Category Archives: Recipes

Pan-seared salmon w/ sauteed leeks and orange-miso reduction

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Try saying that 3 times fast! :) So anyway, I’ve been having mega cravings for salmon this week and finally decided to buckle down and whip something up tonight. The weather has been super hot here in Seattle, so I wanted to keep the kitchen labor to a minimum and the meal relatively light.

The result: pan-seared salmon served over sauteed leeks and topped with an orange-miso reduction sauce. Light. Refreshing. Flavorful. Beautiful. Oh, and super EASY! An Amateur Gourmand-approved meal, indeed!

I don’t have an exact recipe down quite yet — I just went free-style because my grumbling tummy was in no mood to calculate exact measurements tonight. When I do get a final recipe together, I’ll be sure to update this post with a Foodista widget. 10/6 update: Widget w/ exact recipe is below – enjoy! In the meantime, here’s a summary of how this all went down:

For the orange-miso reduction: sauteed minced garlic and grated ginger in olive oil. Added chicken stock, mirin, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and fresh squeezed OJ –  brought everything to a boil. Lowered heat and whisked in miso paste and honey until fully dissolved. Then I just let it simmer until the mixture reduced by half and had a syrup-like consistency. And, no, there isn’t a photo of the sauce-in-the-making — this would be because every one of the 20+ shots I took looked like crap…literally. Moving on…

Seasoned some salmon fillets with salt and pepper, and pan-seared them in some olive oil. Easy!

Cleaned and chopped some leeks, and sauteed them in some olive oil. Seasoned with salt and pepper. Easy!

When it came time to plate (and eat!), I created a layer of leeks on the bottom, topped with a piece of salmon and then drizzled the orange-miso reduction over the top. Holla! :)

 

Pan-Seared Salmon With Orange-Miso Reduction

Slow-cooked BBQ pulled pork sandwich w/ coleslaw

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To round out my adventures in BBQ, I am sharing this simple pulled pork sandwich and coleslaw recipe. And when I say simple, I really mean it — all’s you need is a slow cooker, some pork shoulder, veggies, buns and the homemade BBQ sauce and honey-dill vinaigrette from Monday’s blog post.

Now before you get all excited and jump into this recipe, let me heed this important warning: do not – I repeat – do not use pork tenderloin instead of the shoulder. Being the pig novice that I am, I assumed a tenderloin would work just as well, and since it was on sale the day I went grocery shopping, I went with it. No bueno, no bueno at all. I ended up with a tough and rubbery piece of meat that wouldn’t shred without the help of a chainsaw. So there you have it…pork shoulder, people.

Slow-cooked BBQ pulled pork sandwiches w/ coleslaw

makes 4 sandwiches

Pulled pork sandwiches

Coleslaw

  • 1/2 head of small red cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup matchstick carrots
  • 1 granny smith apple, julienned
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 cup homemade honey-dill vinaigrette
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Set slow cooker to low setting and add BBQ sauce. Season pork with salt and pepper and add to slow cooker; cook for 4 hours. Remove pork and shred using forks (or your fingers). Add shredded pork back into slow cooker and toss with BBQ sauce; cook for another 15-20 mins. Meanwhile, combine all coleslaw ingredients in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate for 10-15 mins. When pork is finished, scoop over toasted buns and serve alongside coleslaw (or you can add coleslaw into the sandwich) and baked sweet potato fries.


Baked BBQ chicken legs w/ potato salad

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So I love warm, sunny weather. And I love BBQ. But oddly enough, I have yet to BBQ anything on an outdoor grill by myself. And the reason for this…I’m deathly afraid of outdoor grills! Not because these things are evil or scary, but because I’m one hot tranny mess of a klutz and I just don’t trust myself to operate an outdoor grill alone. Hence this recipe is a baked BBQ chicken recipe.

