Simple Olive Oil Granola

How much does does a box of cereal cost nowadays anyhow?  No idea.  I don't eat it often but when I do, there's always something about it that makes me question how 'healthy' the box claims it is.  Seriously, those boxes don't expire for like years sometimes.  Not to mention, people are so picky (present company included) that I'd rather just make a batch and call it good.  That way, I don't have to pick around any of the unappealing dried fruit nuggets that are floating around in a suspiciously even pattern probably due to some chemical that was injected in to the box.  That's how my mind works.

Do yourself a fave and make a weekly batch to eat for bfast w/ milk or as a snack w/ yogurt.

I'll probably be eating all this granola on my own since it may not appeal to local palates.  Not mentioning names (and hint: it isn't Kuen) but someone in my house still loves blue box mac and cheese (bleh).  The olive oil adds a very interesting but subtle depth and the salt highlights this very slightly sweet granola.  I imagine substituting coconut oil instead of olive would also be good and catapult things into the coconut stratosphere.  Coconut is so trendy right now, I love it.

The texture is K-I-L-L-I-N-G me.

Simple Granola

adapted from this recipe

makes about 6 cups

3 c old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 c unsweetened coconut chips (Bob's)
1 1/2 c raw nuts (I used slivered almonds)
1/2 c seeds (I used pumpkin)
1/2 to 1 tsp kosher salt (I like my salt)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (might sub pumpkin pie spice next time)
1/2 c good quality maple syrup
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven at 300 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients together, sprinkle with salt and cinnamon.  Combine oil and maple syrup together and mix in to oat mixture.  Spread on to a parchment lined baking sheet.  Total bake time is about 60 minutes but stop at 15 minute intervals to toss the mixture around to ensure even toasting.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

This stuff baking is better than an aromatherapy candle.

Portland Weekend Recap

A few weeks ago we did an awesome weekend trip to Portland and all I can say is, I'm both lucky and sad Portland is a few hours away.  That town has some of the best food I've ever tasted and that's coming from someone who lives 20 min away from Seattle. Portland is what I would describe as Seattle's weird angst-y foodie-type artsy-fartsy Birkenstock-wearing younger sibling (in the most endearing way possible).

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Here's a rundown of the places we hit that I would DE-FI-NITE-LY recommend:

Multnomah Falls - Truly spectacular waterfall a quick ride outside Portland.  You can also see several other falls on the drive out to Multnomah.  We also saw Vista House on our way there and will try to go back when it reopens.  Just seeing it from the highway it looked pretty amazing.

Voodoo Donuts - The downtown location was literally A block away from our hotel but the line stretched around the block almost all day (and they're open 24/7 and cash only).  We actually stumbled across the Davis St. location and were thankful we didn't have to stand in line to get our maple bacon donut.  PS: Gabe actually ordered the lemon chiffon, which, I welcome your pot shots.

Stumptown Coffee - The line is long but that's for a damn good reason!  This place has pretty amazing coffee.  There are places to get Stumptown in the Puget Sound area but the downtown Portland cafe is a must.

Syun Izakaya - Featured in a local food magazine (thanks Karen!) touting Portland's best sushi - we had to see for ourselves.  Yes, it was amazing.  Be prepared for a bit of a drive outside downtown (it's totally in suburbia Portland) but it's well worth it.  The absolute best octopus salad, sashimi platter and unagi we've ever had.  The dining room is pretty cozy so expect be prepared for merciless eavesdropping from patrons at the table next to you who can't help it.  You won't care anyway because you'll be eating orgasmic sushi.

