Healthy Enchilada - it's not an oxymoron!

I love Mexican food. I mean. I really love Mexican food. I could eat it everyday of the week, and probably have at some point. I blame my Mom. She says she was always craving it when she was pregnant with me. So either I already favored tacos in the womb or my Mom's eating habits heavily influenced me. That's a story for another day, though. I actually plan trips home to my parent's house around whether or not I can hit Ellensburg during a time when my favorite taco truck is open.

For years I have tried to recreate enchiladas like you get at a standard Mexican restaurant. Mine never taste the same. For one thing, it's hard to find large corn tortillas. Another problem is that enchilada sauce available at the grocery store does not taste like the stuff you get at a restaurant. I've tried making my own sauce many times and it never turns out very well - until now.

I had a hankering for chicken enchilada's this week. But, I am also trying to eat healthier and cut down my calories. What's a girl to do? Well, turns out it's not that hard to make delicious and fairly nutritious enchiladas.

First, the sauce. I looked up a few different sauce recipes and decided to go with one from Emeril Lagasse. Now, say what you want about Emeril - I have made several of his recipes and they always turn out delicious. I don't like to watch his show but I trust his recipes to turn out. Here is the recipe I used: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/easy-enchilada-sauce-recipe/index.html

I had almost all the ingredients for this sauce on hand. Of course, I tweaked it a bit. Instead of chicken broth I poached chicken tenders for my enchilada filling and used some of the water from that. I added two teaspoons of a sodium free chicken stock powder for flavoring. I also added some garlic powder and red pepper flakes to give it more of a kick. I only used 6 oz of tomato paste and found that to be plenty. Finally, I did thin it out with more water before pouring it on the enchiladas.

Now, for the filling. I usually use chunked up chicken breast that I've browned in a skillet with some oil. I saved the calories from the oil and just poached about 1 lb of chicken tenders in water. Then I just shredded the tenders with my fingers after they had been cooled off with cold water.

Finally, with some searching, I was able to find 8" diameter corn tortillas. I can't recommend highly enough that you search for these. They taste much more authentic, and are much better for you, than flour tortillas.

So, here's the final recipe. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I ate the leftovers today and was in heaven!

Chicken Enchiladas

For the sauce:

Follow Emeril's recipe and add or alter:

2 cups water from poached chicken

1 teaspoon garlic powder or minced garlic

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons dry chicken stock

For the filling:

1 lb poached chicken tenders cooled and shredded

1 can black beans, drained

Additional Ingredients:

7 corn tortillas, 8" diameter

1.5 cups shredded cheese, I used a Mexi-Blend

Intsructions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Poach Chicken, be sure to reserve 2 or more cups of the water when draining. While chicken cools make sauce (follow link above for recipe). Shred chicken. Wrap 7 corn tortillas in moist paper towels, microwave for 30 seconds then flip over and microwave 30 more seconds. What you're trying to achieve is getting the tortillas pliable enough so they don't split when you fill and roll them.

Set up a station with tortillas, chicken and black beans. Pour about 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Fill each tortilla with some chicken and black beans, careful not to overfill. Roll the tortilla and place them in your pan. You should be able to fit about 7 filled tortillas. When the pan is full pour the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Top with the cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Eat and enjoy!

Dogs Deserve Delicious Things Too

About a year ago my husband and I adopted a dog. We both grew up having dogs in the house and always knew we would get one as soon as we had a fenced yard. Eventually we settled on the breed we wanted, a lab, and then started the debate of whether to purchase a lab from a breeder or try to adopt from a shelter. One day, we happened to be lost while driving around the Bellevue area and realized we were pretty close to the King County Humane Society. It was a Sunday and we didn't have anything else to do, so we figured we'd stop in and just take a look at the dogs they had for adoption. We honestly had very little anticipation that we would leave the facility with a dog that day.

The very first dog we saw upon entering the long row of kennels was a large and energetic yellow lab named Duke. I looked at my husband and said "That dog is too big. We can't handle a dog that big" and we moved on down the hall. If you've never been to the Humane Society, let me just say - it makes you want to adopt all those dogs and just take them home and love them. I know they are treated well and get fed properly and receive the medical attention they need - but it just hurt my heart to see them all. We spoke to one of the people that worked there about a black lab and found out that it wasn't good with other dogs so we gave up on that one very quickly. Then I said "What about that yellow lab, Duke?" The person assisting us looked at me and her eyes lit up. "Duke is a wonderful dog. He's just gotten a bit of a bad reputation." Seems Duke had accidentally (truly, it was an accident, at least five workers came up to us to explain how it wasn't Duke's fault) bitten a worker there and they have to disclose that information. Turns out most people don't want to adopt a huge dog that recently bit someone. So, we played with Duke and he seemed like your typical energetic lab. After about 20 minutes we walked back inside and said we'd like to adopt him.

To say that the people at the Humane Society were surprised by this would be an understatement. Duke had been with them quite awhile, already been adopted once and returned, and they went to great lengths to make sure we really knew what we were getting ourselves into. We assured them we did and the 2 hours of questionnaires and paperwork began. It is quite a process to adopt a dog, as it should be. However, if you have the patience, the Humane Society is the way to go. They make sure the dog is spayed or neutered and has all the necessary shots except for rabies. They give you one free vet visit (presumably so you can get that rabies shot right away), food samples, a month of pet insurance in case any problems arise, the list goes on and on. It's amazing.


