The Rural Gourmet

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 22:58:00 +0000

Roasted Red Pepper, Fennel, and Sausage Soup

4 ounces tomato paste
1 tsp honey
½ bunch of mustard greens chopped.
1 medium fennel bulb, cored, chopped, fronds reserved
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and Black Pepper
1 Large sweet onion, chopped
1 Large celery rib chopped
1 Large carrot sliced
3 cloves, garlic minced
4 cups of chicken stock, divided
3 medium red peppers, seeded sliced into strips
5 spicy Italian sausages, cases removed
Red pepper flakes (optional).

Preheat oven to 350.

Core and seed red peppers and place on slightly oiled cookie sheet. Roast peppers for 30-45 minutes until starting to char. (May be broiled under watchful eye if pressed for time). Reserve

Remove casings from Italian sausages, crumble and brown thoroughly. Reserve

Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add chopped fennel, sauté until softened (about 8 minutes). Add carrots, sauté for 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, celery, and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add tomato paste, honey and ½ cup of chicken broth and mix well. Add mustard greens and cover pan until greens are wilted about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.

Add fennel mixture in batches into blender and blend until smooth adding chicken broth as needed. Do the same with roasted red peppers. Empty mixtures into soup pot or crock-pot stirring well adding any remaining chicken broth. Add sausage and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until ready to serve.

Pazole (Pork Hominy Stew)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 04:23:00 +0000

My friend Mitch is a gentlemen pig farmer in rural Southern Oregon. His 4-5 pigs lead quite a life eating a (nearly) organic diet complete with a few cold beers. That is until the day of reckoning.

With one of these organic beasts in the freezer, I started searching for something interesting to make. I came across this recipe on Serious Eats. I made a few changes to it such as using a traditional red blend chili powder and a chipotle chili powder for a little smokey touch. I also used pork shoulder rather than rib meat because frankly, I am not going to use rib meat for a stew when you are essentially slow braising it anyway.

I plan to serve it with the garnishes below, some Greek yogurt (which is now our go to sour cream replacement) and a couple of Coronas!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pound pork meat, shoulder, steak, rib, chop.
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
1 (30-ounce) can hominy, rinsed and drained
2 limes, cut into wedges
1 avocado, diced
1 large red onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup sliced radishes
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Generously season pork with salt and pepper. When oil is shimmering, brown meat on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Reduce heat to medium, add onion and garlic and sauté, stirring periodically, until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
Add chicken broth, oregano, chile powder(s). Stir to combine, and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven to cook until pork is fork-tender, about 2 hours.
Remove soup from oven and transfer pork from broth to a platter to cool. When pork is cool enough to handle, shred meat and discard any fat or gristle. Strain broth and return liquid to dutch oven. Add hominy and shredded pork. Season with salt, if necessary, and simmer on the stove top for 30 mins or so.
Ladle into bowls immediately and serve with lime wedges, avocados, red onions, cilantro, radishes and tortilla chips.

Pasta e Fagioli - a wonderfuly rustic bean soup

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 04:08:00 +0000

Even if you are a casual reader of this blog, you will know that I am a big fan of eating meat! On occasion, I do enjoy a meatless meal and yes, I do have an occasional vegetarian over for dinner.

This is a great soup for cool Fall days or those rainy Winter nights. I served it with a crusty garlic bread and a lovely Chianti.

I came across this recipe for Pasta e Fagioli via Viana La Place and Evan Kleinman's book Cucina Rustica.

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients:
1 small onion, peeled and chopped fine
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 cups canned tomatoes
8-10 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne
Handful chopped Italian parsley
3 15-ounce cans Italian cannelloni beans, undrained
or 6 cups cooked dried white beans with their cooking liquid
5 cups water
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
4 ounces imported dried pasta, such as elbows, broken spaghetti, or tiny shells
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Optional: Shaved Parmesan cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:
1. Saute the onion in the olive oil in a medium-sized soup pot until soft. Add the garlic and saute until it turns opaque and releases it's aroma. Add the tomatoes, basil, and parsley, and cook over moderately high heat until tomatoes become saucey.
2. Add the beans with their liquid and the water. Cook over medium heat at least 15 minutes, or until beans begin to break down and soup thickens. Just before serving, add the pasta to the simmering soup and cook until al dente.
3. Serve immediately. Pass additional extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling over the soup.
Optional : add so Parmesan cheese add Parmigiano Reggiano

Serves: 6

Easy Breakfast Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 03:37:00 +0000

I needed an easy breakfast casserole for a work meeting and this one saved the day. We are really working hard at being healthy in my work place so I used egg whites and Canadian bacon rather than traditional eggs and bacon. The flavor was very good! Sorry I do not have exact sizes of ingredients. Like i said, it was throw together.

