Eat simply, Eat well
Pico De Gallo
(Recipe adapted from Food Network)
Yield: 2 cups
4 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium white or red onion, chopped
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
1 Serrano or Jalapeño chile, minced
fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced
Salt, to taste (a little goes a long way)
Wash & prep ingredients. Place in large bowl, toss ingredients together. Cover, place in fridge and let the flavors marinate for at 15 minutes before serving.
With the fresh feeling of spring, I trade my winter cravings of spaghetti squash and Ratatouille for the “fresh and light” fare. On Sunday I went over to our Ballard Farmers market and got the tastiest Carne Asada tacos I maybe have ever had! Seriously, I want to huddle in the corner and lick the plate they were THAT good!
Well, that of course challenged the cook in me that said, “Hey, can I make that!?” and off I was planning taco Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday and likely Quesadilla Thursday. Since the Carne Asada steak needed to marinate (that’s for dinner tonight so check back for the recipe) I decided that tonight would be fish tacos.
Menu: Grilled halibut, Grilled Cabbage Slaw & Mango Salsa
Full Menu Prep time: 15 -20 minutes || Full Menu Cook time 20 minutes
This meal is actually pretty quick to make, it’s really just the prep-time that takes little time investment. The Mango salsa and cabbage slaw can be prepared earlier in the day but only take about 15 minutes of cleaning and chopping. Cooking the fish takes about 12 minutes on a pre-heated grill and the cabbage slaw will cook up in a pan on the stove in about 18-20 minutes.
Mango Salsa
3 Ripe Mangos, Peeled and cubed
1/2 Small White Onion
1/2 – 1 Jalapeño chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired)
Fresh Cilantro, washed and chopped with stems removed
1 Fresh lime, juiced
Cracked Pepper to taste
Wash and prep ingredients then combine in large bowl. Cover and let sit in refrigerator for an hour or over night to let the flavors mix! If the salsa ends up being a little too hot or acidic for your taste, you can temper it by adding some diced avocado.
I was first drawn to the Naches Heights Vineyard (NHV) wines the same way that may aspiring wine drinkers discover bottles they love and hate, I looked at the label. While this isn’t the “scientific” or “conventional” way to discover new wines it is how this branding and marketing minded wine drinker explores the wonderful and sometimes overwhelming world of wines.
Phil shared his delicious wine at the Seattle Wine & Food Experience back in February and I was drawn to his charismatic personality and yes, the amazing wine labels! Located in lovely Yakima, the NHV tasting room offers rolling hills, waterfalls and breathtaking views of their vineyards. Their table brochure, absconded on my second trip to their tasting table, highlights facilities that accommodate weddings, meetings, wine tastings, Glamping…yes, they list Glamping. Sign a sister up!
Tell me a bit about yourself, and how you wound up in Wine.
I am a refugee from the tree fruit industry. When I left the apple business I wanted to continue farming. I have always enjoyed wine and a winemaker friend suggested I plant some grapes on the property. What drew me to wine was more the ability to sustain a lifestyle by planting something on my property that would be exciting and relevant to the future. Wine consumption in the United States continues to grow and it seemed like a good idea. I am not a wine maker. I am a grower and director of wine making. We proved high quality fruit for the wine makers to do their magic on. I direct the style of wine that is produced from the vineyards.
Favorite Wine this year?
My favorite wine this year is Carmen; a blend that turned out all to well. I love when that happens. (One a side note, this is my FAVORITE wine that I”ve tasted of his! I call it “the one that started it all!)
Favorite thing about the wine industry?
The people. The Washington wine industry is young enough that we all are helping one another. At some point I imagine that my change but till then. Hoopla!
Fun fact about you?
I love to eat not cook. I can do quite well in the kitchen when my mind is right. Breakfast is my favorite meal.
Fun fact about one of the wines?
Our Riesling goes with anything.
Advice?
New wine drinkers should have Fun first and then read Grapes and Wines: A Comprehensive Guide to Varieties and Flavors, by Oz Clarke & Margaret Rand if they want to get serious.
Connect with NHV
Head over to their website to learn more about their relaxing and welcoming tasting room and event space or read up their recent wine awards. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook or read Phil’s blog, Grape Minds Think Alike.
