The Hungry Apple

It’s a sad day for the chili recipe I have been faithful to  for so many years because IT JUST GOT REPLACED!

With this recipe.

BOOM.

It’s the simplest, fastest and most flavor packed -all in one and it’s really this easy.

Brown beef and onion.

Add remaining ingredients.

Simmer.

Dinner.

Done.

REPLACEMENT CHILI

Ingredients

1-1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey

1 medium onion, diced

1 15 ounce can tomato sauce

1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes

1 4 oz can green chilies

1 can chili beans-i used medium

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

15 grinds pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions and Directions

Brown lean ground beef and onion until beef is cooked through. Drain if desired. Add all other ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes on low. Serve with cheddar, green onion, Fritos and/or sour cream.

You know what goes perfectly with tacos? Cheesy Mexican rice. That’s what!

I am usually not an advocate for “cream of _______” soup in a can. If a recipe calls for it I try to make my own but I haven’t perfected Cream of Celery yet so there you have it.

Having said that, since I do use the canned stuff right now, this rice has only 5 ingredients! What could be easier than that?

I also have to admit, I haven’t ever given the recipe to anyone who didn’t just love it.

It is just as good left over too.

CHEESY MEXICAN RICE

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups brown minute rice (Uncooked)

8 oz sour cream

1 can cream of celery

1 can rotel tomatoes, drained (you can use any variety, I use hot)

1 cup cheese, shredded-Your choice, I use Monterrey Pepper Jack or Cheddar

Instructions and Directions: 

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into an 8×8 or 8×9 casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake on 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until edges begin to brown and the dish is bubbly.

I’ve mentioned my love of tacos before. I really love them. I am not sure what it is? I am a fan of soft tacos and crunchy tacos.  Chicken, beef or veggie. All of them.  I am really a fan of most Mexican food.

That’s why I decided to make my own taco seasoning. Clearly I need lots of it.

It’s very simple and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your spice cabinet.

I am all about a short cut for easier cooking but when you look at a list of ingredients this long and then you think about flavor it can be better achieved by making your own concoction!

Shake it up in a mason jar and it a look a little something like this.

To one pound of ground turkey, chicken or beef, add 4 tablespoons of seasoning and 1/3-1/2 cup water. Stir until the meat is coated and the water dissolves.

Make sure to conduct an official taste test and add more seasoning if desired 😉

I like to line my crunchy taco shells in the oven and prop them up with an oven safe bowl if needed,  to get crispy before stuffing them with meat and cheese and baking a minute more so the cheese will melt.

Then I use a plastic baggie with the end cut off to pipe the sour cream into the tacos without making a complete mess.

This is an easy way to distribute sour cream evenly.

All dressed up and ready to go!

HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING

Ingredients: 

4 tablespoons of chili powder

2 tablespoons cumin powder

3 teaspoons sea salt

3 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions and directions: 

Mix all ingredients in a bowl or jar.

Add 4 tablespoons of spice mix and 1/3-1/2 cup water to 1 pound ground meat.

I sometimes feel like if a recipe starts out with the ingredients bacon or pasta I am definitely going to at least give it a second look. If it includes both you can pretty much consider it done.

This recipe has salty bacon, earthy mushrooms and sweet peas AND it has a simple sauce made of broth that doesn’t disappoint.

You start out by sauteing bacon and scallions.

Then you add the peas and mushrooms and simmer it all in chicken broth.

Then you toss it all with pasta.

Have you guys tried this pasta? It is my favorite brand. I am not sure it is as good for you as plain whole wheat but it is heartier than the regular pasta.

You really get all the great ingredients in the pasta with every bite.

If you prefer something heavier you could always add grilled chicken too.

Top  it all with fresh Parmesan!

BACON MUSHROOM PASTA WITH PEAS

Adapted from Everyday Food 

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 cup chopped scallions

2 cups sliced mixed mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster, cremini, portabello and button)

2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups frozen baby peas

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound of small pasta, i used shells

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions and Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and scallions and saute until bacon starts to crisp and scallions are wilted, 4-5 minutes. Add mushrooms and lightly sprinkle with salt. Continue cooking until mushrooms have lost most of their moisture or around 5-7 minutes.

Add peas, butter and broth  and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer about 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.  Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water stirring occasionally until al dente. Drain pasta. Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss to coat. Remove from heat and add cheese. Toss again.

Top with grilled chicken if desired.

