The inception of this blog was prompted by a vacation to Las Vegas and the amazing food we had there.
Now, while we didn’t travel anywhere for our week of vacation this summer, that doesn’t mean we couldn’t or didn’t find a way to have some great culinary adventures in our own home town.
We started planning weeks ago to have lunch in places we couldn’t conveniently go with the Sprout in tow. We looked at food trucks, restaurants, sandwich places, anywhere we’d heard about but never been.
So in between working on shelving for our basement, we went out for lunch and had some great food.
The week began with lunch on Capital Hill in Seattle at Skillet Diner, the stationary location spawned by Skillet Street Food’s food truck. We’d had their food a few years ago at a Rat City Roller Girls bout at Magnuson Park. We’d seen them recently on a show called Eat Street, a show in the Cooking Channel devoted to food trucks all over the US. That’s where we learned about the Bacon Jam.
Bacon jam? Why, yes. Bacon jam.
Technically the jar says Bacon Spread. But they call it Bacon Jam. And we have a jar in our fridge waiting to be unleashed.
It was on the burger that day. Fresh, local beef, fresh baked roll from Macrina Bakery, gorgonzola, Bacon Jam and arugula. For an extra few bucks, you can upgrade your fries to poutine (fries with gravy and cheese).
This was the place that had been hyped the most, so I suppose it stands to reason it would fall the farthest in our estimation.
It wasn’t bad. The food was good. We could taste that the beef was fresh in our burger, but we didn’t expect the burger to be dry, which it was. The arugula was wonderfully peppery, which means it probably came from a small, organic farm. Most of the time if I have arugula at a restaurant, it doesn’t have the flavor I’m expecting. This bunch of greens did. The gorgonzola was tangy, the Bacon Jam smoky and sweet, the roll light and chewy.
It was a good burger. It wasn’t a great burger. And we were expecting a great burger.
The poutine was also very tasty. I wish I had been hungrier, because I thought it was delicious. I would have liked a little more gravy because I like my poutine a little wetter, but it was very good. For those Canadians reading, the cheese was cheddar and the brown gravy brightened with herbs. Not quite traditional, but a nice homage to the original.
My favorite part of the lunch ended up being my milkshake. I had a chocolate peanut butter, N had a chocolate malt. Both were generously endowed with the additional flavor. Since the shakes came well before our food, it was difficult not to down the whole drink before we even saw our burgers and fries. Maybe that’s why I didn’t have enough room for burger and poutine. :o)
All in all, it wasn’t a bad experience, but the food sat in our stomachs like rocks the rest of the afternoon and we had a hard time getting past the fact that our burgers were dry. For a patty that was supposed to be medium-rare, it was surprisingly devoid of juiciness and was barely pink.
Leaving Skillet hanging on the wall, the next day we went to another place we’d been anxious to try. This place had been recommended by a friend who’d recently dined there while in town from Utah (Hi, Jen!).
Tuesday, we went to Boom Noodle for lunch. After the heaviness of burgers and fries, we were craving some ramen. And we were not disappointed!
N had their miso ramen. I had their tonkotsu ramen (a slight misnomer because there wasn’t an actual fried pork cutlet involved). The miso ramen pleased the expert (N puts it on her list of comfort foods…if she liked it, it must be good). She would have liked the broth to be a little stronger, but that’s her personal preference. She said it was a lovely bowl of soup (to which she added a soft boiled egg, another level of comfort food).
The tonkatsu ramen was flat out the best bowl of soup I have ever had in my life. The broth defies description, but I’ll try anyway.
It’s a pork broth, simmered for 24 hours, bones and all. It’s rich and creamy (and by creamy, I mean it looks like it has cream in it, but it doesn’t), full of pork flavor. You could tell they used marrow bones, because the broth had that distinct, marrow-y flavor.
In the soup were some wonderful bits of roast pork, perfectly cooked noodles, soft boiled egg, green onion and pickled ginger. The pork had crispy bits on the edges and was delightfully tender inside. There were a couple of fatty pieces that I had to pick apart just because I have a weird issue with fresh pork fat (I have since I was a kid…I don’t get it…it makes me nauseous…maybe it’s a texture thing), but like N’s thing with the miso broth, it is a personal thing. It’s not anything to do with the quality of the food.
This soup was, in a word, heavenly. I felt transported by this dish. Like I told N, you can’t fake time. Not when it comes to broth like that.
We both had their yuzu lemonade to drink, which had a refreshing tartness to it thanks to some umeboshi plum. And we had a side of their kim chi, which was a little heavy on the sesame, but was delicious nonetheless.
Wednesday we ended up eating in because we had a sick little boy on our hands. Leftovers were our friend that day. But Thursday G went back to daycare, so we went to a local taqueria we’d been wanting to try for a long time.
It had been recommended by a friend at work whose brother used to go there all the time when he was working in the area. It also had location on its side. We felt like we were on borrowed time because we weren’t 100% sure our little boy was all better and we really wanted to get work in our basement finished. At least the work that required both of us that couldn’t really be done while he was at home napping.
Taqueria El Sabor is in Shoreline, just about 20 blocks from where we live. It is the real thing, authentic Mexican food. Their painted windows advertise current specials, including menudo (tripe soup) and pozole (pork and hominy stew).
We weren’t adventurous enough to try the soup, but N had the enchiladas mexicanas with chicken and I had the chile verde.
