PDX Food Journey: Olympia Provisions

I've officially been an Oregonian for two years now and I feel like I haven't even made a dent in trying all of the restaurants in this city. I have dedicated entire days to eating...brunch, walk around, get a coffee, eat dinner, walk around, go to a tap-house... I feel like I have achieved my true hobbit form. This particular day, for example, I had met up with a group of friends for brunch at Pine Street Market and then we wandered around until we somehow found ourselves under the soft orange glow of those four glorious letters
M - E - A - T.

How To Assemble a Fancy Cheese Board

Hey! Long time no post! Sorry I've been lagging lately, work has been taking a toll on my social life (and everything else that's fun for that matter) but I have decided to focus more on what makes me happy and less on the negative and what's more positive than a plate full of cheese, wine, and chocolate?


Nothing.

When we were in Waco, we stopped my this little community that had a cheese shop and decided to pick up some of their award winning Van Sormon cheese which is similar to a mild Swiss and was aged with cinnamon, vanilla, and sorghum. Since I have failed to fulfill my desire to make a fancy cheese board I thought this little locally produced wedge presented me with the perfect opportunity.

Look at that cheese-making man...

When constructing such a fine platter of epic culinary proportions here are some things to keep in mind:

-Try to switch it up with flavors and textures. For example, I choose a soft Brie with a hard mild cheese.
-Once you choose your cheese think about your other pairings - I prefer sweet & salty like apples + nuts or honey + sausage
-Keep in mind, a serving of cheese is around 4oz.
-Be creative with the base - you can use fruit such as apple slices, crackers, or pumpernickel squares
-Try providing a variety of beverages such as red/white wines and dark beers - people don't often associate beer with chocolate but a nice dark stout with a bit of dark chocolate is pretty spectacular!

Here's what we had in our spread:
-Sweet onion jam (onions + sugar + balsamic vinegar caramelized)
-Fresh grapes and apples
-Ritter dark & milk chocolate with almonds
-Honey
-Brie
-Van Sormon
-Spicy sausage
-Wheat crackers
-Pumpernickel squares
-Riesling
-Strawberry wine (GA produced)

As far as which wines are concerned - just go with what you like. Typically wines like Riesling, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon are served with cheese plates but it's not like the Wine Police are gonna come to your house and tell you you're using the wrong wine so I would just go with your faves.

If you're really skilled in the seemingly impossible art of chalkboard writing you can even make a fun display for a party using chalkboard contact paper for a table runner and label all the different goodies (I have secretly always wanted to do this but alas, I don't really have a bunch of said friends to invite over just yet)

Whatever you do, just have fun! I really enjoyed investing in some quality cheeses and feeling fancy for an afternoon.

Sauerbraten with Spätzle and Braised Cabbage

Behold our German feast!! I was in the mood for trying something new the other day, it all started with spätzle (pronounced shp-eh-tzle), I always thought it looked delicious but I had never tried it before so while I was looking for a recipe, I saw that it was typically served with this freaky dish called Sauerbraten.

Sauerbraten literally means "sour roast" usually pertaining to beef but you could also use venison, lamb, or pork. It's it served with a "gravy" made from the cooking juices with crushed gingersnaps to thicken it - sounds weird I know but it creates a really unique flavor and texture.

Unlike the traditional American roast beef, Sauerbraten has a slight sour taste from the vinegars but with the gingersnaps and the sweetness from the sugar as well as the cabbage, it all goes together perfectly. Since this was my first time EVER hearing of the dish, let alone making it, I decided to follow Alton Brown's recipe directly (for the most part). I marinated the beef for about two and half days and decided to cook mine in the crock pot rather than the oven. I started off cooking it on low for 2 hours then I switched it to the high heat setting for three additional hours.

Sauerbraten

serves 3-4

recipe from Alton Brown

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 medium onion, chopped
1 TBS plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, additional for seasoning meat
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
12 juniper berries
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) bottom round
1 TBS vegetable oil
4-5 carrots peeled and chopped
2 cups red potatoes
1/3 cup sugar
18 dark old-fashioned gingersnaps (about 5 ounces), crushed I used Anna's Ginger Swedish Thins (don't worry if you have some big lumps left, they'll melt down)
1/2 cup seedless raisins, optional

Directions

1.In a large saucepan over high heat combine the water, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, onion, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, juniper, and mustard seeds. Cover and bring this to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2.Pat the bottom round dry and rub with vegetable oil and salt on all sides. Heat a large saute pan over high heat; add the meat and brown on all sides, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side.

3.When the marinade has cooled to a point where you can stick your finger in it and not be burned, place the meat in a non-reactive vessel and pour over the marinade. Place into the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If the meat is not completely submerged in the liquid, turn it over once a day.

4.After 2-3 days place cut carrots and potatoes on the bottom of the crock pot and place the meat on top. Strain the marinade and add the 1/3 cup sugar. Pour marinade over meat and veggies. Cover and cook on high for four hours.

Remove the meat from the vessel and keep warm. Strain the liquid to remove the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and place over medium-high heat. Whisk in the gingersnaps and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve if needed to remove any lumps. Add the raisins if desired. Slice the meat and serve with the sauce.

For the braised cabbage recipe, click HERE

Spätzle recipe is HERE

Christmas Lima + White Bean Turkey Southwest Chili (Vegetarian Option as Well)

This is one of those "get rid of everything in your fridge and pantry" meals, don't you love those? Never has freeing up some space in your home been so deliciously rewarding.

It all started with the Christmas Lima. Lewis and I have been eyeing these for years now, with their bright red and white appearance we thought it would be the perfect dish to make Christmas day - yeahhhh with a four hour drive and family craziness beans were the last think on our minds come Christmas so there they sat, alone and unused.

