Apple Parsnip Soup -- I did it!

I did it!  Based on the soup I ate here, I came up with an original recipe for Apple Parsnip Soup and it is really really delicious!

First step was to peel and chop 4 parsnips and one apple into about one or two inch chunks.  I brushed 1 T melted butter on them and sprinkled with sea salt and white pepper.  Then I roasted them in a 425 degree oven for 30 min.  They looked delicious at that point and it was a bit of a challenge not to eat them all off the jelly roll pan.

Next up, I heated 3 cups chicken stock in a pan.  I added the roasted parsnips and apple to that.That's also the first time I thought to take a picture of the process.  Oops.

Then, using my immersion blender on the lowest speed, I mixed until all the ingredients until they were as smooth as I could get them without turning the soup into thick glop.  I also added 2 T apple cider vinegar at this point, to brighten the taste.

 

Finally, I mixed in 1/4 cup half and half just to get it warm and seasoned with salt.  If I had only done 1 T of apple cider vinegar I might have been able to eliminate this completely, but I like a tiny amount of cream in my soups, so I was happy with it.  Then I diced a bit of apple on the top.  At first that was just to show off a bit since presentation is really not my forte.  But when I ate it, it was delicious with the bright crunchy contrast, so this is a must for next time and can't be missed!

 

That's it!  Took just about 45 min. and it is totally delicious.  Excuse me... need to eat another cup of soup!

Return to Cucina Cucina -- Now with pictures!

Last night we took The Guys to the ski area for some night skiing in the pouring down rain.  Amazingly more fun than I thought it would be.  This little adventure left us pretty hungry so I suggested we all go to Cucina Cucina (admittedly I was the most excited about this idea).  Previously blogged here, I once again enjoyed the linguine con pollo. The FIT also thought this dish was pretty stellar... good to know.  I can bring him for lunch sometime and we can split it!  The rest of the meal wasn't such a big hit.  The Big Guy wasn't impressed that his meatballs had sauce on them (he eventually tasted them and realized they were okay, but still wasn't impressed).  The FIT's favorite part of the meal was the raw pizza dough they give the kids to play with like playdough... he found it delicious (guess we still have to work on that palate of his!).  The Critic ordered the chicken saltimboca and made the following comment.  "You know what this dish needs?"  Insert bunch of random suggestions from me and an eventual smirky glare from The Critic. "It needs to become your grilled stuffed chicken breast recipe".  So here is the recipe for that dish.  So easy, so good.  You should make it tonight!

Grilled stuffed chicken breasts

One chicken breast per person (rinsed and patted dry)
Then, for each serving, one slice roasted red pepper (I just get them jarred as long as they are packed in water), approximately one ounce of REAL mozzarella cheese (one slice of a ball or about 3 of the little balls is fun too).  Some pesto (probably about 2 T per serving -- I have found best results with the premade pesto from the grocery store, believe it or not), kosher salt and ground pepper.

Ingredients

Slice each breast horizontally to make a pocket.  Salt and pepper each breast.  Make sure each of your items for stuffing is separated because you will be shoving all this stuff into raw chicken and you won't be able to reuse your leftovers if you contaminate them.  So, start with the pesto and shove it in the pocket, kind of spread it around, and spread some on the outside of the breast as well (top and bottom).  Add a slice of red pepper and the mozzarella slice.  Close up with toothpicks.

Cut slit in the chicken and salt/pepper the outside

Stuff Red Pepper

Stuff Mozzarella

Smear pesto in and around the chicken breasts

Closet up with tooth picks -- Ready to grill!

The Critic then grills them, since that's his thing.  So I don't know times, temps, etc.  Just grill them until they are cooked through but not dry as a bone.  And yes, that's it.  These are delicious and beautiful -- and really easy to make quickly.  Enjoy!

Return to Canyons

Fast becoming a home from Bellingham tradition, The Big Guy requested we go to Canyons.  On the specials menu was a pear Gorgonzola salad I thought I'd try.  The server raved about it... said each one is poached to order.  Pretty good.  The pears are SUPER sweet, cloyingly I guess you would say, but the champagne vinagrette balances it out and if you do some work to chop up everything and mix it together it is quite tasty, if slightly over dressed.  I actually found it very good and would totally order it again... as long as they have it.

Of course, a meal at Canyons is simply not complete without the corn fritters and honey butter!  This is The Critic's main reason for going.  Quite tasty little numbers!  3 out of 4 in our family give it a thumbs up.

