Category Archives: Poultry, Eggs

Sriracha Egg Salad

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Sriracha Egg Salad

During the work week, I am notorious for eating lunch at my desk.  Some people may frown upon it but I don’t.  I consider it being efficient and a form of multi-tasking…

For those who do not know what Sriracha is. It’s an Asian chili sauce that you may be able to find in the Asian section of your favorite grocery store.  It’s a little bit spicy and in my opinion, tastes wonderful in so many dishes that you may want to add a little heat to.  It’s a staple in my kitchen and I use it all the time in soups, stews, sauces, eggs, stir fries and even on pizza.  

My Sriracha Egg Salad is one of those dishes that I can easily prepare the night before and have it ready in my lunch bag before I leave for work the next morning.  I just grab a handful of crackers, maybe a piece of fruit, some sparkling water and lunch is done. My Sriracha Egg Salad is a riff on a traditional egg salad but with light mayonnaise and spicy Sriracha sauce. Next time you are in the mood for egg salad, add a bit of Sriracha to liven it up.  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 4 hard boiled eggs
  • 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup celery (chopped)
  • 1 Tbs relish
  • 1 green onion (chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Sriracha or to taste (I like to use more)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • garnish with fresh chopped chives and pinch of smoked paprika

Peel and chop your hard boiled eggs.  Add to a medium sized bowl.  Add light mayonnaise, celery, relish, green onion, dijon mustard, sriracha, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Spread on your favorite bread or crackers.  Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Makes 4 servings.

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Teriyaki Chicken

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Teriyaki Chicken

While digging through one of my mother’s old cookbooks a while back, I found this gem of a recipe.  It was handwritten on the back cover by my mother and is one of the dishes that I remembered as a child.  This recipe came from a woman named Kay who worked with my mother at a furniture factory over thirty years ago.  Kay’s teriyaki chicken is without a doubt one of my most favorite all time dishes.  I like to serve it with steamed jasmine rice and a crunchy Asian Cucumber salad.  I adapted Kay’s recipe by adding a little bit of cornstarch and removing the Ajinomoto (monosodium glutamate).  Enjoy!  Tessa

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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
  • 3 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 2 Tbs cornstarch
  • 2 – 3 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • toasted sesame seeds

In a medium sized saucepan whisk together soy sauce, sugar, mirin, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch.  On medium low, cook mixture stirring occasionally for a half an hour or so until mixture has thickened.  Let cool.  Any leftover teriyaki sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks in an airtight container.

To make the teriyaki chicken, marinate chicken in a cup of the teriyaki sauce for several hours in the refrigerator. Place chicken on barbecue or indoor grill and cook until juices run clear or reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.  Throw away the marinade, don’t even think about reusing it.  Remove chicken from grill and let rest for about five minutes.  Slice chicken and serve with jasmine rice.  Drizzle chicken with teriyaki sauce (don’t use the same the teriyaki sauce that you marinaded the chicken in) and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

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A Winter Weekend in the Cascade Mountains and Chicken Lentil Soup

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Chicken Lentil Soup 

I love living in Southern Oregon.  One of my favorite things to do during the winter months is to visit the Cascade Mountains.  This year our family and friends stayed in some cabins up at Hyatt Lake over the weekend.  Hyatt Lake is about an hour drive from our home but in snowy weather, it may take twice as long.  There was at least 3 feet of fluffy snow on the ground and the temperature was a bone chilling 16 degrees.   The only way we could get up to our cabins was with four wheel drive pickup trucks for there was nearly 10 miles of narrow snow packed roads.

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A view up towards the summit.

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Along the edge of Hyatt Lake.  The lake was frozen over.  During the summer months, Hyatt Lake is known for its wonderful trout fishing and camping.

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A view across the lake.  The ice on the lake was only a few inches thick and covered with snow.  We would not dare walk out onto the lake for it was too risky and dangerous.

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Sunset in the forest.  It was eerily quiet.  The only noise that we heard was the snow dropping off the branches of the trees.  There were no birds, squirrels or any signs of wildlife. The birds either migrated south or are spending the winter in the valley below. Other animals such as black bear, skunks and squirrels are hibernating in their dens.  Deer, cougars and elk generally find their way down to the warmer lower elevations during the cold winter months.

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A view from the top of the mountain.  You can see the ski resort at Mount Ashland in the background.

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Snow covered Chinquapin Mountain. In late spring, when the snow has melted, Chinquapin Mountain is one of my favorite places to hunt for Morel mushrooms.  When I get some mushrooms this year, I’ll be sure to post some delicious Morel mushroom recipes.