We took Duke home with us that day. I can't say it has always been easy. There were times when my husband and I had very honest conversations about whether we could keep him. But, we, and he, persevered. We had private dog trainers come in and help us with some behavioral issues. We figured out that he is tall enough to easily retrieve any food left on counters and now we know to put everything in cupboards that he can't get into (this was learned the hard way - several bags of produce and a home made pie crust were sacrificed in the process). At this point, I don't remember what life was like before we had him. Only that it wasn't as good as it is now.


Last Sunday was one year since we'd adopted Duke. We call it his "Birthday" since we'll never know the real day he was born on. Of course, he was more spoiled than usual. Which is saying something because he's pretty spoiled already. I made him some special treats from scratch from the book The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook by Liz Palika. These treats were very simple to make and he went crazy for them. I even took a bite of one to see how they tasted and they were pretty good. They are not that different from biscuits I sometimes make for dinner. If you have a four legged friend in your life and you feel like spoiling them, make them a batch of these.

Gina's Three Cheese Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour


• 1/4 cup grated canned Parmesan and Romano Cheese


• 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese


• 1 large egg


• 1/2 cup evaporated low fat milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all of the ingredients well. Form the dough into teaspoon size balls (dough was too wet for this - I just dropped onto cookie sheet by teaspoon full) Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until light golden brown (mine was 12 minutes). Remove from the oven, let cool thoroughly, and store in an airtight container.

Do look behind this curtain.

I love New York. I know, I know. It's such a cliche'. But, it's a cliche' for a reason. The city's not for everybody, I get that. And, if I'm being honest with myself, I just don't have the patience (nor am I hip or cool enough) to ever actually live there. But, I love to visit. My husband and I recently went to New York City for a wedding. We touched down on Friday evening with just enough time to stop by our hotel in mid-town and freshen up then hop a cab to the tres chic Upper East Side to meet our friends Anders and Yvette for dinner. Now, I know what you are thinking "Upper East Side? What kind of overpriced, snobby restaurant is she going to write about?" Well, you're wrong. I'm going to head in the other direction actually. Although, we did walk by Phillipe, a restaurant that Yvette informed me is regularly featured on Real Housewives of New York.

My friend Yvette is perhaps the reason I love New York so much. I know if I'm in the city I'll get to see her and that makes me happy. She's a great friend for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is our shared love of food. We are similar in that we can both get equally excited about a french fry or foie gras. The decision on which restaurant we should eat at was left up to her and I knew we'd be in good hands.

When Yvette told me we were going to get burgers I figured we were going casual and I wore some jeans and flats. When this burger joint happened to be in the Parker Meridien hotel - I started to second guess my choice of attire. I mean, this is a hotel that actually calls itself Le Parker Meridien. Seriously, the signs outside say "Le". I found that hilarious for some reason. We walk into the very posh lobby and as soon as we can see the front desk the smell hits us. Grease. Yummy, greasy food. Yvette points to an incredibly tall velvet curtain and explains to us that the burger joint (it's really just called "the burger joint") is behind there. I found it hard to believe but, sure enough, when we rounded the corner there was an itty bitty burger joint tucked away in the lobby. The place was packed and the line went all the way to the door. Just as we walked in someone got up from a table in the back and Yvette, the cool New Yorker that she is, slid past everybody in line and grabbed the soon to be empty space. Our husbands met us a few minutes later with cheeseburgers, fries, cokes, milkshakes......mmmm. The menu is limited but who cares when cheeseburgers are an option. Yvette's vanilla shake was delicious, the fries were very good, but the burgers were the star of the show. Juicy, flavorful, cooked to perfection. And we managed to have dinner in New York for less than $25 a couple - no small feat.

If you're ever in NYC and you're in need of a delicious and cheap meal, check out the burger joint.

I'm lazy. And for that I apologize.

Hello, dear reader. It's me, I'm back. I'm sorry I have gone so long without posting. I took a long vacation and I was daunted by the thought of writing a post that covered all the amazing things I consumed during that time.......so I just put it off, and put it off and put it off.....you get the idea. And then I realized, I don't have to write about that. So here we are. Starting fresh.


I had a weekend full of delicious things and I am excited to share with you. Many of you know that my husband and I, with the help of our trusty partners in crime Sara and Jay, have been working our way through Seattle Metropolitan Magazine's Top 10 Restaurants list. This week we ventured out to Crush. It was our fourth pick from the list and we were not disappointed. Crush is located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in a house that has been redesigned to accommodate a restaurant. The atmosphere seems a bit confused - but the food makes up for it. The menu offers a good variety of options and each item we tried was met with "Ohmygodthisisdelicious!" or "mmmmm...". The portions were not large, but the food was so flavorful and rich that we didn't need much. I had a geoduck ceviche to start and then some hand made tagliatelle with morels and duck confit for my main course. Both dishes were inventive and well made - but the pasta was the stand out in my opinion. I ate every last bite of it. We all swooned over Sara's perfectly cooked scallops in a sauce that had a hint of curry, and both boys ordered the short ribs which we all agreed were outstanding.


The only miss of the evening was on the dessert list. We had one order of the Blue Cheese Cheesecake and we all decided there is a reason most people use cream cheese for this dessert......the blue cheese was overpowering and we just didn't care for it. I'm sure if you loved blue cheese and it's your favorite thing on earth this dessert might be for you, we just weren't feeling it. We also had an order of a Valrhona chocolate cake with salted caramel sauce and huckleberries and this dessert was a home run. The cake was warm, the salty caramel sauce was perfect and the huckleberries were a surprisingly ideal addition, they added just the right tartness to balance it out.

