Fresh Blueberry Pie

Olivia and I added blueberry picking to our summer agenda in June but we didn't make it to the blueberry field until mid August. I hadn't picked blueberries since I was a kid and it was Olivia's first time. I was quickly reminded how time consuming this type of harvesting can be but with the little blondie by my side, what could have been tedium turned into a good time. We picked what we thought would be just enough berries to make a pie and then headed back to the Mercer Slough Blueberry Farm U-Pick counter to pay for our bounty.

When I began looking for a blueberry pie recipe online, I knew I wanted a pie that did not have a crust on top. I found this recipe and decided to run with it. What a good choice! Not only was the recipe super easy to execute; it called for 5 cups of blueberries, which was exactly how many blueberries Olivia and I picked. It was cooking kismet for sure.

Ingredients:
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cold water
3 Tbsp cornstarch
5 cups fresh blueberries; divided
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 pastry shell, 9 inches, baked

In a saucepan on medium heat, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and water until smooth. Add 3 cups of blueberries. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened and bubbly.

Remove from heat. Add lemon juice, butter and remaining 2 cups of blueberries. Stir until butter is melted. Cool. Pour into pastry shell.

Refrigerate until serving. Makes 8 servings.

As a side note, I used Silly Zak's Pie Crust which is an all-natural pie crust that is gluten free, wheat free, non-GMO, and preservative free. The company is based out of Central Point, Oregon.

Recipe Source:
tasteofhome.com
(originally published in Country Magazine June/July 1999, page 49)

Spaghettini con Pesto Trapanese

One of my husband's favorite foods is homemade pesto. When I stumbled across this recipe, I knew it was a risk to deviate from my standard pesto recipe, which calls for pine nuts, but I decided to give it a try. The final result went over like gangbusters. I was aware that nuts other than pine nuts can be used to make pesto but I was skeptical. After preparing and eating this recipe, I can tell you that almonds are fabulous in pesto! They provide a nuttier, more toothsome experience than pine nuts. I chose to use roasted almonds, as opposed to raw for this recipe.

The other difference between this pesto and my signature pesto, is the inclusion of diced tomatoes. I was certain I would enjoy the addition of tomatoes because they are one of my favorite foods, but I wasn't sure what Brad would think. The tomatoes were actually a wonderful addition that everyone liked. They provided another layer of texture and a juiciness that is otherwise not usually found in pesto. Recipe follows.......

Ingredients:
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
30 g (1 oz) shelled almonds, raw or roasted, coarsely chopped
85 g (3 1/2 oz) Parmesan or pecorino cheese, freshly grated or in small pieces
30-40 g (1- 1 1/2 oz) fresh basil leaves
125 ml (4 1/2 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
100 g (4 oz) fresh ripe tomatoes, diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400 g (14 oz) spaghettini, gemelli (pasta twists), casarecci, penne, or flat linguine
extra Parmesan for grating on top

If preparing by hand, finely chop all ingredients and mix together in a bowl. If using a food processor or blender, whizz garlic, then add almonds and cheese and process until almonds are chunky.

Remove to bowl and finely chop basil in processor or blender, then add olive oil and whizz together. Stir into nut and cheese mixture, then stir in tomatoes and taste for seasoning.

In large pan of rapidly boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, then drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the hot pasta with pesto, adding a few tablespoons of reserved water if desired. Offer extra Parmesan to grate on top.

Author's recommended variation: In the little Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, locally grown capers are tossed into the mix, giving a tangy, briny quality to the finished dish. These capers are terrific, preserved in salt rather than vinegar.

I used organic hothouse tomatoes, pre-peeled garlic, and organic basil, grown locally by a company called HerbCo out of Duvall, Washington. As a side note, I found it unnecessary to pre-chop the almonds since I was using my Oster food processor. Also, I had to pull out my kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients in ounces, since this recipe noted weight, instead of volume, to measure ingredients.