The Sudra - To my surprise Gabe actually agreed to go to this place for lunch and may or may not have admitted to liking it despite the fact that it is vegetarian (maybe vegan even?).  Keep in mind we were mere steps from this (what can only be an) amazing place with happens to have a sandwich counter, another place I'm dying to try.  I don't know if he was under the impression the calorie count would be low, less the animal fat/protein we would be consuming but he was lured in to getting an $8 spiked hot cocoa which, I have to admit, it was absolutely adorable watching him trying to not make a face when sipping.  There was definitely more whiskey in it than any other substance and I had a few sips and was immediately drunk. Interestingly, I don't think Gabe realized there was no real cow dairy in this drink because the coconut milk was sorta perfuming the whole thing which I love and he hates coconut.  He was a stranger in a strange land.  I ate almost the entire Calabacitas Kofta plate (drool) despite not being particularly hungry and Gabe thoroughly enjoyed his Pakora Plate.  Portions don't seem huge but were very filling - even the half ones.

Calabacitas Kofta Plate - The Sudra

Ken's Artisan Pizza - Read about this place in the same food magazine that suggested the sushi place, didn't disappoint.  Reviews warned of the notorious lines so our strategy (yes, we strategize meals in this family) to wait until about 9:30p for dinner and it was clearing out so go later if you can because I hear the lines are brutal.  He had the fennel sausage and onion and I got the anchovy with a side of arugula salad.  Yes, I wanted it all to myself but also b/c I actually DO love anchovy pizza - again, strategy.  By the time we were done and the server came by to see if we wanted dessert (after a scant slice was missing from each pie) we had to admit we weren't even hungry when we stepped through the door but we just had to see what all the ruckus was about.  I'm not a huge thin crust pizza place, but this place could make me change my mind.

Shopping:

Budd + Finn - Such an adorable little shop filled with really cute stuff.  Seemed like I could find a gift for just about all my friends here.  Funny story: this is the 2nd bird plate purchased from that store.  First one met a grizzly end on the floor of Powell's Bookstore after someone unceremoniously dropped it smashing it into 7 pieces.  The store owner was kind enough to wrap this one in enough bubble wrap and tape it could have probably made it back to China where it came from completely unharmed.

Bird plate - Budd + Finn

Bella Casa - A great home furnishings store.  I'll have these people decorate my future mansion.

Powell's Books - Independent bookstore (taking up a whole city block) with tons of new/used books.  We could've spent hours in there.

Saturday Market - Where I could have spent hours browsing all the local wares but was happy with the hour we did have to browse while getting free smells from all the local food vendors.  I managed to escape with only a pair of beautiful leaf earrings from this vendor that look similar to this but not exactly.  That's what I love about small businesses like that, my earrings are so unique.

Portland's Chinatown

I will also admit to stopping by Lulu and Sur la Table.  I'm a creature of comfort, what can I say?  Plus, shopping is tax free in Oregon so I had to help the local economy out and at least look.  Besides, since Kuen was enjoying the fruits of my mother's misguided attempts at spoiling her by giving her any/everything she wants wasn't with us, I had to take advantage of unencumbered retail therapy whereas normally I'm a millisecond away from a 2 year-old thrashing about wildly in a stroller completely derailing a shopping trip altogether.

If you're looking for a hotel, we stayed at the Embassy Suites on Pine - right in the middle of the action downtown.  As stated above, super close to several great eateries and coffee shops.  They had a pretty impressive hot breakfast buffet that included an omelet bar, fresh fruit, yogurt, pastries, oatmeal bar, etc.  Almost a crime to eat there considering the caliber of places around (none of which I've actually tried but vow to do so in the near future: Lauretta Jean's, Pine State Biscuits, Mother's) but it's hard to pass up the egg-cellent smells of bacon and other obligatory breakfast foods wafting from Arcadian Gardens (yes, that's really the name of the room).  The same room has a nightly hosted happy hour with light snacks that is also included with your stay.  We were so impressed w/ breakfast we went to see if the happy hour was the same caliber but the booze were meh (yes, even if they were free).  I say skip that and find a local place for happy hour instead.  I was dying to try Portland City Grill but we just couldn't get over feeling like our tummies were going to pop for most of the trip so we had a momentary stroke of abstinence in an otherwise gluttonous weekend and, much to my stomach's relief, decided to skip it.  Parking was a bit spendy at $27/day (add $5 if you want to use valet) but that did, at least, include in/out privileges.