Spring has sprung friends! As the weather turns from the chilly winter to crisp spring I start to crave the lighter fare: chicken salads, grilled fish and veggies, Rose and bubbly wines, strawberries and all other fresh spring/summer fruit. A few weeks ago, my mother invited me along to a cooking class from Culinary Events Northwest. The class met at the Lynnwood Albert Lee Appliance store so off we went to learn our “Wraps Around the World”. There were a few different interesting offerings, such as crepes with buckwheat flour and strawberry balsamic drizzle. But my favorite from the class was the Vietnamese Style Spring Rolls.
We love ordering these when we eat out but I had NEVER before thought about trying to make them myself! To celebrate the first day of spring it was time to try my hand at some homemade spring rolls for dinner! The hardest part of this project is the prep! Once you get everything washed, chopped and arranged in an assembly line it’s easy peasy and I had 12 of these bad boys made before I knew it!
The report from mister Byte of life: Success! His only regret for the meal was that he didn’t have a larger stomach. Chef, happy! Even the next morning at breakfast he was talking about how good they were and how excited he was to be hungry later so he could eat more! These little guys are great as appetizers or served with grilled or steamed veggies for dinner. They make great next day lunches or afternoon snacks. I’ve included a few other ingredient ideas below. What are some of your favorite spring roll ingredients or ones you’d like to try! Also, please feel free to post other dipping sauce recipes!
Healthy Chicken Veggie Spring Rolls
These can be vegetarian by simply omitting the chicken!
Yield you’ll have to play around with the ratios of ingredients but this is a general guideline of ratios from my assembly line.
12 8 or 9 inch rice-paper sheets
1 c fresh mint, chopped
1 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1 c fresh basil, chopped
1 – 1 1/2 c finely chopped green cabbage
extra full cabbage leaves to separate the spring rolls on your display plate (the rice-paper wrappings will stick to each other)
1 c matchstick-sized cucumber, peeled first
1 c matchstick-sized carrots, peeled first
2 cooked chicken breasts
1 pan, diameter wide enough to soak rice-paper sheets
1 dry dish towel and either a plate or cutting board to turn rice-paper onto
Other roll ideas:
Marinated Baked Tofu with bean sprouts and sliced red peppers
Sashimi with pickled ginger & wasabi or wasabi dipping sauce
Asian Marinated flank steak with fresh ginger and garlic ginger dipping sauce
Garlic Ginger Dipping Sauce
Yield enough for about 6-8 spring rolls
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced (or 1 1/2 tsp jarred minced garlic)
1- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger (or 1 1/2 tsp dried ginger)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/3 low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c.rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar works as well)
1/4 c. tsp crushed red pepper flakes ( unless you like it SPICY, stick to this ratio or it might overpower the rolls)
1 tbsp sugar
Combine all ingredients in small pot and cook over low heat until mixture bubbles. Can be stored in airtight container and refrigerated for up to three days after making.
A few weekends ago I attended the Seattle Wine & Food Experience and apart from the overall experience of sipping AMAZING wines and tasting samples from local chefs, I had the great pleasure of meeting Matt from Angle 33. Matt hand crafts lovely cement wine thermals as well as wine and beverage coasters. Whether making them for individual use, or branding them with company logos for commercial use, they are the most useful and lovely addition to any wine drinkers “tool box”, trumped only by the glasses with which to hold the lovely libation!
We have been looking for a wine chiller bucket for ages and NONE could fit the bill for our stylistic choices.
I was drawn to his table by the simple, refined and classic nature of his products. Matt was displaying both his retail products, as well as a few examples of his branded commercial use products which featured various customer logos and I loved the chic style, neutral and sophisticated color palate and his welcoming “hello there, would you like to enter a drawing?” which believe it or not, I WON!
(I’d like to state that the win was purely coincidental and in no way related to the posting of this article. Now, if only I could hone that win to a lotto ticket purchase!) We are LOVING our Angle33 Wine Thermal and yes red wine drinkers…you need one too! Read below and you’ll see when and why!
I love that Angle 33 is a Montana-based, family business who so diligently pursues innovation, perfection and sustainability. Anyone who’s tag line is “We strive to offer the best wine-related products on the market, so you can focus on the wine” is a friend to wine drinkers everywhere in MY book! Matt so graciously agreed to let me interview and feature him so without further long winded introductions, please welcome Matt!!
What was the inspiration for Angle33?
