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Writing up a recipe has challenges, particularly the part where I write the exact amount of an ingredient. Often it is calculated by estimating the amount of an ingredient by visually imagining the sliced pile of hot peppers in a measuring cup. Then I realized each canning jar I used was 4 ounces. Five jars, 4 ounces each, so 5 x 4 equals 20 ounces. Then an ounces to cupsconversion has to be calculated. That equals 2-½ cups sliced hot peppers. Or I could describe the hot peppers by...
This is a slightly different variation from the recipe published July 2016 in The La Conner Weekly News. At the final stage of cooking the jam, a foam covers the top, during the full rolling boil. This can be removed by skimming the top with a large broad spoon and savingthe foam in a small bowl. Removing the foam is optional. It is more a matter of aesthetics than necessary. I remove most of the foam per family custom. It is a delicious snack, enjoyed by the spoonful. My mother and I cooked...
Surprisingly, the lemon is the predominant flavor in this recipe. We order Alaskan cod from the Butcher Box. Each fillet is vacuum sealed and frozen. The lemons I bought from Costco and they were ample in size and fresh. Dill is not my favorite herb, so I used dried parsley. Generally I find ways to blend both olive oil and butter in preparing fish. Here, I useda bit of olive oil poured on the foil lined baking pan, under the cod and dabs of butter on top of the cod. This recipe is for two...
Beets are available year round. They are easily grown from seed here in the Pacific Northwest. Beets are a root vegetable that stores well and keeps well. This recipe calls for one large roasted red beet. I roasted a few beets a day ahead. Ingredients Roasted red beet, one large Valencia oranges, two small White balsamic vinegar, one tablespoon Salt, to taste Preparation Peel, slice and cube one cooled, roasted red beet. Cut into half-inch cubes. Splash on the white balsamic vinegar. Mix...
This is a recipe for the Instant Pot. For a stovetop version, refer to my recipe published in 2013 in the La Conner Weekly News. Back then, I was asked to write up a recipe for Spanish Rice, to be included as a recipe handout for the La Conner Sunrise Food Bank. It was one of two recipes I provided to them. You can substitute your salsa preference. Ingredients White or brown rice, 2 cups, rinsed Pace Picante Salsa, ¾ cups Chicken broth, 2 cups Butter, 2 tablespoons Salt, ¼ cup...
Celeriac is a root vegetable that stays fresh in your refrigerator crisp drawer. Adding celeriac to mashed potatoes creates a unique flavor, a bit like turnip. When mashed, if you leave small chunks, the flavor is more memorable. Ingredients Celeriac, 1 medium Red potatoes, 3 medium Water, to cover Milk, ¼ cup Butter, 2 tablespoons Parsley, ¼ teaspoon Salt and pepper, to taste Preparation Rinse and peel the celeriac and potatoes. The amount of the celeriac and potatoes will be...
Our good friend to the north, Willie Lane, offered us fresh herring eggs from Sitka, Alaska. Willie is a tribal member of the Lummi Nation and lives in his tribal community. Willie has a generous and humorous spirit, much like my husband, Kevin Paul. Their friendship reminds me of my Inupiat culture (Northern Alaskan Eskimo). We have a laughing/joking friend, to share and laugh. Mine happens also to be my husband. Foods from the wild are a joy to share. As we traveled north to pick up a half...
This is one of the few meals that I fry in oil. I use a clear oil, canola oil, and added a tiny bit of toasted sesame oil. I test the oil to see if it is hot enough by dropping in a bit of the tempura batter. It sizzled and floated to the top. To protect my hands, while cooking, I use long metal tongs and oven mitts that cover my entire hands and wrists. Ingredients Alaskan cod, cut in strips, 3 strips per serving Canola oil, 2 cups Toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon Flour, 1 cup Egg, 1 large Cold...
