A Tale of Two Sauces: Yogurt & Salsa Verde

So I know I said I would post the Bouchon Au Thons recipe from the book I am currently reading, A Homemade Life: Stories & Recipes From My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg ( also known to many as the Orangette)but instead I am going to post a different recipe from her book: Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce and Roasted Cauliflower with Salsa Verde. The Bouchon Au Thons (basically mini tuna quiches) weren’t bad, I have already made them twice, but I feel like the following recipes are a better crowd pleaser overall. If I am going to post something, I want it to be a dish (or in this case two dishes) that can be shared and savored, making someone want to “kiss the cook“, so to speak. Plus I love the idea of reinventing classic dishes and jazzing them up with sauces to bring them out of the ordinary everyday. These two recipes were written about separately but I thought the two would go well together to make a meal. I also happened to have a lot of cilantro on hand that needed to be used. But honestly, it is really hard not to read this book and want to make everything in it right away! However, I will probably make these dishes separately from now on, mainly so that I can enjoy each one on its own. It was too much of a dilemma trying to decide whether to fill my belly with the meatballs or with the cauliflower…..

The meatballs take a little time to cook, but are well worth it. Plus, they can be assembled raw a day ahead and then cooked the next night. They would make a great appetizer for a dinner party. I used lamb, but you could also use chicken or turkey. If you are using chicken or turkey make sure to use half dark & half white meat. Cooking with cumin is something I have tried to avoid, due to the fact that it has a tendency to smell a bit like body odor and I have flashbacks to an overcrowded Parisian subway (yes, the stereotype in my experience has proven to be true!) Now doesn’t that make you want to cook with it? Seriously though, cumin does wonders to ground meat dishes, so don’t be afraid, even if you are not accustomed to the smell. The little bits of golden raisins are the secret ingredient, creating the perfect balance between sweet and savory, and the yogurt sauce is the perfect accompaniment, making the dish come together. There will be some yogurt sauce leftover and I suggest saving it for another meal with some warm flat bread and fresh veggies , maybe steaming an artichoke….. Trust me you won’t want to waste any of this sauce!

The roasted cauliflower was the big eye opener of the evening. It was so tasty with the salsa verde that I made it again the very next night. (Alongside the hodgepodge meal of flat bread, veggies and the leftover yogurt dip!) I had roasted cauliflower before but never with a dressing, much less a dressing with these kind of flavors. This dish was a real aha! moment for me (I know it is an Oprah quote, but it works!), before this I thought the only thing to do with cauliflower was to drown it in melted cheese…..The salsa verde is the definitely the sumthin’ sumthin’ that takes this roasted cauliflower to a whole new level. Between the three of us (and let me add that the 3rd diner is a 1 year old) there wasn’t a crumb left!

Meatballs with Pine Nuts, Cilantro and Golden Raisins
Makes 30 Meatballs

½ cup finely minced yellow onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
½ cup chopped pine nuts
½ cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped or halved
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup fine bread crumbs
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound ground lamb , turkey , or chicken
4 tablespoons olive oil (for cooking)
Yogurt Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt (not low or nonfat)
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt

First, make the yogurt sauce, you will want a little time for flavors to develop. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin , and salt and whisk together. Set aside while you make the meatballs.

To make the meatballs, combine all the ingredients except the meat and olive oil in a large bowl. Add the ground meat and using your hands, break it up into small pieces and then gently kneading the mixture to incorporate all the ingredients. Be careful not to over mix, or the meat will get tough! Pinch off hunks of the mixture and roll into 1 inch balls. Set aside on a large plate. (These can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.)

Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add about half of the meatballs, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Let them color on each side, turning them gently with tongs. The meatballs are ready when they are evenly browned and feel firm but not tough. Cut a meatball in half, just to be sure. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel lined plate. Add the 2 remaining tablespoons of olive oil and repeat with the remaining meatballs. This part takes some patience, and it will be tempting to turn the heat up a little, but if you do, you will end up with the outside of the meatball cooked and a raw inside, so let them hang out and do their thing. Serve with the yogurt sauce!


