Emerald Water Anglers Third Annual Cook-Off

Photo Courtesy of Dave McCoy

I was honored to serve as one of the Emerald Water Anglers Annual Cook-Off judges for the second consecutive year. As you may remember from my review of last year's event, the quality of food and caliber of people involved were beyond my wildest expectations. I envisioned tasty food but was not prepared for the complexity of flavors and aesthetic pleasure that I encountered. This year was no exception. Out of the eight fishing guides that participated in the cook-off, four were veterans and four were first-timers. Last year's winner, Lucas St. Clair, studied cooking at Cordon Bleu School in London and Paris but this year, the playing field seemed to be level. All participants are professional fishing guides that cook causally for themselves or for clients while guiding for Emerald Water Anglers. The guides come from different backgrounds and have varying levels of guiding experience. These differences once again provided judges and attendees with a variety of cooking styles and flavors that were unique to each of the participants.

The following is an overview of the cook-off rules. The guides are required to prepare the majority of food on location, which is always outdoors. Last year's competition took place at Seahurst Park in Burien, Washington but this year, rainy morning weather encouraged us to gather at the home of Dave McCoy, who is the owner of Emerald Water Anglers. Of course in typical Seattle style, the sun came out at the last minute and we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon, sans rain. I digress..... back to the rules. The main challenge of this cook-off is that the guides are allowed to use only stoves and cooking gear that can be used to prepare food on the river. Preparing a gourmet meal in a kitchen is a big enough challenge for me. I can't even imagine preparing a dish for competition on a portable camp stove, grill or single burner in the great outdoors. Oh, and did I mention that the guides had only 30 minutes to complete their vision? This is ten minutes less than allowed in last year's competition but the guides somehow managed to rise to the occasion. Who knew a portable cooking device can be used to grill lamb Kofta, prepare Fish Tacos, grill Filet Mignon and cook a gluten-free Portobello Mushroom Stir Fry with gluten-free Fried Ice Cream as dessert? Truly unbelievable.

Photo Courtesy of Dave McCoy

The judges were Jim Osborn, Brad Glaberson and me. Jim Osborn studied at Culinary Institute of America in New York and was Head Chef at Watergate Hotel in Washington DC for many years. He even cooked for two United States Presidents while Head Chef. Brad Glaberson also studied at Culinary Institute of America in New York. He currently serves as Executive Chef and Owner of Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods, which is a Seattle-based company that offers a line of natural small-batch pasta, ravioli and sauce. They provide their products to over 600 local grocers and restaurants. I happen to be a fan of their fresh pasta and have used it several times to elevate my pasta dishes. I also admire their dedication to using locally sourced ingredients and minimizing environmental impact. Brad invited me to tour the Cucina Fresca facility so stay tuned for photos and commentary after I complete my tour. Taking a tour of a locally owned and operated natural food company? If this isn't in my wheelhouse, I don't know what is! To say that I was honored to be included as a judge with two such accomplished chefs is an understatement. It was truly a pleasure.

The judges were tasked with scoring the dishes on a scale of 1 to 5 in each of four categories; time, taste, plating/appearance and creativity. We decided to provide individual scores and to add them together instead of trying to achieve consensus as we did last year. In addition to the four categories (worth 60 total points), we allowed 5 points for guidability, which gauges feasibility of preparing each dish successfully while guiding on the river. When all was said and done, Hoppin' John with Homemade Country Corn Bread and Collard Greens prepared by Alex Collier was the winner with 59 out of 65 points. This dish was also voted audience favorite.

The Hoppin' John was made of ground Italian sausage, red pepper flakes, onion, garlic, black-eyed peas, tomatoes with green chiles and a bit of brown sugar. The final product was served over Country Corn Bread. The collard greens were made with olive oil, cumin and mustard seeds, onion, red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar, tomatoes with green chiles and brown sugar. Alex's food was inviting and the flavors were spot on. If you read my blog regularly, you already know that I am a sucker for any type of fresh greens that are prepared well and I am telling you, Alex's collard greens were delicious. They were fresh, crisp and flavorful. It is all too easy to turn collard greens into collard browns by overcooking them so I was impressed at how well they turned out. For me, this plate was love at first bite. I should also mention that Alex cooked his winning dish on a spitfire single burner backpack stove; both creative and impressive.