It was refreshing to get Mexican food that didn’t have a thick layer of melted cheddar cheese covering it. My food had no cheese at all, N’s had some cotija sprinkled over the enchiladas, which were only lightly sauced, not drowning.
We didn’t talk much, we just tucked into our lunches. My chile verde featured bits of pork shoulder braised in the sauce, which was to be eaten with their fresh, handmade corn tortillas.
It was delicious, homey food, not fussy. And not too much food like at most Americanized Mexican chain restaurants.
We will definitely be eating there again. I want to try their tacos! Not sure if I’m brave enough to try tacos de lengua (tongue). But I will be all over the carnitas!
Today, we were planning to go for either another burger experience or to get Cuban sandwiches, but since our boy was home sick again today, we had to change those plans a bit.
However, since his schedule was out of whack from sleeping until 8:30 (when his usual wakeup time is around 6:30), we decided to take in the first day of the Bite of Seattle, visiting The Alley (formerly Hinterberger’s Alley), where you get bites from seven restaurants for $10. It’s now being hosted by local restauranteur Tom Douglas, who features one of his restaurants each day of the Bite.
Today, the menu was:
Seatown – grilled flatiron steak with a blueberry corn relish (sliced and served by Tom Douglas himself. Delicious, and the chef looked like he was having a great time)
Seattle’s Little Italy – grilled Italian sausage with onions and peppers (yummy, moist homemade sausage, really nice people)
Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill – Watermelon salad with feta cheese, seared tiger prawn and a rhubarb lavender vinaigrette. (phenomenal. Loved drinking the vinaigrette after I ate the salad. I got a really great hit of lavender that made all the other flavors bloom in my mouth.)
Andaluca – Spicy calamari on bruschetta (very yummy, and that’s saying a lot because I don’t really care for squid. The calamari was tender, not overcooked and chewy. And their Chef Wayne Johnson is going to be on Iron Chef America on July 31st!)
Purple Café - Shaved beef sliders with caramelized onions and horseradish mustard on a pretzel bun (not terribly innovative, but well executed and mouth-watering. The food was not overly seasoned, so the salt on the bun didn’t make the dish too salty.)
Din Tai Fung – Vietnamese steamed pork dumplings filled with soup (yes, a soup filled dumpling. Popped in the mouth, the savoriness explodes. Delightful!)
PinkaBella Cupcakes – Triple Chocolate Cupcake (a lovely little morsel of chocolate, the cake was a little dry, but saved by the chocolate chips inside, the ganache on top was gooey and wonderful)
This has always been my favorite way to experience The Bite of Seattle. It has become an increasingly good deal. The price was $10 when I went the last time, which was probably 15 years ago and it’s still $10 today. And now, if you want, you can go sit in the wine tasting section, pay an additional $15 and get wines that were picked to go with the food on your plate. We didn’t do that this time, but we might next year.
N and I talked about making this an annual thing…taking the Friday of The Bite off work so we can go and do The Alley and not have to deal with the weekend crowds. She’d never gone to The Alley and really enjoyed it. I love it because you get a lot of tastes for your money, the money goes to a local charity (Food Lifeline) and it’s a lot mellower than the rest of the event.
It was also a lot of fun today because we shared a table with a couple from Arizona who visit Seattle frequently and claim to eat their way through town every time they come. The first time they ever went to the Bite, it was still at Greenlake. And there was a single woman at the table who has been to the Bite every year since it started. She said it was still fun, even after all those years.
So, our vacation is at an end. We have the weekend and then we’re back at work. But the fun isn’t over quite yet. We’re planning to get milkshakes from Molly Moon’s tomorrow. I’m going for the salted caramel, because the first sip always sets my eyes rolling back deliriously at the sweet, salty, fresh cream taste of it.
Who needs to leave town to have a great summer vacation?
Friday, July 15, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Slow Cooking: Moroccan Style
Just so you know, I have the theme from Love: American Style going through my head right now. I thought I should share, if for no other reason than to see who actually remembers that show. Besides my sister, that is. ;o)
But on to the food!
This week we tried a Moroccan chicken stew. It started out in the recipe book as Moroccan Beef Stew, but after the summer fruit attack from the previous week, I wasn’t sure I was ready for beef quite yet.
The recipe is from a Prevention Guide cookbook we got at the grocery store. The same book that gave us the beef carnitas we love so much.
Moroccan Chicken Stew
Adapted from the Prevention Guide Cookbook
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 parsnips, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 small onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp cumin seed
2 tsp coriander seed
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp cracked peppercorns
1 can diced tomatoes, 28 oz.
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
½ cup dry red wine
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
In a large, dry non-stick skillet, toast the cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant. Grind the toasted spices and put into crock pot.
Spray the skillet with cooking spray, then brown the chicken thighs on all sides. Add to crock pot.
Spray the skillet again with cooking spray, then sauté the vegetables until slightly soft. Add the tomatoes, broth, wine, tomato paste and flour. Bring to a boil and let thicken slightly. Add to crock pot. Stir to combine. Tuck the cinnamon stick in the crock.
Cook in crock pot on Low for 8 hours.
Turn heat to Warm, then add lemon juice and cayenne. Serve within 4 hours. Serves 6.
Done reading the recipe? Good. Think I did all of that? HAHAHA!!! NO! Of course not! It’s me we’re talking, remember? :o)
You know me; my ‘method’ was to toss it all in the crock pot, set it to Low and let it cook while I was at work. Turn it down to Keep Warm when I get home, add the lemon and cayenne (only ¼ tsp for me. ½ tsp just seemed like too much). Much easier and way less time consuming!
