Chicken Quesadillas

Every cook I know has a go-to list, things you can prepare with what you have in the fridge in a reasonable amount of time.

Tonight, for example, I was late getting home from work, and while sitting in traffic, I made dinner. Not literally, of course. Mentally, I ticked off the possibilities and finally decided on pasta with pesto sauce (from my summer batch) tossed with a few ounces of leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.

Funny thing, after I got home, I spied an avocado on my kitchen windowsill, now ripe, and remembered the tortillas I’d frozen after my last batch of burritos (also on my go-to list.) Ah hah, I had the makings for quesadillas! For some reason, I don’t make them very often, but why not layer your leftovers between two tortillas, cook them briefly, fix a quick salad, and ring the dinner bell. Even better, if you have kids, let them choose the fillings and put them on however they like. After all, they love to do that with pizza. Plus, cut small enough, quesadillas are just the right size for pint-size hands. Vegetarian, vegan, carnivore, you name it, and there’s a quesadilla for you. After all, they’re nothing more (or less) than tortillas filled with your favorite savory foods, so set the imagination of your inner child free.

If a big ear of corn comes to mind when I say the word, tortilla, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. At my favorite local store, Edmonds PCC Natural Market, the choices range from traditional, to sprouted wheat, gluten-free, and brown rice. I’m not big on corn or white flour, so I buy spelt tortillas. They’re more nutrient-dense, but you’d never know them from their bleached-flour cousins. And, for additional interest, look for spinach and other colorful ones. Mix it up, present your quesadillas on a platter, and you have the perfect introduction to a Mexican fiesta.

For fillings, scour your fridge and use what you find. Mushrooms are a good choice, particularly when you pair them with goat cheese. In the photo at the top, leftover basil-chicken, olives, and cheddar cheese melted into tasty quesadillas assembled in minutes. Other possibilities? Go Italian with fontina cheese, roasted red peppers and sausage. The point is, if it’s living in your fridge, you probably like it, so use up your this-and-thats.

For something traditional, go the Mexican route with refried or mashed beans, salsa, and mozzarella cheese. Or, turn your favorite pizza toppings into a Q. Mine happens to be gorgonzola cheese, pears and pine nuts. By now, you’ve probably thought of your own possibilities so here’s how you start. Sauté your cold fillings and other treasures you’ve discovered that require cooking, such as mushrooms and onions. If you’re using a hard cheese, grate enough to nicely cover the bottom tortillas of your choice. Scatter the fillings over the cheese and press on the covers. Cook them in a cast iron pan on medium heat. When you begin to smell them, and they’re nicely browned, flip them. This method works well when you’re only cooking a few.

To feed a crowd, preheat your oven to 350 and bake your quesadillas for about 10 minutes until the bottoms are browned; turn, and cook briefly until the other side has color (watch carefully) and the cheese has melted. Cut into wedges the size of your choosing. A second method is to cover only one-half of the tortillas with your fillings, fold into half-moons, and then cook them. Either way, dinner is ready in minutes, and you won’t have to say it twice!

SHOUTOUT: Walnut Street Coffee in Edmonds, Washington for their excellent customer service and, of course, fabulous Vivace coffee.

Tidbit: to turn every-day food into something special, make a rub! Here’s one that’s good on just about everything: Grill Every Day Spice Rub. (Just don’t do what I did when I wasn’t wearing my glasses and mix it up with your chipolte powder.)

Sun-dried Tomato & Almond Pesto

As a kid we never had appetizers, so my mother’s comment that everyone loves them, surprised me. But the fact is, she was right!  I’m not sure what prompted her to say it, but I say whip up a few, call your friends, and, voila, you have the makings of a party.

To make things a little more interesting, here’s a variation on the theme. Ask your foodie friends to make an appetizer with at least one unusual ingredient, and have a Guess the Ingredients bash. Skip the ranch dressing and veggies for something with pizazz, say Greg Atkinson’s Sun-dried Tomato and Almond Pesto. The ingredients are a little pricey, but the payoff is a rich, complex spread that earns rave reviews! Versatility earns bonus points: as with any pesto, it doubles as  pasta sauce.

