Dublin Coddle

I have been feeling really inspired lately because I just finished reading Yes Chef by Marcus Samuelsson.  It is an amazing memoir that is very personal and really makes me appreciate him as a chef even more than before.  It is amazing the barriers he had to break down to get where he is now and how he is constantly trying to help better the world around him, he is a remarkable man.  What books have you all been reading lately?  I just can't seem to get away from books that revolve around food.  It just feeds my passion of cooking, discovering new foods, and learning about so many different cultures.  I love being whisked away into these food worlds.  Anyway every St. Patrick's day I love making an Irish meal, last year I made a not so traditional one so this year I went the very traditional route.  I love celebrating because it is an excuse to cook something different and I am 1/4 Irish myself.  I adapted this recipe last night and it was ridiculously delicious...the broth is pretty much a bacon onion broth, drool.  Enjoy!

Serves 3

The Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound fresh pork sausages (3 large sausages)
7 ounces thick cut bacon, cut into bite size pieces
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 large carrots, chopped into big chunks
1 pound yellow potatoes, quartered
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Pepper to taste
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped


The Process
1.  In a large, heavy bottomed pot, drizzle oil over medium heat. Once thoroughly heated, add the sausages. Cook just until all of the sides are browned. Remove to a plate.

2.  Add the bacon and onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and beginning to turn golden. Stir in the potatoes, carrots, and sausages.

3.  Cover with the chicken stock, then add pepper. Increase heat to bring stock to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover and remove from heat. Stir in parsley and serve immediately.

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

I am so happy it is Thursday because the week is almost over and it is one of my favorite holidays, St. Patty's Day!  If you need something festive to make tonight make this: Corned Beef Tacos with Cabbage Slaw and Creamy Guinness Sauce.  I made it last year and it was absolutely delicious and a kind of different way to eat all the traditional Irish foods.  This weekend we are headed down to Eugene to visit my fiance's family and go to his grandpa's birthday which always includes lots of green champagne and corned beef which I can't ever seem to get enough of.  It will be nice to get out of town and go to a place that is relaxing and familiar.  Willamette Week put out their "best of" guide for people to vote what they think are the "best of" in Portland and you should go and vote for The Portland Kitchen as the "best nonprofit."  It only takes a couple minutes and is an easy way for you to support such a wonderful cause, here is the link.  Anyhow last weekend we had our neighbors over Saturday night and I adapted this delicious recipe.  Enjoy! Oh and I will talk about our dining experience at Accanto next post.

Serves 5

The Ingredients
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 cups chopped carrots
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
7 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup half and half

Dumplings:
1 1/8 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. cold butter, cut up into small pieces
1/2 cup cold milk


The Process
1.  In the bottom of the slow cooker layer onions, carrots, and garlic.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and lay on top of the veggies.

2.  Heat a saucepan with butter over medium heat and melt the butter. Once sizzling whisk in the flour and cook 2-3 minutes until golden, to make a roux. Add 2 cups chicken broth and mix well. Bring to a boil. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour over the chicken and veggies.  Add the rest of the broth to the crock-pot, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

3.  After the 6 hours, shred the chicken breasts (this should be easy). Stir in the half & half. Turn to high and cover.

4.  In a bowl combine the dry dumpling ingredients. Crumble in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk until the dough is sticky.
Measure out each dumpling using a tablespoon and drop them into the slow cooker, start at the outside.  Cook 1-1 1/2 hours, until the dumplings are cooked and now raw, but soft.  Taste and season more if desired.

Creamy Cabbage and Kielbasa

How was everyone's Thanksgiving weekend?  Mine was full of lots of family, food, and the outdoors as it was sunny and cold all weekend here in PDX.  Below is a picture of my cousin and I at the view point we hiked to in Forest Park the day after Thanksgiving.  It has been in the 30's and 40's for about a week now and yesterday when I woke up it was even 29 degrees!  In this kind of weather all I ever want to make are soups, so I apologize if you aren't a huge soup fan but there will be lots of them posted in the coming months.  In other news this will be pretty eventful week because my fiance and I are having our first meeting with a realtor to talk about buying a house this year.  It is such a big and exciting step in life I can't wait to begin the process.  I definitely know it will be stressful and challenging at times but isn't that what cooking is for?  It always helps calm my nerves and bring me back down to earth, my love for food goes deep.  Anyway my next post will be the dish I made for Thanksgiving which was a fabulous green bean dish from Bon Apetit.  I adapted this creamy cabbage and kielbasa the night before Thanksgiving because of how light and healthy it is.  And trust me it was super delicious so I hope you enjoy!

