Dinner for Dennis

The fish platter

Blogging has been a adventure from the beginning! I have learned SOOO much from following other blogs from professional to personal. Not being an incredibly "techie" person, my family and friends didn't discourage me but possibly wondered how long "this phase would last".  Happy to report that next month it will be a year since my first post!

My format hasn't changed much; I still take pics with my iPhone, of items that we're actually eating for a meal or places I've been, stories of my life experiences, supplying "how to" series of photos with instruction. Hopefully, my photos have improved and that my stories seem relevant and you're enjoying the recipes!

One of the coolest things that happened was the opportunity to create a meal as a gift from a person who saw my blog!  His friends gave him a dinner for two as a get-well gift but the gift was given to me as well!  Dennis' friends, knowing he's a foodie asked me to cook dinner for he and his partner and I jumped at the chance. How fun to deliver a dinner to other foodies from a menu they created...look out Iron Chef!

They chose Rock Cod Piccata, green beans with smothered onions and bacon, oven roasted brussel sprouts with shallots, roasted garlic and more bacon, Pane D'Amore dinner rolls and lemon pound cakes.

Lusciousness on a plate

Life is short, let's start with dessert first! This will give it time to cool and glaze before we leave for Dennis' houses. This recipe is the BEST EVER Lemon Pound Cake from Boyajian. They make a line of fine culinary oils and can be ordered online directly, from Amazon and Sur La Table to name a few.

Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
3 tsp Boyajian Pure Lemon Oil
11/2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream
3 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
21/2 cups sugar
6 eggs (beat well)


Preheat oven to 300. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Blend in the beaten eggs and Boyajian Lemon Oil. Add sour cream, flour, baking soda and salt. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Bake in well greased bundt or tube pan for 11/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack for 30 minutes before unfolding.

you should smell my house right now...

The glaze is adds a little sparkle if desired. Whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a few drops of lemon oil in a large bowl and add enough cold water to thin the glaze, about 4 tablespoons. It's up to you...I like thick enough to see it but not have it goopy. Spoon gently over the top of pound cakes. Zest strips from lemon and top with any fresh berries available.

Boo ya! Desert is done; glazed, zested and garnished

So now I'm onto our more savory elements now that dessert is done. 

The onions starting to "smother"

The smothered onions will take the longest so I sliced up 2 sweet onions and about 4 tablespoons of butter on medium high heat, in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. These will go for at least a half hour as the object is to go slow and not to sauté.

The brussel sprout stalk

The meal would be served hot to Dennis' door so I will be doing many things simultaneously, I'll tell you where we are along the way. For now, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and place the two heads of fresh garlic inside. Set timer for 15 minutes and check.

Next, the tender, fresh and organic brussel sprouts need to be taken off there stalk & placed in there baking dish.

Extreme close-up of the sprouts

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This endeavor is fast and easiest when the stalk is laid flat on a cutting board to hold with one hand and cut with the other, with minimal if any slippage of the stalk. Using a sharp paring knife, carefully slice each sprout off the stalk.

The reduced onions with chopped shallots

Chopped pepper bacon 

 The bacon is added to the onion/shallot mixture to finish the sauce for the brussel sprouts and the green beans. Cook bacon for about 8 minutes until fat is turning translucent and starting to brown. Remove half the onion, shallot and bacon mixture and store in heat proof bowl.

Baked, caramelized and ready to join the party!

We now welcome back the roasted garlic heads back into the mix. It's easiest to extract the smooth, roasted garlic inside by slicing off the top of the garlic head using a serrated knife, then gently and slowly squeeze from the bottom and sides (like juicing an orange) and the garlic will begin to emerge.  Let it drop into the sauté pan with the softened onions and shallots.

brussel sprouts added to the bacon, onions and shallots

Add the brussel sprouts and sauté with remaining onion mixture for 5-8 minutes on medium high covered to capture the steam. Place contents into an uncovered baking dish and into the 400 degree oven to crisp exterior for another 10 minutes. Garnish with creme fresh if desired, Dennis and I did!

The rest of the dinner comes together quickly; back into the reheated sauté pan goes the other half of the onion/bacon mixture and the fresh green beans. Use tongs and combine, the lid goes on to steam for a few minutes. After a few minutes, toss the beans again and place the lid back on for a few more minutes. Place semi-cooked green beans onto the serving platter for the fish and beans and keep warm in the oven while cooking fish.

