Jamie Oliver's - Chicken Stroganoff

This was a huge hit! My sister and her friend where raving about it for a couple days after I made it asking me to make it again. The photo isn't the best I had to use my cell phone because we'd just moved in and I couldn't find the battery charger to my lovely camera. But trust me on this recipe it's pretty simple and it's a winner. Savory and light at the same time, thank Jamie Oliver not me! It's from his new cookbook Food Revolution. ;)

Chicken Stroganoff (serves 2)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
sea salt
1/4 cup long grain or basmati rice (I used brown basmati rice)
1 large leek
a big handful of crimini or oyster mushrooms (I used pre-sliced white mushrooms)
2 chicken breasts (I used the equivalent amount of chicken tenders from the butcher)
olive oil
a pat of butter
a glass of white wine
freshly ground black pepper
a bunch of fresh parsley
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 lemon

Method:
Pour boiling water from the kettle into a 2 quart saucepan, place on a high heat and add a pinch of sea salt. Add your rice, bring back to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly. Cook for the length of time given in the instructions on the package.
Cut both ends off the leek, quarter lengthways, slice across thinly, then wash well under running water. Slice the mushrooms. Slice the chicken breasts into little=finger-size pieces.
Put a large frying pan on a high heat and add a good lug of olive oil and a pat of butter. Add the leek to the pan with the white wine, a small glass of water, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Let it bubble away for 5 minutes, covered loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley, stalks and al. Remove the foil and add the chicken strips, most of the parsley, the cream, and the mushrooms. Stir, bring back to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain your rice. Just before serving, cut your lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half into the stroganoff. Season to taste.
Spoon some rice onto each plate and top with the stroganoff. Scatter with the rest of the chopped parsley. Serve with the other lemon half, cut into wedges.

Humboldt Winter

I moved to Humboldt County last November. This area is wonderful for salad, vegetables, and fruit! We can always get something fresh, organic, local, and that might be out of season anywhere else! Sometimes I can do a salad up right with Trinidad's Sun dried tomato cream cheese sprinkles or local humboldt fog blue cheese with steak. Humboldt fog is one of the best blue cheeses I've ever tried and has won first prize awards from the American Cheese Society three times. http://www.cypressgrovechevre.com/
Clockwise: Steamed and Broiled Veggies with Spanish Steak & White Truffle Mash Potatoes. Humboldt Fog Blue Cheese & Steak with Sugar Snap Peas. Pot-Roast Meatloaf (Jamie Oliver's Recipe)- chickpea tomato sauce with. And Winter could be Summer in Humboldt Salad; Trinidad Bay Cream Cheese with Fresh Strawberries, Nectarines, Squash, and Onions.

Oregon Red Currant Sauce

Honey Pork Tenderloin with Polenta and Red Currant Sauce:
This was a fun recipe to make. Believe it or not the pork tenderloin was broiled not grilled. All I did was cover it in honey, ginger, garlic, a bit of karo, and creole seasoning. Then filled the bottom of the broiler with some chicken stock, apple vinegar, dried pineapples, and a bit of white wine. Turned the broiler to high and cooked it 20 minutes (turning it over half way through). Made some creamy polenta to go with and wa-la!
The star of this dish was the red currant sauce which I adapted from a recipe on http://blog.healthyeats.com
The recipe called for half a cup either champagne or white wine vinegar, which I found kind of odd sense they are very different in flavor. I took a gamble and went with the white wine vinegar thinking the currants might be a bit tart and the vinegar might do the trick to counteract that. In the end the sauce turned out pretty wonderfully although next time I am going to go with champagne instead because the vinegar was good with pork but on a different protein such as lamb for instance I think you wouldn't appreciate the vinegar's acidity as much, as with pork I also used apple cider vinegar (which is common).


Red Currant Sauce
Makes 1/2 cup

1 pint red currants
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup Champagne or white wine vinegar (I recommend champagne)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 whole garlic clove, peeled

In a small saucepan, combine currants, sugar, vinegar, salt and garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until currants burst and liquid has reduced by half. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer, cool slightly and serve.

Marssa

One of the best dining experiences I've ever had. This was my choice for Valentines Day diner.
This is how you know you had a good diner,...When there isn't one thing you didn't enjoy and everything you tried was really delicious. When it comes to sushi sometimes it's hard to have your taste buds surprised in a good way- this place did just that.
The service was what I wish every place to be like! Our sushi came out pretty fast. Our waitress, Natasha was really nice. When we asked what she liked best she didn't just say the most expensive items she mentioned a few different choices. Also every plate we ordered she knew what it was and explained the dish to us when she brought it out!

