Grüner... and other burger ramblings

My boyfriend and I have an unhealthy obsession with finding the best burger in Portland.  We have our favorite hole in the wall burger joint- Foster Burger:

and our favorite fancy burger- Le Pigeon (I warn you, they only make 5 per night, so go early!):

but I think we found some middle ground the other day.  I'm talking about the burger at Grüner, that is.
We'd first dined at this German restaurant that describes its cuisine as "alpine cozy" a few weeks ago with Zephyr's parents.  Gruner means "greener" in German, and celebrates the "green" bounty of food that is available in the Northwest.  We had a fabulous dinner there and swore to return for the deviled eggs alone.

I've never been a huge deviled eggs fan.  To me they belong in the same category as the jello salads that every 60's housewife made and have since gone out of style.  But once I sampled one of these purple beauties I was hooked! You've just got to try these delicious finger foods.

But back to the burger...
After stumbling across an article about best burgers in Portland that listed Grüner, I insisted we return for lunch.  And that's when this baby showed up at the table...

It's delicious.  I actually ordered the reuben, appropriately dubbed the "grü-ben," but ended up trading half of my sandwich for Zeph's burger.  They bake the poppy seed bun in-house, and use the creamiest white cheddar to top off the meaty dish.  It's finished off with bacon, pickled onions, bread and butter pickles, and peppery arugula.  Best of all is the house made cinnamon ketchup!  Who would have thought to use cinnamon in a ketchup recipe? Delicious!  On the side were a crispy, albeit skimpy, portion of three smashed fried potato rounds.
Although we loved this spot for dinner, it can be quite pricy.  I recommend going for lunch and ordering this awesome new favorite burger!

Foster Burger
5339 SE Foster Rd
Portland, OR 97206


Le Pigeon
738 E Burnside St
Portland, OR 97214


Grüner
527 SW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97205

Sin City

It was actually hard to convince me to go to Vegas.  My last trip there was in college for a friend's 21st birthday.  Needless to say, all our group wanted to do was spend the whole time at the bar, and I didn't have the most memorable experience because we ended up not experiencing much of the city.  Second time's a charm because this weekend I had a FABULOUS time in Las Vegas!  We stayed at the MGM Grand, saw Cirque de Solei's Mystere, ate like kings and queens, got to visit with a good friend, and ended up winning a few hundred on roulette and craps!

The food:
We've all heard that Vegas has some of the world's greatest restaurants.  But I live in a city where we pride ourselves on eating locally; a true marker of a good restaurant to me is a sustainable restaurant.  I can't imagine how far Vegas restaurants have to ship their food in from daily.  Although it's the most environmentally sound city, we decided to let go and take part in a little sin ourselves by indulging a several fine dining establishments.

Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill
I loathe Bobby Flay.  If you've never heard of this celebrity chef, he has several shows on the Food Network.  One of them is called "Throwdown".  Throwdown follows Flay to different cities to challenge local chefs to a cooking competition.  What do they cook, you ask?  Well they cook the local chef's signature dish.  For example, Bobby will head to New Orleans and challenge the queen of Gumbo to a Gumbo throwdown.  HOW COCKY CAN YOU GET? These poor people have spent their entire career building a reputation as the best of the best and Bobby comes in and humiliates them by defeating them. Then they're supposed to act honored that Bobby showed up in the first place. RUDE.
Well, I had to do some investigating of my own to decide if I even liked the guy's cooking.  I didn't want to love it, but I did.

Cornmeal crusted chile relleno stuffed with roasted eggplant and manchego.  Sitting atop red pepper sauce and balsamic vinegar. Crunchy and cheesy, this was Zeph's favorite. 

Cremini mushroom quesadilla with fontina, ricotta, fried egg and salsa verde. This was my favorite! Absolutely the best quesadilla you will EVER HAVE! This was an explosion of flavors!

