Category Archives: Cook

April 17, 2013 · 12:35 am

Rhubarb Sorbet with Pistachios and Dark Chocolate

This past Sunday I was determined… incredibly determined to make some concoction with rhubarb. I’m always usually pretty persistent with my recipes, but this Sunday was just a little different. Basically, this urge to bake with rhubarb resulted from a visit I had a few weeks ago to Ox in Portland where I had one of the most tasty sweet concoctions of my life: Rhubarb Vanilla Sorbet, Bittersweet Chocolate Magic Shell, Crushed Pistachio.

As a result, I’ve been thinking about rhubarb ever since that visit so I knew I had to fulfill my craving for it.

But, among all of the various options to bake with rhubarb, I decided that instead of a rhubarb crisp or rhubarb pie, I wanted to make something “cooler” (temperature-wise), so I choose to attempt to replicate the Rhubarb Sorbet I had at Ox. However, after two botched tries of locating rhubarb (the first store did not have rhubarb and the second store had unripe rhubarb), my final attempt resulted in just enough (I almost took all of the slim supply at the store) to make this dessert!

Despite the madness of visiting three stores, this recipe was definitely worth the trouble and the wait. Just look at the pictures above and below and you’ll understand!

Step 1: Chop Rhubarb

Step 2: Dissolve Sugar in Water Over Low Heat

Step 3: Add Lemon Juice and Rhubarb Pieces

Step 4: Put Rhubarb Mixture into a Food Processor

Step 5: Place Rhubarb Mixture into Ice Cream Machine

Step 6: Scoop, Drizzle Chocolate and
Pistachios; Eat!

Even though I didn’t make the “magic shell” like Ox did, I still thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. Basically, this recipe encompasses three distinct flavors: tart, sweet and salty. Usually I only like two of those distinct flavor types, but this time all three converged together quite nicely without overwhelming each other in the process!

Thank you to Ox for offering such a delicious recipe!

Cheers!

7 Comments

Filed under Bake, Cook

Tagged as chocolate, dark chocolate, dessert, ice cream, nuts, Ox, pistachios, Portland, Rhubarb, rhubarb ice cream, rhubarb sorbet

April 9, 2013 · 2:42 am

Chile-Braised Pork Tacos

I’ve been traveling quite a bit the first part of this year and have definitely missed my lazy Sunday afternoons of cooking. Luckily for me, things at work have settled down and I now have more time (and energy) to dedicate to cooking and updating this blog!

Lately, the Spring weather has actually been quite nice in an otherwise rainy Northwest climate. As a result, our “teaser” days of 70 degree sunshine have definitely made me reminisce and look forward to days of grilling, sunglasses and playing a little volleyball outside. So, in between the bouts of rain, I wanted to make a recipe that would make anyone eating it look forward to Summer: Chile-braised Pork Tacos.

Step 1: Chop Chiles and Steep in Hot Water

Step 2: Put Chiles, 1/4 Cup Reserved Liquid,
Lime Juice and Sugar in a Food Processor

Step 3: Put Chile Mixture Onto Pork;
Chill in Refrigerator Overnight

Step 4: Simmer Onions, Garlic and Spices;
Add Pork and Put in Oven for 2.5 Hours

Step 5: Take Out Pork; Shred Pork;
Put Onto Tacos or Rice; Add Toppings

At first glance, these tacos might seem like they require a lot of steps and time; however, the looks are definitely deceiving. This recipe is actually quite easy and quick, especially when spread out over two days (which I’d highly recommend).

I decided to pair a jalapeno-mango salsa with this recipe which provided a nice spritz of sweet flavors among the spicy and salty flavors of the pork. However, in hindsight, I wish I would have left the pork in the oven for longer to accumulate even more flavor (this is saying a lot consider that I’m not the most patient cook!), but, all in all, I really can’t complain because this is a great recipe and one that will definitely be repeated this Summer!

Cheers!

2 Comments

Filed under Cook, Uncategorized

Tagged as chile-braised pork tacos, dinner, mango salsa, pork tacos, tacos

January 21, 2013 · 11:27 pm

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I just returned from a long work trip and I’m so incredibly happy to be home. That being said, I was able to visit some great places for work as well as try some delicious food. But, all in all, I definitely missed being able to cook my own food and choose my own menu!