Judges' Honorable Mention was Mediterranean Lamb Kofta on Pita Bread, Tzatziki, and Greek Salad with Handmade Greek Dressing prepared by Jonny Gorham. I was all but down on my knees begging Jonny to share his Greek Salad recipe because it was so tasty. As a side note, Kofta (also Kafta or Kufta) is a Middle Eastern and South Asian dish of minced or ground meat, usually lamb or beef, mixed with spices and/or onion. Kofta are most often shaped into meatballs and can be rolled with a variety of ingredients including rice and leeks. You can even make them in a tagine! We all know how excited I get about a good tagine recipe so I'm sure I will soon be preparing Kofta in this manner.

Audience Honorable Mention was Portobello and Snap Pea Stir Fry with Homemade Soy Sauce, White Rice, Tomato Salad with Cucumbers and Cashews and Fried Ice Cream prepared by Eric Sadlon. This entire plate was gluten-free and just plain delicious.

Photos Courtesy of Dave McCoy

Other dishes included Chicken Caesar Wrap with Tim's Jalapeno Potato Chips prepared by Todd Crane, Coffee Rubbed Filet Mignon with Grilled Asparagus and Mixed Green Salad with Strawberries and Blueberries prepared by Mike McCoy, Lamb Spring Rolls with Creamed Corn and Jalapeno Salad, Edamame, Kimchee and Risotto prepared by Quinton Dowling, Cod Tacos with Handmade Tartar Sauce prepared by Patrick Kent and Seared Ahi with Seaweed Salad and Sushi Ginger prepared by Ted McDermott. Ted also provided Sake for the judges which was a smooth move. Keep it up, Ted. Bribes just might work next year. 

Thank you to all of the cooks that filled our bellies with such delicious food. I actually paced myself this year which left me satisfied instead of overstuffed (chalk it up to a lesson learned from last year's experience). I would be amiss if I did not mention Dave McCoy at Emerald Water Anglers and the good work he continues to perform. Not only is he a world class fishing guide and photographer, he is an advocate for protecting wildlife and reducing our carbon footprint to protect the environment. He remains dedicated to educating others about changes each of us can make to keep our forests, rivers and fish healthy and plentiful. A big thank you to Dave for requesting my presence and input at his event. With two years under my belt, I am looking forward to big things next year. Can't wait to do it all over again! 

Tomato-Based Pasta Sauce

There is nothing glamorous about today's post but let's face it, sometimes glamour in the kitchen is overrated. I find it all too easy to ignore recipes that serve as foundations for more complex dishes so I decided to share my recipe for Tomato-Based Pasta Sauce. This recipe is versatile because it can be used with spaghetti, stuffed pasta, eggplant or chicken parmesan, pizza, or with lasagna, which is my favorite application for the sauce. If you are not a fan of fennel, go ahead and leave it out. The sauce is delicious either way.

Ingredients:
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white or yellow onion, chopped
1 28-ounce can San Marzano crushed or diced tomatoes (I prefer this brand but other brands will work)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/8 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsley flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp fresh oregano or 1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 tsp kosher salt plus one pinch

Heat olive oil in dutch oven on medium heat. Add chopped onion and pinch of kosher salt. Cook until onion is soft and lightly browned. Turn heat to low or medium-low and add crushed tomatoes (undrained), tomato sauce, fennel seed, onion powder, parsley flakes, minced garlic and one tablespoon olive oil (also add oregano if using dried). Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add brown sugar, oregano (if using fresh), basil and one teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and simmer for additional 15 minutes to one hour.

The sauce really only needs to simmer for 30 minutes total in order for flavors to meld but I find that the longer it can simmer, the tastier it becomes. When I have time, I simmer my sauce on low heat for 2 to 3 hours. If you are short on time, it is okay to brown onions and then add all other ingredients at once. If the sauce is thinner than preferred, feel free to add tomato paste. The instructions above are simply my ideal way to prepare the sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe Source:

Kiersten Lovejoy :)

Mama's Fish House "Papa's Three Fish Sashimi"

Photos Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Greetings from sunny Seattle! No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth; I was simply on a different part of the earth for the past three weeks. We were fortunate enough to turn our annual 2-week Maui vacation into a 3-week vacation this year so I have been on hiatus. Maui was as beautiful as ever and the weather was divine. Imagine our excitement when we returned to Seattle to find blue skies and temperatures in the 70s! The skies are clear to match our newly cleared minds.

