Author: Tracey

Is that a Zucchini in your pocket…? Mini Turkey-Zucchini Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce

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We unintentionally brought home a human-baby sized zucchini from the Portland Farmer’s Market.  I swear, I had every intention of returning this behemoth to its rightful owners (our friends who purchased it for all of $2) but this zucchini had other plans and instead managed to stow away in my suitcase headed for the bright lights of Las Vegas–sorry Janette!  We spent almost all day Memorial Day making things with this giant zucchini! First I made a casserole with the ingredients you see pictured below.  That was tasty, but not quite tasty enough to share with you yet.  Then we made a zucchini pizza with parmesan, basil pesto and olives.  Now, that was really tasty and I’ll be sharing that one soon.  But this recipe for “Turkey & Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion and Cumin” from the cookbook “Jerusalem” by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi was the clear winner.  Can you believe I was able to get three entire dishes from one giant zucchini? I have had this cookbook for a few months now and so far …

My 100th Post! Plus, Surviving the Portland Boil of 2014

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It’s my 100th post!  A couple of weeks ago, after I published my 99th post, I started to feel a little anxiety over what my 100th post would look like.  I initially thought that I wanted to do something BIG and insanely complicated.  A blog post that would cause balloons and confetti to fall from the sky.  But, that didn’t exactly happen.  Instead, I got myself so wound up about my 100th post, that I couldn’t seem to write anything at all.  And soon after that, I was out of town for two weekends in a row! So, instead of a big, complicated recipe, I’m going to show you some of my vacation photos! I make no bones about the fact that someday I would like to retire in Portland, Oregon.  Our dearest friends abandoned us relocated to Portland in 2011 and have been enticing us to move there ever since.  And since my feet first landed on Portland soil that first time in 2011, I’ve fallen inextricably, entirely in love with the place.   …

Purple Kale and Farro Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

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Last week in a fit of health-filled exuberance, the Husband declared Mondays “Raw Food Monday”.  Now, I know this man and I knew the look I would get if on Monday evening I brought him a nice pile of crudités. It would be the look of “well this is tasty, but where is dinner?” I think an important part of being in a relationship is understanding what your partner really means when they say stuff like “Let’s have Raw Food Mondays”.  In my relationship, it means, “I’m feeling like I overindulged on the weekend and would really like to eat healthier”.  So, without saying a word, when Raw Food Monday came around, I set to work making this Purple Kale and Farro salad. Filled to the brim with leafy greens, whole grain farro, zucchini and tomatoes, I knew it would check all the healthy boxes and be filling as well even it if didn’t fit the qualifications of “raw food”. As normal, around dinnertime on Monday, the Husband asked “what’s for dinner?”.  “A salad” I replied. He immediately looked …

The Infusion Project – Homemade Infused Vodkas and Flavored Simple Syrups

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  I live in Las Vegas.  And if you know anything about my town, it’s that good drinks ain’t free.  A nicely crafted cocktail in a lounge on the Las Vegas Strip will likely set you back at least $18, and that’s before a tip and that’s part of the reason why I started learning how to make cocktails at home!  Another reason for learning how to mix cocktails at home is that it’s just plain fun and in my opinion, it kind of makes you look like a bad-ass!  My approach to cocktail mixing is really similar to the way I approach cooking: using fresh, homemade ingredients and really good quality spirits! Lately, I’ve been thinking of ways to “up my game” in the home cocktail mixing arena.  I have a couple of really great cocktail books at home, but I found that each time I wanted to make something from them, a key ingredient for the cocktail should have been made…last week!  And that key ingredient was often an infused spirit.  That scenario occurred enough that I finally decided …

The Year I Learn to Bake: Savory Ham and Cheese Scones

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Easter has come and gone leaving behind a huge container of leftover ham that has found itself in a multitude of dishes throughout the week, and all throughout the week, I’ve been dreaming of these scones! I could hardly wait for Saturday morning to come so that I could finally make them!  Fluffy and golden, studded with bits of ham and pockets of melted cheese and slathered with butter; well, let’s just say these scones need to be in your belly, right now! With the help of a food processor, you can mix up these scones in mere minutes, and before you know it, these hot, buttery scones will be on your breakfast plate, ready to be devoured–or as in our case, snatched hot off the baking pan and devoured while standing in the kitchen!  Either way, you’re going to love these savory scones! I baked these scone in two batches. The second batch was made using the leftover dough from the first batch.  While the first batch baked in the oven, I shaped the leftover dough …

Raspberry Lemon Martini

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How great is this cocktail?  It’s so great that you just might forget that there is any alcohol in it and maybe drink it way too fast and then wonder where you left your shoes!  I found the recipe for this Raspberry Lemon Martini on my friend Lori Rice’s blog during the week and I knew I had to make it immediately!  The color was bright and springy and I just happened to have come home that day with a carton of beautiful raspberries and a bag of lemons! It was serendipity!  It was so easy to prepare, so tasty and delicious, that I actually heard myself mumbling “yum, yum, yum” as I drank it!  I really did drink it too fast, but I was at home, so it was all good–I just couldn’t remember where I put my shoes… As with any cocktail, you’ll want to choose the freshest ingredients and use a good quality spirit.  I used Grey Goose for this one.  It comes together so quickly that you’ll be enjoying this one outside on your patio in …

Roasted Asparagus with Clementine Butter Sauce

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As I’m writing this, I just happened to glance outside and saw a hummingbird in the backyard!  Hummingbirds make me so happy!  It tells me, one, it’s Springtime and two, I have enough flowers blooming that they want to stop by for a quick sip!   This week I want to share a few recipes that really celebrate the fresh flavors of Spring.  Easter is this weekend, and what I love about that holiday is that it’s the perfect opportunity to showcase bright, spring vegetables!  Even though I buy asparagus throughout the year, this is the time when they taste the best and don’t break the bank!  The recipe is so easy and I think it will be perfect on the Easter table. The asparagus is roasted in the oven and then finished with a sauce that is both bright and fresh as well as richly decadent.  This is yet another one of those sauces that I have to keep myself from eating with a spoon!