At a recent Q & E (Ask questions and Eat) outreach session at Bastyr University, My colleague, Jennifer, and I invited students to submit their best guess for the ingredients in the sun-dried tomato pesto. Although no one came close to guessing the main components, (even our awesome baker, Darrin, said he didn’t have a clue), the fun was in the guessing, everything from smoked tofu to garbanzo beans. Deconstructing recipes is a great way to hone your palate and really pay attention to what you’re eating. When you’re mindful about what you put in your mouth, you eat less and enjoy it more.

Having said that, the real reason to host a Guess the Ingredients party is to have fun with your friends and explore new foods. And, at the end of the day, everyone goes home with new recipes for the holidays. Below are two more to get you started.

• Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip Mystery ingredient? Pomegranate juice.
• Miso, Sesame, and Sweet Potato Dip Check it out. Lots of mysteries in this one.

SHOUTOUT: This one is for my brother, Scott, a lentil convert after reading my post in praise of them, and even sent me a recipe for lentil soup!

Tidbit: If you haven’t made your New Year’s resolutions, add this one to your list: drink that bottle of wine you’ve been saving for a special occasion. If you don’t have one in mind, how about hosting a Guess the Ingredients party?

If you live in the Pacific Northwest and tended your herb garden over the summer, the herbs for this recipe are at your fingertips. Simplicity is the name of the game: chunky ingredients with none of the fussiness of classic cuisine de France.

The divine three, onion, garlic and tomatoes, form the basis of a slow simmered sauce that’s even better the next day, if there’s any left. And in case you hadn’t thought of it, this recipe is loaded with health-friendly ingredients, plus, you make it in only one pot and serve it in bowls. In my house, that’s one way to keep the dishwasher happy. Serve it with No Knead Bread. Happy holidays, from my home to yours!

*French Country Chicken

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can, 14.5 ounces, diced tomatoes
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 sprig (3 inches) thyme and rosemary, and 1 sage leaf
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks, generously seasoned with salt and pepper
2 chicken thighs, cut into thirds, generously seasoned with salt and pepper
8 small Yukon gold potatoes or similar ones

Combine the onion, garlic, tomatoes, wine and herbs (substitute dried if you don’t have fresh, 1/4 teaspoon sage and thyme, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary) in a slow cooker. Add the chicken and potatoes, and stir. Make sure the potatoes are on the bottom of the cooker. Cook on low for about six hours. It’s okay to check it after a few hours and give it a stir. Taste it at about five hours to see how it’s coming along and adjust the time accordingly.
Yields 4 servings

Inspired by Lynn Ally’s recipe, Chicken Provencal Stew, from The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World

SHOUTOUT: A huge thank you to the Bastyr University Dining Commons staff for the pre-holiday luncheons that rival the fare you’ll find in downtown Seattle restaurants.

Tidbit: If you have UFO’s (unidentified frozen objects) in  your freezer (I know you do), buy a roll of painters tape to mark the packages. It peels off easily and you’ll never find those mystery packages in your freezer again.

From that day forward, whenever my husband, Stewart, visited Greensboro solo, he never came home without at least two boxes, which I promptly hid and never voluntarily shared. I have to admit they never lasted nearly as long as I would have liked.

By now you’re probably why I’m making such a fuss over these number two pencil look-alikes that I never see much in the Pacific Northwest. And to that I answer, Cheez-Its, adult style with a little more snap. The deep, rich flavor of cheddar cheese, butter and cayenne pepper, morphs into crisp, slightly salty sticks perfect with wine and the sparkly stuff popular during the holidays. I’m never one to turn down appetizers, but they’re meant to whet the appetite, not kill it, and cheese straws fit that bill perfectly.

