Creamy Penne with Chicken Apple Sausage, Asparagus, and Mascarpone Cheese

For tonight's feature presentation........Runner's Recovery aka
"Creamy Penne with Chicken Apple Sausage, Asparagus, and Mascarpone Cheese"!

So, my husband is a machine. He's amazingly fit and many people joke that he must be running to work off all of the incredible looking dishes that I post on Facebook.  For this, I thank u and say, "Well, it don't hurt!"
He's been prepping for an Endurance Race in Beaver Creek in a few weeks which will be the longest he's ever run, (stay tuned for that recap) and he's been training pretty hard. Tuesdays he runs around the base of a freakin mountain in the foothills of Denver. Like I said...machine. Anyway, for these high impact days, he's put in a special request for a high carb pasta dish... I shall oblige.
So for today I'll be whipping up a lil whole wheat penne with some fresh veg, chicken apple sausage, toasted walnuts, mascarpone cheese and non-fat cream.

I chose this dish because I looked around my kitchen and these were the ingredients I found. Should be good.
-Start with cooking your penne al dente and then set aside.

Here's a lil tip: always reserve 1 cup or so of the water you cooked the pasta in. It works great to thicken up your sauce and give it a little depth.

-Next, dry roast your nuts. 

Heat a sauté pan on high until you can hold your hand just above it and feel the heat, then toss in your nuts. Roast for 5 minutes or so while keeping the pan moving so they don't burn. They'll start to smell nice n woodsy when they're done. Remove from pan and once they've cooled, chop em up a bit with either a good knife or I like to use a small nut chopper. It's much easier to handle.

These lil choppers are the best! They chop onions, nuts or even herbs very nicely and clean up easily. I have em in a variety of sizes and got them all at thrift stores for maybe $1 each. A lot of people buy them or get them as gifts n never use them...but I will!!

You can choose to chop them very fine and they'll really thicken up your sauce and give it a  nice, rich nutty flavor (although it will make it slightly gritty) or just lightly chop them and it'll add a nice crunchy texture to your pasta dish.

I chose a medium chop this time for thickening and texture!

-Next, chop up your sausage. 
I like to do this before I cook it so that it heats evenly and you don't have to try to handle it when it's hot.
I got these luscious all-natural lil beauties from the Broomfield Farmer's Market last week where I volunteer on Tuesdays. They taste a little sweet and incredibly fresh, they only have like 3 or 4 ingredients, no preservatives and are locally "grown". This makes me feel a little better about consuming meat. I like knowing that it comes from the nice little couple who own the farm just outside of Longmont, CO and produce High Plains Meats all by themselves.

 -Add a lil olive or coconut oil to the same pan you roasted the nuts in and cook just until brown.
-As they're browning, toss in a huge handful of fresh chopped tarragon. 

This is when it starts to smell amazing!

 -Grab a stalk of asparagus and bend it until it snaps. This will ensure that you only eat the most tender part of the stalk. Then chop it into bit-size pieces and toss it into the pan.

-Cook for about 5 mins until asparagus starts to get a little crispy.

 -Toss in the pasta and mascarpone then stir to coat the noodles.
 Let that simmer for a minute or 2 then add some fat-free half&half. You can then add some of the reserved liquid from the pasta if you'd like a thicker sauce. Simmer until you reach a consistency you're happy with.

HERE"S THE KICKER!!!!

 NUTMEG!! This is really the star of your dish. I know some of you are saying "Nutmeg???" Yep! You'll wonder where it's been all your life. Nutmeg, tarragon and creamy sauces are a match made in heaven! And I'm lucky to have had walnuts on hand because they're just the icing on the cake! The combination of these flavors along with the asparagus will totally surprise and delight you!

-Grate the nutmeg into your sauce, I like TONS of it.
-Toss in your roasted nuts and some freshly ground coriander.
-Give it a good dose of S&P to taste and you're good to go!

Mmm...creamy goodness!

Lil tip: Put some olive oil in a $1 spritzer bottle to control how much you use.

 For a delicious lil crostini on the side, slice up some bread and spritz it with olive oil and S&P, bake for 5-8 minutes until edges start to get crunchy.

In this case I used a loaf of Rustic Pugliese which has a slight hint of sourdough. I don't recommend it with this type of sauce. I think a nice rosemary ciabbata woulda been perfect. But you gotta work with what u got! 

