Cassie’s Ruminations

Chile Lime Pork Chops

A really easy, fast, and cheap dinner tonight. I’m just wiped out, and wouldn’t have even bothered with this if the pork chops didn’t need to be used today. 😛 As it is, this was not much more effort than warming something in the microwave, and it was much faster than ordering in, so I can’t complain. 🙂

The pork chops are seasoned with Fiesta Lime Mrs Dash. I saw it on a store shelf and was intrigued. It’s actually quite decent. If I were going for more effort, I’d make a rub with chili powder, garlic, black pepper, and lime juice, but for fast and effortless, definitely give the Mrs Dash a try. You could certainly substitute any of your favorite spices to make broiled pork chops in any number of iterations.

I served the chops with a little green salad – just some torn lettuce from yesterday’s CSA box, which I’d washed and torn last night and stored in the fridge, so zero effort there.

Chile Lime Pork Chops
Serves 3

1.25 lbs thinly sliced boneless pork chops
Fiesta Lime Mrs Dash

Turn the broiler in your oven on (to high if you have settings) and place a rack 4-6 inches from the heat.

Season the pork chops liberally with the Mrs Dash on both sides and place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Broil for 6 minutes on one side, then flip the chops and broil for another 4 minutes, or until cooked through and browned on both sides – each broiler is a little different, so keep an eye on the chops.

Serve hot.

Posted in Budget, Easy, Food, Pork | No Comments »

CSA Box, Week #9

Yet another great box this week 🙂 Lots and lots of summer squash – I’ve roasted some along with beets for veggie tonight, I’m going to stuff some of them, grill some of them, and goodness knows what else. I love squash! One of the flowers in the bunch this week is making me sneezey, sadly, so I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep them around.

This week’s haul:

• Flowers
• Apricots
• Peaches
• Lettuce-Baby Heads
• Arugula-Cut
• Squash-Flying Saucer
• Summer Squash-Mixed Ball x2
• Squash-Romanesco
• Squash-Raven
• Summer Squash-Magda x2
• Beets-Red Ace x2

Posted in CSA, Food, Fruit, Vegetables | No Comments »

Pacific Northwest Corgi Picnic, August 2011

Today was the “official as it gets” Pacific Northwest Corgi Picnic. Emma and I always go and have a great time. There were well over 60 RSVPs, and people generally had at least one corgi, so tons of people and dogs having a great time. 🙂 Emma spent a lot of time running around Leo’s beautiful backyard, often in the lead of a pack of corgis, and a lot of time investigating all the rocks, trees, and bushes.

She was especially fond of the red bushes you can see to the right side of the photo below – she could zip under and through them and pop out different little paths, which was great fun, especially when she could sneak up on another corgi that way and set off a game of chase 😀

Update: The estimate is now about 80-90 people and goodness knows how many corgis 😀

Posted in Corgi, Ramblings | 1 Comment »

Pastel Berry Pie

This is a beautiful, light, fresh pie that’s just perfect for spring and summer. It can be made with just about any type of berry. The recipe originally appeared in the May 1986 issue of Sunset magazine. My mother found that adding gelatin made the pie set up much better, and adjustments were made to the sugar and the method of combining the filling properly. The recipe is now uniquely hers and I’ve used it with great success.

I found another flat of tayberries, and so had to use some of them 😀 It was very good – definitely my favorite version of this pie so far! I usually make it with frozen blackberries, which works well, even in winter months 🙂 This came with me to the Pacific Northwest Corgi Picnic, and it was a big hit!

Pastel Berry Pie
Makes 1 pie, 8 servings

4 cups berries (Whichever kind looks good in the store or at your local farmer’s market or u-pick. You can use strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, etc.)
2 tsp unflavored gelatin (1 envelope)
½ cup (4 oz.) cream cheese
½ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-1/3 cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 9-inch pie crust, blind baked for 20-30 minutes or until just golden brown
Fresh mint leaves for garnish

If using frozen berries instead of fresh, thaw them completely. If using fresh berries, prep them for use – hull strawberries, remove any stems or blossom remnants, etc., then rinse and pat dry.

In a food processor, puree the berries, reserving a few for garnish at the end. If desired, pour the puree through a fine meshed strainer into a non-reactive bowl, pushing through as much of the pulp as possible, while leaving all the seeds behind. Stir the gelatin into the berry puree, dissolving it completely. Cover the puree and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

In the meantime, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Add the berry puree and beat to blend well. In another bowl, whip the cream and the other ½ cup powdered sugar until it holds soft peaks. Add the cream to the berry mixture and gently fold to combine. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked pie crust, spreading evenly. It will heap over the top. Smooth the top. Garnish with the reserved whole berries and a few mint leaves.

For best results slicing, allow the pie to set in a refrigerator for at least one hour and up to overnight. It also freezes well for a cold summer treat.

