Coast Food

Last November, my mom and stepdad bought a house in Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast. Forever dubbed "The Coast House" by my 4 year old, it is a home they hope to retire to; but for now it is a place where we can gather with family and get away from it all. Although, only 80 miles from Portland, when I visit , I feel a world away. A house where bacon is cooked up every morning, without concern to waistlines or cholesterol. A place where the biggest worry is deciding what to cook or where to eat..... Seahawk Bread and chowder from Tidal Raves? Fish and Chips from Gracie's or J's? Or should we just pick up some fresh caught seafood at Barnacle Bills? I'm not kidding,  these are serious Coast House decisions! However, there are a few staple meals that I usually prepare on our visits, here are two of them:

Smoked Salmon Pasta

I make this pasta both in full fat and reduced fat versions. I haven't noticed a huge difference in taste between them, however the full fat version creates a smoother, creamier sauce. If entertaining, I would suggest using whole fats, but feel free to substitute for non fat choices. This recipe easily doubles to feed a crowd as well. When I feel like splurging, I also double the amount of smoked salmon. (That doesn't hurt as well.)

* make sure to use cold smoked salmon (lox). Do not use hot, canned, or hardwood smoked salmon or your pasta will be far too salty.

16 ounces penne pasta

4 ounces cold smoked salmon (lox), chopped into small pieces.

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced

2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup heavy cream

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, cubed & at room temperature. 

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup dry white wine; Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigo

2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons olive oil

* optional grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of boiling, salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to Al Dente. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until cooked to a light golden brown color about 10 minutes. Add garlic, cook one minute. Add white wine, and cook until slightly reduced, 3-4 minutes. Add the cream cheese and continuously stir until fully incorporated, then add the cream. Add tomato paste and stir. Add smoked salmon and continue cooking and stirring, until sauce is thick and creamy. Remove from heat and add hot penne pasta. Mix together. Serve with a little grated Parmesan sprinkled on top and enjoy!

Steamed Clams and Mussels

This is a very simple recipe and can be used for both mussels and clams. With mussels, instead of wine, I like to use beer. Choose a non hoppy, malty beer, like an amber ale. I suggest Widmer Drop Top Amber Ale.

3 tablespoons Salted butter

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup dry white wine ( if using mussels, substitute amber ale )

3 pounds clams or mussels in shell

Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil. Add shellfish and cover with a lid, cook about 5 minutes until shells are opened. Discard any unopened shellfish.

Cioppino

Hello? Is anybody still reading me? Probably not, and that's understandable. It has been about 15 months since my last blog entry. No, I didn't go to rehab, to prison, or stop eating, though that seems to be pretty fashionable these days. I was pregnant, we moved, and then we welcomed our little blessing into our new home. So now that I am no longer sleep deprived or wine deprived, I'm back. But I didn't want to come back and start off with just "any" blog. I wanted an "amazing" dish, and that dish would be cioppino.

I'm not sure if cioppino is my absolute favorite dinner or not, but it will definitley be involved in my last meal (when i'm 103, of course) right next to the BLT on sourdough and chocolate shake.
This is my grandma's cioppino. She makes it every Christmas and Christmas just isn't the same without it. One year I couldn't make it down to California for Christmas, and I was also on bedrest and couldn't cook, so my sister made it for us; that way we still felt like we had a little bit of Grandma on Christmas. Jon (my hubby) looks forward to this every Christmas now too, and I love seeing the excitement on everybody's faces as the cioppino is about to be served. It's not just food that ties us together, but the traditions that go with it. My grandma knows this better than anybody. She is one smart lady.

My grandma turns 70 on Groundhog's Day, but you wouldn't know it. She even text messages. Now how many people have a grandma that texts? Yep, she's that cool. My grandma is the best cook I know, she just understands flavor and even makes leftovers taste like a gourmet meal. When I think of a woman with great character that I love and admire the most, I think of my Grandma. My cousins, sister and I are all convinced that we are each her favorite, arguing over our lists of reasons why. We all fervently believe that we are the favorite, because she makes us all individually feel that way. Now that's one good grandma.

Happy 70th Birthday Grandma Londa !!
This is P & G. After 53 years, a picture of my grandma without my papa is next to impossible to find.

