Blistered Green Beans with Tomato-Almond Pesto

Last night The Portland Kitchen (where I volunteer) held an amazing fundraising event at the Portland Airbnb office and it was a huge success!  I was in charge of selling drink tickets so I didn't get to mingle a ton with everyone but there were a lot of guests and very delicious food and drinks.  I can't say enough how much I love volunteering for such an amazing organization and the focus on our youth and food are two of my major passions.  This time of year is a great time for giving so if you feel so inclined please go to their website and make a donation, every little bit counts!  They have another fun event coming up called Cookies & Cocktails, go check out the event page for more fun details.   Anyway I am so happy that it is Friday, seems as if every week is a long week during the holiday season with so much happening all the time.  I am very excited for this weekend because not only do we get to relax a bunch but we will be attending some fun holiday craft fairs, visit with a good friend from out of town, and we are going to get our Christmas tree!  I am a person who really does love the holiday season, and speaking of my favorite holiday just passed (Thanksgiving) and here is what I made for it.  (Note I forgot to take a picture in the excitement of it all so this photo credit goes to Bon Appetit, which is also where the recipe is from.)

Serves 8

The Ingredients
2 pints cherry tomatoes
¼ cup unsalted, roasted almonds
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 pounds haricots verts or green beans, trimmed


The Process
1.  Preheat oven to 450°. Roast tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, turning once, until blistered and lightly charred, 15–20 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2.  Finely chop almonds in a food processor. Add garlic, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, cayenne, and half of tomatoes; pulse to a coarse pesto consistency. Season with salt and pepper. 


3.  Heat 1½ tsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add half of beans; cook, undisturbed, until beginning to blister, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 7–9 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Spread beans out on a platter; let cool. Repeat with remaining vegetable oil and beans. 


4.  Toss beans with pesto; season with salt and pepper if needed. Add remaining tomatoes and transfer to a platter. 


Tom Kha

I lied the green beans I made for Thanksgiving will not be this post but my next post;)  I have been on a really good kick of working out and mostly eating healthy lately and my body has been feeling amazing because of it.  Do you ever have those moments when you are in the middle of your workout and all of a sudden your body's strength takes over and each movement becomes that much more powerful?  Well that has been where I am at and it feels good because I have put in a lot of hard work getting there...now let's hope the holiday season doesn't throw me off haha.  In other fun news I am finally booking my flight to go out and visit one of my best friends ever in Austin, TX this spring.  Not only am I ecstatic to see her and her husband but I've never been to Austin and have heard wonderful things about the music and food scenes.  It will be a long overdue epic adventure that I will have so much to write about when I get back, especially the food.  Onto the soup, I adapted this recipe and made my favorite Thai soup ever...I can't even go to a Thai restaurant without ordering it.  I hope you enjoy this on a crisp cold fall evening like I did last night.

Serves 6

The Ingredients
1 1” piece ginger, grated
1 Tbsp. lime zest and ¼ cup lime juice
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced and the rings cut in half
2 roma tomatoes cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce (or to desired hotness)
1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, cut in half
1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk
2 Tbsp. fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemongrass paste
Cilantro leaves with tender stems, and lime wedges (for serving)


The Process
1.  Bring lemongrass, ginger, lime zest and juice, and broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors are melded, 8–10 minutes.

2.  Add chicken and return to a boil. Reduce heat, add mushrooms, onion, and tomatoes and simmer, skimming occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and mushrooms are soft, 20–25 minutes.

3.  Mix in coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, and garlic chili sauce.  Then divide soup among bowls. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.

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.

Pork Ragù over Creamy Polenta

I had such a lovely weekend staying in town, I often love to run away to the coast or mountains but it is important to remember how much I truly have in this city.  It started with Friday afternoon I took some PTO and left work a little early and went and had lunch with one of my very close friends, we ended up getting Ethiopian food at E'Njoni Cafe one of my favorite spots in Portland.  Then later that night I hung out with another awesome friend and we went to the Blazers vs. Clippers game.  I was a little nervous for the game because we were on a 7 game loosing streak but we played really well and beat them 102 - 91.  Then Saturday afternoon I attended an amazing 2 hour African dance workshop at the Vitalidad Movement Arts Center (pictured below).  It really brought me back to college days when I use to take African dance classes every term.  Saturday evening we celebrated my mom's birthday (happy birthday mom!) and my dad and I made her this delicious meal that I'm blogging about, original recipe here, it was a wonderful evening spent with family.  Sunday late morning I went on a hike with my good friend in Forest Park.  We both know this park very well but we were going on a new 9 mile loop and ended up getting a little lost...so our 9 miles turned into 12.5 miles haha.  We are both fit people so that was totally fine but I was pretty tired by the end and slept very very well last night.  Enjoy and happy Monday!

Serves 8

The Ingredients

Pork:
3 pounds skinless, boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 3 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup full-bodied red wine
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
4 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves

Polenta And Assembly:
Kosher salt
1½ cups coarse polenta (not quick-cooking)
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup grated Parmesan (from about 2 ounces), plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Olive oil (for drizzling)


The Process

Pork
1.  Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Cook pork, turning often, until evenly browned, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a platter and pour off pan drippings.
Wipe out any burned bits from pot, but leave the golden-brown pieces (doing this will keep the finished sauce from tasting bitter).

2.  Add onion and garlic to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to brown and caramelize, 12–15 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darkened in color, 5–8 minutes.

3.  Add wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by about half, 5–8 minutes.  Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, then add thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves; stir in 2 cups water. Add pork with any juices accumulated on the platter; season with salt and pepper.

4.  Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until pork is falling-apart tender, sauce is thickened (it will be thicker than a typical pasta sauce), and flavors have melded, 2½–3 hours.