All in all, this was a great recipe that I will absolutely prepare again in the future. Chalk another one up for Marlena Spieler. Her recipes never disappoint. Enjoy!

Recipe Source:
"Pasta" by Marlena Spieler
Page 63

Chili & Lime Slow-Cooked Pork with Onion Escabeche and Mangoes with Chile and Lime

All photos courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Let the games begin! We are back to hosting meals for friends and family at our house and I am really getting into it. Last night we invited our friends, Byron, Cari and Ava Anderson, over for dinner. They are lovely dinner guests because conversation is always good and they are easy to be around. As a bonus, Ava always tells great riddles, which adds a fun touch to our evening.

I wanted to prepare something casual but delicious so I searched through a few cookbooks until I found two recipes that I knew would compliment each other well. The first is Chili & Lime Slow-Cooked Pork with Onion Escabeche. This recipe is from a local chef named Kathy Casey. I always enjoy using recipes by Northwest food experts because they are usually inspired by the cultural heritage of our region and often use locally inspired ingredients. This particular recipe features culinary influences from the Northwest's Latin American heritage.

The second recipe is from a Quick and Easy Mexican cookbook that I purchased last year. This is the first recipe I have cooked from this book and it was absolutely delicious. The day before our dinner, I went grocery shopping for the ingredients. I asked the produce specialist at Metropolitan Market to choose my mangoes because I sometimes choose fruit that is underripe. I wanted them to be perfect for our dinner so he chose three mangoes that were almost ready. He then gave me a paper bag and told me to put them on my windowsill in the bag until I was ready to use them. I learned that mango skins are slightly wrinkled when they are at their perfect ripeness. Sure enough, by the next afternoon when I took the mangoes out of the paper bag, they were the soft and sweet. I love learning helpful hints like this!

Chili & Lime Slow-Cooked Pork with Onion Escabeche

Ingredients:
Pork-
1/4 cup chili powder
1 Tbsp coriander seed, crushed
1 Tbsp salt
1 boneless pork butt (shoulder), about 3 pounds, cut into 2 pieces
2 large tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Escabeche-
2 large carrots, julienned
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh lime
2 Tbsp corn or other vegetable oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (about 1 bunch)
1 tsp salt

Accompaniments-
warm corn tortillas
sour cream
salsa or freshly made pico de gallo
Queso Fresco (Mexican-style fresh cheese)
fresh cilantro sprigs
lime wedges

To prepare the pork, mix chili powder, coriander seed, and salt in a large, shallow bowl. Roll pork in mixture, taking up all seasoning. Put pork in slow-cooker, add remaining ingredients, and set cooker on high. Let cook for 8 hours; or up to 10 hours.

When ready to serve, mix escabeche ingredients well and place in serving dish.

Shred pork and place in large serving bowl with some of the cooking liquid. Serve pork and escabeche with accompaniments. Diners build their own soft tacos then squeeze lime juice over filling before folding.

Chef's note: To heat tortillas, place them one by one on a dry skillet over medium-high heat and turn frequently. As they are heated, place them between folds of a clean dish towel or cloth napkin. Wrap towel in foil to steam tortillas in their own heat. Or, microwave tortillas briefly and put into a napkin as recommended above.

Mangoes With Chile and Lime

Ingredients:
1 dried pasilla or ancho chile, seeded and stemmed (or you can buy pure ground chile or chile mixes)
2 ripe mangoes
1 or 2 lime(s)
salt

In spice grinder or coffee mill, process dried chile until it becomes medium-fine powder. Peel and seed mangoes and cut them into strips or cubes. Arrange in four separate bowls or on plates.

Grate a bit of lime zest over mangoes. Quarter the lime and squeeze juice over the mangoes. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and powdered chile. If desired, cut second lime into slices or wedges and serve on the side as garnish or for extra squeezing.

