Dreaming of Chicken (Coops)

It's been an exhausting week. I have so much to tell you. Thanks for hanging in there while I was off galavanting. I'm planning some delicious fare this week that includes the use of my new grill, beautiful berries and lucious chocolate. Please stay tuned, but right now I need your help. I've fallen in love. Goofy in love. With chickens. Or with the idea of having chickens. Rhode Island Reds. Cochins, Brahmas, Ameraucanas, Crested Polish, I love them all!

I attended a seminar last week which has kindled my inner farmer and now I can't think of anything but chickens. And eggs. Blue, tan, ivory, white, and green eggs. It was a fantastic course explaining all the things you need to know to have 3 or 4 or 20 chickens in your back yard. I sat there with an ear to ear grin. Hey, I only want 3 - that shouldn't cause too much of a stir in the neighborhood, should it?

But here's where I need your help. When I called Fred after the seminar, he answered the phone like this: 'Hi Hun, if you bring home any chickens, I'm going to divorce you.'

Well. Gee. There goes my little dream of collecting fresh eggs every morning. Chicken lovers unite! Call Fred right now and cast your vote.

I also met up with my friend Lacey at the Downtown Farmers Market. But, uh oh, what's that a photo of? I guess I'll be saying goodbye to an old friend in my cup cabinet. Fred's rules about my little obsession till applies.

There are all sorts of wonderful vendors at the market. Dolcetti Gelato is one of my favorites. Lacey hadn't tried it before. We shared a cup, choosing pistachio and fresh banana. Wow. Really, really good choices. She's hooked. On the gelato and the farmers market. Sorry Jeff. I'll return her at the end of the summer.

We also shared a delish pesto, veggie sandwich. I bought a jar of this fresh pesto so I can make this for Fred at home. A grilled piece of whole wheat breaded spread with pesto, then covered with sauteed zucchini and onions, fresh roma tomatoes and sprouts. Heeeaaalllthy!

And finally, I can't wait to share this with you. What's in this box? A little taste of Chicago!

Stay tuned.

Summer Corn Saute

Oh my heck. (Janai, put your hands over your ears) I've fallen off the wagon twice this week. Steak last night and filet mignon at Grand America for lunch today. What is wrong with me?

I AM A VEGETARIAN. Really.

Oh, all right, let's just go with it. So what goes better with steak than corn! The perfect summer duet.

This recipe really belongs to Martha but we won't tell her. The ideal side dish for your summer dinner and extremely easy. Who needs to fuss with all that boiling water and messy butter anyway.

Corn and Zucchini Saute

4 thin green or yellow zucchini squash, halved and then sliced thin
4 - 5 ears of yellow or white corn, raw, cut off the cob
3 Tbs olive oil
coarse salt and pepper to taste
Several large leaves of fresh basil
1 Tbs of white wine vinegar

Heat oil in large skillet, add squash and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add corn, coarse salt and pepper and continue to saute for another 3 minutes or until corn is getting tender. Take off heat, add wine vinegar and torn basil leaves, then stir. Done. Simple. Easy. Corn. Yum.

Orange Tortilla Soup

It still refuses to warm up here in Northern Utah. Normally, we hit the mid 90's by this time, but the last week has been rainy and grey with lows of 50. Reminds me of Chicago. In October. And November. And March. And almost every other month of the year. Our guests, Ron and Elaine, actually said it was warmer here than back home. They must be lying. This gloom was actually welcome for a few days, but I'm done now. Rain, rain, go away.

To warm up our bones, I made the ever popular Orange Tortilla Soup for our guests on Sunday. This recipe comes from our ever popular neighbor Laura M. Hopefully, I'm still popular with her after I share her recipe with the internet. Love ya, Laura~

Ingredients:

1 Medium yellow onion, chopped
1 Clove garlic, minced
4 Celery stalks sliced
3 Tbs vegetable oil
2-1/2 Cups vegetable or chicken broth
1-1/2 Cups orange juice
1-1/2 Cups tomato sauce (14 oz can is fine)
1 Cup water
1 (4 oz) Can green chilies chopped
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)
3 - 4 Carrots sliced
3 or 4 Chicken breasts
Pepper Jack cheese grated
Tortilla chips

Chop your celery and onions. Mince garlic and slice carrots. Do yourself a favor and buy pre chopped chiles. I bought the whole so I had to chop.

Saute onion, garlic and celery in 3 Tbs of vegetable oil.

Stir in broth, OJ, tomato sauce, chilies, cilantro and carrots. Simmer until carrots are tender.

In the meantime, cook your chicken. I prefer to cook chicken breast in a non-stick pan. I heat 2 TB of oil on med-high heat, salt and pepper the breast, cook on each side about 5 min on that higher heat, then turn the heat to med-low. Do not cover!!! Big mistake. You end up with boiled chicken. I leave the lid off until almost done - you can tell you've overcooked chicken breast when it doesn't give anymore when you press with the back of your fork. I prefer to a point where it might still be a bit underdone and then take off heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes or so. Its usually perfect. Clear as mud? Sorry.