Roasted Cauliflower with Salsa Verde
Makes 4 side dish servings

Salsa Verde

1 medium jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped.
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 medium garlic cloves, minced with a pinch of salt
2-3 tablespoons fresh limes juice (I found 2 ½ to be about right)
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Roasted Cauliflower

1 medium cauliflower (2 to 2 ½ pounds)
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

First prepare the salsa verde. Just like the yogurt, you want it to sit. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, whisk together and set aside for up to an hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Wash and dry the cauliflower well. Put it on a cutting board, stem side down and slice it vertically from the top down into ¼ inch slices. You will get a bunch of cauliflower crumbs and only a few intact slices, this is fine. Put the cauliflower in a bowl and toss with olive oil until all the pieces are lightly coated. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a heavy baking pan. If too crowded, use two pans! Salt lightly. Bake until the cauliflower is golden and tender, even browned in spots, turning once with a spatula 20 to 30 minutes. Salt lightly again. Serve with the salsa verde. I just tossed the warm cauliflower directly in the salsa verde bowl like a salad rather than served on the side, but you could do it either way.

Footnote: Radishes with Unsalted Butter and Sea Salt

Another snack that this book made me want to try: Radishes with Butter and Salt on Toast. This snack is not a new concept, it is very popular with French mothers everywhere, but reading Molly describe it, gave that extra push to try it. It also helps that radishes are in season and also super cheap! My grocery store has them on sale 2 bunches for 88 cents, you really can’t beat that! Now I am hooked and have been enjoying these just about everyday. These make a great afternoon snack or appetizer.
Here is what you do: Take a slice of bread/baguette, either plain or toasted (about 1/3 inch thick) spread with unsalted butter (chilled works great, enabling you to taste thicker chunks of butter) and then top your bread with thinly sliced radishes. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Be careful these are addicting!

Thin Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

My daughter loves spaghetti. This is not a newsflash, I mean who doesn’t like spaghetti? The problem is that some days I just don’t have the time or the want to make a spaghetti sauce that takes all day to cook. Yes, a good red sauce needs to cook all day, preferably be cooled down after cooking, and then reheated to get the most developed flavors. My Grandma Londa, who also happens to be an excellent cook, taught me this and is pretty adamant about it! So I usually try to reserve my spaghetti making to days when I am going to be home all day. Those days are usually Sundays, but there are just times during the week when I want that comfort of those flavors and I want Sofia to eat a big dinner, so I was delighted when I ran across this pasta recipe.

This sauce is super easy and quick, and can be made with items in the pantry. The use of sun-dried tomatoes gives this dish that deep slow cooked flavor you get from homemade spaghetti sauce, but the whole dish can be thrown together in less than 20 minutes. I get my sun-dried tomatoes at Trader Joes, they are much cheaper there than the grocery store and you can buy them already julienned, thus reducing your cooking and cleanup time, which is exactly what you want in a good weeknight dinner. This recipe also calls for goat cheese, but this part is completely optional, I truthfully don’t think leaving it out takes away anything from the dish. If I have it on hand, I throw it in, if not I don’t. My daughter loves this dish almost as much as my trusty spaghetti (if it had ground beef, it would be a tie!) and I love that I can throw this dish together any old night and my taste buds are truly satisfied!

The idea for this sauce has been adapted from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentis, serves 4!

1 10 Ounce Jar Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil, Chopped. (Reserve the Oil!)
1 Small Yellow Onion, Chopped.
4 Garlic Cloves, Pressed or Grated (You can do minced, but I don't like big pieces of garlic in my sauce)
2 Cups Dry White Wine
¼ Cup Tomato Paste
1 Pound Thin Spaghetti (I always use Barilla)
3 Tablespoons Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
S & P
3 Ounces Fresh Goat Cheese (Optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling add thin spaghetti and cook until al dente (about 6-7 minutes). I usually start the sauce (below) and try to drop the thin spaghetti into the water about the same time I add the wine to the sauce.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir about 30 seconds. Immediately add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and simmer bout 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta water. (I do this by sticking a mug into the pasta water before draining.) Add the pasta and parsley to the sauce, toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. If using, sprinkle with goat cheese and serve!

Sofia enjoying some weeknight spaghetti!

Thank You!

I just wanted to say a big "Thank You" to everyone who supported the March of Dimes this year, either financially or by walking in your own community. We had a great time walking the 10k and getting to see our city from a new perspective! Again, thank you for all the generous donations and moral support!