 This dish was a HUGE hit. The super fresh flavor of the tarragon with the nutmeg will make your mouth go crazy! Garnish with chopped tarragon and a little freshly grated parmesan, pour yourself a nice big glass of red wine and enjoy!

Creamy Penne with Chicken Apple Sausage, Asparagus, and Mascarpone Cheese

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Whole Wheat Penne
1 cup Walnuts
2 Chicken Apple Sausages
1/2 lb Fresh Asparagus
1/4 cup or more Fresh Tarragon Leaves
1/3 cup Mascarpone Cheese
2 tsps or so Grated WHOLE Nutmeg (makes a huge difference)
1/4 tsp Fresh Ground Coriander
1/4 cup Fat-Free half&half or milk
S&P
Fresh Grated Parmesan for garnish (optional)

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Restaurant, Taphouse and Brewery Reviews

MY FAVES

Special of the evening at Basta, everything's better with an egg on it!

A delightful raw beet concoction served on a hazelnut crust at Linger

Sampler line up at De Steeg

The HOLY GRAIL, Linger's "Devil's on Horseback"

Oh, how I wish I'd been doing proper reviews for years now. I always take mental notes, then forget to write them down when I get home! Our server would never know it, but for such a laid-back individual, I'm actually a VERY picky diner! Things just oughta be a certain way. Whether it's at a greasy spoon or a 5 star joint, there's a certain level of congeniality and service of which I've become accustomed. Now, I realize that at a road-side diner it's entirely unrealistic to expect the kind of service that you'd get at a stuffy white table-clothed joint, but they really shouldn't be too far apart either. I firmly believe in treating your guests like family or like a regular and they'll soon become that way. 

I base my reviews on a few different factors but overall it's the way the experience made me feel and the quality of the food and service. It's a lot like music for me, there's no one genre I like, I just appreciate when someone puts their heart and soul into something and there's not a whole lotta fluff!

Settin em up and knocking em down at Uncle

I think it's very important to have a well rounded beer/wine and even cocktail list, so whenever I come across a place that has both great food AND drink (namely beer), you'll be sure to hear about it. Many times we sacrifice the quality of food just to have a good beer and I hope that changes soon. It seems to be happening slowly but surely but for the time being, we're happy to give our dollars to the good people at Hops & Pie! (See my glowing review below)

BASTA!                                     Last visit: 04-13-2013

3601 Arapahoe Ave Boulder, CO

 Pizzeria Basta is a must every time we go to Boulder. The service is ALWAYS fantastic and the food is just amazing! Their wood-fired pizzas have the best crust I've ever tasted...it's like a thick, bubbly, wood-charred crepe! 

 Our favorite pie is the "Arugula" with tomato, smoked mozzarella, arugula and prosciutto but you really can't go wrong no matter what you choose.

Burrata with leeks, house pancetta and toast= ridiculous deliciousness!

For starters, you have to try the Burrata, it's a very fresh italian cheese made from rich mozzarella and pure cream, the outer shell is solid mozzarella and the inside is a creamy luscious blend of the two that just seeps out like molten lava when you slice into it. Served on top of a super savory blend of braised leaks and house made pancetta with a side of crostini...delicious! This is one of the best dishes I've ever had. It's rich, indulgent and decadent yet you still feel like you're eating something that's good for you. At least that's what I'll keep telling myself :)

To top our evening off perfectly we had the campfire vanilla ice-cream (OH...MY...GAWD!!!), a perfect blend of creamy vanilla with house smoked campfire goodness. Your server will be happy to tell you the process, it's pretty cool. And if you're really lucky, they'll have the fresh mint ice-cream...I almost fell out of my chair! It's made with fresh mint as opposed to that over-processed store brand mint flavor and the difference is outta this world. So fresh and light! 

They have a pretty decent beer selection with choices from a few of our favorite breweries, Firestone Walker and Crooked Stave, as well as a great wine list.

We love you, Basta...keep it up!

~I give Basta 4 out of 5 stars, only because we still need to go there a few more times ;) ~

EUCLID HALL!!!                         Last visit 03-08-2013

1317 14th Denver, CO

I really can't say enough about Euclid Hall. Everything there is amazing! 

