July 7, 2011- Kalbi Short Ribs

I got Kalbi marinated beef short ribs from the Fred Meyer meat counter yesterday morning.  They grill up really quickly and are usually quite tasty.  Well, I didn't get the best selection this time.  The meat was really fatty and the marinade didn't penetrate the meat like it usually does.  I guess that's what I get for shopping so early in the morning.  We grilled asparagus tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper as our side dish.  

July 3, 2011- Steaks, Asparagus, & Baked Potatoes

Jennifer and I have been planning a surprise bridal shower for Kate for several months.  We wanted to have it this weekend in Redmond since many of our close family friends usually spend holiday weekends there too.  Well, in the end, we were the only ones in Redmond this time.  So, we hosted a shower for Kate and Spencer with just our immediate family.  It was quite nice:) 

For dinner, Jennifer purchased lovely tenderloin steaks.  I brought a tin of Aromatica Organics Nebraska Prime Steak Seasoning with me, which was rubbed on the steaks.  Ben was in charge of grilling them, and he did a fantastic job.  The steaks were all cooked perfectly for each of our preferences.  So, the combination of the great meat, the delicious rub, and the careful grilling resulted in excellent steaks.  We grilled asparagus and baked potatoes to enjoy with the steaks.  

After dinner the dogs were walked and then the shower continued.  We played a couple games-- "Future spouse trivia" and "Name that white baking ingredient".  They were fun even with our small group.  After the games were over, we enjoyed a delicious chocolate cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries. And, no bridal shower would be complete without a few presents:)  It was a perfect evening!  

Well, I should be honest and say that Katie puked just a little bit while eating cake, but we cleaned it up so quickly that it was like it never happened. Other than that, it was a perfect evening.

Saturday, 4/23/2011

Ben is leaving tomorrow afternoon for a week long business trip to The Netherlands.  Since we aren't expecting to have much time between when church concludes and when he needs to leave for the airport, we had our big family Easter meal today instead.  My grandparents, brother, niece, and my brother's friend, Adam, joined us at my parent's house for the meal.  My dad baked a delicious ham.  We grilled asparagus tossed in a sherry-bacon vinaigrette.  There was a potato salad, rolls, mashed potatoes, and beets passed around the table too.  For dessert, we had an angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream.  Ben and I had ham, asparagus, strawberries, and whipped cream for our meal.  It was hard to pass on the carb filled potatoes and rolls, but we did it and were quite satisfied.

My mom made these most adorable bunny place cards.  We placed a Reese's peanut butter egg in each one.  That will be the only chocolate I have this weekend. 

Wednesday, 4/20/2011

Tonight was my chicken sausage do-over dinner.  With the carbon scraped off of the grill cover and the gas still on when I put the sausages on, they came out great!  I put the sausages on the grill as far away from the main source of the gas as I could.  Ben mentioned that the grill is hotter on that side.  Sure enough, they didn't burn like they usually do.  Fantastic!  I also grilled asparagus for a side dish.  The sausages grill on indirect medium while the asparagus goes on direct medium.  They are perfect companions for maximizing the grill. 

When we shot Spencer and Kate's engagement photos at Pike Place Market, one of the produce vendors told us that asparagus is actually sweeter and less stringy when it is bigger.  He said that the outer, woody part is what develops first and just stretches out to cover the sweeter insides.  So, the thicker the stalk, the less woody the outside is and the sweeter the inside.  Finally, after two months, I listened.  He was right.  The thicker stalks were sweeter and easier to eat.  I have just purchased my last bunch of skinny asparagus.  Thanks produce guy!

Monday, 4/4/2011

We had long grain & wild rice, grilled asparagus, and marinated mahi mahi for our dinner tonight.  The meal started to come together when I saw beautiful, cheap asparagus as MetropolitanMarket this morning.  I usually don't shop there because the food is fantastic and the prices are outrageous.  I was there to pick up a few things for a potluck tomorrow and couldn't resist the asparagus at $1.49/pound.  The stalks, tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper, were grilled for 8 minutes on Direct Medium heat.  

My next stop was Costco.  I usually keep beer battered halibut in the freezer, but opted for marinated mahi mahi today.  The cost of the halibut was $19.99 and the mahi mahi was only $12.99.  I'm glad I let cost drive my decision.  The mahi mahi had tons of flavor and no carbohydrates.  Ben and I each had one fillet, and Katie had half of one. I am pleased that I was able to come up with a meal on the fly that ended up being very balanced and delicious.