The Westside view of the river, the Eastside view of the river, & crossing the Hawthorne Bridge

Banana Bread with Valrhona Chocolate

So I just recently bought Molly Wizenberg’s book A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table and have been trying out her recipes. Albeit slowly, with only a few chapters a day. (It is hard to get in a lot of reading time with a 1 year old….) Her book is wonderful, not only the recipes, but the stories she tells about the recipes, just make you want to run out and cook the food she is talking about. I have already cried at least 3 times (but in a good appreciating life and love kind of way) and I am not even halfway done with the book….

The recipes that I have so far attempted are her Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Crystallized Ginger and Bouchon Au Thon (Basically tuna soufflés.)Well, not just I , but we. Jon has become the unofficial Markum family baker. I don’t like baking. I am a walking contradiction in that I am not a very good rule follower but I am also Type A. So baking does not suit me, when baking you have to follow the recipe precisely or it will not come out perfect or even close. The Type A in me can not stand for things to come out of the oven deflated and sad, undercooked/overcooked, etc. When you are cooking, you have the freedom to improvise, add a little of this, a little of that, and your dish more often then not, comes out not only edible, but even sometimes rather improved from the original version. You also have to have a lot of patience to be a good baker, a virtue I am not blessed with…. So Jon has become the baker in the family. He has a lot of patience, (He married me didn’t he?) and he is very good at making exact measurements (the cost engineer in him, I think.) He also doesn’t act too annoyed when I hover over him while he is baking, trying to make sure he is doing it right (The type A in me…) and asking annoying questions like “Are you sure you used the right amount of vanilla? Are you sure?”. So Wednesday night, he made us this banana bread (I did try to help by chopping the chocolate and not hovering too much) and it turned out delicious. I had not just one, but two slices. Make this banana bread. Better yet, have someone make it for you, it tastes sweeter that way….

This recipe is adapted from Molly Wizenberg’s A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table. We didn’t have any crystallized ginger, so we didn’t use it. Instead of chocolate chips we used semisweet Valrhona chocolate. Valrhona chocolate is amazing, perfect for baking, and also makes excellent chocolate chip cookies. (Now I finally discovered the secret to the chocolate chip cookies they serve at Ken’s Artisan Bakery in NW Portland and can quit trekking up there all the time and just make my own, or um, more like have Jon make me some!)You see it is all about the chocolate! I strongly suggest using Valrhona if you can find it. I found it at Trader Joe’s. This bread tastes great warm or cold and can even be frozen and enjoyed at a later date. Jon enjoys a slice in the morning with a cup of coffee!

6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
¾ Cup Sugar
¾ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¾ Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips or 5 Ounces Chopped Valrhona Chocolate
2 Large Eggs
1 ½ Cups Mashed Bananas (About 3 Large Ripe Bananas)
¼ Cup Stirred Whole Milk Plain Yogurt (not low fat or nonfat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure rack is positioned in the center. Grease standard size loaf pan with cooking spray or butter. In a small bowl, microwave the butter until just melted. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate and whisk well to combine. Set aside. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla and mix well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir gently with a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides as needed until just combined. Be careful not over mix. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top.

Bake until the loaf is a deep golden brown, about 50 minutes to an hour. Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack and then tip it out of the pan onto the rack. Cool completely before slicing. If freezing, Molly suggests to wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil to keep out frost!

Note: Don't be afraid to add more chocolate! It depends how sweet you want it but on average I always add a another handful of chopped chocolate or chips!

Sofia enjoying a slice!

MARCH FOR BABIES

Hi! So this post has nothing to do with food at all....(gasp here!) but it does have to do with babies; specifically saving babies lives so that one day they can grow up and be little foodies too! This Saturday, Jon, Sofia and I will be walking in the March for Babies walk in Portland for the March of Dimes. We are only $70 short of our goal of $200, so if you feel the urge, or know of somebody who might have one, follow the link above to my walking site and donate!

