Stuffed Portabello Mushroom Caps

Fresh eggs have returned to the farm!

With the increased number of eggs, comes the hunt for new ways to use them.  This was an incredible find and definitely share worthy. Portabello caps, a drizzle of speciality olive oils, fresh eggs with golden yolks and garden fresh basil roasted to perfection.  We had fresh mozzarella on the side, tonight, but I think next time we will shred it right on top before roasting.

What you will need:

Portabello mushrooms, washed and dried with stems removed

Eggs

Olive oil with rosemary

Olive oil infused with black truffle

Fresh basil

Thyme, dried

Pepper

Sea salt

Cover baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Place mushroom caps and drizzle lightly with both olive oils.  (A hint here: a few drops of the flavor infused oil goes a long way, don't over-do it.)  Crack egg in separate dish, then pour gently into mushroom cap without breaking yolk.  (This is easy with fresh eggs.). Large Portabellos will take more than one egg.  Our eggs are still small so we used 2-3 for each cap.  Add fresh basil, sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.  Place in 300 degree oven for 12-25 minutes depending on size of mushrooms and filling.  We cooked them long enough to cook the yolks through.  The bigger mushrooms did accumulate a bit of moisture in the cap as the mushroom cooked down, I simply drained it before placing on the serving dish.  

This is great for a hearty meal on a meatless night.  I am already thinking of foods to add for variations of it - sautéed asparagus spears?  Bacon?  Sun roasted tomatoes?  Capers served with cool cucumber sauce on the side?  Oh yes!  This is a good one!

These are my olive oil favorites.  The truffle oil is difficult to find outside of a specialty gourmet shop (or Amazon) and a peek at the price tag may send you in the opposite direction with empty hands thinking that it's not worth it. I'm here to tell you, it's worth every cent and a little goes a long way. There is a reason the spice trade has been going on since 3000 BC - spices, herbs and seasoning turn "average" into AMAZING.  Be brave, take risks, try new tastes.

The Thing about my Birthday...

I don't always celebrate my birthday.  It's not always a happy day for me.  In fact, there are years that it is one of the toughest days I struggle through.  It has nothing to do with me or the fact I'm getting older or anything else even remotely related to the typical reasons some people don't celebrate their special day.  It has to do with grief and the unpredictable process that it imbibes.

I lost a close friend in an avalanche the day before I turned 22.  He was the first friend I thought I'd never be able to live without.  He was the kind of friend who understood the not-so-easy to understand parts of a teenager struggling to grow up and young woman floundering to assimilate her adult identity.  We shared something special and I was so fortunate to have that time with him. Losing him devastated me.

It's been over twenty years and this is what I can tell you about grief -- it never leaves you.  It becomes a part of you and there is no going back to the person you once were.  Everyone finds their own path through it and no two paths are the same.  Time doesn't heal this wound, but it does provide you the opportunity to figure out what 'the new you' needs in your life to survive it.  It will get easier but there will also be blindsiding moments that knock you down and take the wind out of you as if you had just been told the gutwrenching news.

This was one of those years.  I don't believe logic and grief have anything to do with each other so I don't waste time trying to figure out "the why" anymore.  It just happens.  I accept it, let myself be sad and detach for a little while.  I nurture my soul, regroup my thoughts and come out on the other side a little bit older and a hell of a lot stronger.

I share this because it's only when we stop talking about loved ones that they are truly gone.  I share this because I have a handful of friends and family making their own way through loss and sometimes knowing someone else is fighting the same battle somehow helps.  I share this because I was flaky and dismissive about well intended and thoughtful celebration plans this year and feel an explanation is due.  I share this because it's part of me.  It's gritty, it's dark, it's raw, it's a struggle, but it's me.  There is a reason I seek out the light of a sunset, sunrise and stars.  It is to help fill this dark spot.

Thank you for all of the happy birthday wishes and forgive me for maybe being a little more distant than usual.  I appreciate your thoughtfulness and all the great things you bring into my life.  Next year, we party like rock stars.

Blueberry Lemon Cake Martini

It's "just enough" sweet balanced with the perfect amount of tart.  It quenches your thirst but leaves you wanting more.  It advances a fruity foo foo cocktail to the next level and adds a twist of sophistication.  Move over Cosmopolitan.  (Insert wink here.)

1 part Three Olives Cake Vodka

2 parts Simply Lemonade with Blueberry

Lemon slice to garnish

Rim chilled martini glass with squeeze of fresh lemon.  Add vodka and juice to shaker over liberal amounts of ice.  Shake vigorously, until frost appears on outside of shaker.  Pour into martini glass and garnish with fresh lemon slice.  Enjoy!