I have always wanted to manufacture a product out of concrete on an international scale. I have been working with concrete for 18 years and most of what we make tends to be limited to our local region because of weight. Wine has also always intrigued me mainly because it has a lot in common with concrete. They both require lots of chemistry and each artisan or winemaker gets different results with different techniques. Weather and elements effect the end result of both wine and concrete, which is always exciting because there is an “unknown” factor that can be involved so each day is like unwrapping a Christmas gift.
Where did the name come from?
After months of filtering through different ideas, I chose Angle 33 because of its simplicity. Angle 33 refers to “the word of mouth buzz a name creates.”
What did you two do in your “previous life” before Angle33?
I owned and operated a concrete flat work company in Billings, MT for 5 years. In 2008, Marge and I moved back to Missoula and started Stamping Ground Studios. I still own SGS along with Angle 33.
Matt, How did you get started in Concrete?
My first real experience with concrete was as a laborer for a company in Missoula during the summers of my college years. Funny thing was, all of the guys I worked with then told me to stay in school and “NEVER” get into the concrete world. Obviously I didn’t listen to well as 18 years later I am still going strong and enjoying concrete as a medium as much as I ever have.
What is your favorite part about running Angle33?
Networking and finding people that can do the parts of business that I am not strong at. I enjoy learning about all facets of business from people that know their specialties really well. I don’t believe in a “jack of all trades”, so I prefer to find people that are great at what they do and work alongside them.
Fun Fact (About yourselves, the company, or the product) Our motto is “start early so we can play late”. Missoula is one of the greatest places on earth for outdoor activities, so we pride ourselves on being as efficient as possible at work so we can take advantage of skiing, fishing and camping as much as possible.
So, you can chill red also?
Here are a couple good articles from The Wall Street Journal and The Kitchn about what reds are good chilled. Also, as most know sunlight is not good for the wine, so even if you don’t want your red chilled, it is a good idea to keep your bottle in a thermal while outside to keep the sun off of it.
Advice for someone looking to follow their dreams and start a new company?
One of my favorite sayings is “Focus on the process, Results will take care of themselves.” Stick to your strategy and don’t stress about the results, they will come. Build your business how you want to build it, don’t follow someone elses business model because what works for one person won’t necessarily work for you. Use your core values to build the foundation and always find/hire people smarter than you and incorporate them into your business in as many ways you can.
Connect with Angle33 on their Website, Facebook, and Pinterest!
We were so thrilled that he included a few Family photos for the family business!!
Case of the Mondays…still? Yeah, me too. Seattle grey days always seem to get me in that “blah” mood. Today was a blah day. Cold, soggy, and oh SO very grey. It just so happens that this very morning I was climbing up on the counter tops in search of that new jar of Almond butter when lo and behold I found two sealed jars of Adam’s Natural Creamy Peanut butter. I’ve gotten the mister to come over to the Almond butter loving side of life and we completely forgot there was even a stockpile of the Peanut butter up there.
My first thought was well “great”…what the heck am I going to do with two whole jars!? Until it hit me yesterday afternoon as I was doing the *fun* task of cleaning out my inbox, paying bills and weekly scheduling of all meals/appointments/laundry lists/errands I have to run.. yeah a pile of fun right? Well, the glass of wine helped BUT it struck me that two of the best things to combat a case of the “Monday’s” are wine and baking! Baking…cookies…extra peanut butter…GRANDMA’S RECIPE! I’ve been dying to post this one on the blog for all of you!
This was my wonderful Grandma Lu’s recipe for Peanut Butter cookies. She’s one of the main reasons that I really love baking. My sister and I were fortunate enough to spend time with her when we were young and I always remember her mixing and baking, cracking jokes and generally being the life of the party because we all know that parties always migrate to the kitchen no matter what! Well, my Grandma was one of my favorite people in the whole world and her recipe is my piece of her that I carry on. I don’t remember when asked her to write it down for me, but I know I was young and some part of my old soul mentality knew that I wanted to remember not only the recipe IN her own handwriting, but all the wonderful memories I have of her. I’m baking them to surprise the mister, he’s had a “monday too”… so I hope that you’ll pour a glass of wine and toast us with a fresh-baked cooked! We’ve survived another monday!