My Love Affair with Zinfandel

I love Zinfandel. Maybe it is because I am a native Californian and will always be at heart, no matter how long I live in Oregon, that I love this grape so much. Zinfandel is a grape native to California, thriving in climates that are hot and get extreme sun during the day. The hot sunlight makes the Zinfandel grapes juicy and bursting with bold multidimensional flavor. My favorite Zinfandels are Old Vine, which come out of the Lodi/Stockton area, this area stays hot all day and doesn‘t cool off at night, unlike the other Zinfandel growing coastal areas. The term "Old Vine" means that the grapes are more than 50 years old. Old Vine Zinfandel grapes don’t yield as bountiful as a crop as new zinfandel grapes and so are not always popular with vinters, but in my opinion, the Old Vine grapes produce the most rich, intense, big flavor Zinfandels. Another popular area known for growing Old Vine Zinfandels are the Amador County/Placerville areas. Old Vine or not, the Zinfandel regions in California all put their unique stamp on the varietal; with each region producing distinctly different Zinfandel wines . The good thing is you don’t have to be choosy, Paso Robles, Sonoma , Mendocino , Lodi , Amador, And Russian River Valley are all turning out stellar zinfandels.

The grape is catching on in popularity in other wine regions throughout the United States, but the best ones come out of California. I have tasted some expensive bottles from Oregon and Washington, but they don’t measure up to even the cheaper California ones. Zinfandel tends to be higher in alcohol content than other varietals and Old Vine wines usually run in the 14.5 % plus category. Because of this, Zinfandels lend themselves very well to food, especially meat, pastas, tomato based dishes, and other outdoor barbecue fare. If you haven’t tried Zinfandel yet, or are looking to try others, these are 2 affordable Old Vine wines that can be found pretty easily: Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel 2007 (Lodi) contains those classic bold berry smooth flavors and Renwood Old Vine Zinfandel 2005(Amador County) for those who like a spicier kick to their Zin. Gnarly Head was the first wine I had after being pregnant, and what a moment of bliss that was after 9 months, even if after half a glass I loudly declared “I feel drunk!” to my father no less. The first time I tasted the Renwood was alongside a savory goat cheese crepe at Le Happy in Portland, and boy did it make me happy =)

Goat Cheese

Among a long list of foods I can’t get enough of is goat cheese. Goat cheese is fantastic because not only does it taste great, but it is also a really versatile cheese, it can be used in recipes both sweet and savory. You can even plan a whole menu around the cheese though this is not recommended unless you have checked that all dinner guests are fans of the goat. Imagine my embarrassment when I cooked a dinner using goat cheese in all 3 courses, only to find out after the appetizer that my step mom Diane didn’t like goat cheese. I felt like such a bad host, so check first before you go goat cheese crazy like I did, which is easy to do because it is such a good cheese…..

Goat cheese is also a wonderful alternative for those that are lactose intolerant and it also has less fat then cow milk cheese. Trader Joe’s carries a goat milk yogurt from Redwood Hill Farms in Sonoma. There are many goat cheese artisans throughout Oregon and California producing local, fresh, exciting cheeses. You can often find them at Farmers Markets or specialty food shops, but there are also affordable, tasty chevres to be found at your supermarket. Try Laura Chenel, Redwood Hills , or Trader Joe’s brand. My local picks are Alsea Acres and Fraga Farms. Goat Cheese pairs really well with Pinot Gris/Grigio. Try Sweet Cheeks Winery Pinot Gris (2007) or Fetzer Pinot Grigio (2007). I use goat cheese a lot in my cooking, so I am sure this is just the first of several posts to come….

I made this goat cheese dip as an appetizer for Sofia’s BFF’s Ciana’s birthday party this past weekend. (For pic see above.) Happy 1st birthday Ciana! The dip was a big hit, (no leftovers is a good sign!) it was lemony, fresh and just screamed SPRINGTIME!


The Fairy Princesses: Kamryn, Sofia, & Ciana. The bday girl was turned away from the camera but her purple wings look fabulous!

Goat Cheese with Lemon and Herbs
4-5 Ounces Plain Goat Cheese/Chevre
Zest of 1 Lemon
Juice of Half a Lemon
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley and Lemon Thyme
Sprinkle of pepper

Take goat cheese out of fridge and bring to room temperature. Mix in small bowl with lemon juice, zest, herbs and a little pepper. Mix altogether and mold into serving dish. Sprinle with a little more zest on top for presentation. Pop dip back into fridge until guests arrive, serve with your favorite crackers!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
I served these Goat Cheese stuffed chicken breasts with my potato and parsnip puree.