The recipe I tested last Sunday was this one from Saveur magazine. Although the main ingredients total only four, if you’re a literal cook and not one that improvises, you might encounter a few frustrations. First, while the recipe calls for chilling half the dough, I’d suggest chilling all of it to make rolling it out easier. Like most dough, it quickly becomes sticky. Divide in two, and form both halves into rectangular disks to simplify rolling  it out.

Also, consider slightly reducing the amount salt if you’re salt-phobic, and buy only organic butter. If cows eat contaminated food, guess what’s in your butter? If you’re not sure what kind to buy, the November issue of Cook’s Illustrated recommends Horizon Organic Unsalted.

Back to the recipe: I’d also increase the amount of cayenne pepper from 1/4 teaspoon to a skimpy half teaspoon to bring the hotness forward, but you know your hotness tolerance better than I do. My  last caveat concerns the baking time, 10 - 12 minutes; for my oven, that turned out to be just right, but the visual cues are lightly browned crispy sticks. Soggy, pale ones aren’t very tasty, and I had to return my first batch of straws to the oven. Compared to Europe, I’ve noticed that pastries in this country are often undercooked. If you peek at your straws while they’re cooking, they won’t look pretty, but take my word for it that given a few minutes out of the oven, they’ll look like the ones in my photo.

After I baked my straws and ate most of them just to make sure they were as good as the southern variety, I took a few to my neighbors, Judy and Gerry, for a final taste test. Gerry polished off the glass (okay, I helped him), which I consider the ultimate thumbs up.

Although I haven’t tried it, you could make the dough ahead, freeze it, and have it on hand for unexpected company. Lazy baker that I am, I considered turning them into wafers to avoid the tedious task of cutting the dough into long, narrow strips, and twisting them, which is trickier than it sounds. But having thought it through, I decided against it, because, after all, they just wouldn’t be cheese straws.

√ Cheese Straws: click here for the recipe.   

√ October SHOUTOUT: This one is for my colleague, Linda, who added spinach to the Coconut Sweet Potato Soup  I blogged about in February. Not only is spinach nutrient-dense, but the added color was gorgeous!

√ October TIDbit: If you’re a carnivore in need of a company recipe for the holidays, the Prosciutto-wrapped Pork Loin with Roasted Apples in the October issue of Bon Appetit is a winner! The cooking time in the original recipe was incorrect but has since been changed in the one I linked. There’s some up front time involved, but you can stuff the loin a day ahead. Showy and worth the effort! 

Something as mundane as lentils would never had made my list. In fact, until I began working at Bastyr University, I didn’t even know what they were. And although they frequently appeared in the soup pots, I never ate them. Lentils are modest, and sitting next to spanikopita, the Greek feta-phyllo pies win every time. But slowly, my palate changed and I’m proud to say, I like lentils. How in the world did that happen?

As with most foods, preparation is everything, and the palate being fickle, takes some tickling to be won over when it comes to certain foods that aren’t fancy pants, like lentils. By definition they’re a pulse, the dried seed of a legume, which doesn’t sound very glamorous. Other popular pulses are beans and peas. Because they’re small, lentils don’t have to be soaked, and they cook in about 30 minutes. One of the first foods to be cultivated, they’re a staple in India, Europe and the Middle East. The well-known Indian dish, dal, is only one example of a popular dish featuring lentils.

Lentils feature a long list of nutritional benefits including fiber, which lowers cholesterol and moderates blood sugar. It’s also one of the best plant sources of protein without the fat. Only one cup of cooked lentils yields about 18 grams with less than one gram of fat, if you’re counting. Other benefits of these small wonders are essential minerals, including magnesium, iron and phosphorous. If you’re still not convinced, read what the Linus Pauling Institute says about them.

I wouldn’t try to sell you on lentils (and by now my fellow Bastyrians may have abandoned me) without a recipe to back it up. This one comes from Food & Wine: Warm Lentil Salad with Brown-Butter Vinaigrette, Pistachios and Feta. There’s something about the browned butter swirled with vinegar that creates a complex, mouth-warming sensation, a synergistic effect beyond the humble ingredients.  