If anyone wants to come over and make this recipe on my outdoor grill, I’d be more than happy to have you! And if you’re wondering why the heck I even own an outdoor grill — my friend Matt convinced me to get one a few years ago when we had an impromptu BBQ on my deck…I haven’t used it since. :)

OK, before we jump into the recipe, let’s chat briefly about the pre-cooking magic that went into this. To get uber tender and flavorful chicken legs, I soaked them in this basic brine solution for about 2 hours (note: when brining, you want enough liquid to completely cover all your meat):

  • 2 quarts water
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 granulated sugar
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic (smashed, to release flavor into the brine)

You can be creative with this brine by adding in any other herbs or aromatics. I kept it simple since I was going to coat these leggies in some finger-lickin’ good BBQ sauce. That said, here is the rest of the recipe. On deck for tomorrow: slow-cooked pulled pork sandwiches w/ coleslaw and sweet potato fries.

Baked BBQ chicken legs w/ potato salad

serves 4-6, depending on how hungry you are :)

BBQ chicken

  • 2 lb chicken legs (or any other part – I just heart legs!), skin on
  • 2 cups homemade BBQ sauce (more or less depending on your preference)
  • Minced scallions to garnish

Potato salad

  • 2 lb red potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 cup chopped celery heart
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup to 1 cup homemade honey-dill vinaigrette

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Remove chicken legs from brine solution and pat dry; arrange in one layer on cookie sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush first layer of BBQ sauce onto chicken. Bake for 15-30 mins while basting with additional BBQ sauce. Turn chicken legs over, baste with more BBQ sauce and cook for additional 15-30 mins or until internal temperature reaches 180-degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Meanwhile, boil potatoes until fork tender, about 10-12 mins. Drain and add scallion, celery and honey-dill vinaigrette. Toss together until well incorporated; season with salt and pepper. When chicken legs are done, garnish with minced scallions.

Baked Bbq Chicken LegsPotato Salad W/ Honey-Dill Dressing

2 Recipes: Homemade BBQ sauce and honey-dill vinaigrette

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Normally, I’m not one to turn down some help from the grocery store — semi-homemade is my middle name. But when it comes to sauces and dressings, I prefer to make them from scratch.

For one, it’s more cost-effective since I can easily whip up different variations using ingredients I already have in my pantry. And more importantly, I get to control the ingredients that go into my sauces/dressings, and therefore end up with a much healthier option (don’t even get me started on all the crap that’s in bottled salad dressings!).

Now that summer is here (and the Seattle weather is beginning to cooperate), I’ve been craving BBQ. So naturally, I decided to give homemade BBQ sauce a try. The first batch was atrocious, but I’m happy to report that attempt #2 was a success — a thick, sweet ‘n tangy BBQ sauce, just the way I like it! And since a BBQ meal isn’t complete without a tasty side dish, I also made a honey-dill vinaigrette, which can be used to dress virtually any salad.

OK, friends, that’s all I’ve got for now. BUT! Come back tomorrow for BBQ meal #1: Baked (and brined – yum!) BBQ Chicken Legs w/ Potato Salad.

Homemade BBQ sauce

yields approx. 2 cups

  • One 15-oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 tsp molasses
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • Worchestershire sauce, a few dashes
  • cayenne, to taste (I like a nice spicy kick to my BBQ sauce :) )
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer uncovered for at least 30 mins (longer if you want it to be thicker). Note: You’ll want to stir often to avoid having the sauce bubble all over the place (at least that was my experience :) ). If you aren’t using the sauce right away, let it fully cool down before storing it in the refrigerator/freezer.

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Honey-dill vinaigrette

yields approx. 2 cups

  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dill (or to taste)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients until well incorporated. Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Serve over salad of your choice — works particularly well in coleslaw, potato salad and pasta salad.


Meatless Week – Conclusion

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For my very last Meatless Week meal yesterday, I decided to really step up the challenge by trying a vegetable that I generally don’t like: bell peppers. Actually, I don’t mind raw bell peppers dipped in some hummus or ranch, but I’m not a fan of cooked bell peppers. I came across this recipe for roasted bell peppers stuffed with a quinoa mixture and was instantly intrigued.

