A new cookbook from a Portland favorite

If any of you happen upon this book at Costco or any other book store, I would highly recommend picking it up to add to your collection. The author is owner/chef of a very popular joint in Portland, and one of the favorite spots that my girlfriends and I like to go for brunch. The recipe below is just one of the delicacies you'll find there.

Mother's Crunchy French Toast

4 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups cornflakes
1 loaf challah, sliced into six one-inch thick pieces (I'm sure you could use Texas toast as well)
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, clarified
Confectioner's sugar, optional
Softened butter, for serving
Maple syrup, for serving

1. If your pan isn't big enough to cook all the French toast at the same time, heat the oven to 200 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, half-and-half, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla.
2. Place the cornflakes in another large bowl and crush with your hands until the pieces are small, but not like breadcrumbs and somewhat uniform in size. Place on a rimmed baking sheet nearby to hold the prepared bread.
3. Dip a slice of bread into the cream mixture, immersing both sides (saturate it, but do not let it fall apart).
4. Dip the slice into the cornflakes on both sides, pressing to adhere the flakes; set aside on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining slices.
5. Place a griddle or wide saute pan over medium heat for several minutes. If using an electric griddle, set the heat to 350 degrees.
6. When griddle is heated, add 1 tablespoon clarified butter for each piece of French toast and tilt to coat the pan.
7. Add the prepared bread in an even layer. Cook until golden on one side, about 4 minutes. Lift each piece with a spatula and put 1/2 tablespoon butter in its spot. Flip the toast onto the butter to cook the other side, about 4 minutes more. Repeat with remaining slices. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven until all the French toast is cooked.

Serves 4.

Grilled Avocado Quesadillas

To see the yummy picture click on this link... Seriously... Click on the link...
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9WfLRtvPml0/S7zGe39JDlI/AAAAAAAADCk/ktUr2sjbzAc/s1600/quesadilla.jpg
I am so making these for dinner this weekend!!

Grilled Avocado Quesadillas


1 (6oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
3 firm-ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped (or 2 baby bell peppers)
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt to taste
Black pepper
4 large flour tortillas
cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack), shredded

Heat up the grill and spray with cooking spray.


Chop all of the vegetables. Stir together olives, avocado, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, onion and lime juice. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Place tortillas on the grill and grill for about 45-60 seconds or until the tortilla starts to get golden-brown grill stripes. Flip the tortillas and cover with cheese; grill until cheese is melted and tortilla is crisp and slightly browned on the bottom. Divide avocado mixture among the tortillas, cut each tortilla into 4 wedges and serve immediately.

I got this recipe off of Lacy Wood Johnson's blog and it sound so yummy!! Now all I need is a reason to make a cake!


Root Beer Float Cake

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
2 C. Root Beer
1 3 oz. box instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. root beer extract

Frosting Ingredients:

1 8 oz. container whipped topping, thawed
1 cube melted or soft butter
1 C. Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. root beer extract
5 crushed root beer flavored candies
Mix the cake ingredients together in a big bowl. Pour into two round greased cake pans and bake for 350* for 30 min. Let cake cool for 10 min. and remove onto wire rack to cool.


Frost cake by spreading half the frosting on the bottom layer of cake. Add top cake, and top with remaining frosting. Sprinkle crushed root beer candy on top for decoration. Really yummy with vanilla ice cream.

a Persian delight

On the first Friday of every month, our local "village" has a big party in which all of the merchants stay open late. There is often live music, free food, famous people to meet, and a general good time. One of our favorite stores to hit on First Friday is Indigo Traders. They are a wonderful shop full of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern fares, soaps, etc. And above all they have the best spread of food by far! This dish isn't one that they've served before, but it came highly recommended by folks at the store.



Khoresht-E-Fesenjan (Chicken in Pomegranate Sauce)
Serves 4-6

2 large onions, chopped or sliced
5 tablespoon butter
1 large fryer chicken or 5 whole chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
4-5 tablespoon pomegranate syrup (or cranberry juice concentrate/pomegranate molasses)
2 1/2 cups finely ground walnuts
2-3 tablespoons sugar
2-3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon saffron (or turmeric)
1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoon of the butter until golden brown. Remove from the pan. Add 3 more tablespoon of butter and sauté the chicken pieces until light brown. Add the bouillon and sautéed onions. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Bone the chicken.

Prepare the sauce by stirring the water into the ground walnuts. Stir in the pomegranate syrup and sugar, and simmer gently over a low heat for 10-15 minutes. Combine the cooked, boned chicken and most of its drippings with the walnut sauce; add the seasonings and the lemon juice; cover and simmer gently for another hour. Adjust the seasonings by adding a little sugar if too sour, or more pomegranate syrup if too sweet. The chicken pieces should be coated with a rich, dark, sweet-sour sauce; there should be plenty of thick sauce. Serve with rice.

is it pomegranate season yet?

I can't wait for September to get here so it will finally be pomegranate season again! Here's another take on the avocado-pomegranate dip from last winter.

Pomegranate Guacamole

2 large ripe avocados
1/2 large onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 fresh chilies, serranos, seeded
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
1 freshly squeezed lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Finely chop the onion, garlic, chilies serranos, and coriander leaves. Place in bowl and add lime juiceand salt, set aside. Peel and pit the avocados and place in a bowl. Mash with fork slowly adding the tablespoon of pomegranate juice. Add onion and garlic mixture and fold together to make a course pulp. Gently fold in pomegranate seeds. Serve with warm tortillas, tostadas, or corn chips.

Fresh berry cobbler

There's nothing that says summer in the Northwest like a good berry something or other, be it pie, crumble, cobbler - you get the point. I've had some blueberries and blackberries in my freezer since last summer, and it's about time I used them! Sadly when we moved I had to leave my 2 blueberry bushes behind, but I'll get to enjoy the fruit one last time.

Fresh berry cobbler
Topping:
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 egg

sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into small dice. Combine milk and egg add all at once to the dry ingredints; stirring just until moist.

Fruit filling:
4 cups fresh berries
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
In saucepan, combine berries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and water; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until mixture is slightly think and juice is clear. Cooking time is 3-5 minutes. Stir in butter until melted. pour into baking dish or cups. Immediately spoon on topping in a mounds over the filling bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

grilled sweet corn

I've just started liking corn on the cob again, but it's got to be sweet summer corn. On the drive home on Saturday, Aaron and I heard about this recipe and thought we'd give it a try. We served it along with dinner tonight, and it was FABULOUS!!!!

Mexican grilled corn
Serves 6

6 ears fresh sweet corn, husks peeled back but still attached to the ears
salted butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mexican Crema, or sour cream
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
chili powder

1. Grill corn about 4 inches from coals for 8 to 10 minutes, turning with tongs and brushing with butter. Remove to a platter. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. (we just used our gas bbq)

2. Have the sour cream in one shallow bowl, the cheese on a large plate and the chili powder is a salt shaker.

3. Let corn cool until easy to handle but still warm. Remove husks then roll corn in sour cream, draining off excess. Then lightly roll in the cheese. Sprinkle with the optional chili powder to taste.

Variation: Some people like to temper the heat of the chili with a squeeze of fresh lime juice over the ear of corn.