Euclid's "Chips n Dip"!

Their "Chips n Dip" is one of the best, most interesting concoctions I've ever had the pleasure of eating. It's a lemon goat cheese dip which is tangy and perfect on it's own, topped with oolong smoked rare duck breast, duck confit, homemade potato chips (that are super crispy and delicious) and baby dill. The flavor combinations are crisp, rich, cool and absolutely ABSURD! I hope they NEVER ever take this off the menu!

Their lemon and coriander spaetzle is one of my favorite dishes anywhere and I often recreate it at home, the honey mustard chèvre on top is absolutely perfect! I didn't see it on the menu last time we were there and I hope to god they're kidding. It's really unbelievable and I have to have it! :)

My 1st spaetzle

This is one variety of the spaetzle I've made, inspired by Euclid Hall. With prosciutto, braised short ribs and a wasabi greek yogurt sauce, a twist on their honey mustard chèvre..

Fried Oyster Po'Boy! YUM!!

My husband always goes for the Chicken n Waffles or the Fried Oyster Po'Boy. They're both sooo good! The variety of textures and flavors in the Chicken n Waffles is like nothing you've ever had before, crispy chicken mousseline "nuggets" with black pepper béchamel and maple gastrique....it'll make you wanna punch somebody! 

 And last but most definitely not least is their hand-cranked sausage selection! Yum! Get the sampler and try em all! It comes with 4 of their homemade mustards too that are awesome!!

This is the "Boudin Noir" aver curry and aubergine. It  seriously has the consistently of devil's food cake and tastes truly unique...try it!

And of course, they have a very impressive variety of craft beers on tap and even more in the bottle. They're rotating tap is usually pretty good and they always have something from Firestone Walker, Elevation and sometimes Crooked Stave. A fantastic wine selection and great cocktails too! 

Overall, Euclid Hall is great for a special occasion or a casual night out. The atmosphere is unique in the way that you could feel totally comfortable there in flip-flops or a prom dress (but please don't do both). It's not too expensive either, we usually get out of there for around $100 and that's if we go all out. Beer, wine, coffee, dessert but a casual night would only set you back about $60. Go there, share stuff, drink stuff...NOW!

Euclid Hall's Rating......5 ENTHUSIASTIC STARS!!!

Hops & Pie!!        Last visit 07-28-2013

3920 Tennyson Street Denver, CO

OK...first of all, I'm a little biased when it comes to H&P...because I'm in love.
We fell in love with them the second we walked in the door way back in 2010. Then it was only the one side of the restaurant where the bar is, and much like it is now that they've expanded, you're happy to stand in a crowded corner just to savor one of the many amazing beers they have on tap. They have 20+ beers on tap and are constantly rotating them once one has kicked. I've never had a beer there that I didn't like, in fact, I can credit H&P for turning me into an official beer snob. I've always liked a good hefeweizen but until they came along, that's where my adventurous spirit ended. They've turned me on to an entirely different level of beer appreciation...and there's no turning back! Now I seek out the newest of the new, the firkins, sours, IPAs, barley wines and even STOUTS! Which for me, used to be all but torture, but my palette has most definitely developed and I have them to thank for it!! I now find myself geeking out on a regular basis whenever I hear the mention of breweries like Firestone Walker, Dogfish Head, Elevation, Epic, Stone, or Crooked Stave to name a few.

And if you don't know what you like, don't worry! They have some of the most helpful staff we've ever encountered EVER and we're now happy to be able to call many of them friends. They'll totally guide you on your hoppy lil mission. You can taste anything you want before you commit and they're all experts at guiding you in the right direction and helping you to find what you're looking for. We've walked in the door many times only to have Jenny rush over to us to let us know about a new beer they have on tap that she knew Gregg would love...she's been right every time!

OH YEAH, I almost forgot...they have food too! ;)

Just kidding because there's no possible way you could forget their food! Hops & Pie is one of those rare and magical places where the food matches the beer. Cue the sirens!!! And that's exactly why they see our shining lil faces in there at least once a week! We've got it so bad that Steve or Josh (our usual delivery dudes) see us weekly too. 

