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I was recently invited to participate in California Walnuts’ virtual salad party! I got to choose from several different entree salad recipes and I chose this one from Aida Mollenkamp. The recipe is Baby Beet Salad With Chevre And Savory Caraway-Walnut Granola and the reason I chose this one is because of the ingenious savory granola element added to a classic mix of stuff my family and I love. Continue reading “California Walnuts’ Virtual Salad Party and a Cook Book Giveaway!”
Grass fed, Cross rib roast
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So I have definitely waxed poetic about Chuck’s and although due to religious beliefs they aren’t open Saturday and they don’t have pork or beer available, I find myself finding excuses to go up to Vancouver just to shop there. Jarom works up there so that helps….my latest and greatest find is the meat department, they serve Painted Hills and it is the best beef i’ve ever had available to me in a grocery store that is still affordable enough to feed the whole family. Continue reading “Grass fed, Cross rib roast”
Tortellini and Turkey meatball soup
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I talked about making soup with the pan juice from my Mom’s Greek Roasted chicken recipe and today I actually did! I saved the pan drippings and placed them in the fridge, then I scooped the layer of fat that separates off the top and used the jellied consomme as my stock! It makes thee best soup stock ever, and I paired it up with some dried tortellini and some meatballs I made out of ground turkey breast…I know its possibly not soup season, but I love soup lately I can eat it in one form or another for every meal! This version is delicious, and you can use whatever stock you have, even beef or veggie, this is just an example of a recipe being a “Two for one” make the Greek chicken get the soup stock for free! What a bargain! Continue reading “Tortellini and Turkey meatball soup”
Portland Caprese
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Summer..Summer…Summertime….let’s just sit back and unwind (In the style of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (before Scientology). Ah the delights of Summer! All kinds of seasonal produce is hitting the farmer’s market right now, so why not make a 5 minute recipe? First thing’s first I AM IN NO WAY STATING that this is Portland’s “Only” caprese cuz I know one of the 10 people reading this is gonna be all “This is not “Portland’s Caprese” I had it at (insert local place here) and it totes magoats has kale and veggie shreds”….this is MY version of the famed overly put on restaurant menus all over the country salad ok? Kinda like when Depeche Mode talks about one having “Your own personal Jesus” purely perspective based, nothing to be made doctrine of…just a damn good salad. Now that that disclaimer is out of the way we should talk ingredients. Continue reading “Portland Caprese”
Mom’s Greek roasted chicken
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My mom is a connoisseur of Mu-moos, she wears them with pride and frequently. They range in pattern from kittens to tacos and never fail to gather attention wherever she goes. My mom has done 8 hr shifts grill cooking in mu-moos, she has traveled in them, she loves them. Once I borrowed one for a skit I was in my senior year of high school, it was a poorly rehearsed “Jerry Springer” style schtick, it was a comedic role and I played it well. The next day at our end of year awards assembly mom made sure and sported it to the assembly and everyone hollered at me as she strolled down the halls “Hey Alex…your mom is here”. Continue reading “Mom’s Greek roasted chicken”
45 minute chicken pozole
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When change comes in life it doesn’t wait for you to catch up. Looks like we have indeed found our future home here in Portland, in fear of jinxing it that is all I will say at this point, but as soon as I can I will spill the deets (it has a gas range, been cooking on electric so this is exciting news for me). I also am trying to clean up my diet which means I’ve had to curtail my beer consumption, which was basically for me what gruel was for Dicken’s “Scrooge”. In keeping track of calories (a thing I have never done with much success until now)I was stupefied and amazed that pints run about 280 calories for some of my favorite beers….so my beloved hoppy nectar is no longer a daily event. I’ve also switched up the dinner choices and tried to cook some recipes that are conducive to health. Pho is a fav of mine for sure, and today’s recipe is what I would say is similar to the same idea but a Mexican soup called pozole. Pozole contains hominy, a type of dried corn, it is usually made with pork, but I did a chicken version with some local, free-range chicken thighs. The broth has a bit of heat and then you can add toppings to your liking. Its delicious and healthy, while still filling enough to forget its low in fat and calories. I could eat soup for every meal I think and this one is a crowd pleaser, unless your crowd is folks with ulcers or severe aversion to chiles…..this one packs a bit of heat. Continue reading “45 minute chicken pozole”
Kapama style Lamb Ragu with whole wheat orzo and rainbow chard and house hunting in Portland, Oregon.
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Over the weekend we went house hunting here in Portland. My husband and I have been wanting to get our own place here and feel like now is the time. Our family has been here for three years and my daughter will be going into the 2nd grade in the Fall and we want to hopefully have our own property and not be giving our hard earned dollars to rent. Currently we live in a great area, the Hollywood district, schools are good, it’s safe, but it seems like we just don’t quite “fit in here”. We did ask our landlord about selling his house to us, but he was not too keen on the idea, and it’s probably out of our price range anyway. Continue reading “Kapama style Lamb Ragu with whole wheat orzo and rainbow chard and house hunting in Portland, Oregon.”
One night in Bangkok Salad
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Recent media panic has been broadcasting that we need to up the veg to eight yes EIGHT servings per day! Did I mention preferably raw? Continue reading “One night in Bangkok Salad”
Grecian bowl of yummy!
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So I love me some “Buddah Bowl” which is basically a big bowl of healthy vegetarian stuff topped with tahini dressing and eaten with good conscious. There are some great options here and even carts dedicated to the art of “The Bowl”. I love eating this way and it feels substantial and healthy. Continue reading “Grecian bowl of yummy!”
A call to all my past resignations or why women should throw each another a bone.
I strategically spotted the open booth still un-bussed from the previous set of tea drinkers…a moment to read the Willamette weekly while my bombastic 2 and half year old could play in the play area and be happily distracted while I caught up on snarky articles. I needed to transport our smoothie, and my kombucha….I managed…went to put the water class from the prior custys back in the bus tub, which they themselves should have done, but as I placed the glass into the lower bus tub God forbid…it drops and breaks, a J. Crew Khaki clad Granola-turned Yupptard, type A shouts “Easy! There are kids here!” as if I could control a bout of distracted mom clumsiness and already being embarrassed, further embarrassing me not to mention interrupting others with her anti-glass shard manifesto. Continue reading “A call to all my past resignations or why women should throw each another a bone.”