Easy Breakfast Casserole

1 bag of frozen shredded hash browns

1 smaller bag of shredded cheese

1 large handful of fresh spinach

½ of a medium diced sweet onion

1 bag of Canadian Bacon

1 container of egg whites

1 tsp Minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Particularly tasty served with:
Salsa
Sour cream or Greek yogurt

Heat oil in skillet and saute minced garlic 5 mins. Add frozen hash browns and saute 8 mins or until lightly browned. Remove from heat to cool. Remove stems from spinach and chop medium. Dice both the onion and Canadian bacon and combine with spinach in large bowl. Mix in cooled hash browns. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into 9 x 10 baking pan. Pour egg whites evenly over the mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Bake 350 for 25-30 until cheese is brown.

What is for Christmas Dinner?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 18:57:00 +0000

Every family has their particular Christmas traditions. In our household, every other year, we host and "All Comer's" Christmas on the night of Christmas (the 25th). Everyone is welcome at these dinners. We have had as many as 40 for dinner including priests, crazy boyfriends, and ex's. Ahhh those were the days! Now is it a smaller group with more kids involved. 5 kids can seem like 20 adults so we have mellowed the numbers out a bit over the years.

We used to make Prime Rib every year but we have been getting a lot of really good prime rib on Christmas Eve at either my parent's or friends. This year we decided to go with a meat trinity. Turkey, Beef, and Ham.

In an earlier post, I mentioned my Brother in Law is a gentlemen pig farmer. We are having a ham from his organically raised hog. I am probably going to do a traditional honey and dijon glaze to it. For the turkey, we are going to brine and spatchcock it again and roast it over the stuffing. The meat is so moist and delicious. We went with a natural bird again which excellent for using a brine.

Finally, for our beef dish, I will be doing my Beef Bourguignon which is a combination of Julia Child's and the Joy of Cooking. It is one of my favorite dishes and should be a real treat for Christmas.

So folks, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas! Take some time this season to do the things that make you happy and to tell folks you love them!

Enjoy!

RG

Don't be such a spatchcock this Thanksgiving! On second thought...

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 00:37:00 +0000

I first learned about spatchcocking a chicken a couple of years ago as an alternative to beer can or traditional roasting. The benefits of using this technique with the funny name is that the bird lies flatter, cooks faster and more evenly. Not only that, you get to say the word spatchcock over and over! Do not underestimate how cool this is! Unless your friends are from the UK, they probably haven't heard this word that sounds so naughty yet makes foul taste so good!

Recently, it seems there has been more interest in spatchcocking the Thanksgiving turkey. I knew I was going to brine this year's bird, a natural, unbasted medium sized beast. Due to circumstances, the idea of a quicker, more evenly roasting bird seemed more attractive.

We do not have a huge crowd this year and many of the eaters are kids. From experience many kids do not fully appreciate my turkey's traditional rock salt and rosemary sage rub or the hint of spice in the pear acorn squash soup. Because parents are often so focused on their kids, they aren't either so, when I am cooking for families with kids, I turn my focus to simple, tasty and (relatively) quick. For this spatchcocking a brined bird is perfect!

How to Spatchcock a turkey.

Spatchcocking your bird is really not that difficult. I watched a this very straightforward video and had no problems at all taking the backbone out of my bird. A sharp knife is the key. I purchased a new pair of heavy duty kitchen shears but found I did not need them much for this job. A solid chef knife worked great.

Start with a thawed bird placed breast side down, head forward. Make a 1/4 inch cut from the neck area to the tail about a half inch from one side of the backbone and then then the other side.

Using safe knife skills, start at the top and word down cutting all the way through 3/4 of the way down the bird. Pulling out the backbone, finish the removal buy cutting and pulling simultaneously. Keep the backbone for stock.

Open up the bird and clean out any bloodshot, loose fat or anything discolored. Remove the rib cage and keep for stock.