The verdict is in and we all loved these two dishes! The pork was cooked to perfection and had a nice subtle flavor. The texture was absolutely wonderful. The escabeche was my favorite part of the dish. The flavor was refreshing but strong and tangy. It added the perfect amount of brightness and acidity to the dish. The mangoes were delicious as well! I sliced one mango and left it plain for the Olivia and Ava to enjoy and prepared the other two mangoes per the recipe. Lime zest, salt, and peppers go beautifully with mangoes. The ingredients actually enhanced the sweetness of the mangoes. As a side note, I ended up using ground red pepper flakes instead of pasilla or ancho chiles. I thought I had a dried ancho chile at home and when I discovered that I had already used it, I decided to improvise. Red pepper flakes worked well with this dish and it is an ingredient that most of us already have in our cupboard.

Cari ended up putting the mangoes on her tacos, which was a great idea. The sweet element complimented the pork and escabeche. I ate most of my mangoes as a side dish but added mango to my last few bites of taco. I also need to give credit to the Queso Fresco. I went to PCC Natural Market and purchased an all natural, no preservative, rBST Hormone Free cheese by Don Froylan. So tasty! I would absolutely prepare this dish again in exactly the same way; no changes necessary.

Recipe Sources:

Chili & Lime Slow-Cooked Pork with Red Onion Escabeche
"Kathy Casey's Northwest Kitchen" by Kathy Casey
Page 147

Mangoes with Chile and Lime
"Quick & Easy Mexican Cooking" by Cecilia Have-Jin Lee
Page 136

A Few of My Favorite Pre-Made Sauces

Although I haven't been posting new recipes as of late, I have been cooking quite a bit. I have come to the conclusion that I missed cooking some of our family's favorite meals while we were kitchenless so I have been sticking with the basics. I have however, been thumbing through my cookbooks again, which always leads to trouble. Stay tuned for some good summer dishes coming your way.......

In the meantime, I have decided to feature a few of my favorite items to use in the kitchen. For this post, I am concentrating on Pre-Made Sauces. I will write about other types of products in the future but I thought this was a good place to start.

Over the past few years, I have turned into a sauce snob. I never realized how great sauces can taste until I started preparing them from scratch. There are three pre-made sauces, however, that I cannot duplicate or improve. The first is San-J Teriyaki Stir-Fry & Marinade Sauce (this item happens to be gluten-free). The ingredients include soy sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, ginger puree, plum juice and sake. Somehow, the mixture of these ingredients creates the perfect salty meets sweet flavor. Every time I serve this sauce whether in stir-fry, as meatball marinade or on rice, it solicits positive comments. If the crowd that I am feeding is happy, my work is done.

Roasted Apple Grille Sauce by Stonewall Kitchen has become a staple in our family. I typically serve it with pork or with sausage but the bottle also recommends adding it to homemade baked beans.  Consider this recommendation officially on my list of things to try. This sauce can be used during the cooking process or used cold as a condiment. I can't decide whether it is so good because the apples are roasted or if the cider vinegar, maple syrup and dijon mustard make it fantastic. It has a tangy quality that really appeals to me and the texture is absolute perfection. All I can say, is that this is one of our favorite foods and it makes every pork dish taste better. Check out other sauces and products by Stonewall Kitchen by clicking on this link. They also make an amazing Strawberry Jam that is a family favorite.

Finally, Patak's Original Brinjal Egglplant is technically considered a relish but I use it like a sauce on rice, pita bread and as a spread on sandwiches. This product contains eggplant, chili pepper, fenugreek, turmeric and mustard which create a spicy pickled flavor. It definitely delivers a kick but in my opinion, it offers just the right amount of spice. As a side note, it is both gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians. This is truly one of my favorites. Enjoy!

Ham, Zucchini & Gruyere Frittata, Potato & Red-Pepper Frittata, and French Vinaigrette

Hello! After a long hiatus during a remodel that lasted longer than expected, I am finally back in business! I am over the moon about my new kitchen; the end result is beyond my wildest dreams. I promise to share photos and a description soon but for now, I am just thrilled to get back to cooking and writing.