The Rock Cod Piccata is simple, tasty and fast. Put the large sauté pan back on the high heat again. Drizzle about 2 Tablespoons each butter and Olive oil and add the 2-3 filetsfilets over. Quickly add the coarsely chopped 3 toes of garlic, about 4-5 Tablespoons of capers, the juice of a half fresh lemon,  half cup white wine.  Simmer for about 3 minutes and gently remove the filets and place on warm platter with green beans. Continue to reduce sauce for another 3 minutes or so until slightly thickened and then top the fish with the sauce. Voila!  Dinner is served.

Dinner for Dennis complete with a Pan D"Amore roll

Dinner for Dennis went over well. He was so pleased upon arrival that he invited friend to join in.

That dinner nourished me that night too. Blogging has expanded my artistic expression and for that I am fed. I'm glad I started in on this journey that really challenged me on so many levels because it's been equally rewarding. Thank you for all your continued support my friends!

Challenge yourself to go beyond your comfort level, the grass is greener for having tried! 

Chow for now my friends.

A Southwest dinner in 15 minutes or less!

All the fixings for spicing up the sandwiches

Sometimes you don't have to compromise to be quick, healthy and SUPER tasty! I have a few "go-to" tricks when our busy schedules of juggling meetings, work, sports, homework and all that life brings. One such trick is to snap up a Costco Roasted Chicken and reinvent it! Tonight, I felt like taking it in the Southwest direction and using BBQ sauce, spicy Buffalo Cheddar cheese (also from Costco0, fresh cilantro, avocado, tomato, onion and pickled jalapeño.

The adults prefer onions on their sandwiches

Fast, warm and yummy...these sandwiches can be whipped up in 15 minutes or less! Preheat broiler while slicing open the ciabatta rolls (also from Costco this time) and then slicing the chicken, cheese and onion. The onions aren't necessary but my husband and I like the kick they give the sandwich. Drizzle with your favorite BBQ sauce and place under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Just out of the broiler and ready to eat!

Now at this point, you can simply gobble up the cheese and chicken sandwiches OR...you can choose to embellish them further. Yes, I chose to go spicier...you know me too well!

The finished sandwich with all the spicy fixings

A side few of the warm, spicy, fresh chicken sandwich

 This was my actual dinner last night! I don't often stage my food, although my husband and son feel like I take FOREVER sometimes snapping pics before I serve dinner. "Mom, can we PLEASE eat now?!" he pleads. Or more often, "Can we eat this while it's still hot?!" So, I often serve them and snap MY dinner plate while they chomp away. See, we CAN have our dinner and take pictures of it too!

Open wide!

Whew! That was a blissfully fast and flavorful dinner that made everyone happy. (Queue trumpets please)

Da-da-daaaa! Natural, hormone free, inexpensive Costco roasted chicken saves the day!

Use your time wisely, especially when a hungry family can turn on you quickly! Think Costco Roasted Chicken and reinvent it. It's not cheating, it's another inexpensive tool in your growing bag of time saving tricks. 

Chow for now my friends!

"These are a few of my favorite things..."

Our dachshunds soaking up the heat from our fireplace

So I'm sitting in my favorite armchair again on day 7 of our Sequim Snow Week and feeling rather nostalgic. The wind is howling and gusting, it's raining sideways, the snow is slowly melting and I'm sipping my morning coffee with husband, who's reading book #5 or 6? of the week. Life is cozy in front of our fire and I'm feeling grateful as the weather gusts outside and I'm flipping through tons of pics on my laptop. 

I don't really have a point with this post other than reflection of great moments and memories. The types of events that bring a smile to my face and maybe yours too. I'll try to group them to make more sense to you...and yes, there is food involved! HELLOOOO! This is a MAJOR food geek you're dealing with here who also loves to travel a bit, hang with family and friends.  Hopefully you will find these snippets entertaining and not too much of an "over-share" on my part. Funny how it starts off with warmer weather...hmmm?!!

Son Alan, friends Harrison and Drew on a jet ski on the Columbia River

Crescent Bar, WA Summer 2011 was a HUGE highlight of 2011 for son Alan and I. Unfortunately, husband was home working so we knuckled through the 85+ degree sunshine, lots of pool time, me reading book #2 of the Dragon Tattoo series, and copious amounts of local Mexican food! I rendevouzed with 3 Moms/good friends and their kids.  Crescent Bar is located in the more seasonal eastern (hence warmer in summer) part of Washington state, close to Wenatchee. Heat, gloriously warm sunshine, seems even sweeter now that the weather is polar opposite. Crescent Bar is now one of my favorite places on earth!