Monday, 2/14/2011

This afternoon, Ben and I had the pleasure of shooting his brother's engagement photos.  Whoo hoo for Kate and Spencer's upcoming nuptials!!!  Ben was the official shooter, and I was the light stand;)  We strapped Katie on my back in the ergo baby carrier and took off for a couple hours of shooting at Pike Place Market.  It didn't take long for Katie to become tired of being on my back.  After listening to her shout "down" and "walk" in my ear, I reluctantly gave her my iPod so that she could watch "Toy Story".  That was the best decision I made all day.  She didn't drop it and was mostly content with it.  

After the shoot was over, we picked up asparagus and steak at the market and headed back to our house.  I still had some work to do, so Ben was in charge of dinner.  He got the steak and asparagus on the grill and Spencer made up a batch of roasted garlic and herb couscous.  Other than a pretty big meltdown from Katie right as the food was ready to eat, we really enjoyed our meal.  We finished it off with chocolate cake.  

I used a Duncan Hines Decadent Triple Chocolate Cake mix, baked in a bundt pan, and made my own chocolate frosting.  The cake was delicious.  YUM!  The frosting was very tasty, but the texture wasn't what I was going for.  It was very dense.  I used butter, whipping cream, melted unsweetened chocolate, vanilla extract, a couple dashes of salt, and powdered sugar.  My dad recommended heating it all in the microwave for a few seconds to get everything to melt a bit.  That way, it could be spread on and would set as it cooled.  I'll have to try on the left overs;) 

Thursday, 2/11/2011

My friend Bron came over for dinner tonight.  I was able to get all of the food prepped before she arrived, and was thankful that Katie was willing to play with her while I worked the grill.  It was definitely faster to grill without Katie's "help".  We had barbecued chicken tenderloins and asparagus.  I tossed the asparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper, and grilled on Direct Medium heat for 8 minutes.  The chicken was dry rubbed and then grilled for 6 minutes, also on Direct Medium, turning once, and brushing quickly with barbecue sauce while still on the grill.  I used some of the Kolander Grubb's barbecue sauce we had on our pork sandwiches earlier this week.  

Katie couldn't wait for the chicken and asparagus.  She had peanut butter, pear, and yogurt for her dinner. 

Tuesday, 2/1/2011

We went over to Barb, Tad, and Ronan's house tonight for our PEPS potluck.  Barb made a vegetarian risotto with asparagus and mushrooms.  It was quite tasty.  We brought a spinach salad with mandarin oranges, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.  For dessert, we had a coconut cream pie.  I didn't have any myself, but Ben enjoyed his sliver and Katie scarfed her piece:)  I think this is the first meal I have had in a long time that didn't include a meat of some kind. 

It was a really fun evening.  The kids are starting to really talk with the adults and each other.  Katie remembered that the last time we were at this house there was a pillow fight with the kids.  So, what did she do this time?  She started another one:) 

Saturday, 7/24/2010

Happy Wedding Day Laura and David!!!

We started taking photos of the big event at 1pm today and didn't stop until just before 10pm. It was a beautiful wedding. Laura was stunning, and David was very handsome. What an honor to record their special day in photos.

The reception was held at The Hall at Fauntleroy and was catered by Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes. Our wedding reception was held in the same place and catered by the same company, so we knew the food would be good. Thankfully, there was a good break during the reception during which we could get some food. I had a green salad with dried cranberries, goat cheese, and a raspberry vinaigrette, a watermelon, blueberry with mint salad, salmon, grilled asparagus and peppers, and bread for dinner. Ben opted for steak instead of the salmon.

Laura and David chose two different cakes to serve their guests. Ben and I both had a piece of chocolate cake. It was divine! I can't be sure, but I think the filling between cake layers was a chocolate butter cream or mousse and the frosting was cream cheese. What made it so amazing was that the cake was chilled. The reception hall was quite warm, so the chilled filling and frosting made the cake quite refreshing:) I believe Laura said the cake came from the Macrina Bakery.

Although the dinner was delicious, the best part of the catered food was the double chocolate chip cookies that were served around 9:30pm. Laura's mom told us that they were her favorite thing that they ordered. She was soo right. They were outstanding!!!

Wednesday, 7/21/2010

Oh, yum! Tonight's dinner was soo good! I made Foil-Wrapped Ginger Chicken, roasted garlic and olive oil couscous, and grilled asparagus. The chicken makes the house smell wonderful. Ben walked in the door after work and said "mmmm...something smells good." I'll take that as a compliment:)

I had fun plating the meal tonight. I pressed the couscous into an egg ring on the plate and then carefully stacked the chicken on top. It felt like I was on Iron Chef:) Thanks to Ben for taking this great shot of the meal!

