Food and Drink

Cooking, dining, and all things sustenance-related.

2015 Most Grateful Moments

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As 2015 came to a close, I realized that while I wouldn’t call it the best year, it was full of challenges and events which have helped form me into a stronger (albeit slightly wider) person. As an active Oregonian, it was most difficult for me to hang up my snowboard for the season as well as my road bike in order to make way for bodily healing. I’m happy to report that I am on the mend and look forward to sharing more outdoor adventures with you in 2016, but 2015 was absolutely the year of much cooking and a few outdoor memories. Sometimes life throws you a curve ball, and while I didn’t accomplish all my wishes during 2015, I made many other memories that wouldn’t have been possible if life happened the way I planned.

Below is a compilation of the best of the best:

Columbia River Gorge view while hiking to Ponytail Falls
First stab at zucchini noodles was a resounding success
Mt. Tamalpais view from Larkspur, CA
First pop up jewelry show for Mother’s Day!
Sadly, my family bid adieu to our beloved Aussie-Border Collie mix, Delilah. You will be greatly missed, Miss D.
Veggie Burger (would have been vegan, but I had to add cheese)
Mushroom ravioli with roasted butternut squash, hazelnuts and spinach in a cream sauce
Dahlia Festival (Canby, OR)
Avalanche tulips blanketed the way to Cairin Basin (Mt. Hood, OR)
Zucchini “tortilla” and breakfast burrito
The best damn olive tapenade e-v-e-r
Waterfalls at Hug Point (Canon Beach, OR)
A most amazing autumn view of Mt. Hood (Lost Lake, OR)
Crazy awesome oyster shooters and beer flights at Fort George Brewery (Astoria, OR)
Coconut shrimp with grilled apricots and peanut coconut jalapeno drizzle
New Year’s Day frozen waterfall hiking at Triple Falls (Columbia River Gorge)
Ground beef and veggie zucchini boat
Mt. Hood’s profile from Maryhill Winery (Columbia River Gorge, WA side)
About to descend into the Ape Caves lava tubes (Mt. St. Helens, WA)
Hiking up to Cairin Basin (Mt. Hood, OR)
A brilliant way to spent 4th of July: Cascade Head (Lincoln City, OR)

 

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

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If you enjoy food porn as much as I do (obviously you do, because you follow this blog), I strongly recommend following Buzzfeed’s Tasty channel. In less than a minute a video, you quickly find inspiration for future meals, and perhaps a bit of a drooling session.

These meatballs are super delicious, and pretty fast to put together. If you happen to have any leftovers, toast up some sourdough bread, add a little Trader Joe’s cilantro salad dressing and have at it. Continue reading

Coconut Pineapple Green Smoothie

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Friends, I’m in love. While coconut has always had a place in my heart, I have had little admiration for coconut water. Until now. Thanks to Whole Foods, I learned about a new way to prepare a green smoothie, and it’s one that I’ll likely be making weekly. Summer will never be gone as long as this bad boy (or girl, no judgement) sticks around! Continue reading

Creepy Chocolatey Crawlers

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My friend @awlarralde loves, I mean loves Halloween. In a holiday-induced craze, she made a large batch of goodies, including these chocolate pretzel spiders. While waiting for the kiddies to come by and trick-o-treat, enjoy your own tasty treats. Continue reading

Creamy Tortellini Soup

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Fall doth arrive, and with it my incredible urge to cook up a storm. While I’ve been remiss in posting frequently the past few months, I promise it’s been for good reason: I’ve been working and cooking hard! As the weather turns to cool, my attention turns from salads to heartwarming soups. This recipe has been on my Pinterest board for many months, and now finally has a chance to shine. Continue reading

Chard and Garbanzo Bean Salad

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For something with so few ingredients, it really packs a flavorful punch. I was so pleased to share this dish with a friend recently, and she gave me the best compliment of all: entire shock at how tasty it was! Let this be your meal’s main feature, or partner with roasted chicken or pork. If your experience is anything like mine, you’ll be adding this salad to your cooking rotation tout suite! Continue reading

Beef Stroganoff

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Stroganoff has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember, and once I went off to college, I had to learn quickly how to make the dish for myself. Yes, many converts were made, and to this day it’s a go-to meal when I could use a pick-me-up or just want something warm, creamy and delicious for dinner. This is a great base recipe, so there’s room to grow and experiment (try adding some curry powder or BBQ seasonings). Continue reading

Pork Meatball Banh Mi

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In Portland, Asian-fusion is its own food group, and while Pok Pok and Koi Fusion are among the city’s highest acclaimed Asian restaurants, Lardo is quickly rising through the ranks. The best Lardo menu item I’ve had thus far is their Pork Meatball Banh Mi, with its sweet, spicy, and pop of freshness flavor, this is a meal I can get behind any time of year. In an effort to limit how many times a week I want to eat out, I made my own Lardo-inspired banh mi, and while it’s not perfect, it’s pretty darn close! Continue reading

Smoky Brown Sugar-Crusted Salmon with Avocado Cream

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I am a huge salmon lover, but I can appreciate others are still warming up to it. For those people, I’m really excited to try this spicy salmon recipe! If you’ve tried it, let me know what you think!

Tina's avatarThe Dough Will Rise Again

A small miracle occurred in my kitchen last week: I cooked salmon. Salmon that was totally raw – not smoked, or preserved in any way. No one was holding a gun to my head, and I had purchased the fillet of my own free will. Even better, I actually thought the final product was GOOD, and not just in an “I will tolerate this food for the sake of my health” kind of way… but in an “I would willingly eat that again, even without the presence of a threat of bodily harm if I don’t” sort of way. This can mean only one thing: I am growing as a person. Next thing you know, I’ll be ordering raw oysters at restaurants! (No. No, I will not. I am growing as a person, not growing CRAZY.)

Smoky Brown Sugar-Crusted Salmon with Avocado Cream

In all seriousness, I’m not gonna pretend that I just lightly seasoned the salmon…

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Sausage and Veggie Pasta in Creamy Tomato Vodka Sauce

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Yeah, you heard me.

Sometimes even when you need comfort food, some vegetables are in order, and that’s what I made for myself one fine evening. The base vodka cream sauce recipe (butter, yellow onions, heavy cream, vodka) can be used in multiple iterations, so try your hand at it and impress all your friends. Continue reading