Chef Fuji offers sushi "classes" (sushi and sake sessions). Our dinner orders where so beautiful we're defiantly considering taking a class, I'm sure we'd learn a thing or two! I was reading online that chef Fuji is the only master sushi chef in all of Nevada (this may or may not be true).

One fact is that all of our fish was fresh, beautifully prepared, and delicious! The kobe beef short ribs where very savory. Our favorite item was the Tropical Salmon Sushi Roll: tuna, avocado, rolled with salmon, sliced mango, and a squeeze of lemon. The salmon and mango blended in both taste and texture so well, it was a really refreshing sushi roll.

We ordered a sake sampler (which was all cold sakes) my favorite was the Shirakabegura Tokubetsu Junmai.

If you come here please order the Hamachi/ Yellow Tail that was also one of our favorites.

In the pictures you'll see we also got the Bento Box- crispy lobster, kobe satay, edamame dumplings, and chicken yahatamaki. And we got The "Marssa" with all soy paper, which is chef Fuji's specialty sushi and sashimi. It was so nice getting to try all these different bites, and when our waitress Natasha brought it out she knew everything that was in each of his specialties so again that made it more fun to try.

Last but not least we ordered ice cream and the chocolate lava for desert. Our dinner came with amuse-gueule of seared hamachi and at the end with chocolate lollipops.

We can't wait for patio dining to open up- the view of the lake is nice here and once the patio opens up it'll be even nicer. Lake Las Vegas is a drive if you live on the West side of town but trust me it's completely worth it and really nice break from the city!

Baked Brie with Honey

Ingredients:
1 small brie cheese (approx. 6 inches)
4 tbs. apricot jam and/or honey
4 oz. toasted sliced almonds

Preparation:
Cut the rhine off of the top of the cheese only
Spread apricot jam or honey on top of cheese.
Bake at 300 degrees F. for approximately 12 minutes.
Sprinkle with toasted almonds and cook for another 5 to 10 min until cheese is bubbly.
Serve with crackers, grapes, or sliced apples.

Black Bear Diner (Shasta, CA) (Las Vegas, NV)

With a chain like this I really don't understand why anyone would ever choose denny's or ihop? While on a camping trip last September we went to the original black bear in Shasta, California. We have a black bear here in Las Vegas as well. There are actually quite a few on the west coast, I've also been to the one in Alturas, CA (which I heard was unfortunately closed?)

Black bear is home-cooking, diner style, food. I really like this place for breakfast! Again me with the cobbler, where there is cobbler you'll see me. I hope if you've never tired this place you'll give it a whirl, you won't be disappointed! The menu is huge!

Morgan's Country Kitchen (Florence, Oregon)

One of the most beautiful places I've ever been to, Florence Oregon. While camping at Adler Dunes last September My friend and I got tired of making everything "campfire" and lucky for us Morgan's Country Kitchen is right there on Highway 101. The sign outside says, "homemade cobbler" oh yes, we swerved right into parking. Cobbler happens to be my favorite dessert. On this trip I told my friend ahead of time, "Two things I must have on this trip and I'll be happy as can be; first I have to go to the sea lion caves, second; I must find peach cobbler." Guess what, that day turned out really nicely because I got both!
Oregon is famous for wild berries so if you come here maybe even order a berry cobbler instead. But for me, peach is my favorite!
I forgot the name of what I ordered but it was something like Morgan's Favorite Breakfast and it was a hashbrowns that had ortega chilies and lots of cheese. I love my potatoes, as you can see! My friend got waffles, bacon, and eggs, this along with their fresh coffee woke us right up.

Le Zodiac Cafe (Santa Fe, New Mexico)

This cafe fit right in with the unique-ness of a place like Santa Fe! I liked the selection of breakfast and lunch items here. This cafe is owned by french artisans.
Pictured here is a basic sugar and european butter crepe, I say sometimes simple is the best kind of delicious.
I ordered my Mom a croque monsieur, (Forest ham (or turkey), swiss cheese, and bechamel sauce.) Which was served with organic field greens. *Everything here was organic, natural, and/or locally grown.

Sedona Restarant & Lounge

The best appetizer. This place has my favorite appetizer in all of Las Vegas.
Ahi Tuna Chips- rare blackened ahi tuna, crispy wontons, asian slaw, citrus soy & wasabi oil.
Best part is this is still on the menu late, if you're hungry at two or three in the morning, this is a great place to stop and get a bite, because they are open till 4am.