Monday, 7/12/2010

In a little less than two weeks, Ben and I will be the photographers for our friends Laura and David's wedding. They came over tonight so that we could discuss their shot list and have dinner. We grilled bbq chicken breasts and asparagus, and I made roasted garlic couscous to go with it. For dessert I made Flaky Cherry Cobbler which we topped with vanilla ice cream. It was heavenly--if I do say so myself:)

On our way back from Spokane last week, I purchased bing cherries at the Thorp Fruit & Antique Mall. After realizing Ben wouldn't eat any of them, it seemed like a good idea to make a dessert with them. There was no way I could eat them all before they went bad. I found a recipe for the cobbler in a cookbook called "Small-Batch Baking" by Debby Maugans Nakos. All of the recipes are created for 1-2 people. I purchased the cookbook years ago and this is the first time I have actually used it. Here's the recipe:

FLAKY CHERRY COBBLER

Makes 2 cobblers; serves 2

For the Filling:
2 cups fresh Bing cherries, pitted, or frozen sweet cherries, thawed and drained
1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Topping and For Serving:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cold unsalted butter, diced
2 1/2 tablespoons cold buttermilk
2 1/2 tablespoons cold whipping (heavy) cream
Ice cream, sorbet, or topping of choice

Baking Dishes Required:
Two 1- to 1 1/2 cup ovenproof bowls or ramekins, or one 2-cup souffle dish or casserole

Directions:
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease the baking dishes with unsalted butter and set them aside.
2. Make the filling: Place the cherries and the almond extract in a medium-size mixing bowl, and toss to mix. Add the sugar and cornstarch, and toss to blend. Transfer the cherry filling to the prepared baking dishes, dividing it evenly between them. Bake until the filling is hot, 15 minutes.
3. Make the topping while the filling is baking. Place the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl and whisk to blend well. Add the butter pieces and toss to coat the butter with the flour mixture. Rub the mixture with your fingertips until it resembles coarse meal.
4. Combine the buttermilk and cream in a small bowl, and stire to blend. Sprinkle the buttermilk mixture over the crumb mixture, tossing it with a fork until the dough comes together.
5. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls over the hot filling to cover it. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar evenly over the top. BAke until the topping is golden and cooked through, 23 t0 25 minutes; a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the topping should come out clean.
6. Remove the baking dishes from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Serve warm, with your choice of ice cream or topping.

I doubled this recipe, baking in two- 2 cup ramekins. I did some ingredient prep work during the day to make it easier to put the dessert together during the evening. I combined the dry ingredients in a bowl, diced up the butter and refrigerated it, combined the buttermilk and whipping cream, made up two bowls of sugar and cornstarch--one for each ramekin, and washed and pitted the cherries. When Laura and David arrived, I started putting the dessert together. By the time we were ready to eat dinner, the cherries had cooked down and the topping was ready to be spooned on. The baking was done about when we finished eating, leaving plenty of time for them to cool while we chatted and did a little cleanup. The timing was great and the dessert was fantastic. What a perfect summer treat!

I forgot to take a photo of the cobbler tonight. I think I will have to make it again in a couple weeks when we have more company. I'll be sure to get a photo that time.

Monday, 4/12/2010

Left over pork with red pepper bacon sauce tonight. Instead of a salad, we grilled up some asparagus. Katie loves the asparagus tips- begs for them in fact.

Katie's appetite has been a little strange the past couple of days. She hasn't eaten much for breakfast, but has snacked all morning long. Thankfully, today after lots of snacking, she took a four hour nap (yes...4 hours!!!) and then was a cheerful delight all afternoon and evening. And, all of the dishes are done from last night with the exception of the cookie sheets. Thanks for your help Ben!

It's been a good day for this momma:)

Sunday, 4/4/2010

HAPPY EASTER!




















Christ the Lord is risen today. Let's celebrate with FOOD!

Our Easter menu today: Pork Roast, Mini Potatoes with Brie and Smoked Bacon, Grilled Asparagus, Corn & Carrot Muffins, Peppercorn rolls, Lemon Cake, and wine:)

I am blessed to have had my loved ones and friends with me today to share this meal: Ben, Katie, Jennifer, Spencer, LeeAnne, and Ken. Thank you all for helping to prepare it!