The service at Crush was outstanding. And the wine list was fantastic. But, I'll end with this final note - the bill was shockingly high. While I do recommend this restaurant, I would suggest it as a special occasion place. Thanks to my sweet husband for treating me to such a wonderful meal.

Good for your soul? Not sure, but it is just plain GOOD.

Delicious Things has been on hiatus for a few weeks as I ate my way through SE Asia. Look for a posting in the next few days on my favorite meals of the trip. I love to travel, but it wears me out. Jet lag and constantly eating out can take it's toll. Today, with a sick husband to care for, I decided to make a big pot of soup. It's healthy and comforting and I like that it makes a large quantity so I can eat it for lunch during the week.

If you don't have a favorite recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup - I recommend this one. I made it up today and it was pretty darn good (if I don't say so myself!). I'd love to hear your thoughts on it if you do make the soup. I don't make up very many of my own recipes and I enjoy the feedback. This is a great recipe for Sunday because it takes a while to do it properly. Give yourself at least three hours, although that's not all active time.

I hope you enjoy!

Amanda's Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 sweet onion, diced
2-3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2-3 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 chicken thighs, bone-in
fresh thyme leaves, about 2 tablespoons
4 cups chicken stock
6 cups water
1/2 bag egg noodles
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh dill and lemon juice for garnish.

Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, saute onion, carrot, celery and garlic until softened - about 5-10 minutes. Add whole chicken thighs, chicken stock, water and thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about an hour and then transfer chicken thighs to a plate. Turn off heat and let broth come to room temp while the chicken cools. After broth has come to room temp (takes about an hour) skim fat off top. Tear chicken off the bone, removing any chunks of fat, and add the meat back into the pot of broth. Bring to a boil and then add noodles. Boil until noodles are cooked through. Garnish each bowl with fresh, chopped dill and a sprinkle of fresh lemon juice.

Makes about 12 servings.

Hometown Gem

Let me be clear, I love where I grew up. Richland, Washington was the perfect place for a childhood. Big enough that you could avoid people if you needed to (think cops and annoying ex-boyfriends) and small enough that, once I was in high school, my parent's felt pretty safe when I was out until midnight running around with my friends. However, in the 15 years since I last lived there, things have changed. It seems every time I go home a new expanse of land that was merely sagebrush and tumbleweeds a few years back is now a mini mall or a housing development - or, often times, both. Each visit I am met with a new restaurant to try - unfortunately, they are all restaurants that I can try in any city in the country with a population of more than 100k people. Some folks take comfort in the fact that they can eat at any PF Chang's and their Orange Chicken will taste the same every time - but, I like something a little more original.

Generally, I don't get too excited for meals when I visit my family - but that might be changing. This past weekend my Mom took me to Monterosso's Italian Restaurant. This little gem is hidden behind a Mexican restaurant in the middle of Richland in, of all things, an antique railroad dining car. Original? Yes. Great food? Absolutely. And the service was good, too. After we politely asked the waitress to not seat us at the table directly next to the door I was a bit worried she might be irritated with us, but she hid it well if she was. The menu is small by chain restaurant standards but good sized when compared to local Seattle restaurant menu's. The wine list was decent. The ambiance leaves something to be desired, but it's in a railroad car so space is extremely limited and they've done what they can with it. It was also still daylight out when we ate so perhaps darkness and some candlelight would have made things a bit more picturesque. But, the food was spectacular.




Neither of us was very hungry so we skipped the appetizers and salads - which was great because I didn't feel guilty about eating all of the amazing house made bread they brought to our table. It is similar to a beer bread and each person gets their own little loaf along with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. For entrees I ordered the Lemon Pepper Prawns Linguine. I had a choice of a cream or white wine sauce - I chose the lighter white wine sauce. My Mom ordered the Cajun Seafood Saute, not a particularly authentic Italian dish, but it is her favorite thing and she can not stray. The food arrived and we ate every bite. The linguine was simple and delicious. It wasn't overpowered with a lot of different flavor elements. My Mom's seafood dish was outstanding - spicy and saucy, much more complex than my linguine, and just plain tasty. We soaked up all the sauce on her plate with the couple pieces of bread we had left. We left stuffed and happy and we might just have a new go-to restaurant for when I come to visit her.

Thanks, Mom!

Feeding My Need to Feed

There are few things I enjoy more than making a meal for my friends or family. I love to put a plate of food in front of someone only to hear a few minutes later between bites "This is sooooo goooood....." There are all sorts of different reason that I like to cook for different people. I like to cook for my Mom because I can see that she is truly impressed that the little chef that managed to get pudding on her kitchen ceiling (during one of my earliest attempts at baking) is now an accomplished cook that can whip up healthy and delicious food. I like to cook for my husband because, well, I love my husband and for me there is no better way to show him how much I care. But, of all the people I've cooked and baked for, my all time favorite is my friend Mansur. Mansur went to college with Dan and we were lucky enough to live near him for a short time when we moved to Philadelphia. We often had him over for dinner and I loved it because Mansur genuinely appreciated that I cooked for him and he loves food - not to mention, he's just good company. Whether I made him filet mignon or a grilled cheese sandwich he was always excited. One time I made grilled steaks with a Gorgonzola sauce and we all three ate so much that we ended up laying on our floor in agony (or ecstasy, depending on how you look at) for the rest of the night moaning about how full we were.