The Red House

Enjoyed a nice night out with a friend for a birthday party.  Got a chance to back to The Red House in Renton, a nice tapas bar that has some pretty good food and always has some pretty good wine.  Today I was intrigued by the rabbit leg which was braised with red wine, carrots, mushrooms, and onions over polenta.  I was more intrigued when the server informed me that it is braised to order so if you have an aversion to any of those things (like, oh, say, mushrooms) you can get it without... Yay!  Except that they were out.  Boo!  So instead I ordered the pumpkin ravioli with brown butter and sage sauce with a side salad of pear and Gorgonzola.  No problem... except that they didn't have the pumpkin ravioli.  But never fear!  It was replaced with a pear gorgonzola ravioli!  So I decided on that, strike the salad.  

The result was a yummy dish that I would definitely order again.  So happy birthday, dear friend!  Thanks for the invite to a yummy place and a chance to get some good food with good company.

   

My Roasted Cauliflower recipe

I had a request to publish some of the recipes I've made as a result of going out to restaurants and finding inspiration.  So here is the recipe I created after going to Poppy on Capitol Hill and trying their roasted cauliflower.  Let's not make this a copyright issue people... this is what my palate detected when I had it.  These recipes are my own unless I link to something that is published on the web and if any chef is ever kind enough to give me his or her real recipe, I will be happy to note it correctly.  Also I cook by adding a bit of this and a pinch of that, so sorry that I don't have official amounts.  Don't you hate that?  Yeah, me too.  Sorry.

Roasted Cauliflower

One head of cauliflower
Drizzled seasame oil (not too much, not too little... vague enough?)
One large shallot, chopped
One bunch of dill, fronds only, chopped
Grated parmesan, a small handful
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste... and you can add more at the end if necessary

Chop the cauliflower super small so it cooks up quickly and evenly.  You can use the stalks as long as its chopped up.  Don't use the green leaves though.  Blech.  Everything should be about the same size.  Mix it all together and dump it onto a rimmed cookie sheet, jelly roll pan, or some other type of roasting pan.  Cook it in a 425 degree oven for at least 30 min., stirring occasionally.  Brown is good, dark brown is fine.  Black is bad.  Eh, black is okay, but not as good as brown?  It's hard to overcook this dish, in my opinion.

And yes, that's it.  I'll post a picture after I make it on Christmas at the request of The Critic.  If you are good, I might even post a picture of different stages of the cooking process!!!  Merry Christmas!

PS.  If you post a comment on here of recipes you'd like me to publish, I probably will.  And if you have a recipe you'd like me to try, that could be fun too.  Comment away people!  Sometimes I forget anyone is there waiting for me to publish something.  :-)

Sport Restaurant & Bar

What a fun day!  We took the kids into Seattle again, this time to see their favorite rock band play a concert with the Teatro Zinzani circus, pared right down to their size with a storyline that didn't involve any drag queens or inappropriate inuendo.  And we spent the whole time excitedly planning our lunch at The Rock.  Who knew there was a Rock RIGHT next to Seattle Center???   Not us!  Well, ummm... there's not.  Yet.  There will be in 8 days.

So we walked across the street to McMennemins.  Where every single family from that circus/rock concert with their children were already eating.  And we waited until we realized exactly how ridiculous that wait would be.  With ravenously hungry children... I mean it had been what, 20 min. since their popcorn and cotton candy?  It's like we never feed them.

Reuben

So we trekked across Seattle Center to return to Sport Bar and Grill.  The Guys were ridiculously happy because they got to eat their food next to Phineas and Ferb.  I, not being the biggest fan of bar and grill food out there, was okay.  But then I saw their soup of the day and was SO happy.  Apple parsnip soup.  After looking over the menu I saw that I had an option to have that with half a reuben, which is a sandwich I love and hardly ever eat.  The reuben was fine... nothing earth shattering to write home about.  It had more of a pickle taste and less of a briny sauerkraut taste than some.  I think they make their own "sauce" which didn't really taste like Russian dressing or thousand island.  But like I said... it was fine, not great... just fine.  The soup was really good... different than I expected. 

Apple parsnip soup

I took one bite and immediately started planning how I could make it.  I have made more soups in the past two months than the past 20 years combined.  And after realizing exactly how easy a hand blender is to operate, it quickly occurred to me that I can get a smoother consistency to this soup than Sport had.  So, guess who just ordered parsnips and apples in the CSA box for next Tuesday?  Stay tuned for the recipe to come, if its any good.  I'm guessing it will involve roasting the parsnips and apples, adding to warm chicken stock, and then adding a splash of apple cider vinegar before finishing with some half and half.  Like I said, I will let you know.

