Cassie’s Ruminations

Three Chile Salsa

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I made this salsa for a contest at work (though sadly I did not win). The three chiles are the bell pepper, the jalapeño, and the ancho. It’s inspired by this recipe by Alton Brown. This is a good, flavorful salsa with depth, but not a lot of spice. I’ll definitely make it again, though in a much smaller batch since I won’t be feeding a crowd, and probably with a habañero to kick it up. 🙂

Three Chile Salsa
Serves about 18

18 Roma tomatoes, about 3.5 pounds
2 large red bell peppers
1 head of garlic, about 16 cloves
8 jalapeños
2 oz dry ancho chiles (4-6 chiles)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 limes, juiced
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

Chop the tomatoes and bell peppers into 1/8 inch chunks and place them in a large bowl. Separate the garlic into cloves, peel them, and mince them. Add the garlic to the bowl as well.

Cut the jalapeños in half and seed them. Place 4 of the jalapeños on a baking sheet skin side up and broil for 3-4 minutes, or until well charred. Finely mince both the raw and the roasted jalapeños and add them to the bowl.

Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the ancho chiles open, discard the seeds and stems, and cut the chiles into small pieces in the bowl.

Add the olive oil, lime juice, and parsley, and stir to combine well. Place in the refrigerator and let sit for at least 2 hours and up to overnight for the flavors to meld.

Serve with tortilla chips or any other favorite Mexican food.

Posted in Appetizers, Dips Spreads Sauces and Condiments, Food, Mexican | 1 Comment »

Emma and the Big Ball

A couple weeks ago we bought a big playground ball for Emma. She’s torn between being afraid of it and liking it. She chases it a little bit, and will nudge it to get a treat to roll off, but if it’s rolling at her, she’ll run away and hop up on the couch. When someone is on the couch, she’ll climb on top of them to get farther away, but even then she gets a huge grin on her face for as long as we’re playing with it. This morning I grabbed her when she was trying to perch on my shoulder and Shaun tossed the ball at us. I held her and made her bop it back to him with her nose. She thought this was great fun and started barking with each bop 😀 These pictures were taken towards the end of the play.

   

Posted in Corgi, Ramblings | No Comments »

Sautéed Morel Mushrooms

The brief season for fresh morel mushrooms`is here in Washington. These mushrooms are not cultivated; they are only foraged. The price reflects their rarity, the effort in getting them, and the short season – they’re $50 / pound here. Luckily, they’re very flavorful, so a small amount goes a long way. I got just an ounce of them and simply sautéed them – they deserve a simple presentation to let the funghi shine. They were very good, and I’ll look for them again next year 🙂

Sautéed Morel Mushrooms
Serves 1

1 oz small fresh morel mushrooms
1 thin pat butter (about 1/2 tsp)
kosher salt

Soak the mushrooms in cold water for 2-3 minutes, gently agitating for the first 30 seconds to remove dirt from the honeycomb structure of the mushrooms then letting it settle to the bottom. Remove the mushrooms from the water, gently pat dry, and cut in half lengthwise.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the mushrooms and season lightly with kosher salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until tender. Serve warm.

Posted in Food, Vegetables | No Comments »

Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Tonight I made a variation on my turkey meatballs. I made the mixture, formed the meatballs, then placed them in a large saucepan and poured in a jar of one of our favorite tomato sauces, Newman’s Own Marinara with Mushrooms. I thinned it with just a little water to cover the meatballs entirely, then simmered for about 15 minutes – until the internal temperature was over 180 degrees F. Tonight I just served these alone, but they would be outstanding over pasta or even better in a sandwich. When we’re not on a few week low carb weight loss kick-start, I’ll have to do that. I think I’ll add some more mushrooms next time too. 🙂

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Poultry, Sandwiches | 1 Comment »

Pavlova

This recipe is based off of one from AllRecipes and one from Elise of Simply Recipes. It’s named after a famous Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, and like a ballerina is light and graceful. The dessert was created after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. Both nations lay claim to creating the confection, and it’s been a source of contention over the years. Either way, it’s a delicious dessert! Some day I’d love to try it in New Zealand. 😀

The whipping cream is left unsweetened to balance the very sweet meringue, and the fresh fruit adds a great light touch. This also works beautifully with other berries, such as raspberries or blackberries, and even does great with lemon curd.

This is my entry for this month’s HH6 recipe challenge – a recipe from a place you have visited or would like to visit some day outside of the USA.

Pavlova
Makes 4 individual desserts

2 egg whites
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced
4 large strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the egg whites in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, making sure that the bowl is very clean and that there are no fragments of yolk present.

In a small separate bowl, mix together the vanilla and the lemon juice and set aside. In another small bowl, mix together the sugar and cornstarch and set aside.

Start the mixer on low and gradually increase the speed to medium. In a couple minutes, the bubbles will be small and uniform and soft peaks will start to form.