Tiger shrimp and roasted garlic corn tamale with cilantro sauce.  I saw this dish featured on the show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" and while delicious, it was far from the best thing I've ever eaten. The tamale was a little dry but the shrimp was sweet and cooked perfectly. 

SushiSamba

SushiSamba is a Brazilian/Japanese fusion restaurant.  I sipped a caipirinha (which immediatly brought back fond memeories of imbibing the Brazilian cocktail on the streets of Salvador during Carnaval a few years ago) while noshing on spicy tuna rolls, and yellowtail ceviche.  They had great happy hour food prices, too!

Fiamma Trattoria

I had the best ravioli EVER here! It was stuffed with short rib, then finished with a black truffle creama and Barbera wine reduction.  Zeph ordered the Baked Garganelli with ridged pasta quills, roasted chicken, eggplant, and hot pepper sauce.  Is your mouth watering just looking at this?

STK

We had the most delicious dungeness crab salad served with melon at this steakhouse.  And of course ordered melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon with roasted asparagus afterwords.  Very expensive, but very delicious. 

Besides the amazing food, I got to meet up with my friend and old roommate Sabrina who lives in Vegas now.  It was great to see her and get a local's tour of the casinos!

Vegas= success!

Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill at Caesar's Palace

3570 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

SushiSamba at The Palazzo

3325 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Fiamma Trattoria at MGM Grand

3799 South Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89109

STK at The Cosmopolitan

3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Kitchen Essentials

It doesn't take rocket science to cook up something delicious from a seemingly empty fridge.  Aside from the staples (olive oil, eggs, milk, butter) there are a few key ingredients that I always keep on hand.  Stocked with these items, you can turn any ordinary chicken & rice (or whatever one's late night uninspired Wednesday evening dinner may be) into something delicious.

Greek Yogurt

I always keep this creamy staple in my fridge.  I prefer Fage (pronounced fah-yeh if you want to sound authentically greek!) 0% fat.  Don't be fooled by the 0%, this stuff still tastes sinful.  Instead of eating it plain, I use this yogurt as a substitute for sour cream.  It tastes almost identical and is full of protein and lower in calories than the real Mexican taco-topper.  Also, I use it as a mayonnaise substitute (with a squeeze of lemon to mimic the real mayo) in potato salads or on sandwiches.  Which brings us to our next staple...

Lemons

I can't tell you how many lemons I go through a week.  I use them in everything from homemade salad dressings to marinades to cocktails.  There's nothing like slices of lemon cooked atop fresh fish.  I'd go as far to say I use a lemon in the majority of things I cook.  Like salt and pepper, this citrus helps brighten up food by bringing out flavors and brings a natural acidity to any culinary concoction. 

Chicken Broth

I'd love to be one of those people who makes their own chicken broth, and maybe one day I will be, but for now I stick to the can.  I buy Swanson low sodium broth from Costco, where a 12 pack is much cheaper than your grocery store. I use it as a substitute for water in lots of dishes.  For example, try cooking rice or quinoa in chicken broth next time instead of water, the difference is astounding.

Siracha

In my opinion, there is no substitute for "Tuong ot Siracha" brand chili sauce.  The generic brand is nothing like the real deal found in the Asian section of supermarkets.  I use this very spicy sauce on top of my eggs in the morning, in stir frys, atop pizza, and even in Mac & Cheese.  In fact, I'm embarrassed to admit how many dishes I eat with Siracha.  If you love spicy food, this spicy condiment needs to hop into your grocery cart STAT!

Mustards

Have you ever wondered why there are dozens of different kinds of mustard and only one type of ketchup?  These are the things a foodie ponders when going to sleep at night.  Mustard is not only a sandwich spread, but can be used in a variety of kitchen creations.  I use it in sauces, marinades, and in dipping sauces.  I'm partial to Sierra Nevada brand (hell, I'm partial to anything Sierra Nevada makes as they're factory is in Chico, CA, the hometown of my alma mater!) but any gourmet mustard works.  I like to keep both stone ground and honey mustard in the fridge at all times, as different recipes call for different types of mustard.  