Turn the bird over breast side up and splay out the bones. Place your hands firmly on each breast (yes this is cooking porn) and press straight down. This cracks the shoulder bone and allows the bird to sit flatter.

Congratulations! Your bird is now Spatchcocked! You can season and roast it as you normally would (in about half the time) or, if you did it early enough, you can brine it this way as well.

I will post my turkey brine technique at a later post or, as my Mother in Law would say, just "Googally" it.

Good veggies will save the world! Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey and Sriracha

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 03:58:00 +0000

I just have to say, these are amazingly good! Frankly, I am already making this a staple "go to" vegetable for any meal. I got reacquainted with Brussels Sprouts at my friend Pam's restaurant the Depot Cafe. Pam and her husband Chris often have a fried Brussels Sprout appetizer which is excellent! In that vain, I was looking for a great way to recreate that appetizer with a twist. By roasting them in the oven (with olive oil and salt and pepper), and keeping an eye on them (if they get overcooked, sprouts tend to taste bitter), a finish sauce of honey and sriracha makes these something that are literally hard to stop eating!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey Sriracha Drizzle

12 or more Brussels Sprouts
Olive oil for roasting
Salt and Pepper
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon Sriracha (or to taste)

Preheat oven to 275
Wash and trim Brussels Sprouts of discolered leaves and trib stem. Slice in half long ways.
Coat roasting dish with olive oil,.
Place sprouts face down. Drizzle olive oil over the top. Salt and pepper generously.
Roast for approximately 30 mins or until sprouts soften and start to caramelize, tossing once.
While roasting combine honey and sriracha in small sauce pan and heat over low flame for 4 mins or until mixture is hot and well blended. Set aside.
Remove sprouts, toss again. Drizzle honey mixture over the top. Serve immediately.

I hope you enjoy! As always, I appreciate the feedback!

Rural Gourmet goes vegan?

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 02:44:00 +0000

If I were looking for a recipe for my vegan friends (both of them), going to The Rural Gourmet would probably be the LAST place I would check. I love meat and have enjoyed all sorts of animals over the years including things such as elk, water buffalo, squirrel, rabbit, eel, and gnu.

That being said, I have a lot of respect for people who, for whatever reason, decide to eat a certain way or eliminate some aspect of food for a period of time, or... for a lifetime.

I tried eating as a vegetarian for a month once in college. Yes it was because of a woman, but it taught me a lot about what we eat and why we eat it. Bottom line, it challenged me to be a better cook! Cooking a about giving to others. If you are blessed with the ability to make good food, give it to others. Meat eaters and vegans alike! Challenge yourself! You will become a better cook.

Below is a lovely soup for early fall. It is not only veggie but vegan. It is much lighter and fresher than I was thinking it would be. I was feeling savory but it came out sweet and complex. It was particularly good the next day.

Enjoy! As always I appreciate your comments.

Roasted sweet potato and pear soup.

Serves 8 (can be halved)

2 tbl organic coconut oil
1 Walla Walla sweet onion - chopped
3 lbs sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
6 ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped
8 cups, vegetable broth
2 cups white wine (chardonnay)
8 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste.

Over medium heat, sauté chopped onion. Add chopped sweet potato and sauté or roast for 15-20 mins. Add pear. Continue to sauté (or roast) for 10-15 mins. Transfer mixture to blender or food processor. Adding vegetable broth enough to liquefy vegetables, blend until smooth and thick. Transfer to saucepot. Add remaining vegetable broth, wine and fresh sage. Bring to temp on medium low heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Pork Carnitas for Cinco de Mayo

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Sun, 05 May 2013 21:59:00 +0000

I love good Mexican food! Fortunately we have a couple of very good Mexican restaurants in our little town so we get more than our share of very good Mexican food. Both restaurants have a different style of cooking so rather than referring to them by name, most folks in town refer to the restaurants as “Old Mexican” or “New Mexican”. Personally, I prefer the “Old Mexican” because they have more traditional dishes. “New Mexican” is probably healthier though as they seem to take a more of a fresh-mex approach. Either way, it is hard to go wrong!