PORK ROAST
1 Boston butt or pork shoulder roast (anywhere from 2-6 pounds)
1 large onion, quartered and layers separated
Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder

Coat the bottom of a crock pot with a generous amount of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set the pork roast inside and apply a generous sprinkling of the same three ingredients to the other sides of the roast. Don't worry, it would be hard to put too much on. Cover the roast with the onion layers. Set the crock pot to cook on low for 9-11 hours.

Pull out of the pot and enjoy! Just try to get it to the table without having a nibble;) This is how we start our bbq pulled pork. We just stopped before we added the sauce and cooked for another hour.

GRILLED ASPARAGUS
Preheat grill to Medium.

Prepare asparagus by cutting off the ends of the stems or by popping them at the natural break points. Wash and then toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook on Medium Direct for 8 minutes, turning to avoid burning. A little charring is ok.

MINI BAKED POTATOES W/ BRIE AND SMOKED BACON
kosher salt
20 new potatoes (we learned that new potatoes are not a certain variety, they are just young potatoes that have thinner peels)
5 slices thick-cut bacon
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup spring onions, chopped
4 oz. Brie
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425. Place a thin layer of kosher salt on a baking tray. Place potatoes on top and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Allow to cool slightly. Slice off the tops of the potatoes lengthwise, and scoop out the middle with a teaspoon or melon baller.
3. Dice and fry bacon. Remove bacon, add diced onions to the pan and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the reserved bacon, to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in with scooped-out potato.
5. Spoon into shells. Serve warm.

We were actually a bit apprehensive about this recipe. Ben and I have never been fans of Brie. But, we were willing to give it a shot. It was a recipe Ben's mom found in People magazine. It is an Irish dish made at the Clarence Hotel in Dublin, owned by U2's Bono and the Edge. The potatoes looked beautiful when done and were not bad, but lacked the strong flavors we expected. The Brie definitely wasn't a problem.

We had two breads and two wines with our meal. I bought peppercorn foccocia rolls and Ken and Lee Anne made yummy carrot and corn muffins. We opened another bottle of the Bogle Petite Sirah. And, Ken and Lee Anne brought a delicious bottle of 2003 Rosé of Sangiovese by Barnard Griffin. They said it was supposed to pair well with pork. We were all very thankful that it did!

And for dessert, a Lucious Lemon Daisy Cake. The recipe came with a beautiful Daisy Bundt Pan we received as a wedding gift. It has cream cheese in it which makes the cake very moist and creamy. The whole cake is glazed with a sugar, lemon juice, butter drizzle.

Happy Easter!

Monday, 3/29/2010

GRILLED PORK CHOPS

2 boneless porkchops about 1/2" thick
Liberally coat with Char Crust- Roasted Garlic Peppercorn
Spritz lightly with non-stick spray to keep the crust from burning

Grill on Direct Medium








ASPARAGUS with SHERRY-BACON VINAIGRETTE
from Weber's Real Grilling

1/4 pound bacon
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound asparagus
thinly sliced red onion (optional ingredient that I never add)

In medium skillet over medium heat, lay the bacon in a single layer and cook until crispy, 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain the bacon on paper towels, reserving the bacon fat in the skillet.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat and return the skillet over medium heat. Add the thyme and garlic to the skillet and let them sizzle for about 10 seconds. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper, and then remove the skillet from the heat.

Remove and discard the tough bottom of each asparagus spear- cut or snap at natural breaking point. Put asparagus in a dish, pour the vinaigrette over the asparagus, and turn to coat evenly.

Finely chop the drained bacon.

Grill the asparagus over Direct Medium heat until browned in spots but not charred, 6-8 minutes, turning them occasionally. Plate the asparagus on a platter or plates and sprinkle with bacon. This is where you would add the red onions, if you like that kind of thing.

This asparagus dish is really easy to make and tastes delicious! Anytime bacon is added to vegetables I am happy:) I like that it cooks at the same grill settings as the pork chops. We found the Char Crust dry-rub seasoning a couple months ago and LOVE it. It doesn't look very pretty, but it does seal in the juices as it's marketing promotes. We've had it on steak, chicken, and pork. All have been great. And, I am really please with how many meals we have been able to make with just one package. I think this was our 4th time and there is still enough for at least 2 more meals.

Katie started her meal with raspberry pear yogurt. By the time she was done with that the grill work was done. She enjoyed asparagus tips and pork with us and then had to finish off with...cheese:)