steamed mussels in garlic, tomato and white wine

Usually I only eat mussels in the summer, when Mom is visiting from Maine and we dine at places like Andina, Higgins and Jake's in Portland. I have made mussels once or twice, and now that I have sampled some of Portland's best, I felt like making them for dinner.

Ingredients

3 T olive oil
1 shallot, sliced
1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed open
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup white wine
sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 lb. fresh mussels in the shell, cleaned and beards removed (I used Penn Cove, WA, mussels)
3 T chopped parsley

Heat oil in a large, deep pan. Add shallot, fennel, garlic and sauté until tender. Season with salt and pepper, add tomatoes, white wine and bring to a boil. Add mussels to the pan, reduce heat and cover, letting the mussels steam until they open, about 3 minutes. Toss in the chopped parsley, stir mussels with tomatoes and broth, and serve with garlic bread. Dinner for one, or an appetizer for two. :)

Just as good as any restaurant- a luxurious, easy to prepare dish that won't break the bank. I'm sure I'll make mussels again before summer.

random thoughts on Shepherd's Pie

I lived away from home in high school, but never ate the Shepherd's Pie. It was on the dining hall menu often, but I really wasn't sure what it was, and it wasn't one of the things Mom made back home. Little did I realize it was just another casserole. I grew up on casseroles.

A few years ago, I made my first Shepherd's Pie. It was a standard recipe, like many of the ones you can find online, but it was a little bland. Although I do not make Shepherd's Pie often, I like to try something new each time. When I finally nail it, I'll write down what I did.

Last night's was the best yet. I loosely followed Alton Brown's recipe using onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and thyme as seasonings. I used a bag of mixed frozen veggies with the carrots included, rather than using fresh carrots. I also used beef rather than lamb. I didn't have tomato paste, so I used a squirt of ketchup. It worked with the rosemary, thyme and garlic, adding a hint of sweetness and richness to the sauce, which was thickened with a sprinkle of flour over the cooked beef.

The mashed potatoes were a big improvement. I had about a cup of leftover Walla Walla sweet onion cheese dip, made a few days earlier with chopped Walla Walla onions, cheddar, parmesan and mayonnaise. The dip was baked and served as a hot dip, and it had the lovely aroma of caramelized sweet onions and bubbly, golden browned sharp cheddar.

As much as I liked the dip, I wasn't sure I would eat any more of it as a dip, so, I added it to the potatoes, along with a little butter and milk. It was superb-- a great way to give the mashed potatoes flavor. Will have to remember that trick.  

Beef and Bean Skillet Enchilada Dip

It's not gourmet, it's not healthy, but I love it anyway. Based on a recipe I saw online somewhere, I mixed it up a bit by adding pinto beans, green onion and some taco seasoning, making it a bit lighter by reducing the amount of beef. You could lighten it up even more by using ground turkey rather than beef.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
3 green onions, chopped, white separated from green
15 oz. can pinto beans, drained
20 oz. can enchilada sauce
3T taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese

Brown beef in a cast iron skillet, draining any excess fat. Add the white batch of chopped green onion, pinto beans and taco seasoning, stir and sauté for a minute or two. Add enchilada sauce, bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, and after ten minutes turn off heat, sprinkle half the green onions over top, sprinkle cheese over top, and remaining green onions over the cheese. Cover and let cheese melt, about 5 minutes. Serve with plenty of tortilla chips and margaritas or cold beer!

The original recipe called for more beef, no beans, no green onion and no taco seasoning. I reduced the amount of beef, adding pinto beans in its place. I also used very lean beef, which didn't need to be drained after browning. The enchilada sauce was a bit bland the first time I tried the recipe, so I added salsa the second time. Better, but not quite. The taco seasoning was just the ticket.

I thought the dish needed some green, so I finished it with a little chopped green onion. I liked my remix even better than the original, but the best thing about it was how adaptable the recipe was. I will try it with ground turkey, and maybe I'll figure out a vegetarian spin. Super easy, totally delicious, and potentially not too unhealthy. :)

forget about pumpkin spice

You know the pumpkin spice craze has gone a little too far when there are pumpkin spice Oreos and pumpkin spice condoms.

Nabisco hopping on the pumpkin spice bandwagon

what next? cranberry flavored with UTI protection? (you heard it here first!)

Enough, already. I've had it with the pumpkin spice craze, and don't need to be a sucker for Starbucks' or anyone else's marketing. Fall is in the crisp, cooler air, not in an overpriced, fattening coffee drink. A venti (20 oz.) Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte has 470 calories, 140 calories from fat, and contains no pumpkin whatsoever. Several years ago, a friend who worked at Starbucks had a large jug of the pumpkin spice. It was pasty, processed and orangey-brown-- disgusting. I deserve a better fall coffee drink. We all do.

The other day I discovered Marley Coffee beans, and this morning was thinking of having a cup with a little brown sugar. Sadly, I didn't have any brown sugar, but I did have molasses. So I added a little molasses and milk. Voila, the solution for a fall coffee drink that doesn't include the words pumpkin or spice. A tablespoon of molasses has 58 calories, and there are 31 calories in a quarter cup of 2% milk. If I wanted to get fancy, I could easily make it into a latte using my trusty Bodum milk frother. Would I sprinkle the top with pumpkin spice? Probably not, but maybe some good cocoa powder. Such a rebel!

So there you have it, Marley Coffee with molasses and milk. Something a little different, with an equally rich but far less obvious fall flavor. Now why didn't Starbucks think of that?

dilly bean dog

It may sound silly,

but this dog needs some dilly.

Ran out of pickles?

No need to be fickle!

Use dilly beans.

You'll see what I mean. 

Copycat Recipe: Whole Foods Smoked Salmon Spread

I enjoy Whole Foods smoked salmon spread, but it's a little pricey. So, I searched online for copycat recipes, and found one that worked perfectly. Of course, I made a couple modifications, but it was just as good and a lot less expensive. Here's the recipe:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2T chopped capers
2T chopped dill
2T chopped red onion
1t lemon zest
8 oz. smoked salmon, broken up by hand and picked over for bones
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl using a wooden spoon until combined. Serve with crackers. I enjoyed mine with a Lemon Drop Martini. Try it, you'll like it!

kale-eating hipster

So, I have been trying other markets lately. Long story, but Bales Marketplace in Cedar Mill (97229) was allowing the Starbucks employees to use the grocery carts to wash filthy floor mats, and it skeeved me out, big-time. Anywho, I'm trying all the other markets in the area. Today, I went to Safeway, and spotted this kale snack - Brad's Raw Crunchy Kale - in several different flavors. There was naked, vampire (with garlic) and nasty hot with jalapeño and vegan cheese.

I stood there for a minute looking at them, thought, "...nah, I'm not a kale-eating hipster..." and walked away. Almost got in line at the check-out, but there was a speed challenged person ahead of me, so I went back and found a package of the kale. You got it, I went for the nasty hot. Was so curious, I opened it on the way home. Now, it's not even 11AM, and I have eaten 2/3rds of it.

Ridiculously delicious. It's vegan, kosher, gluten free, and organic. Usually, that would mean there would be no chance I'd ever like it. Surprise, surprise-- love it! So, call me a kale-eating hipster if you like. I don't care. I love Brad's Nasty Hot Raw Crunchy Kale! Product info, click here.