More Herb Infused Pizza

Well, after several days of "cabin fever", I was able to get together with my daughters and celebrate Christmas. Megan particularly liked my previous post and wanted a herb infused pizza crust. We had it several ways and it was a wonderful get together. One is split, half with onions and mushrooms and half with bell peppers. The other has Canadian bacon, black olives, onions and bell peppers.

Zucchini Pizza With Herb Infused Crust

For these wonderful pizza's, I made a dough for the crust that was infused with rosemary and thyme. A check of the veggie bin found zucchini, onion, mushrooms and black olives. One I used just a very small bit of cheese and a bit more on the other. Also spinkled some fennel seeds on top...

Barley Vegetable Stew

And, with this cold, snowy weather I thought a hearty stew would fit the bill. Some dried shitake mushrooms and mushroom broth lent a delicious flavor. Seasoned with rosemary and thyme and a bit of cajun seasoning for zip. I added a bit of shredded cheese at the end for a very rich tasting treat.

Portland Blizzard

WOW... haven't seen a dump of snow like this in the 27 yrs. that I've lived here. It was actually quite nice to be snowed in for three days. I had plenty of wood for the fireplace and had gone grocery shopping the day before. Some reading, guitar playing, good sports on TV and hot buttered rum were the fine spots of the days.

Very Cute Olive Penguin Appetizers

Two of my very good friends, Deb and Pete, had a birthday celebration the other day. There was wonderful smoked brisket, pulled pork, deviled eggs, pasta salads, potato salad and more. For my part, I borrowed an idea to make olive penguins from: http://onceuponaplate.blogspot.com/2008/12/olive-penguins.html

These were a bit labor intensive. I had a very helpful email from Mari at the Once Upon A Plate blog and she gave me some tips on getting the cream cheese into the olives and how to neaten them up. Thanks Mari ! !

The penguins were a hit and everyone thought they were very creative and cute. ALL of the food was absolutely delicious and it was so very nice to spend the evening with such good friends. Thanks to all ! ! !

Oregon Dungeness Crab

A week or so ago, there was Dungeness crab on sale at most grocery stores... I had to get my fill and picked up a few. Keeping true to my favorites, I had a wonderful crab salad. And, with the leftovers, I fixed a great crab omelette for breakfast the next day.

Thai Cabin Restaurant

Almost forgot to post this review... from several, several weeks ago. My friend, Toni, recommended the Thai Cabin Restaurant that was formerly the Thai Orchid Restaurant over across the street from Fred Meyer on Walker & 158th. Having trouble at this late date to remember exactly what I had, but it was very, very good. The service was fast and friendly and the price was good.

Thai Cabin Restaurant

16165 SW Regatta Ln

Beaverton, OR 97006

(503) 617-4602

Old Wives Tale Restaurant

Had a wonderful dinner with my friend Madrona at Old Wives Tale. This restaurant is always a safe bet to find veggie and gluten-free meals that you can add omnivor add-ons if you like. She had BRAISED VEGETABLES (Parsnips, rutabagas, yams, napa cabbage, red onion, white beans and roasted red pepper braised with apple juice, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, tamari and cornstarch) with a side of taters all of which tasted delicious. And I had CHIPOLTE ADOBO VEGETABLES (Very spicy melange of yams, zucchini, corn, fire-roasted red peppers, onion, cilantro, lime juice, epazote, oregano, coriander, cumin, garlic, a pinch of sugar and canola oil, garnished with salsa fresca and tortilla chips) with a side of black beans. It, too, was very tasty. And we shared a house salad with a cucumber vinegrette.

Old Wives Tale Restaurant

1300 E Burnside St

Portland, OR 97214

(503) 238-0470

First Vegetarian Thanksgiving

OK... so this was a substantial stretch for me. I did my homework and found the Quorn Turk'y Roast to be recommended over Tofurky... If you want the "skinny" on this product, find it in this interesting blog posting: http://notmeat.blogspot.com/2007/11/quorn-turky-roast.html
I knew key sides would be the make or break factor so a good stuffing and gravy were essential. AND, what a patient, beautiful brown boxer waiting for dinner by the fire!! Good doggie!!

Pre-Thanksgiving Pizza

Ahhhh, for the love of pizza...

While trying to use up things in the fridge before Thanksgiving shopping, I threw together this tasty morsel. Lacking pizza sauce, I used a light dressing of salsa. Add onions, black olives, green pepper and roasted red pepper, it was delicious.

Beefy Pasta

Cleaning out the fridge to get ready for Thanksgiving came down to a heartwarmng pasta dish. A trio of peppers minced and used as garnish gave the plate nice color.

Pumpkin Bread & Vegetable Pasta

Re-did a pumpkin bread from Trader Joes but this time added some delicious, fresh walnuts that I picked up at a local farm and, also, added some dried cranberries. Turned out great. And, I got back to a delicious rotini and veggie bake that I always love but have not made in quite a while. The feta cheese makes it rich and the slight carmelization is wonderful. Some added basil, fennel seed and extra garlic really add great flavor.

Tomato-Lentil Soup

With the fall chill in the air, I thought this would be a heart warming soup. I always like recipes with few ingredients and this fits the bill. I used a "fire roasted" type of tomatoes that gave depth and dimension to the dish. It turned out delicious, vegan and very nutritious.

Roasted Squash Pizza

This is one of the most delicious pizza's I've ever made... Starts with a rosemary infused pizza dough, a bunch of chopped mushrooms, diced roasted winter squash and seasoned with fennel, red pepper flakes and ground pepper. A few days ago, I did pretty much the same pizza with a thyme infused pizza dough and it too was wonderful.