Now go make this cioppino. This recipe can be easily doubled, or tripled, just make sure you have a big stock pot. This recipe is also best when served to all your "favorite" people.

Cioppino (Serves 6)
Note: Use a big soup/stock pot. Use whatever fresh fish and shellfish you like. Sometimes my grandma adds clams and mussels and sometimes she just uses shrimp, fish, and crab. Lots of crab.

1/4 cup good olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 red or green pepper, finely chopped
1 28 ounce can stewed tomatoes, chopped up
2 cups tomato juice or clamato (if you like it spicy, use 1/2 tj, 1/2 spicy clamato)
2 cups dry red wine (decent)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
16-24 clams/mussels or both in shells
1 large halibut, rockfish, or snapper steak or thick fillet (skinned and boned)
1 large dungeness crab in shell
1 lb sliced fresh musrooms

Lemon wedges for serving
Hot, buttered sourdough bread


Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Saute peppers, onions, and garlic, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, liquids and seasonings. cook covered, for one hour. Remove bay leaf. Refrigerate until shortly before serving time. (I like to do this the night before, it lets all the flavors meld.) Devein and shell shrimp (keeping tails on). Clean, clams and mussels in salt water, rinsing several times to get rid of grit.) Remove crab legs, break body into sections, save any loose body meat. Cube fish into 1-2 inch pieces. Twenty minutes before serving time bring tomato mixture to a boil and add mushrooms; simmer 10 minutes. Add Crab and shellfish, simmer 10 minutes, then add shrimp and fish. When shrimp curl up and clams all open, cioppino is done! (Discard any unopened shells) Serve with lemon wedges, and hot sourdough bread!

Fish Tacos with Avocado & Tomato Salsa

I have decided this is going to be my shout out blog post . So please oblige me on these 3 shout outs. I am afterall, still sharing a recipe with you. The # 1 shout out is to my little cousin Aaron ( he is actually not so little anymore, but to me he will remain for all intensive purposes, my little cousin.) Aaron is serving over in Iraq right now. Thank you for the great job you are doing, we love you!! The #2 shout out is to 2 of my oldest friends, Liz & Kim who came up to visit this weekend. Thanks for coming and sharing your love for breakfast & beer! And finally my 3rd shout out is to my Aunt Wendy, who has to eat gluten free and often can not make the recipes I post. The following recipe however she can, so here is to you Wendy, cook this!

After a fun-filled but exhausting 3 day weekend, (Thank you Kim & Liz!) I am finally back into the cooking swing of things. I made these fish tacos tonight and they were really fresh, light , and tasty, basically the quintessential summer dinner. I used Rockfish (abundant in the PNW) but you could use Red Snapper, Cod, or even Catfish. You basically just want a light fish that won’t be too overpowering, that will absorb a lot of flavor, and stand up to broiling. This recipe is healthy & figure friendly, not to mention gluten-free (Wendy, make this!)

This recipe serves 4!

For the Salsa:

4 Plum/Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 Large Hass avocado, peeled & chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 Tablespoons green onions, chopped
3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
½ Jalapeno, minced with seeds.
Salt & pepper

Mix in medium bowl, season with salt and pepper. Let the flavors hang out and come together while you make the rest of the meal.

For the Fish:

1 Pound fish fillets, skinned & de-boned
2 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ Jalapeno, minced with seeds
2 Cups thinly sliced leaf lettuce
¼ Cup pepper jack or Cotija cheese
6 -inch corn or flour totrtillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place fish fillets in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt & pepper. Mix garlic, lime juice, and jalapeno in a small bowl. Drizzle half the lime juice mixture over fish, reserving remainder. Let fish stand 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and place in oven until heated through (about the 15 minutes). Remove tortillas, keeping them in foil until ready to serve. Preheat broiler. Broil fish until just opaque in center, about 6-8 minutes. Cut fish into 1 inch pieces. Top each tortilla with lettuce, fish, and some of the reserved lime juice mixture. Spoon salsa over and sprinkle with cheese. Enjoy!

This past weekend was Memorial Day Weekend, if you didn’t notice. We don’t just get a 3 day weekend at the beginning of summer so we can all barbeque and work on our tan. Men and women that have served and are serving our country as we speak, are the reason we celebrate this holiday, so please don’t forget that! Miss you Aaron! (Aaron is the Airman 3rd from the left, shaking hands.)