Can't wait to go back with our sweet little rug rat in tow.  Not only did we miss her like crazy, it would be an awesome family trip she would love - homegirl loves to eat too.

A particularly hilarious meltdown where the photo taking only agitated further unfortunately.

Promise an actual recipe is coming later this week...this is still a food blog if all I talk about is eating, right?

Week in Pictures - May 2, 2014

My current resolution is to stop telling people how busy I am.  Yes, everyone's busy, wah wah.

The Sudra - Portland, OR

Is there a way to print this on wallpaper?  Tien?

Cherry blossoms at work in the courtyard.

The type of rain I don't mind - when it's flower petals.

One of the best parts about being an adult: deciding pumpkin pie in the spring is appropriate.

Serving dishes = more clean-up time for Gabe, always try to serve in pan on table.

I love Portland - Multnomah Falls

Alex would appreciate :)

Trying to feign portion control.

Maple pecan scones, recipe to follow.

I must owe these dogs something from a past life.

Happy May!

Spinach Tofu Soup (gasp, no meat?!)

Imagine if you will, I'm standing in the kitchen chopping, stirring, on autopilot thinking about work stuff, birthday cards, meal planning for lunch tomorrow, etc., while simultaneously trying not to cut my fingertip off (yes, that seriously happened) and someone comes meandering into the kitchen...

Person: Smells good!  Whatcha cookin'?

Me: Dinner.

Person: Is there any meat?

Me: No.

Person:  Aww maaaaaan!

Deja vu, anyone?  Happens to me at least once a week.  This is karmic retribution of course, because I used to run my mom through this very scenario all the time but I've come to enjoy meatless meals (not often enough since I married the quintessential meat-loving carnivore but still, I'm happy if I can get away with it at least once a week.

With rice..Kuen's fave.

A while back I made the mistake of decision to watch this episode of Oprah that featured Michael Pollan (of Food Inc. fame) filling my brain with all these things I almost wish I didn't know about food.  The episode also included a particularly graphic segment where Lisa Ling toured a Cargill cattle processing plant.  It was very, um, enlightening and I turned in to a pescatarian for about 4 months until I got pregnant w/ Kuen (and homegirl wanted MEAT).  I've turned carnivore since but it did leave an impression and I like to participate in Meatless Mondays.

I know we're a meat-heavy culture so I doubt you can get away with it too often but when you're feeling like a light meal and the carnivore(s) isn't/aren't around, make this soup.  It's not completely vegetarian because I like to use chicken stock but it can easily be made with vegetable stock instead and omitting the fish sauce.

This soup was my go-to through the fall and winter.  Surprisingly filling, so quick and easy, literally comes together in 15 min (if you have boiling water on hand) and made with fridge staples I always have on hand.

So du-li-shuus! Ta ta ta ta ta taaystay taystay" (name that song)

Spinach Tofu Soup
serves 2-4 (depending on whether it's a side or main)

3-4 cups baby spinach (arugula always works and I've tried kale too)
14 oz. package firm (or extra firm) tofu, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 whole scallions, sliced
1 tbsp miso paste
2 tsp organic chicken bouillon (I get the jarred stuff but you can sub canned chicken stock or bouillon cubes - enough for about 6 cups of stock, or use vegetable stock)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce (optional, omit for vegetarians)
fresh cilantro, garnish
salt & pepper to taste
6-8 cups boiling water (*if you don't have a hot water kettle, starting this first makes the dish come together more quickly)

Heat stockpot over medium heat with 1 tbsp oil, add minced garlic and ginger - stir/cook for 2 min until softened and fragrant.  Add spinach (or your favorite greens) and wilt, add tofu, stock and remaining ingredients.  Bring to a simmer.