Today was the perfect day. I hosted a birthday brunch for one of my dearest friends, Heidi. This was  exciting on several fronts. First of all, I was able to get back to one of my favorite pastimes; cooking for friends and family. Next, three friends and I were able to celebrate Heidi and spend uninterrupted time together (with a combined eight kids that are six years old and under, uninterrupted time is hard to come by). And finally, watching my friends enjoy our new beautiful kitchen, dining and living space was a long awaited event. I have spent much of the past two years working with architects, contractors and designers to plan and execute our remodel. The reason Brad and I decided to embark on such a big transformation was to create a place to gather with the people we love. Today, I felt the relief and satisfaction of seeing our plan come to fruition.

For today's meal, I decided to make frittatas as main dishes and green salad, fruit and muffins as side dishes.

I chose a Ham, Zucchini and Gruyere Frittata for the first recipe and a Potato and Red-Pepper Frittata for the second recipe. I also prepared a homemade French style vinaigrette to dress the green salad. My plan was to prepare all ingredients the evening prior to hosting the brunch in order to make the morning easy and enjoyable. As you can see in the photo below, this plan worked great. I had everything chopped, sliced and separated in containers. This made assembling and cooking a breeze.

Ham, Zucchini and Gruyere Recipe:

Ingredients-
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped sliced deli ham (5 ounces)
2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4" half moons (2 cups)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (1 1/2 ounces)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In 10-inch nonstick oven proof skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add ham and zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and cook about 5 minutes.

Add eggs and cheese, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook, undisturbed, until edges are set, about 2 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until top of frittata is set, about 10 to 13 minutes. The frittata will appear to be mostly liquid on top when you transfer it to the oven but as long as the edges are set, the eggs will finish cooking evenly. Invert or slide frittata onto a plate and cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: I prefer to serve frittatas in the skillet, directly from the oven. I do not transfer them to a plate before serving.

Potato and Red-Pepper Frittata recipe:

Ingredients-
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced (I used three small shallots instead of onion)
1 red pepper with stems, ribs and seeds removed, sliced into thin strips
2 rusett potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices (about 1 pound)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 large eggs
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (I used ground rosemary from a Seattle market called Local 360 and Herbs de Provence from Savenor's in Cambridge, MA which was Julia Child's favorite cooking store)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In an 8-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat one teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is lightly browned, about five minutes. Transfer to bowl; set aside.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in skillet. Add potatoes; season generously with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, tossing often, until potatoes are tender and lightly browned; about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with onion and peppers and mix together. Transfer back to skillet; flatten with spatula.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Pour over potato mixture and tilt pan to distribute evenly. Bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Both frittatas were delicious! I am not sure which one I preferred because they were both so tasty. I highly recommend either type for brunch or dinner. As a matter of fact, frittatas are so easy to make, that you can literally open the refrigerator, see what you have hanging around, and add it all together with eggs to create your own version. Add fruit or a side salad and dinner is done.

From my experiences eating at French-inspired bistros in Seattle and from eating at a few bistros in Paris, I learned that I truly enjoy a simply dressed green salad with brunch. There is something about salad greens lightly dressed with vinaigrette that add freshness to a meal. This served as my inspiration for choosing the following recipe for French Vinaigrette.

French Vinaigrette recipe:

Ingredients-
1 Tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 small shallot, peeled and minced (about 1 Tbsp)
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 to 4 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh herbs, finely chopped (optional but I chose to use fresh parsley)

In a small bowl, mix together salt, shallot and vinegar. Let stand for 10 minutes. Mix in Dijon mustard and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. If flavor is too sharp, add fourth tablespoon olive oil and/or more salt. Add fresh herbs if desired. Chop and mix in herbs shortly before serving to keep them fresh.

This dressing just might possibly be my new favorite. The proportion of ingredients was spot-on and the addition of fresh parsley was perfect. I will be preparing it repeatedly in the future and using it as my go-to dressing. My guests and I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up for sure.

