Baked Chicken and Artichokes

Spring is finally here and the longer daylight hours entice me to stay outdoors as long as possible. This recipe will take only 20 minutes (maybe less) in prep, and the rest is oven time.

If you're anything like me, you welcome a new way to prepare skinless and boneless chicken breasts. Of course, this will work with any cut of chicken (or turkey) but I like this recipe best for breast meat because it stays moist throughout the baking process.

I've been working on a few versions of this one so my friends and loved ones are about over chicken and artichokes by now.

The first version is one I read about in Epicurious magazine and I stayed close to the original recipe with a few variations (more garlic and the addition of red pepper flakes). The second version follows.

Aside from succulent chicken and an easy recipe, clean-up is a cinch. Happy Spring!

Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Level: Easy
Yield: Serves 4

Fancy Apple Slaw

If you follow my Facebook or Twitter page, you might know that I picked up some apples from the farm to school  program and have been threatening to blog about them for some time. I do love the apples and the local program is blog-worthy by itself but this is a recipe blog so I'm stayng in my wheelhouse.

Unfortunately, the apple-a-day rule usually takes over and there are none left to incorporate into my recipes. This time I bought some fresh and made this to serve with a ladies lunch. Apple slaw is so easy and it takes very little time to prepare.  If you make coleslaw you probably noticed the absence of sugar. You wont need it, the apples and red pepper add all the sweetness you need. That pretty watermelon daikon added lots of color but was also peppery compliment to the slaw.

I hope you enjoy this one.


Time: 20 Minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Level: Easy

Sockeye Salmon Appetizer

What fun that Thanksgiving and the beginning of Hanukkah are converging this year! I feel so blessed to have been invited to a dinner where our backgrounds cross paths and we all get to break bread as thankful Americans.

Our hosts allowed as how this would be a traditional Thanksgiving menu but, when I was asked to bring appetizers, it seemed like I could be somewhat creative with a nod to a traditional Jewish meal of lox and bagels.

Instead of bagels (after all, this is an appetizer) I'm using small loaves of pumpernickel and rye because they are hearty, flavorful and firm -- even a thin slice doesn't require toasting.

With the bread choice solid, it was off to the Oregon Lox Company for some sockeye salmon, then to pick up some Nancy's cream cheese, another local specialty.


I've had something like this before, but never had a recipe so the day has been full of trial and error. Tasty trial and error, but still. Anyway, I think I've settled on a flavorful combo so I thought I would take a picture and share my recipe. The dill and capers are what set this apart. The shallots can be replaced with caramelized onions, but don't forget the capers. Seriously.

As I count my blessings this year, I'm wishing you the happiest of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah celebrations.    





Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 24 appetizers
Level: Easy

Tomato Cabbage Soup with Turkey

A chill is in the air and that can only mean one thing; it's time for soup!

I say that like I enjoy a chill in the air (and soup). Actually, I'm not really crazy about either so I have to experiment with my favorite ingredients and hope for the best. I shouldn't be surprised that this one was popular -- anything with tomatoes, garlic and bacon usually doesn't last around here!

Not only does this one go together quickly, but the flavors of tomato, shallot, garlic and Italian seasonings are deceptive. It's a light soup with the taste of a bowl of pasta! In fact, this is a great way to use leftover sauce from Sunday dinner. If you do that, omit the tomato paste and additional herbs. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that the first time I made this, I tried a new (to me anyway) product from Progresso. They're called Recipe Starters and I tried the fire roasted tomato flavor. It was really good, but because it contains sugar, cream and wheat, it might not be right for everyone.

Of course there are a lot of variations, most notably without meat but I wanted to add the protein and make it a one-pot meal.

Time: 1 hour
Yield: Serves 8
Level: Easy

Slow-cooked Pork in Northwest Mole Sauce

It's been a busy month and I've been cooking up a storm. Now it's time to blog about some of this!
When friends from Washington were visiting, I made pork in mole (pronounced mo-lay) sauce but I had try it with a northwest spin. I've been working on my mole sauce for a long time but this one turned out nice and it was simpler than most I've tried. The slow-cooker takes a lot of the work out of it.

Mole sauce, while complex, isn't all that tough to make and it gets better with time. A quick check online will produce more recipes than I imagined but there are some ingredients that stay the same; nuts, chile peppers, and something sweet are the basic 3 but there's room for creativity every step of the way.
For this recipe I used Oregon hazelnuts instead of almonds (or peanuts) as the chief thickener. I used dates instead of raisins and sunflower seeds instead of sesame.

Even the pork was a northwest original. I chose fresh pork that's sustainably raised and fed with GMO-free feed. In this case, it came from Tails & Trotters, noted for finishing the feeding process with hazelnuts. How perfect is that? Many thanks to Mike Wooley, from Long's Meat Market, for working with me. Most butchers are used to questions about the quality of the meat, and they routinely work with the size of each piece (they had to fit in the slow cooker) but he didn't miss a beat when I told him that it needed it to be photogenic, too.

I gave this one a 'difficult' rating but it's not hard to do, just complex. There's a lot of tasting as you go and it helps to know what you like. If you've never made mole before, consider this one a worthwhile adventure in the kitchen.


Time: 1 hour prep 6-8 hours total
Yield: Serves 10
Level: Difficult