Serves 5

The Ingredients
1 medium head of green cabbage, chopped coarse
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 cups plain yogurt
1 14oz Pork Polska Kielbasa, sliced


The Process
1.  In a large pot or dutch oven, add enough water to barely cover the bottom of the pot, place coarsely chopped cabbage and sliced onions.

2.  Cook on medium heat until cabbage and onions are tender.  Salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Stir in mustard and yogurt and add cut up pork kielbasa.  Mix well and serve.

French Mushroom Soup

Well we made it back alive from our across the world adventure and boy was it a blast!  I don't even know where to start, perhaps I'll just do one story per post.  Let's start in Iceland (the beginning of our trip) this is where we went to the restaurant Dill and it was unbelievably amazing food.  We had 7 courses with wine pairings, as to not overwhelm you with pictures here are 3 courses we had: salted cod with parsnip, apple, and fried cod cream; and cabbage with roe and lamb sausage; tomato variations with buttermilk and yarrow (pictured below).  The atmosphere was wonderful with some folky music in the background and a calm and soothing feel in the air.  The staff were all very nice and professional as well.  Going to this restaurant was definitely one of the major highlights of our trip, it was such a romantic night and Michael actually loved the fish!  As I have mentioned before he is not a very adventurous eater so I am very happy he liked all the things he ate.  The other courses we ate (not pictured) were: carrot with smoked mayo and sol; kale with sour cream, fried onions and cheese; black radish with cream cheese and millet; beet root liver and roasted yeast; dried catfish burnt butter dill; reindeer tartar; sourdough and lamb fat butter; arctic char with butter and birch, mushrooms and fresh cheese; braised beef cheeks with wild mushrooms, new potato, and arctic thyme; burnt cake with currants and whey; and blueberry and cream, juniper and skyr.  I felt so spoiled!  Once we got back to Portland (1 week ago today) it felt like fall so I immediately wanted to make a soup.  I adapted this recipe and pretended like we were still in France.  Enjoy!

Serves 5

The Ingredients
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 cup butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
Pinch of dried thyme
1 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms, I used shiitake, cremini, and portobello, trimmed and thinly sliced
Coarse salt
Juice of 1/4 lemon
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
Plain whole yogurt (dollop as a garnish, optional)


The Process
1.  Cook onions in 4 tablespoons butter in a large stockpot over medium heat until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook over low heat for 4 minutes without browning. Add the stock, blending it completely with the flour. Add the parsley and thyme, and simmer for 20 minutes.

2.  In a large skillet, heat remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the cremini and portobello mushrooms and season with salt. Cook until softened, and then add the shiitake mushrooms. Season with salt and lemon juice and cook until mushrooms are deep golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

3.  Reheat stock mixture to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks and cream until blended. While whisking, slowly add a cupful of the hot soup into the cream mixture and add back to the soup and heat to just below a simmer (if the soup simmers, the yolks will curdle). Add the cooked mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Serve garnished with parsley and plain yogurt.

Faux Eggs Benedict with Asparagus and Pork Kielbasa

We had a fabulous 4th of July down in Waldport, OR with a bunch of my boyfriend's family.  Ever year we go we have a tradition of going to The Salty Dawg, getting a pitcher of beer, and playing Keno.  My boyfriend's dad is often lucky and usually leaves with a little extra money in his pocket but this year he won $6,000, which was pretty darn exciting.  We also had a wonderful display of our own fireworks and the local Waldport show.  As I'm sure you know I am super bummed out about the Blazers and how we lost almost our entire starting lineup except for Damian Lillard...I don't even know what to expect this next year...a whole new team I guess.  On a different subject I stumbled across this cool project of the first underground garden, seems like a pretty cool idea.  Well onto the food, I came up with this idea by wanting something comforting but not super heavy, so I hope you enjoy it!

Serves 2

The Ingredients

1/2 pound pork kielbasa, sliced
1 bunch asparagus
2 eggs
Olive oil

Hollandaise:
5 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup melted butter or clarified butter (add more if you want)
Dash of cayenne


The Process
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees, in mean time wash asparagus and snap off the hard ends.  On a sheet spread them out and drizzle with olive oil and put in oven for a total of about 20 minutes flipping half way through.

2.  While the asparagus is cooking start boiling water to poach your eggs.  Also heat up a medium skillet and begin to brown the kielbasa, since it is already cooked the browning won't take long.