I had originally envisioned a grandiose meal with a decadent dessert for my first meal made at home; however, this quickly faded as reality set in and I realized that I was actually much more tired than I had previously thought!

So, in order to fulfill my quest for an easier meal, I picked up the most recent issue of Cooking Light and immediately gravitated toward the Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (or in my opinion, better referred to as Chicken Lettuce Wraps). I always remembered hearing my friends rave about the Chicken Lettuce Wraps from P.F. Changs and always meant to make them at home and just never found the time. Needless to say, I was pretty ecstatic when I saw this recipe!

Step 1: Finely Chop Shallots, Serrano
Chiles and Garlic; Cut Red Pepper into Slices

Step 2: Saute Red Pepper, Shallots and Garlic

Step 3: Cook Ground Chicken, Add Chiles,
Add Red Pepper and Shallot Mixture,
Add Fish Sauce and Other Spices

Step 4: Assemble Chicken Mixture into
Lettuce Cups, Add Basil and Lime Wedges; Enjoy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe, especially since I’m someone who loves the heat (a.k.a spicy flavors). In addition to the spicy flavors, this recipe tasted light due to the crisp red peppers, lime and soy sauce ingredients.

Aside from the flavor, another nice aspect of this recipe is that this can be used in many other ways, such as with rice, noodles or in a soup. Because this recipe is so simple and versatile just means that I’ll have to make these Chicken Lettuce Wraps again sometime soon!

Cheers!

4 Comments

Filed under Cook

Tagged as Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Cooking Light, ground chicken, Thai Basil Chicken

January 2, 2013 · 1:44 am

Colorful Bruschetta

I love the idea of having staple items in the kitchen for meals to provide consistency and an easy-to-follow routine. But, in order to avoid getting into a “recipe-rut”, I really try to implement at least one change or a new food item each week.

This week I decided to buy a “tomato medley” of red, orange and yellow colored tomatoes instead of my usual purchase of cherry tomatoes. Although I’d usually use these as an option for a snack or salad topper, I decided that these would be perfect for Tomato, Red Onion and Basil Bruschetta. In my head, I renamed the recipe “colorful bruschetta” as a result of the nice pop of color from all of the different colored tomatoes.

I was excited to make this recipe for two reasons. First, it provides a nice contrast in the winter against traditionally heavy foods. Secondly, I used a very handy and useful new utensil kit consisting of a spoonula, baster and spatula from Kitchen Innovate. See below for the recipe and how I used this new kit!

Step 1: Chop Tomatoes, Garlic, Red Onion and Basil

Step 2: Mix Ingredients Together With Spoonula

Step 3: Slice Bread Into Thin Pieces

Step 4: Use Baster to Spread Each
Piece of Bread with Olive Oil

Step 5: Place Bread in Broiler for a
Few Minutes; Scrape With Garlic

Step 6: Use Spatula to Put Tomato
Mixture onto Each Piece of Bread

Step 7: Bring to a Party and Enjoy!

I consider this recipe to be a win-win and especially with the help of the utensil kit from Kitchen Innovate. Not only were the flavors delicious, but the baster was a clever tool to use because it allowed me to spread olive oil evenly across the bread instead of just having bites doused with too much olive oil from drizzling. Plus, the spatula worked well for dishing out the last bits of tomato mixture and to ensure to use every last bit!

As it relates to the actual recipe, I ended up serving for my family and guests and they absolutely loved them. The varying flavors from the different colored tomatoes made for nice bursts of flavor against the red onion and basil. I thought that we’d for sure have leftovers, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Cheers!

6 Comments

Filed under Cook

Tagged as appetizer, baster, bruschetta, food, Kitchen Innovate, red tomatoes, spatula, spoonula, tomatoes, yellow tomatoes

December 27, 2012 · 8:01 pm

Fontina, Spinach & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

Thank goodness for tomatoes. Whether in raw, in a sauce or in sun dried form, tomatoes just always seem to put me in a great mood. Now, out of those three options, the last one is the best in my opinion. My favorite recipe to use sun dried tomatoes in is Pasta With Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce. I was very tempted to make this recipe again; however, I decided to skip on the calorie-laden sauce of that recipe and go with something a bit more healthy.