This week we had a huge special on pork at our market so I picked up some pork shoulder which is also called pork butt. (What one would think of being the actual "butt" of the pig is actually the ham) Since it is Cinco de Mayo today this pork shoulder would be perfect for carnitas. I like to remove as much fat as reasonable from the pork while leaving some on for good flavor. The particular roast I got was very fatty (happy pig apparently). Even though I spent some time cutting off the fat, you can see below the meat was still very marbled when I started to braise it.

I use a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen with some very slight modifications. Use your judgment on the fat. Just remember to save it in the freezer for future use. It is excellent to round out the flavor of Beef Bourguignon.

Ingredients

1(3 1/2-to 4-pound) boneless pork butt, fat cap trimmed to 1/8 inch thick, cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt and ground black pepper
1teaspoon ground cumin
1small onion, peeled and quartered
2 bay leaves
1teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons juice from 1 lime
2 cups water
1 medium orange, halved or 4 to 5 tangerines.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, onion, bay leaves, oregano, lime juice, and 2 water in large Dutch oven. The liquid should just barely cover meat. Don't use too much liquid as you will just have to reduce it later.
Juice orange or tangerines into medium bowl and remove any seeds (you should have about 1/3 cup juice). Add juice to the pot. Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover pot and transfer to oven; cook at 300 degrees until meat is soft and falls apart when prodded with fork, about 2 hours, flipping pieces of meat once during cooking.

Remove pot from oven and turn oven to broil. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl; remove onion, and bay leaves from cooking liquid and discard (do not skim fat from liquid). Place pot over high heat (use caution, as handles will be very hot) and simmer liquid, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy (heat safe spatula should leave wide trail when dragged through glaze), 12 to 16 minutes. It may take longer. The key is to reduce it to the right consistency so take your time. You should have about 1 cup reduced glaze. The glaze should look like this when it is done:

Using 2 forks, pull each piece of pork in half. Fold in reduced liquid; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread pork in even layer on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet or on broiler pan (meat should cover almost entire surface of rack or broiler pan). Place baking sheet on lower-middle rack and broil until top of meat is well browned (but not charred) and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, flip pieces of meat and continue to broil until top is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Serve immediately with warm tortillas and garnishes.

Enjoy! Would love to hear your comments or suggestions!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:52:00 +0000

Hearty roll-up

The other evening, I went to a friend's house for a lovely impromptu dinner party. The hosts do not live in the community full time and so when they "visit" their second home, last minute "bring a dish to share" meals are a great way to see friends and share food. I was in the mood for something different as an appetizer so I made something up with what I had in the fridge. If you have a name for them, please let me know!

Essentially I started out with a loaf sized amount of bread dough. I made my own since I was making some anyway but frozen bread dough (thawed) would work fine. I rolled out the dough and made it into a 18 inch by 18 inch square. Then I coated the dough with olive oil and topped it with thinly sliced pear, fresh basil leaves, fontina cheese and balsamic vinegar. I put an egg wash on the edges and carefully rolled it up into what looked like a long tube, pinching the ends together as I rolled.

I "sealed" the seem by pinching and coating the entire roll with eggwash and finished it with fennel seed. I then baked it in the oven for 35 mins or so at 375. Sliced it up and served it. It was a big hit!

We went with a fruit and cheese option but if you were thinking about something more savory, I would try cooked meats, other cheeses and herbs. Easy quick and fun!

Wine Icon's passing...

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 15:20:00 +0000

I was sad to learn of wine Icon Jim Barret, founder of Chateau Montelena winery passed away Thursday (article here).

By (shockingly) beating the French in the 1976 Judgement of Paris wine tasting, Napa Valley (and later Oregon) became a world class wine region. For an entertaining movie about the contest, I would highly recommend watching the movie "Bottle Shock". It is a great little film that shows the early and very rural nature of the American wine industry.

Jim's wine was a 1973 Chardonnay. I often wonder what it was like to drink in 1976. Personally, I find I really enjoy what many wine experts today call the "Old California" style of Chardonnay, wines full of butter, and cream and oak. Now, most Chardonnay is made much lighter, in stainless steel and are crisp and fruity. Oh well, to each their own.

I never met Jim Barret but tonight, I will raise a glass of chardonnay in his honor! Salute!

Better Butternut Squash Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 03:17:00 +0000

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been pretty slammed at work and we also finished up a month of the Game on Diet again so my creativity in the kitchen has been limited. My friend posted her recipe for Butternut Squash Soup on her blog and it looked good. It was a very cool autumn day today and so I thought I would give it a try. It is awesome! Much better than mine and Alton Brown's (in my not so humble opinion)

Enjoy!