Serves 4, but recipe can be easily doubled!
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
3 Ounces Fresh Goat Cheese
½ Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
3 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Herbs (Parsley, Thyme , Chives)
½ Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Clove Minced Garlic
Kosher Salt & Pepper
¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
For Breading:
1 Cup Flour (All-Purpose)
2 Tablespoons Paprika (Hungarian)
1 Cup Fresh Breadcrumbs
1 Large Egg
2 Teaspoons Water

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Put chicken breasts on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep pocket into the thick side of the chicken. Try to cut about ¾ of the way through, being careful not to cut through the chicken. Cut a pocket about 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches. Cut this pocket into all the chicken breasts. In a small bowl, mix together the goat cheese, butter, herbs, lemon juice and garlic. Season with S & P. Divide mixture into 4 equal pieces and stuff inside the chicken breast pockets. Press the edges of the chicken to seal. Season chicken with S & P. See Picture below, this is what the chicken should look like.

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and paprika. In another bowl beat the egg with water. In a another bowl, put the breadcrumbs. Set it up assembly line style: flour, egg , breadcrumbs. Take each piece of chicken, dip both sides in flour, then egg, shaking to remove excess, then into the breadcrumbs. Set Aside. In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Place skillet in the oven and bake until chicken is cooked through, about 10 more minutes. This dish tastes great with mashed potatoes and asparagus!

Potato & Parsnip Puree

The weather in the Northwest this time of year can be a bit manic depressive. For example yesterday was sunny and a balmy 67 degrees. I say balmy, because at temps in the high 60’s, Portlanders will come outside in droves, busting out their barbecues, new running shoes, and filling up the sidewalks of outdoor cafes. This took a lot of getting used to when I first moved to Oregon. Growing up in California, anything in the 60 degrees mark would be sweatshirt weather, but after several years in Oregon instead of the sweatshirt, I bust out my flip flops too. So yesterday was spent outside all day soaking up the Vitamin D, but this morning I woke up to dark skies, drizzly rain , and temps in the 40’s. What can I say? Spring in Oregon. The weather shapes the selection at the farmers markets too, so while there are some asparagus and herbs, there are still the root vegetables and dark greens from winter hanging around. We are kind of stuck in the middle with it not being quite time for the produce bounty of late spring and summer, and the enthusiasm for root vegetables is about zapped up.This can keep you in kind of a cooking rut, so this time of year I am always looking for ideas to jazz up dinner. I came up with this potato and parsnip puree because I was tired of boring potatoes and the ubiquitous roasted parsnips. I decided to combine the two. By doing that, I add a little dimension to the potatoes, and my tato loving husband still gets his mashers. Roasted parsnips taste a lot like a roasted carrot but not as sweet.

Using a ricer is essential to making this dish. I discovered ricers about 2 years ago and it has changed my potato making forever. You know how restaurants always have creamy, starch-less mashed potatoes? Well it is because they use ricers. You can buy a domestic, handheld metal one for less than $15. I got mine from a local kitchen store. How you use the ricer is simple. You take your boiled potatoes/roasted parsnips (still hot) and push them through the ricer. The ricer retains all the starchy skin from the vegetables, creating creamy spirals that come out, resulting in smooth mashed potatoes, no masher required. The best thing about using the ricer? Eliminating the starchiness, enables you to use less butterfat, etc to have creamy mashed potatoes. Using the ricer just makes the potatoes taste better, it changed my potato making life, and I hope it changes yours……

I served this puree alongside Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts and asparagus, which will be my next post!

Serves 4!

4 Yukon Gold Potatoes
4 Parsnips
3 Tablespoons Salted Butter
6-8 Tablespoons Whole Milk (Cream or ½ & ½ can be substituted, but with a 1 year old we go through whole milk like it is going out of style.)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Boil Yukon Golf Potatoes over medium heat until tender. (About 45 minutes.) Toss Parsnips in Olive Oil & roast at 350 degrees in a covered baking dish for 60 minutes. Pass potatoes and parsnips through a ricer (food mill will work too.) while still hot. Put Puree in pot on low/med heat. Add butter and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir and serve!