So how did it turn out? It was pretty darn delicious, actually. Even without the beef broth (I used water instead). It was the only thing I’d forgotten about. I’d purchased all the ingredients two weeks before, but then couldn’t face spicy food that week, so the chicken went in the freezer and the veg stayed in the crisper drawer until I thought I could handle it. Thankfully everything held up well in the fridge.
The only thing I was really skeptical about what whether the flour would actually thicken the sauce at all. It wasn’t going to ever truly boil, so I didn’t think it would make a difference.
I was wrong.
It gave the sauce enough body to make it really feel like a stew rather than a hearty soup.
Do you have to toast the spices, brown the meat and simmer the sauce? No. Would it taste better if you did? Most assuredly. I would love to try this again sometime when I have the time and energy to follow the instructions as well as the ingredients.
It was very tasty using my slap-dash method. It would be that much more yummy if I took the time to build and layer the flavors. Browned and toasty bits are my favorite part of just about anything. I love eating the cracklings from the fry pan after I fry bacon. Mmmm…bacon.
By the way, this stuff was just crying out for a loaf of crusty bread to go with it. We ate it with a nice spelt bread, which was surprisingly good. The bread was a little sweet and had a thin spread of butter on top. And of course everything is better with butter.
Oh, and this? Is only 4 PointsPlus on the Weight Watchers program. Which is great because I had a horrible case of the munchies all week. :o)
Not sure what’s in store for us this week. We’re on vacation, so we would probably have more time to cook, but we’re cleaning the basement, so we probably won’t have the energy. Maybe something new!
Thanks for dropping by, y’all! Have a great week and I’ll see you next Friday!
But on to the food!
This week we tried a Moroccan chicken stew. It started out in the recipe book as Moroccan Beef Stew, but after the summer fruit attack from the previous week, I wasn’t sure I was ready for beef quite yet.
The recipe is from a Prevention Guide cookbook we got at the grocery store. The same book that gave us the beef carnitas we love so much.
Moroccan Chicken Stew
Adapted from the Prevention Guide Cookbook
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 parsnips, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 small onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp cumin seed
2 tsp coriander seed
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp cracked peppercorns
1 can diced tomatoes, 28 oz.
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
½ cup dry red wine
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
In a large, dry non-stick skillet, toast the cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant. Grind the toasted spices and put into crock pot.
Spray the skillet with cooking spray, then brown the chicken thighs on all sides. Add to crock pot.
Spray the skillet again with cooking spray, then sauté the vegetables until slightly soft. Add the tomatoes, broth, wine, tomato paste and flour. Bring to a boil and let thicken slightly. Add to crock pot. Stir to combine. Tuck the cinnamon stick in the crock.
Cook in crock pot on Low for 8 hours.
Turn heat to Warm, then add lemon juice and cayenne. Serve within 4 hours. Serves 6.
Done reading the recipe? Good. Think I did all of that? HAHAHA!!! NO! Of course not! It’s me we’re talking, remember? :o)
You know me; my ‘method’ was to toss it all in the crock pot, set it to Low and let it cook while I was at work. Turn it down to Keep Warm when I get home, add the lemon and cayenne (only ¼ tsp for me. ½ tsp just seemed like too much). Much easier and way less time consuming!
So how did it turn out? It was pretty darn delicious, actually. Even without the beef broth (I used water instead). It was the only thing I’d forgotten about. I’d purchased all the ingredients two weeks before, but then couldn’t face spicy food that week, so the chicken went in the freezer and the veg stayed in the crisper drawer until I thought I could handle it. Thankfully everything held up well in the fridge.
The only thing I was really skeptical about what whether the flour would actually thicken the sauce at all. It wasn’t going to ever truly boil, so I didn’t think it would make a difference.
I was wrong.
It gave the sauce enough body to make it really feel like a stew rather than a hearty soup.
Do you have to toast the spices, brown the meat and simmer the sauce? No. Would it taste better if you did? Most assuredly. I would love to try this again sometime when I have the time and energy to follow the instructions as well as the ingredients.
It was very tasty using my slap-dash method. It would be that much more yummy if I took the time to build and layer the flavors. Browned and toasty bits are my favorite part of just about anything. I love eating the cracklings from the fry pan after I fry bacon. Mmmm…bacon.
By the way, this stuff was just crying out for a loaf of crusty bread to go with it. We ate it with a nice spelt bread, which was surprisingly good. The bread was a little sweet and had a thin spread of butter on top. And of course everything is better with butter.
Oh, and this? Is only 4 PointsPlus on the Weight Watchers program. Which is great because I had a horrible case of the munchies all week. :o)
Not sure what’s in store for us this week. We’re on vacation, so we would probably have more time to cook, but we’re cleaning the basement, so we probably won’t have the energy. Maybe something new!
Thanks for dropping by, y’all! Have a great week and I’ll see you next Friday!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
The Great Cherry Debacle
This week there will be no new crock pot recipe, nor will there be a fabulously quick and easy soup or skillet recipe.
You might ask, “Why?”
And, of course, that is the subject of this week’s entry.
Nothing is more hedonistic in the summer than diving into the bounty of local summer fruits. We have, in Washington State, on both sides of the mountains, orchards and fields full of gorgeous examples of glorious summer eating.
In the Puyallup Valley there are berry fields and cherry orchards (not to be confused with The Cherry Orchard, which is a play). I remember as a kid going to the u-pick farms in the valley to pick strawberries and to the Duris Farm to pick cherries.