Increase the speed to medium high and sprinkle the sugar mixture in gradually over 1-2 minutes. When all the sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla and lemon juice. Continue to whip the meringue until it is thick and glossy and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted from the bowl, about another 5 minutes. Do not overbeat the mixture, as it can break.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon the meringue onto the sheet in four 3-inch rounds. Create a small indentation in the center of each round with the spoon.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and reduce the heat to 250 degrees F. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the meringues are crisp and dry to the touch, but not yet turning tan. Reduce the temperature by 25 degrees if they seem to be cracking or turning color during the cooking time.

Gently lift the meringues from the baking sheet and move them to a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 20 minutes.

In another mixing bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Top each meringue with cream and sliced fruit.

Posted in Desserts, Food, Fruit | 5 Comments »

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from us! I got some fun Easter socks for me and a flower headband for Emma. Delicious hot cross buns for breakfast (from The Essential Baking Company,a local organic company), a little homemade chicken noodle soup for lunch, and I’ll be making a nice little rack of lamb for dinner. 😀

Posted in Corgi, Ramblings | No Comments »

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

Today for lunch, Shaun and I tried the newly opened Five Guys Burgers and Fries near us. The menu is simple. You can get a hamburger or a hot dog, with your choice of toppings; fries, plain or with cajun seasoning; and your choice of a fountain drink. Bulk roasted peanuts are also available in the seating area. Don’t let the simplicity deter you – they do just a few things absolutely perfectly. The ingredients are very fresh – nothing is ever frozen. The line to the counter where you place your order is delineated by bags of fresh potatoes and peanuts, and a white board by the registers notes the actual farm where today’s potatoes came from. They don’t start cooking your burger or fries until you’ve ordered, and when they call your order number to pick up your plain paper sack of food, it’s all piping hot. While grease does gather on the bag, the burger and fries themselves don’t leave that heavy, greasy feel in your mouth or in your stomach. The place was hopping, and I’m sure it will stay that way. We have a new go-to place for burgers! I’ll have to give the hot dogs a try sometime soon too 😛

Posted in Food, Restaurant Review | 4 Comments »

Strawberry Bread

We got a four pound box of strawberries yesterday at the store and while we ate about half of them, some weren’t quite as ripe, so I went looking for a recipe to use them up. This recipe is inspired by one on AllRecipes.com. I think my version turned out quite well 🙂

Strawberry Bread
Makes 2 loaves, about 24 servings

1.5 lbs fresh strawberries
2 1/8 cups granulated sugar, divided
3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray 2 9″ x 5″ loaf pans with baking non-stick spray.

Hull the strawberries and slice them into a large measuring cup. You want about 4 cups of slices. Sprinkle the strawberries with 1/8 cup of sugar and toss to combine. Set aside to macerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Lightly beat the eggs with the oils and vanilla. Pour the liquid mixture over the strawberries and stir gently to combine. Add the strawberry mixture to the dry ingredients and fold together until just completely incorporated.

Evenly divide the batter between the two loaf pans. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack in the pan, then invert the pans, remove the loaves, and let them finish cooling completely.

Posted in Baking, Bread, Food, Fruit, Muffins and Quick Breads | 1 Comment »

Greek Pasta Salad

This is a great recipe for a crowd. I’ve posted it here before, but I’ve made a few modifications since then, so here’s how I made it today for a potluck lunch tomorrow. If you’d like to make a meal of this, grill up about a pound of chicken or shrimp to go on top.

Greek Pasta Salad
Serves 14

1 lb dry elbow pasta
¼ cup chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp dried oregano)
½ cup lemon juice
3 tbsp dijon mustard
½ cup olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 large cucumbers
2 pints grape tomatoes
6 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Cook the pasta according to the box directions to al dente, generally about 7-8 minutes in boiling water. While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, and mustard until they emulsify and make a smooth vinaigrette. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste – I usually use about ¼ tsp of each.

Drain the pasta well and pour it into a large serving bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the pasta and toss to combine. Let the pasta cool for about 15 minutes.

While the pasta cools, peel the cucumbers, seed them if necessary, cut lengthwise into quarters, and then cut the quarters into ¼ inch slices. Rinse the grape tomatoes and remove any stems or leaves.

Gently toss the cucumber, tomatoes, and feta into the pasta. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to overnight. Serve chilled.

Posted in Food, Greek, Grilling, Pasta, Vegetables | No Comments »

Potato Crusted Halibut

This is another recipe inspired by one at Central Market. The orginal recipe called for packaged pre-shredded potatoes, which would work just fine for a weeknight shortcut, but for a Sunday dinner, I grated my own potato. This would work great with any firm fish like salmon or cod. We thought this was just okay, so I probably won’t repeat it.

Potato Crusted Halibut
Serves 2

1 large white potato, about 1/2 pound
2 tbsp all purpose flour
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound halibut fillet, about 2 inches thick, skinned and cut into two portions
1 tbsp canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grate the potato into a mixing bowl. Stir in the flour and season well with salt and pepper.

Season the fish lightly with salt on both sides and top with the potato mixture.

Heat the oil in an oven proof skillet over medium high heat. Place the fish potato side down and brown well, about 5 minutes. Gently flip the fish over and move the skillet to the oven. Bake until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily, about 7-10 minutes per inch of thickness. Serve warm.

Posted in Food, Potatoes, Seafood, Vegetables | 1 Comment »