Lemon Linguine with Artichokes

Maybe it is the springtime (Yes, underneath this cloudy Portland weather), but I have been craving lemons and fresh greens lately, so I decided to make this pasta tonight for dinner. I usually make this recipe with shrimp. However last time I made it was for a girlfriends lunch and my girlfriend Julie proceeded to pick out all the shrimp and just eat the pasta. At first I was embarrassed that maybe my shrimp tasted terrible or something, but later found out she had developed an aversion to seafood during her pregnancy and was still not in the swing of things yet. That incident got me thinking about what might be a good shrimp-less substitute and I came up with artichokes. Also, I decided to try the artichokes, because they don’t have any cholesterol, whereas shrimp is actually very high in cholesterol. This dish is fast and simple for weeknight but also makes an elegant presentation if you were having guests over. Frozen artichokes (and artichokes in general) can be expensive, so whenever I go to Trader Joes (The cheapest I have found) I just stock up on them. If you wanted only pasta, this dish would still be tasty without the artichokes, the lemon really being the main flavor spot of this recipe. And of course, the little bit of wine used is just an excuse to open a bottle with dinner. Enjoy!

Also a quick money saver that anyone can do. (Yes, even while city living!) I have 2 window size boxes on my deck that I have planted herbs in. Sage, oregano , lemon thyme , thyme , chives , and parsley. Basil needs another month or so. Basically it cost me about $10 to plant all this, but is going to save me lots more than that by making it easy to have fresh herbs for cooking all spring and summer and not have to buy any! I think of it as sort of an herb pantry, knowing I always have these fresh on hand. Now just wish me luck remembering to water them!

Serves 4!

¾ Pound Linguine
1 Shallot (Finely Minced)
4 Cloves Garlic (Finely Minced)
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
¼ Cup Dry White Wine
12 Ounces Frozen Artichoke Hearts (Dethawed)
¼ Cup Chopped Parsley
1 Lemon zested
Juice of 2 Lemons (Small) or 1 Large (About ¼ Cup)
¼ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Kosher Salt and Pepper

Cook Linguine in salted boiling water. Meanwhile, melt butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped shallots. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minutes. Add artichokes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add white wine. Cook altogether at a simmer until wine reduces, about 5 minutes. Add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper. Remove from heat. Toss with linguine and serve!

Spring BBQ: Cedar Planked Salmon with Fresh Herbs

Sunday night. 8:30 PM. Animal Fries from IN N OUT. Not really. I tried channeling that lady from those old Mervyn’s commercials ( “open, open , open”) to no avail. It was Easter Sunday and they were closed. For the first time ever on a trip home to California I did not get to eat at In n Out Burger. Even though this now means my craving for it will be twice as bad next time I visit; it was also a good sign. It meant that I had been eating so much wonderful fresh homecooking, I hadn’t even had time to think about it until the night before we were supposed to leave. On our trip, we ate at a few good restaurants, but we also had a couple great barbecues out at my dad’s house. My favorite was Saturday night when we made Cedar Planked Salmon. I had bought my dad the cedar planks 6 years ago, but they had gotten pushed to the back of the cupboard and then were recently rediscovered. Saturday evening they were finally put to use and were well worth the wait. The cedar plank allowed the salmon to cook perfectly through and still be moist. All the fresh herbs mingling with the cedar gave the salmon a remarkable flavor. It was hands down the best salmon I had ever had, and it was hard to stop eating it. I will definitely be cooking salmon this way all summer! Maybe next time I have it, it will be after an appetizer of those addictive Animal Fries…..

It is very important that you soak the cedar planks in water first or the wood will catch on fire! Cedar planks can be bought at most larger grocery stores in the fish section , ordered online , or even cut at your local lumberyard. Try to use wild salmon, if using farmed, try to avoid using Atlantic Salmon. (For more information see: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx )

This recipe is for 1 salmon (serving 4) but can easily be doubled. (We made 2!)

1 Cedar Plank
1 2-3 Pound Salmon Fillet (Skinned and Boned)
3 Tablespoons McCormick’s Salt Free Parsley & Herb Blend ( contains oregano, crushed red pepper, basil , rosemary , parsley, paprika, and lemon pepper)
3 Sprigs Rosemary
3 Sprigs Lemon Thyme
3 Sprigs Dill
3-4 Lemon Slices

Place salmon on soaked cedar plank. Sprinkle seasoning blend on salmon. If you don’t have that seasoning blend, make up your own, but try to use much of those same ingredients. Lay the fresh herb sprigs on top of the salmon, with the dill on top. Place lemon slices on top of the dill sprigs. Barbecue salmon over a medium high flame on a gas grill for 25 minutes. We served this salmon alongside garlic bread and a jazzed up caeser salad. Add some wine to this mix and you have the perfect outdoor spring dinner party!

Happy Easter!