3. In a small saucepan, beat the egg yolks with a whisk with no heat. Add the lemon juice, mustard powder and cayenne to the egg yolks and whisk again to combine. Very slowly drizzle in the melted butter into the egg yolks while continuing to whisk. Once the butter is combined, place the saucepan over medium-low heat.  You want the sauce to come up to temperature but not boil, and stir occasionally. Just before the sauce wants to start bubbling remove from heat. (you can also use a double boiler to make this process easier).

4.  At this point the asparagus will be done and you can plate it, put half the bunch on each plate.  Then poach your eggs, here is how.

5.  Next layer some kielbasa over the asparagus, then place egg on top and cover the dish with as much hollandaise sauce as you desire.

Egg and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Summer has officially begun and boy does it feel like it in PDX, by this Saturday it is suppose to be 102 degrees in Portland.  We happened to be headed up the Columbia Gorge to an even hotter destination for my birthday this weekend too...we will just have to find a swimming hole!  This past extended weekend was amazing, we went on our yearly trip down to Manzanita, OR with my mom's side of the family.  It consisted of many beach walks, tons of ladder golf, and amazing food.  I adapted this recipe for Monday morning breakfast and it turned out super delicious.  In other news links have been found between eating fermented food and how it calms the nerves.  I already love fermented food and this is just another reason to add to the list!

Serves 10

The Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small red onion, cut in half vertically and thinly sliced
6 ounces (170 g) fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cups diced yellow potatoes
8 ounces (226 g) sliced mushrooms (I used shiitake and portobello)
9 large eggs, whisked
1-1/2 (228 g) cups crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
16 ounces (454 g) carton cottage cheese
1/2 cup (20 g) chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup (85 g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced


The Process
1.  Preheat the oven to 400° F/200° C.

2.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the nonstick skillet, then sauté the red onion over medium heat. Add all the spinach and cover with the lid. Allow to sweat until the spinach starts to shrink, about 5 minutes. Drain off any liquid and transfer the spinach mixture to the prepared casserole dish.

3.  Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet, and add the potatoes and mushrooms. Sauté over medium heat until they have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid.

4.  In the large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, Feta cheese, milk, cottage cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir in the potato and mushroom mixture. Pour over the spinach in the casserole dish. Sprinkle sharp cheddar cheese all over the top, then lay the tomato slices on top of the cheese.


5.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° F/175° C and continue baking until the casserole is lightly browned and just set, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes or so, then serve. (if top isn't golden enough broil for a couple minutes).

Beautiful Manzanita

Pork Fajitas

For those of you who do accounting out there I commend you.  This accounting class that I am taking has so many layers of rules and complicated equations, it is really testing my brain and is getting the best of me.  Hopefully in the end I will understand it and will be able to do the accounting for my company, but right now I'm feeling a little discouraged.  I could just be tired too because today marks my 11th day in a row of working.  I had to work all the extra hours to get that large project I was talking about done.  I am so thankful that I have a 3 day weekend and am going to Eugene, I need the break.  Not to continue on this semi-negative tone but the Portland house buying market is getting so so scary.  I heard from a friend that her brother was out-bid by someone who offered $105,000 over asking price...that is just insane!  And all these investors from California and New York are coming in with all cash, which of course what seller doesn't want cash up front?  Here are two depressing articles that explain how Portland is changing in bad ways so that average people can't afford to live here anymore:
How Cash Sent the Portland Home Market Spinning

New Seasons Market: Fans and critics agree new North Portland store will change neighborhoods

Ok I know enough with the negative stuff, let's focus on things we like.  I recently heard about this amazing radio station called Heritage Radio Network, here is how they describe themselves: "HeritageRadioNetwork.org is committed to archiving, protecting, and advancing our country's rich food culture through programs that give voice to America's leading food professionals, farmers, policy experts, artists, and tastemakers."  If that doesn't entice you I don't know what will.  Another thing I like is fajitas, so enjoy! Made by yours truly. 

Serves 3

The Ingredients

For cooking the meat:

1 tablespoon bacon fat 

2 tablespoons lime juice 

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp chili powder 

1 tsp onion powder 

1 1/2 tablespoon worcestershire 

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 lb pork, cut into bite size strips

For cooking the veggies:

1 tablespoon bacon fat

1 onion, halved and sliced  

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 tablespoon worcestershire 

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp chili powder 

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Half a tomato, chopped to put on fresh at the end

Corn tortillas

The Process

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, let heat for a minute, and then add in your onion, bell pepper, and worestershire. Season with salt. Sautee until the vegetables are  tender crisp (7-10 minutes). During the last few minutes of cooking, add in your cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.