Something this beautiful couldn’t quite possibly taste bad. I was right, this dish is amazing! The hearty and flavorful quinoa mixture with the tender and juicy bell peppers are the perfect combination. I’ll definitely be making this one again…Meatless Week or not.

I learned quite a bit this past week, including wonderful new recipes and ingredients (did you know that quinoa is full of protein?!). I also learned to really listen to my body and eat just enough to curb hunger pangs. It’s amazing how some celery with peanut butter or handful of edamame can do just that. But as fun as it was to be a vegetarian for a week, I look forward to reintroducing meat into my diet today. Now the question is, what will be the first piece of meat I eat. Bacon? Chicken? A sampling of everything? :)

Roasted Bell Peppers With Quinoa Stuffing

Adapted from Whole Foods Market recipe

Serves 6

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 7 bell peppers (1 cored, seeded and chopped; tops removed and reserved from remaining 6 then cored and seeded)
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/4 lb baby spinach
  • 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions (I used red quinoa – turned out really colorful and pretty :) )
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup roasted, salted cashews (I used pistachios since I had them in my pantry)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until transparent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes more. Add carrots and chopped peppers, cook until just softened, then add parsley and spinach (in batches, if needed). Let spinach wilt then stir in cinnamon, cumin and cooked quinoa and toss gently to combine. Add salt, pepper and cashews (or pistachios) and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Set aside to let filling cool until just warm.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with oil then set aside. Divide quinoa mixture evenly among remaining 6 bell peppers, gently packing it down and making sure to fully fill each pepper. Top each pepper with its reserved top then arrange them upright in prepared pan. Cover snugly with foil and bake, checking halfway through, until peppers are tender and juicy and filling is hot throughout, about 1 hour. Transfer to plates and serve.


Meatless Week – the final stretch

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I didn’t have any major cravings for meat this week…until yesterday. All I could think about was eating a juicy piece of meat. So naturally I rebelled and resorted to eating crap…meatless crap.  Yesterday’s “meals” consisted of these three food groups: cheese, cornichons, Swedish fish.

I woke up today with a renewed attitude (and grumbling tummy), and managed to make not one, but two delicious meat-free meals to make up for yesterday.

Lunch

Jeanine, a blogger for Belles of the Sound, passed along this recipe for curried sweet potatoes and lentils. I haven’t met a sweet potato I didn’t like and I’ve actually never had lentils (gasp, I know!) so I was extremely excited to give this recipe a try. It was fantastic — hearty and full of flavor! This would be a perfect dish for a chilly autumn night, which is exactly how the weather felt today despite being the unofficial start to summer (Memorial Day weekend).

Curried Sweet Potatoes and Lentils

Serves 4

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes (1.5 lbs.), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
  • 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and curry powder, and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Stir in sweet potatoes, lentils, rice, salt, broth, and 2.5 cups water; heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes or until lentils and rice are tender and almost all liquid is absorbed. Let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro to serve.

Dinner

After running a bunch of errands and re-arranging the house, I decided tonight would be a stay-in-and-watch-a-movie kind of night. And what better to go along with such a night than pizza! With some help from Trader Joe’s, I made a delicious semi-homemade pizza with all my favorite toppings: cheese, mushrooms, jalapenos and black olives.

I began by pickling the jalapenos for approx 2 hours in a mixture of distilled white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, water, salt, sugar, onion, garlic and peppercorns.

When it was time to build the pizza, I simply followed the instructions on the fresh pizza dough package (thank you, TJs, for making this Amateur Gourmand-proof :) ):

  • Take dough out of package and let rest for 20 minutes
  • Roll dough out on lightly floured surface
  • Top with pizza sauce, cheese and desired toppings
  • Bake in 450-degree oven until dough is golden and cheese is melted, approx 10 minutes

I didn't take a pic of the entire pie because it came out as an ugly oval

The original plan was to serve a lentil salad alongside (I received a great recipe from Joyce, author of the The Heritage Cook blog). But I totally overcooked the lentils and they fell apart and turned into the ugliest pile of mush. So I said the heck with it and ate the pizza by itself.