5.  Using 2 forks, break up pork into pieces or shred it (your choice!); taste and season with salt and pepper.  Pork can be cooked 5 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill in sauce.


Polenta And Assembly
1.  Bring 6 cups salted water to a boil in a large pot. Whisking constantly, gradually add polenta; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, whisking often, until polenta is tender and creamy, 20–25 minutes (if polenta becomes too thick too soon, loosen mixture by adding more water and continue cooking).

2.  Add butter and ½ cup Parmesan to polenta and whisk until melted; season with salt and pepper.

3.  Spoon polenta into bowls or onto a platter and top with pork. Scatter parsley and more Parmesan over top and drizzle with oil.

Pork and Vegetable Soup

Portland's weather was pretty crazy last night and supposedly will be again tonight.  After my workout I was headed to my friend Becca's to hangout and make a warm fall soup when I hit a huge puddle I didn't see and it caused my battery to die, who knew that could happen?  Then on my way home from her house one of my windshield wipers just flew off out of nowhere, who knew that could happen either?  In other news I just read that Chris Kimball is leaving America's Test Kitchen which just breaks my heart.  If you haven't heard of this show you must check it out, it is all about food, cooking, testing, processes, etc.  I mostly listen to the podcasts at work while I'm working with data and his voice is just so comforting...sadness.  Anyway last night I hung out with my friend and finally met her adorable baby girl, then we put our heads together and came up with this delicious recipe.  Enjoy!

Serves 4

The Ingredients

1 lb ground pork

1 15-oz can of tomatoes

1 bunch of kale, chopped

1/2 of a large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, sliced

3 cups vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons tamari

1 tablespoon bacon fat

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper 

Canola oil

The Process

1.  In a large pot over medium high heat add olive oil and butter.  When hot add onions, pork, and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes.  Then add garlic, kale, and tomatoes.

2.  Cook for about 2 minutes and then add the stock.  Bring to a boil and then simmer.  While simmering add all spices, vinegar, bacon fat, and salt and pepper (to taste).

3.  Let simmer for about 10 minutes but make sure not to overcook the kale.  Serve up and eat!

Crispy Chicken with a Creamy Irish Whiskey and Chanterelle Mushroom Sauce

Last weekend was relaxing and funny because while I had some great down time, Saturday evening my friend had a 90's party and people were very animated.  I also managed to watch many of the last Blazer games which has been fun but frustrating because we are now on a 6 game losing streak but the hard part is we are barely losing most of these games.  We have a very new team and it is obvious that the players are still really learning how to play with each other, not to mention we have been playing some really good teams on this road trip.  My last blog post that I wrote on Friday was right before everything was coming out about what was happening in Paris and it just breaks my heart when things like this happen in our world.  I feel like it especially hit close to home since we were just there a little over a month ago and I had just finished reminiscing about Paris in my blog posts.  I can't imagine the horror and pain of being in a situation like that... So Friday evening after work I went and hung out with my parents for a little bit talking about the events of the day and sitting in front of their fireplace.  They then gave me a bag of fresh picked chanterelles and I was on my way (so generous of them).  I proceeded to cook and work through such a heartbreaking day and I adapted this delicious recipe that The Splendid Table featured.  Everyone seemed to really enjoy this dish, and it was just what we needed for such a somber night.

Serves 4

The Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
8 chicken drumsticks or thighs, skin on
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Apple cider vinegar braised kale, to serve with

For the sauce:
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
10 1/2 ounces chanterelle mushrooms
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Irish Whiskey
1 1/4 cups half and half
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon


The Process
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Place an ovenproof skillet or grill pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Once they have warmed and the butter has melted, add the garlic cloves and place the chicken, skin side down, in the pan. Season with salt and black pepper.

3. Cook until the skin is crisp, 2 minutes, then turn over and cook on the other side for 2 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 20 minutes. The whole garlic cloves will add a very slight flavor to the chicken.

4. While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the shallots and chanterelle mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Pour in the whiskey and turn up the heat. Let simmer until the whiskey has reduced by half.

5. Stir in the half and half and tarragon. Season with salt and black pepper, reduce the heat to low, and cook for another 5 minutes.

6. Serve the dish in four warm bowls. Divide your chosen braised kale between the bowls. Arrange the crispy chicken on top and spoon over the Irish whiskey and chanterelle mushroom sauce.

Pork Chops with Chive Butter

T.G.I.F. people!  It has been another long week even though I had veterans day off.  I'm very excited for tonight because my parents just got back from Yachats and they went mushroom hunting with their very good friends and came back with a bunch of chanterelles and they are sharing them with me.  So tonight I plan on making something amazing with them, yum yum yum!  Below is a picture of my dad (on left) and his bud foraging for mushrooms.  Speaking of mushroom hunting we are going to go out and hunt on Sunday with some of our friends so hopefully we have as much success as my parents did.  It is suppose to be a very wet weekend...so hopefully that will all happen tonight and Saturday and then be dry for us on Sunday.  I can't believe the holiday season is just around the corner!  I've already started thinking about what I want to make for Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) and my mom's birthday is coming up and I want to make a delicious meal for her too!  Last night I adapted this simple recipe and paired it with balsamic roasted broccoli and sauteed mushrooms.  Enjoy!

Serves 4

The Ingredients
4 pork chops
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 clove of garlic (halved)
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil


The Process
1.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt & pepper.

2.  Place chops in the heated skillet, cooking for about 5-8 minutes (or until golden brown) on one side. Flip and continue cooking for about 3 more minutes. Remove chops to a plate and cover to keep warm.

3.  Reduce the heat to medium. Place a tablespoon of butter in the skillet along with the chives and garlic. Heat until butter has melted and begins bubbling and turning brown. Drizzle butter over pork chop and serve.