While on Maui, we had more amazing food than I can begin to mention. There was one particular dining experience that stood out so I decided to share photos and details. Although we stayed put in Kaanapali for most of our vacation, we did make it to one of our favorite Maui towns, Paia. This town is special because of the quaint restaurants and boutiques and because of its internationally known wind surfing beaches. Before taking in the Paia sights, we decided to stop at Mama's Fish House for a pu pu (Hawaiian appetizer) and an award winning Mai Tai cocktail.


We ended up choosing "Papa's Three Fish Sashimi" as our appetizer and it did not disappoint. This was not only one of the most beautiful plates of foods I have ever been served, it was hands down the best sashimi I could imagine. Each type of fish was melt-in-your mouth delicate which was due to the freshness of the fish and the slicing skills of the sushi chefs. The masterful part however, was the balance of flavors the chefs achieved with each preparation. Sashimi is so often overpowered by its accompanying ingredients but this dish was absolute perfection. Each fish was partnered with a different  Hawaiian sea salt; which had their own unique flavors and textures. This added another layer of pleasure to our experience because we were able to sample even more ingredients that were new to us. And yes, the Mai Tai was fabulous. :)

"Papa's Three Fish Sashimi":
Opakapaka with coconut-chili and Molokai sea salt. Ahi with star anise-daikon and Kukui nut salt. Kampachi with pineapple-pomegranate and Hawaii Island black sea salt (listed in order of photos above).

Spinach Strata

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

I found tonight's recipe in an all-natural cookbook that I received from my friend Gail for Christmas. This is one of those cookbooks that has both beautiful photographs and fantastic recipes. I get excited every time I run across this type of book because I appreciate knowing how my final product should appear. The only problem that occurs with a book that is compiled this well, is narrowing my choices down to one recipe. After much deliberation with this cookbook, I settled on Spinach Strata. I have never prepared a strata before and in fact, did not know exactly what a strata entailed. I did some quick research and learned that strata is a layered baked dish of eggs, cheese, bread and often sausage, vegetables and/or herbs. Once I knew what I was getting myself into, I was ready to roll with the following recipe.

Ingredients:

grated zest of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling

2 tsp Dijon-style mustard

1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups milk

6 large eggs

3 cups day old 1/2-inch whole wheat bread cubes

2 cups finely chopped baby spinach

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 tsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped

Rub a splash of olive oil in a 9-inch square baking dish (or equivalent). Alternatively, line it with parchment paper. Sprinkle baking dish or parchment paper with lemon zest and set aside. In medium bowl, whisk olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper with a splash of milk. Whisk in remainder of milk and eggs.

Put bread in prepared baking dish and top with spinach and half of feta. Gently toss with your hands, just enough that spinach and cheese mix with all pieces of bread. Make sure bread is relatively level in baking dish. Very slowly drizzle egg mixture over bread and sprinkle with remaining feta. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in top third of oven. Bake strata, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes, until egg is set in the middle and edges are browned. Cut into center a bit to make sure the strata is well cooked. If desired, brown top more under broiler on low setting. Skip this step if using parchment paper. Serve warm, drizzled with a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with fresh oregano.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

When all was said and done, this strata was quite delicious. It reminded me of a cross between bread stuffing and frittata. The simplicity of ingredients made the dish fresh and light but still substantial enough to serve for dinner. I particularly liked the finish of fresh oregano but I think I would have liked it even better had half of it been incorporated into the egg portion of the recipe. This dish would have benefited from the oregano flavor melding in with other ingredients as the strata baked.

The only other change I would make is to cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes as called for in the recipe. I misread the directions and cut my bread into 1-inch cubes. Oops...... clearly my fault but I don't think it made that much of a difference with my final product. The texture would have changed a bit but the flavor would have been very similar or the same.

All in all, this dish was tasty and fun to make. Even better, it has peaked my interest in other types of strata. You may even see another version featured later this year.