Meatless Week – Day 3

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Self, what the hell were you thinking when you decided to take on the Meatless Week challenge during one of your busiest work weeks?

That question ran through my head all day long. Between meetings, training our new team member and handling unforeseen circumstances, I managed to skip breakfast and lunch.

Thankfully I had my trusty hard-boiled egg and cup of green tea to keep me from gnawing my own arm off by the end of the day.

Needless to say I was starving by the time I got home at 7:30pm and didn’t want to fuss with anything complicated. My colleague Rooizu (using her nickname to preserve her anonymity :) ) introduced me to an amazing couscous recipe last weekend during Wine:30 at her house. I can’t even begin to explain how freaking phenomenal this couscous is — pretty to look at and packed full of flavor. Not to mention, couscous is one of the easiest and quickest dishes to make.

For a protein punch, I added some pan-fried tofu. I’m not gonna lie folks, while the tofu was pretty tasty, it paled in comparison to the juicy grilled chicken Rooizu served us last week.

Couscous with Pistachios, Scallions, and Currants

Recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine (1991)

Serves 4

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup couscous
  • 1/2 cup dried currants, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained (I used dried cranberries instead since I had them in my pantry)
  • 2/3 cup thinly sliced scallion
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts,toasted lightly and chopped fine
  • 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • Couple pinches of cinnamon
  • 6 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

In a saucepan combine the butter and the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, and stir in the couscous. Remove the pan from the heat, let the mixture stand, covered, for 5 minutes, and transfer it to a bowl. Break up any lumps with a fork and stir in the currants (or cranberries), the scallion, the pistachios, the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, the cinnamon, and the oil. Toss the couscous mixture with the dressing and season it with salt and pepper.


Meatless Week – Day 2

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Had a jam-packed day and am super fried so this update will be short and sweet. Day 2, check. Meat consumption: ZERO. Mood: pretty darn satisfied, actually.

Breakfast: the MBC made a repeat performance — yes, I’m a creature of habit.

Lunch: lovely fiery Caesar salad and vegetarian quesadilla from the lunch combo menu at Sonrisa.

Appies: I attended the “Eating While Tweeting” event hosted by the local AAJA chapter at TASTE Restaurant. Chef Craig Hetherington and team hooked us up with some amazing nibbles including a beet salad, potatoes w/ edamame puree, polenta w/ morels and — my personal fave — CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO WHOOPIE PIES! I was too busy stuffing my face and tweeting that I didn’t get around to taking any pics of the spread.

Dinner: Of course I was still hungry when I got home so I whipped up a quick and easy staple: miso udon soup. This is one of those dishes I make without exact measurements so there isn’t really a recipe to share — sorry to disappoint! But like I said, it’s super easy — if you know how to chop ingredients and boil water, you can do it! :)

Miso Udon Soup

  • Water
  • Red miso paste
  • Korean red chili powder
  • Bonito dashi
  • Green chili pepper, sliced
  • Garlic, coarsely chopped
  • Zucchini, halved and cut into half-moons
  • Udon noodles
  • Firm tofu, diced
  • Green onions, chopped

    • Not shown: udon noodles and tofu...they looked gross when I photographed them

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Mix in a couple Tbsp (to taste) of miso paste and dissolve. Add red chili powder and bonito, to taste. Add green chili pepper, garlic and zucchini. Lower heat and add udon noodles, tofu and green onion; let simmer for a few minutes to allow all the flavors to incorporate. Serve and enjoy!


Meatless Week – Day 1

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My first day as a week-long vegetarian was pretty successful — I didn’t slip and I actually didn’t have any cravings for meat. Well, OK, I guess that’s debatable…because I had a hard-boiled egg. Now if you ask ME, it’s legit, but some others may disagree. Bahh whatever, I wanted a damn egg so I had a damn egg :)

For breakfast I had the amazing Magical Breakfast Cream (MBC) from The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook. This seriously trumps any yogurt-granola parfait I have ever had. EVER! The MBC alone is delicious, but I was particularly hungry this morning and needed a little extra something — so I threw in a handful of blueberries and strawberries. Délicieux!

