scallion Sauce

1 ¼ cup scallions, both green and white parts, sliced thin

¼ cup fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 Tbsp. neutral oil

¾ tsp. soy sauce

¼ tsp. red wine vinegar

¼ tsp. kosher salt

Mix all the ingredients together and let sit for at least 15 - 20 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

Ssam Sauce

1 Tbsp. ssamjang

2 Tbsp. kochujang

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup neutral oil

Accompaniments

2 cups plain cooked white rice

1 head butter or bib lettuce, leaves separated

Kim chee

When you are ready to cook, heat oven to 300 degrees. Remove roast from refrigerator and discard any juices, but don’t rinse. Place in a roasting pan and cook for approximately 4 hours, or until it collapse, yielding easily to the tines of a fork. (after the second hour, baste hourly with pan juices.) At this point you can remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for up to an hour.

When you are ready to serve. Turn oven to 500 degrees. Rub the Glaze ingredients all over the skin of the cooked pork. Place in the oven for approximately 10 – 15 minutes, or until a dark carmel crust has developed on the meat.

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Aebleskiver

2012-01-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

Aebleskivers are Danish doughnuts that look like giant doughnut holes and taste like a pancake and waffle at the same time. They are best eaten fresh and hot with a smear of your favorite jam. Delish.

Every summer since I moved to Oregon (18 years ago) I have attended the Junction City, Scandinavian Festival. The main reason is for the Aebleskivers, my family loves them.

The Aebleskiver line is always a commitment and I mark my place as soon as I get to the festival, because it will be a while. The usual waiting time is about 20 minutes up to an hour or more. The line snakes through the festival like a wall, breaking apart only to let others pass. As you get closer up in the line and are fortunate enough to be one of the next six to place your order, you get to watch them make them for you. At that point it gets dangerous. You see, when I first get in line I plan on getting a half dozen of these satisfying bites. As time passes and I have invested a considerable amount of time in line, the count goes up to an even dozen. By the time I’m one of the lucky six that can watch and smell the aebleskivers being cooked, my count goes up again and then again when it’s my turn to order. I truly think that’s why the line is always so long, everyone starts to hoard when it’s time for them to order. Thinking about the “what if” factor? What if I want more? I can’t stand in this damn line again…

The batter is a simple pancake mixture; the trick is in the whipping of the egg whites and folding them into your batter to give it a light airiness. You can also freeze the leftovers, if there are any and warm them up in the microwave. They won't be as delicious as when freshly cooked, but they are still pretty good.

You need a special pan to cook them in and I just happen to have one because after my first visit I wanted to make them myself and not only have them once a year. After endless hours standing in line and watching the experts make them I can now successfully make them at home. The only tool that you will need besides the pan is a simple wooden bbq skewer to assist in turning the aebleskiver. Practice with one at a time until you get the hang of it. Then go for it!

The Aebleskiver pan and skewer for turning.

Pour batter into a mold.

When the batter starts to bubble on the edges give it a 1/4 turn with your skewer.

Wait about 10 seconds and give it another 1/4 turn.

Repeat until bottom is on top. Keep balls turning to brown evenly. They are done when you poke your skewer into the center and it comes out clean.

Serve them hot with your favorite jam.

AEBLESKIVERS

2 large egg whites

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 large egg yolks

4 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 ½ cups milk or 2 cups buttermilk

Oil for frying

Heat aebleskiver pan over med. heat, I used #6 on my electric stove.

Beat the egg whites until they can hold a stiff peak. Set aside.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, egg yolks, butter and milk and mix until smooth; then fold in the egg whites.

Put about 1 tsp. of oil in each mold and add batter to fill each up to the rim. When they start to bubble around the edges, use your skewer to give them a ¼ turn; wait about 10 seconds and give them another ¼ turn, repeating until the bottom is now on top. Keep turning the balls to get even browning. They are done when you poke them with your skewer and it comes out clean.

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Bourbon Street Chicken

2012-01-13T07:29:00.000-08:00

When I saw the name of this recipe I got so excited, because I love bourbon and the idea of chicken and bourbon together was a divine thought. But, as I was reading through the recipe I realized that this chicken dish is called Bourbon STREET Chicken, named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans and discovered that there was no bourbon in the recipe at all.

So… I added some.
This is purely an option, but it did kick up the flavor of the sauce a bit. I tasted the sauce with and without it, they were both delicious. But to be honest, I don’t think the bourbon was that important.

The original recipe called for cut up chicken breast, but I think that thighs would work well too. I had 4 wings, 4 drumsticks and a bone in chicken breast in my freezer that were leftover from whole chickens that I have preped, so that’s what I used and it worked well. But the next time I make this I think I will try it with the cut up chicken for a quick 30 minute, one pan meal.