Grandma Lu’s Famous Peanut Butter Cookies
2 1/4 c flour
1 c creamy peanut butter
2/3 c honey
1/2 c sugar
1/2 margarine soft
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pre-heat oven to 350
Mix all ingredients well
Shape into 1 1/2″ balls
Flatten with fork in a criss-cross pattern
Bake for 15 minutes
“I taste… baked goods, and a bit of cream. Crispy warm blueberry notes at the start and a soft lingering finish. A hit of cinnamon. Nice tannins. Pairs well with fruit” he said as he finished his bite and pops a half strawberry in his mouth with a smile.
This is the verdict from the master muffin taster (and wise guy!) himself on this mornings baking experiment. I couldn’t sleep last night so early this morning I decided to throw in the towel and let the day start. Apparently my body wanted to see what it was like to live a day in the life of a true baker: up at the crack of dawn in the kitchen among the aromas of creamed butter and cinnamon baking into fresh morning goodness for those lucky enough to sleep until a decent hour of the morning.
The mister has been asking me for months to make blueberry streusel muffins and this was the week. It was even on my calendar with a few recipes that I’d “Pinned” on my Pinterest Muffin Board. Yep, I’m that obsessive planner that I actually schedule making muffins in my calendar.
One thing that I think everyone can agree on is that the muffin top is THE BEST PART of the muffin. Right? Okay, if you answered “No, I think the bottom is actually tastier” you can just stop reading now because that’s ridiculous! I’ve been researching how to make the nice big crispy muffin tops and tried on this recipe. (More attempts in future blog posts!). I’m learning that it’s a mixture of batter consistency and HIGH heat. For this attempt I used some tips form the blog Meat Free for Three from her “Perfecting the Muffin Top” post. She uses a banana batter and I wanted blueberry muffins so I used a muffin and Streusel recipe from A Taste of Home and have a few personalized notes now that we’ve made the first batch.
I made a few alterations to the recipe below after the final muffin tasting was complete and I had the tasting notes back from the judge. The muffin tops were crispy and billowy and I hoped they would be! The larger tray turned out just fine for baking the interior and not burning the top which I was a little worried about. The batter might be a little too thick for the muffin top to get super large on the larger 6 muffins so maybe I’ll see if the results are different when using a 12 muffin tray. The consistency of the muffin and it’s flavor were nice but a little too sweet for us so I’ll cut the white sugar and use brown sugar and honey next time. Also, we like oats in our muffins so I might try substituting 1 cup old fashioned oats for 1 cup of the flour.
Please leave comments below on your favorite muffin techniques or any tips you have for “the perfect muffin top”, streusel recipes or bran Morning Glory muffin recipes. Yes, I realize that the Bran Morning glory muffin request came a little out of left field but those are MY two favorite muffins and I’m still on the search for a great recipe that combines them both!
Bon Appetit!
Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Makes 12 regular or 6 large muffins
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Note: If using frozen blueberries, use without thawing to avoid discoloring the batter.
Streusel:
1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
dash of ground cinnamon
2-3 tbsp cold butter, sliced
Directions
I LOVE finishing things. It’s weird. The joy that I get from the last bit of toothpaste used up, or taking the last olive of the jar, or finishing a pen….okay that last one is quite a feat ADMIT it… but I digress! The female + Type A + Project Manager/List Lover in me LOVES to feel that sense of completion. Once something is opened in our house it immediately goes into that awkward “use me up” stage and has a bullseye on it. So, the half used bag of quinoa was starting to get on my nerves. Seriously, it was taunting me EVERY time I opened the pantry cabinet and I’d had enough of being laughed at by Quinoa!
Don’t worry, I’m not crazy. The quinoa didn’t actually laugh at me. But I vowed to incorporate into more meals because we both LOVE it and it’s quite the superfood! The mister taught me an amazing trick that makes the quinoa taste AMAZING! Have you ever tried toasting it first!? Serious, life meet changed! Check out the nutrients and protein that this little grain punches in my post for toasted quinoa here.
Well, I just have a little extra time on my hands these days So I decided to take up my reoccurring vow to cook through at least a FEW of my million recipes I’ve carefully drooled over and curated on my Pinterest boards. One of the dishes I REALLY wanted to try was for Quinoa Veggie “fried rice”. The mister has commented a few times that he REALLY likes fried rice while I’m not a big “rice” fan, BUT we both love quinoa. I found an AMAZING looking picture on Pinterest, pulled that quinoa out of the pantry and away I went!