Vanessa's Better Butternut Squash Soup

Grilled Lemon Yogurt Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 20:37:00 +0000

I rarely post other peoples recipes but this one is the exception. I was out cruising around allrecipes.com and came across this recipe from a guy named Chef John. I tell you what, it is a keeper! And it is very easy! The tang from the greek yogurt and lemon zest was fantastic.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (5 pound) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon harissa or hot sauce of choice

1 pinch salt

Directions

Whisk together the 1/2 cup yogurt, the juice from 1/2 lemon, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, paprika, herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

Combine 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and harissa in a small bowl. Set aside.

Remove chicken from bag and transfer to a plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Pat chicken pieces dry with more paper towels. Season with pinch of salt.

Grill chicken, skin-side down, on the preheated grill for 2 minutes. Turn each piece and move to indirect heat.

Grill, turning often, with lid down until well-browned and meat is no longer pink in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).

Serve chicken with the yogurt harissa mixture on the side.

Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Soup)

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:14:00 +0000

I can still remember the very first time I tried Tom Ka Gai. It was in June of 1989 in a little Thai restaurant in Portland on the way home from a rafting trip. I thought I was in heaven! I have had it many times since, with different “takes” on the soup but never thought to try to make it myself. Frankly, I felt intimidated by the ingredients listed in my 20 year old Thai cookbook. When my daughter Amy said “Oh they have lemongrass at Fred Meyer now” I thought.. “Why not?”. For my rural readers, do not assume you will not find lemongrass in your store.

This recipe is pretty easy and oh so good. Go easy on the spice/thai peppers. A little goes a long ways here. Recipe is easily doubled.

• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk

• 14 oz chicken broth

• 6 quarter-size slices fresh ginger* note below

• 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, cut in 1-in. pieces *note below

• 1 lb boned, skinned chicken cut into 1 inch chunks

• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

• 1 1/2 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon Thai chili paste

• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro stemmed and chopped

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• ¼ cup seeded Thai peppers (optional)

Sauté the chicken in a skillet until done (do not over cook). Add to soup pot with coconut milk, chicken broth and Thai peppers if you are using them. Bring just to low boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and add, ginger, lemongrass, mushrooms, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, chili paste, cayenne. Simmer, covered for 20 mins or so. When ready to serve, garnish with cilantro and basil leaves. Goes nicely with a white jasmine rice.

*lemongrass and ginger are meant to be removed from the soup before eating, however I found the ginger “quarters” tasty. Both ginger and lemongrass come in minced form at many markets now. Simply follow the directions on the package since you use a bit less.

Sparrow Club Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:28:00 +0000

Some of you know that Mrs. Rural Gourmet is the Sparrow Club adviser at the local high school. Sparrow Club is a wonderful organization which allows students to "adopt" a child who has a significant, sometimes life threatening illness. Through adoption, students raise money and provide hope and support for the child and his or her family.

Each year, Mrs. RG and I contribute a dinner for 4 to the annual Sparrow Club auction. The winning bidder gets to select from a menu of 6-8 main courses which includes an appetizer, dessert and a wine pairing. We prep most of the meal here at the house, but it is finished, and served at the winning bidder's house.

This year, we did Greek Pastitsio or Greek Lasagna. Instead of doing the healthier option, we went for the more traditional option (using cream and whole milk). It was excellent! We still used a mix of elk meat and turkey as ground lamb is difficult to find here, and frankly, we have a lot of both. As a twist, we used a bucatini type of pasta which was very nice.

The entire meal consisted of

Appetizer

Olive Tapenade served over toast points and topped with fresh cucumber slice and feta cheese

Salad

Greek Salad (which was excellent). I will need to get Mrs. RG to post the recipe. It is a keeper!

Main

Greek Pastitsio

Dessert

Greek Lemon Cake

For the wine, we decided to serve Tempranillo mainly for its structure but it was very complimentary to the spice in the pastitsio. We had two lovely wines, one from Northwestern Spain and the other from Abacela in Southern Oregon. Both were great choices.