The sauce is sticky with a slightly sweet and spicy flavor. And I mean slight... I would and did serve this with a bottle of sriacha hot sauce on the side. All the chicken parts surprisingly finished cooking at the same time leaving plenty of sauce in the bottom of the pan to dip and dab your chicken into. The wings soaked up the most flavor, with a finger licking stickiness to them. The drums had a meatier (taste like chicken) feel and the breast cooked up perfectly juicy.

The sauce had a good feel to it and I liked the way it stuck to the chicken, but the flavors weren't as balanced as I would like. If you have another version of Bourbon Street Chicken please pass it on.

Drizzle chicken with oil and season with salt & pepper.

Bake in a 500 degree oven for 15 minutes to brown.

Place chicken pieces in a casserole dish.

Pour sauce over chicken and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes (baste half way through) or until cooked through.

BOURBON STREET CHICKEN

2 pounds chicken, cut into bite size pieces

1 – 2 Tbsp. olive oil

salt & pepper

SAUCE;

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

¼ cup apple juice

1/3 cup golden brown sugar

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

½ cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. bourbon (optional)

Place all the sauce ingredients into a med. sized pot. Whisk to blend and place over med-high heat; stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from stove and set aside.

IF USING BONELESS CHICKEN - Cut into bite size pieces. Heat a skillet over med-high heat, add oil and brown chicken; season with salt & pepper. When the chicken is browned; add sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

IF USING BONE IN CHICKEN – Place the chicken on a sheet pan and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange so that the pieces are in a single layer and don’t touch. Place in a 500 degree oven for 15 minutes to brown and remove some of the fat. Flip chicken half way through to brown the other side.

Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees. Remove chicken from the oven and place in a casserole dish. Pour sauce over chicken and return to the oven for another 30 - 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Bread in a Can?

2012-01-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

My friend Dave asked me if I have ever had bread in a can. My response was, No, and that I had never heard of it. I laughed at the thought and never considered investigating it myself. The next thing I knew, I had a box of canned bread sitting at my front door. Thanks Dave, new things keep life interesting.

Now I had to give it a try. But what was I going to do with a can of bread? I did a little research and discovered that there are a lot of people that eat and love canned brown bread toasted. But as I was reading through the comment threads, I discovered that the most memorable way to eat this canned delight is with baked beans and hot dogs. I may have to give it a try. The thing that i found most interesting is how long it’s been around. Brown bread in a can is an old New England tradition that has been around since 1867. For that reason alone, I had to give it a try.

I’m not going to lie; I was extremely leery about testing out this colorful can of bread. Just the idea of bread in a can was a bit disturbing to me. But the time had come and I needed to open both ends of the can and shake out its contents.

To my surprise, I found the bread to be quite good. I really wouldn’t call it bread; it reminds me more of a very moist and dense cake with a strong molasses flavor that is surprisingly balanced.

So I sliced up the loaf and I tried the bread three ways,

Straight out of the can; it had a dense cake like texture with a strong molasses flavor.

Toasted in my toaster then smeared with cream cheese; the cream cheese took away some of the sharpness of the molasses giving the bread a more balanced bite.

Buttered on both sides and grilled like a grill cheese sandwich; this resulted in a butter soaked center with a deliciously crispy yet chewy edge.

I really liked them all three ways. I also found it easier to enjoy when I didn’t think of it as bread and instead a dense slice of molasses cake.

Apple Turnovers

2012-01-11T06:27:00.000-08:00

I had a couple of honey crisp apples sitting on my counter that were screaming to become dessert, but I wasn't sure what to make. It wasn't enough for a pie or even a small crisp. I hemmed and hawed as I looked in my freezer and spotted a package of puff pastry, that’s when it all came together, I was going to make apple turnovers. Such and easy dessert to make, I don’t know why I don’t make them more often? This was a welcomed decision that got me raves from the family.

Make the filling in a small saute pan and let cool.

Cut puff pastry into 4 squares.

Place 1/4 of the filling into the center of each square. Fold in to a triangle and seal edges with a fork. Cut a few small slits in the top to allow steam to vent.

APPLE TURNOVERS (makes 4)

¼ cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. water, more if the sauce gets too thick

½ fresh lemon, juiced

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Pinch salt

2 med apples (granny smith, peeled and diced small

4 slivers cold butter, optional

Place apples in a bowl and toss with lemon juice and set aside.

Place sugar, cornstarch, butter ,water, cinnamon and salt in a cold sauté pan and mix to blend. Bring to a boil over med-high heat and let thicken. Add apples and let cook for about 1 to 2 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and let cool.

Let puff pastry sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to defrost. Unfold puff pastry and place on a lightly floured surface. Press seams together at the folds and cut into 4 squares. Place ¼ of the filling in the middle of each square. Place butter over filling and fold over to make a triangle. Press edges with a fork to seal. Poke a couple of small holes in the top to vent.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned.

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Roasted Broccoli

2012-01-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

Thank you Ina Garten, for showing me how to roast vegetables, it has been a life changing experience. I love every recipe that I have tried of hers and the roasting of vegetables was the crème de la crème. Simply because you can roast almost any vegetable to tremendously kick up its flavor along with its natural sweetness.