Even if you don’t have all the ingredients, given the foundation four, lentils, butter, vinegar and cumin, the recipe still shines. The nuts, feta, mint, and onions add texture and counterpoint to the lentils, but you can substitute pumpkin seeds, as my colleague, Jane, did, and another kind of cheese, perhaps goat.

And that recipe is what won me over. I’m not sure how I stumbled on it, but prowl around in my kitchen and you’ll find a jar of French lentils (I buy them in bulk), unsalted butter, and cumin. If you’d like, I’ll have dinner ready in 30 minutes. I love having this simple recipe in my repertoire, which comprises things I can make without having to stop at PCC on my way home from work. As for the desert island game, I have to confess that I still haven’t committed to lentils, but they’ve earned my respect, and my fondness for the underdog lentil legume continues to grow.    

TIDbit: I’m a lazy baker and turn most cookies into bars. The peanut butter flour-free, chocolate chip ones I blogged about a few months ago were given rave reviews in bar form.

 SHOUTOUT: If you need a French fix in Seattle, try Cafe Campagne for breakfast: Cafe Vitta coffee, bread baked by Grand Central Bakery, and the ever-classic Croque Monsieur and other French delights. Oo la la, you’ll be happy post petit dejeuner.

→It’s time to plant your fall greens! Ask your local nursery for the hardy ones. When they’re ready to harvest you can make this salad:

Friday Night Mediterranean Salad for Two

• 15 ounces canned cannellini beans (Bisphenol-A free), rinsed and drained
•  1/2 cup Kalamata olives sliced in half
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
•  1/2 avocado cubed, or more if you love it
• red wine vinaigrette to taste (2 tablespoons vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil or more, salt and pepper to taste)
• 5 ounces canned tuna (dolphin safe), drained
• Bed of organic homegrown greens for two

Gently mix the first four ingredients with the vinaigrette. Adjust the salt and pepper. Divide the greens between two bowls and spoon the bean mixture on top. Flake the tuna over the salad. Enjoy!

Tidbit two:
→I read this tip in Bon Appetit: if you rinse avocados in cold water after you’ve halved them, they won’t turn brown. I tried it, and it’s as easy as that. Of course, mine are never around for very long.

Tidbit three:
→Gerry, of the now famous Gerry’s Ribs, reminded me that he grills them with apple smoke, but only for about 15 minutes, to give them that something extra.

Shoutouts:
My shoutout this week is for the Loft  Cafe & Social Lounge located at 515-A East Main Street in Edmonds. Expecting the usual tomato and herb mix when I ordered a quinoa salad, I was pleasantly surprised to find the quinoa disguised as a crunchy cake hidden beneath a mound of organic greens. Bathed in a reduced balsamic vinaigrette with smoky overtones, let’s just say I was a happy customer!

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When I grilled (pun intended) Gerry about the recipe (see below), with his usual quiet, modesty, he said they were simple, and it wasn’t anything special he did. But here’s why I love them: they’re dry, but moist, and just right in terms of smokiness. You could say that dry and moist is an oxymoron, but let me explain. Gerry’s ribs are dry-rubbed, and slow-grilled, but they’re not barbecue-sauced (I made up that word; it’s a blog). So the end result is succulent ribs, flavorful and moist, but dry. Having said that, you’ll still need plenty of napkins, and I wouldn’t recommend eating them on a first date.

Like many of the best recipes, this one came from a product cookbook, Weber’s Real Grilling by Jamie Purviance. When you’re king of the barbecue grill, recipes to brag about are required! The rub has only four ingredients, brown sugar, kosher salt, chili powder, and black pepper, which are probably sitting in your spice cabinet. After applying the perfectly balanced rub, it’s all about what happens on the barbecue. The trick is to grill them over indirect, low heat, and Gerry notes that he checks them at 1 ½ hours, and maximum time on the ‘cue is 1 ¾.

