Memorial Day Weekend

One of the perks that comes with a full-time position is that I get a little more freedom on the weekends. This last Saturday, the hubster and I took Lola to Marymoor Park, a 40 acre off-leash dog area, also known as, "Doggie Disneyland." Here, canines of all sizes and ages are free to do as they please, which usually involves lots of sniffing, peeing, swimming and chasing. For the humans, there is an espresso stand near the entry that serves coffee, pastries and other human snacks, perfect for those early morning outings with your pooch. Lola loves racing other dogs and does great with most of her wet-snouted friends, but she does not like to be challenged or approached dominantly. When approached in this manner,  her queen-bee attitude comes out and she gets a bit growly to show her rival who's boss. This usually happens once or twice with each visit to a dog park, which makes me feel like a bad doggy-mom, but as Dane points out it is only with certain types of dogs, other high energy dominant dogs that charge at her or challenge her upon the initial sniff and greet. We can usually tell which ones will rub her the wrong way and try to distract her as soon as possible, but inevitably there are always a few that get her riled up.

 Waiting patiently in the back window like she's small or something :)

Tuckered out after lots of running

After running off some of her energy, we dropped Lola off at home so we could head to the Folklife Festival in downtown Seattle.

The Space Needle

Parking in downtown Seattle is pure craziness, especially during events

 Lucky for us, as we entered the gates to the festival the clouds parted and the sun was out for the remainder of the afternoon. The perfect weather for booth hopping, food tasting, beer sipping, music listening and of course some serious people watching.


The food....

Dane's Filipino Plate

Fish tacos and garlic fries, an interesting combination but both were mighty tasty

Featured on the Food Network

Small bites of pure deliciousness

I wanted to try these but couldn't bring myself to do it, so we settled on the mini donuts

The performers.....

Real life video game

The one man band

What is this guy up to?

Oh....just squeezing his body through a tennis racket

 And now....

He's simply hula hooping a tire

I'm not sure what this instrument was, but very neat

 After spending the afternoon basking in the sunshine and enjoying the festivities, we decided to play some mini golf. Dane beat me the on the front 9, but I'm proud to say we tied on the back 9. Sorry, I just had to throw that out there since it doesn't happen often. :)

We worked up quite an appetite and drove to Pier 57 where we agreed on The Crab Pot for dinner. We were quoted an hour and twenty minutes for a table, but we had no problem wasting time playing pinball at the arcade until it was ready.



Let me tell you, the food was well worth the wait! We left fully satisfied and couldn't wait to get home to change into our loose waisted sweats. The sun was beginning to set as we strolled along the pier to our car, such a beautiful evening. When we got home, it didn't take long for me to fall asleep as I was exhausted and had to wake up at 5:00 for work on Sunday morning. I cherish our weekends off together and can't wait until summer decides to stick around for a few months. I have this weekend off and will be attending my first Mariners game and hopefully getting in some hiking.



Craving limes?

Tomato-Cilantro Vinaigrette

Adapted from MyRecipes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c chopped tomato, seeded
• 1 jalapeno, chopped (seeded if you do not like too much heat) or try a sprinkle of cayenne
• 1/2 c fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1-1.5 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
• 2 tsp lime zest, grated (I like lime so I use 1 Tbsp)
• 1.5 Tbsp fresh lime juice (again, I love lime but Dane told me that 2 Tbsp was too much so I'm willing to compromise)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Mix the above ingredients in a blender or food processor,  process until smooth. We served over fresh greens topped with grilled peppers, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, olives and tortilla chips.

Grilled corn spread with honey-lime zest butter

Grilled peppers

Daner's local, grass-fed sirloin with a dry rub of garlic, black pepper, New Mexican chili powder, red pepper flakes, cumin and paprika

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

 

Recipe adapted from Eating, etc.

Makes about 6 tacos

 

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh jalapeno peppers
• 1 large yam or sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1/4 c onion, coarsely chopped
• 3T olive oil, divided
• 1/2 Tbsp Mexican spice blend* (See Below)
• 2-1/2tsp ancho chile powder, divided
• 1/2tsp fine sea salt
• 1-2 large garlic clove, minced
• 1c fresh tomatoes, seeded & chopped
• 15oz can black beans, with their liquid
• 1/4tsp - 1/2tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4-1/2 c fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 6 small white corn or whole wheat tortillas
• 1/2c Monterey jack, colby jack, cojita, or feta cheese, shredded or crumbled
• Lime wedges
• Plain Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream
•  Guacamole
•  Salsa

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Blacken whole jalapenos on grill or in cast iron pan on stove top, turning, until skins are charred and blistered in spots. Remove from heat. Stem, seed (if you don't like the extra heat, Dane makes me leave the seeds in) and chop the peppers. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss cubed sweet potatoes and onion with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the Mexican seasoning blend, up to 1 teaspoon of the ancho chile powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss until well-coated.

Spread sweet potato mixture in a thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet (lightly oiled or covered in foil for easy clean-up), so that no pieces are touching each other. Roast in oven for 25 minutes or cook over medium heat on the grill until edges have begun to brown, stir at half-way point.

In a medium saucepan, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add minced fresh garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

Add tomatoes and allow to bubble briskly for 5-10 minutes or until tomatoes reduce down to a loose sauce.

Sprinkle remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder and a pinch of cumin over tomatoes; add jalapenos, black beans with their liquid, & salt. Cook beans over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring carefully so beans retain their shape. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

In a small skillet, over medium heat, warm tortillas in olive oil for 30 seconds on each side, or until tortilla bubbles. Plate with paper towels in between each tortilla to keep warm and soak up oil.