Lunch was a bit lame with a simple PB&J and some raw veggies with spicy hummus. And then late-afternoon is when I snuck in the controversial hard-boiled egg.

Fast forward to dinner. Whole wheat pasta + cherry tomatoes + cannellini beans + Mark Bittman’s asparagus pesto recipe. The best analogy I can think of for this meal is an ugly baby…you know, the one with the face only a mother could love. As you can see from the pics below, this dish isn’t the prettiest to look at (yeah, yeah, I know it’s my lack of photography and plating skills). BUT! Let me tell you, it tasted phenomenal…and I’m one proud mama!

Whole wheat penne w/ asparagus pesto

Serves 4-6

Pasta

  • 1 lb whole wheat penne pasta
  • Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (I didn’t measure these out – I just added a couple handfuls)
  • 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Mark Bittman’s asparagus pesto

  • Salt
  • 1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch segments
  • 1 clove garlic, or more to taste
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, or more as desired
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste

Bring 2 large pots of water to a boil and add salt. Add penne to one pot and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and toss with tomatoes and cannellini beans. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Add asparagus to the other pot and cook until fully tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well, reserving some of the cooking liquid, and let the asparagus cool slightly.

Transfer the asparagus to a food processor and add the garlic, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons of the oil, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a couple of tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container if necessary, and gradually add the remaining oil and a bit more of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten if necessary. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste, pulse one last time. Serve over pasta and top with additional Parmesan.


Recipe: Mushroom-stuffed zucchini boats

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I cannot express my love for zucchini enough – it’s quite possibly my favorite veggie. In fact, my best friend’s mom knows how much I looooove me some zucchini, that she plants some in her garden for me every summer.  Of course, she always lets them grow to the size of an infant and I end up having to bake endless loaves of zucchini bread in order to use it all up. :P

But my relationship with zucchini has hit a rut – I’ve been taking it for granted and subjecting it to the same old boring sautéed side dish. So last weekend, I decided to bring the spotlight back to my dear zucchini – no more of this secondary side dish business. The end result: mushroom-stuffed zucchini boats w/ a crispy cornmeal-Parmesan topping – hearty and full of flavor.

Now I know some of you big time meat-eaters may want to add some protein in the mix.  By all means, do as your heart wishes – some ground meat would taste lovely in the stuffing mixture.

Note: You’ll have to excuse the poor quality of the photos below — I took them with my Blackberry camera.

Mushroom-stuffed zucchini boats

Serves 4 (2 boats per person)

  • 4 medium zucchinis
  • 10-12 mushrooms (I like to use creminis)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup shallots (or onion), minced
  • 1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup cornmeal
  • 1 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste
  • Italian seasoning, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp to create a hallow tunnel down the center. Reserve the pulp. Drizzle zucchini boats with olive and lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 mins. When done, remove from oven and set aside.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add some olive oil. Add red pepper flakes, garlic and reserved zucchini pulp; sauté until soft (you’ll want to break down any large clumps of zucchini pulp with a wooden spoon).

Add shallots and mushrooms and continue sautéing until shallots are translucent and mushrooms are tender.

Add diced tomatoes and tomato paste; season mixture with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, to taste. Lower heat and let mixture simmer until tomato liquid evaporates a bit.

In the meantime, combine Parmesan cheese, cornmeal and melted butter together in small bowl. Lightly toast the mixture in a small saucepan (until slightly golden).

Remove mushroom-tomato mixture from heat and stuff into zucchini. Top with cornmeal-Parmesan mixture. Bake for 10-12 minutes to heat everything through together.

Serve immediately. Optional: sprinkle fresh minced parsley before serving.

Mushroom-Stuffed Zucchini Boats