After spending a cold day in the snow, my Chicken Lentil Soup is a perfect way to warm up. My Chicken Lentil Soup is made with locally grown organic green Laird Lentils, carrots, onions, celery, chunks of tender chicken and flavored with my homemade Garam Masala Spice Blend.  It’s easy to make, tastes delicious, and as an added bonus, it’s really good for you too!  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Laird lentils (washed and picked over)
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 cup onion (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup carrots (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup celery (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper (chopped)
  • 1 Tbs Garam Masala spice blend
  • 1 12 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 1/2 pound cooked chicken (chopped)
  • salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan with a lid, saute onion, carrots, celery and red bell pepper in olive oil.  Cook until onions are translucent and tender.  Add lentils, Garam Masala, tomatoes, garlic and chicken stock.  Cook on low heat until lentils are tender, about 30-40 minutes.  Add cooked chicken about 10 minutes before lentils are done.  Taste and correct your seasonings.  Serve hot with crusty bread.  Makes about 4 servings.

*Note:  I used precooked chicken that I found in the deli section of my favorite store.  I added the chicken towards the end of the cooking process because I wanted the chicken to stay tender.

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Turkey Cranberry Sandwich

Turkey Cranberry Sandwich

Every year during the winter holidays we always seem to have leftover turkey.  The reason is because we always have at least a 20 pound bird for Thanksgiving and sometimes we may even cook another turkey for Christmas dinner.  So, in the grand scheme of things, that’s a lot of turkey!  That’s when I have to get creative with the leftovers.  I make soups, stews, enchiladas, and even turkey lasagna.

One of my favorite ways of preparing leftover turkey is a turkey sandwich.  I got my idea from a local deli in town that offers Turkey Cranberry Sandwiches on their menu.  Whenever I stop there for lunch, that’s the sandwich that I generally like to order.  The turkey cranberry sandwich is piled high with fresh sliced turkey, tangy cranberry relish, and melt in your mouth cream cheese.  My version of the Turkey Cranberry Sandwich is a bit different for I like to use blueberry bread instead of white bread.  If you can’t find blueberry bread just keep in mind that it also tastes great on raisin bread.  So, the next time you happen to have leftover turkey, make this sandwich.  You’ll be glad that you did!  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients ***

  • 1/4 pound sliced turkey (no bones)
  • 2 Tbs cream cheese
  • 2 Tbs cranberry relish
  • 2 slices of bread (I used blueberry bread)

On one slice of bread, pile on your turkey. Add the cream cheese and then the cranberry relish.  Top with remaining bread, slice in half and serve.  Makes one delicious sandwich!

*** Note:  ingredient amounts are an approximation.

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Chicken Liver Pate

Chicken Liver Pate

When it comes to food preferences and tastes, I believe that people fall into two distinct groups.  People either like to eat liver or they don’t.  I consider myself one of the fortunate people who fall in the first category.  And as for my husband Bruce, well, take a wild guess…  I learned early on in our marriage that if I wanted to elicit a strong response out of Bruce, I would simply tell him that we are having liver and onions for dinner.

It all started with a harmless trip to the butcher…  Earlier that day I purchased a pound of calf’s liver and right before I was going to prepare the meal, Bruce noticed the package of liver in the refrigerator.  I kid you not, for within minutes, I received a stern lecture on why he will not eat liver.  Meanwhile, while trying to understand his food issue, I could not help but notice the look on his face.  The look on his face was priceless.  I knew I had just pressed a button :).

The other day while shopping for our groceries for the week, I saw a half a pound of chicken livers on sale and I promptly put them in my basket.  I knew exactly what I was going to make with them.  Chicken Liver Pate!  Not only just Chicken Liver Pate, but Chicken Liver Pate all for me.  My Chicken Liver Pate is easy to make and tastes delicious.  Serve Chicken Liver Pate on toasted crostini or on your favorite crackers.  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound chicken livers cleaned and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 3 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic (minced)
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme
  • 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
  • pinch of white pepper or to taste
  • 1/4 cup Marsala wine

Heat a saute pan to medium high heat (Not too hot).  Add olive oil and chopped onion.  Cook until onion is opaque.  Add chicken livers, garlic, thyme, salt and white pepper.  Cook until livers are cooked completely through and no pink color is left.  Remove thyme sprig and deglaze pan with Marsala wine.  Cook until wine has nearly disappeared.  Add entire contents of pan to a food processor and process until smooth.  Taste and correct your seasonings.  Remove from processor and place in a bowl.  Cover surface of pate with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until completely cool.  Serve pate chilled with your favorite crackers or toasts.  Makes about 3/4 cup.