Kenyan food!

I ended up with 3 hours alone time while the Guys checked out a Chinese immersion school.  They came out knowing not a single word of Chinese... I was able to grab a lunch to myself.

Always the dilemma for me... where to go.  I have a billion places I'd love to try in Seattle, but no time to get there.  At first I decided to hit up BBQ Pete's in Kent.  Why?  It's Wednesday!  Wednesday is the only day of the week they do their burnt ends.  Burnt ends sound horrible.  Burnt ends are DELICIOUS!  So I walked in.  Honestly, if I ever ever ever question if BBQ Pete's will survive I should just go... wall to wall to wall packed.  It was like a convention in there!  At 12:50 I waltz up to the counter.  "Hi!  Do you have any burnt ends left?"  "Nope... sorry.  We already sold out."  At 12:50????  We used to be able to show up at 5:30 for those and get 4 plates worth!  One of two things is happening... either it's just one big rouse to get you in or they need to burn more ends in that place!  Anyway, I decided the crowds weren't worth my time and while BBQ Pete's is definitely good BBQ, I really only wanted those burnt ends.  Soooo....

Where to go?  I ran down a laundry list of places I could go.  They tend to fall into three categories:  Places I'd go with both Guys.  Places I'd go with just the Little Guy, Mr. FIT.  And places I want to try with The Critic.  I nearly settled on Chinese when I remembered that a good Thai place near my house was no more as it had been over taken by a Keyan restaurant.  The critic cannot stand Ethiopian food.  So I figured the idea of getting him to try Kenyan was not going to be successful unless I gave it a shot first.  So, without further adieu, I give you Uhuru (Gesundheit!, says The Critic).

Only one other table occupied when I went in.  They had a big plate of something that looked like Dorowot, but I never saw it or anything like it listed on the menu.  Enter this adorable Keyan woman who clearly runs the place close to single-handedly.  She helped talk me through the menu.  What started with a "What's good?" quickly became a "What do you like?" followed by a "I have no idea... I've never had Kenyan food before."  Her first recommendation was clearly too safe for me.  I didn't arrive for nourishment alone... I wanted a new experience.  So "chicken and rice with onions and peppers" seemed like something I could make on my stovetop pretty easily.

Sausage

She recommended I start with a sausage... price was right at $2.50, so I agreed.  It was.... um, sausage.  Yep.  That's it.  Nice crispy outside, but otherwise just a normal breakfast sausage.  No exotic flavors or anything.  I did note that if we all came back together, The Big Guy could probably polish off about 18 of these as his meal. 

Around this time I noticed exactly how cold it was in the restaurant!  Note to self... if I return, bring a jacket!!!

Returning to the menu I come across two things that intrigue me.  One is a chicken curry which looks pretty much like any curry I get in a Thai restaurant, so I assume it would be delicious with some new spices that I am unaccustomed to.  But the other intriguing dish is this chicken stew.  So I ask my Kenyan friend which one she recommends and she says "You can get curry anywhere, any time.  This stew you can only get here."  And that's that!  We have a winner.  Kuku Mchuzi it will be.  I don't even know how to pronounce it!  She asks if I want it with "just white rice" and I ask if there are other options.  One is something that resembles polenta but she informs me it's basically corn meal mixed with water only.  She offers a sample of it and let me tell you... skip on by that option!  The other more intriguing choice was Chapati.  It ended up tasting like a homemade wheat flavored tortilla and was really good as long as it was warm.  Once it cooled off, forget about it... too hard and dry!

Kuku Mchuzi

The stew had definite good points and definite disappointments.  The broth is super rich and flavorful, yet light all at the same time.  Potatoes are cooked perfectly.  And just look at those huge chunks of chicken!  Well, that's what I did... until I tried a piece.  I would say that 90% of those chicken chunks are bone.  And what is fall-off-the-bone meat actually falls off with little bone fragments, and I had no where to put them.  So the side of my bowl was literally flaked around the entire dish with tiny bone pieces.  Anyone who knows me knows I do NOT like meat on a bone.  While I'm better about it than I used to be, bone bits completely ruin a dish for me.  Sadly, this was no exception.  Also, I am not a fan of chicken skin that has been stewed.  Chicken skin, while delicious when its crispy, gets very rubbery when its been boiled and stewed and, again, this was no exception.  So while the small amounts of meat that I did get were super flavorful and extremely tender, it wasn't the dish I wanted it to be.  Oh how I wish it had been what I wanted it to be!