It's GUD! I'll start with their pies. THEE best, thinest, flakiest, buttery crust imaginable with the freshest most inspired toppings! Our favorite is the Blackberry BBQ sauce (I know!) with Beer Braised Brisket, Arugula and Goat Cheese. The combination of the sweet tangy BBQ sauce with the rich goat cheese on top of that crispy crust makes my mouth water as we speak!

And THEN, as if their pizza wasn't enough, every single other thing on the menu beats anyone within a 50 mile radius with a stick! I've dreamt about their IPA Mac n Cheese. With english peas and huge chunks of smoked ham it comes in a piping hot lil casserole dish covered with bread crumbs n filled with cheesy goodness. It's inspired me to replicate it many times at home. 

My version of H&P's IPA Mac n Cheese

And then there's their sandwiches! And salads! We seriously can't get enough! But probably the best thing about H&P is the lovely couple who brought it into our lives. Drew and Leah Watson are just my favorite kind of people; cool and down-to-earth. They treat their employees like family and the customers as friends and it really don't get any better than that! They moved here from back east with a dream of pairing great beer with new ideas about what pizza could be like...and Hops and Pie was born! Their story is truly inspirational and we love giving them our support!

They were also featured on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" on 05/27/2013...check it out!

Hops & Pie receives another enthusiastic 5 star rating!!

more reviews coming up soon.....................

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A culinary exploration thru the eyes of a curious traveler: This blog is to share my love of food, drink, travel, art and life with the world!

My Love Affair with the Pacific Northwest!

Oh how I LOVE to travel!I love the smell of a new land and seeking out the things that make a place special. The hidden gems, pop culture spots and mom n pop markets worldwide. There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of helping family owned businesses succeed across the globe!

One of my favorite things to do is sample local cuisine, then come home and make it in my own kitchen. In this section I'll take you with me to the Pacific Northwest where we traveled in May 2013. It was one of those trips that was really hard to come home from. Oh, who am I kidding? I think all getaways are like that for me, I just wanna GO GO GO!!

But on this trip in particular, I really felt like we got spoiled on that part of the country's unique approach toward food. The seafood, the FRESHNESS of every single thing we sampled and the love and care/heart and soul that you could taste in every dish! 

YUM! I heart u Seattle, Portland and San Juan Island!!

Our tour started with 3 days in Seattle, WA. NOWHERE long enough in my opinion but we had a lot of ground to cover. I have an especially soft spot in my heart for Seattle as I lived there in the early 90s for almost 5 years. It was my first big move away from home and what an AWESOME experience. 

My BFF Justine and I set out for the Emerald City chasing the dream of a grunge lifestyle; Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Seaweed blaring from our speakers as we made our way toward our lush new home. And it didn't disappoint. Many nights we spent rockin out to some really amazing bands just before they hit the big time and you could still see them in small, shitty venues for just 5 bucks. Ah...those were the days! We were dirt poor and rarely had 2 nickels to rub together, and when we did, we most certainly didn't spend them on decent food or drink. So this trip was a little different. Even though the landscape was the same, my priorities had definitely changed! Our focus was on finding good beer (which we did!), good food (which we did!) and good people! Which we most definitely did!

We stayed with my husband's brother and his beautiful family, playing best aunt and uncle in the world to their adorable kids. We visited his brother's in-laws who live in Kirkland and had some really amazing seafood then walked along the homey streets of their quaint little town. I never made my way over to Kirkland before as I didn't have a car then, so I had no idea what a cute lil town it was. There's a little boardwalk area just packed with people on any given evening. Kids running around giggling, a troupe of young b-boys gettin down with a boom box and plenty of young lovers stealing kisses under the gazebo. Perfect summer night!

After spending some time with family we headed straight to Capitol Hill, my old stomping grounds. The first thing I did was to take Gregg (my hubs) on a tour of all the apartments I lived in. 

This used to be the home of Olive tree Pizzeria and it was sooo good. My apartment was directly above it and always smelled of fresh garlic and basil!

 It was great! I love doing that, it's so cool to see that not much has really changed and makes all those memories come rushing back!

We then cruised Broadway and although it didn't look like much had changed...it was clear that I had! The drug filled debauchery that lines sidewalks and store fronts, which once dazzled me with some kind of starry-eyed false glamour, now just made me feel like I needed a shower...and a beer! So that was our mission. We settled in at De Luxe all the way at the end of the strip, which was usually our turn around point back in the day, it now serves as a great spot to sit on the patio, away from all of the gutter punks and change grubbers, and observe the vibrant LGBT culture that thrives in that city and have a great craft beer. I was more than happy to find that they had a SOUNDGARDEN Hefeweizen, seeing as hefes aren't really that big in Denver. And it was delicious!!