Cut or shred your chicken into bite size chunks and add to your soup. Cook another 5 minutes or so and its ready. Just make sure your carrots are tender.

Serve by placing tortilla chips (crunched or not) at the bottom of your soup bowl, ladle soup over and top with shredded jack cheese.

Huevos Rancheros Mi Amigos

My second cousin, 27 times removed, and his wife are in town this weekend. Besides driving them crazy with my incessant worries about them getting lost in their rental car, I let them buy me breakfast at my favorite breakfast spot. Located 10 miles up a beautiful canyon in the Wasatch Mountains, Silver Fork Lodge has beautiful views, loads of hummingbirds and great food. Ron ordered the famous oatmeal; Elaine and I split Huevos Rancheros and a beautiful fruit platter. Strawberries, kiwi, canteloupe, blueberries and grapes.

Since Fred didn't go with us, I decided to make my own Rancheros last night for dinner! I pan toasted a flour tortilla, topped it with warm, black beans, eggs over easy, salsa, sour cream and cheddar cheese. I also browned up some hash browns to go with it. The trick to getting your hash browns brown and not too greasy? Use about 3 Tbs oil for 2 cups potatoes, get your oil hot to begin with, but after the potatoes are in, turn the heat on low, flatten them down with a spatula and cook for at least 15 min on each side. I add 2 Tbls butter, cut in small bits, all around the side of the pan and let that melt down into the potatoes. Add salt and black pepper. Adding the butter after you turn the heat down adds flavor and keeps it from burning. Make sure to flatten them again on the second side. Hash browns can't be rushed!!

We chose to sit inside for our breakfast yesteday, the wind was a little much. But the views were fantastic as you can see through that big window!

After breakfast, I took them for a walk around a mountain lake that is just a few miles up the road. We stopped to chat with a fisherman. He was casting for perch.

It was a little grey but so nice. We had a wonderful walk and I look forward to cooking for them tomorrow. They may be treated to Orange Tortilla Soup. Adios!

Crab Asparagus Au Gratin

Let me just tell you this. This dish is RIDICULOUS. It's so close to heaven, I can't even see my house anymore. Fred fell out of his chair and into the dog dish. Seriously, the man is SO in love.

Last week I had a wonderful dinner at a new restaurant in Salt Lake called The Wild Grape. Their menu is marvelous. I sat through dinner trying to figure out how I could weasel my way back again the next night. I couldn't stop thinking about the Crab Au Gratin OR the Cheddar Grits OR the Spicy Shrimp, skewered and doing a great balancing act on the very tip top. Drool.

So here's my version (serves 2 to 3):

(BTW, this was a bit tricky to time. I would cook the grits first, leaving a little loose and finish cooking just before serving the au gratin. You will cook your shrimp immediately before plating.)

Ingredients List:

Crab/Asparagus Au gratin

1 lb - Asparagus, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

1 lb - Finger or New Potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces, then boiled in salted water for 7 min or until just tender to a fork.

3/4 cup - Crab, claw meat worked well (see image below)

Roux

2 TB Butter

2 TB White Flour

1 Cup whole milk or you can use less fat but will take longer to get creamy consistency

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper or to taste

1/3 Cup grated parmesan

Shrimp and Marinade

I used large shrimp but I might switch next time to jumbo. Less chance of over cooking.

12 Shrimp - peeled and marinaded in

2 TB - Olive Oil

4 TB - Lemon Juice

2 tsp - Chili Powder

--Mix these 3 together then toss with shrimp. Only needs to marinate 15 to 30 min.

Cheddar Grits

White Hominy Grits - Make according to package instructions, enough for 2 cups of cooked grits.

1/3 to 1/2 cup of Cheddar Cheese finely grated.

Wash and cut asparagus on an angle into 1-1/2 inch pieces. Heat oil in non stick pan then add asparagus and stir fry about 7 minutes, making sure not to overcook. The asparagus should stay slightly crisp and bright green.

Add pre-cooked, 1 inch pieces of new potatoes (I like the finger potatoes from Whole Foods) but you can use small red or gold new potatoes (the ones with thin skin). Let the potatoes golden up a bit on the bottom of the pan. Turn off burner but leave on heat to stay warm.

Measure out 3/4 cup (about 1/3 of a 12 oz can) of crab meat, depending on how much you like crab. Set aside.

Next, create a basic roux sauce. To do this, melt butter in your small skillet on medium heat, add flour and cook until it turns a golden color (about 1 minute), then slowly add your milk or cream until your sauce is the consistency of melted Velveeta. If it starts to get too thick just add a little more milk. Add salt, pepper and 1/3 cup grated parmesan. Now add your crab. Again, you may need to add a bit more milk to keep it creamy.

Next, pour the sauce and crab over the asparagus and potatoes and FOLD. Do not stir or you will have a mess. A few folds and you should be done! Put a lid over this to keep warm. Now finish your grits throw in the cheddar and add a bit more milk if its getting to thick. You really want the grits to be soft, not set up into a gelatinous glob.

Cook your marinated shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes on each side on a high heat. Be sure NOT to overcook.

