Some Great Grilling

With the wonderfully mild and sunny summer being upon us, what could be better than firing up the grill? On one occation, I trimmed my thyme plant and took it to the grill with a prime aged ribeye steak. The smoke added a wonderful dimension. And, I just had to indulge with a delicious cheeseburger made with a tasty chipotle, bacon grilling sauce. Add some saute'd mushrooms and red bell peppers with a thick slice of Tillimook cheddar on top of onion buns and you have the perfect combination

Father's Day at ¿Por Qué No? Taqueria

It was a beautiful day on Father's Day. My daughters and Erin's friend Zack met me at ¿Por Qué No? Taqueria for lunch. It was a bit busier than last time I was here but the short wait was worth it and the food was excellent.

I had the Huevos Rancheros and it was delicious... the weekend is the only time they have some of their brunch entre's and this is one of them. Megan had the carnitas Flauta's. Erin had the Taco's Verduras. And, Zack had the Taco's Porque Tingas. And, matched up with a PBR, it was a delightful outing and Father's Day ! ! ! Thanks you guys.

You can see my previous review of ¿Por Qué No? Taqueria here: http://thewanderingfoodie.blogspot.com/2009/06/por-que-no-taqueria.html

¿Por Qué No? Taqueria
4635 SE Hawthorne Ave
Portland, OR
503-954-3138

Fresh Spinach and Feta Scrambled Eggs

It is so delightful to be able to walk out to the garden and pick fresh spinach to put into a tasty breakfast omlette. The addition of feta cheese really combines well with the spinach and the eggs. Be sure to season the spinach when you saute it and additional seasoning when mixing the eggs.

3 large eggs
crumbled feta cheese
3 Tbsp milk

salt and pepper
unsalted butter
fresh from the garden spinach

Combine eggs, feta, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until eggs are broken up and mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Heat butter in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When it foams, add spinach and cook, turning constantly with a rubber spatula, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add spinach to reserved egg mixture and stir to coat.

Return the pan to medium-low heat, add spinach-egg mixture, and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs have reached desired doneness.

WHITE BEAN GARLIC DIP

WHITE BEAN GARLIC DIP

Here's a dip, adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. It is delicious!!!

Serves 3 - 4, with crisps and raw veggies.

1 14-oz cans white beans, rinsed and drained

1 Tbsps minced garlic, to taste

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 Tea salt and fresh ground black pepper

3 Tbsps roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra leaves for garnish

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until smooth. Adjust seasonings with additional salt, pepper and lemon juice, if needed. Scoop into a serving bowl, garnish with parsley leaves, and serve at room temperature.

¿Por Qué No? Taqueria

Life is funny... last night I watched a show about five sisters who started a taqueria in Phoenix after having a lunch truck and being street vendors... and some of the best taco's in the country... It made my mouth water.

Today, my daughter Erin and I went to ¿Por Qué No? Taqueria on her suggestion. It was FANTASTIC and so, so delicious. She had Verduras taco's - Seasonal vegetables, beans, salsa fresca & cilantro. I had a Carne Asada taco - Traditional chopped steak served with salsa roja, cilantro and grilled onion. And, I had a Pescado taco - Line caught snapper, spicy cornmeal crusted & fried, served with crema, salsa roja & pico de gallo. And we had some chips and delicious guacamole.

This food was so good, delicious and authentic that I'm thinking of selling my house just to move to this neighborhood... just kidding, but a guy has to have a dream....

There is a charming and comfortable outside dining area out back. The service was very friendly and I can't wait to go back. There is much more to explore on their menu and you can check it out on their website.

Here is their website: http://www.porquenotacos.com/

¿Por Qué No? Taqueria

4635 SE Hawthorne Ave

Portland, OR

503-954-3138

China Rim Restaurant

A friend had recommended this restaurant and told me the Mongolian Beef was great. I gave it a try and was disappointed. The dish seemed kind of greasy and not something special like I was hoping for. The Hot and Sour Soup was OK but not anything to get excited about. Another friend said that their chicken dishes were really the ones that were good and that I should try the Kung Pao Chicken. That day I started with the Egg Flour Soup and it was better than the Hot and Sour Soup but was still only so-so. The Kung Pau Chicken was good and definitely better than the Mongolian Beef but it was still only average.