Back then, we would, every once in a while, sneak a snack straight from the berry bushes. Not so much the cherry trees, because we were mostly picking sour pie cherries. I love tart, but that’s a bit much for me.
I remember taking a berry from the stem, wiping the dirt off with my hand and popping the sweet treasure in my mouth, the berry still warm from the sun. That’s a moment that, even as a kid, makes you close your eyes because you know it’s something divine and transcendent.
Did I ever get sick from doing that? Not once.
This week, however, I’ve been nursing my cranky tummy back to health after a big mistake the prior week. I ate bing cherries I got from the grocery store without rinsing them off first. (I know…I can hear you all now…I have learned my lesson…trust me.)
I really wasn’t sure what was causing my gastric distress. A virus maybe? Or a food allergy? I had been consuming more dairy and wheat on a regular basis. I’d had some high fat content ice cream recently…could be gallbladder. Or IBS. I’d eaten some raw scallion with the carnitas and hadn’t had raw onion in a long time.
The internet was no help in diagnosing my problem, but it did give me a lot to ponder while I burped and farted.
I spent about 5 or 6 days with the worst gas cramps imaginable. I was certain there was something seriously wrong. But I had a doctor’s visit scheduled for this past Wednesday, and I seemed to be gradually improving every day. So I decided to stick it out.
When I described my symptoms to my doctor, she looked at me and said, “Food poisoning, probably from unwashed fruit.” As I thought back to the previous week, I remembered having just a few of those cherries before I washed them.
I shook my head. What an idiot. I never do that! I always wash stuff I get from the grocery store before I eat it. What was I thinking??
Well, I was thinking about the summers when I was a kid getting berries from the small local farms where I picked the fruit myself. I wanted to be a kid again and live a little dangerously. But my over 40-year-old stomach wasn’t having any of that adventure.
So, the moral of the story? Wash your fruit. And you can’t go home again.
Look! Two morals for the price of one. :o)
At least it’s finally summer fruit season around here. The local strawberries are in. Which means I need to hit a farmers’ market and then make some jam!!
Next week, I’m hoping to make some Moroccan crock pot chicken. I think my tummy is up for the spices now.
Happy Independence Day to all! Enjoy your summer favorites this weekend. And remember, we continue to fight so that everyone in the US has the same freedoms!
You might ask, “Why?”
And, of course, that is the subject of this week’s entry.
Nothing is more hedonistic in the summer than diving into the bounty of local summer fruits. We have, in Washington State, on both sides of the mountains, orchards and fields full of gorgeous examples of glorious summer eating.
In the Puyallup Valley there are berry fields and cherry orchards (not to be confused with The Cherry Orchard, which is a play). I remember as a kid going to the u-pick farms in the valley to pick strawberries and to the Duris Farm to pick cherries.
Back then, we would, every once in a while, sneak a snack straight from the berry bushes. Not so much the cherry trees, because we were mostly picking sour pie cherries. I love tart, but that’s a bit much for me.
I remember taking a berry from the stem, wiping the dirt off with my hand and popping the sweet treasure in my mouth, the berry still warm from the sun. That’s a moment that, even as a kid, makes you close your eyes because you know it’s something divine and transcendent.
Did I ever get sick from doing that? Not once.
This week, however, I’ve been nursing my cranky tummy back to health after a big mistake the prior week. I ate bing cherries I got from the grocery store without rinsing them off first. (I know…I can hear you all now…I have learned my lesson…trust me.)
I really wasn’t sure what was causing my gastric distress. A virus maybe? Or a food allergy? I had been consuming more dairy and wheat on a regular basis. I’d had some high fat content ice cream recently…could be gallbladder. Or IBS. I’d eaten some raw scallion with the carnitas and hadn’t had raw onion in a long time.
The internet was no help in diagnosing my problem, but it did give me a lot to ponder while I burped and farted.
I spent about 5 or 6 days with the worst gas cramps imaginable. I was certain there was something seriously wrong. But I had a doctor’s visit scheduled for this past Wednesday, and I seemed to be gradually improving every day. So I decided to stick it out.
When I described my symptoms to my doctor, she looked at me and said, “Food poisoning, probably from unwashed fruit.” As I thought back to the previous week, I remembered having just a few of those cherries before I washed them.
I shook my head. What an idiot. I never do that! I always wash stuff I get from the grocery store before I eat it. What was I thinking??
Well, I was thinking about the summers when I was a kid getting berries from the small local farms where I picked the fruit myself. I wanted to be a kid again and live a little dangerously. But my over 40-year-old stomach wasn’t having any of that adventure.
So, the moral of the story? Wash your fruit. And you can’t go home again.
Look! Two morals for the price of one. :o)
At least it’s finally summer fruit season around here. The local strawberries are in. Which means I need to hit a farmers’ market and then make some jam!!
Next week, I’m hoping to make some Moroccan crock pot chicken. I think my tummy is up for the spices now.
Happy Independence Day to all! Enjoy your summer favorites this weekend. And remember, we continue to fight so that everyone in the US has the same freedoms!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Summer is Repeat Season - Part 2
Back to the Crock
Yes, Ladies and Gents, we’re back to the crock pot this week. Frankly, I was hoping by now that the weather would be warm enough that I didn’t look forward to something hot and comforting. But as those of you who are with me here in the Pacific Northwest know, it’s been a dismal Spring. The first day of Summer was gorgeous and warm, but it’s been drizzly and rainy ever since.
