Thanksgiving holiday without the bird

From ST — What I’ve Been Making... by a aaa

November 29, 2009

Every other year, we eat out for Thanksgiving. It is refreshing to wake up on Turkey Day and know that I don’t have to do anything or adhere to any kind of a schedule. In fact, this year, we braved the rain and headed to the movies. That evening, we dined at Andina in the Pearl. Our meal was FANTASTIC. I had a quinoa dish that has inspired me to make it at home for my family. And the tapas...they were fantastic. I have been dreaming of a Tapas Party, but fear the effort of making it happen. Maybe THAT will be my New Year’s Resolution: have a Tapas Party!

Saturday, I did cook a bit but not one dish was made with leftover anything. We were having a dinner party for eight. At the last minute, I ditched my attempt at homemade Ringers when the cake didn’t cooperate (although I am definitely coming back to that recipe). Instead, we went with a Chocolate Orange Cake from the local bakery. It was a hit, and I didn’t have to shed a tear! The rest of the meal turned out splendidly. We started out with my standby Pan-Fried Onion Dip courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa. It is incredibly easy, can be made the day ahead and consistently draws rave reviews and recipe requests. The second appetizer was the Goat Cheese Finocchiona Crostini that has become my latest addiction. I cannot get enough of this slightly spicy salame, especially when it is topped with pecorino and a drizzle of Oregon White Truffle Oil.

For dinner, we served marinated Tri-tip, Baked Shrimp Scampi (thanks again Barefoot Contessa), Boursin Potato Gratin, roasted green beans dressed with a bit of Basil-Garlic Grapeseed Oil (thank you Sokol Blosser Winery for creating this nectar), and a spinach-avocado-orange salad with a citrus vinaigrette. You know what? I don’t think there was one person there who missed the bird!

What I made last weekend...

From ST — What I’ve Been Making... by a aaa

November 29, 2009

Before I get on with what I made this weekend, I need to address what I made LAST weekend. Saturday, we had what I would typically make on a Friday: Whole wheat spaghetti with broccoli and a Myzithra cheese sauce similar to what I grew up eating at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

Sunday, I tried a couple of new dishes. The first one was a Pecan Pumpkin Crunch that I saw on Ask Aida. I have to say that this dessert was very good, very simple and definitely on the “Make Again” list. Basically, you take the basic pumpkin pie filing recipe, pour it in a baking dish and top it with a pecan streusel. All of the pumpkin pie goodness without the stress of making a crust. This dessert comes together really quickly so you are left with time to do something else. When I make it again, I will use a wider dish and swap some of the pecan for oatmeal to add a little different texture.

The second dish I tried on Sunday was a Bacon-wrapped pork loin with a mustard rub. This recipe was courtesy of Giada’s pre-thanksgiving show. This was delicious, but I have decided that I prefer pork tenderloin to pork loin. So, the next time I make this one, I will just exchange the pork loin for tenderloin.

Just another ravioli Sunday...

From ST — What I’ve Been Making... by a aaa

November 15, 2009

So, after a Saturday night dinner party that takes two days of preparation, when Sunday comes around, I am looking for simplicity. Today, that meant foraging through the freezer and coming up with Mushroom Ravioli from Port City Pasta in Lake Oswego. With my bag of ravioli in hand, I then began my search for just the right sauce to accompany these earthy, creamy pillows of cheese and pasta. I discovered the perfect recipe for Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Basil-Pine Nut Sauce in Giada De Laurentiis’ Everyday Italian cookbook. It was exactly what I was looking for. However, since it is November and I didn’t have any fresh basil on hand, I substituted fresh Oregano and Thyme. The sauce comes together in a snap as you are heating up the water and boiling the pasta. The browned butter, herbs, parmesan cheese and pine nuts create a tasty complement to the savory mushroom ravioli. It was delicious and definitely filed under “Make again”.

A Little Southern Hospitality

From ST — What I’ve Been Making... by a aaa

November 15, 2009

So, this weekend, we had the in-laws over for a family dinner. I was looking for a mostly do-ahead menu so I could enjoy the evening. I also needed to please both the adults and the kids. So, it didn’t take much to lead me directly to the shelf full of Southern cookbooks. Considering my penchant for healthy, local recipes, it may be surprising to learn that I have an ENTIRE SHELF of books focused on Southern cooking. My aunt moved to North Carolina a few years ago so between her and my mother’s visits to the South, I have amassed quite a collection of books on Southern cuisine. But I digress...