Clams and other foods from our area waters are eaten at every opportunity in my home. These Butter Clams were dug by Ben James, who is also known as “Ben Jammin” or “Ben be Jammin” as in “clam jamming”, or digging clams. What a perfect nickname, to be associated with one of the traditional foods of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. They say, “when the tide is out, the table is set.” My husband tells the family story that his step-grandfather, Alfred Sampson, Sr., would walk through the woo...
This is known as wurstsalat in German. I subscribe to a monthly German food box and joined a German cooking group on Facebook. My adopted Polish family has German roots, so I grew up with a taste for sausages and sauerkraut, pickles and cheeses were staples in our home. The German mustard pickles (Senfgurten) I use in this recipe arrived in the German food box. It was not too sour and thus perfect to add to this recipe. Serving suggestion: with dark breads and on a buffet table. We ate it...
Simple ingredients. Straightforward. Delicious results! The low temperature and slow roasting, allows the full flavors of the ribs to blend wonderfully with the barbecue sauce. Plus the added benefit of slow roasted bones for our Miniature Australian Shepherd, Chili, who is now three years old. I rinsed the bones before sharing with Chili. Ingredients Baby Back Pork Ribs, 2 pounds Avocado Oil, 2 tablespoons Barbecue Sauce, 1/3 cup Preparation Prepare the roasting pan by applying avocado oil to...
We love fish! Preferably wild fish from the ocean. In my Alaska native community, fish is air dried, fermented in the earth, pickled in jars and eaten frozen/raw. In these parts, I enjoy pickled fish, smoked fish and frozen, then cooked. The local fish and chips are delicious. Our favorite is from La Conner Pub & Eatery. The cod I prepared in this recipe is from our monthly subscription, The Butcher Box. The cod was a “add-in” special. So happy we made the decision to add it in. Ingredients Cod...
This recipe is from my dad’s cousin, Joann Vanderpool, who lives in Tennessee. I look at her cooking almost every day on Facebook. She posts today’s meals and meals she made a few years back. I saw this recipe and thought, what a perfect thing to make for our nephew’s, Jason Paul, birthday. Jason grew up in our household when he was young, around 4 years old. The year I was pregnant with our daughter, Katherine; two of my husband’s sisters, Kimberly and Karen, asked if their boys could live wi...
This is the creamiest, most-flavorful side dish and is simple to prepare. Garnish with a dab of butter and salt and pepper to taste. We are lucky it grows locally and ours came in a winter CSA box from Boldly Grown Farm. This is offered through the Swinomish Tribe’s nutrition program. Eating fresh organic produce is what I strive for in our daily diet. Roasted Butternut Squash Ingredients Butternut squash, halved and seeded Water, 1 to 2 cups Parchment paper, optional Preparation Preheat the o...
This recipe I made in a 3-quart Instant Pot. It is easily adaptable for a stove top recipe. Potatoes, onion, carrots and turnips made up my selection of root vegetables. It is also a hearty warm meal for our cold winter season. Using kitchen scissors, I cut up 4 ounces of flat iron steak into stew size pieces. The steak was a bit fatty so the stew broth was the same. Ingredients Stew meat, ½ pound Onion, ¼ cup chopped Carrots, 2 chopped Turnip, 1 small, chopped Potatoes, 2 medium,...
I was getting creative with a rotisserie chicken from Costco. A chile verde sauce is an easy ingredient to find at most grocery stores. We received ours as a gift from our daughter. She purchased it while on tour in the southwest with her band, Black Belt Eagle Scout (pre-COVID-19). Chicken Chile Verde Enchilada Ingredients Rotisserie chicken, 2 cups chopped Flour tortillas, 3 large Chile verde sauce, 1 jar, 16 ounces Cheese, shredded, 2 cups Margarine, 3 to 4 tablespoons Oil spray Parchment...
This recipe uses leeks from the CSA box we receive from Boldly Grown Farm. My daughter Katherine and her husband Camas sliced them for me. I thawed two slices of the ham I cooked at Christmas. This is a nutritious meal at very little cost. The immersion blender I purchased 4 years ago receives occasional use but is a useful kitchen tool to expand our diet choices. Ingredients Butter, 3 tablespoons Leeks, 2 medium, sliced Chicken broth, 6 cups Potatoes, 4 medium White pepper, ½ teaspoon...