But enough about the weather.
Dinner this week was a repeat of one of our first endeavours, Beef Carnitas.
And since I didn’t actually put the whole recipe down last time, here it is.
Beef Carnitas
From the PreventionGuide Slow Cooker Recipe Book
2lb lean beef stew meat, cut into ½ inch pieces
¾ cup mild salsa
2 tbsp chopped chipotle peppers in adobo
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup beef broth or water
Combine all ingredients in large slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Serve with warm tortillas, sliced avocado, shredded cheese and chopped onion.
Yield – 6 servings
So I went back to the last time I mentioned this recipe and noticed that I mentioned something about adding cumin and chili powder. If I did that last time, it was my idea, because this recipe doesn’t have those things in it. But it certainly wouldn’t hurt it any. It would give the flavors some nice depth and a little smokiness. So by all means, if you try this, experiment with a little of each.
Now, since we’re doing Weight Watchers and tortillas can cost you some serious points, we decided to do Carnitas Bowls. Some brown rice instead of a tortilla, some diced avocado tossed in lime juice, salt and pepper, some fat free shredded cheddar, fat free sour cream and a little taco sauce and chopped green onion later, we were very happy with our bowls of colorful, tasty goodness!
I would, of course, never make this with water. Use broth. You will thank yourself for the added richness.
I also added some extra chipotle because I love the flavor. It’s easy to overdo it, though, so be careful!
This recipe was from the book that got us started on this crock pot rollercoaster ride. And this week of carnitas reminded me why we kept going. The recipes we’d tried were bursting with deliciousness!
There are still several I want to try from this book, like the Turkey, Sweet Potato & Cranberry Stew, but they’ll have to wait until later. I just can’t face a recipe like that in the summer. If we ever get summer, that is. Until we do, I don’t want to tempt fate by making an autumnal meal.
The Moroccan Spiced Beef, however, is something I am willing to take a chance on now! Lots of chopping for that, though, so it may have to wait until I have a less busy weekend!
Thanks for reading, everyone! Happy Pride Weekend!!
See you next Friday!
Yes, Ladies and Gents, we’re back to the crock pot this week. Frankly, I was hoping by now that the weather would be warm enough that I didn’t look forward to something hot and comforting. But as those of you who are with me here in the Pacific Northwest know, it’s been a dismal Spring. The first day of Summer was gorgeous and warm, but it’s been drizzly and rainy ever since.
But enough about the weather.
Dinner this week was a repeat of one of our first endeavours, Beef Carnitas.
And since I didn’t actually put the whole recipe down last time, here it is.
Beef Carnitas
From the PreventionGuide Slow Cooker Recipe Book
2lb lean beef stew meat, cut into ½ inch pieces
¾ cup mild salsa
2 tbsp chopped chipotle peppers in adobo
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup beef broth or water
Combine all ingredients in large slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Serve with warm tortillas, sliced avocado, shredded cheese and chopped onion.
Yield – 6 servings
So I went back to the last time I mentioned this recipe and noticed that I mentioned something about adding cumin and chili powder. If I did that last time, it was my idea, because this recipe doesn’t have those things in it. But it certainly wouldn’t hurt it any. It would give the flavors some nice depth and a little smokiness. So by all means, if you try this, experiment with a little of each.
Now, since we’re doing Weight Watchers and tortillas can cost you some serious points, we decided to do Carnitas Bowls. Some brown rice instead of a tortilla, some diced avocado tossed in lime juice, salt and pepper, some fat free shredded cheddar, fat free sour cream and a little taco sauce and chopped green onion later, we were very happy with our bowls of colorful, tasty goodness!
I would, of course, never make this with water. Use broth. You will thank yourself for the added richness.
I also added some extra chipotle because I love the flavor. It’s easy to overdo it, though, so be careful!
This recipe was from the book that got us started on this crock pot rollercoaster ride. And this week of carnitas reminded me why we kept going. The recipes we’d tried were bursting with deliciousness!
There are still several I want to try from this book, like the Turkey, Sweet Potato & Cranberry Stew, but they’ll have to wait until later. I just can’t face a recipe like that in the summer. If we ever get summer, that is. Until we do, I don’t want to tempt fate by making an autumnal meal.
The Moroccan Spiced Beef, however, is something I am willing to take a chance on now! Lots of chopping for that, though, so it may have to wait until I have a less busy weekend!
Thanks for reading, everyone! Happy Pride Weekend!!
See you next Friday!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Going Crockless Again
It’s good to be back again after a week away. My commitment to do this every Friday was challenged last week because my singing group got an amazing opportunity, as most, if not all of you, already know. But I have to admit, when things calmed down, I really missed the time I would have spent at the keyboard.
So this week, because last weekend was so crazy and we didn’t have a lot of time to plan, we went crockless.
Why, you might ask, did we do that if we were so tired?
Well, we had about a half a rotisserie chicken in the fridge that needed to be used and we had bags of mixed veg in the freezer. In this house, that can only mean one thing.
Chicken soup.
Before I started living with N, this idea had never occurred to me, but it is, to my mind, brilliant. She’s the one who turned me on to this quickest and easiest of nearly homemade chicken soups.
The ‘recipe’ I’m going to write in is simply the proportions we used this week, but you can fiddle around with it until you find your preferred ratio of chicken to veg to broth.