I purchased dessert at Metropolitan Market because they offer such beautiful options. I chose four mini-desserts; Brown Butter and Pear Tart, Lemon-Meringue Tart, Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake and Strawberry-Rhubarb Tart. All were delectable and were the perfect ending to a gratifying meal. Don't they look delicious?

I have one final tidbit of information to share. I mentioned that I prepared muffins as one of my side dishes. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I decided to use an organic Oatmeal Muffin mix by Dr. Oetker that I have used before. The recipe calls for one egg but due to the 16 eggs I needed for the frittatas, I had zero eggs left when it was time to make the muffins. I googled "egg-substitutes for baking" and found out that 1/4 cup oatmeal with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder mixed together can be used in place of an egg. The muffins turned out great and no one would ever suspect the egg was missing. What a great solution that  is easy to remember.

Cheers to a memorable day with treasured friends and delicious food!

Recipe sources:
Ham, Zucchini and Gruyere Frittata: marthastewart.com
Potato and Red-Pepper Frittata: marthastweart.com
French Vinaigrette: davidlebovitz.com

All Photos Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

New Kitchen In the Works!

Although I appear to have either fallen off the face of the earth or been cured of my cooking habit, neither one is the case. The reason you have not heard from me in a few months is actually exciting. We broke ground on the final piece of our ten-year house remodel shortly after my last recipe entry! The most profound part of our remodel is a gourmet kitchen that will replace our original 1950s kitchen. To say cooking in my kitchen for the past ten years has been a challenge is an understatement.

I have not made prior mention to how inadequate my kitchen was, but now I will tell all. Basically, I have been cooking in an ugly kitchen with very little counter space, an inconsistent oven and no storage. I can honestly say that with the type of kitchen I have been using, my culinary successes were small miracles. We purchased our home ten years ago and we have been remodeling since the day we moved in. Before remodeling the kitchen however, we decided to live in our house for a short while to determine what type of kitchen we wanted. That "short while" turned into almost ten years due to various other remodeling projects and the birth of our daughter. Finally, after working with architects and getting plans approved by the city, we were able to move forward in March.

This last part of the remodel includes a new garage structure with an attached room at the back, new entry way, gated courtyard and a kitchen that has been gutted and expanded 100 square feet. Our home has a view of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains but up until now, a wall has blocked the view from the kitchen. The wall has recently been removed and when all is said and done, I will have a 10 foot island with an unobstructed view to enjoy while I am cooking. I decided to splurge and ordered a six-burner Wolf Range Top and new Jenn-Air ovens. I will also have two dishwashers, a beverage refrigerator and a bar/prep sink. Doesn't it sound divine? Coming from where I am coming from, this is all such a treat!

I will add a few blog updates as the kitchen progresses but for now, I have posted a few photos of the work in progress. I will wait to post the before photos until the end of the project. Stay tuned........

Stir-fried Basil Beef with Shiitakes and Cashews

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

I was walking through PCC Market, trying to decide what to make for dinner, when I happened upon this recipe. PCC often places featured recipes strategically throughout the store and this one was sitting near the meat counter. The minute I saw Thai basil, grass fed beef and cashews in the list of ingredients, I was sold. After gathering all necessary ingredients and going through checkout, I headed home to prepare the following recipe for Stir-fried Basil Beef with Shiitakes and Cashews.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
1 lb grass fed beef, sirloin or top round, cut into thick strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced fresh Shiitake mushrooms
1 small hot red chile, sliced (I used a milder small green chile)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into julienne strips
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cane sugar
20 Thai or sweet basil leaves
1/2 cup roasted cashews

Heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat in wok or large saute pan. Stir-fry beef and garlic for 4 minutes and remove from pan. Add remaining oil to pan and cook onion, mushroom, chile and red bell pepper for 2 minutes.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Stir in beef mixture and add soy sauce, sugar, basil leaves and cashews. Heat through and serve over steamed jasmine rice.