I choose to make Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Fontina, Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes. At first glance, this recipe didn’t seem that much healthier than my pasta option due to the copious amounts of cheese needed; therefore, I decided to use significantly less cheese and substituted out artichokes and put in some spinach instead.

Step 1: Chop Garlic, Sun Dried Tomatoes,
Fontina, Spinach and Basil

Step 2: Mix Ingredients Together in a Bowl

Step 3: Pound Chicken Breast to Make Thin;
Place Filling on Top; Roll and Bake

Step 4: Pair with Vegetables or Starches; Eat!

To be perfectly honest, I was a bit skeptical of this recipe. I was worried that I was going to need a sauce to go with it or that the chicken might end up a bit dry. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The flavor from the sun dried tomatoes, basil and garlic really came through nicely for a mix of bold flavors. I’ll definitely be adding this into the usual rotation from time to time!

Cheers!

2 Comments

Filed under Cook

Tagged as sun dried tomatoes, cooking, dinner, spinach, chicken, fontina, stuffed chicken, spinach stuffed chicken, sun dried tomato chicken

November 4, 2012 · 9:30 am

Seriously Lemon Tart

No, but really – the title of this pie definitely does not lie. I might even rename it to be “Seriously, Seriously, Seriously Lemon Tart”.

Nonetheless, even though it does provide quite the pucker, this Seriously Lemon Tart from Cooking Light is definitely a keeper. This is a great alternative to the traditional lemon dessert basically due to the sheer amount of lemon juice and lemon bits required. Plus, the layering effect of the lemon slices on top makes it to be a “pretty” dessert too (now I totally realize that “prettiness” is a dessert isn’t everything, but it can definitely add a nice extra touch!).

If you have the time, make sure to check out this recipe from the latest edition of Cooking Light as well as a few others including the Gumbo!

Cheers!

10 Comments

Filed under Bake, Cook

Tagged as Cooking Light, dessert, lemon, lemon desserts, Seriously Lemon Tart

September 16, 2012 · 11:35 pm

Pie Lollipops

All right, all right… so I’m totally aware that I posted a few weeks ago about how I was semi-bored with pies and wanted to try something different for dessert. And, in all fairness, I was totally in the mood to try something unique, outrageous or something that required a trip to some specialty shops to acquire ingredients. But, this idea became quickly obsolete once I stumbled upon the idea of Cherry Hand Pies.

These Cherry Hand Pies looked absolutely delicious; however, I wanted to make this dessert in a smaller format so I figured that something like pie lollipops would be ideal. Again, even though I’ve made too many pies in the past year, I figured that a new and different format would make it totally worth it!

Step 1: Make Dough

Step 2: Prepare Pie Filling

Step 3: Cut Out Pie Shapes

Step 4: Brush Edges With Egg Wash;
Spoon Filling Onto Dough; Crimp and Press
Other Side Together; Put Stick into Dough

Step 5: Bake and Enjoy!

These pie lollipops remind of the current trend of cake pops. But, in my opinion, these are easier to make and a little bit more rewarding for the sheer fact that they actually resemble a mini pie in appearance. These are a perfect treat that can be taken to barbecues, dinner parties or exactly whatever you are feeling like at the time. Plus, there isn’t that much of a learning curve since they aren’t that different from a normal pie!

Cheers!

11 Comments

Filed under Bake, Cook

Tagged as Baking, dessert, food, berries, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, pie, recipes, sweet, berry, Fall, sweets, recipe, summer dessert, lollipop, pie lollipop, mixed berry, mixed berry pie, fall dessert, fun, fun dessert

September 11, 2012 · 3:07 am

Grilled Pitas with Feta, Red Onion, Olives & Tomatoes

I don’t dine at Greek restaurants or try to make Greek-inspired dishes very often, so when I do, I really savor the chance and opportunity to do so. This recipe, Grilled Pitas with Feta, Red Onion, Olives & Tomatoes, looked liked a perfect dish with Greek flavors and I especially liked the fact that I would get a chance to utilize the outside grill yet again this week.

This is very simple to make. All it requires is a few minutes for prep/cutting, patience for the grill to heat up, and a penchant for feta cheese!