Quick and Easy Chicken Soup
½ a leftover grocery store rotisserie chicken, meat stripped from the carcass (no skin…it gets slimy and gross in the pot)
1 16 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 32oz box of chicken stock, preferably reduced sodium
dehydrated sliced garlic
mixed dried herbs (such as Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence)
Combine ingredients in a soup pot. Bring to boil. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Enjoy. Serves 4.
I know you’re thinking, “Really? That’s it?”
Yes, that’s it. It is so freaking easy and so satisfying. And the real beauty of all that? It’s only 4 WeightWatchers PointsPlus per serving for a pretty decent sized bowl of soup!
You can, of course, do a lot with this basic recipe. Put in your favorite spices. Use different veggies, maybe even fresh ones (although they wouldn’t cook quite as quickly). Add some pasta (like orzo or pastina) or rice. You could even use your own stock. The last time I made this, I only had 2 cups of chicken stock, but I had a bunch of homemade turkey stock in the freezer, so I added that to the pot.
The only really time consuming part is stripping the meat off the carcass, which is maybe a 10 minute job. So yeah…for me, it’s the quickest, easiest pot of chicken soup I’ve ever made.
The chicken was roasted, so it’s already got good flavor. The store-bought stock I use is dark and rich. The dehydrated garlic adds a lovely, toastiness. And the herbes de Provence that I used this time gave it a fresh, floral herbiness.
Not bad for something that took about 30 minutes all told to make!
Next week, we will probably go back to the crock pot, maybe something new. Although, I’ve been craving the crock pot beef carnitas recently. We will just have to see. :o)
If you have any suggestions about something you love that you think we should try, please comment here or on Facebook!
Have a great week, everyone! See you next Friday!
So this week, because last weekend was so crazy and we didn’t have a lot of time to plan, we went crockless.
Why, you might ask, did we do that if we were so tired?
Well, we had about a half a rotisserie chicken in the fridge that needed to be used and we had bags of mixed veg in the freezer. In this house, that can only mean one thing.
Chicken soup.
Before I started living with N, this idea had never occurred to me, but it is, to my mind, brilliant. She’s the one who turned me on to this quickest and easiest of nearly homemade chicken soups.
The ‘recipe’ I’m going to write in is simply the proportions we used this week, but you can fiddle around with it until you find your preferred ratio of chicken to veg to broth.
Quick and Easy Chicken Soup
½ a leftover grocery store rotisserie chicken, meat stripped from the carcass (no skin…it gets slimy and gross in the pot)
1 16 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables
1 32oz box of chicken stock, preferably reduced sodium
dehydrated sliced garlic
mixed dried herbs (such as Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence)
Combine ingredients in a soup pot. Bring to boil. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Enjoy. Serves 4.
I know you’re thinking, “Really? That’s it?”
Yes, that’s it. It is so freaking easy and so satisfying. And the real beauty of all that? It’s only 4 WeightWatchers PointsPlus per serving for a pretty decent sized bowl of soup!
You can, of course, do a lot with this basic recipe. Put in your favorite spices. Use different veggies, maybe even fresh ones (although they wouldn’t cook quite as quickly). Add some pasta (like orzo or pastina) or rice. You could even use your own stock. The last time I made this, I only had 2 cups of chicken stock, but I had a bunch of homemade turkey stock in the freezer, so I added that to the pot.
The only really time consuming part is stripping the meat off the carcass, which is maybe a 10 minute job. So yeah…for me, it’s the quickest, easiest pot of chicken soup I’ve ever made.
The chicken was roasted, so it’s already got good flavor. The store-bought stock I use is dark and rich. The dehydrated garlic adds a lovely, toastiness. And the herbes de Provence that I used this time gave it a fresh, floral herbiness.
Not bad for something that took about 30 minutes all told to make!
Next week, we will probably go back to the crock pot, maybe something new. Although, I’ve been craving the crock pot beef carnitas recently. We will just have to see. :o)
If you have any suggestions about something you love that you think we should try, please comment here or on Facebook!
Have a great week, everyone! See you next Friday!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Summer is Repeat Season
This week we repeated the first recipe we got from the WW site, the chicken, mushroom and brown rice meal, of which I did not post a full recipe. So I thought I would do that this week and then ask you for some feedback.
Chicken, Mushroom and Brown Rice Slow Cooker Dinner
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, approx. 2.5 ounces each
2 cups canned chicken broth, reduced sodium
½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced and rinsed thoroughly for grit
1 cup carrots, sliced thinly
1 cup celery, sliced thinly
¾ cup uncooked brown rice, medium grain (such as brown Arborio)
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Coat a large, non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Brown chicken thighs, turning once. Set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Nestle the chicken thighs on the vegetable mixture. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours. Yields one chicken thigh and approximately 2/3 cup vegetable/rice mixture per serving.
Now that you’ve seen the recipe, let’s get to the modifications.
You probably already know by now that I didn’t brown the thighs. I know it will add flavor. But I don’t want to #1, dirty another pan, and #2, risk the chicken being more overcooked than it already will be because I have to let it cook for 10 hours instead of seven.
That said, after the first time we tried it, N and I both thought it could use a little more flavor. So this time I added an extra tsp of Worcestershire and an extra tsp of Dijon mustard.
Both times I cooked the rice separately in the rice cooker. Since the disaster of the Cuban black beans and rice, I haven’t quite been willing to cook rice in the crock pot again. But as soon as I find some brown Arborio, I will try it. I’m very curious to see how it will turn out.