I would like to share one interesting note regarding grass-fed beef that was included with this recipe. Grass-fed beef takes less time to cook than grain-fed beef because it is leaner and lower in fat. It is also high in healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids. Stovetop cooking is perfect for grass-fed beef because you have more control over the temperature than on a grill.

This recipe was delicious all the way around. The grass-fed beef had amazing flavor and the cashews added the perfect amount of crunch. I also appreciate that Shiitakes are a meatier mushroom that hold flavor well and provide a robust texture. I don't use Shiitakes often so this was a nice reminder that they add complexity to a dish.

The only change I made is to use a mild to medium green chile instead of a hot red chile. I needed to keep the heat level of the dish on the low side so Olivia could enjoy dinner with Brad and me. There is one additional change I would make; I would double the number of Thai basil leaves. I love the flavor of Thai basil and as I ate my portion, I was craving more. Other than these small revisions, the recipe was near perfection. It definitely earned the Lovejoy stamp of approval.

Recipe Source:
Lynne Vea, PCC Natural Markets Chef via pccnaturalmarkets.com

Birthday Celebration at Boat Street Cafe

I was granted the great pleasure of planning a birthday party for my best friend, Natalie. This was her fortieth birthday so I wanted to make sure it was extra super duper special. Let me just start out by sharing that Natalie is a true blue friend. The kind of friend that loves without boundaries and always has my best interests at heart. She is my kindred spirit and even shares my love of all things French; especially Parisian. Keeping this in mind, it was a no brainer to plan her birthday at a downtown Seattle French restaurant called Boat Street Cafe.

Although unassuming from the exterior, the ambience at Boat Street Cafe exemplifies a charming French countryside cafe. From weathered table tops to mismatched chairs to simple place settings, the restaurant is near perfection. The walls display just the right amount of art and the dim lighting creates warmth. I provided the simple bouquet of hydrangeas and the delectable macaroons from our favorite West Seattle Bakery, Bakery Nouveau. Everything else in the photos was provided by Boat Street Cafe.  

Boat Street Cafe is widely known for serving incredible brunch, but they also provide a lovely dinner menu. The snapshots and descriptions below are examples of their dinner menu offerings but people in our group also tried Carlton Farms Pork Rib Chop, Roasted Cauliflower Salad, Boat Street Pickle Plate, Steamed Mussels, Warm Bread and Butter, and Rosemary Veal Chop. Dare I mention that someone even tried the Braised and Seared Lamb Tongue?

Alaskan True Cod: spinach, roasted blood orange, Tremiti olives (Tremiti olives are Italian olives that are picked young and fresh, then immersed in sea salt and water for several months)

Skillet Roasted Painted Hills Ribeye Steak: caper aioli, parsley-shallot salad, lemon

Pan Roasted Mad Hatcher Chicken: avgolemono,baby leeks, golden turnips (avgolemono is a sauce or soup made with lemon juice and egg, mixed with broth and heated until thickened)

At Natalie's request, a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling and orange buttercream frosting; special ordered fromWest Seattle's Stuffed Cakes. Her wish was our command.

Finally, the birthday girl with her husband, Dave. Happy Birthday, dear friend!  

Chickpea, Cheese and Onion Burgers

My father deserves full credit for discovering this recipe. He was reading an article about Paul McCartney's new cookbook based on meat free Mondays, and this recipe was featured in the article. Brad, Olivia and I were traveling through Oregon while on a ski trip to Mt. Bachelor. When we arrived in Eugene to spend a few days with family, my dad had this recipe on the counter, alongside all of the required ingredients. He couldn't have made it any easier for me to prepare the following dish. Thank you, Daddy-O!

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (14-ounce) can lentils, drained and rinsed
1 (14-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 egg, beaten
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded Gruyere
1 cup crumbled feta
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
all-purpose flour, for dusting

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat until tender and not colored. Add garlic, cumin and cayenne, and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Put lentils and chickpeas in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add onion mixture, tahini and parsley and pulse again until nearly smooth. Spoon into large bowl and add egg, breadcrumbs and cheeses.

