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Photos of What We Eat #13: Grilled tuna with Beschamel sauce

Metroknow — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:07:06 +0000

Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by eating real food in moderation. This post is a continuation of the series of photographs of What We Eat. If you enjoy this post, please consider subscribing. Thanks.

Supper, summer

Grilled Oregon Albacore Tuna with leftover homemade Beschamel sauce
Cippolini onions and fresh green beans (CSA, Farmer’s Market)
Fingerling potatoes (CSA)

I love this photo for one personal reason: growing up, when we ate green beans, they typically came from a can. I really didn’t discover how great fresh green beans can be until adulthood, I think mostly because my palate has changed over the last few years.

We have been spending every evening outdoors if at all possible knowing that summer is winding down. I have no doubt that there are already queues of clouds forming in the deepest nether regions of the Pacific, but it’s kind of a taboo thing to think about in early September. Summer in the Pacific Northwest is hard to beat, and when it is accompanied by fresh, local food, there are few simple things that are more enjoyable on a perfect September evening.

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Photos of What We Eat #12: Locally Raised Braised Lamb Masala

Metroknow — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:08:51 +0000

Lamb masala: Braised lamb (locally raised), zucchini, eggplant, organic garbanzo beans (canned), potatoes (CSA), chopped cipollini onions, celery, and carrots (CSA and our garden), fresh garlic (CSA), 2 cups of premade masala, 1 cup premade curry, golden raisins, garam masala spices, dania powder, whole Thai coconut milk (canned)
Raita: Whole milk yogurt (Nancy’s), salted cucumber, cilantro (from our kitchen garden), fresh lime juice, pepper
Salad: Greens from the garden and CSA, olives, basic balsamic vinaigrette
Naan (store bought)
Rice: Brown jasmine rice cooked in chicken stock and water

The highlight of this meal had to be the lamb. We’ve found that braising the lamb at high heat is the key to keeping it tender in masala or curry. This dish cooked for about an hour.

If you read the ingredients for the masala, you’ll note that we used a few cups of premade masala and curry. The reason for this was simple: to make a good masala from scratch takes time. We started dinner a little later than normal, and keep a few jars of good masala and curry around for just such occasions.

This meal was also a good value; in addition to feeding the four of us and my wife’s parents, we had leftovers for lunches for the next several days.

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Photos of What We Eat #11: Chipotle Sausage and Seasonal Vegetable Soup

Metroknow — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:43:03 +0000

Chipotle sausage and seasonal vegetable soup: Organic chicken stock with water, Niman Ranch Chipotle sausage (chopped), swiss chard, celery tops, and beet tops (all from our garden), mirepoix of onions, celery, and garlic (from our garden and our CSA), potatoes (CSA), salt and pepper, topped with grated parmesan
Homemade artisan bread

The goal of Monday evening’s dinner was simplicity. We had just come home from our trip to Seattle, and didn’t have much to work with in the refrigerator. Thankfully we had an abundance of produce from our garden and from our CSA.

The Niman Ranch sausage was a great find at the local grocery store. I bought it a few weeks ago on sale, and then froze it for just such an occasion. It was marked down to nearly half price because it was within a couple of days of the pull date. Freezing it was the best option, and it really paid off. This meal fed our family of four plus April’s parents, with leftovers for lunch for two the next day.

I was also happy to have bread dough already made, since the Master Recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day keeps for almost 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

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Photos of What We Eat #10, Seattle Edition: Caesar Salad at 5 Spot

Metroknow — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:08:14 +0000

Saturday evening in Seattle we ate with friends and family at 5 Spot on Queene Anne. 5 Spot is one of our old hangouts, and was a frequent late night dinner stop for us when we were out on the town. 5 Spot’s atmosphere is what I would call “hip quirky” – lots of odd, seemingly random elements on the walls that make it fun just to look around and investigate what’s new, and a really broad range of patrons. This time, they had “spooky” radio drama piped into the bathroom sound system, which is par for the course for 5 Spot.