Adding the rice for about the last 15 minutes before serving gave it a chance to soak up the yummy juices in the pot, but I put in too much broth this time, so it ended up a little soupy. The first time we made it, it actually had a risotto-like consistency which was very satisfying. N and I both LOVE risotto, but it is both time- and calorie-prohibitive. So this was a nice surprise. Next time, less broth.
It was as tasty as we remembered; perhaps a bit more so because of the extra seasonings. But it still needs something. Which is where you come in.
I would love to know what you would add or change to make it more flavorful. I think it needs acid. The flavors are rich and hearty, but it needs some brightness for balance. Lemon? Vinegar? Maybe a little balsamic drizzled over the top at serving? Or a little heat?
Tonight I sprinkled on some of Cajun seasoning that I bought last fall in Portland and amped the flavor up quite nicely. I also thought of the spice rub we got at Central Market last week with its smoked paprika and brown sugar. That might be interesting, too.
So, what do you think? What would you do differently? What would you add or subtract to make it more interesting? Comment here or on Facebook and let me know!
Because there’s no reason why a repeat has to be boring!
Have a great week and I’ll see you back here next Friday!!
Chicken, Mushroom and Brown Rice Slow Cooker Dinner
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, approx. 2.5 ounces each
2 cups canned chicken broth, reduced sodium
½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced and rinsed thoroughly for grit
1 cup carrots, sliced thinly
1 cup celery, sliced thinly
¾ cup uncooked brown rice, medium grain (such as brown Arborio)
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Coat a large, non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Brown chicken thighs, turning once. Set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Nestle the chicken thighs on the vegetable mixture. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours. Yields one chicken thigh and approximately 2/3 cup vegetable/rice mixture per serving.
Now that you’ve seen the recipe, let’s get to the modifications.
You probably already know by now that I didn’t brown the thighs. I know it will add flavor. But I don’t want to #1, dirty another pan, and #2, risk the chicken being more overcooked than it already will be because I have to let it cook for 10 hours instead of seven.
That said, after the first time we tried it, N and I both thought it could use a little more flavor. So this time I added an extra tsp of Worcestershire and an extra tsp of Dijon mustard.
Both times I cooked the rice separately in the rice cooker. Since the disaster of the Cuban black beans and rice, I haven’t quite been willing to cook rice in the crock pot again. But as soon as I find some brown Arborio, I will try it. I’m very curious to see how it will turn out.
Adding the rice for about the last 15 minutes before serving gave it a chance to soak up the yummy juices in the pot, but I put in too much broth this time, so it ended up a little soupy. The first time we made it, it actually had a risotto-like consistency which was very satisfying. N and I both LOVE risotto, but it is both time- and calorie-prohibitive. So this was a nice surprise. Next time, less broth.
It was as tasty as we remembered; perhaps a bit more so because of the extra seasonings. But it still needs something. Which is where you come in.
I would love to know what you would add or change to make it more flavorful. I think it needs acid. The flavors are rich and hearty, but it needs some brightness for balance. Lemon? Vinegar? Maybe a little balsamic drizzled over the top at serving? Or a little heat?
Tonight I sprinkled on some of Cajun seasoning that I bought last fall in Portland and amped the flavor up quite nicely. I also thought of the spice rub we got at Central Market last week with its smoked paprika and brown sugar. That might be interesting, too.
So, what do you think? What would you do differently? What would you add or subtract to make it more interesting? Comment here or on Facebook and let me know!
Because there’s no reason why a repeat has to be boring!
Have a great week and I’ll see you back here next Friday!!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Curse you, little turkey balls!
I’m just going to cut to the chase. This week’s recipe? More work and less payoff than any crock pot recipe so far.
We tried another off the Weight Watchers site and were hoping for the rousing successes of the past two weeks to be repeated. Sadly, this was not the case.
It’s called Greek Meatballs and Artichokes. Sounded interesting enough to me to give it a shot.
My first clue that it wasn’t going to be all I’d hoped for should have been the fact that it called for ground turkey breast. And the only thing to season the meatballs was salt and sage.
And then there was all the extra work before you put the whole thing together in the crock pot.
First you had to form the little one-inch meatballs. Then you had to brown them. Then you put them in the crock pot with new potatoes, frozen artichoke hearts, chicken broth, oregano, salt and pepper and let it cook for 5-6 hours.
This time it didn’t have the opportunity to drastically overcook because Nancy was home sick that day and could turn the pot to ‘keep warm’. Still the meatballs came out dry. Saharan, even.
But before I go any further, let me share the recipe.
1 pound ground turkey breast
¼ tsp ground sage (or more to taste)
½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
8 small new potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled
9 oz frozen artichoke hearts
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice
Combine turkey, sage and salt. Shape into 1-inch balls. Add meatballs to skillet and brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and place in a 4-5 quart slow cooker.
Add potatoes, frozen artichoke hearts, oregano, pepper and chicken broth. Cover and cook on high heat 5-6 hours.
About 15 minutes before serving, spoon cornstarch into a cup. Add 1 tbsp of the slow cooker liquid and the lemon juice; stir well. Stir into slow cooker, cover and cook on low heat 15 minutes more. Yields about 1 2/3 cups per serving.
Got that? Cook the meatballs, then put them into the slow cooker and cook them again. Oh, and cook them on HIGH for 5-6 hours. HIGH??? I actually missed that when I read the recipe at the time of execution. I cooked them on LOW for 5-6 hours. AND THE MEATBALLS WERE STILL DRY!!!! I shudder to think what would have happened if I’d cooked them on high.