Mix with hands and add salt and pepper. Shape into patties and lightly dust with flour. Heat remaining oil in large skillet. Place burgers in pan and cook until golden on both sides. Serves 4.

Okay, this burger was seriously tasty. It ends up that lentils and chickpeas are great partners. The combination provided a hearty, substantial product that served as a great background for the flavors of the cheeses and spices. Feta cheese served a textural purpose but the Gruyere was the star for me. Vegetarian burgers can sometimes be dry but the Gruyere added a wonderful creaminess that helped the burger maintain moisture.

The flavor profile was really pleasing. Although Feta and Cumin go well together, I would have never thought to combine Gruyere and Cumin or Gruyere and Tahini. The combination of these ingredients, however, worked perfectly. The only change I made to the recipe was to omit the cayenne. My dad did not have cayenne in his pantry so we decided to go without. I don't feel as though the recipe suffered as a result, but I will try it with cayenne next time for comparison.

The most special contribution to this recipe was the high quality breadcrumbs. My father purchased a loaf of Spelt Bread from Cottage Grove Farmhouse Bakery and my step-mom converted it to breadcrumbs. This particular bakery is located south of Eugene in a small town called Cottage Grove. They use no chemicals, no additives and their motto is "just real honest bread." The only ingredients in this loaf were organic wholegrain spelt flour, water, honey, yeast and salt. Spelt is a cereal grain in the wheat family that has a lower amount of gluten than regular wheat flour. It is rich in protein, B vitamins, magnesium and fiber. Although not gluten free, spelt seems to work for many people that have wheat allergies. I have been eating variations of spelt for years and I have always enjoyed it in any form.

I would like to give a shout out to my brother, Nick, who received a special treat in his burger; a small piece of wooden spoon. My dad and step-mom have a 1970s Oster Blender that I used instead of a food-processor. It ended up working just fine but somehow during the process, a chunk disappeared off the wooden spoon I was using. Oops. :) Anyway, my brother handled it like a champ and moved forward with enjoying his meal.

Source:
"Meat Free Monday Cookbook" by Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney via relish.com

Classic Chicken Stock

I believe this may be the most basic recipe ever featured on my blog. I know it sounds like a no brainer, but I have never made chicken stock from scratch. I have prepared vegetable stock on the fly, without a recipe, but that is the closest I have come to preparing classic stock. As many of you know, I have not eaten chicken in over 13 years so touching and preparing raw chicken is a stretch for me. Even though this recipe allows for chicken bones, wings and thighs; I chose to use a whole free range organic chicken from PCC Market. This was much easier to handle than separated sections of chicken.

I have not yet decided what I am going to make with my stock. I may end up freezing it in recipe portions or preparing homemade soup for dinner tomorrow night. Either way, this should be delicious and it is so much less expensive than purchasing pre-prepared organic chicken stock.

Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken with bones (or chicken bones, wings and thighs)
4 qts (16 cups) cold water
1 onion, stuck with 4 cloves
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 sprigs fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black peppercorns

Place chicken and water in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove any remnants that rise to top of water. Add onion, carrot, celery, parsley, bay leaf, thyme and pepper. Simmer 2 to 3 hours.

Strain, cool and refrigerate. Lift off fat with spoon.

Use within 2 to 3 days or freeze. You may also freeze immediately after cooking. Makes about 2 quarts but recipe may be doubled. Hint: make in large quantity and freeze in portions that match amounts required in favorite recipes.

I tasted the stock and it is quite flavorful. I also appreciate that the degree of saltiness is mine to determine. Although I followed the above recipe, I couldn't resist making a few additions; 2 smashed cloves of garlic and one extra rib of celery with leaves. I would also consider adding chopped fennel to my next batch.

As a side note, all vegetables used in this recipe were organic and the parsley was harvested fresh from my garden. Enjoy!

Source:
"Creative Soups and Salads" by Lou Seibert Pappas
Page 13