Tri-tip roast and creamy sun dried tomato polenta

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 04:06:00 +0000

March starts tomorrow and spring sports at the school are already underway. People are making plans for spring break and the hearts and minds of the populous are on things like flowers, sun and baseball. What do we have here in our little town? Wind, freezing temps and 6 inches of snow on the ground!

When I got home from work tonight, it was snowing hard and I was thinking comfort food. My friend Phil loves making lamb shank with creamy polenta "one pot" style. While I didn't have lamb, (it is still a little early out here for that), I did have a nice Tri tip roast in the fridge.

Tri tip is sometimes called a roast, sometimes a steak and I have seen it cut as a roast or in strips, similar to a strip steak.. It is a bottom sirloin muscle which for a long time was simply used for ground beef. My old boss Richard Kronman from Malibu, California introduced me to trip tip in the early 1990's. In Southern California, it was a very popular, moderately priced cut of beef, but it was nearly impossible to find even in the Portland, Oregon area 25 years ago. He loved grilling a long marinated Tri tip (roast) for guests. Careful grilling produces meat that is medium to well on the ends while medium rare in the middle. Frankly, it is a happy cut of meat!

When selecting tri tip, look for good red color and good marbling. After cooking, make sure to let the meat rest, and do not overcook. Cut across the grain for best results.

Tri tip roast served over creamy sun dried tomato polenta.

One tri tip roast
Dry rub of choice
3 cups beef broth
1 cup (dry) Bob's Red Mill polenta (aka grits)
two heaping tablespoons of sun dried tomato (julienne style or chopped), rinsed
Olive oil for browning.
Salt and pepper to taste.

In an earlier post, I have raved about how much I love the french oven I got for Christmas. This is a perfect dinner for that oven but a large casserole will work just as well. Dry rub your Tri tip roast and heat olive oil up in french oven on the stove top (or skillet if using casserole). Sear until brown both sides of Tri tip roast. Meanwhile, in french oven, combine beef broth, dry polenta and sun dried tomatoes. For a richer meal, add some heavy cream or half an half to the mixture. You may want to put some fresh tomatoes in the polenta as well. Place browned roast on top of mixture (it will be watery), cover french oven and bake in preheated 325 for 65-70 mins.

After 45 mins, check consistency of polenta. Water, broth or cream may be added here if polenta is looking too done.

When done, remove roast from polenta and let stand 10 mins. Slice meat crosswise. Plate the meal by serving a cup of polenta with three thin slices of beef on top and side it with some steamed carrots, or a salad. A good wine choice would be a full bodied Italian red such as an Aglianico or Barolo.

Game On! Diet by the numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:28:00 +0000

Game on! Diet by the numbers.

This is the last day of the Game On! Diet, Winter 2012. A whole month of playing a game while getting healthier. Looking back, I am amazed at what I and others have accomplished. I thought I would share some statistics with you.

In the last month:

I drank a little over 23 gallons of drinking water, only a little with a little lemon or lime wedge.

I had no soda, diet soda or any artificial sweetener what so ever.

I consumed 128 smaller, healthy meals with a carb unit, protein unit and healthy fat.

I consumed 5 high calorie high fat meals, on my days off of course.

I got at least 20 minutes of exercise 26 of the last 30 days. This has included everything from cross country skiing to walking a short trail out and back three times in a storm.

I have written something non work related 25 times in the last month.

I have stopped myself exaggerating at least 300,000 times in the last 4 weeks.

As of today I have lost 9.4 lbs and have gained significant strength in my upper body.

I have gained better control over my time. I now leave work and fit in exercise on a regular basis. I have never put work aside to exercise before.

Finally, I did all of this while regularly taunting my competitors mercilessly!

Thanks folks! It has been a fun ride! May the best team win!

Pork Loin with tangy pear sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:39:00 +0000

Alright! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Tomorrow is my last day on the Game On diet and I have to say I am pretty excited about it. I did pick up some good habits including working out on a regular basis and I discovered some great ways to make food better for you without sacrificing taste. One of the best finds I came across is non fat greek yogurt. This stuff rocks! It has a nice tangy bite like sour cream, is thick as all get out so it works as a spread, thickener whatever and it is loaded with protein. Definitely a keeper!