Mansur has been on my mind this week because it's the middle of NCAA March Madness and every year we play in an online pool with him and some other friends for bracket supremacy. So, when I was pondering what to cook for dinner on Saturday night I was reminded of a meal I prepared for Mansur that he particularly liked. If memory serves - the first time I made this he and I finished the entire pan in one sitting. Venetian Shrimp & Scallops is a Rachel Ray recipe - so it can supposedly be made in 30 minutes or less. I think it takes closer to 45 but it depends on how much you have prepped before you start cooking. One thing is for sure - get lots of crusty bread for the table to soak up the delicious broth! This dish is similar to Cioppino but less expensive and much less time consuming. The recipe can be found here. It makes four servings but at times I have scaled it up to 9 servings with relative ease.

Enjoy!

Seriously, Delicious.

Food Confession: I'm not really a big pizza fan. I know a lot of people love it and great debates are waged over crust and sauce - but it just doesn't do the trick for me. I grew up with a brother who always worked in pizza restaurants (and now runs four of them!) and we had pizza several times a week. Maybe I'm just immune to the charms of pizza after consuming so much of it in my teens. So, when Seattle Metropolitan magazine named a pizza place on their 10 Best Restaurants list I was surprised and intrigued. Last weekend we finally made plans to check out the culinary delights at this award winning pizza joint - Serious Pie.

I had read many reviews that mentioned the very long wait times (no reservations are taken) so we planned to get there early, get our name on the list and then hit up one of the nearby bars for a drink while we waited. My husband scoffed at me when I insisted on leaving the house by 6:05 pm so when we met our friends at 7:30 the wiat wouldn't be too much longer. "What if there's no wait? What if we get right in?" All I could think was how much I was going to enjoy being right about this one.

We arrived at the restaurant at 6:2o pm only to be met with a 2 hour wait. 2 HOURS! What could be worth waiting two hours for? Certainly not pizza, right? But wait we did. We actually got lucky and got a call (the hostesses very graciously offered to call one of our cell phones when a table was ready) only 90 minutes or so after we'd put our name in. We downed our drinks, paid our bills and trudged back over to the restaurant.

Be aware before you go - the tables are communal. If there are only 2-4 people in your group you'll have other diners at your table. We had a total of six people with us so we got a table to ourselves. After settling in we finally got a glimpse of the menu - some delicious sounding salads and appetizers and a handful of pizza options. Not a ton of selection. There is, however, an extensive wine and beer list. We all ordered an appetizer or salad of some sort as well as some drinks and then proceeded to try and decide on pizzas. After much debate we ordered three different pizzas, figuring a 1/2 pizza per person was plenty of food.

Our appetizers arrived and they were outstanding. I ordered 'Last Summer's Beans with Bortega and Sardines', a delicate little plate of exactly what the title describes. It was simple and delicious. Other appetizers we tried were the 'Baby Lettuces with Radishes and Muscatel Vinaigrette', a pate' appetizer special, and 'Brandied Peaches, Speck and Pine Nuts'. All the appetizers were well balanced and delicious but the 'Brandied Peaches' were by far the standout. The textures and tastes in combination with one in other just knocked me off my socks. I grudgingly agreed to let Dan eat most of it.

Finally the big moment arrived - three rustic looking pies were placed on our table. We decided to try the Buffalo Mozzarella and San Marzano Tomato, the House Salumi - Caramelized Onion and Sardegna and finally the Penn Cove Clams, House Pancetta and Lemon Thyme pizzas. To say we were blown away would be an understatement. Serious Pie nails it. The toppings are flavorful and used sparingly so as not to overwhelm the Super Star of this pizza - The Crust. Good lord I could wax poetic about the crust for days. Bubbly and chewy, lightly sprinkled with something on top that I could never figure out - salt and pepper? garlic salt? Not sure exactly but it was delicious. I think all three pizzas were gone within about six minutes. Leaving us to sit there and stare at each other and decide which one of us was going to be the first to suggest we order one more. Finally our friend Jay said "I could eat another piece...." and we all piped in that we could too. Conveniently enough, each pie is cut into six pieces so we all had one more slice and left fat and happy. For the record, the fourth pizza we ordered was the Buffalo Mozzarello and San Marzano Tomato because most of the table thought that was the standout. I personally liked the House Salumi pizza the best because of the variety of flavors on it - but was very happy to eat more of whichever pizza was put in front of me.

One final thought - while we were eating my friend Sara said "the crust tastes like it has extra gluten, that's what makes it so great". As I walked back to our table from the restroom I noticed many large bags or flour stacked in a corner with the words "High Gluten Flour" stamped on them. So, props to you Sara for being such a smarty!

Stick To Your Ribs

When my husband and I migrated back out west to Seattle in 2007 we were lucky enough to have a built in social system of other student's from his grad school that had also moved here. I love the diverse backgrounds and cultures of the student's that Dan went to school with and I have had the opportunity to try many new types of cuisine because of it. In particular, our friend Vlad was a foodie kindred spirit for me. While Vlad lived here we had many excellent home cooked meals - an invitation to dinner at his house was not to be passed up - and I truly miss his company now that he has moved to Los Angeles to pursue a new career opportunity. I have recounted to many people the night Vlad and his lovely wife invited us over for a beef taste test. They had purchased three different types of steak - organic, grass fed and just a regular cut from the grocery store and we each tasted the steaks to compare texture and flavor. It was eye opening to say the least and made me think of beef in a whole new way (I believe we all agreed the grass fed tasted best....we had a lot of wine that night so it's a bit hazy). But, the meal that really stands out in my head is when Vlad cooked us his baby back ribs.