Recipe Source:

"Super Natural Every Day" by Heidi Swanson

Page 33

Teriyaki Sauce

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Hello! I am sorry I have been away for so long but sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. Cooking and writing have become such an integral part of my existence that I have missed it dearly. The good news is that I am back and ready to share more recipes.

Today's recipe is Teriyaki Sauce. I decided to prepare Teriyaki Sauce from scratch entirely by accident. Today while I was grocery shopping at PCC, I happened upon a table full of beautiful Maui pineapples. They smelled so sweet, that I decided on the spot to make Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken and Pineapple Teriyaki Salmon for dinner. By the way, I learned how to choose a ripe pineapple while on Maui a few years ago. If the middle pineapple frond pulls out easily when gently tugged, the fruit is ripe. Easy enough, right? I have not chosen a bad pineapple since I learned this trick. Okay, back to my dinner plans. One small problem occurred after I returned home from PCC; I didn't have Teriyaki Sauce in the refrigerator. This of course, led me to my old friend google, which provided the following recipe for Teriyaki Sauce.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 cup water

fresh grated ginger (about 1 Tbsp or to taste)

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 minced garlic clove

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Combine soy sauce, 1 cup water, ginger, brown sugar and garlic clove in saucepan and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup water and add to saucepan. Stir constantly to allow sauce to thicken. If sauce thickens too much, add a bit of water or soy sauce to thin. Serve as marinade or as stir fry sauce. Makes 2 cups.

Let me start by saying that I will never purchase pre-made Teriyaki sauce again. This homemade sauce was just too good. The consistency was perfect without adding soy sauce or water at the end of preparation. The flavor was spot on and we especially appreciated the fresh ginger. Perhaps the best part however, is that all of the ingredients were already in my pantry and refrigerator. If you don't have fresh ginger on hand, I am confident that dried ginger (from a spice jar) would work just as well. This is now officially my signature Teriyaki Sauce. I love having simple recipes in my back pocket for future use!

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Both the chicken and salmon were delicious. The fresh pineapple partnered perfectly with the Teriyaki Sauce by adding just the right amount of sweetness. I served the chicken and salmon with sauteed broccolini, sushi rice and the remaining fresh pineapple. It was a delicious meal that was enjoyed by all.

Recipe Source:

food.com

Hazelnut-Crusted Halibut with Apple Vinaigrette

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

This recipe was inspired by a cookbook that my mother-in-law gave me this past week. The author is a Seattle-based chef named Kathy Casey that writes a monthly column called "Dishing" for the Seattle times, owns a food and restaurant consulting firm, as well as operating a fresh made food-to-go company and offering a line of retail specialty products. Basically, she is highly accomplished and I now own her sixth cookbook. If only this made me as accomplished by association. :)

Over the past year plus of searching for new recipes, I have developed a routine with cookbooks. When I have a new one, I first leaf through the book to look at the photos and titles of each recipe. I then tag any page that houses a recipe of interest. I immediately go back through the tagged recipes and read the ingredients and directions in detail. If a tagged recipe appeals to me, I stop there and move forward with planning and preparation. Simple, right? I learned quickly that if I choose several recipes at once, I never make any of them.

This Hazelnut-Crusted Halibut with Apple Vinaigrette recipe appealed to me immediately. First of all, my grandparents gift us with a box of hazelnut products from an Oregon-based company called Hazelnut Hill every Christmas. (We highly recommend their Chocolate Covered Hazelnuts and Almonds, Chocolate Covered Razzcherries and Chocolate Hazelnut Toffee). Needless to say, I did not need to purchase hazelnuts in order to prepare this recipe.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Next, Brad is a big fan of halibut. I try to make it at least every month or two since he appreciates it so much. Finally, I am drawn to recipes that encourage the use of local and/or organic products. I used Oregon hazelnuts, Washington apples and thyme from my own garden for this recipe. I also used organic spices, lemon, shallots and mustard from PCC and served organic zucchini as a side dish.