I’m sure you’re wondering why I even attempted this when it goes against one of my basic rules for perfect crock pot recipes. I had to cook something before I put it in the pot.
Well, I thought it sounded interesting. And a little different. I was feeling a little energetic. I still didn’t have to chop anything. :o)
I can’t say it was a complete failure. It definitely has promise. The potatoes were rather tasty, having cooked in herbed broth for several hours. They were Nancy’s favorite part of the dish. The meatballs were decently flavored as well, even if they were dry. Oh, and did I mention they were dry?
But the lemon and cornstarch? I can only assume that it was meant to approximate an avgolemono sauce. But it didn’t thicken at all. I’m uncertain whether it was from the lack of sufficient temperature or if it was the acid in the lemon juice. But it couldn’t have been the acid…you use cornstarch to thicken the filling for lemon meringue pie. Right?
What would I change next time? Because, yes, after all that bitching, I still might try it again.
Firstly, ground turkey with dark meat in it, so the meat would be moister. Secondly, I probably wouldn’t make it in the crock pot. I’d pan-fry the meatballs, boil the potatoes and artichokes in the broth, put them all together in a pot and try thickening the sauce then. Or take all the solids out of the pot and thicken the sauce on its own.
I’d probably add some sundried tomatoes, too. Nancy suggested chopping them finely and putting them in the meatball, which sounds very yummy indeed. We got crazy and started talking about adding some chopped kalamata olives and stuffing each meatball with a tiny bit if feta. Now that sounds like it would be much more satisfying to the tastebuds. Though not quite as friendly on the points value.
I’m not done trying recipes from the WW site. So far it’s 2-1, which is still a winning record. But next time I think I’ll read a little more carefully before I try one.
We tried another off the Weight Watchers site and were hoping for the rousing successes of the past two weeks to be repeated. Sadly, this was not the case.
It’s called Greek Meatballs and Artichokes. Sounded interesting enough to me to give it a shot.
My first clue that it wasn’t going to be all I’d hoped for should have been the fact that it called for ground turkey breast. And the only thing to season the meatballs was salt and sage.
And then there was all the extra work before you put the whole thing together in the crock pot.
First you had to form the little one-inch meatballs. Then you had to brown them. Then you put them in the crock pot with new potatoes, frozen artichoke hearts, chicken broth, oregano, salt and pepper and let it cook for 5-6 hours.
This time it didn’t have the opportunity to drastically overcook because Nancy was home sick that day and could turn the pot to ‘keep warm’. Still the meatballs came out dry. Saharan, even.
But before I go any further, let me share the recipe.
1 pound ground turkey breast
¼ tsp ground sage (or more to taste)
½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
8 small new potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled
9 oz frozen artichoke hearts
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup canned chicken broth
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice
Combine turkey, sage and salt. Shape into 1-inch balls. Add meatballs to skillet and brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes. Remove and place in a 4-5 quart slow cooker.
Add potatoes, frozen artichoke hearts, oregano, pepper and chicken broth. Cover and cook on high heat 5-6 hours.
About 15 minutes before serving, spoon cornstarch into a cup. Add 1 tbsp of the slow cooker liquid and the lemon juice; stir well. Stir into slow cooker, cover and cook on low heat 15 minutes more. Yields about 1 2/3 cups per serving.
Got that? Cook the meatballs, then put them into the slow cooker and cook them again. Oh, and cook them on HIGH for 5-6 hours. HIGH??? I actually missed that when I read the recipe at the time of execution. I cooked them on LOW for 5-6 hours. AND THE MEATBALLS WERE STILL DRY!!!! I shudder to think what would have happened if I’d cooked them on high.
I’m sure you’re wondering why I even attempted this when it goes against one of my basic rules for perfect crock pot recipes. I had to cook something before I put it in the pot.
Well, I thought it sounded interesting. And a little different. I was feeling a little energetic. I still didn’t have to chop anything. :o)
I can’t say it was a complete failure. It definitely has promise. The potatoes were rather tasty, having cooked in herbed broth for several hours. They were Nancy’s favorite part of the dish. The meatballs were decently flavored as well, even if they were dry. Oh, and did I mention they were dry?
But the lemon and cornstarch? I can only assume that it was meant to approximate an avgolemono sauce. But it didn’t thicken at all. I’m uncertain whether it was from the lack of sufficient temperature or if it was the acid in the lemon juice. But it couldn’t have been the acid…you use cornstarch to thicken the filling for lemon meringue pie. Right?
What would I change next time? Because, yes, after all that bitching, I still might try it again.
Firstly, ground turkey with dark meat in it, so the meat would be moister. Secondly, I probably wouldn’t make it in the crock pot. I’d pan-fry the meatballs, boil the potatoes and artichokes in the broth, put them all together in a pot and try thickening the sauce then. Or take all the solids out of the pot and thicken the sauce on its own.
I’d probably add some sundried tomatoes, too. Nancy suggested chopping them finely and putting them in the meatball, which sounds very yummy indeed. We got crazy and started talking about adding some chopped kalamata olives and stuffing each meatball with a tiny bit if feta. Now that sounds like it would be much more satisfying to the tastebuds. Though not quite as friendly on the points value.
I’m not done trying recipes from the WW site. So far it’s 2-1, which is still a winning record. But next time I think I’ll read a little more carefully before I try one.
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