Not long after a recent rib-fest, Gerry commented that they probably weren’t good for his diet. My response to that is, they’re high on the happiness scale, and sometimes that trumps everything. I love it that the best recipes, given time and patience, are simple. And as for my dream, it really did come true. The day after the first time Gerry made the ribs, I came home from a shopping trip to find a package of them in my fridge. He’d given the leftover ones to my husband, Stewart. Thank you Gerry. This one’s for you!
Recipe: Gerry’s Ribs

 Meanwhile, boil 12 ounces of penne pasta. While you’re waiting, finely grate about 3 ounces of Parmesan and shred a handful of basil. Drain the pasta when it’s al dente (reserve about 1/4 cup of the water), and return to the pan. Add the tomatoes and juices, cheese, and basil. Gently combine, and if it seems too dry, add a little pasta water, adjust the seasoning, and serve alfresco for four of your favorite friends!

*Coming soon: Gerry’s ribs!

 First stop Clinton. No choice there, that’s where the ferry landing is. Keep on driving to Langley, just a short hop away. Nestled on the sound, Langley has the languid feel of an island in no particular hurry to go anywhere. Cruise the shops with particular attention to the Star Store and Mercantile, a grocery store, wine shop, and boutique all wrapped up into one. It’s a small venture with high standards, and it’s obvious they know how to merchandise.

Assuming you still have lunch money, look for the nearby Cafe Langley, featuring Mediterranean cuisine. My sister loved the crab cakes so much we returned for dinner. Hungry, but not starving, we shared the vegetarian and carnivore appetizer platters served with basmati rice pilaf and veggies on the side. Dolmas, humus, spanakopita, baba ghanoush, and other Greek treasures were nicely spiced and perfectly cooked. When they arrived at our table, we realized that one order would have been plenty given the side dishes.  Service was harried but well-intentioned, so we reminded ourselves we were on island time and went with it.

Finding a place to bunk was challenging. As my sister says, we like each other, but not that much, and definitely wanted two beds. Although staying on the water would have been our first choice, the well-known Inn at Langley (we were underwhelmed by the service at the reception desk) was full, not to mention expensive, but a tip from an islander took us to the Saratoga Inn. Everything from the old-fashioned country porch, to the wine and hors d’oeuvres, and full breakfast featuring a freshly made artichoke frittata, exuded charm sans cutesiness. The rooms were immaculate and quiet, and ours had a small balcony with a view of the water.  Can you say happy? Not only that, as luck would have it, we managed to be there during one of the only sunny days of summer we’ve had this year. Friendly service, thoughtfully prepared food, and comfort ensured we’ll being staying there again.

Next stop Greenbank farm. Over 150 acres almost morphed into a subdivision, but luckily the locals stepped in when Chateau St. Michelle put the loganberry farm up for sale. The Farm is a great place for families including four-legged members. Wander the gardens, hit the wine tasting shop, and don’t forget to pick up a block of Greenbank cheese. The art galleries hosting local jewelry and artwork, are worth perusing.

No doubt you’ll be hungry by now, so stop for lunch at the cafe, famous for its pies.  Lunch was good, but the standout was the bread crafted by the Screaming Banshee Bakery. Finding a good loaf of bread in the Seattle area is easy, but the rustic Banshee bread was some of the best I’ve ever had, old-world, and dark, even better than Macrina or Essential, and that’s some mighty fine bread. My one crusty slice alone was worth the trip, and I wish I’d bought a loaf when we paid the bill. My lemon chicken pot pie was good, and the marionberry pie was respectable, not too sweet and a satisfying ending to dejeuner. The cafe cares about food, and I like that. The waitress reminisced about the time an employee camped out for three nights until a loganberry farm sold her the berries she needed. Apparently, her smaller order just didn’t merit a sale until she convinced the grower otherwise.

Content, we continued on to the historic town of Coupeville in the central part of the island. Just a mention of this idyllic getaway to Seattleites, and the response is a smile followed by, I love Coupeville! This charming waterfront town sports one hundred-plus buildings on the historic register, so history buffs will be in their element. Strolling the still-working wharf is a must, home to shops and restaurants. I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to us to spend the night, but next time we’ll spend more time exploring Coupeville.