We started out with some Thyme-Roasted Pecans (Courtesy of Bon Appétit Y’all), Spicy Cheddar Crackers (a recipe torn out of Sara Perry’s column in The Oregonian) and Bacon Pimiento Cheese (Courtesy of Southern Living Magazine) on crackers. I made this the night before and knew that, even if the rest of the menu didn’t turn out, the appetizers would be killer!

The entrees consisted of Spicy Pulled Pork Sliders and the Ultimate Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, both from The Deen Brothers, Y’all Come Eat. Did I mention that I required everyone to check their diet at the door? There is nothing healthy about this menu. I rounded out the menu with a Black-eyed Pea Salad courtesy of Paula Deen and a Broccoli Bacon Salad from Savor the Flavor of Oregon. As we watched the Ducks roll over the Sun Devils, we finished the evening with what was supposed to be a Mississippi Mud Pie (a slightly undercooked brownie), but due to spending a little too much time in the oven, turned out to be pretty much a chocolate torte (that still tasted fantastic).

All in all, a very successful menu with leftovers that became the ultimate hangover cure.

Sundays and Vodka Sauce are a match made in heaven

From ST — What I’ve Been Making... by a aaa

November 2, 2009

For several months (you may even be able to sum it in to years), I have been holding on to the “secret” recipe for Penne with Vodka Sauce from Three Doors Down Cafe over on Hawthorne (available on their website at www.3doorsdowncafe.com). This Sunday was the perfect day to tackle this recipe. It is fairly simple. Sauté some onions and red pepper flakes. Simmer with whole tomatoes for an hour. Add some boiled sausages (I chose spicy Italian chicken sausages from Trader Joe’s)and vodka (I have read quality makes a difference, so I selected Ketel One). Simmer another hour. Add in some heavy cream and tomato paste. Simmer another 30 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and some parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and Voila! You have Penne with Vodka Sauce. The overall process takes about 3 hours and some minimal stirring, but it is well worth it! The sauce is creamy and tomatoey with a little heat. The sausages are tender enough to cut with a fork. And the best part of this process? The smell of simmering tomatoes that permeates the entire house on a chilly Sunday afternoon! This is definitely what the kids call a “Make Again”!

Ducks BEAT USC! And we ate some good food today too!

From ST — What I’ve Been Making... by a aaa

October 31, 2009

In the fall, Saturdays are all about football. First, there is College Game Day. Then, there is Youth Football. Finally, there is as much college football as you can take until you collapse in to bed (do you realize how many games are on TV simultaneously?). Am I a major football fan? Not necessarily. What I do love about football season is that it allows me the freedom to cook for hours on end (while pretending to pay attention to every play on TV).

We usually wake up to College Game Day with a cup of coffee and some “Oregon Chai” Sugar Free Chai Tea Latte. I have barely focused both of my eyes when the “youth” of our youth football pastime is asking, “what are we having for breakfast?” (Not so coincidentally, that is the exact same question he asks me before he goes to bed each night).

This morning’s breakfast had to be hardy because today was the last game of the regular “Youth football” season, and we went in to the game 7-0 in our league (in case you care, we came out of the game 8-0 and will be heading to playoffs next week). Perhaps my breakfast shares some of the credit for that win. Our pregame meal consisted of scrambled eggs, slices of homemade bacon and Tender Pancakes from Gale Gand’s Brunch!.

Post game, we were in desperate need of snacks. We enjoyed shrimp dumplings (I would call them pot stickers) and steamed Edamame.

As the Duck game began, I started making dinner. First, I pulled together a slaw of thinly sliced cabbage, shredded carrots, minced green onions, and Red Shell Miso Dressing topped with finely chopped peanuts. A delicious combination of sweet, savory, salt, and crunch that was the perfect accompaniment for our entree! The centerpiece of our meal was a riff on Chiang Mai Curry Noodles with chicken, Indian eggplant and Chinese Long Beans. The base of this curry is Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste that provides just enough heat to warm you up on a cool Halloween evening, but not too hot to scare off the ghouls, err I mean kids.

I feel confident to say that the Ducks were not the only winners tonight!