Well, I'm off to Las Vegas for a few days! I'm excited to try out new restaurants in the amazing food city in the desert (doesn't that seem ironic?)  Hopefully I'll have a little luck on the roulette table as well. Wish me luck and I'll have a Vegas update later this week!

Creamy Stinging Nettle Sauce

I'd never really heard of Nettles until moving to the Northwest. I learned to avoid brushing up against them while hiking in overgrown forests as they provide a famous sting to the skin similar to poison ivy. But unlike poison ivy, nettles are edible! A quick one minute soak in boiling water takes out the sting.
 I get nettles at my farmers market but you can order nettles online as well.  Locals can head to Alberta CoOp to scoop up this weed.  Or, pick them yourselves (with gloves!!) by finding a nettle patch in any local park.  I LOVE the taste of nettles, and promise you will get hooked if you try this recipe! Bonus: nettles are full of vitamin K and A, and have a 40% protein content!

Stinging Nettle Sauce with Mushrooms
You'll need:
1 lb nettles
1 stick unsalted butter
1 shallot, diced
1 cup white wine at room temperature
3/4 cup mushroom of choice (I used shiitake)
1/2 cup half & half
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pasta of choice (I used fresh whole wheat fehttuchini, but anything works!)

1. Remove stems from nettles (use gloves/tongs) and boil in salted water for one full minute.
2. Drain and squeeze out extra moisture, chop & set aside.
3. Melt butter over medium heat.  Add shallot and cook until soft.
4.  Add wine, half & half.  Cook until reduced and thick, about ten minutes.
5. Meanwhile, sautee mushrooms in 1T olive oil, salt and pepper until mushrooms begin to reduce (about five minutes).
6. Stir Parmigiano, mushrooms, and nettles into cream sauce.  Toss in al dente cooked pasta and cook, stirring over stove for three minutes until everything is combined.

I had a little bit of leftover nettles afterwords and I made a nettle pesto with them!  Use them in any standard basil pesto recipe but substitute the basil for boiled nettles.  For pesto, squeezing out ALL extra moisture from the nettles is key, you want the pesto to be oily, not watery. I spread it on crostini for a quick app when we had friends over the next day.  Alternatively you can use it as a spread on sandwiches, or stirred in eggs.

Steak sandwiches and dill-y potato salad!

I made the spreads for the steak sandwiches a day in advance to save time.  To lighten up this dish I used fat-free mayonnaise and fat free thick greek yogurt (I love Fage brand) mixed with the blue cheese to add creaminess without the fat. 

Flank steak sandwiches with roasted red pepper mayo & blue cheese on grilled ciabatta (makes two)

1 Red pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup blue cheese

3T greek yogurt

1.5 lbs skirt or flank steak

Olive oil

Soy sauce

Red wine

Garlic

Ciabatta buns

-Red pepper mayo:

1. Brush red pepper with EVOO.  Broil until brown. 

2. Place in large bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam (around 15 minutes)

3. Peel skin off of pepper. Stem, seed & roughly chop. Cool.

4. Roughly blend in food processor with mayonnaise. 

-Blue cheese sauce

1. Blend blue cheese with salt, pepper, and yogurt in food processor.

-Steak

1. Marinate at least 4 hours in advance in a splash each of olive oil, soy sauce, and red wine.  Rub with salt, pepper, and garlic.  

2. Bring to room temperature before grilling

3.  Grill to preferred doneness (around 4 minutes per side)

4.  Let rest covered in foil for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain.

Ciabatta

1. Brush the inside of ciabatta with olive oil and grill until crisp.

Assemble

1. Spread red pepper mayo on the bottom of each ciabatta

2. Spread blue cheese sauce on the top of each ciabatta.

3. Add steak, NOM NOM NOM!

Dill-y Potato Salad. What makes this summer staple is the pickle and pickle juice!