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1 unpeeled red apple, halved and cored

3 Tbsp hazelnut oil (walnut oil, almond oil and olive oil are all acceptable substitutes)

2 tsp minced shallot

2 tsp sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh lemon thyme or regular thyme

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp water

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (8 oz) hazelnut, lightly toasted and skinned

pinch of dry mustard

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

4 skinless 1/2-inch-thick halibut fillet portions; 4 to 6 oz each

4 Tbsp butter, melted (I used Canola spread to reduce amount of fat)

fresh lemon thyme or regular thyme sprigs for garnishing

To make vinaigrette, chop half of apple; reserve other half. In small skillet, heat hazelnut oil over medium-low heat and add chopped apple. Cook for 1 minute, then add shallot and sugar. Continue cooking until apple is soft, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice and remove from heat.

Let cool, then puree in blender until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into medium bowl, add mustard, then slowly whisk in olive oil. Add thyme and season with salt and cayenne. If vinaigrette is too thick, add water to thin. Cut remaining apple half into 1/4-inch dice. Toss into dressing. Refrigerate until needed.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease rimmed baking sheet with oil. Dip each piece of fish in melted butter, coating well. Immediately press each piece firmly into crust mixture, turning to coat all sides well. Place coated halibut pieces on baking sheet and bake for about 6 minutes, or until fish is just cooked through. Carefully transfer fish to individual plates and drizzle some of vinaigrette over top. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Pass around extra vinaigrette.

This dish was quite tasty. I was a bit worried about the vinaigrette overpowering the halibut but Kathy Casey knew exactly what she was doing when she wrote this recipe. The acidity of the vinaigrette cut right through the richness of the hazelnuts. In return, the cayenne and thyme in the crust tamed the vinaigrette. Every bite was well balanced and flavorful.

The only alteration I made to this recipe other than substituting olive oil for hazelnut oil, was to cook the halibut for 9 minutes instead of 6 minutes. At 6 minutes, the fish was still a bit raw but the extra 3 minutes finished it perfectly. This difference in timing was more than likely caused by the thickness of the halibut fillets. The only reason I used olive oil instead of hazelnut oil is that I didn't want to spend $13 on hazelnut oil that I would hardly ever use. I googled hazelnut oil substitutions and learned that walnut oil, olive oil and almond oil all work well. I am learning that there are good alternatives for many ingredients. If I don't have a certain spice, oil or other ingredient, I make sure to research possible substitutions before I cross the recipe off my list. This has panned out quite well for me on several occasions.

A special thank you to my little blonde sous chef and to Brad for taking one of the most beautiful photos on my blog for this entry.

Recipe Source:

"Kathy Casey's Northwest Table" by Kathy Casey

Page 107

Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

What better way to get back in the swing of things than to prepare a recipe that uses a few of my favorite ingredients? I have already mentioned my love of sweet potatoes many times but I may not have mentioned my preference for corn tortillas. I have never been a huge fan of soft flour tortillas so every time we go out to a Latin restaurant, I choose corn over flour. I have come to the conclusion that the slightly gritty texture of cornmeal is much more pleasing to me than the smooth texture of flour. Needless to say, Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos, using corn tortillas, was a natural fit. The chipotle sauce was then the icing on the cake.

This recipe requires a method of tortilla preparation called Tortillas Dorado that I was not familiar with prior to today. Tortillas Dorado is a Mexican style of taco that involves toasting cheese-topped tortillas in a skillet before serving. I am always up for a new cooking experience so I was happy to give it a whirl. Before I provide the recipe, I want to tell you that this dish delivered on every level. I highly recommend paying close attention to this one because it is that good!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided

1 large poblano chili or green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided

1 medium orange sweet potato, cut into 1/2" dice

1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

12 (6") corn tortillas

2 cups (6 oz) shredded Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese

chipotle sauce (recipe follows)

Pico de gallo (optional)

Chipotle sauce ingredients:

1 (7 oz) can chipotles in adobo sauce, include sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat heavy ovenproof skillet (I used my Le Creuset pot) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, then onion and poblano chili or green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly caramelized. Stir in garlic and 1 teaspoon salt.