Chapati

So I resigned myself to dip the warm Chapati in the broth and sop it up.  And eat the potatoes, which would normally be my least favorite part of a dish like this. If I had just removed the chicken it was a really good dish.  However, the price was sky high.  The plate shown here cost around $13!  Use that can of diet coke for a size reference... it was really small (oh and that one can of diet coke cost me over $2.25... I thought I was getting it free by checking in on Yelp but apparently she doesn't actually use that promo anymore... hmmmmmm...). 

Overall... I'm really glad I tried it.  I love a new experience and Kenyan food definitely fit that bill.  However, aside from the inexpensive sausage, it was too pricey with too many bones to warrant a return anytime soon.  If The Critic wants to give it a go, maybe I'll be braver and try something like the goat tripe.  But probably not.

Il Fornaio Risotteria

A day in Seattle led us to a lunch with the kiddos.  Looking for the perfect blend of kid friendly and foodie friendly, we decided on a favorite... Il Fornaio.  But not the fancy schmancy upstairs IF.  The one downstairs, which has 4 main selling points.  More kid friendly.  Cheaper prices.  Risotto.  Gnocchi.  Win!

Gnocchi Rustica

I ordered the Gnocchi Rustica.  The Critic loves how I say Gnocchi.  Too bad you can't hear it, huh?  It sort of has a Ny-oh-key sound to it.  I don't know why it sounds better than when I say it, but to him, it does.  The Guys got pasta with meat sauce on the side (Big Guy) and Ravioli (Little Guy).  But unfortunately, the BG didn't have enough food (not that he eats more than a teaspoon of sauce) and the LG really did NOT like his ravioli, which was much more al dente than he wanted... while he's a FIT he's still 4!  The Critic ordered Risotto Dante which has a bit of a kick to it and Italian sausage, peppers and onions.  It was good, but I think I must prefer overcooked risotto.  Always has too much of a bite to it for me.  But OH the gnocchi.  Mmmmm.... I love gnocchi.  The rustica sauce was yummy... creamy tomato with basil and garlic and a whole lot of yum.  Extra bonus is that we can watch them cook.  I am SUCH a sucker for that!  Too much fun.

Risotto Dante

Grand sum up?  Fabulous for the grown-ups as always.  The kids left hungry but filled up with cinnamon and sugar hot donuts near the carousel.  Merry Christmas in Seattle!

The Rock Buffet

Shout out to The Rock AYCE buffet.  I am a "Backstage Pass" member which somehow accrues points and what-not.  Long story short, FIT and I ate a TON of food (mostly him... trying to eat healthy during the holidays) and it cost us just over $6... with tip!  Yay for free, good food!

Chutneys

How cool is this?  The Critic set up a date night which included a return to Chutneys in Bellevue.  When we were looking at the menu we were trying to remember which food we had and what was memorable about it.  Suddenly, I remembered I had blogged about Chutneys before:  here in fact!  We pulled up the post and used it to order.  So for the record, we got the lamb and the chicken again, but decided to do the halibut next time.  We also ordered basic Naan which is SOOOO good to use to sop up that delicious curry sauce!  For a bit of fun after our dinner, we got to talk with the owner for a while.  He brought us back in the kitchen to show us how they cooked the Naan.  That Tandoori oven is much smaller than I thought it would be and he said that ALL their food is cooked in that one.  Pretty amazing!  He was a genuine host and it was easy to see why his business is so successful.  We still love Chutneys!

Mama's Night Out

Went to Mama Stortini's last night with the gals for an ornament exchange.  No pictures taken, but since we ate in the dining room, rather than the bar as per our usual, I opted for the lobster mac and cheese.  I asked the server how it was and he said it was the first night on the menu.  That intrigued me more, so I went for that.  It was okay... for MAC and cheese.  The lobster was definitely an after thought, perhaps three pieces total in the dish.  Panko on the top was a nice touch and there wasn't anything inherently wrong with it (aside from needing salt).  It was a perfectly fine homemade mac and cheese.  But for me, it's not worth my splurge on calories and whatnot.  I'll stick with my standard gnocchi with marinara sauce in the future. 

Thank you!

I admit that we've eaten out some (such as Thai 65 with the FIT today again) since my last post.  But life has hit with a crazy abandon and I haven't found time to blog very much.  I'll try and stay on top of it though.  My little blogger info sheet told me that I had more views yesterday than the entire month combined.  Wow!  I didn't know anyone was still reading!  So thank you.  <sheepish smile>