Other optional ingredients:
1 c. frozen or canned corn, drained
1 c. rotisserie chicken, diced (if the carnivores get too restless)
1 c. ground pork, saute w/ fish sauce - lots of flavor, def don't forget the ginger w/ this addition
1 c. mushrooms, slice and saute before you add the garlic/ginger
any short cut pasta, cooked rice or quinoa

With mini shells, also awesome.

Week in Pictures

Finally starting w/ the warm weather - can't wait to soak up some sun this summer!

Food prep for the week..

Somehow we missed getting a picture of the actual cherry blossoms on my phone.
Standing by my favorite magnolia at UW.

I've become my mother - drying clothes outside on a nice day (yes, that's a broom).  
To be fair, I only get to do this for 3 months out of the year in the Northwest.

First time I've used ice cubes this year.  BTW, chopsticks make excellent stir sticks.

That pizza is my new bff.

I heard the Daytona's getting a TJ's distribution center - finally, you'll be able to partake in things like this!

Oscar must see himself more as the large menacing dog his shadow casts instead of his true self.

First batch of preserves this year..love strawberry season!

Pan seared fish w/ garlic and capers fried in lemon butter. Perfect warm spring dinner.

My Updated Pizza Obsession

I have never been much of a bookworm.  Gabe, on the other hand, could live with his nose in a book and be happy.  He once spent a several hundred dollar Amazon gift card he got for Christmas by the following March - all on (you guessed it) books (several of which he still hasn't read - but that's another story for another time).  Oh, and my mother-in-law is literally (see what I did there?) a librarian so it's not really a surprise he has this love of books and reading.  But the man has some sEEEriously dry reading interests..in my most humble opinion, of course.  Topics of most interest include: history, military history, sci-fi, teen fiction, romance, etc.  Ok fine, I added in that last two but of the lot I would choose them over the other three - gun to my head.  Sharing a Kindle w/ him is a kinda hilarious because it looks something like: 

• Lions of Kandahar
• Foreign Devils on the Silk Road
• Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic
• Fifty Shades of Grey
• Hannibal Crosses The Alps
• Bossypants

Would love to see what sort of suggested readings he gets from Amazon.  Yes, you picked out my two books on that list and yes, I like literary junk food.  

Did someone say food?

Carby, carby goodness.

Uhh, right.  I can't say I have the type of attention span to get lost in a military history book about Prussia and forego sleep to do so.  I'm practical.  WHAT is for dinner tonight?  What is the best cooking oil to use for what?  Where did you go in Portland that I can't leave without stopping by for a doughnut?  That is useful information (to me).

Mmmmm, mushrooms..

Anywho - we eat this deeelish pizza for dinner all the time.  A little something like 4 years ago I posted about this pizza and how I love it and wanted to marry it b/c it was all that.  Well, I have a new pizza recipe in my life and I'll never look back. 

This picture is so fake, you know I had like 4 more slices of pizza.

Found this amazing recipe on Smitten Kitchen - another one of my favorite blogs and I've been making it a few months now, life has changed AGAIN.  Sorry PW, I still love you but this pizza is way better and still so easy to make.  It is the closest thing to take-out pizza I've been able to recreate at home.

She even gives all the options on when to start the dough - whether overnight, morning of or afternoon of times to start it.  Yes, it does need to rise but it's really painless, promise.  It's called LAZY Pizza Dough for Pete's sake.

Overnight - 22 hr rise

All-Day - 12 hr rise

Part-Day - 8 hr rise

These rise times are approximate and definitely work +/- a few hours.

Lazy Pizza Dough

from this recipe on Smitten Kitchen

makes a half sheet pan pizza

3 cups AP or bread flour (I use bread)
Slightly heaped 1/8, 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (for Overnight, All-Day, or Part-Day Schedules respectively, above)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/4 cup room temp water, plus an additional tablespoon or two if needed (I almost always need it)

Throw everything in to a mixing bowl and mix until your arm falls off.  Or get a stand mixer and mix w/ the dough hook attachment for about 10 min.  When finished mixing, cover the bowl w/ plastic wrap (I use the same bowl I mixed in because, ya, I'm lazy).  The dough will be very sticky and shaggy.  I always put a ring of olive oil around the bowl for fun.  

