Do you feel neglected? I mean I have been spending more time and effort talking about life on my decor/home improvement/DIY/furniture redecorating extravaganza blog the Wits. The vibe is different around here. Purposely so.

It’s just that and…I’m about to get very real and serious. I think that if you are truly here to get to know me and care about my our life, you might also go over to that blog but if you are here strictly for the recipes, then you don’t. Which is fine. I’m not hurt. Then again you may not have known about the other site then you might be saying what the what?

When I started talking about my other passions on the Dabble (how we bought a house and are fixing it up on a tight budget, about our small yet growing furniture refinishing business, opening our etsy shop and the fact that I love discussing home decor/architecture), there were a number of persons (ok maybe 3) who unsubscribed which stung a little. It happens. I began holding those thoughts back, keeping them for the other blog, which made me hold back talking about anything involving us around here after losing my grandpa in February.

Still I’m here today to say I feel better. I value and adore your support. I feel very passionate about both food and the topics over on that blog.

One point is that this is a food blog. I feel that if you are here for the recipes and not so much for the discussion of what’s going on with my husband and I, it’s not appealing to you for me to talk about things outside of food, maybe a little about what we’ve been up to but not an entire spiel about the backyard makeover we’re undergoing ourselves or the dresser we’ve recently completed. Things that have been happening for months, along with demo of the basement, making my studio office and some other tasks since December of 2011. My 50th post went up yesterday on that site. Guilt caught up and prompted me to address this before I started to feel a disconnect with my readers at the Dabble.

Not quite gone but very rare are the times I take out my “good camera” and have a food photoshoot. Instagram replaced that and my time is spent working on furniture pieces and the house projects (trying some DIY pinboard, lamps, chalkboard, art, sharing thrifty weekend finds, collecting vintage items, tips, techniques and trusted tools/resources for home/furniture improvement, etc.) and I’m holding more back around here because I think I may have shared more than my aim from the thrill and excitement of opening up to an audience (I was hoping there was one anyway). Some things should remain personal and I noticed that’s how other bloggers I respect do it and they are not ridiculed. That’s how I want it. A little more modesty, more focus on the culinary arts and shorter posts.

I know this post is laden with links to the other blog and I’m not trying to drum up business, I’m trying to give people a chance that are interested to head over there. Maybe you didn’t know it was even going on or that it existed. If you enjoy my writing voice, miss my more personal posts around here, share a love for the topics mentioned above or find something irresistible about me (ha), I’m all there too at the Wits. Honestly, I’d still write if no one was following. It’s that important to me.

So, I am still making some awesome food (and some not-so-awesome) but it now goes alongside this new entity. We’re both, I am especially, different from when I started this blog (it will be 3 years old in July). The journey has been long and I feel the most content/happy/satisfied/whatever with who I am and where we’re at along with our hope for even better things to come and more growth in many ways. I’m still no Susie Sunshine.

This is the where I try to combine what I talked about with the recipe I wish to share. I could say something like “speaking of growth, rhubarb _______________.” How about just as tangy as rhubarb can be is my passion for redecorating furniture (makes no sense)? But instead I’m just going to hand it over. It’s rhubarb season. The previous owner has a small patch in our yard that is nearly ready to go but it can be found at most markets these days. I’ve shared my love of the stuff before and made the rhubarb cream pie I posted a few years ago yesterday. Still awesome.

This year I wanted to go a more savory route and after a little digging, found a recipe from Bon Appetit. We grilled it. Because we’re doing a lot of that at the end of our long, exhausting days but you can certainly bake the chicken. I’ll give you the baking directions. Just know that grilling is mega-amazing on this one too.

Oh, I added fresh ginger, used peanut oil instead of olive and vegetable and opted for a serrano pepper instead of a habanero, Scotch bonnet or Thai chili. The thighs were boneless, skinless instead of bone-in, skin-on. Instead of just brushing the sauce on, I let it marinate for an hour or so. I also wanted the salsa topping to have some heat and added more serrano. You don’t have to but it was great and the leftovers are being turned into something else I hope turns out great that I might share later. I made preserved lemons which found their way to the salsa…again, not required. And that recipe to come as well.