To assemble tacos, using a slotted spoon if necessary, spread a few spoonfuls of beans onto warm tortilla. Add a mound of roasted sweet potato. Sprinkle with cheese or yogurt, chopped cilantro, guacamole, salsa,  a squeeze of fresh lime juice and your favorite Mexican beer. I suggest Dos Equis Amber or Negro Modelo, with a sliver of lime! :)

**Mexican Spice Blend:

• 1-1/2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Find the beauty....

May the sun

                                           bring you new energy by day;

May the moon

                                              restore you by night;

May the rain

                             wash away your worries;

May the breeze

                                                                 blow new strength into your being;

May you walk

                                            gently through the world

                    and know its beauty

                                                          all the days of your life.

Green Salad Topped With Baked Goat Cheese, Strawberries, Grapes and Garlic Dijon Dressing

This is one of those salads that had me making peculiar satisfied noises the whole way through, you know the meals that you just can't help but say, "Mmmm, MMMmmm." With the creaminess of the baked goat cheese and the stimulating flavors of the fresh vinaigrette, this would easily cost $10-15 in a restaurant. However, it is easy enough for you to make in your very own kitchen. Such a light, refreshing salad, perfect for those hot, summer days we are all waiting so patiently for! Bring on the sunshine!

Dressing (double batch):

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2-3 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

Baked Goat Cheese:

• 3 Tbsp panko crumbs (or dried bread crumbs)
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts
• 2 oz red-fat goat cheese (I used regular honey chevre, delicious!)
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Garden Salad:

• Mixed greens
• Strawberies, quartered
• Grapes, halved

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.

With side of large knife, mash garlic with salt on cutting board until it forms a paste.

To make dressing, whisk together oil, lemon juice, parsley, shallot, mustard, pepper and garlic paste in small bowl until blended.

Mix crumbs and walnuts on wax paper. Coat cheese with egg, then coat with crumb mixture. Place on baking sheet, bake until warm, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, put salad greens in large bowl; drizzle half of the dressing over and toss to coat evenly. Divide salad evenly among 6 plates and top with warm goat cheese round.

*The second time I made this salad, I substituted pears for the strawberries and grapes and topped with fresh black pepper...Yum!

Spiced Cereal with Cranberries and Pecans

You know those days when you wake up tired (maybe a little crabby) and need to start the day with something comforting before you can even dream of changing out of those pj's?  This recipe was created on one of those days. It is warm, creamy and full of warming spices such as cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mmmm, the perfect way to jump start a typical, rainy Seattle morning. Of course, one must accompany it with a large cup of coffee....now we're in business!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c Water
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 1 c Unsweetened Coconut Milk (Or Unsweetened Vanilla Almond milk)
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 c Multi-grain Hot Cereal
• 1/2 c Cranberries
• 1 tsp grd. Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp grd. Ginger
• 1/4 tsp grd. Cloves
• 1/4 tsp grd. Nutmeg
• 1/2 c. Pecans, chopped

Directions:

Bring coconut milk, salt, vanilla and water to a boil in saucepan. Stir in oats and cranberries.  Simmer for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, continue until oats are tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in spices and top with chopped pecans. Add more milk as needed.

Strawberry Cheezecake

"Spa Water" is one of my favorite refreshing drinks.
Try tossing some cucumber and lemon slices in a pitcher of filtered water

I am glad you can't see me right now because I am lounging at my computer with my hair slathered in dye ($8 compared to the $90 I paid at the salon last time--Yay!) and slopped on the top of my head. I am sporting not-so-stylish sweats and eating raw cheezecake topped with strawberries.... lots of sweet, yummy strawberries. What a combination, right? I'm not quite sure why I decided to make a raw cheezecake, but the sweet strawberries and bursts of lemon make for a refreshing treat. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I am a little bitter that I had to work all day while spring forged on without me. The skies were blue, sun bright, birds chirping and I was stuck in front of a computer at the office. We are in the middle of some major transitions at SCH. Two of our full-timers were accepted into internships (extremely exciting!) and a few of our relief staff are moving on up as Registered Dietitians after completing their internships and passing their RD exams. As for me, I have officially accepted the job as a full-time DT covering the dialysis, nephrology, rehab, urology, cardiology and PICU/CICU services. My plan is to spend the next 10 months gaining clinical experience and volunteering before applying to dietetic internships in February 2012. I am excited to be back on a schedule. I will mostly be working Monday through Friday and definitely less weekends, but I will have to make some adjustments to my sleep schedule. The shift starts at 6:30 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. This ultimately boils down to my alarm going off at 5:00 am and me trying not to hit the snooze too many times so that I can be out the door no later than 5:40.

Anyways back to that dessert...

 Crust Ingredients:

• 1 c almond meal
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 c pitted Medjool or other semi-soft dates

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1/2 c lemon juice
• 1 1/2 c  cashews
• 1/3 c filtered water
• 1/4 c liquid coconut oil
• Seeds from two vanilla beans or 2 Tbsp alcohol-free vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c strawberries
• 2-4 Tbsp agave syrup (depending on the sweetness of the berries)

Crust: Combine the almond meal and salt in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle some of the mix on the bottom of the pie pan. Add the dates to the remaining almond meal in the bowl and mix into a dough with your hands. Press the dough into the bottom of the pie pan as thinly as possible. The crust should reach at least halfway up the side of the pan.

Filling:  Combine the zest, lemon juice, cashews, water, coconut oil and vanilla in the high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Scoop onto the crust. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to allow the filling to firm up.

Meanwhile make the topping by combining the strawberries and agave syrup in the blender and pulse a few times to coarsely mix into a chunky sauce.

When ready to serve, cut a slice of cheesecake, top with strawberries and ENJOY!

*Stored separately from the strawberry sauce, the filling and crust will last up to 5 days in the fridge and several weeks in the freezer.