It reminded me that was where I developed my love for hefeweizens, sharing my first one with my good friend Sherry. With a huge orange slice on the side of the glass, it was my first "expensive" beer and I remember looking at her and thinking, "Oh, u fancy, huh?".

Anyway, the SG Hefe was amazing and probably one of my all time favorites! 


From there we were off to Pike Place Market! My heart just skips a beat with the mere mention of that place. There's nothing like it! (That I know of) but I'm more than willing to try n find it! :)

PPM covers several city blocks along the "Mudflats" where we used to say all of Seattle's hills came to an end in one magnificent place! I could seriously live there. 

On the surface is a partially outdoor farmer's market consisting of many booths with varied vendors peddling their wares, whereas underneath is a labyrinth of shops and restaurants, old timey newsstands, bodegas, luggage shops, comic book stores, jewelry, asian grocery, toy stores, shoe shines, shall I go on? We went down there a LOT when I lived in Seatown and I ALWAYS got lost. There used to be the coolest little tobacconist down there somewhere and every time I went, I'd try to find it. I think I was only successful 2 or 3 times. The place is a mystery, an anomaly, a beautiful place to begin a love affair with a city and a style of commerce that seems to have fallen on the wayside.

The upper deck includes 2 fresh seafood booths, the likes of which I'd never seen before then, or since for that matter, and the ones you may have seen on TV where they yell a whole lot and throw huge fish thru the air dazzling the tourists. It's magnificent. The most beautiful fresh flower stand, sticky gooey teriyaki meat on sticks, stinky cheese shop, my favorite hippy shop filled with herbs and extracts and potions with buddha statues and waves of nag champa billowing into the halls...LOVE it! 

But my all time favorite thing about PPM is the fresh lil donut shop. Back in the day it was just a little cart which I would literally pray wasn't covered in a sheet and closed for the day after making a trek all the way down there. It's now a full-on booth and supplies you with the most scrumptious lil gems of tongue burning sugar you could ever imagine. I was pleased to see that they were still served to you in a simple little brown bag that was soon covered in grease oozing out of these lil beauties. Piping hot and served either plain or covered in plain, powdered or cinnamon sugar. At something like $3 a dozen it's not much more than the $1.25 I paid in the 90's, and still just as good. We went there TWICE during our 3 day stay!

The floors of the market are lined with thousands upon thousands of little tiles that were available for purchase as a way of donating to the cause and solidifying your name in history forever. 

Gregg just happened to look down and see this one at his feet amongst the vast sea of tiles! Aww...Seattle loves me back!!

The best thing about Lowell's is that they advertise as "Almost Classy" and I think I used to work there but I'm not exactly sure! 

When you go there, be sure to sample some fresh oysters at Emmett's across the street or at Lowell's which has an amazing view of the Puget Sound and be sure to take the path near the corner of the market which leads out to the back side alone Western Ave, it's a great spot to kind of "take it all in".

During the next 2 days, we did (and ate) a lot! 

We trekked over to Fremont to see the troll who lives under the bridge just a few blocks from my old apartment. Ordinarily I'd never miss out on the chance to eat at Yak's Teriyaki, which is across the street from my old place and on a good day there was a constant stream of ridiculously good smells blowing thru my bedroom window. I couldn't wait til payday when I'd go get a huge to-go container of sticky gooey rice covered with the best bright pink teriyaki sauce I've ever had and what was probably an entire chicken. That styrofoam box of goodness kept me fed for 3 whole days!

"Paseo" a hidden lil gem in Fremont

But this time we had other plans, and I know we'll be back again so I wasn't worried. We were on the hunt for Paseo. A secret little spot we saw on some cooking channel show years ago and had to seek out. It's one of those spots with no real sign and you'd most definitely miss it when you were driving down Fremont if you didn't know it was there. It opens at 11AM and got there just in time, we were 2nd or 3rd in line and within minutes there was a line down the block behind us. (Not so secret after all, eh?) We had some of the most delicious cuban sandwiches ever! And they're HUGE! We took them over to the bridge and ate with the troll :) 

  
When making our way back to Seatown Proper, we took a detour to avoid rush hour traffic and stumbled upon Fremont Brewing Company! And thank god we did!! Despite the name, it's actually in Wallingford, right on the water, with a fantastic patio and an awesome bunch o people working there. They were so welcoming and their beer...fantastic!