In medium bowl, toss sweet potato with remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to skillet and cook, stirring, one minute, then place in oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Meanwhile, prepare Tortillas Dorado. Heat frying pan over medium-high heat. Brush one side of tortilla lightly with oil and place oil side down in pan. Scatter generous spoonful of cheese over center of tortilla and cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is lightly golden on underside but still flexible. Place on cookie sheet and repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

To make chipotle sauce, combine chipotles in adobo sauce, mayonnaise, lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If sauce is too spicy, add more mayonnaise. Use extra sauce on sandwiches, grilled corn or roasted vegetables.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Remove skillet from oven and stir in black beans and black pepper (beans will warm through from heat of the pan). Top each tortilla with sweet potato mixture, a drizzle of chipotle sauce and pico de gallo if desired.

Wow, this was delicious! "Wow" was literally the first word to come out of my mouth after taking my first bite and Brad had the same reaction. The onion and peppers were beautifully caramelized, which added a savory quality to the sweetness of the potatoes. Tortillas Dorado is absolutely delicious. The texture of the tortillas was ideal and the melted cheese served as a mild background flavor. The chipotle sauce was divine. It added the perfect level of creaminess and spiciness to the dish. The recipe made a lot of extra sauce so I plan on using it in another dish tomorrow night. Maybe another type of vegetarian taco or chipotle burritos of some sort? Hmmm.......decisions, decisions.

As a side note, I should mention that I added a small diced banana pepper to the dish, just because it seemed like it would be a good idea. I used green pepper instead of poblano so I wanted to add another spicy-sweet layer to the taco filling. There is nothing about this recipe that I would change and I already plan on preparing it again soon; this time for the McCoys. This recipe is right up Natalie and Dave's alley and I know Brad will be happy to eat it again.

Recipe Source:

Oprah Magazine, February 2012

Our Sweet Valentine's Day

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

This entry has very little to do with cooking and almost everything to do with celebrating Valentine's Day. We had just returned from a week-long trip to the Oregon Coast and had grown weary of eating in restaurants. Olivia and I decided that the best way to celebrate Love Day was to invite Brad (a.k.a. Daddy) to be our Valentine by spending the evening at home. He of course, accepted our invitation so Olivia and I started devising our plan.

We decided that the first thing we needed to concentrate on was decorating. As you can see in the photo above, there was a big commitment to cutting and punching hearts. We even dug out taper candles and crystal candle holders for the centerpiece. Finally, we set the table with great care and set to work preparing dinner.

We decided to make one of Brad's favorite dishes, lasagna. Half of the lasagna was prepared with turkey sausage and half with zucchini, mushrooms and olives. I made the sauce from scratch and my little blonde helper was in charge of assembly. She did a beautiful job concentrating on the task at hand. We also decided to purchase mini heart cookie cutters in order to create heart-shaped red pepper, zucchini and cucumber slices for a spinach salad. Isn't the final result cute? We meant to include heart-shaped beets but forgot about them until after the fact.

Photos Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Finally, we put together a platter of Valentine goodies from the Metropolitan Market bakery because their options never disappoint. Our favorite treat was the Death By Chocolate bite that is located at the top of the platter in the photo below. It was absolutely decadent.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Brad arrived at 5:30 sharp for our Valentine date with one dozen red roses for me and one dozen coral roses for Olivia. The roses were beautiful and they smelled heavenly. We served our lasagna and salad with a nice bottle of red wine and then proceeded with our sweet Valentine's Day dinner. Brad and I agreed that our evening qualified as one of the best Valentine celebrations of our past ten years together.

Eggplant and Chickpea Tagine

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

For the first time since the beginning of the new year, I was genuinely excited to cook. It was liberating to feel no pressure whatsoever attached to this project. I just wanted to cook for the fun of being in the kitchen. I also had plenty of time on my hands this afternoon so I was able to lollygag and play with Olivia between each step. What could be more perfect?

As I have mentioned in several prior entries, I love a good tagine recipe. When I happened upon this recipe for Eggplant and Chickpea Tagine, I was immediately enamored and couldn't wait to begin preparation.

Ingredients:

1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2" dice

2 zucchini, thickly sliced

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups brown cap mushrooms, halved

1 Tbsp ground coriander

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground tumeric

8 ounces new potatoes, quartered

2 1/2 cups passata (tomato puree)

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp chili sauce

1/3 cup ready-to-eat unsulfured dried apricots

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped, to garnish

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Sprinkle salt over eggplant and zucchini and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with dish towel. Heat broiler to high. Arrange zucchini and eggplant on baking sheet and toss in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Broil for 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and golden.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in large heavy-based saucepan and cook onion and garlic for 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes until tender. Add spices and cook for 1 minute more, stirring to allow flavors to mingle.