To get back to the post title, when I made the tangy pear sauce for the chicken, I had a few extra pears and so made more than I needed. I kept the sauce for a couple of days and roasted a lovely Oregon grown pork loin last night. Remember when cooking pork loin, get it to and internal temp of 140 -145 degrees then pull it out! Even the best pork loin gets dry so do not overcook it!

Anyway...the pear sauce was good on the chicken. It is excellent on the pork! It even looks better because the sauce is kinda redish brown which blends nicely with a browned pork loin but contrasts to a relatively white chicken breast.

Well there you have it!

Try something for 30 days

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:22:00 +0000

I learned to cook in college. I was on an off campus program studying political science and American art in Washington DC and living with a roommate in a run down, but furnished, extended stay hotel. For my first week there, all I ate was frozen pot pies and the occasional plate of spaghetti or mac and cheese. My roommate's mother had sent him a book (which I would love to find again) which had a title something like The Single Guy's Guide to Cooking. He barely glanced at it, but for some reason, I read it cover to cover. That was in September. By November we had cooked a 5 course turkey dinner in our little apartment for ten of our friends! I will never forget it.

I remember thinking (way back then) that I wanted to learn to cook. Being on my own 3000 miles from home seemed like the perfect time to give it a shot. If I failed, so what? I would be heading home in a few months and could go back to eating in the dining hall. But I didn't fail. From those humble beginnings, I started a love affair with food that continues to this day.

I am not the best cook in the world by any stretch. However, I have learned so much about my life, who I am, what I like to do, and they types of people I enjoy hanging out with, much of that through cooking!

I am still learning! With this Game On Diet, I have learned how to make some healthy, yet still tasty dishes, I have lost some weight and I am in better shape. Best of all, because I did it for 30 days this coming Wednesday, many of these healthy patterns should stick (hopefully).

As you travel down this road of life, I encourage you to take the time and take some risks. Do something you have always wanted to do, for 30 days. See how it turns out! Heck you can do anything for 30 days!

Here is the video that inspired this post:
http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html

My Drunk Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:54:00 +0000

Well it is not really MY drunk kitchen, although it may have been once, but I am not telling. One of my goals was to write something non work related every day and I didn't have much to write about today. I did see a new episode of My Drunk Kitchen (MDK) for short. I think this woman is hilarious! Fair warning the videos would probably be rated PG-13.

Have fun!

http://hartoandco.com/my-drunk-kitchen/

Trusty Stir Fry

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:45:00 +0000

I have to say I was not super inspired tonight for dinner. I was hungry for something savory but needed to cook light. The solution? Trusty Stir Fry!

I like vegetables but I do not love them, except in stir fry! Tonight I put almost everything we had in the new wok I got for Christmas (thanks Sal!). Onions, peppers, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, celery, snow peas yum! Since I needed some protein, thinly sliced chicken breast.

Now you do not need a wok for good stir fry but it is easier. Here is how I do it. As always, I appreciate your comments.

First, I cook the sliced chicken breast until all of it is cooked through. I use frozen breasts often so if there is residual water, drain it. While the meat is cooking I slice up all the veggies I am going to use and reserve them. I then remove the meat, toss in a little oil, get the pan pretty hot (medium high heat) and toss in the tougher vegetables such as broccoli and peppers and carrots, then I toss in the softer veggies such as celery. I cook them for about 8-10 mins until they start to soften up. Then I put in the following:

Powdered ginger - mmmm nice flavor
Crushed garlic - cant get enough of it
Celery seeds - What you ask? Trust me they are good!
Red pepper flakes to taste - what is life without a little heat?

Give all that a stir and then add your soy sauce or what I have been using lately, liquid aminos (sounds weird but it is very similar to soy sauce without all the salt). I like the stuff over wild rice but hey, it can be eaten plain, over noodles, whatever. Enjoy!

Scott's Italian Country Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:48:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite dishes! One winter, Sally and I rented a 100 year old farm house out near John Day, Oregon just to really get away. We had hoped to do some hiking and exploring but it rained so hard that the John Day river flooded, actually cresting over the highway in spots! Many fields were completely flooded! Growing up in the foothills of the Oregon Coast range, I saw a lot of flooding on the rainy side, but seeing it in Eastern Oregon was a memorable experience.

So staying inside really got me thinking about cooking. Before leaving, I packed a large cooler with lots of things in my fridge and pantry. I was looking for something hearty yet fresh tasting and I just started adding things I liked to eat. I created this dish on the house's wood fired cook stove while sipping a delicious big Italian red wine. If you watch the oil usage, it works on the Game On! Diet well too.