2. Return the skillet to high heat. Add your pork, garlic, and all the seasonings including lime juice.  Cook your pork in it for about 5 minutes.  

3.  Add veggies back to pan with pork and cook for another 2 minutes and mix it all together.

4.  Serve in corn tortillas and top with fresh chopped tomatoes. 

Chickpea Soup with Saffron, Yogurt, and Garlic

I'm so excited it is the end of the week (Thursday is my Friday), I have been so exhausted all week and just want to sleep in and eat foods.  In other news there is a new restaurant opening up in PDX, it is a sushi-style cheese bar called Chizu and it looks awesome.  It is opening next week and is very small so I'm sure it will be packed but it is something I must check out due to my passion for cheese. I also just signed up for an accounting class at PCC, it will be interesting being in school again since I haven't been in 4 years. It is sunny again and all I want is our rain back that we had yesterday which inspired me to make and adapt this delicious soup.  This is a lovely vegetarian Middle Eastern soup, enjoy!

Serves 4

The Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
Fine-grain sea salt
3 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 1/2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (2 modest pinches)
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular)
Sweet paprika
Small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped


The Process
1.  In a medium-large pot over medium-high heat, combine the olive oil, onion, and a couple of big pinches of salt. Cook until the onions soften up a bit, a few minutes.

2.  Stir in the chickpeas, and then add the vegetable broth and garlic. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk the saffron and egg yolks, then whisk in the yogurt. Slowly add a big ladleful, at least 1 cup, of the hot broth to the yogurt mixture, stirring constantly. Very slowly whisk this mixture back into the pot of soup.

4.  Return the pot to medium heat and cook, stirring continuously for another 5 minutes or so, until the broth thickens to the consistency of heavy cream, never quite allowing broth to simmer. Ladle into individual bowls and serve sprinkled with a touch of paprika and plenty of chopped cilantro

Cantonese Egg Custard with Minced Pork

Friendsgiving (picture below) and my mom's 60th birthday were both a huge hit this weekend and in the midst of it all I got to see the new Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1(you should definitely see it).  Luckily this week will be short and sweet due to my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving!  I didn't get enough down time this past weekend and I really need some me time/home time.  I made this recipe last Thursday for one of my best friends and we both enjoyed it very much, NomNom Paleo is an amazing cooking blog.  The one thing that caught me up was trying to find a heat safe dish to fit in the biggest pot I had...so my custard actually had to lean as it cooked that is why it looks so uneven in the picture.  I served this with lemony asparagus.

Serves 4

The Ingredients

For the filling:

1 teaspoon bacon fat

1 small shallot, minced

½ pound ground pork (or your favorite protein)

3-4 asparagus stalks, thinly sliced

3 fresh cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce

2 teaspoons tamari

freshly ground black pepper

For the custard:

3 large eggs

¾ cup water

1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce

For the garnish:

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 green onion stalks, thinly sliced

The Process

1.  Heat the bacon fat in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots and the pork to the pan, breaking up the meat with a spatula.  Saute the filling until the shallots are softened and the pork is no longer pink.

2.  Toss in the chopped asparagus and cremini mushrooms and stir-fry for about a minute or until the asparagus turns bright green.  Season the meat and veggies with fish sauce, tamari, and freshly ground pepper. Taste the filling and adjust the flavors if needed.

3.  Next, spoon the meat and veggies into a shallow, heat-proof dish.  While the filling cools slightly, prep your steamer set-up.  Fill a large stock pot with about two inches of water.  Pop a steamer into the stock pot and cover.

4.  Bring the water to a boil in the covered pot over high heat.  As the water in the steamer comes to a boil, make the egg custard by combining the eggs and water. (3 large eggs get you to the ⅔ cup mark—to that, add ¾ cup water.)  Pour the egg mixture over the meat and veggie filling.

5.  Once the water in the steamer is boiling, turn the heat down to medium to maintain a hard simmer.  Carefully place your egg custard on the steamer rack in the pot and cover the dish with another heat-proof glass plate, turned upside-down.

6.  Replace the lid on the pot and steam for 15-20 minutes or until the custard is fully set.  The custard’s ready when it is still slightly jiggly and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Drizzle on some toasted sesame oil, and garnish the savory egg custard with chopped fresh cilantro and green onions.

Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)

First off can we talk about how well the Blazers played last night?!  They ended up killing Cleveland which is no small feat...I will say while cable is dumb expensive I really love having Comcast Sports Network.  Yesterday was a cold dark day here in the PNW so I decided it was time to make another soup, I adapted this recipe and it was so wonderful and citrusy.  I personally can't get enough citrus and vinegar in my life, on the other hand my boyfriend is super sensitive to both...I guess palates are just very different.  Here is a post by a Nutritional Therapist in Seattle, not sure how legit it is but it is a start to understanding my cravings (since I'm a librarian it is time I do some real research on this topic).  Onto the recipe!


Serves 4

The Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

 

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks

 

1 1/2 cup diced onion

 

3/4 cup chopped celery

 

3/4 cup diced carrots

 

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

 

6 cups chicken broth

 

1 cups water

 

3 cups cooked rice 

 

2 large eggs

 

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

 

Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste

 

 

The Process

 

1.  Heat 1 teaspoon oil in soup pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and add to the pot, cook ~ 5 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove chicken from pot and set aside.

2.  Add 2 more teaspoons of oil to the pot. Add onions, celery, carrots and thyme and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of the chicken broth and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Let simmer about 8 minutes. Turn heat down to low to keep soup hot.

3.  Warm remaining 1 cup chicken broth in a small saucepan until it's hot, but not boiling. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and gradually whisk lemon juice into the eggs. Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking the entire time. Add the mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened. Add cooked chicken back to the soup and season with salt & pepper. Do not let soup come to a boil or it will curdle.

4.  Add 1/2 cup rice to bowl and pour soup over the top, enjoy!
 

Beef Tamales

Last weekend my good friend Erin and I attacked a very long but super rewarding cooking adventure, we made about 100 homemade tamales from scratch.  We had planned on making tamales together for over a year but it didn't happen until her boyfriend became obsessed with eating tamales and went to the tamale cart almost everyday.  We decided it was great motivation to make a bunch and freeze them for all our tamale cravings.  This recipe is for the beef tamales but we also made chicken tomatillo, and pork tamales, all of which are delightful!  All in all the tamale making took us about 8 hours and required some very creative steaming contraptions.  I am very excited for this weekend because my boyfriend and I are going to the annual Polish Festival in North Portland.  It is one of my favorite Portland cultural events, not to mention the tasty pierogis and delicious beer (definitely check it out if you haven't ever been).  Then on Saturday night I am going to a great fundraiser for EveryLibrary (a nonprofit social welfare organization chartered to work exclusively on local library ballot initiatives).  The event is called Tatas for Libraries, it is a tasteful burlesque show hosted in the beautiful Norse Hall and I'm sure it will be a blast!  One last note, I love that it rained all morning here in Portland, OR makes me so happy!

Makes about 30

The Ingredients

For Beef:

4 lbs beef roast (buy something leanish and inexpensive-ish)
 

1 large onion, quartered
 

2 cloves garlic, halved
 

2Tbsp chili powder
 

salt and pepper
 

1-2 Tbsp cumin

 

1 (15oz) can enchilada sauce

 

 

For Masa:

 

4 cups masa

 

4 cups leftover cooking liquid from meat

 

1 1/3 cups lard

 

1 teaspoon salt

 

2 teaspoons baking powder

 

1 bag corn husks

 

 

The Process

 

Day 1: (about 8 hours)

1.  Place beef, onion, and garlic in a slow cooker. Add 2 Tbsp chili powder, 1 Tbsp cumin, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour in enough water to cover or almost cover the meat. (You could use low-sodium beef broth.) Cook on low 8-10 hours or till very very tender. Don’t discard the broth! Shred beef, pour in the enchilada sauce and refrigerate. Store broth separately in a container in the refrigerator.

 

2.  Soak corn husks in warm water overnight.


Day 2: (about 4 hours)

1.  Rinse corn husks and drain well.

2.  Add just enough broth (only a few tablespoons) to just moisten the meat. Taste and check seasoning. If somewhat bland, add more cumin and chili powder. You may need to add a little more broth.

3.  To make masa mixture, combine masa, lard, baking powder, and salt and stir.

4.  Then add the cooking water and mix.  Next add the lard and mix until dough is slightly sticky.

5.  Watch this video to learn how to assemble, we also took little strips of corn husk and tied them around the tamales to secure them.