This is definitely a family run restaurant and the service and people are pleasant. I was so hoping to find that "great" Chinese restaurant close to home but this definitely came up short. The prices were reasonable yet I doubt if I will visit them again.

China Rim Restaurant

455B Saltzman Road

Portland, OR

503-626-8883

Vegetable And Pasta Toss

Well, it dawned on me that I've been neglecting my eating of veggies... so, I harvested some spinach from the garden, chopped up some onion, zucchini and mushrooms... seasoned and saute'd them and hit them with a splash of basalmic vinegar. Then mixed in some pasta sauce, rotini pasta and panko crumbs. And a bit of fresh grated parmasean. With the whole wheat pasta it made for a delicious and nutritious dinner!

A Return To The Screen Door Restaurant

My daughters treated me to a delicious brunch this past weekend for my birthday. They met me at the Screen Door Restaurant and they got there early so MY wait was minimal... another nice gift!

Megan had the Brioche Vanilla Bean French Toast with REAL maple syrup and it was very tasty with a side of bacon. Erin had a very delicious Bananas Foster French Toast with rum flamed carmelized bananas and cinnamon... this was to die for. And I had a wonderful Spicy Cajun Bloody Mary along with my Corned Beef Hash with poached eggs.... And, of course, a side bowl of their cheesy grits... the best grits I've ever had... Also, we had a cheese blintz with strawberry sauce... a piece of heaven... unfortunately the picture didn't turn out.

Everything was perfect!!! And, there is still lots more to explore on their menu on a future visit.

You can see my previous review of the Screen Door here:

http://thewanderingfoodie.blogspot.com/2009/04/screen-door-restaurant.html

And you can find their website here:

http://www.screendoorrestaurant.com/about.html

The Screen Door Restaurant
2337 E Burnside
Portland, OR 97214
Phone: (503)542-0880

Hall Street Bar and Grill

I had a most enjoyable lunch today at Hall Street Bar and Grill. I thought I would try something new and found on their drink menu a Pomagranite Sangria... It was wonderful... I think I need to learn how to make these as they are perfect for the warm weather. Then I decided to go with their lunch special for $8.75... I chose the Hall Street Ceasar and the Northwest Dungeness Crab Melt with Tillamook Cheddar and tomato... Everything was delicious ! ! !

The service was good and welcoming. They have a very comfortable patio area that is perfect for a warm afternoon or evening visit. I need to enjoy their hospitality again.

Website: http://www.hallstreetgrill.com/

Hall Street Bar and Grill

3775 SW Hall Blvd

Beaverton, OR 97005

(503) 641-6161

Random Meals by the Foodie

Well, I haven't been posting much this past month... mostly because I've been pinching my pennies and staying at home. But here are a few things I put together. Some baked beans with cottage cheese and salad, some barbeque chicken with mashed potatoes and green beens, a delicious bean burrito with minced herbs from the garden, and some bbq shishkabobs from the deli with grilled asparegas... Nothing fancy but they turned out yummy. . . I think I need to find some inspiration and get back in the groove...

Thai Cabin Restaurant - Another Visit

Thought I would have another visit to Thai Cabin Restaurant. You can see the review from my first visit here: http://thewanderingfoodie.blogspot.com/2008/12/thai-cabin-restaurant.html

This time I had the Thai Cabin Noodle - Stir fried broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots and thin rice noodles in wine sauce topped w/peanut sauce. I added tofu to the dish and asked for it "hot". I have to admit that I was disappointed. The sauce was very bland and had no character. And, there was hardly even a trace of heat.

The service as last time was fast and friendly. I'm not sure that I'll try again... last time was good but today was just so-so.

Thai Cabin Restaurant
16165 SW Regatta Ln
Beaverton, OR 97006
(503) 617-4602