Posted in Baking, Desserts, Food, Fruit, Pies | No Comments »

CSA Box, Week #8

Week #8 of my CSA. The summer squash is coming in full force now – I got 3 different types 😀 The peaches are juicy and lovely too.

This week’s haul:

• Flowers
• Lettuce-Green Bibb
• Summer Squash-Mixed Ball x2
• Squash-Romanesco x2
• Summer Squash-Magda x2
• Peas-Sugar Snap
• Peas-Snow Peas
• Cucumbers-Slicing
• Beets-Red Ace x2
• Peaches
• Apricots

Posted in CSA, Food, Fruit, Vegetables | 1 Comment »

Spicy Pork and Veggie Stir Fry

This is yet another variation of stir fry – this one spicy with shiitake mushrooms and zucchini. Tasty and easy 🙂

Spicy Pork and Veggie Stir Fry
Serves 4

1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into small bite sized pieces
1.5 – 2 lbs shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and cut into bite sized pieces if necessary
1 lb zucchini, cut in quarters lengthwise then sliced crosswise
2 tbsp canola oil, divided
1 tsp sesame oil, divided

For the sauce:
1/2 cup shaoxing rice wine or sake
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp cornstarch

Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of canola oil and 1/2 tsp sesame oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add the pork and let it brown without stirring for 1 minute. Toss and continue to brown and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the pork to a bowl and set aside, leaving as much of the oil in the skillet as possible.

Add the zucchini to the skillet and allow it to brown for 30 seconds to 1 minute without stirring, then toss and allow to brown again for 30 seconds. Add 1/8 cup of water to the wok and cover immediately. Let the zucchini steam for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and let any remaining water boil off. Remove the zucchini to the bowl with the pork.

Add the remaining 1 tbsp of canola oil and 1/2 tsp of sesame oil to the wok and heat for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and let brown for 30 seconds without stirring, then toss and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through.

Return the zucchini and pork to the wok and toss to combine. Stir the sauce again to reincorporate the cornstarch, then add it to the wok and stir to coat. Bring the mixture to a boil and let boil for 20-30 seconds to fully thicken it. Turn off the heat and serve hot.

Posted in Asian, Easy, Food, Pork, Vegetables | No Comments »

Some of what we’ve been eating

Here’s a peek at what we’ve been eating. Most of the veggies are from my CSA boxes.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with sweet corn and roasted zucchini

Tonkatsu with steamed broccoli and stir fried shiitake mushrooms

Tayberry Freezer Jam

Galbi with braised brussels sprouts and roasted mushrooms (broiled alongside the galbi)

Teriyaki Chicken served on a whole wheat bun with a little cheddar (yes, weird, but pretty tasty 😛 ), and roasted cauliflower and zucchini

Bacon Wrapped Scallops – these are just sea scallops seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, wrapped in thin center cut bacon, and grilled in a grill pan for about 2 minutes per side.

Italian Stuffed Zucchini. Trying for more tomato-y, I added a can of tomato paste, which was too much. I’ll try half a can next time 🙂

Grilled Tri Trip, served with roasted zucchini

Baked Chicken – simply seasoned with kosher salt, black pepper, and thyme, browned in a cast iron skillet, then baked for about 30 minutes. Served with a big tossed salad from our CSA box

Posted in Beef, CSA, Food, Fruit, Grilling, Italian, Pork, Poultry, Vegetables | No Comments »

CSA Box, Week #7

Yet another beautiful week of veggies and fruit from my Growing Washington CSA.

This week’s haul:

• Flowers
• Apricots x2
• Mushrooms-Shiitake x2
• Lettuce-Green Bibb
• Arugula-Cut
• Tomatoes-Big Beef x2
• Squash-Raven x2
• Broccoli x2
• Beets-Red Ace x2

Posted in CSA, Food, Fruit, Vegetables | No Comments »

Marrow Bones for Dogs

Most grocery store butchers have marrow bones if you ask, and dogs just adore them! I got a little pack for less than $2, and roasted them at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes to cook them through. Emma’s been working one for two days now and has it pretty much down to a thin ring of bone. She’s thrilled with them, and will be overjoyed when the next one comes out of the freezer in a month 🙂

Posted in Beef, Corgi, Dog Food, Food | No Comments »

CSA Box, Week #6

I keep forgetting to hit “Publish” on this post. My 6th Growing Washington CSA box was another hit 🙂

This week’s haul:

• Raspberries x2
• Apricots x2
• Mushrooms-Shiitake x2
• Free-Range Eggs
• Lettuce-Baby Heads
• Squash-Raven x2
• Peas-Sugar Snap
• Carrots-Orange
• Beets-Red Ace x2

Posted in CSA, Food, Fruit, Vegetables | No Comments »