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

Ingredients: 

2 cups shredded roasted chicken

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon oil, i used olive

1 cans cannellini beans (great northern would work too)

2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teasponn dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I could handle more)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup half and half

8 ounces  sour cream

Instructions

Heat the oil in a dutch oven or pot over medium high heat. Saute onion for 5-7 minutes, or until  onion is soft and  starts to brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the chicken, beans, spices, broth and green chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for thirty minutes.

Remove from heat and add the half and half and sour cream. Garnish with cheddar, tortilla chips, avocado, sour cream and Louisiana hot sauce 😉

 

Adapted from http://www.EatLiveRun.com 

The last city on our trip was Seattle. All the cities were wonderful for many different reasons but I think this one might have been the favorite. It had everything we could have hoped for in terms of cool neighborhoods, culture, attractions, athletic teams, schools and last and most importantly FOOD!

Our first day in Seattle we spent exploring.

We found Pike Place Market which was amazing.

The iconic sign above the market.

I cannot imagine having this much fresh seafood available to me every day.

EVERY DAY!!

What about this produce too! It is like a year round farmers market.

After acting like total tourists walking around with our mouths open and watching the fish market employees throw fish and banter back and forth, we found lunch.

The Market Grill is a small restaurant with a  bar counter large enough for maybe 10 people.

They cook the food to order from their very small menu.

Friendly employees like this guy take your order, get your drinks and chat you up while you are waiting and while another employee makes the food.

We started off with the chowder.  I prefer New England Clam Chowder but theirs was tasty too.

All of the bread that comes with the chowder and the bread for the sandwiches comes from Le Panier, a bakery inside Pike Place. This sets the stage for this delicious sandwich.

Then we both had a sandwich. Halibut for her and Salmon for him.  These sandwiches were just perfect and really let the fish shine through. On each sandwich the fish is blackened but not overpowering. The seasoning they use is salt free so that wasn’t an issue either. They have caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato. The halibut sandwich has tarter sauce and the salmon has a rosemary mayo. Both were awesome.

We actually ate here twice and on vacation that is saying a lot.

The only thing that would make this place even better would be beer. Shocker.

Then we were back to exploring, which worked up another appetite.

We grabbed an early dinner at Serious Pie. They weren’t joking!

First of all they have a fabulous happy hour which we found to be quite the requirement for lots of dinner serving restaurants in Seattle.

These pizzas were only $6 a piece (!?) and included creative ingredients like the:

Clam, Pancetta and Chile Pizza

Duck Egg, Coppa and Garlicky Greens Pizza

They were both fantastic and went along great with the house wines ($5?) and tap beers ($4?).

Good find.

Our hotel was two blocks from the Space Needle and the Monorail so we got plenty of pictures of it.

We started off the next day with donuts at Top Pot.  I had seen this place on the Food Network so naturally we had to go.

 Pumpkin for me.

Chocolate glazed for him.

After that we headed over to explore the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation visitor center. This place was awesome. Extremely informative and interactive. It doesn’t seem like a place you might scope out on vacation but I would highly recommend it.  If you don’t think you will ever make it out that way there are lots of cool things you can learn about on their web site too.

Then we took a short bus ride to The University of Washington Campus.

This campus was spectacular. We felt like we were in college again as we talked about what it would have been like to go to school so far away (we both attended state schools) and how pretty the campus was. Then we learned that you had to have a 4.0 to even be considered and our daydreams quickly vanished. 🙂

But our self guided tour went on!

When it concluded we decided to take the advice of a handsome stranger we met on the street and go to this place:

Thai Tom. Located in the University District (a favorite neighborhood of mine) this small gem is packed wall to wall even after the lunch rush should be long over.

A large menu is painted on a small number of board like menus and one is given to each table when you arrive.

Then all the wonderful and fragrant food is cooked in this teeny tiny kitchen out in the open. Pure genius!

We started off with these tiny spring rolls.

Followed by Pan Ang Curry

And Pad Thai. Folks, although I have not been to Thailand this was the best Thai I have ever had.  If you are in Seattle you must go here.

That afternoon we took a tour by land and sea. Ridiculous although amusing. This tour hit the really touristy places like the Sleepless in Seattle boat house, Grey’s Anatomy filming spots, 50 Shades of Grey Condo and The Deadliest Catch Boat. I warned you it was ridiculous.

Picturesque though.

After that it was off to dinner!

I’m going to say it again. I haven’t been to Japan but this was good sushi.

At Japonessa downtown- I wanted everything on their menu but settled for this.

The sushi set.

and this……the Super Bad Boy.

The Shrimp Tempura roll. Boring choice maybe but delicious.