Hi Everyone! Happy Easter & Sweet Passover (I think that is what you say, correct me if I am wrong please..) We are headed to California and will be visiting Monterey so I hope to bring back a new artichoke or fish recipe...I will post again early next week! Have a great holiday and make some sangria =)

Sangria

I fell in love with sangria one hot July evening in Sevilla , Spain. I had stayed away from ordering sangria because I couldn’t quite get the concept, I mean why in the world would you serve red wine cold and with fruit? But evening after evening, regular wine, beer , or soda could not quench my thirst or cool me off. So after a few days I ordered a big glass of sangria with my dinner, just to see what all the fuss was about. After my first taste of a red wine &brandy soaked bit of apple, I knew there really was such a thing as love at first bite…..

Upon returning home, I became obsessed with sangria. No restaurants around where I lived served it, and if they had, I wasn’t 21 yet, so it wouldn’t have mattered. (Don‘t get me started on this country‘s drinking age laws….) So with Spanish cookbooks in hand, I set out perfecting my own sangria, testing it out on friends & family along the way. And in the end, I think I ended up with a pretty dang good recipe. To this day, my first batch of sangria symbolizes to me the start of summer , and all the wonderful memories it brings: pool parties, backyard bbqs, and hot Spanish nights. So whip yourself up as many batches of this you can this summer, because Christmas will be here before you know it…..

Sangria is traditionally made with a Spanish Rioja, but I find any dry red wine will do, I often use Colombia Crest Vineyard 10 or Barefoot Cabernet (the cheaper the wine, the more pitchers you can make!)

Red Wine Sangria

1 Bottle Red Wine (Medium Bodied)
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 oz Brandy
1 Lime, Sliced
1 Orange , Sliced into ½ Circles
1 Lemon , Sliced
1 Red Apple, Cored & Chopped into Bite Size Pieces
Club Soda
Ice
In a large glass pitcher, combine all the fruit. Add brandy and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour in the wine, stir to combine. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice cubes, pour in wine and top off with club soda. The club soda is traditional to top off the Sangria, but I personally don’t use the club soda because I feel that is dilutes the wine taste too much, but it is a matter of preference.

After “perfecting” my red wine sangria, I sought out different versions of sangria, using white & sparkling wines. This was a version I made last summer for my sister in law Alexandra’s baby shower. It was a big hit with the ladies!

Jude’s Cava Sangria

1 Bottle Champagne or Cava (Dry or Extra Dry, none of that sickenly sweet Spumante stuff!)
1 Pink Grapefruit (Sliced into ½ circles)
1 navel orange (Sliced into half circles)
4 oz Grand Marnier
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 oz Lemonade
Ice Cubes
In a large glass pitcher, combine the fruit, lemonade, Grand Marnier, and sugar. Using a long wooden spoon, muddle the mixture to release the fruit juices and until sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to overnight. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice cubes. Slowly add the Cava to the pitcher, stirring gently to combine. Pour into glasses. Salut!

White Bean & Garlic Soup - Legume Recipe # 3

So I know I am overdue to post Legume Recipe # 3. As I mentioned, we were all battling the stomach flu last week so cooking anything with beans did not sound appealing. But by Sunday night we were all on the mend, so this soup was calling my name. When I was pregnant my girlfriend Julie told me about a version of this soup she had made and how wonderful it was. Being a fan of all things Giada, I couldn’t believe I had missed this recipe in her first 3 cookbooks ( I think it was because she hadn’t posted a picture until her 4th book, Giada’s Kitchen , I guess I am just a sucker for photos…) So having seen that she had printed this recipe in all of her cookbooks, I figured she was trying to tell us something, like maybe, “make this“….The first time I made this soup it was great, but I felt like it needed a little something, so I added some dried rosemary and it gave the soup a much better depth of flavor. I also don’t add the cream, the soup is creamy enough, and I don’t miss it, plus no cholesterol! Which means Jon can eat bowlfuls without the guilt......gotta keep my man from wasting away! I always serve this with hunks of sourdough, ciabatta , or crostini for dipping!