This evening I chose to go with a lighter dinner – a small Caesar salad with added chicken. Although 5 Spot is one of our favorites, to be honest the Caesar was just OK, and I probably won’t order it again. The plate came with only two average croûtons, and the dressing was barely noticeable. This was probably made worse because everyone else at our table was enjoying some of 5 Spot’s delicious house specialties, like the incredibly good fried chicken and the portabella mushroom stuffed into a flaky phillo dough. When folks at the table are eating so well, and I’m trying to keep it light, an extra croûton or two is what I’m lookin’ for.

I’m also an anchovy fan when it comes to Caesar salad, which probably stems from my time on the East Coast, and I didn’t detect any of the familiar saltiness. Anchovies in Caesar dressing are not terribly common on the West Coast, but I’m always hopeful when I order a Caesar for the first time at a restaurant.

At any rate, I was happy with the choice in that the small portion was just right for my appetite. I left feeling just full (not overstuffed, which is the norm at a place like 5 Spot), and glad that I had made a good food choice.

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Photos of What We Eat #9, Seattle edition: Indian food and the Seattle skyline

Metroknow — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:58:00 +0000

Supper, Friday night at my sister’s home in Seattle

On Friday night of our Seattle trip, we ordered take-out from an Indian restaurant near my sister’s home on Queen Anne. I have a weakness for Indian food, so moderation is definitely a challenge. However, this evening I succeeded in keeping it to one plate, which was my aim. Although I certainly cannot vouch for whether even a single ingredient was local, I think that as with all things, balance is the key. We default to eating local whenever possible, but we also have the occasional indulgence.

The second photo was taken from the window sill of my sister’s home. It was a beautiful summer evening in Seattle – one of those evenings that remind you of why you live in the Pacific Northwest – and a good photo to keep around for the winter doldrums.

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Photos of What We Eat #8: Quiche at Cafe Besalu in Seattle

Metroknow — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:45:10 +0000

Lunch, Friday afternoon, Cafe Besalu in Seattle (Ballard)

Cafe Besalu is one of our favorite places to eat in Seattle, and is on the mandatory list of stops whenever we are back home. Today we shared one of each of the quiches they had left at lunch time; unfortunately, I didn’t write the ingredients down before we left – I was in a culinary haze after eating bites of each of these, and then finishing it off with an Americano and a lemon cookie.

When you eat here, Life, is Good.

Cafe Besalu is the closest we have found to a Parisian cafe outside of Paris. The croissants and pastries are the real thing, the service is excellent, and the atmosphere is simple, intimate, and comfortable whether you are out trying to impress a date or looking for a lunch spot with your wife, toddler, and 4-year-old.

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Photos of What We Eat #7: Sushi with shrimp soup

Metroknow — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:18:10 +0000

Supper, Thursday night at my Brother-in-Law’s home

Homemade Tekka maki (tuna roll), Salmon maki, Kappa maki (cucumber roll) with avocado, and “sushi explosion” (my Brother-in-Law’s name for the “everything” roll)
Shrimp soup with various vegetables
Nigiri sushi: Sashimi (raw fish), which included tuna, yellowtail, and salmon (as I recall), on white rice.
Pickled ginger, wasabi, soy sauce

On our recent visit to Seattle, My Brother-in-Law made sushi for dinner, which is his specialty. He does a great job, and we enjoyed this meal thoroughly. In general, Sashimi takes a little getting used to for the Western tongue, but it is one of my favorite corners of Asian cuisine.

I am also a huge wasabi fan, particularly mixed with soy sauce. I love the effect that it has of making the back of my head and my sinuses feel like something has gone horribly, horribly wrong – and then just as quickly it goes away.

The shrimp soup was not bad, but not the best we’ve had – but it was just the luck of the draw today. It was a ready-to-cook fresh mix that came from a local Asian market. It was mostly vegetables and fresh shrimp, which were good, but the fish broth didn’t have much flavor.