I adapted the recipe since I prefer to use recipes as guidelines and then just change it up and see what happens and it was delicious!!
Quinoa Veggie “Fried Rice”:
Recipe adapted from Dam Delicious Blog Post
Yields 4-6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
Options:
Quinoa has grown in popularity in the past few years as a “super food” and a building block for gluten-free eating. But, did you know that it’s been around for thousands of years?
That’s right! It was used by the Incas over 5,000 years ago! Now it’s making a “superfood” name for itself again as a staple in pantries and meals everywhere. The Whole Foods Blog had this to say about our little grain, “Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) has all the goodness of whole grains — the B vitamins, the fiber, the minerals — and it’s actually a small dried seed that’s been cultivated for thousands of years in South America. This little powerhouse has the highest protein content of any other grain. And since it contains all eight essential amino acids, quinoa is considered a complete protein.”
Forbs published an article on the 7 Health Benefits of Quinoa , which stated that Quinoa is not only one of the most protein-rich foods we can eat but it is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. Spoiler alert, it also contains almost twice as much fiber as other grains…think feeling fuller longer! It also contains iron which supports increased Brain function, regulation of body temperature, enzyme activity and energy metabolism. Quinoa also packs Lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair, and magnesium that helps to relax blood vessels and thereby to alleviate migraines. Other health benefits of magnesium include transmission of nerve impulses, body temperature regulation, detoxification, energy production, and the formation of healthy bones and teeth. It also packs Riboflavin (B2) for improved energy metabolism within brain and muscle cells and manganese, which is an antioxidant that helps to prevent damage of mitochondria during energy production as well as to protect red blood cells and other cells from injury by free radicals.
Quinoa is a pretty amazing kitchen staple, and can be used in many dishes as a main protein source, side dish or substitute for rice, potatoes or even pasta. You can cook the quinoa according to the package instructions, OR you can liven up your meal and add another layer of amazing dynamic flavor punch! Yep, I said flavor punch! Toasting quinoa before cooking opens up the nutty, toasted and almost smoky flavor. Cook up a batch to use during the week for quick dinners or add to salads for lunch. You can even cook quinoa for breakfast!
What is YOUR favorite quinoa recipe?
Toasted Quinoa
1/2 c quinoa
1 c water or chicken broth
Salt and Pepper to taste
Well Seattle, we’re back. Back to the rain, wind and grey skies. Three weeks in Hawaii was quite a nice time to thaw out but, until the sad realization that I had to actually trade my daily uniform of shorts, a tank top and my bathing suit for real clothes pales in comparison to the AMOUNT of real clothes I have to wear hit me. Currently, I’m sipping hot water and alternating sitting on my hands while I sit here in my coat and scarf….I’m INSIDE! What gives!
Cold weather typically sends me reaching for the Crockpot, or curling up in front of the heater without moving. Since I was craving short ribs, the crock pot won. When we were on Kona, we made a …few…trips to Roy’s Waikoloa. Okay okay, we ate there THREE nights in a row! Can you blame us!? They closed our Seattle location so we had to eat all we could get! Well, on night two as we were bellied up to the bar sharing their AMAZING appetizer canoe, (yes, CANOE!) we saw the couple next to us dig into their amazing looking dinner and we flagged down our bartender Brandon (he was AWESOME if you visit that location) and he informed us that it was the Slow Braised Char Broiled Beef Short Ribs. So, night three you know what we ordered?
Yep, Ribs! It was SUCH an incredible dish that when we got home we immediately started searching for the recipe to try our hands at recreating such an impeccable dish! After an absurd time googling various versions and combinations of the words “Roy’s Waikolaa Short Ribs entrée Recipe” I found one that was said to be biased on the Roy’s recipe so I gave it a try! (Original recipe found here) I didn’t have all the ingredients so I altered a bit.
Delicious food deserves pictures…
Slow-Cooker Braised Short Ribs with Honey Garlic Glaze
Adapted from Roy Yamaguchi
Yield: 2 large portions
For the short ribs:
2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
Salt and pepper
EVOO
Beef stock, enough to fully cover the short ribs (about 32 ounces)
6 cloves garlic, sliced thick
1 large onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced thick
2 carrots, sliced thick
2 bay leaves
1 inch piece of peeled ginger, FRESH ginger
Honey Garlic Glaze:
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1/4 cup sliced green onions, both white and green