6.  We steamed them (over a vegetable steamer in a large pot with water) for 2 1/2 hours (covered), then we uncovered them and steamed for another 1/2 hour.  When they are done the masa will start to pull away from the corn husk wrapping.  At this point you can eat them fresh or freeze them!  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Chicken Wrapped Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

I had a very exciting weekend, first off we went to Eugene to visit my boyfriend's family and go to a baby shower and last minute I got a ticket to go with my boyfriend to the Ducks vs. Michigan State game!  If you watched it you know it was an amazing game that we (the Ducks) won!  It was my first Duck game since I was a freshman at the University of Oregon, and now I'm back to work and another boring Monday is in full effect.  For the last 2 going on 3 weeks my oven has been broken and I haven't been able to bake anything, if that weren't frustrating enough the repair man didn't show up or call on two separate occasions.  So finally my landlord said he would fix it which is great because I'm not going to sit around and waste 3 hour chunks of time anymore and dang it I want my oven working.  I always love to roast my asparagus but since I don't have a working oven I had to get creative and that is when researched different asparagus recipes and came up with this one.  (Mind you my boyfriend did make the hollandaise sauce and boy is it delicious).

Serves 2

The Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, pounded out
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bunch of asparagus washed, bottom 2 inches cut off
8 toothpicks
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Hollandaise:
5 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup melted butter or clarified butter (add more if you want)
Dash of cayenne

The Process

1.  Put chicken breasts on a cutting board, and pound them out. Season each of the pieces of chicken on both sides with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Take about half of the bunch of asparagus, and roll the chicken around it. Secure the roll with about 4 toothpicks each.

2.  In a large frying pan, heat about a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the hot pan and turn to brown on all sides. Once the chicken is browned, turn the heat down to medium and add chicken broth, wine and thyme. Let chicken simmer in the broth mixture for about 10 minutes, turning once halfway through.

3.  While the chicken is simmering you can make the hollandaise sauce. In a small saucepan, beat the egg yolks with a whisk with no heat. Add the lemon juice, mustard powder and cayenne to the egg yolks and whisk again to combine. Very slowly drizzle in the melted butter into the egg yolks while continuing to whisk. Once the butter is combined, place the saucepan over medium-low heat.  You want the sauce to come up to temperature but not boil, and stir occasionally. Just before the sauce wants to start bubbling remove from heat. (you can also use a double boiler to make this process easier).

4.  Drizzle the hollandaise sauce over the asparagus stuffed chicken and serve!

Chinese Egg Drop Soup

I am very excited for this weekend because we leave on a camping trip to Timothy Lake on Sunday with my whole family.  My family has made this trip happen every year since I was very very young and it is something I look forward to every single year.  If you haven't ever been up on Mt. Hood in Oregon and gone to Timothy Lake you really need to check it out.  So bring on my 5 day weekend!!!  Now to the food, I have been craving this soup for quite some time and even though it has been in the 90s in Portland for going on 3 weeks I couldn't wait any longer to make it, so yes I ate hot soup on a hot day.  I have a recipe for a tomato egg drop soup on my blog that is also very tasty, but I was going for the authentic recipe here.  I adapted this recipe.  I accompanied this soup with a tasty Japanese salad that I will blog about next.

Serves 4

The Ingredients
6 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

6 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (or to taste)

2 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 6 tablespoons water (substitute cornstarch for arrow root powder to make it paleo)

2 large egg

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

The Process
1.  In a medium saucepan over high heat, add the mushrooms, chicken stock, dry sherry, rice vinegar and ginger and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the salt and pepper.

2.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the simmering soup and stir until the soup has slightly thickened (enough to coat the back of a spoon).

3.  In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and sesame oil lightly with a fork. Take your pot off the heat. Slowly pour the egg into the soup in a steady stream while continuously stirring with a ladle. The egg should cook immediately. Sprinkle the green onions on top and serve. 

Pimento Cheese Grits

As you all know well, my friend Rebecca and I are somewhat obsessed with pimento cheese everything...that being said here is another one of our cooking adventures exploring the wonderful world of pimento cheese, original recipe found here.  Since grits are a southern thing we decided to pair this meal with collard greens and the flavors ended up complementing each other very well.  My friend Rebecca and her husband just bought a big beautiful new home with a lovely kitchen so it was necessary to break it in with one of our cooking nights.  In other news 4th of July was a blast!  Two of my friend good friends visited from Florida and we had a BBQ, we went down to the north Portland bluffs and watched fireworks over the river, and we set off our own, all in all a very successful night.  During their visit we also made two river trips to cool off during this heat wave here in PDX.  Our first adventure was up to the Washougal river in Washington where the water was high and still very cold, too cold for swimming in my opinion.  Our next trip was to a secret spot I hadn't ever been to on the Sandy river, the water was warmish, and there was a very large swimming hole with a nice sandy beach (hard to find at rivers in the PNW).  Let the summer adventures continue!