Crockpot Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup with Bacon

1 package of bacon, cut into small pieces

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons of garlic, minced

6 tablespoons of flour

2 cans of evaporated milk (12 ounces each)

1 bottle of Black Butte Porter 

3 cups of chicken broth

5 cups of broccoli florets, stems removed

16 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup of cream or half & half

Salt

Pepper

Garnish: spoonful of sour cream and finely sliced green onions

Sauté bacon until cooked, drain off most of the fat from the pan but leave 2-3 tablespoons.  Add onions. Continue cooking over medium heat until translucent then add minced garlic.  Continue over medium heat, stirring often.  Add flour 2 tablespoons at a time and stir into paste.  Slowly add evaporated milk and stir until well combined.  Add half the Porter slowly and incorporated over low heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chop broccoli florets into bite sized pieces and put into crockpot.  Cover with remaining beer, broth and then slowly pour rest of mixture over the broccoli.  Set crockpot on high and cook stirring occasionally for 3-4 hours.

Turn crockpot to warm (or off), add butter, cream and grated cheese stirring in to incorporate.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top with a sprinkle of green onions.

Triple Chocolate Porter Cupcakes?! Yes!

Want to add a little depth to a cake box cupcake?  Add some adult flavor to an old favorite?  Easy peasy!  

Replace the water in any cake box mix recipe (I used Betty Crocker's Triple Chocolate Fudge) with your favorite Porter or Stout.  Kona's Pipeline Porter has the added layer of Kona coffee.  I also split the oil measurement with half sour cream and half olive oil for a bit more tang and to add density. The only thing I kept the same was the number of eggs I added.

Easy, chocolate and Porter.  Three of my favorite words.  I don't know if they will last long enough to frost!

Crockpot Pork Tenderloin

Oh my yum!  Beyond bacon or an occasional good ham, I'm not a giant fan of pork but this meal is a double thumbs up at our house and so easy to throw together that it's a "must share".

The pork tenderloin is currently available at Costco in sealed packages sold by the 4 pack.  I usually cook 2 at a time because we have a large crockpot and the leftovers make incredible sandwiches. The hardest part about this recipe is simply remembering to take the meat out of the freezer to thaw the day before!

The measurements are flexible.  I never make it the same way twice and it has never failed to turn out great every time.

The basic ingredients are:

Pork tenderloin roasts

Garlic

Wine, a red cab or merlot

Broth, we use chicken broth

Rubbed sage

Rosemary

Salt

Pepper

Brown sugar

Balsamic vinegar

Cornstarch

Horseradish, cut or creamed (optional)

Add 2 minced cloves of garlic to bottom of crockpot, rinse the tenderloins and put them on top of the garlic.  I then add 1-2 cups of leftover red wine and fill the rest with a combo of broth and/or water. Sprinkle in the teaspoon of sage, teaspoon of rosemary, salt and pepper.  I make sure the tenderloins are covered or just barely peeking out.

Turn the crockpot on low for an all day roast or high for a 4-6 hour cook time and go on with your day.

The pork should be cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.  I pull it out and shred it into large chunks in a 9x11 baking dish, covered with foil to keep it warm.  

In a saucepan mix 1 to 2 cups of the broth from the crockpot, 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar, a teaspoon-ish of minced garlic, a half a cup of balsalmi vinegar, salt, pepper and a tiny bit of minced horseradish.  A tablespoon or two of corn starch will thicken it.  Sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't.  Heat this mixture up stirring until it boils, then pour over the shredded pork.

I broil the pork in the oven, turning the shredded pork over a few times, until the topping coats and sticks to most pieces.  Sometimes I skip this step, too.  The sweeter I make it, the more important this step is but my husband isn't a big fan of sweet so a light coat of sauce is plenty and glazing it on to make a nice crust isn't as important.

My favorite way to serve this is on a toasted potato roll bun, smeared with a light coat of creamed horseradish but I've watched a grown man eat it with a fork, right out of the serving dish.

The Pink and Purple Panther

It's a cousin of Cupid's Cup (http://cocktails.about.com/od/vodkadrinkrecipes/r/cherub_cup.htm) and the Red Martini Bar's (Redmond, Oregon) Cupid's Kiss!

Crisp, light, dry and fruity but not too sweet.  A perfect cocktail to sip in the hot tub!  

Happy Valentines Day!

Muddle:

1/4 cup (or handful) of fresh or frozen huckleberries

2 oz vodka

1 oz St. Germain

Loosely strain mixture over ice:

Finish with a light layer of Pink Moscato Champagne

or substitute Sprite or seltzer water in place of champagne.

Stir and enjoy!