Yesterday was quite chilly but the sun was shining and it was going to be a dry day, which is very unusual for January in Oregon, which was a sure sign that my husband was going to fire up his bbq.

We decided on steaks and man-o-man, they were melt in your mouth delish.

So as my husband and daughter were heading out the door to track down some steaks for dinner. I asked them, “What would you rather have steamed, stir fried or roasted broccoli?” To my surprise they both answered at the same time, “ROASTED” with absolute conviction as they headed out the door.

Now that I have roasted vegetables many times I can say that there is no real need for a recipe.

· It is just a matter of tossing them with olive oil and sprinkling them with kosher salt and black pepper.

· Slice up a couple of cloves of garlic and add them to the vegetables and spread them out on a sheet pan.

· Place the vegetables in a hot 400 degree oven for 20 – 25 minutes, giving them a little shake about 10 minutes into the cooking.

· They are ready when they get a little brown on the edges.

After the vegetables are cooked, you can enjoy them as they are or kick it up by adding;

· lemon zest

· a good squeeze of lemon juice

· a drizzle of olive oil or butter

· and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese

Lemon Chicken with Spinach

2012-01-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

The first time that I tasted these flavors together was at a local mid-eastern restaurant. Luckily they had an open kitchen so I could watch them prepare my meal. All it took was a handful of fresh ingredients that melded together creating a light flavorful dish with a clean finish.

Everything about this dish expresses,“Fresh and Clean”. Lightly seasoned pan fried chicken breast, served with a garlicky spinach and tomato sauté, then finished with a squeeze of lemon juice. It’s the perfect way to lighten up the New Year, simple, satisfying and refreshing.

The sauce (which my husband and daughter loved) has the consistency of broth.

For a more full bodied dish dredge the chicken in flour before pan frying, that step will thicken the sauce to make it more like a gravy and bump up the garlic to 4 cloves to give the sauce a bit of punch. Also add the chicken back into the pan with the spinach to allow the flour coating to thicken the sauce.

I sliced my chicken before adding the spinach so that the pan juices would seep between the slices, flavoring each piece individually. But it is not essential.

LEMON CHICKEN WITH SPINACH

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breast

kosher salt and pepper to season chicken

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large tomato, chopped small

10 oz. fresh baby spinach

½ lemon, juiced

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

Heat a large sauté pan over med high heat and add the olive oil. Season chicken on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 4 - 5 minutes per side, depending on how thick it is. Remove from pan and lightly cover with foil to keep warm. In the same pan add the garlic and tomatoes; cook for 1 minute. Add spinach and cook for 1 more minutes or until wilted. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper; toss to mix. Use a tong to place the spinach on the plate next to the chicken and pour the pan drippings over the chicken.

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Joe's Special for 2

2012-01-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

It was about 30 years ago when I tasted my first Joe’s Special and it happened to be at the Original Joe’s in San Francisco. Where according to history, that’s where the Joe’s Special was created. I sat at the counter facing the open kitchen and watched as the waiters and cooks bantered with boundless attitude, back and forth as if they were in a constant argument. It was quite entertaining watching the seasoned waiters and cooks go at each other so aggressively. I was in my early 20’s at the time and I have to admit, it was a bit intimidating. I wasn't sure if it was all for show or if the cooks and waiters were just comfortably rude to each other all the time. I guess I will never know.

Even though there were endless menu items that I wanted to try. I stuck to my guns and ordered the Joe’s Special. Because, as my aunt would say; “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. For a brief moment I questioned myself and wondered… Can I eat eggs for dinner? The answer was yes. The combination of seasoned ground beef, onions, mushrooms and spinach blended together with firm, but tender eggs was a satisfying choice. And every time I eat a Joe’s Special it takes me back to that time and place. They are closed now but they will live in my memory forever.

I recently read that scrambles have become more popular than omelets. For me that was a no brainer. I have always been a huge fan of scrambles. Omelets have always left a heavy, overly cheezy feeling in my tummy whereas a scramble leaves a lighter, yet, satisfying feeling.

In my opinion this is definitely a dinner scramble because it is so hearty. Three to four large eggs will generously feed two. A sprinkling of parmesan cheese would also be a nice touch.

This dish works well with a crusty slice of sour dough bread and a crisp green salad. But, if you are from Hawaii, you know that you will be eating this with rice.

A few simple ingredients make a meal.

Brown the beef with the onions and garlic.

Add mushrooms.

Add spinach.

Add eggs and cook until firm but still tender.

JOES SPECIAL for Two

¼ pound ground beef

¼ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. dried basil or oregano

3 large eggs

¼ cup onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 whole mushrooms, sliced

1 ½ cups fresh spinach, a good handful

Season the ground beef with salt, pepper and basil or oregano.

Heat a skillet over med-high heat and add 1 Tbsp. oil. Brown beef until almost brown; add onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. Pour in the beaten eggs and stir until eggs are firm but still tender.

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