We finally used half and made some traditional southern style beans n' greens, these beautiful beans are slightly nutty in flavor with a firm texture, and although their color isn't nearly as vibrant when cooked, they still brought something unique to the table.
This time around, I wanted to try and incorporate them into a different dish (plus we had left over navy beans from this dish) . If you don't have the time to use dried beans you can always sub out the traditional red kidney beans for this recipe - just reduce the cooking time.

I did my best to record measurements whilst making this chili but because I used dried beans it required a little more liquid, I added about 1 cup of chicken stock - if you're using canned beans instead I would start off omitting the chicken stock and then if it's too thick for your liking you can always add the stock later on.

Christmas Lima + White Bean Turkey Southwest Chili

serves 3-4

1 (28oz) cans of crushed tomatoes
1 (14.75oz) can of whole yellow corn, drained
1 medium sized onion, diced small
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
16oz of ground turkey (for the meat eaters - I used 85/15 and drained most of the fat)
1 cup dried Christmas limas (that have been soaked overnight)
1 cup dried white navy beans (that have been soaked overnight)
2-3 TBS red chili powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
splash of hot sauce (optional)
1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth - if needed)
Shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions for garnish

Directions:
1. In a sauce pan, cook the turkey until no pink is showing (because I made 2 kinds of chili I kept my meat separate) season with salt and pepper. In a large stock pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 2 min. (I added some fat from the turkey for extra flavor). Add spices and mix on heat for about a minutes (this toasts the spices and enhances flavor).

2.To the onion garlic spice mix, add tomatoes, corn, beans, and 1 cup chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Lower heat, cover and cook for about 35-50 min. stirring every 10 minutes or so.

3.Serve hot, garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions.

Dried Christmas Limas

*Christmas lima picture from Zursun Idaho Beans

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches Topped with Apple Slaw

Barbecue and I have a somewhat unique relationship.

Now I don't wanna freak anyone out but I have always been a fan of the smell of that tangy smoky sauce. There's something so nostalgic about bbq - it brings back memories of family cooks outs and pool parties and has always remained a summer staple - and who said you can't have a little summer in the dead of winter?

It has always been a challenge in our household to see all the things we can do with leftover chicken. Usually we opt for the chicken salad sandwich route or the go-to casserole recipe but this time we decided to try something new. We wanted something savory yet sweet with a variety of textures. For the slaw we wanted something sweet and tangy to compliment the smokiness of the chicken so I opted for an apple slaw (that - and I was too lazy to run to the store and buy cabbage). I cut mine slightly chunky, just for the added crunchy texture but you could cut them thinner or even shred the apples and add some carrots if ya fancy.


For the chicken...

2 cups of shredded cooked chicken (I used leftover from a whole roasted chicken made the night before)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Directions

1.For the sauce, mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk well to dissolve the sugar.
2.In a saute pan with 1 tsp oil, heat the shredded chicken on medium heat. Add desired amount of sauce and cook until heated through and thoroughly sauced.

recipe from Emeril Lagasse

For the apple slaw...

tops 3-5 sandwiches

2 Large apples, finely julienned
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
1-2 TBS mayo or miracle whip (just enough to wet it)
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 TBS honey

Mix together and place on top of chicken, all on a toasted bun.

Grownup "Hamburger Helper" (key to getting a perfect cheese sauce)

So I learned something the other day about my dear husband of mine...he LIKES Hamburger Helper...
*facepalm

Now, if I'm being totally honest I can't judge something I have personally never tried, I just have this vision in my head of melted powdered Velveeta over semi-bland beef. As his wife/friend/cook I strive to make dishes we like and enjoy, but as I was standing in the canned food isle, overwhelmed by the presence of this confounded mystery, I just couldn't do it, the culinarian in me just wouldn't allow it. So in order to recreate this nostalgic meal, I decided to make my own version. This is miles above the boxed brand (so I've been told), I subbed out beef for lean turkey, added some white wine to cut the richness of the cheddar (and because all fine things involve wine) and then some fresh peas for color. The result? High praises from the boy who grew up on this stuff annnnddd I thought it was pretty darn tasty myself.

Grownup Hamburger Helper

serves 4-6

1 (12oz.) box of pasta
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 small onion, diced small
1 TBS olive oil (I used garlic infused olive oil)
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground yellow mustard
salt and pepper
1/4 cup white wine, such as Riesling
3 TBS butter
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk, not cold (really cold milk might cause your sauce to turn lumpy)
2 cups room temperature shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup green sweet peas (I used leftover cooked peas but those individual steam bags would work well in a pinch)

Directions:

1.In a soup pan, boil salted water for the pasta. Cook 5-7 min, then drain - set aside.

2.In a large sauce pan, heat oil on medium heat, add onion and cook until translucent (5-10 min), add spices and ground turkey. Cook turkey until no pink is showing, when meat is done deglaze pan with white wine, cooking for 5 min. to burn off some of the alcohol.

3.Empty meat mix unto a plate and set aside, you'll now work on the sauce. Melt butter, then slowly add flour to make a roux, add milk slowly, making sure to whisk constantly to prevent lumps. Once sauce is done, add meat mixture, peas, and noodles. I scooped individual potions into ramekins and topped each with more shredded cheese and baked in the oven for 5 min. but it is up to you.

The key to making a smooth and creamy cheese sauce:

-Make sure your cheese is finely shredded and room temperature.
-Try to incorporate some acid (in this case it's wine) this prevent the cheese from getting chunky
-Having a roux always helps to thicken the sauce and it doesn't have a strong starchy taste like cornstarch
-Make sure when you add the milk that it is room temperature, otherwise your sauce might be lumpy.