Ladle out a generous portion of the creamy yellow grits, top with your au gratin and settle those perfect shrimp on top. Sigh.

A Slight Obsession

I've a got a teensy, little problem. I buy TOO many coffee mugs. Well, actually, its just the right number by me. But my husband cries everytime he opens the cabinet and looks for his one favorite Utah mug he found at Walmart in the souvenier aisle. (He's so demitasse challenged.)

In fact, Fred has made a new rule. If I bring a new one home, I must give an old one away. Very, very, sad. Especially considering that every time I walk into a local coffee shop, every cup on the shelf starts singing The Coffee Song. If that wasn't bad enough, now there are several local vendors who show up at our downtown farmers market with tempting little vessels. Like the one above. I love the honey and brown tones, and the white fingertips where the potter held onto the cup while dipping it in the glaze. Loverly.

Or this one, with glazed petraglyphs, dripping black and tan.

Reminds me of my coffee as I love just a touch of golden honey and milk.

I found these little beauties at YOU KNOW WHERE. No handles but shaped with nice little finger indentations. These are still currently available BTW.

I like the ridges left behind on this one by the sculptor. I just can't get enough of that brown glaze.

Isn't this as beautiful as a Robin's egg? Or maybe a blue Snowy Plover egg. Snowy Plover's nest near the Great Salt Lake, you know.

I snatched up the last three of these from my farmers market favorite. I BEGGED him to recreate this in dinner dishes. No dice. Each of these cups is a slightly different size. You can so tell they are hand thrown.

And I've figured out a way to derail by husband in his sinister plot to rid me of my 37,000 coffee mugs. I will take them to a secret location where I can see them every day, touch their silky handles and sip liquid gold from their rims.

They can always use more mugs at the office.

Mardi Gras Stuffed Peppers

Aren't the colors fantastic? What's that produce slogan? Eat Your Colors? Well, my, my, you must certainly fulfill a good portion of your daily requirements with this dish. My Mardi Gras Stuffed Peppers are filled with wheat berries, brown rice, onion, garlic and Italian cheeses. I add chopped Roma tomatoes on top with lemon juice and a little drizzle of olive oil, then bake. This recipe got rave reviews at home. Add a healthy dollop of your favorite marinara on top and you get your lycopene too!

When prepping for this recipe, you have a choice of using Bulgur or Wheat Berries. Maybe they are the same thing but all the research I did told me that Bulgur can just be soaked in hot water and its ready to serve. Wheat Berries, on the other hand, must be cooked ahead. Follow the package instructions or boil about 45 -55 minutes or until they are not crunchy, just firm, then drain. Make extra and throw them in salads or soup.

I bought a variety of bell peppers. Cut the tops off (about 1/2 below rim) and clean out. Remove the stem from the top and chop the leftover pieces into 1/4 inch pieces.

You will also chop one medium onion (or 1/2 if you don't like alot of onion) and chop your mushrooms into the same size pieces as the onion and peppers.

Heat 2 TB olive oil then add your chopped bell peppers, onion and mushrooms. Stir until the onions are clear. Be careful not to burn.

In a large bowl mix your wheat berries, rice, hot vegetables and cheese. Add salt and pepper. Be sure to mix the hot veggies with the rice and wheat before mixing in cheese. It will keep the cheese from clumping all together from the heat of the vegetables. Stuff your peppers, top with chopped Roma tomatoes, drizzle with oil and lemon, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on how soft you live the bell peppers. We removed ours at 40 minutes because Fred was just too darn hungry to wait any longer! They were still crunchy but hot inside. Top with marinara.

Mardi Gras Stuffed Peppers

1 Cup wheat berries or bulgur (prepared as directed on packaging)

6 Bell peppers

4 Cups mushrooms, chopped

1 Onion, medium chopped

2 Cloves garlic minced

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp black pepper

1 Cup Italian blend cheese, shredded (usually includes Mozarella, Parmesan, Asiago, Romano)

2 Tbs lemon juice

3 Plum tomatoes, slice in half, take out seeds and wet pulp, then chop

2 Cups marinara of your choice

Bake 45 to 60 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Silver Fork Oatmeal

Silver Fork Lodge is one of my favorite places to take visitors for breakfast in summer. The views from the deck are beautiful and they have some great food. They are famous for their sourdough starter, used for pancakes and waffles. They have fresh mountain perch and eggs, plus homemade cornbeef hash that has generous chunks of corn beef (not ground like the canned variety). I love their oatmeal. Its made from whole oats and they serve it with brown sugar, wild blueberries (you have to ask for these - an extra $1 but worth it), pecans, raisins, milk and butter.

Fred recreated this wonderful oatmeal for Mother's Day brunch. He bought granola with raisins as an extra crunchy topping. The blueberries were thawed from frozen and added a little extra blueberry juice to the mix which tasted delish. I toasted the pecans and chopped. Crunch crunch.

Silver Fork Oatmeal

Prepare your favorite rolled oats (regular, not instant or quick variety)
Serve with:

2 TB Pecans, toasted in a hot pan, then chopped
2 TB Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Wild Blueberries
2 TB Raisins or a favorite granola
Butter, milk and honey to taste.