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Photos of What We Eat #6: Fish tacos with rice, beans, and corn

Metroknow — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:54:53 +0000

Fish taco: Flour tortilla, grilled Oregon Albacore tuna, homemade organic black beans, fresh corn (Farmer’s Market), small amount of shredded cheese, fresh cilantro (from our garden), fresh organic tomatoes, sauce (see below)
Sauce for tacos: home made sour cream, lime, cilantro, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper, tiny bit of honey
Rice and beans: Brown basmati rice cooked in chicken broth, home made organic black beans, topped with fresh tomato, cilantro, lime, salt and pepper
Corn on the cob (Farmer’s Market), butter, salt and pepper

Ed. note: I am slightly behind in posting this week’s photos as we’re up in Seattle visiting family. I’ll be posting photos of several our meals here as well, as I have time.

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Photos of What We Eat #5: Bantam egg omelette with roasted potatoes

Metroknow — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:25:34 +0000

Omelette: Bantam (Banty) eggs (pastured), artichoke hearts, small amount of bacon (uncured Niman Ranch), onions (from our CSA), a few capers, small amount of mozzerella, a bit of tomato chutney, topped with fresh salsa.
Roasted potatoes: Fingerlings, garlic, and cipollini onions (from our CSA), rosemary (from our garden), extra virgin olive oil, butter, salt and pepper, hot sauce (for me).

This is not a typical mid-week breakfast for us, but we have guests visiting this morning so April made a heartier late morning meal. This will likely be the primary dish for breakfast and lunch today, with a mid-afternoon light lunch before supper. For supper with our company, we may recreate the grilled Albacore tuna dish from last week.

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Photos of What We Eat #4: Fusilli pasta with summer vegetables and shrimp

Metroknow — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:58:40 +0000

Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by eating real food in moderation. This post is a continuation of the series of photographs of What We Eat. If you enjoy this post, please consider subscribing. Thanks.

Summer supper outside, Sunday evening

Fusilli pasta with yellow squash, zucchini, and cipollini onions all from our CSA, swiss chard from our garden, and frozen shrimp, cooked in a good quality extra virgin olive oil (quality is key), 4-5 cloves of fresh garlic (CSA), half of a fresh-squeezed lemon, several tablespoons of homemade whole milk sour cream, tablespoon of locally made tomato and pepper chutney (farmer’s market), 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste
Sauteed carrots (from our garden) in olive oil and butter, salt and pepper to taste
Fresh organic avocado, salt and pepper to taste

Ed. note: April would like me to clarify that we would normally have accompanied this with a fresh salad from the garden, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be this evening. We eat salad. We promise.

Chutney makes it all better

Chutneys are not a particularly common element in American homes, but they are a standard accompaniment in many International cuisines. We are fortunate enough to have a local chef who sells her homemade chutneys, jams, and relishes at the Farmer’s Market. Diana Robson’s products are aptly named Diana’s Delights, which are made by hand by Diana herself. She has been mentioned several times in local media (that I’ve seen), including a recent mention in the Oregonian:

“[...]it was hard to resist the bewitching English accent of Diana Robson as she handed out samples of her exquisitely tart lemon curd, along with chutneys, jams and relishes. After shuttering her antiques store and returning to her culinary roots as a personal chef, she started Diana’s Delights using produce from her daughter’s farm.” -The Oregonian/OregonLive, Market Watch

At one point in her life, Diana owned a restaurant in the UK that was recognized by the Michelin Guide. Her lifelong passion for food is manifested these days in her wonderful creations, which are constants in our refrigerator or cupboard. If we’re going to purchase prepared food, Diana’s Delights are our first choice.

You might be wondering, “So what’s the big deal with the chutney?”

The reason I am focusing on it is it’s the secret to this simple dinner. The chutney added a sweet, peppery surprise that I think I tasted directly only once or twice; but it added a nuance to the savory dish that made all the difference.

One other tip which was garnered from Jamie Oliver (one of our favorites): cut the zucchini and yellow squash into pieces that are similar in size to the pasta you’re using. The bite sizes are perfect, and cook well.

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