A night cap at Tap House with 159 beers on tap rounded out the fun filled day.  Single ladies in Seattle? This is the place to be. The men to women ratio in this place was at least 15:1.

The last day of our trip we began with a tour of the Seahawks Stadium! We wished that we had time to tour the baseball stadium as well but the tours were too close together. Next time!

Ever since touring Lambeau Field we have taken an interest in other cities stadiums.

We toured the field and got a back stage pass to all the ins and outs of this unique stadium.

We gave a press conference about our opinions on the Green Bay/Seahawks game while we were at it!

After that we went back to Pike Place for another sandwich!

Then we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island. I wish we had done this sooner as we loved this island and all it had to offer.

We had to hurry back on the Ferry so we didn’t miss our dinner reservations!

The Pink Door was hard to find and did not disappoint! It had come highly recommended to us by  cousins who were turned on to it by an aunt and uncle. Lot’s of family in this place.  Tucked away in an alley inside Pike Place this Italian restaurant was romantic and old world.  (It is also extremely dark as you will see)

Our server, Terrance, was the bomb. I am going to go out on a limb here and give him the “Best Server of the Trip” award.  What up Terrance?!?!

Their lasagna is made with a bechamel sauce, which I adore.

Our salads were great too but we were hungry and they didn’t make the cut.

The Cioppino was chock-full of mussels, clams, prawns, fish and calamari.

Seattle was a blast.

ENOUGH BEER AND RESTAURANTS-NEXT POST WE ARE  BACK TO RECIPES!

I just had a most amazing trip to the Pacific Northwest. This post went on for days so I broke it up into 3. Just in case you ever plan a trip out that way, maybe these posts will give you some good ideas one where to start and what to do.

We started off our trip visiting our cousins Morgan and Chris. Let me tell you all right now that you are going to wish you had a Morgan and a Chris too because they were most hospitable!

When Morgan picked us up at the airport we headed straight to Multnomah Falls. Morgan packed a great picnic with fruit, cheese, nuts and spreads but I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture!

We hiked several hundred feet to the bridge below and then hiked several hundred more to the top of the water fall.  The view from the top overlooks the massive Columbia River.  Worth the hike to the top for sure.

On the way home from the falls, to get ready for dinner, we stopped for a snack-time milkshake. They live right outside the city and the Skyline serves up a fantastic malt or milkshake. So good in fact that this was not our only stop here during the weekend. They split our vanilla malt in half so we could save room for dinner.

Our hosts felt silly for taking us to a Southern restaurant when we were so far from home but we are glad this didn’t stop them because the Screen Door was fantastic. The vibe of this restaurant was very laid back and they had a great main menu with a specials list that changes frequently.

We had a little bit of everything.

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

Cornbread

Fried Green Tomatoes

Jambalaya

Shrimp and Grits

Fried Chicken.

This fried chicken deserves southern praise. It was boneless!! And some of the best I’ve ever had which I feel like says a lot considering where we live.

No that wasn’t everything we ordered and yes there were only 4 of us.

The next morning we were up early so we could to head to Willamette Valley for some wine tasting. But don’t worry, we ate a big breakfast before we left.

It started out with some of the best coffee to ever hit these lips at Stumptown. They opened in 1999 and I hope they never ever close (i see no reason they ever would) because I have to have this coffee again.

Menu

Cheerful staff

Coffee

Next we headed to a trendy spot for Breakfast/Brunch named Mother’s Bistro.

This from scratch spot serves up classics in a fancy way.

Yummy, nutritious and a great way to kick start your liver before wine tasting!

Traditional Benedict (the staff at this restaurant are so nice that they let you get 1/2 orders if you just can’t decide)

Biscuits and Gravy. 1/2 order.

This stack  was huge and had layers of blueberries between cakes.  The pancake monster at the table managed to polish them all off too!

A short drive (and well worth it) from downtown Portland, Morgan and Chris  whisked us off to Willamette Valley.

Our first stop was Bergstrom Winery where C & M are members.

This is the barn that they tasting patio overlooks.

 Eric was our wine expert. He was informative and really made you feel at home without being pretentious.

At Bergstrom we tasted a Rose, a Chardonnay and 3 different types of Pinot Noir. Then we got to taste a few members only wines since we were with members. They were a real treat too. Our favorites were Cumberland Reserve and the de Lancellotti. It was also my favorite Rose I have tried.

If you are ever in the area I would highly recommend  this winery.

Thanks Bergstrom!!

We also stopped in at Colene Clemens Winery where we enjoyed another tasting and a delectable picnic basket.