About a year ago Vlad invited us over for a weekend dinner. Little did we know we were about to eat the best ribs we ever had. Since then I have made the ribs three times. I even made them for Vlad one time to make sure I had them right. In truth, the recipe is very simple - but the end result will please even the most discerning rib eater. I made the ribs again last weekend for my husband's family and they were a hit, so I decided to ask Vlad if I could share his recipe with you. Thankfully, he agreed. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. This recipe will serve 6-10 people depending on how hungry you are.

Vlad's Amazing Ribs

Ingredients:

2-3 racks baby back ribs, Costco and Trader Joe's sell pretty good ones

1/4 - 1/2 cup dry rub (I like Grill Mates Sweet & Smoky Rub)

1 - 2 cups BBQ Sauce, just choose what you like

Instructions:

Remove ribs from packaging and pat dry. Rub with dry rub until all sides of each rack are covered. Let sit for 12-24 hours, covered, in the fridge. I usually put one rack each on cookie sheets.

When you are ready to cook the ribs, remove them from the refrigerator and let them sit on the counter while you preheat your oven to the broiler setting. Once the oven is at broiling temp, cook the ribs for five minutes on each side. If you are using two pans, do them one at a time - you want to get a good crust on them at this point. Lower oven temperature to 200 degrees F and cook ribs, covered in foil, for 4-8 hours. At this point you can have both cookie sheets in the oven at the same time. Just try to get them as close the the center as possible for even heating. Four hours is minimum, anything more than 8 is a bit much - but they will be delicious anywhere between 4 and 8 hours.

Slather ribs in BBQ sauce just before serving. If you put the sauce on earlier it will scorch.

A New Twist On An Old Classic

Chocolate dipped fruit is by far the dessert I make most often for dinner guests. For one thing, it's easy. For another, it's relatively light. I love to make rich, heavy meals for guests and they are often time consuming - making dipped fruit an ideal finishing touch. Furthermore, I find that my guests are always delighted to be presented with a beautiful plate of strawberries dipped in dark chocolate or cherries dipped in white chocolate. As Ina says "How bad can that be?"

I was thrilled to see a new take on this old trick while I was watching the Food Network the other day. Claire Robinson has a new show called Five Ingredient Fix that airs Saturdays at 12:30 pm and Sundays at 8:30 am. I've watched the show a few times and I think her concept is good - delicious food that doesn't involve more than five ingredients. Often this doesn't work for me. I love to add lots of flavor to my food with herbs and spices, but her ideas are great for simplifying your cooking processes. Also, I think the show is wonderful for beginner cooks because the recipes aren't intimidating. Last week Claire shared a recipe for Chili-Chocolate Covered Strawberries and I had to make them right away. She simply melted down chocolate in a double boiler and then added a bit of chili powder at the end, dip the strawberries, let the chocolate harden and Voila! Dessert is done. I had ground cayenne on hand, so that is what I used but you could use any type of chili powder.

Here are some tips on making perfect Chocolate Dipped Strawberries:

• Rinse your berries and then let them dry completely. If water gets into the chocolate it makes it harden quickly and become lumpy and ugly. I usually rinse mine and lay them out on a kitchen towel for a good hour before dipping them.



• You don't need to use long stemmed berries, they are hard to find. But, the bigger the better in terms of appearance and balancing the strawberry flavor with the chocolate.



• If you don't have a double boiler you can simply fit a glass or metal bowl over a sauce pan. Fill the pan with a few inches of water, you don't want it to touch the bottom of the bowl, and bring the water to a boil. Put your chips or chopped up chocolate in the bowl and continue to whisk until smooth. Once it's smooth, remove from the heat. You can reheat if necessary.



• Once berries are dipped put them on a piece of wax paper on top of a large cookie sheet. Put the whole cookie sheet in the fridge for at least an hour so the chocolate can set. Remove from wax paper and arrange on a pretty plate or platter.



• Bring dipped berries to room temp before serving. The chocolate will taste better. I usually take them out of the fridge during the main course.

Enjoy!

Ode to Ina

After college I worked for Williams-Sonoma. At the time I didn't know a thing about cooking or baking but I learned a lot from the women and men that worked there with me and I credit that experience for my love of cooking and baking today. When you enter a Williams-Sonoma store it is a bit like sensory overload - but the thing that always stood out to me is the variety of cookbooks they sell. When the store was quiet and we had a little down time I loved to look at the books and dream about what I might be able to cook some day.

One book stood out to me above all the rest - The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten (Published by Clarkson Potter). I was drawn to this book like a moth to a flame. The photography, the recipes, the writing style - but mostly the author herself. I admired her seemingly carefree and perfect life in the Hamptons. I loved the way she described food and how and why we should use certain ingredients, cook's tools and methods.

Since that time Ina has grown her foodie empire. She has had several cookbooks published, has two shows on the Food Network and has a line of mixes and baking/cooking supplies that are sold in retail stores. I try to catch her show at least once a week and she's always teaching me something new about best practices in the kitchen. She is not, as far as I know, a professionally trained chef and her recipes aren't all that difficult. They are just good. If I'm having people to dinner and I want the menu to shine I always consult her cookbooks first or one of her latest recipes that I've seen her prepare on her television show. Ina preaches over and over again the importance of using the best quality ingredients that you can afford or find. This simple advice has advanced my cooking immensely.

My friend Sara and I are so enamored of Ina that we are sometimes questioned by people that over hear us with "Who is your friend Ina?" We discuss her show a lot. Ina's husband Jeffrey frequently makes appearances on her shows and Sara and I sometimes include anecdotes about him in our conversations, further confusing our friends. "Did you see what Ina made last night?" or "Wasn't it cute how Jeffrey was going on and on about Ina's roast chicken?" These are some typical points of conversation between us. I am certain that we sound like lunatics.