Serves 6

The Ingredients
5 cups water

3 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups medium-grind stone-ground corn grits

Salt

4 ounces Beecher's Flagship cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/4 cups)

4 ounces Tillamook medium white cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/4 cups)

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup finely diced jarred piquillo peppers, patted dry

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Freshly ground black pepper

Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

 

The Process

1.  In a large saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil. Whisk in the grits in a slow, steady stream. Add a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until the grits are thickened and tender, about 30 minutes.

2.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk both cheddar cheeses into the grits along with the cream cheese, piquillo peppers and cayenne; season with salt and black pepper. Scrape the grits into a serving bowl, garnish with thinly sliced scallions and serve.

 

Cauliflower Muffins

With my new Paleo diet I have been looking for alternatives to bread and this adapted recipe really hit the spot.  I served these muffins with Shakshuka and it was an absolutely delicious meal.  The Paleo diet is definitely ideal for me because I love meat, but once in a while it feels good to have a meatless meal that is just as filling.  I have found a lot of great Paleo recipes that have continued to impress me and are often better than regular recipes.  I have found it hard to not use A1 sauce and Worcestershire sauce because they are both staples when it comes to marinating beef, as for other sauces I do use tamari even though some people say it isn't paleo.  In general I am still enjoying this Paleo adventure but sure do miss pizza.

Makes 12 muffins

The Ingredients
2 1/2 cups grated cauliflower (about one small head)
1 1/2 cups almond flour
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

The Process
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Mix everything in a mixing bowl until it forms a dough.

3. Fill regular size muffin tins until full.

4. Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.
 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

While Portland, Oregon is not being blasted with snow like the east coast we are still having cold weather which means soup is always a great dinner option.  When I made this recipe from this blog it was the midst of holiday shopping time which we all know gets more chaotic every year.  I came home after a long day and just wanted to focus on something simple, delicious, and utterly satisfying.  In an effort to make more dinners that are vegetarian friendly I slightly adapted the recipe noted above.  I also attempted to make homemade bread (in the picture below) but again it tasted like nothing at all.  I am not good at baking expect for making pies and some Holiday cookies...  If anyone has a good homemade sourdough or french bread recipe that doesn't require lots of kneading I would love to see it!  I want to become better at baking, though cooking will always be my number one passion.  Enjoy.

Serves 4

The Ingredients 
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups 2% milk
4 cups vegetable stock
2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4-5 cups of broccoli florets
Salt and pepper

The Process
1.)  Heat butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender.

2.)  Add flour, stir and cook for a few minutes. Slowly add milk and vegetable broth, stirring constantly until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.)  Add grated cheese and stir until melted. Add broccoli and mix thoroughly. Let simmer until broccoli is tender.

Roasted Delicata, Arugula and Parmesan Polenta

Craving a vegetarian meal? Or are you a vegetarian?  Well this hardy and multidimensional meal will fill you with happy fall foods.  Somehow I have gotten through life without knowing of or ever tasting a delicata squash...  Now don't get me wrong, I am not new to squash, I absolutely love squash and try to find opportunities to make it all the time.  So when I heard of a squash that you eat the skin of, well I just HAD TO HAVE IT.  Upon buying a single delicata squash the librarian in me said "ok Kirsten time to research the hell out of this squash and create a list of at least 10 recipes that you can refer to for the next time you encounter this squash." So I did, and this was the first recipe I tried off my list and holy cow people are right, all you really need to do is roast the squash and eat it.  I'm not so good at keeping it simple so I followed this recipe from Delementals.

Serves 4

The Ingredients

1 delicata squash; halved, seeds removed and sliced in to 1/4″ slices
1 bunch of arugula; torn in to bite size pieces
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup coarse ground cornmeal (Polenta)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup cooked Du Puy Lentils
½ cup milk
4 tbs olive oil
1 tbs champagne vinegar
1 tsp stone ground mustard
Kosher Salt


The Process
 
1.) Preheat oven to 350°.  Toss the squash slices with the cooking olive oil and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt.  Spread in to a single layer on a roasting pan.

2.)  Bake for 20 minutes, or until tender and beginning to brown.  While the squash is roasting, cook the polenta.  Bring the broth or stock and a couple pinches of kosher salt to a boil.  Pour the cornmeal in to the broth in a steady stream, whisking constantly

3.)  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until polenta is nearly tender.  Add the milk to the polenta and continue to simmer until polenta is cooked through, and just beginning to set up.  Stir in the Parmesan. Cover and remove from heat until ready to serve.

