Creme Caramel

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Custard and caramel. What a pair. Sweet, creamy and so EASY to make. More and more I am astonished how uncomplicated many recipes are. I don’t actually have anything more to say on the subject other than, try it. You’ll thank me. Ingredients 1/3 cup sugar 3 tablespoons water Cooking spray 3 large eggs 1 large egg white 2 … Continue reading →

Avgolemono

What is Avgolemono? Well according to Wikipedia, the word means egg-lemon in Greek. It refers to a group of Mediterranean sauces and soups made with those two ingredients, mixed with broth and heated until creamy. To me it means pure deliciousness. I made this last night for dinner for the first time. I got the recipe out of a magazine and gave it a go. This creamy, flavorful soup has no cream in it, making it very healthy as well.  Will and I were both surprised at how much we enjoyed it’s elegant and simple flavors, vowing to put it on our favorites list. In addition, the recipe is incredibly easy.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 small to medium carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
6 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain rice (or orzo pasta)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 ground black pepper
1 egg lightly beaten
2 cups shredded chicken, about 8 oz. (the original recipe says chicken breasts, we used thighs as they are more tender and less expensive)
2 tbs torn basil

1. Heat a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add oil to pot; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrots and celery; sauté 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add Chicken Stock; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; reduce heat, and simmer 16 minutes. Combine juice, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and egg in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly pour egg into broth mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add chicken to broth mixture; cook until mixture thickens and rice is done (about 3 minutes). Top with parsley and basil.

Adapted from Cooking Light

No Knead Bread

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We have discovered the art of bread making. I would say we have discovered the almost fail proof way of making bread. One of Will’s friends gave him a recipe for bread. It didn’t turn out as desired, so some research was done. This lead us to an old New York Times article on No … Continue reading →

Portage Restaurant

There is nothing better than taking a chance on a new restaurant and having it be amazing. Wait, there is something just a little more enjoyable… have a Bloomspot for that place too! I saw a Bloomspot deal for this quaint little French Bistro called Portage on Queen Anne hill in Seattle. It looked inviting, low-key and had an impressive menu. These are all traits that Will and I look for. We walked in and were greeted by the host/server. That’s right, small enough that it could be a one woman show. There we 7-8 tables, two of which were situated in cozy front window nooks. The tables were covered in white linens and local art lined the walls. We each had a glass of wine, I had a delicious Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The food was divine. Seared diver scallops with potato risotto, peas and a savory cream sauce. The scallops were perfectly cooked and incredibly sweet. Will had their Painted Hills steak with a red wine, mushroom reduction. To start we shared a spring salad of asparagus topped with an over-easy duck egg. It was an amazing meal, and I am so happy to recommend this place. Bon Apetit!

Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Mussels

Some days require more comforting than others. Usually those days are overcast, chilly or near the end of the week. For me, that day was yesterday. It was a cool, rainy day and I desired nothing more than to curl up a watch a good movie. Not feeling like making a complicated dish, I used … Continue reading →

Hearty Chorizo & Kale Soup

I love soup. I could eat soup every day, especially for lunch. There is just something about having a warm meal that makes lunch special to me. The husband isn’t into soup as much, though he is a good sport while I try many new types. This chorizo kale soup recipe from Jeanette I have made a few times now and due to its stew-iness it has been a hit. Like many soups, supplementing with whatever veggies you have on hand works wonderfully and can save unesseccary trips to the store.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 6

This recipe is easily adaptable. You can use whatever beans you have on hand (kidney, black bean, chickpeas, white beans, lentils), and substitute other grains for farro (brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta, barley). Instead of kale, you can also stir in some spinach (which cooks much faster).

These are the changes I made:

No zucchini
Regular chorizo
1 cup frozen corn
1 14.5 oz can sliced black olives
1 jalepeno pepper diced
1 stalk celery chopped
No farro – sub small or medium sized shell pasta
No beans – sub 1 cup frozen or fresh butternut squash chopped

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 (4-ounce) links fresh chicken Chorizo sausage (removed from casing)
• 1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups or 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup or 1 (16 ounce) can beans, rinsed and drained (use your favorite)
• 1/2 cup quick cooking farro (or regular farro – you will have to cook it longer)
• 4 cups chopped kale (you can use frozen)
• 1 zucchini, quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add sausage and saute for a few minutes, breaking up the pieces. Add carrots, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Saute until sausage is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Add paprika, chicken broth, tomatoes, beans and farro. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook 15 minutes or until farro is tender (if you use regular farro, it may take 25 minutes). Add kale and zucchini and continue cooking another 6-7 minutes until kale is just tender.

Notes

Inspired by Cooking Light.

Chocolate Cake Donuts

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  My experience with baking has been limited. Out of the two of us, I tend to lean towards the savory and would rather spend my days making pasta with truffle sauce than cupcakes. Lately,  I have discovered the world of candy making, specifically caramels. I LOVE CARAMELS. So now that I have made a … Continue reading →

Bacon Caramels

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  Lately I have felt like a mad scientist, desperately trying to create a concoction of sweet and salty. I have made this recipe of bacon caramels from notwithoutsalt.com three times in the last week. The first two times my caramel cooled into a solid mass that was impossible to get out of the pan. The third time … Continue reading →