Last week I invited Sara over for a girl's night in and, of course, I cooked her a meal I had seen prepared the week before on Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. The entire menu can be found here. Sara is pescatarian and when I saw Ina prepare Red Snapper in a mustard sauce I knew I had to make it for her. The fingerling potatoes and broccoli were the perfect supporting players for the fish. We enjoyed every bite and I enjoyed it again the next day when I got to eat the leftovers.

Ina has legion's of fans, this is just my small effort to bring attention to someone who has made a difference in my quality of life without ever having met me. I hope anyone reading this will be compelled to pick up one of her cookbooks or check out her shows on the Food Network. Maybe she'll ignite in you the same thing she ignited in me - the desire be a great hostess and to cook beautiful and delicious things for family and friends.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

As most of you know, I spend my days fielding baking questions for a pretty big baking mix company. Over the course of a day I might talk to 100 different consumers about their trials and tribulations with muffins, cookies, cakes and any number of baked goods. I often have people suggest alternate methods for baking a product but I rarely have someone suggest a specific recipe to me - and until Monday I hadn't had any consumers suggest a recipe that I actually wanted to try. And then Amy from Lexington told me about Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake.

Through out my conversation with Amy I could tell that she was a woman that knew a good cake when she ate one. We had several favorite mixes and flavors in common and she had mentioned some more advanced recipes that she had tried - so I took her word for it when she said this was the "best chocolate cake I have ever made." I had to try it.

Wednesday night I had some extra time on my hands so I picked up the ingredients I needed and went to work. The recipe is simple for a "from scratch" cake and the ingredients were mostly things I already had in my pantry or fridge. Always a bonus. Once the cakes came out of the oven I stole a few crumbs and could already tell I was in for a treat. I cooled the cakes and made the frosting which was intensely chocolate flavored. I frosted the cake and covered it for the night, I had promised co-workers that I'd be bringing the cake in for them to try so I couldn't sneak a piece.

The cake was a triumph. I had several people ask me for the recipe and many "oohs" and "aahs" as it was devoured throughout the day. If you love intense chocolate flavor and a slightly denser cake (almost like a flour less cake consistency) then this is a cake you should try. But I'll warn you ahead of time - plan to share it with others because you won't want this lethal confection hanging around your house.

The recipe can be found here.

Now get in the kitchen and bake!

I love spuds.

"I give every french fry a fair chance." - Cameron Diaz

Cameron, you're a girl after my own heart. I, too, love a good french fry. Or any form of potato for that matter. If I had to make the cliche choice of just one food for the rest of my life I would pick potatoes without even thinking about it. So long as I could endlessly change up the toppings and method of cooking. I like them fried, baked, boiled, mashed, hash browns, with garlic, with ketchup with nothing. I laugh when waitresses offer me the choice of salad or fries - as if there is a choice. I've been known to make a special trip to McDonald's just to order fries with their spicy hot mustard sauce (you have to pay extra, but it's worth it).

As you can see, I've eaten a lot of spuds in my life. Probably more than you're average 33 year old American woman. I don't consider myself an expert but I am certainly a connoisseur. Last week I ate, with out a doubt, the best french fries I have ever had. The best part - I didn't even know it was coming. I ordered these fries on a whim at a bar that I almost never go to. What if I hadn't been hungry, what if I'd suggested another watering hole? What if I hadn't ordered that third vodka and soda and therefore not been just drunk enough to think fries were a good idea?Oh, the terror to even think about it! I met my former co-workers at Jabu's in lower Queen Anne. Now this is a fine bar, they serve alcohol, play music and have lots of games to distract you - but nothing ever suggested to me how delicious their french fries are. No one has ever mentioned this bar to me in the numerous conversations I've had about my love of potatoes. How has this not been discovered? The fries came out piping hot, they were somewhere between a steak fry and an average width fry, sprinkled with just the right amount of salt and - and this is key - with the skins still on. Some of the fries were crispy and some were a bit softer and had just the right amount of oil on them. I was in fry heaven. I'm sure my friends were disgusted by the pace at which I was scarfing these fries down - but I did not care. If you live in the Seattle area, and you love fries, I urge you go to Jabu's and give them a try.

Jabu's Pub, 174 Roy St, Seattle, WA 98109.


And since we're on the subject, here's a list of some other potatoes I love and where you can get them.

• Best Fast Food French Fry - Zip's Drive In, several locations in Eastern Washington State
• Best Sweet Potato Fry - The Palm Restaurant, several locations throughout the US.
• Best Mashed Potatoes - Sour Cream Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes at Moxie , W. 816 Sprague, Spokane, Washington
• Best Potato Salad - Mary Cummins, Richland, WA - most of you will never get to taste this, so just take my word for it. Outstanding!
• Best Potato Chip - Ruffles All Dressed Chips, only available in Canada
• Best Way To Make Potatoes At Home - roasted reds, recipe follows
  

Roasted Red Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary

Ingredients:

5 medium red potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks

2-4 cloves garlic, minced (depends on how much garlic you like, can be omitted entirely)

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped very fine

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Sea Salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, place your baking sheet in the oven while it pre heats. If you put the potatoes on a hot baking sheet they will be crispier when they come out.

While the oven is heating chop your potatoes and rosemary and mince your garlic. In a large mixing bowl mix potatoes, rosemary and garlic with the melted butter (using butter is also key for crispness). Once oven is heated pour potato mixture onto hot baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20 minutes. Use a spatula to give the potatoes a turn and then bake for 10 minutes more or until you can put a fork through them.