Step 1: Cut Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic and Olives

Step 2: Toss Prior Ingredients Together
with Olive Oil and Fresh Mint

Step 3: Brush Pitas with
Olive Oil and Grill

Step 4: Grill Pita and Add Tomato Mixture

Step 5: Cut and Eat!

I happen to like feta cheese, but I realize that not everyone does. I made this with my boyfriend and quickly learned he is definitely not a fan. It’s not fun when he won’t eat any, but at the same time, I get to have more. In these situations, I guess it’s a good thing because I get to have more… unless I just eat the whole thing. In that case, perhaps it’s not the best, but oh well!

Cheers!

4 Comments

Filed under Cook

Tagged as black olives, cheese, Epicurious, feta, feta cheese, fruit, garlic, Greece, Greek, grilled pita, mint, olive oil, olives, oregano, pita, pita bread, tomatoes, vegetables

September 9, 2012 · 6:25 pm

Chicken and Waffles

Authentic Southern cooking is one of my favorite types of food. Sometimes in another life, I totally believe that I was meant to live in the South just for the sake of cornbread, Carolina barbecue, Sweet Tea and peach cobbler.

Now although I can’t eat this food 24/7, I do enjoy indulging in traditional Southern food from time to time. Besides barbecue, one of other my favorite Southern meals that comes to mind is Chicken and Waffles. I actually already featured this recipe on this blog about a year ago; however, the pictures from that post definitely didn’t do it justice. Since I made it again this past weekend, I figured I’d put up some new pictures to share!

Although I didn’t make blackberry butter (or some other fruity combination with butter) this time, this recipe still tasted delicious. Usually I’m all about the sauces. In my opinion, these can “make it or break it” as it relates to recipes. But, in this case, it was all about the seasonings. We added a bit more than the recipe called for and I’m incredibly happy with the end result of tender and especially flavorful chicken by itself.

Besides the food, I appreciate the traditional Southern mantra and phrase of “Food is Love”. No matter what type of food is your favorite, I think all of you reading can agree with that one!

Cheers!

2 Comments

Filed under Bake, Cook

Tagged as breakfast, brunch, buttermilk, buttermilk waffles, chicken, chicken 'n waffles, dinner, food, fried, fried chicken, recipe, recipes, South, Southern food, waffles

August 21, 2012 · 12:38 am

Grilled Citrus Marinated Flank Steak with Arugula Salad

I love grilling meat in the Summer just so that I can make meat dishes paired with lighter and fresh flavors. Even though I gouged my finger (on accident) and, yes, major fail, I still love grilling. In my opinion, a lazy Sunday with grilling just can’t be beat!

This recipe is from Epicurious and is titled Grilled Flatiron Steak with Tomatoes and Tapenade. I didn’t prepare all the other items that this recipe calls for; however, I just followed the directions for the seasonings which was I felt was perfect. Plus, I really liked the idea of using an overly abundant use of orange juice and zest to boost the citrus flavor and aroma.

Step 1: Chop Fresh Oregano and
Shallots; Zest and Juice Orange

Step 2: Spread Seasonings and
Chopped Items on Prepared Steak

Step 3: Grill Steak

Step 4: Cool and Cut in Thin Slices; Serve

The key is to let this marinate at least one hour so that the flavors really start to set in. As a result, the citrus flavors really permeate into the meat – not too much, but just enough. Next time, I’d like to add more heat and a bit more paprika. But, all in all, this was a great recipe that I’d like to repeat again!

Cheers!

4 Comments

Filed under Cook

Tagged as arugula, arugula salad, balsalmic, balsalmic vinegar, cheese, citrus, citrus marinated, flank steak, fruit, grilled, grilled steak, grilling, manchego cheese, marinade, meat marinade, oranges, salad, shallots, steak, steak marinade, tomatoes

Category Archives: Cook

Rhubarb Sorbet with Pistachios and Dark Chocolate

Chile-Braised Pork Tacos

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Colorful Bruschetta

Fontina, Spinach & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

Seriously Lemon Tart

Pie Lollipops

Grilled Pitas with Feta, Red Onion, Olives & Tomatoes

Chicken and Waffles

Grilled Citrus Marinated Flank Steak with Arugula Salad

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