< Dish before sauce poured over top!

Ingredients (all amounts are estimates)

4 skinless chicken thighs
little olive oil for browning
2 tbs capers
1 large sweet onion
8-12 cherry tomatoes
6 slices cooked turkey bacon or canadian bacon, chopped. (Pork bacon can be used if not watching weight).
2 tbs sun dried tomatoes (if in oil, rinse first)
large handful of artichoke hearts (if in oil, rinse first)
3-5 cloves minced garlic depending on taste
1 jar of Trader Joe's tomato and garlic pasta sauce (or your favorite brand)
Italian seasoning of choice and salt pepper to taste.

This is a very simple dish that makes a lot of extra sauce which is even better the next day. I save it and use it as a base sauce for lasagna. First brown the chicken on both sides in a large skillet, set aside. Chop sweet onion, and saute until translucent, set aside. Saute artichokes 5-6 mins then add sun dried tomatoes, capers and garlic and saute until garlic in brown. Return onion and chicken to skillet. Season with Italian seasonings of choice and to taste. Cover dish with pasta sauce, cover and let simmer until chicken is done. The sauce keeps the chicken moist so sometimes I leave on low for and hour or more.

Serve over whole wheat pasta or, for a very yummy taste treat, creamy polenta! Enjoy!

Game On! Diet Haiku

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:11:00 +0000

A Game On! Diet Haiku

Five meals every day

Fruit smoothies at ten o'clock

competition's rough

Hearty Game On! "snack" meal

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:37:00 +0000

Yesterday was my day off and we celebrated my dad's 75th birthday with lots of good food and wine. I don't know what it is about wine but when I drink more than just a little, I am very hungry the next day. Today I am back on the diet full force and it is the first day I have been hungry. Fortunately I have 2 more meals to go for the day.

One of the more hearty meals I had today is a very simple concoction that doesn't sound that good but it really is. First cook up some steel cut oats into oat meal. In a bowl add to your oatmeal a hearty glob of nonfat greek yogurt, next a thumb sized portion of peanut butter and top it with just a drizzle of pure maple syrup. Stir it all up and enjoy!

Elk Stroganoff Game On! Style with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Pillar) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:27:00 +0000

Well if you live the Pacific Northwest, you know the weather has been awful as of late. I don't think it stopped raining all day today and I live in the desert (supposedly). This type of weather is just begging for some comfort food but typical comfort food is not the healthiest. My challenge was to make a traditional comfort food dish, compatible with the Game On! Diet.

I think I hit on something good with this one! Non-fat greek yogurt is substituted for sour cream and I omitted using any wine for marinating or finishing. I probably could have used a little wine (for cooking purposes only of course), but the fact is, I didn't have any open or even laying around. ( I know... shocking!) I love beef stroganoff made the traditional way but made this way, it is pretty good and I am guessing I cut the fat down my about 3/4th.

Let me know what you think!

Elk Stroganoff

Ingredients (4 servings)

2 lbs lean elk steak sliced into thin strips, 3-4 inches long. Beef round steak works well too.
1/2 tsp each kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tbls olive oil
6 green onions white parts only chopped
4 tbls whole wheat or whole oat grain flour
1 1/4 cup beef broth
1 tbls dry mustard
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms (optional for me)
1/2 cup non fat greek yogurt (plain)
1/3 cup white wine (optional)
1 tbls Worcestershire sauce.

In a large skillet with lid, brown the elk steak in a little olive oil. Add the onions and 1/2 tsps each, salt and pepper. Add beef broth and bring to slow boil, reduce heat to low and stir in flour. Add mustard and Worcestershire sauce and stir. Cover and simmer for about an hour or until tender. Just before serving, add greek yogurt and optional white wine. Stir well. Serve over whole wheat noodles, quinoa noodles, or wild rice.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

A quick and simple way to cook Brussels sprouts!

Cut Brussels spouts in half lengthwise
Dip in boiling water for 2 mins and remove.
Transfer to shallow roasting pan with a little olive oil, and 1-3 cloves of minced garlic.
Salt and pepper

Roast uncovered for 12-15 mins in 350 degree (preheated) oven. Do not overcook.