I whipped this up to accompany the carnitas tacos I made today. Since this dish was super easy and it's receiving rave reviews, I thought I'd better write it down fast before I forget what I made!  This is another "pantry" dish.  I started with a little olive oil and butter in a fry pan. Then added about 1/4 cup (or more) of chopped sweet onion.  Saute for a couple minutes and then add 1 cup of white rice....

Hubby and the kids are hiking around on Mount Baker and won't be home until dinner which gives me plenty of time to (1) enjoy having the house to myself and (2) slow cook something wonderful on the Big Green Egg.  I've always wanted to try carnitas so today's my chance.  First I had to make a trip to True Value in West Seattle for a cast iron Dutch oven because I just couldn't see using one of my nice pots on the...

A few weeks ago we celebrated my son's birthday and decided to have a gourmet hot dog party with plenty of toppings for guest to chose from.  Here's a photo of my dog: yes… there's a spicy hot dog down there somewhere!  The party was a lot of fun…I wish I would have taken photos of the other creations or had cameras available for others to.  I made a couple of "menus" (aka The Weiner...

We're enjoying a beautiful end of summer in Seattle this year and we decided to celebrate with having some friends join us for dinner. It all began the night before at our fire pit when the cave-men husbands were talking about how cool it would be to cook dinner over the fire.  We agreed to bring dishes to cook on the open flame at our house the next evening at 7:00.    My husband and I decided to roast shrimp over the fire...

In late June, before crabbing season was open in our area, we planned a crab boil to celebrate my youngest sister turning the big 40.  Since we couldn't fetch dungies from the Puget Sound, we had to buy live crab. Our local Metropolitan Market typically has live crab however it tends to be pretty pricey…especially if you're feeding a group. Here are some places that we've found in Seattle that have live crab. Mutual Fish...

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A couple weeks ago, I attended a knife sharpening class with Bob Kramer of Kramer Knives at Sur la Table in Kirkland.  I have two Kramer knives from Sur la Table and I love them.  The class was fantastic and it left me with a much higher respect for knives than I had before.  After accidentally slicing a finger almost to the bone, I've been a little shy…no more!  I LOVE my knives now and appreciate what an...

I think just about anything is better when it's wrapped in prosciutto… I picked up some fresh figs that were on sale at Metropolitan Market in West Seattle the other day. When I got home, I wondered "now what?!!"  I decided to grill them and this recipe is very easy, delicious and forgiving.  Heat up your grill nice and hot (I used gas, for ease, but the Big Green Egg would do nicely too). The idea is to quickly...

What do I do IF I have any leftovers from a crab boil?  Make chowder, of course! Here's my recipe for tonight's chowder: Chop left over andoullie (or other sausage that you used in the boil) and saute in butter in a large pot.  I added some mushrooms that I had hanging around in my fridge along with one sweet onion (diced).  The onion was not from the boil – although I did salvage some onion and garlic....

  I have this in the "appetizer" category, however hubby and I actually enjoy this for dinner (and desert) too!.  Start with your basic bruschetta and top with… Pictured left:  Fig jam, proscuitto or seranno ham, thin slice of manchego cheese, mint and a drizzle of balsalmic vinegar. In the center, melt blue cheese or gorgonzola (I did this on the grill that was still warm from toasting the...

When my husband realized that I was cooking the clams on the BGE instead of steaming them, he said "what???"  It was a great dinner and very simple to make. Lobster tails are on sale right now at Metropolitan Market in West Seattle for Father's Day (about $5 per tail) so I couldn't resist giving them a try. Soak a cedar plank for about an hour or longer in water.  While the plank soaked, I also soaked 2 ears of...

We're planning a high school graduation party for my son this weekend. Here's the menu: Pulled pork sliders Cole slaw Teriyaki Meatballs  Mexican Layer Dip and Chips Three-Cheese Mini Macs Antipasto Pasta Salad Deconstructed Ceaser Salad (centerpiece for a veggie tray) Sliced melons with berries What am I forgetting?  We'll find out soon!  Desert will be s'mores by the fire and chocolate cake.  Seattle...

Editors Note:  This recipe is from fellow foodie, Jeff Prescott.  I can't wait to try this out!  You can follow Jeff on Twitter @RealtySeattle 1/3 c extra-virgin olive oil 1 large shallot, peeled and finely chopped 1 large plump garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 1 ¼ c buttermilk 2 large eggs 1 ¼ c all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons double acting baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¾ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon...

A new family favorite is my Chicken Cacciatore.  Adding store bought (behind the deli counter) chicken Italian sausage is almost cheating as it adds so much flavor to the sauce. Heat oven to 275. 3 – 4 Italian chicken sausage (I've done all spicy or a combo of spicy and sweet).    Brown saugage in olive oile in big pan/pot.   Remove to glass backing dish. Season 1 cut up frying...

What to make after you've been to Ocean Shores and you've had your (temporary) fill of fried Razor Clams?  Spaghetti!  This was my first attempt and it was gobbled up by the family.  With that said, it was not a "feast for the eyes"…it's very beige and very tasty.  The next time I make this, I will be sure to have some fresh parsley on hand to sprinkle over the top. Boil spaghetti as...

We smoked a ham on our Big Green Egg to compliment the family's turkey this Thanksgiving which means we have the benefit of the ham bone and leftovers!  Typically I like to make a white bean soup but I decided to try something that would be extra pleasing to my hubby and perfect for watching football:  Red Beans and Rice. I used this recipe for Red Beans and Rice on Epicurious for a base.  Here are...

I made this recipe with left-overs from my fridge: two left over pork chops (loin rib roast that were roasted w/rosemary and garlic earlier) roasted left over potatoes and fennel (from the rib roast mentioned above) half a honeycrisp apple green onions fresh rosemary butter Wondra half and half chicken broth frozen peas parmesean Heat oven to 375. I did have to buy a few ingredients. I started with a small package of pancetta and fried it...

This is a delicious easy appetizer that I whipped up last night.  I've been pleasantly surprised to see Chanterelle's at reasonable prices and they're in season so I couldn't resist picking some up even though I wasn't totally sure what I was going to do with them. First I chopped pancetta into small bite sized pieces and brown in a non-stick pan.  Metropolitan Market happened to have a small portion in...

Stephanie Dawson is a real estate agent at John L. Scott’s Kent North office.  She also creates beautiful handmade cards and other hand crafted items.  I had the pleasure of devouring one of Stephanie’s pickles at a planning meeting for the next Seattle RE Barcamp. I was delighted when she told me she has her recipes on video!   Check out her crispy pickles! ...

The Seahawks have an early game today…which demands gives me a great excuse (like I need one) to make breakfast nachos.  I've always wanted to make this dish–this is my first attempt.  It's getting raves from the family.  This is another one of those recipes where I can clean out my fridge — it's very flexible with ingredients.   Preheat oven to 350. Put 1 layer corn chips in bottom of baking...