The "Smoked Tea" was awesome and would be a perfect marinade for brats!

 We got the sampler before I settled on a hefeweizen, of course! The perfect end to a perfect day of Northwestern adventure!

Seattle has a great sense of humor 

Seattle has a very rich artistic vibe and a great sense of humor, You'll notice it everywhere you go. EVERYWHERE you look, you'll see somebody's idea of art and tons of public art installments, which I LOVE and think is absolutely vital to raising a healthy city. PPM is a great example of this, if you walk out the backside, as I instructed, you'll see a bunch of little silver people coming out of the side of the building. They're awesome and pictures don't really do them justice at all. They're so cool.

 They're everywhere! And I just love that someone took the time to do something so random and so cool.









And then...there's POST ALLEY!! Which is kind of underneath the market and absolutely magical. It's just an explosion of art and randomness that's truly inspiring. One wall is made of chewed up gum and has been growing for decades! People come along and stick their gum on the wall, some comprised of SEVERAL pieces, they're huge! There are sculptures stuck to the wall using gum, gum marriage proposals, you name it! It's awesome!

The opposite wall is entirely dedicated to wheat paste. If you're not familiar with wheat pasting, it's a medium which is widely popular in graffiti culture and has long been a way to get away with graffiti without actually spray painting. Not that it's necessarily legal, but it seems to be more widely accepted, maybe due to the fact that it's often comical nature. Banksy is a great example of this. But this wall is INCREDIBLE! And once again, pictures do no do it justice.

Post Alley is also comprised of shops and restaurants and there's just something completely dreamy and European about it. If I was homeless, I'd live there and pretend I was in Italy!

Rolling fresh pierogies at the market

They have all kinds of wonderful fillings and smell incredible! We'll definitely have to try them next time!

Beautiful fresh flowers from the flower cart

My friend, the pig. Pigs are all over the market, and Seattle for that matter. Another story for another time!

The remainder of our trip featuring San Juan Island and Portland coming soon......

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Sunday July 21, 2013

Today I finally conquered........

 Steamed Duck Buns!!

Well...kinda. I've long been a fan of the buns and think the first time I had one that really knocked my socks off was at Linger.

Linger's Mongolian BBQ Duck Buns...a squishy bit o heaven!

Since then I've been wanting to recreate them. The reason I say "kinda" is because I'm going to make them from BBQ chicken thighs rather than duck and I'm not taking the time today to make steamed buns from scratch. We took a bike ride into downtown Denver yesterday and stopped at the Pacific Mercantile in Sakura Square on 19th and Lawrence.

LOVE this place! I used to go down there all the time when I was a budding foodie and my curiosity to explore new worlds led me to all kinds of exotic little markets. This one has always held a special place in my heart.

Back then, in what was probably the mid-nineties, there was scarcely any English on any of the packaging. It was just kind of a crap shoot. Many of the packages were opaque as well, so you couldn't even see what you were getting. Needless to say, I ended up with some pretty interesting dishes. Some of which I'll never know what they were...but they were good!

 Nowadays, it's very user friendly and they're more than willing to help you find what you need. There's a great bulk section too where I always get my sesame seeds and stock up on herbs n spices as well.

 

They're WAY cheaper than getting them in those tiny little spice jars at King Soopers!
There's also a great little sundries type section in the back where you can get incense, gigantic colanders, saki sets, Hello Kitty schwag, sushi rollers, whisks, you name it. I think I've even gotten bamboo sandals there before! Anyway...go!


Ok, so MY version, as I said before, will be using BBQ Chicken Thighs rather than duck. So my first step is to marinate the thighs. I use boneless, skinless thighs. They're much easier to work with and grill up nice n crispy, fast too! I marinade them in hoisin, bbq, or Veri Veri Teriyaki, or a combination of the three. Sometimes I add a little honey and ginger too!

Grill em up until the juices run clear.