Spicy Chicken Thighs with Rhubarb-Cucumber Salsa adapted from Bon Appetit
Serves 4
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Ingredients:
1 serrano pepper, with a few seeds left in, stemmed and divided (you’ll need half for the sauce and the other half for the salsa if you wish to add it)
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp fresh ginger
2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts divided
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt/freshly ground black pepper

Salsa:
1 cup unpeeled, seeded English hothouse cucumber cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups rhubarb cut into small cubes
1/2 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
remaining half of serrano pepper (optional), minced
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp fresh lime juice
*I had preserved chopped lemon to add to the salsa but it’s not required

For the salsa: toss the cucumber, rhubarb, serrano pepper half, cilantro along with the green parts of the scallions in a bowl. Whisk together the honey, peanut oil and lime juice in another bowl then toss with the other mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let stand. I made mine in the morning and had it 10 hours later. I recommend allowing the flavors to meld for at least an hour in the fridge.

Pulse half the pepper (with some seeds), garlic, ginger, and the white parts of the scallions in a food processor until finely chopped. Drizzle in the soy sauce, then peanut oil. Process until an emulsion forms. Transfer to a bowl. Season the chicken thighs lightly with salt on a plate then cover each piece with the sauce, allow to marinate for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Place the chicken on a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165F, 12 to 15 minutes. Let rest for 5–10 minutes. Or you can grill the chicken as we did. Be sure to add some oil to the grates or it will stick.

Serve the chicken with rhubarb salsa over top.

As I was saying in my last post, I had the lefse flatbread with tandoori chicken (as a wrap) which began this informal two-part recipe.

Well, I’m back with the tandoori-esque chicken. Esque because tandoori style refers to the cookware used and I just don’t have a tandoor. We’ll call this something like yogurt-spiced chicken instead (ok so it was named already at Chocolate Shavings-where the recipe was found).

Marinating meat in a yogurt-based concoction results in something wonderful. Every. time. Juicy, tender and flavorful. The spice combination and grated ginger….it just doesn’t get any better than that.

I’m always slightly fearful when I find a recipe based on a number of spices because I’ve found that a bad combination will ruin your day. You can be all “yay, I’m going to have a delicious Indian/Chinese/(fill in the blank) meal until you taste it and know something is missing or there’s way too much of something. It can be hard to get just right and once you’ve had an amazing herb/spice blended meal, it’s hard to accept a taste less than that level of awesome. If something is absent in the dish, I rack my brain trying to improve it and find out what was missing or what was not necessary. Greg and I are getting pretty good at that task.

This dish gets it right. I only added fennel seeds-not really needed but I find that it adds a little somethin somethin to an otherwise a-ok combo. I also marinated it for 4 hours in place of the 2 the original called for (nothing too big). My cooking method wasn’t directly on the oven rack so my method varies to the original. The lime, cilantro and sour cream on top are musts. A splash of lime is just one of those little additions that is often that missing ingredient.

Yogurt-Spiced Chicken with Cilantro
Serves 2 to 4 (served mine with herbed potatoes)
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Ingredients:
2 skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek preferably)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp grated ginger
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp curry powder (I used a hot/spicy version)
2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1 lime, cut into pieces for squeezing the juice
sour cream
cilantro, coarsely chopped
lefse (or naan) bread-see my last post for the recipe

Toast the seeds in a pan (without oil) and toss until fragrant. Then grind the spices until you obtain a powder. Mix the yogurt, spices, ginger, garlic, curry, salt and pepper in a bowl. Cut the chicken breasts into bite size cubes and add to the yogurt mixture. Toss to coat all the pieces, cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 2 to 4 hours. I did 4.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Remove the chicken from the bowl, shake off the excess marinade. Place the chicken on the aluminum foil covered baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes. Turn your oven to 425F and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and just cooked through. It might stick to the foil slightly but with a little work it will come right up.

Serve with the lefse or warmed naan bread, a dollop of sour cream, a good drizzle of fresh lime juice and garnish with the cilantro.

I wasn’t familiar with Norwegian lefse until a few years ago when I saw a package in the freezer section of our local coop. As I normally do, I checked the ingredients and saw potatoes as the first followed by milk and butter. Umm, yes, I need this is basically what I decided. That sounds like pure goodness.

When I make a meal served with some kind of bread, I commonly interchange naan, lefse, pita and my favorite French baguette from the local bakery. (Making baked goods is not my forte…hence the lack around here.) Different world regions make up my unintended “fusion cuisine.” For example, an Indian meal does not require naan in our house. Lefse works. Greek dishes are just as lovely with this flatbread in place of pita. Things along that line. The other night it held my tandoori chicken in wrap form with a little sour cream, lime and cilantro. Pretty amazing. Greg applauded. That chicken recipe to come. (It’s kind of why I’m leading with the lefse recipe because they go so swell together.)