Add potatoes and cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Pour in passata, tomato paste and 2/3 cup water, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Add eggplant, zucchini, chili sauce, apricots and chickpeas. Season and cook, partially covered, for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Add a little extra water if tagine becomes too dry. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve with cous cous if desired. Serves 4.

I have quite a few comments regarding this recipe. Let me start by saying that it has good bones but needs several tweaks. The first change I would make is to double the amount of zucchini and eggplant. These were two of the most flavorful elements (due to the fact they were salted and roasted in olive oil prior to adding to the tagine) but they seemed to be in short supply compared to other ingredients. The second change I would make is to half the amount of cinnamon. I could taste the cinnamon more than the other spices and I found myself wanting more cumin and tumeric. The next alteration would be to add cilantro to the tagine while the ingredients are simmering. I loved the flavor of cilantro in this dish but found that there wasn't quite enough.

My next two recommendations are changes that I made while preparing the recipe. The first is to add four tablespoons of chili sauce instead of one tablespoon. There are several types of chili sauce and I had the sweet variety on hand. Perhaps if I had used a spicier, less sweet chili sauce, I wouldn't have needed the additional three tablespoons. Finally, I found that for the timing of the potatoes to match the other vegetables, they should be diced into one-inch cubes. I purchased new potatoes but when I cut them into quarters, their scale was too large in comparison to other ingredients.

The end result of this recipe was tasty; I just believe that my recommendations would make it even tastier. With all of this being said, I thoroughly enjoyed both preparation and cooking. There is something about taking a long list of ingredients and turning them into a one-pot wonder. Brad and I both liked this dish, which is a good thing because we have ample leftovers for tomorrow night's dinner.

As a side note, I used all organic ingredients from PCC Natural Market.

Recipe Source:

"Complete Vegetarian", published by Hermes House

Page 263

Spicy Chipotle Turkey Burgers

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

My choice for tonight's dinner was an easy one. A few days ago, I purchased ground turkey for the sole purpose of making turkey burgers. One thing I can openly admit about no longer eating beef is that I miss eating a juicy burger now and then. Although turkey does not make the same type of burger as beef, I have grown to enjoy this substitution.

I didn't know initially what type of turkey burgers I wanted to prepare, but I was excited when I came across the following recipe for Spicy Chipotle Burgers. I was in from the second I saw that chipotle and cilantro were two of the main ingredients. I happen to love the flavor that chipotle brings to a dish and I could eat cilantro every day. As a result, this recipe was a no brainer.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey (I used 99% fat free white ground turkey meat)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 Tbsp cilantro chopped fresh cilantro

1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 slices mozzarella cheese

4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

Preheat outdoor grill on medium heat and lightly oil grate. (I used my Le Creuset panini pan on the stove and it worked beautifully; I even had perfect grill marks). Place ground turkey, onion, cilantro, chipotle chile pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt and black pepper in a mixing bowl; mix well. Form into four patties.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Cook turkey burgers on heated grill until the turkey is no longer pink; approximately four minutes per side. Place mozzarella slices on patties two minutes before they are ready. Serve on toasted buns.

This recipe was quite tasty but I am not sure it qualifies as being spicy. I highly recommend doubling the amount of chipotle chile pepper to make the burgers truly spicy. Other than this one revision, I wouldn't change a thing. The cilantro was the perfect partner to the chipotle and provided the burgers with a burst of freshness. Because ground white turkey meat can be a bit on the dry side, I poured a few tablespoons of adobo sauce from the chipotles into the patty mixture to add moisture. This worked perfectly and the burgers were anything but dry.

Finally, I turned to my favorite ciabatta rolls from our local Macrina Bakery. I have used these rolls in prior recipes including Turkey Sandwiches with Hoisin Mayonnaise and Tarragon Egg Salad Sandwiches because they always elevate the end result. All in all, this recipe was tasty, easy and pleasing to my family. I would make the burgers again anytime.

Recipe Source: allrecipes.com