New Collar
July 2, 2012 – 7:47 pmWe got a new collar for Emma this past weekend. The old one was getting pretty grungy. I think she likes it. 😉
Tayberries are here!
July 1, 2012 – 10:57 amYay! My favorite summer berries, Tayberries, are here! Central Market had them when I went for my big weekly shopping trip this morning. 🙂 This first flat we’ll probably just end up eating right out of the box, but I’ll go get some more for freezer jam and/or pie later in the week.
Growing Washington CSA – Week 2
June 28, 2012 – 7:13 pmWeek 2 of my CSA!
- Cherries-Rainier
- Cherries-Rainier
- Apples-Pink Lady
- Free-Range Eggs
- Lettuce-Green Romaine
Lettuce-Green BibbSubstituted with Lettuce-ButterheadSquash-RavenOut – will be in next week’s box- Asparagus
- Apriums
Baked Breaded Zucchini
June 27, 2012 – 5:24 pmThis is a healthier take on fried zucchini. It was pretty decent, but not really worth the effort it took to do all the breading. Next time I might try larger spears rather than the rounds. We had these with some thin grilled t-bone steaks and some roasted asparagus and baby turnips from my CSA box. A nice early summer meal. 🙂
Baked Breaded Zucchini
Serves 4
1 1/2 lb medium zucchini
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup panko
1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Sauce for dipping (I especially like Thai sweet chili sauce with these, but marinara is great too)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with non-stick spray.
Cut the zucchini into 1/4 inch thick rounds and set aside. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, beat the eggs well. In a third bowl, mix the panko, breadcrumbs, and Italian seasoning. Dip the zucchini rounds into the flour, and shake off any excess, then dip into the egg, letting all the excess drip off back into the bowl, then coat well with the seasoned panko mix.
Place the breaded pieces on the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender and the breading is crunchy.
Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces.
Growing Washington CSA – Week 1
June 21, 2012 – 5:54 pmGrowing Washington’s Community Supported Agriculture Boxes have started this week. Yay! Here’s my first box:
- Honey Sticks – NW Sampler
- Thyme
- Cherries-Rainier
- Cherries-Rainier
- Dried Heirloom Beans
- Free-Range Eggs
- Lettuce-Butterhead
- Baby Turnips
- Asparagus
The cherries were a good batch, especially for so early in the season, and they’re already gone – we ate them right out of the bag. 🙂 The lettuce went into a salad that accompanied tonight’s chicken noodle soup. I’m looking forward to sampling some of the local honeys – the flavors in my pack are raspberry blossom, wildflower, blackberry blossom, fireweed, and clover.
Onion and Pepper Smothered Eye of Round Steaks
June 14, 2012 – 6:02 pmMy in-laws are still in town and they picked up some thin sliced eye of round steaks the other day at the store for dinner this week. Round steak is a tougher cut, so I decided to do a slow braise to tenderize the meat and add a lot of flavor at the same time. This is a tasty meal for a relaxed evening – nice after a day down at Pike’s Place Market then up at the Everett Marina.
Onion and Pepper Smothered Eye of Round Steaks
Serves 4
1 lb thinly sliced eye of round steaks
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp seasoning mix (I used Emeril’s Essence)
3 tbsp canola oil
1 14.5-oz can beef broth
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 small sweet onion (I used Walla Walla), thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small bottle (187 ml) red wine (I used a cabernet sauvignon)
Mix the flour and Emeril’s Essence in a gallon-sized zip top bag. Add the eye of round steak and toss to coat well.
Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat. Take the steaks out of the bag, shaking off any extra flour and add the steaks to the skillet. Brown them well on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a plate and set aside.
Add 1-2 tbsps of the leftover seasoned flour and whisk into the canola oil in the pan to make a roux. Add the beef broth and whisk to incorporate the roux fully, scraping up any brown bits from the steak. Stir in the thyme, salt, and pepper, and bring the gravy to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low. Add the onion and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onion and pepper start to soften. Add the wine and stir to incorporate.
Add the beef back to the skillet along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Nestle the beef so it is covered by the liquid. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, or until the beef is tender.
Serve warm with potatoes or over steamed rice.
Congratulations to My Husband!
June 10, 2012 – 6:55 pmToday, my husband graduated from the University of Washington with his Juris Doctor degree. Onward to the bar!
Orange and Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs
June 6, 2012 – 7:00 pmA different take on orange glazed chicken – this one from Fine Cooking. This recipe has an Asian spin, and was much better than last week’s attempt at orange glazed chicken. I upped the veggies as always, as well as increasing the orange zest, and served this with some steamed jasmine rice and roasted zucchini. I saw a version of this recipe done with skinless boneless thighs, which made it even faster, and I might try that next time.
Orange and Soy Glazed Chicken Thighs
Serves 4
8 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
kosher salt and black pepper
32 medium shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
3 medium scallions, white root removed, cut into 3 inch lengths
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Place a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil. Arrange the shiitakes in groups of four, gill side up, on the pan, and season lightly with salt. Top each group of mushrooms with 2-3 pieces of scallion.
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and place one chicken thigh on top of each group of mushrooms, skin side up.
Roast at 450 degrees F until the skin has started to brown and the internal temperature in the thickest part of the meat is 165 degrees F (about 20 minutes).
While the chicken is roasting, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Heat the sauce over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the orange juice and cornstarch to form a slurry. When the liquid reaches a low boil, add the cornstarch slurry and stir constantly as the mixture comes back to a simmer and thickens, 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
When the chicken is done roasting, brush it generously with the sauce.
Turn the broiler on to high and broil the chicken thighs to crisp the skin and caramelize the sauce, about another 1-2 minutes.
Use a wide spatula to transfer two chicken thighs with the mushrooms and scallions to a plate. Brush each thigh generously again with the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve warm.
Rockridge Orchards Winery
June 4, 2012 – 6:20 pmThis past weekend was filled with farmers markets. I went to the University District Farmers Market on Saturday and the Everett Farmers Market on Sunday. I got some excellent Tayberry wine from Rockridge Orchards at the U-District market. They also had some wonderful apple cider. I tried the wine on its own, and was pleasently surprised that I could indeed taste the tayberries. 🙂
Sticky Orange Glazed Chicken Thighs
May 28, 2012 – 6:34 pmTonight’s dinner came from the brand new June 2012 issue of Everyday Food. We thought this was okay, but probably not worth making again. The ketchup overwhelmed the orange flavor. This might be perfect for you, though, so here it is!
Sticky Orange Glazed Chicken Thighs
Serves 4
8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup thawed orange juice concentrate
1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
4 tsp white wine vinegar
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp hot sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Season chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper and place them skin side down on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Cook at 450 degrees for 45-50 minutes, flipping skin side up halfway through, until the skin is golden brown and the meat reaches and internal temperature of 170 degrees F.
While the chicken is cooking, whisk together 1 tsp of kosher salt with the orange juice concentrate, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce in a large saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let the sauce cook and thicken for 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and place the pieces into the saucepan, tossing to coat well. Drain the fat from the rimmed baking sheet, then place the chicken pieces back on the sheet, skin side up. Heat the broiler to high and place the chicken back in 6 inches away from the heat. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and starting to caramelize.
Serve warm.