Our local coffee shop also served ice cream-YEA US!

Fresh tortillas and Mexican Creme from the Quincy store

This was me and son Alan on paddle boards. I was working off the Mexican food...

One of my ALL TIME fav pics! Alan and Harrison looking out at the Columbia River

Alan, Yana & Alicia's cannonball contest-COWABUNGA!

Me reading poolside while Alan & Alisha dive for objects in the pool at sunset

Beef Huarache lunch from a Taco truck in Ellensburg, WA

Dining alfresco on my condo patio w/shredded beef tamale, Mexican creme, fresh salsa & vino

We found a Mexican grocery in the small agricultural town of Quincy, WA, on our way to Crescent Bar. Let's just say that the owners and patrons must have found me and my friends "curious" at least...we bought pints of fresh salsa, Mexican creme, fresh tortillas and tortilla chips at LEAST 5 times in our 7 day stay.  We were embracing the "EAT LOCAL" mantra for sure!

Afternoon sun through the Russian Sage

Vashon Island, WA-Summer 2011 again. My friend Dawn's wedding to Jeremy. Sun, friends, family, FANTASTIC food by Herban Feast Catering, beautiful setting, a rare and lovely date with my husband.

Husband, me, bride/good friend/bride Dawn, Dawn's sister Caroline

Toasting the Bride and Groom

The band announces the wedding is beginning...

The array of delectable appetizers

pickled red onions on bruscetts with slice of beef tenderloin

Dinner; fresh, wonderful, seasonal

Leaving the tranquil island of Vashon

Fresh crab-ANYWHERE, ANYTIME! I didn't think I even liked crab until our family friend Ed, dropped some crab pots when we were staying at his Port Hadlock home for the weekend. TOTAL game changer experience! I do like crab, when it's fresh...frozen, not so much at all.

My Ulin family getting ready for dinner!

Son Alan and Mom-in-law Lin out dropping crab pots (Father-in-law is captain & photographer)

My fresh crab cakes with Panko crust

Simple fixings; spicy cocktail sauce, limes, lemons and melted butter

Something else I learned about fresh crab; it doesn't have to be daunting to serve your guests! Short story; we got several fresh cooked crab from a neighbor (LOVE it!) and husband invited some friends over to enjoy them. Wife is major foodie too. I FREAKED OUT! I'd never served fresh crab before and thought you needed individual crab crackers, picks and other specific tools. I cried and ranted to my husband for inviting them over for crab but upon arrival, foodie wife simply asked "if we had some hammers around the house?" We did. We got out cutting boards for each of us, bowls for meat and bowls for shells and the feast was on! It was kind of cathartic to pound away and extract the sweet meat together. 

Dungeness Crab meat

Silly me! Now I have extra crackers and hammers out when we have fresh crab and save the tears for other "crisis' ".

Rock Crab claw meat

Fresh Berries-ANYTIME, ANYWHERE! The Pacific Northwest is a mecca for all wonderful berries; wild blackberries, Marion berries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, huckleberries, cranberries, Cascade berries, and many more.

Fresh local strawberries from Sequim

Dirty Vegas Cocktail; fresh strawberry juice, white balsamic vinegar, sugar, lemon & vodka

Strawberry turnover

Cascade berries from our family farm in Forks, WA

Cascade Berry Crisp

Jewels for the picking

These are a few of my many favorite things.  Right now, they're curiously all related more toward the warmer, summer months.  Don't get me wrong, I try my best to embrace all times of year and to eat seasonally. However, I feel the most vital, energetic and enthusiastic about summer months. Well, I like Spring and Fall too...just not winter so much. The claustrophobic nature of grey days having me lusting after sunnier, warmer days and the bounty of offerings they bring right now. 

Here's to naming your favorite things my friends. It's fun to know and acknowledge what makes you happy so you can repeat them more often! Sometimes fresh isn't always available but frozen can make do in a pinch, it's about creating creating memories and then bringing them to your present day lives. 

"It's all good!" as my family likes to say.

Chow for now my friends.