You'll need

1 lb potatoes (really, whatever kind you have on hand).

1 cup mayo

2T whole grain mustard

1 dill pickle (with JUICE!)

1T red wine vinegar

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/2 a bunch of dill

1/2 lemon, juiced

1. Peel, quarter, and boil potatoes until cooked

2. Drain.  While still hot, mix in red wine vinegar and splash of pickle juice (this helps the potatoes absorb flavor while still warm)

3. Cool.

4. Mix in mustard, mayo, chopped dill pickle, onion, lemon, and dill. Refrigerate until dinner time!

The Sun is Shining

It's finally starting to feel warm here in Portland.  This past winter was brutal, the rain seemed to never end.  But it's sunny gorgeous days like today that remind me why I love the Pacific Northwest so much.  Last night was so nice that Zeph and I ate on our balcony as the sun was setting (around 9:30 PM this time of year, and the summer solstice isn't for a a few weeks!)
Zeph grilled his top secret honey-marinaded chicken.  I made corn and mushroom risotto with crispy bacon, and parmesan-thyme roasted peppers.  I love risotto and make it often.  It requires near constant attention, so make sure to devote a good 45 minutes to the dish.  I don't use any cream or butter in my risottos, albeit I'm known for adding a little cheese.  If you make it right (slow and low), it will taste incredibly creamy.  I don't know how or why, but trust me- this stuff is amazing.

Parmesan-thyme peppers

you'll need

-orange, red, or yellow bell peppers. Or all three!

-olive oil

-fresh thyme

-garlic

-good quality parm

-lemon 

1. Stem, seed, and quarter the bell peppers.

2. Place on a baking sheet and rub with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and diced garlic

3. Bake at 425 for around 25 minutes or until softened
4. Top with parm and a good squeeze of lemon juice.  Return to oven until cheese is bubbly and peppers are starting to brown.
5. Devour.

Corn and mushroom risotto with crispy bacon (serves 2-3)
you'll need:
-2 slices thick bacon
-2 shallots
-olive oil
-fresh thyme
-1 ear of corn
-handful of shiitake mushrooms
-two cans of chicken broth
-two heaping handfuls (do you like how I measure things?!) of arborio rice
-dry white wine
-Pecorino romano cheese

1. Heat chicken broth in a sauce pan over medium heat until just simmering
2. Cook bacon in skillet, set aside to drain on paper towel. Chop.
3. Add chopped shallots, shiitakes, salt, pepper, and thyme to bacon drippings.  Cook over medium heat until soft.  Add olive oil if the mixture is looking dry
4. Add the rice to the shallot/mushroom mixture. Toast.
5. Mix in about 1/3 cup white wine until dissolved.  Add corn.
6. Add one ladle of chicken broth to the mix. Stir until absorbed. Continue, one ladle at a time, until all the broth has been used and the rice looks thick and creamy.
7. Mix in 1/2 the chopped bacon and cheese.
8. Serve topped with the remainder of the bacon.

Bon appetit!

Vegetable Tian

It's getting to be that time of year when fresh fruits and veggies are overflowing from produce stands and supermarkets.  I had several veggies begging to be eaten, so I combined them all in a simple vegetable tian.  What you'll need:

-any combination of zucchini, yellow squash, potatoes, and tomatoes.
-onion
-evoo
-thyme
-garlic
-parmigiano reggiano (none of the fake stuff!)

You can probably tell by now that I don't measure ingredients.  Which is why I'm terrible when people ask me for recipes because I don't write anything down!

Sautee diced onion (I used a yellow onion, they're sweeter), fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt in olive oil until translucent. Spread over the bottom of a circular baking dish or ramekin(s).

Next, cut small rounds out of all the vegetables and place in overlapping layers around your baking dish.

Top with S&P, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh thyme, and parm.

Bake covered in foil at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Time will vary depending on the size of your veggies.

EAT! I served my tian with grilled steaks, portobello, and asparagus.  It was a veggie feast!