These directions are for two servings. This can easily be scaled up to feed more people.

Enjoy!

Eat Your Greens.

Did you ever have someone send you photos of yourself only to have "Good Lord, when did I gain that weight?" become the first thought that crosses your mind? This is what happened to me yesterday. Last year I trained for my first half marathon and I was running all the time. Unfortunately, like most people that train for their first distance run, when I finished training I kept eating. This isn't to say I've gained a ton of weight. In truth, I only need to lose 5 or 10 lbs. in order to get back to the size I prefer to be at. But, those photos were a rude awakening to say the least. So, tonight I decided to make a salad for dinner. I decided that a mix of lean protein and greens would be healthy and satisfying. I went to the butcher at my local grocery store and asked which cut of beef she would recommend for a tasty but lean topping to a spinach salad, she recommended some top sirloin. I added some spinach and a pear that was so sweet it tasted as if it had been soaked in sugar and vanilla. Not too shabby. This is great meal if you're in a hurray, all in I think it only took 10 minutes to prepare.

Spinach Salad with Sirloin Steak and Pear

Ingredients:
1 bag washed spinach leaves
1 lb sirloin steak, grilled and cut into strips
2-4 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
1 pear, chopped or sliced
3-4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
Salad Dressing, I like a raspberry vinaigrette for this

Split ingredients between two plates and top with dressing. Voila! Dinner is served.

Embrace The Crockpot

It's so hard to get motivated in January. I know I should be attempting to accomplish all those wonderful New Year's resolutions, but the truth is I didn't make any this year. Every year since I was about 16 I've tried to give up cussing. I can tell you now, it isn't going to #*&$%!@ happen. It's been raining every day and the excitement of the holidays is gone, leaving me with nothing but some hazy memories (see posting about champagne) and five extra pounds around my mid-section. When I get home from work I just want to snuggle on the couch with my husband and my dog and watch bad television (Jersey Shore anyone?). So, it was with great pleasure that I read my friend Chris's Facebook comments about a new crock pot recipe. That's what I need! Some inspiration to get back in the kitchen! And it doesn't hurt that the recipe is easy and fairly nutritious. I modified my version because I'm trying to cut down on the sodium, but I still give full credit to Chris because this recipe does not stray too far from hers and she gave me the idea to begin with. We're not breaking new ground here, this is essentially just crock pot chili - but it hit the spot so I wanted to share it with you. Also, nothing beats getting home and having dinner ready. Theoretically, this should give me more time to work off those five extra pounds........

Chris's Chicken Chili

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast (I used tenders)
2 cans of beans (Chris used white beans but I used one can of black and one can of kidney beans)
1/2 a jalapeno, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced or minced
1.5 cups of frozen veggie mix (Chris and I used a "Fiesta" mix that had corn, peppers and black beans)
2 cups chicken stock OR 2 tsp low sodium chicken bouillon plus 2 cups water
1 can cream of chicken soup (I used 1/2 can low sodium version)

For the seasoning:
Chris used a packet of taco seasoning, but in order to cut the sodium I used
2 tablespoon chili powder
1-2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
*if you aren't trying to cut sodium I would add 1-2 teaspoons salt

Place all ingredients in crock pot, stir, put on lid. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 30 minutes before serving break up chicken with the back of a fork. If the chili isn't thick enough mix 3 tablespoons of the hot chili broth with 2 tablespoons of corn starch until smooth and then add to crock pot.

Garnish with any or all of the following: diced avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro

Grab a bowl and the remote and hit the couch!

A Delicious Reason To Visit Redmond

In the summer of 2007 I moved to Seattle. Since that time I have crossed the 520 bridge exactly 4 times. I don't see the point of going over to the 'East Side'. Everything I want and need is available to me on the West Side with the exception (so far) of the following things: 1) a table at Cost Plus in Redmond that wasn't in stock anywhere else. 2) a Counting Crows concert at Marymoor Park. 3) the King County Humane Society where Dan and I adopted our dog. And, finally 4) The Stone House.

My friend Scott lives on the East Side and he has graciously traveled over to my neck of the woods every time we've gotten together since he moved here two years ago. Last night, he finally guilted me into coming to see him on his turf. I'm not even going to pretend that I took the high road and didn't complain. He suggested we meet at The Stone House in Redmond for dinner. Scott has excellent taste so I had high hopes for his recommendation. I was not disappointed.

The restaurant is very small, I would estimate there were only about 10 tables - but the size added to the ambiance and warmth of the experience. The staff was helpful and friendly. The menu was diverse but not overwhelmingly so. And the food was outstanding. Our reservation was for 5:30 because we were heading to a movie afterward, so we were able to take advantage of a couple very reasonably priced appetizers and wine specials. We started with a large bowl of Penn Cove Mussels Simmered In Red Coconut Curry Broth and a small plate of warm brie with grilled sausage and rustic bread. The mussels were so good that we both agreed we should have just gotten two orders and a loaf of bread to soak up the sauce and called it a night.

For the main course I ordered the appetizer size plate of Truffle Tremor Mac and Cheese with Dungeness Crab and a Satsuma Salad. Scott ordered the Chili Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Red Pepper Coulis, Cheddar Mash Potatoes and a seasonal vegetable. The Mac and Cheese was rich and creamy and they didn't skimp on the large pieces of shaved truffle and crab meat. The Satsuma Salad was a good choice to pair with the Mac and Cheese because it was simple and light. Scott's beef was cooked perfectly and the chili rub was flavorful but didn't overpower the meat. He was particularly enamored of the cheddar mash potatoes. I tried them and they were excellent. Creamy and cheesy - comfort food at it's best.