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Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Chicken Satay.  Now close your eyes and repeat after me.  Saa-taay…  While you are saying it, just imagine hot, juicy, succulent, flavorful barbecued chicken on bamboo skewers drizzled with peanut sauce.  Close your eyes and say it again.  Saa-taay…

Did I just catch you drooling?

If you have never had satay before, satay is an amazingly flavorful barbecued dish that is generally of Southeast Asian origin.  It is prepared with many different ingredients such as chicken, beef, shrimp, lamb, fish, pork, goat and even tofu.  One of my favorite ways to prepare satay is with chicken.  I like to use bits of boneless, skinless chicken thighs marinated for several hours in coconut milk, Indonesian soy sauce and a variety of spices.  I then thread the chicken on to the skewers and cook them on the barbecue.

I like to serve my Chicken Satay with my homemade peanut sauce or drizzled with sweet chili sauce or sriracha.  I also serve it with a scoops of fluffy jasmine rice and fresh sliced cool cucumbers for garnish.  I also make sure that there’s plenty of sambal oelek on the side for those who love fiery hot food.  Makes 10 -12 skewers.  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  •  1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1″ cubes or strips
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp Indonesian soy sauce
  • 1 – 2 tsp minced garlic
  • pinch of red pepper flakes or sambal oelek (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

In a medium sized bowl whisk together all the ingredients except for the chicken.  Once the marinade has been blended, add the chicken and toss well to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Take 10 -12 bamboo skewers and soak completely in water while the chicken is marinating.  Soaking the skewers in water prevents the skewers from burning off while the satay cooks on the barbecue.

Thread chicken onto the skewers and cook on medium hot barbecue or grill pan until the juices run clear or the chicken reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit.  Toss any remaining marinade.  Do not brush it on the chicken while cooking and do not even think about reusing it.  Pay attention and turn your skewers occasionally for even cooking.  Be sure not to over cook or under cook the satay.  Makes 10 -12 skewers.

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Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Bruce and I lead very busy lives so cooking dinner on weekday evenings can be a crazy mad scramble. I’ve learned over the years to prep what I can in the morning before work and by the time I get home in the evening all I have to do is toss together a salad, make a quick side dish and grill up dinner.  Done.  If there is any one dish that tastes great and easy to make, my Lemon Rosemary Chicken is one that fits the bill.

Fresh picked Rosemary from my garden.

To make the Lemon Rosemary Chicken, all you need is boneless skinless chicken thighs, fresh rosemary, fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil and some spices.  Toss all the ingredients in a covered container in the morning before work, cover and refrigerate.  Come home, pull the chicken out of the fridge, toss on a grill or grill pan, and cook until the juices run clear.  See?  I told you that it was easy…  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 Tbs rosemary (chopped)
  • 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Toss all ingredients in a covered container and let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.  Toss any remaining marinade.  Place on medium hot barbecue grill or grill pan.  Turn chicken when halfway cooked.  Cook until juices run clear or the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit.  Pull from grill, let chicken rest for about 5 minutes covered, garnish with sprigs of rosemary and plate up.  Serves 4 – 6 people.

 

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Morel Havarti Omelet

Morel Havarti Omelet

One of the things that I love about Oregon is our morel mushrooms.  I never tasted a morel mushroom before until I moved here well over 25 years ago.  Nearly every year I hunt for them on the forest floor of the Cascade Mountains in the spring and early summer.  Some years I am able to find buckets full of mushrooms, sadly, this year, I was so busy with other things, I did not get a chance to go…  From what I heard from people who live in the mountains above the Rogue Valley is that the weather conditions were less than ideal this year and the picking season was terribly short.  So, when I saw these tasty little morels at my favorite food coop, I snagged a brown paper bag full.

Morels are easily identifiable by their shape and their honeycomb texture.  Before going out and picking morels be sure to do your homework and learn how to identify them properly.  There are other mushrooms out in the forest that are similar in shape and size to a morel. Those mushrooms are called false morels and what’s bad about them is that they are not edible and in fact, they may be poisonous.  False morels look similar to a morel so, just be careful…

A half pound of morels.  I always rinse mine before I use them.  The little ridges and pits in the mushrooms can contain dirt and other forest debris.  If you ever get a chance to purchase morels or go hunting for them, by all means, do it.  Morels taste amazing and are super simple to prepare.  You can saute them, fry them, put them in soups, sauces, or use them in ways you would white or crimini mushrooms.  I decided to take some of these mushrooms and put them in an omelet.  I prepared a basic 3 egg omelet and sauteed morels, shallots, thyme, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper in a bit of melted butter.  Filled the omelet with the morel mixture added some Havarti cheese and melted additional Havarti on top.  It was absolutely delightful! Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon cold water
  •  sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbs canola oil
  • 1 cup morel mushrooms (cleaned and halved)
  • 1 Tbs shallots (minced)
  • 1/2  tsp fresh thyme (minced)
  • 1 tsp butter
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 ounces havarti cheese
  • sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish

In a small bowl whisk vigorously together the eggs, water, salt and pepper.  In a nonstick pan on medium high heat add canola oil.  Add the egg mixture covering the entire pan.  Lift parts of the egg mixture with a spatula to allow egg mixture to go under the omelet and cook.  Cook until set.  Meanwhile in another pan, saute the morel mushrooms, shallots, thyme, salt and pepper in butter.  Add mushroom mixture to omelet.  Add 1 ounce Havarti cheese and fold.  Add remaining havarti to the top of the omelet, add a tsp of water, cover and melt.  Remove from pan and slide onto a plate.  Serve immediately.  Garnish with fresh sprigs of thyme.  Makes 1 omelet.

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Guamanian Chicken

Guamanian Chicken

My friend Janie first introduced me to Guamanian Chicken several years ago. She was taught how to make it from her sister in law who is from Guam.  Guam is an island territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean.  When Janie first told me what the ingredients were in the chicken, I thought to myself no way, it won’t work, its missing sugar or something sweet in the recipe.  I was seriously wrong…

Guamanian Chicken is probably one of the most flavorful grilled chicken that I have ever tasted.  It’s made with a sauce or a marinade called finadene.  Finadene is pronounced fin-ah-den-ee and not “vinny dinny”  like I originally thought.  Finadene is a simple sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, fresh lemon juice, sliced green onions and hot sauce.  You can adjust the heat by adding red peppers or omitting the hot sauce altogether.

After grilling a big platter of Guamanian Chicken, I like to serve it with fluffy white jasmine rice, and a bowl of finadene on the side for drizzling.  It’s easy to make and so delicious!  Enjoy!  Tessa

Guamanian Chicken Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds chicken hindquarters (cut up)
  • 1 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 Tbs hot sauce

Grab a large bowl and add chicken.  Whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, chopped green onions and hot sauce.  Add to chicken, toss well to coat, cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or overnight.  Turn chicken occasionally.

Meanwhile, make the sauce below by whisking all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  Put in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Finadene Sauce: (It’s the same as the marinade above, just half the volume)

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/8 cup lemon juice
  • 1/8 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup green onions
  • 1 1/2 tsp hot sauce

Now that the chicken has marinated.  Fire up your barbecue or indoor grill.  Cook chicken on medium to medium high heat until the juices run clear or the chicken has an internal temperature of 180 degrees.  Throw away the marinade…  Don’t even think about reusing it or drizzling it on the rice.  Remove chicken from grill, let rest 5 minutes and serve with rice and finadene sauce.  Makes about 6 servings.

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Egg Salad Sandwich

Egg Salad Sandwich

Years ago when I was a cook while working my way through college, one of the things that I had to make on the menu was an egg salad sandwich.  I was taught to make them with hard boiled eggs, miracle whip, yellow mustard and sweet relish on white bread.  It was served with a handful of plain potato chips and a dill pickle.  Some people just loved it.  Me, on the other hand, I thought that it was simply anemic looking and disgusting…

Heirloom Tomatoes

I love preparing eggs so I thought I would try to improve upon the egg salad sandwich recipe that was taught to me years ago.  First of all, I ditched the miracle whip and used a good quality mayonnaise instead.  I swapped the plain yellow mustard for Dijon mustard and omitted the sweet relish.  I added capers, fresh chopped celery and fresh snipped chives.  I also added chopped roasted red bell pepper, a pinch of curry powder and fresh cracked pepper.  I serve my egg salad sandwich on whole wheat bread with sliced heirloom tomatoes and fresh picked lettuce.  Enjoy!  Tessa

Ingredients:

  • 2 hard boiled eggs
  • 2 Tbs light mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbs chopped celery
  • 1 Tbs chopped roasted red bell pepper
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp capers
  • 1 tsp chopped chives
  • big pinch of hot madras curry powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 slices whole wheat bread
  • garnish with fresh picked lettuce and sliced heirloom tomatoes

Begin by grabbing a small bowl.  Using a fork mash the eggs in the bowl.  Add all ingredients except bread and garnishes.  Taste and correct your seasonings.  Divide egg mixture and place on two bread slices.  Add tomatoes, lettuce and top each sandwich with a bread slice. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.  Makes two sandwiches.

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