Last stop Deception Pass. You can’t miss it if you’re traveling north off the island. The views are gorgeous, but I prefer to see them from my car. Neither my sister nor I were comfortable on the bridge given the narrow walkway and vehicles screaming by. We passed on the park, but if camping is your thing, check out the beaches, trails and views.

Traveling on Whidbey felt like a European adventure: delightful hamlets and gorgeous views, all on an island only 35 miles long. Day trips to Whidbey are doable, and visiting the Greenbank Farm would be particularly enjoyable. Spending at least one night at either Langley or Coupeville makes for a leisurely trip, but next time, I’ll plan on two to see everything I’ve missed. Bon voyage!

Rosemary

Last week my rosemary called out to me. Not in the usual, “hi, how are ya,” way, but by the sheer beauty of its presence. In full bloom and big as a tree, I was struck by the purpleness. Yes, I know that’s not a word, but you know what I mean. I guess you could say it needs pruned, but it wants to be shaggy, and a haircut can wait until after flowering. And fortunately, rosemary grows happily in pots, as my brother, Scott, in Anchorage, reminded me.

 It’s only natural herbs are reaching their full glory. Solstice is only weeks away: June 21, 1:16 P.M. EDT, to be exact. Plants will peak and are busily preparing by flowering and sending out new growth. What better time to meander in the garden and feed the senses. Pinch off a sprig, rub it between your fingers and inhale the scent. Chew a small piece. What does it taste like? What food would partner well with it? What does it remind you of? Herbs from the garden bring a brightness and energy to recipes that dried ones can’t. 

I can attest to that. Last night, strapped for time before a movie hosted by the Seattle International Film Festival, I nibbled on rosemary almonds at a chain restaurant. Thinking they were a sure bet, yikes, was I wrong. Expecting a bowl of warm, almonds heady with my beloved rosemary, a greasy pile of tasteless nuts arrived. Oh dear; it was tragic. Hard as I tried to taste the herb, it was nowhere to be found.

I’m here to right that wrong with my new favorite recipe: Roasted Rosemary Cashews. Ina Garten, a.k.a. the barefoot Contessa, made them for the Food Network, but credits the Union Square Cafe in New York City. They’re the perfect combination of sweet, salty, spicy, and crunchy, and are, frankly, addictive. As the recipe says, they’re best served warm. Fresh out of the oven, the cashews enveloped me in a pine forest. If you’re still not convinced, they won the New York Press Award for best Nuts in New York City.

 Funny thing is, cashews are actually seeds! And if you’re worried about fat (please don’t), they’re lower than other nuts, at about 47% and are a good source of magnesium, phosphorous and protein. According to the New Whole Foods Encyclopedia raw cashews are hard to digest, but roasting them makes them easier on the stomach and improves the flavor.

Rosemary shines in this recipe in terms of flavor and health benefits including a soothing effect on the digestive system. Aromatherapists use it to improve memory function and promote a sense of well-being. Externally, it may used to treat muscular pain, hair loss, and neuralgia. Carnosol, one of the active constituents in rosemary, is currently being studied for anti-cancer properties. It’s a poignant reminder that mainstream medicine has its roots in herbs.

A strong Mediterranean herb, rosemary shouts rather than whispers, but don’t let that put you off. I think you’ll agree that two tablespoons chopped rosemary in the cashew nuts is just the right amount, and you don’t even cook it. The only change I made was to reduce the cooking temperature from 375 degrees to 325. Nuts burn easily, and cashews are expensive. So there you have it. I’m tempted to say, go nuts, but I come from a family of writers, so I’ll pass on the cliché.   

Ideas for Using Rosemary

1. Put sprigs in vases instead of flowers
2. Rubber band a bunch, turn it upside down and dry it in a warm, dark place.
3. Make rosemary lemonade.
4. Put some in a sachet with other herbs to repel moths.
5. Use the woody stems for kebab skewers.