We finished the meal with a grilled banana split. It was served in a sundae glass with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, brownie bits and toasted coconut sprinkles. Generally, if I order dessert I want to try something that I don't have the time to make (think creme brulee or a souffle) but this gooey confection was pretty tasty. We finished every bite.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the entire meal was the bill. All the food I have mentioned plus two glasses of wine for me came to less than $90. To top it off Scott took home about 1/2 of my Mac and Cheese because I couldn't finish it all. We left fat and happy and I might have warmed up to the East Side just a little bit more.

The Stone House is located at 16244 Cleveland St. in Redmond, Washington, 425-558-5625. Reservations are recommended.

A Birthday Treat

I love birthdays. It's my personal belief that everyone should get the day off work for their birthday - paid, of course. And it's not just my birthday that I get excited for. I get excited for everyone's birthday. Yours, mine, my dog's, the guy that works behind the seafood counter at the grocery store. Thus, you can imagine my surprise and disappointment when I found out that my husband is not so into celebrations marking the day he was born. His belief is that he didn't do anything special that day - his Mom did all the work - so why should people make a fuss and give him presents. This is a problem because I am physically incapable of not making a big deal out his birthday.


This week marks a milestone birthday for him. For over eighteen months I've been thinking of ways we could celebrate. A big party at our house with tons of people? A small dinner for our closest friends at Canlis? A trip to Vegas? No. He wanted none of that. Finally, I hatched a plan that I felt confident would satisfy us both. If he didn't want to go out to a restaurant then I would bring the restaurant to us. A quick search on Google brought up many private chefs in the Seattle area that are willing to come to your home and cook a fine meal. After speaking to several of them and checking out their websites I decided on Chef Jay DeLong from Canape Specialty Chef Services.

Jay and I spoke over the phone and I gave him an idea of what I was trying to achieve. After the initial conversation we emailed back and forth with regards to a menu plan and the details for the evening. We decided on a four-course menu that I thought my husband would love and Jay even helped me with wine pairings. It should be noted that he does not provide alcohol of any sort but he was happy to assist with pairings.

The night of the dinner Jay showed up about an hour before the meal began and brought in several coolers and containers full of everything he would need to craft our meal. He even brought plates and silverware so that I didn't have to do any clean up afterward. However, I opted to use my own china because I rarely have an occasion to take it out of the boxes it came in. The food was outstanding. Dan and our four guests were all impressed with the service and the meal. Some of the highlights of the meal were hand smoked mozzarella cheese, ahi tuna sushimi on a nori seaweed salad (pictured), and grilled swordfish steaks with a remoulade that we were all talking about for hours afterward.


Rather than have Chef Jay make dessert for us, I decided I would make one of Dan's favorite confections. Dan and our good friend Jay (not the Chef, a different Jay) have birthdays that are only a week apart so we often celebrate them together. Last year I made them an ice cream pie that they enjoyed so much I have dubbed it "Jay-Dan Pie". The recipe is below. The ice cream flavors and fillings can certainly be changed to create many flavor combinations, this is just the original recipe.

Jay-Dan Pie

Ingredients for crust:

1.5 cups chocolate graham crackers

6 tablespoons melted butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Ingredients for filling:

2/3 to 3/4 pint chocolate ice cream, softened

2/3 to 3/4 pint coffee ice cream, softened

1 11.5 oz jar of hot fudge

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter (rough estimate)

1-2 cups whipping cream

2-3 tablespoons granulated or powdered sugar

For the crust: pulse the sugar and about 7-10 graham crackers (broken into pieces) in a food processor until a fairly fine texture has been achieved. Add in the melted butter and pulse until it has been incorporated into the crumbs. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a pie pan making sure the entire inside of the pan is covered with crust. You don't want any holes. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes before filling.

For the filling: place half of the hot fudge sauce in a microwavable bowl. Microwave for 20-45 seconds, enough to make the fudge fairly liquid without burning it. You may need to take it out after 20 seconds and stir it and then heat for 20 more seconds. Spread warmed fudge across bottom of pie crust. Freeze for 20-30 minutes or until fudge has hardened. Repeat this process with a layer of peanut butter. Once the peanut butter layer has hardened in the freezer spread on the chocolate ice cream. You want the ice cream layers to each be about 1" thick. If the ice cream is not soft enough to spread, microwave it with the lid off for 15-30 seconds. Freeze the pie for 30 - 60 minutes or until the ice cream has hardened. Repeat the fudge layer and then repeat the ice cream layer with the coffee ice cream. Freeze the entire pie for at least six hours or overnight.

Before serving the pie, make the whip cream. Place the cream in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed. Once the cream starts to thicken add the 2-3 tablespoons sugar and the extra 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Continue to whisk until the desired consistency is reached.

Top each piece of pie with the whip cream before you serve it.

Devour.

Haagen Dazs Has Got It Right

I'm not going to go on and on about this one. Simply put - this is the best ice cream I have ever purchased from the grocery store. Haagen Dazs has come out with all natural ice creams, each flavor only has five ingredients - thus the name of this line of ice cream is 'Five'. I tried the brown sugar flavor this weekend and can not get enough. In my opinion it is everything an ice cream should be - creamy, decadent and simple. The flavor is similar to dulche de leche, but not as strong. They also sell mint, ginger, coffee, vanilla bean, milk chocolate and passion fruit flavor. I've tried the vanilla bean and didn't notice an improvement over their standard vanilla ice cream - but the brown sugar is out of this world. Go buy some. Now.