Norwegian Potato Flatbread~Lefse

So, after preparing a batch, I found out how easy it is to make and resulted in tasty bread, surpassing what I had purchased. I do not intend to belittle the process but you pretty much make mashed potatoes, chill those, add a few more ingredients, stir, add flour, roll out the dough into thin pancakes, dry cook them in a hot hot pan or griddle for a few minutes, continue the cooking process for each pancake then serve. You can make them into a sweet treat by adding butter, sugar and maybe even some spices in the end.

Thanks to Megan at Feasting On Art and the Kitchn for having her guest post the recipe.

Lefse
Makes a dozen or so medium pancakes
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 tbsp milk
4 tbsp of butter
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup flour

Add the peeled/quartered potatoes in a pot of boiling water and cook until tender. Drain then mash until smooth. Place mashed potatoes in freezer until good and chilled.

Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop then add the milk, sugar, and salt. Mix and add to the chilled potatoes. Stir well then add the flour until a thick dough is formed similar to a pie crust. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out egg-sized portions of the dough into very thin pancakes.

Place a griddle or frying pan on high heat (no butter or oil). Place the pancake on the dry pan and cook for about a minute until golden spots appear. Flip and cook the other side for an additional minute. Continue this process with the rest of the dough.

Serve and eat immediately. You can also add butter and a sprinkling of sugar (also nice with a bit of cinnamon or other spices) in the end for a sweet treat.

Have you noticed I’ve turned into an Instagram snob for my photos around here and on my our other blog? I have two accounts. One for private use where I take the blog pics (and not reveal them until I post…or can’t wait and share on my personal facebook wall) and another for public that I haven’t been on in quite some time where I follow and have some followers. Sad to say, much like twitter, I don’t use those resources to their utmost capabilities. It’s not a priority for me.

Pretty much all of my pictures have been using the app since I got my iphone in the fall. I’ll tell you one thing-maybe more than one-I love it, it’s not so good for submissions/acceptance on the food sharing sites (Foodgawker, Tastespotting, Tasteologie, etc.) i.e. getting your work recognized and I’m ok with that. The ease of the app suits my lifestyle these days.

We never find ourselves without something to do around the house, be it evenings or weekends, for the renovating of this first house of ours, for the furniture refinishing business (going well still) and with our pup, Henry, an energetic sheepdog. He’s 5 months old and getting to be a big boy.

Something I put together last night-smoked paprika roasted chickpeas, roasted tilapia and rice with peanut oil, cilantro, ginger, orange zest, jalapeno and garlic

My husband and I find ourselves dining between 7 and 8 in the evening which is odd for the couple we used to be. That was more snack time. I’m a night snacker…or I was. My time is more laid back and if I can say so, I think I’m knocking out some of the best dishes to date, spur of the moment, versus some of my planned meals.

Life is good and getting better. Sure I miss my grandpa so much that sometimes I stop to cry.

weekend find for $14

But I also find the joy in small things like I’ve never done before-I said I did but not to this level. Finding vintage or antique collectibles at a thrifty price has become the rush I absolutely will not let go of ever in life, trips to the dog park are wonderful, seeing Henry’s sweet face running around while my husband holds my hand along the trail while telling me about his day, watching what flowers and plants pop up around our yard (a little present from the previous owner), the way the backyard looks at dusk, dancing to 60′s oldies while preparing dinner. It makes my world.

Finding quality recipes to make from trusted sources helps. Less or no stress cooking. Heidi Swanson from 101 Cookbooks is one of those sources. She’s no stranger to this site. She doesn’t disappoint. Strawberries are making their appearance in markets now. They were early and I was thankful. Roasting the berries with maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, an optional dash of port wine and only a few other natural ingredients gives you this amazing treat. On ice cream, toast, cheese, sandwiches, alone.

Roasted Strawberries from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day Cookbook
Makes about 1/2 cup
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Ingredients:
8 ounces small to medium strawberries, hulled
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp port wine (optional but recommended)
A few drops balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Use a rimmed baking sheet-you don’t want the juices to run off in the oven-and line it with parchment paper.

Cut the berries in half. If they are on the big side, cut them into quarters. Add the berries to a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk the maple syrup, olive oil, and salt together. Pour this over the strawberries and gently toss to coat. Arrange the strawberries in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for about 40 minutes, just long enough for the berry juices to thicken, but not long enough for the juices to burn. Watch the edges of the pan for burning.

