taking a break...

to spend some time with these little people before life gets even more crazy...surgeries, family time, travel...lots of stuff. so i'll be MIA for just a bit. if i can get some images i actually might be posting tons from the hospital. but we'll see. till next time...

new addition...

here's the latest addition to my pantry staples...sherry vinegar. i thought i had quite the stash of vinegars and felt well prepared for most recipes. red and white wine vinegar, raspberry, balsamic, malt, apple cider, rice wine vinegar...i really thought i was covered.

UNTIL i discovered the food beauty that is momfuku. i know, i feel like i'm saying a bad word when i say it too...anyway. i bought their cookbook recently and have been trying to figure out how to get my stomach to NYC ever since. and i'll be honest. the recipes in this cookbook take time, lots of time AND some pretty uncommon ingredients.

but when i read a recipe that called for sherry vinegar i was intrigued. i finally found it at a local grocery story and when i brought myself to get over the shock of it's hefty price tag, i bought it. that was about a month ago. and the bottle is almost empty. i can't get enough of it and use it anytime i can.

so there's a little trick. a not so common ingredient to mix things up a bit. you can make the investment and thank me later.

can't live without...

if i were stranded on a deserted island these are three things i couldn't live without. they make EVERYTHING taste good. good ol' kosher salt...it tastes less metallic to me and it seems like i use less of it to get the taste i want. fresh ground pepper...that's the red thing right there. my $8 pepper mill from ikea. it's really the best one i've ever had. and extra virgin olive oil. and head's up, from now on when i refer to olive oil, this is what i mean. (and i'll be honest, i feel silly typing out "extra virgin olive oil" ever time...takes too long.) but it really does make a difference and you can get two big jugs of it at costco for $20. it's worth the investment.

and just to drive my point home, i can't tell you how many times someone has asked me, "what did you PUT in this? it's SO tasty!" my answer is always, "olive oil, salt, and pepper". minimal effort and tasty results. can't get better than that.

a little secret...

for the weekend, i thought it nice to leave you with one of my new favorite shortcuts. my mother-in-law picked this up from costco a while back and it was just sitting in the fridge forever. one night i was running behind with the meal so i grabbed this, not knowing how much i'd really like it. it's just got a great balance of salty-sweet and that sesame oil that really never gets old. we eat it with our green salads but it would also make a nice marinade or be great for a cold noodle salad. so pick some up if you see it and give yourself a little break. and enjoy your weekend :)

quinoa is my friend

i don't remember the first time i heard about quinoa. i just remember it was such a crap shoot cooking it. i was thinking i was following directions correctly and it would never turn out...until one day and it did. and it was perfect. even jon loved it.

i love it because it's so healthy and a nice alternative to couscous and rice. the sherry vinegar in this recipe is what makes it.


quinoa salad w/ garlic and hazelnuts
serves 4-6

1 cup quinoa
2 cup chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
1 T sherry vinegar
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T parsley, chopped
salt
pepper


toast the quinoa, garlic and hazelnuts in the olive oil over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. (this helps with the nuttiness factor.) add chicken stock to pot and bring to a boil. season with salt and pepper. cook for 15 stirring regularly or until liquid is dissolved. remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. remove lid and fluff with a fork. stir in the vinegar and parsley. you can serve this hot or room temperature.

total knockoff...

Rooster Dumpling and Noodle Bar is definitely one of our go-to places anytime we eat out. it's where we take company from out of town. they hosted our anniversary party last year and we're planning on having another with them this year. city weekly even voted their dumplings the best in utah.

there are a couple of things on their menu that i could really eat every day. these grilled potatoes are one of them.  the chili lime mayo, or as i lovingly call "asian fry sauce", is the kicker with these suckers. once you make these you'll understand :)


grilled potatoes w/ asian fry sauce
serves 4-6

6-8 yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup mayonnaise
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
1-2 T sriracha
salt 
pepper 

parboil the potato slices until just tender when pierced with a knife. heat grill or grillpan to medium high heat. drizzle potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. grill potatoes 5-6 minutes on each side.

for the dipping sauce, combine the mayo, zest, juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a smal bowl. the sriracha is REALLY spicy so start with just 1 T to find out how much works for you.  

a proud day in the canlas household

this is an almost empty bottle of sriracha. it was a happy day in our home when we realized we'd gone through our own first bottle in just a couple of weeks. this condiment has the kind of heat the hurts so good. you can't get enough of it. we put it on everything now...quesadillas, eggs, soup, french fries...it'll be in the next recipe that i've lovingly named asian fry sauce.

what is fry sauce? well that's a whole other post. more on that later. tomorrow we'll talk about the asian version that will change your relationship with crispy potatoes as you now know it.