A perfect blend of flavors. Curry is an option but I prefer cinnamon with a touch of ginger. It was an excellent decision. I started with sweet potatoes and carrots peeled and cubed, with help courtesy of my daughter, Katherine and her husband, Camas. I provide them with fresh vegetables and they do the prep work. It was delightful to have our daughter move home with her family. Ingredients Onion, 1 medium, chopped Butter, 3 tablespoons Sweet Potato, 1 ½ lbs., peeled and cubed Carrots, 1...
I have bungled this recipe a few times. It simply takes the right cut of meat and nice strips of bacon you can pull around the filet. For just over a year we have subscribed to the Butcher Box. Filet mignon is often in the beef box subscription. I used an indoor electric grill. Ingredients Filet mignon, 1 per serving Bacon, 1 per serving Toothpicks, 1 per serving Avocado oil, 2 tablespoons Cracked black pepper, to taste Pinch of salt for each filet Preparation Heat the oil in an indoor electric...
Each holiday season I stock up on seasonal favorites. They are often on sale. Stouffers Turkey stuffing was two for $4 this past fall. I bought two. This recipe needs a few simple ingredients that requires some preparation and dirties a few pans. I used a fry pan, a sauce pan and a covered casserole dish. Ingredients Pork chops, 2 to 4 Stove Top Stuffing, seasoned, 6 ounces Cream of mushroom soup, 10 ½ ounce can Milk, ¼ cup Salt and pepper, to taste Olive oil, 2 tablespoons...
My first taste of Fire Cider was almost in a moment of desperation. I had a lingering cold virus, stuffy nose and hacking cough. We all know that feeling. Back, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a cold virus made us uncomfortable. Fire Cider helps ease some of the symptoms of a sore throat. A teaspoon sip or two as the remedy for the symptoms. I became enthused about making a homemade version after our friend Becky Black assembled hers. And Myk Heidt, who works for the Swinomish Indian Tribal...
Kim’s family and my husband’s family go back generations, in terms of friendship. On a recent fall day, she quietly dropped off a loaf of her homemade zucchini bread with the recipe written in a beautiful notecard. I baked her recipe and I love the orange zest. She gave me permission to share her recipe in my column. She has been using this recipe for about 35 years. Ingredients Sugar, 1 cup Vegetable oil, ½ cup Eggs, 2 Orange, 1, peel finely grated Flour, 1 ½ cups Baking pow...
If you are like me, you assemble all the ingredients, the measuring cups, spoons, bowls and baking pans, prior to measuring and mixing. The oven preheats as I begin pulling every ingredient together. I prefer to put things back where they were. They are then easily found when next used. I used a mini loaf pan. This recipe makes 8 mini loaves or one regular size loaf. Ingredients Ripe bananas, 3 medium (1¼ cup mashed) Applesauce, unsweetened, 6 tablespoons Eggs, 2 large Honey, ¼...
Poaching eggs brings me back to my childhood. Among my toys was an aluminum egg poacher that poached 4 eggs at a time. You set it in a shallow pan with water that was brought to a simmer. My mother loved my poached eggs. Soft and warm. Over the years I have poached eggs, sometimes with an egg poacher and sometimes like this recipe. Ingredients Eggs, 1 to 2 per person Water Preparation For this, I use a regular skillet and a large metal serving spoon. Fill the skillet half full of water and...
This is a time saving recipe. Bake up a batch and freeze enough for several meals. This is made from simple ingredients that many have on hand. Baking on parchment paper helps with clean-up but is not necessary. Our first meal with these baked meatballs, I served with ravioli and a tomato-based sauce. It was delightful. My husband, Kevin, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and safe holiday season! Ingredients Ground beef, 1 pound Eggs, 2 Milk, ½ cup Panko or bread crumbs, 1 cup Onion,...