While still warm, scrape the berries and juices from the pan into a bowl. Stir in the port and balsamic vinegar. Use immediately or let cool and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Before adding the hot oil...the smell is amazing once the oil hits those ingredients.

But you don’t deserve me in such a bad mood. You deserve ginger scallion sauce-Francis Lam edition (where you first heat the oil to scalding) originally by David Chang at Momofuku. There are 4 ingredients and a wowsers reaction. Big time flavor. I will be making this on a frequent basis. And I love how Francis explains the directions so check it out here. Use quality oil, my choice and recent obsession, peanut. Just go see for yourself what scallions, ginger, some very hot oil and salt can do. Make a gallon. You’ll see.

I’m on the dinosaur laptop, Brachio-Dell, that’s barely functioning. If it doesn’t go extinct, I could be in business for a short period of time. Trying to download my desktop from the other computer-thanks to Carbonite’s back-up-is proving to be a major pain in the arse.

Anywhosal, I might be absent for an unknown amount of time.

Lush puppy

Rules of Oven Fry Club

1. We will talk about oven fries.

2. We WILL talk about oven fries. (They are delicious when done right and this is a great way to make them crisp.)

3. If someone says “stop” or goes limp, taps out while you’re trying to explain how much better this method is, it is over. Let them go on with their less than wonderful recipe.

4. Only two oils to my recipe. (I enjoy olive and peanut oil but peanut is preferred…ok sometimes canola.)

5. One fight oil at a time. No mixy-mix.

6. No shirts, no shoes…around that oil and you will regret it.

7. The talking about the recipe will go on as long as necessary until you or someone else understands how effective this method is.

8. If this is your first encounter with the recipe/method, you HAVE to try it.

(Obviously I’m doing a parody of the movie Fight Club.)

Oven fries the way they should be made
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Serves 4 (ok maybe 1 or 2)
Ingredients:
4 potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold or Russet
2 to 3 tbsp peanut oil (or olive or canola oil but peanut is my choice)
add some fresh herbs if you’d like, chopped-optional (I also added garlic but later, during roasting so it wouldn’t burn.)
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425F. Cut the potatoes into thick slices lengthwise (keep the skin on) and set in a bowl of cold water. This is the step many people don’t do and it makes a huge difference. It removes the starch on the outside of the potato and allows them to get nice and crisp. Leave them in, I’d say, at least an hour if not a few.

Next step is also important-dry these babies well, very well with paper towels. Place them in a bowl with the oil (depends on how big your potatoes were for the amount of oil but be sure each one is coated but not overly coated). Don’t add the salt before they are cooked. That’s a finishing step here and one I hadn’t learned til later in life. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan (I like to place a sheet of aluminum foil on my pan) and sprinkle herbs over top the potatoes…if you are adding them.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. They should be brown and crisp and the cooking time will vary. Remove from the oven and dump in a paper towel-lined bowl then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Spread the word about oven fry club. And mind the hot oil.

Since it’s been all hustle and bustle around our place with building my new favorite space in the house-a studio-for our furniture refinishing side biz, photoshoots and general office/project maintenance then there’s the yard overhaul going on now. (Those links bring you to our other blog that documents our progress on the house, furniture and decor side of our lives.)

That said, I’ve been in the mood for easy, snacky dinners. We’re eating later and no longer planning every bite as were the majority of the days of yore a.k.a before we bought our first house needing renovation and starting a business on top of Greg’s day job. Weekends are accounted for and evenings are full as well. Greg and I tend to collapse on the couch on these warmer-than-usual evenings in Minnesota with a beer. Modelo is a light source that usually aids sleep along. Life is good.

So yeah, tapas come in handy nowadays. Like this simple recipe where you get to take a baguette slice and sop up the goodness left behind and eat with a small wooden skewer a.k.a toothpick.

Shrimp and Chorizo Sauté from Meghan Raveis on Tastebook
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 precooked chorizo links, casing removed, sliced on an angle 1/4 inch thick
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1lb. jumbo shrimp (about 16 shrimp)
2 tbsp white wine
Salt and pepper
handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped (I used cilantro)
baguette, sliced and toasted (toasting optional)

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil, the garlic and crushed red pepper to the skillet and cook, shaking the pan a bit, until the garlic is lightly golden. Increase the heat to high, add the shrimp and stir to coat. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the pan is nearly dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chorizo to the pan, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the parsley (or cilantro). Cook until the chorizo is hot and the shrimp is opaque, about 2 minutes. Serve with the sliced baguette and a toothpick. Sop up that goodness.