Makes 6 Servings
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Shallots , Chopped
2 Sage Leaves
2 (15 oz) Cans Cannelini (White) Beans, Rinsed & Drained
4 Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Halved
4 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
½ Tsp Dried Crushed Rosemary
Salt & Pepper

Place soup pot over medium high heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened about 3 minutes. Add the sage, beans, garlic, rosemary and stir additional 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook about 15 minutes until the garlic is softened. Use immersion blender (you can buy a decent one for as little as $10, and they are great for all things soup! I have a fancy Kitchen Aid one (Thanks Mary!) and they are a great kitchen tool.) if you don’t have an immersion blender then use a real blender but be careful, because the soup will be very hot and expand. Blend until creamy and smooth (about a 30 seconds). Season with salt and pepper, add more rosemary if needed. Serve with hot crusty bead and a little olive oil!

The Barefoot Contessa's Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes....Oh the Decadence!

My family has been battling the stomach flu this week. I haven’t felt like cooking or eating much at all. After being sick, I really wanted, no needed , something good to eat, something good being something chocolate. After all I needed nourishment. Besides I am pretty sure my recent health kick of no chocolate, no soda , no French fries, etc is the reason I got sick in the first place. Cutting out all that made my body go into shock and hurt my immune system of this I am convinced. So I needed to make something that would rejuvenate me and make me like food again. While lying on my sick couch I was watching an episode of the Barefoot Contessa and when she started making these, I just knew I would have to make them too.

I looked the recipe up online and got a little scared of the reviews. They were so varied, ranging from 5 star excellent to 1 star, a few reviewers actually called them “disgusting”. This was scary to me, I mean I have never had a disgusting cupcake. Even the cupcakes that are old and crusty or have that fake confetti frosting from the grocery store bakery are still kind of good……but being a lover of all things ganache, I decided to try these out, hoping that the 1 star reviewers were wrong…..and they were! These cupcakes turned out great! They were dense and chocolaty almost more like a brownie. The perfect treat that I needed after a week lacking in the food department but full of baby puke; not to mention the 2 hours spent Friday morning trying to fix my computer with the Dell technician over in India. After frustrating communication breakdowns, my computer is finally fixed and I am thinking these cupcakes are well deserved.

Makes 12 Cupcakes or 1 8-inch Cake

1/4 # Unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Cup sugar
4 Extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 (16 oz) can chocolate syrup (recommended: Hershey's)
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 Cup all-purpose flour
½ Tsp instant coffee or espresso powder

For Ganache:
1/2 Cup heavy cream
8 oz Semisweet chocolate chips
¼ tsp Instant coffee powder

Line muffin pans with 12 paper liners. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Do all of this on low. Don't overbeat, or the cupcakes will be tough. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups, fill to almost full because these cupcakes don’t rise very much .Bake for 30 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let the cupcakes cool thoroughly in the pan.

For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water (or you can just do it a small pot like I did, just pay close attention to it!) until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache. Need I say more? Go eat them!!

There will be extra ganache leftover so save it to dip some fresh fruit in!

A Quarter Century Old: Widmer Bros. & Jillian!

So today I would like to give a big shout out to my sister Jillian who is turning 25 tommorrow. Coincidentally, so is Widmer Brewery. Jillian is a beer girl and I am a wine girl, (among the many differences between us..) but we both love Widmer Hefeweizen. The last time she visited we went to their brewery after a baseball game and had a big pitcher of that cold, lemony , cloudy goodness. Widmer Hefeweizen is hands down my favorite, but by no means the only good beer that Widmer makes. Some family favorites include Drop Top Amber Ale, Broken Halo IPA , and Drifter Pale Ale. Living in Portland we are lucky to be surrounded by a lot of great breweries & beer pubs, but we always end up going to the Widmer Gausthaus. (This is saying a lot because we have a brewpub 2 blocks from our house, but we'd rather drive across town.) They have great food, and they are really family friendly. The waitstaff always bring us milk and crackers for Sofia and never charge us for them. One time Sofia even knocked over and BROKE a big Weizen glass (see pic) and the staff was very nice about it even though I was quite embarrassed at her party foul. I am thinking she might have inherited my clumsiness….

Tommorrow, April 2nd the Widmer Gausthaus Brewpub is offering $1.50 pints of all their beer all day. A holla back to their original 1984 pint prices(those must have been the days….) So if you are in town, go grab yourself a pint (yeah, it might be crowded, but in a fun, Ocktoberfest kind of way.) If not, go buy yourself a 6 pack of Widmer (insert name here) and drink a prost to their successful 25 years of beer making and to my little sister’s successful 25 years on the planet!
Happy Bithday Tia!