After grilling the thighs, cover with foil and set aside. Just before building your buns, pull em out and slice them. I didn't do that this time and wish that I had.

While you're thighs are grillin' u can steam your buns. I'm sure there's a joke in there somewhere ;) 
While I would like to master making them myself one day, I thought it'd be best to try it first with the premade version.

I just steamed mine in a veggie steamer basket for about 10 minutes.

  They were really good...and came out huge! I'd make them 1/2 the size if I made em from scratch.
I added the chicken, then topped with tons of cilantro, bok choy sautéed in sesame oil (yum all by itself!), scallions, sliced green apples and sriracha mayo. Oh em gee! Awesome!!

Served with a side of my famous...Sesame Honey Carrot Slaw, which I've been making for years now. I use this awesome grater thingy I got at IKEA a million years ago, it was like $3 and some of the best money I've ever spent. It's a plastic oval dish with a lid and 2 attachments. You just take off the lid and replace it with either the large or fine grater lid and grate the day away, you can then mix everything in that bowl or put the lid on it n it'll keep fresh. So simple and smart, love it!

Just grate the carrots, then fresh ginger. Stir in sesame oil, honey, sesame seeds and S&P. That's it! The longer it marinates, the better it gets. I eat the leftovers for lunch all the time.

Sesame Honey Carrot Slaw...what??

SUCCESS!!!

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Monday July 22, 2013

And for today's feature...
Sweet Salmon Spring Rolls with Lemon Soy Wasabi Mayo 

I guess you could say, I'm "in a mood". An asian mood! Their flare for fresh flavors, crisp veggies n spicy sidekicks are just the ticket for a 100 degree day in Denver. OK, it's not quite 100, but it's close! Either way...it's HOT and I aim to cool us off with some crisp, cool vegetables and healthy salmon wrapped in a crunchy spring roll. I think I'll try to bake them rather then fry for a less greasy version! 


I started by marinating the salmon in a little soy, mayo, lemon and wasabi.(KILLER!)

Soak your noodles in cold water for 20 mins before cooking.
While your salmon is marinating, cook up your rice noodles, I used rice vermicelli this time around. After cooking your noodles al dente,(Cook until noodles are white and soft inside but still slightly resilient, about 5 minutes.) rinse with cool water and refrigerate. Stir every now and then to prevent them from getting mushy on the bottom.

Henry says "Spring rolls? When?"

You'll then dip your wrappers in water completely for a few seconds before adding your filling. 

This is definitely one of those situations where you'll want to have all your ingredients ready in sort of an assembly line....trust me!

Pull the bottom up to cover as much of the filling as you can, then fold the sides over making a rectangle. Then roll up from the bottom until you have a tight roll.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 mins

-Mayo, wasabi, lemon and soy marinated salmon...YUM! (make extra for dipping)

-carrot slaw

-cucumbers
-scallions
-cilantro
-pickled radishes
-vermicelli noodles

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Tuesday July 23, 2013

 My very first live cooking demo!
At the Broomfield Farmer's market

I needed to find a recipe that would use fresh produce from the market and possibly bread from 2 different vendors. I wanted something light, crisp and summery. This is what I chose.

Neicy's Garbanzo Tomato & Cilantro Salad with Chile Lime Cumin Vinaigrette 

Ingredients:          Serves 4-6

1 Can Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas), rinse well and drain

4 Tomatoes or 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, diced 

2 stalks of Green Onion, sliced

1 Cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped (1/2 will go into dressing)

1/2 Cup Fresh Mint, chopped (1/2 will go into dressing)

Vinaigrette:

2 T Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

2 T Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Ground Chili Powder

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/4 tsp Fresh Ground Coriander Seed

1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

1/2-1 tsp or more (I like a LOT) Freshly Ground Whole Cumin Seed (Grinding Cumin Seed with a mortar & pestle really bring out the flavors!)

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

Zest from one lime

1/2 Cup of Cilantro

1/4 Cup Fresh Mint

Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Drain beans into colander and rinse until no foam remains. Drain well. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, then remaining ingredients. Marinate for at least an hour.

3. Chop tomatoes and green onions and add to bowl. Mix well.

4. Add cilantro and mint then S&P to taste. Now you're ready to serve! I've also added avocado and it was delicious!!

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It was a huge hit and my samples went like hotcakes. Photos to follow!

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