Followed by  Penner Ash which had the best views of the day.

Guess what we did then? We ate! Dinner that is at Toro Bravo.

Toro Bravo is a Spanish inspired tapas restaurant, which I love because I would eat appetizers every night for dinner if I could.

Let’s see…..Bloody Mary? Check. Wine? Check. Beer? Of course! Didn’t want to leave out beer. It just wouldn’t be right.

Octopus al a Plancha

Scallops with Romesco.

Chris’ job brought he and Morgan to Portland late last year. The morning we left we were lucky enough to get tour his work campus. NIKE!! Swoosh.

I cannot imagine working at a place this beautiful and with this much creative energy.

You can tell Chris really loves what he does too.

How pretty is this!?!?

All the buildings on the grounds are named after different Nike athletes.  For example: John McEnroe, Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong.

There are also banners of Nike athletes all along the sidewalks. Larry Fitzgerald, one of my favorites!

Just a very cool place in general.

We were getting really sad to leave Morgan and Chris but before we left we squeezed in a trip to Pine State Biscuits.

The worst thing about this place was deciding which biscuit to order.

I decided on this monstrosity. And yes, I finished every bite. Hold your applause.

So long Portland. We will be back!

One of my many weaknesses is bread. White, wheat, bread sticks, bagels, naan-you name it.

I’m more of a cook than a baker though so in the bread department I sometimes look for help. You can find garlic cheese biscuits in a bag at the bakery or even in a box on the baking aisle. I like to cook from scratch whenever possible though and I knew there had to be a better way. I think I have found it!

These biscuits are home run.  Touch.Down.Sara. Way to score, big time.

How many sports words can I use to describe these biscuits.

Score? Me=1. “Premade” biscuits=zero.

Here are the components. Did you know that Biquick is just a simple way to measure out  flour, shortening, salt, and baking powder all combined into one?

This is what the flour mixture looks like before you start combining the butter.

Pretty. This is what it looks like after everything is mixed together.

Now, line em up!

15 minutes later, VOILA!

They would be perfect with chili, spaghetti or stew.

GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS

Ingredients:  

2 1/2 cups Bisquick

4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup cold milk, i used 1%

1 generous cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes

fresh pepper, five turns

Instructions and Directions: 

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, combine Bisquick, garlic powder, pepper and parsley. Then combine the dry mixture with the butter,  using a fork. Press the fork between the powder and butter to create smaller chunks. Do not over mix. The batter/dough should be lumpy.

Add cheese, milk and  sour cream. Stir to combine.

Scoop the batter/dough onto a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Should be 12. I used a 1/4 cup measure to scoop.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits start to brown.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF BREAD?

Please don’t make me choose.

I am not a meatloaf fan but this turkey meatloaf with bacon is really tasty.  I have been informed though that if you love traditional  greasy beef  meatloaf , that you might not be fooled. But it does have bacon and bacon makes everything better.

I hesitate to make this post because in pictures I haven’t found a way to make meatloaf look pretty. But here goes-

See? It just doesn’t look pretty. But what is does do? It goes well with peas and mashed potatoes. And this recipe is not greasy at all.

All the choppers.

Does anyone else cook their bacon on the side burner of the grill? I love this because then my house doesn’t smell like bacon for two days! Also, the grease doesn’t get all over the kitchen.

This is the spot where I will skip posting the picture of the raw meatloaf being mixed.

Here is the final product! The oven mitt helps make the picture prettier.

And the final “final” product. Yes I slather my meatloaf in ketchup.  I rarely use ketchup but meatloaf is the exception.

TURKEY MEATLOAF

Adapted from Emeril

Ingredients: 

6 pieces of bacon (you can use turkey bacon here but you need to use 1 tablespoon oil to cook onion and pepper)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 small green bell pepper, chopped (3/4 cup)

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)

1 cup evaporated milk

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (preferably 85% lean) or a blend of ground turkey thighs and breast

1 tablespoon chili powder

ketchup

Instructions and Directions: 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Cook bacon, until crisp. Cool and break into large crumbles (Are large crumbles really a thing you ask? Yes) Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease and discard the rest.

Add onion and bell pepper, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until vegetables are soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add oats and evaporated milk. Let cool.

To the bowl, add turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper (15 twists) , and chili powder, stir well to combine. Transfer mixture to a sprayed loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake until meatloaf is cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted in center should read 165 degrees), about 1 hour 10 minutes. 10 minutes before the meatloaf is done, remove and add ketchup design on top then return to oven.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes before slicing.

DO YOU DIG MEAT LOAVES?