4.)Whisk together the mustard, vinegar and good quality olive oil, along with a pinch or two of kosher salt (to taste).  Toss the vinaigrette with the Arugula.

5.)  To serve: spread the polenta on the plate, top with arugula – then Lentils and the roasted Delicata Squash slices.

 

Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Sauce

I had the idea to put these recipes together because of a dining experience I had at Recipe: A Neighborhood Kitchen. My lovely boyfriend and I went to Newberg, Oregon (wine country) to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. During our stay we went to the restaurant I mentioned above, to say that it was impeccable would be an understatement. The food, service, and quality were so so amazing...which unfortunately is not something I experience often and I live in Portland, Oregon which is a foodie town! Anyway I ordered pan-seared scallops with potato risotto and an apple citrus slaw. Since the meal was so amazing I decided to try and replicate it for Father's Day.  Here is a link to the original recipe from Bon Appetit  Below is the scallop recipe, the citrus fennel slaw and the potato risotto will be my next two posts.

 

Serves 3

Ingredients

1 lemon

1 ½ cups dry white wine

¼ cup shallots, sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 1/2 pounds large scallops

2 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

 

The Process

 

1.   Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemon in longs strips.  Squeeze 1 ½ tablespoons juice from lemon.

 

2.  Combine wine, shallots, garlic, and lemon peel in heavy small saucepan.  Boil until mixture is reduced to ½ cup, about 15 minutes.  Add cream and turmeric and boil until mixture thickens and is reduced to 1 ¼ cups, about 13 minutes.

 

3.  Pour mixture through fine strainer, discard solids in strainer.  Return sauce to pan.  Whisk in 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

4. Preheat oven to 400F.  Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.

 

5.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat.  Working in batches if necessary, add scallops to skillet and sear until browned and almost opaque in center, adding more butter and oil for next batch if needed.

 

6.  Transfer scallops to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake scallops until just opaque in center and heated through, about 3 minutes.  Serve with sauce over the top of the scallops.

Chicken and Poppy Seed Dumplings

I have been eating this dish since I was a child, my mother use to make it often and it was always delightful.  I love how it is a thicker version of the typical recipe you would find for it and the poppy seeds are a great touch!  Since this recipe is unique and dear to my heart I cannot give it to you, but you can always ask me to make it for you.  The process is a little taxing but well worth the effort.  So while the weather is still cold with some sunny days think of hearty yummy dishes and let these photos inspire you to make chicken and dumplings!

Steak Taquitos

With not much left in the cupboards and looking at a recipe on this blog, I decided to adapt and create some steak taquitos of my own.  I love using corn tortillas and I usually always make tacos or enchiladas when trying to use them up so I decided to change it up for once.  Again I do have to admit this isn't the healthiest recipe because there is a fair amount of cheese and the tortillas are fried a little in oil.  I ate them with a simple hot sauce but I would suggest making some sort of yummy salsa yogurt blend to dip them in.  Also I used onions for this recipe but I could see substituting the onions for shallots to give the taquitos a little different but delightful flavor.  While I am going to tag this recipe as a Mexican dish it was actually first create in San Diego, CA.  Enjoy.

Serves 2-3

The Ingredients
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 large petite sirloin steak (about 1 pound)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
8 small corn tortillas
1 cup colby cheese (or whatever you prefer), shredded
Olive oil


The Process
1.  In small bowl combine salt, cumin, garlic salt, chili powder, and paprika and stir well.  Then rub onto both sides of steak and let sit for 20 minutes.

2.  In the mean time take a medium size skillet and heat some olive oil in it and when hot add onions and cook for about 15 minutes or until onions are soft and start to caramelize.  Then take onions out of pan and set aside.

3.  Using same pan over medium-high heat cook your steak.  For medium to rare cook for about 4 minutes each side.  When done cooking set steak aside to rest before cutting.

4.  While steak is resting turn oven to 350 degrees.  Then heat up some oil in pan (2 tablespoons) over medium-high heat and fry each tortilla 30 seconds per side or until the tortillas get soft and bubbly, and make sure to keep them warm.

5.  Cut up steak into small bite size pieces.  Then assemble taquitos by putting some onions, steak, and cheese on the left side of the tortilla and then roll it up.  Repeat with the other seven tortillas.

6.  Place rolled taquitos on a greased pan and put in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the tips start to slightly brown.  Make sure to serve hot.