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
Remember to hike single-file when with a group.
Common sense seems like a typical response to how to behave on the trail, but you’d be surprised how many have no clue. My friends over at Modern Hiker kindly put together a few tips that everyone should consider while adventuring outdoors.
(Read the full article on REI’s blog. Bullet points below are quoted from the article.)
Hikers vs. Hikers
Hikers vs. Bikers
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
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!
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.)
In all seriousness, I’m not gonna pretend that I just lightly seasoned the salmon…
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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
We all have our preferred comfort foods, and one of mine is the ever so delicious tuna noodle casserole. My father is a beast at making leftovers into amazing casseroles (or slumgullion, as he would call them), but my expertise lies with this one dish. It helped me through many a cold winter night in Syracuse, and I’m sure it’ll warm the cockles of your heart as well.
Inspired by the Picnic House‘s brown rice salad, this side dish is a big hit at potlucks, lunch and dinner side dishes. Happily, the recipe is simple, limited effort and absolutely delicious – hot or cold.
Ingredients (serves 4)
Directions
Most of the “work” for this dish is taken care of while the vegetables are roasting, which can be done the night before and then kept cool until serving. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss cauliflower, carrots and sweet potatoes with 2 tbs of olive oil, some salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the vegetable roast, warm over low heat the remaining tbs of olive oil in a pot, then add the brown rice and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add water and cook to package instructions (usually around 25 minutes).
Once the rice has finished, remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally to release the heat. If you would like this to be a warm salad, immediately start mixing together the roasted vegetables and rice, add hazelnuts, cilantro, and vinaigrette. For a cold salad, let the rice cool completely before adding all the ingredients together.
Yup, that’s pretty much it! You may like to add more salt and/or vinaigrette to the salad, but regardless, you won’t be disappointed in the outcome!
Leftover tip: heat the leftover salad over medium heat with just some water, then break an egg and scramble. Makes for an awesome breakfast!
Well, it’s more than halfway through January, and I noticed I haven’t written since Thanksgiving. Oops. Looking back at 2014, my heart is warmed to realize all that I accomplished, and I am so grateful to have hiked over 30 different trails, traveled to various parts of Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, New York, Texas and Hawaii, try brand new things (mountain biking made the top of the list!), share laughter with friends new and old, and – of course – cook a ton of delicious food. Thank you to all who made 2014 an incredible year!
Now it’s on to 2015, and it has proven there’s no rest for the wicked! New Year’s Day wouldn’t have been complete without a frozen waterfall hike to Triple Falls, and the next days were kept full with whale watching attempts, snowboarding, bouldering, and lots of new recipes! Over the past few weeks, I’ve been pondering plans for the next 365 days, and without further ado, they are as follows (in no particular order):
It’s Thanksgiving week, which means I’m compelled to reflect on the past year and consider the most wonderful events I’ve experienced. With some recent life changes, I’m reminded of the importance to stay true to yourself and focus on what makes you happiest. For me, that includes hiking a mountain, laughing and enjoying beers with friends, traveling to new (and old) favorite cities, and, of course, cooking up a storm. Below are a few photo representations of my most thankful 2014 moments:
I have wanted for years to see frozen waterfalls, and Portland’s early winter finally afforded me the opportunity to see some beauties. The Columbia River Gorge has over 100 waterfalls, and many of them freeze over during the cold snaps. This excursion takes us to the E Columbia River Historic Highway to view Horsetail Falls, Ponytail Falls, Multnomah Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
Distance and Difficulty: Total of 3 miles across all the waterfalls, with the longest stretch being 1 mile round trip. Easy.
Elevation Gain: up to 350 feet gain
Directions: From I-84E, take exit 28 at Bridal Veil and turn right onto the Historic Highway. Drive for about 4 miles until you see the Bridal Veil parking lot. After you’ve enjoyed the Falls, head back east on the Historic Highway and stop at the various waterfalls (you’ll see them all the way down). Choose the falls I’ve noted, or go even further down toward Ainsworth to Elowah and McCord Falls, Latourell Falls, or Lancaster Falls.
Tip: I strongly recommend cramp-ons for this kind of a trek. The snow is very packed, so snowshoes aren’t necessary, but regular hiking shoes don’t offer the right amount of traction. I immediately picked up a pair from REI after NOT having cramp-ons and am very excited to test them out.
My Favorite -Ings 