I almost always make this with either the all-day or part-day, stick it in a (cold) oven w/ the oven light on to proof (rise).  

When the dough is finished rising, (take the dough out of the oven if you're using it to proof and) preheat the oven to 550 degrees and prepare the pan you'll be baking the pizza on (I don't have a fancy pizza stone so I just use a 1/2 sheet pan) by dusting it with a liberal amount of cornmeal.  Sprinkle the dough (and your hands) with flour and use a spatula to scrape the it out of the bowl.  Stretch the dough to fit the pan (don't roll it out!) and make sure there are no sticky spots underneath by sprinkling with more cornmeal until it moves freely when you shake the pan.  

Bake w/ your favorite pizza toppings for about 10-15 min until the cheese is nice and bubbly, enjoy!

Killing me softly.

Notes:

I've since changed my mind about fresh mozzarella much due to the fact that, after reading the Smitten Kitchen posting about pizza, I agree the aged mozz is much better for pizza.  It comes out nowhere near as soggy and I still get a great flavorful cheesy topping.  I love the Trader Joe's Whole Milk Mozzarella hunk and grate it myself.  Furthermore, I haven't had the patience to add another step to the pizza by doing what she does w/ the canned tomatoes - I just used Trader Joe's jarred pizza sauce.  The sauce is really good but a tad on the salty side so I never need to add any other seasonings to the toppings.  Hope you try it!  And if you do, tell me how it turned out! 

Back in the Saddle Again

I've been dreading this post for about 4 months.  At first it was kinda funny but then the more I put it off, the more I was like, ok, WTH is going to be the excuse this time?  Well, it isn't really anything exciting or flashy.  Life happens.  Work has been nuts.  Wah wah wahhh.

Needless to say, I'm back (for now).

This winter has been so mild, in my opinion.  I kept hearing about the Northeast and midwest getting hit by all those snowstorms and we got a very average 1.5" one day only to be washed away the next day..boring.  I know, I should be counting my blessings since the Seattle area isn't really known for handling snow well, but shoot - I wanted to build a snowman w/ Kuen!  But then again, that day that we did actually get the 1.5" of snow when we went outside to play she was entirely too scared to even touch the fluffy white stuff - much less build a snowman.

Anyhow, I've had some pretty awesome meals between last time I posted and now which I fully endeavor to share at some point, but for now - here's what's been going on...

I've made this like 3 weeks in a row which I'm totally loving (I added walnuts to mine).

I've been trying to do this with my hair (apologies to any co-workers for my appearance on days 3 or 4).  Loving the laziness factor but definitely not loving dry shampoo yet.  This one is the best smelling but I can never go without washing the day after I use it.

Made this a few weeks ago, very underwhelmed.  Maybe I had too much lemon juice coming out of my meyer lemon that time because I got no burnt bits?  Total first world problems.

Was so excited to try this lipstick out and was even MORE excited to pick it up at desolate Target on a Saturday (!) which has pretty much turned in to a ghost town since the whole data breach debacle.  Note to self: you are not white and nude lips look awful on you.

If you're a friend on FB, I recently posted about trying to start this.  Have the journal but can't seem to get anything down on paper yet - too afraid I'll mess it up.  Sigh.

Reading this.  Life changing perspective.

Also started reading this.  So. freaking. hilarious.  The part about the Minnelli/Gest wedding had me in stitches.

Have been eating this (baked in a 9x13 pan instead) with salad (with this dressing) several times this week.

Kuen has been requesting this every morning and prefers hers with dried cranberries, pecans and brown sugar.

Below is dinner from several weeks ago, recipe coming soon (I hope).

All those friends who haven't heard from me - I'm sorry, 2014 has gotten off to a crazy busy start!  I'm looking to surface soon :)