just laura

Last night David and I decided to do a quiet night in. I wasn’t feeling very well, so I wanted an easy recipe and flipped through the Rachael Ray 30 minute meals cookbook I recently found at Goodwill. It was the first time I tried a Rachael Ray recipe and we both thought it was really good.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings (we each had for dinner, and each brought leftovers to work)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth or stock
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 pound (gluten free rice) pasta, cooked to al dente

Directions

1. Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes.
5. Add flour and cook 2 minutes.
6. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute.
7. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce.
8. Stir in capers and parsley.
9. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine.
10. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.
11. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve.
12. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste.

Last night we decided to host a last minute dinner party for 8 people, so this morning before work I threw a pork roast into the crock pot and crossed my fingers. It’s the first time I’ve cooked any kind of roast and it turned out pretty well. It cooked on low for 8 hours and it was incredibly tender/falling apart by the time we ate. Flavor was good, though I think if I make it again I might add something spicier to play off the sweet. Still thinking about what that might be…

Pork Roast over Sweet Potatoes for the Crock Pot
Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 9

Ingredients
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed (I didn’t have fennel, so used fresh rosemary instead)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 lbs pork loin roast, boneless
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed ( 1/2 inch cubes)
1 cup chicken broth

Directions
Combine first 6 ingredients.
Rub into pork.
Put potatoes in the crock pot.
Place pork on top of potatoes.
Pour broth over all.
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

http://www.food.com/13685

We hosted a stop on our neighborhood Christmas Crawl yesterday and had a great time. We were planning for maybe 20 people to stop by, and well exceed that guess! It was great to have such a cozy home full of friends and kiddos! I made a sausage strata and a gluten free spinach and cheese strata. Both turned out great!

Spinach and Cheese Strata
yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

active time: 30 min
total time: 10 hr

Ingredients
1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups cubed (1 inch) French bread (I used Udi’s gluten free chia and flax bread)
2 cups grated cheddar
2 3/4 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons dry mustard

Preparation
Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop.

Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.

Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses).

Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours (for bread to absorb custard).

Preheat oven to 350°F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spinach-and-Cheese-Strata-107754#ixzz1guYgdaPi

This recipe was the lightest gluten free cake I’ve ever made. Seriously. Not dry, crumbly, or heavy like many GF concoctions. I love that it uses all of my normal flours… I didn’t have to go buy specialty ingredients to make this turn out perfectly.

Gluten Free Apple Cake
By GlutenFreeGirl on food.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hr
Serves: 9-12, Yield: 1 cake

Ingredients
3/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch – Swan’s Blue Box or Red Mill, etc. ( NOT potato flour)
1/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and shredded ( about 2 apples)
icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F; grease either 9 inch round springform pan, or 8
inch square cake pan, and dust with rice flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking
soda, baking powder, and cinnamon; set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute or
until softened.
Add both sugars,and beat for about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated.
Blend in the milk.
Then turn mixer to low and add the dry ingredients half at a time,
beating after each addition, until they are well absorbed.
Remove the bowl from the stand and gently fold in the shredded apples.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or
until toothpick inserted tests clean and the cake pulls away from the
edge of the pan.
If serving from the pan, cool at least 10 minutes before removing.

I got lucky with work and got an entire week in Austin in August, and then booked another long weekend in Austin in Sept. Both times I got to spend lots of time with family, including my awesome niece and nephew.

I thought these black and white photos, taken in an outdoor tent, were a fun experiment at Seattle’s decompression event back in October! Done by someone named Josh who I met for the 60 seconds it took to photograph my earrings. :)

You can check out my fancy earrings.

This year at Seacompression, we setup a booth. The idea was to set up a enlarger and do exposures of people’s things, While they could choose anything, the best exposures were lacy undergarments. Also included were keys, glasses, clothing, jewelry and whatever was interesting in reverse (white on black). Each participant got to arrange their own image and name the portrait as it was completed.

Once developed, we hung their “laundry” on the clothes line outside. Half of the fun was the spectators who tried to determine what each portrait was or who it belonged to. Or the women who slyly pointed out their own “pantie portrait”.

I love the traditional process of creating Silver Gelatin prints. This booth allowed me to share the magic of this technique and capture a bit of the community involved and moment in time. This was so much fun!!! We really loved meeting all the people who volunteered their time and items to make the prints something special. Thanks to everyone involved!!

A belated jotting down of the bands I saw at the Austin City Limits Musical Festival resulted in this list. I’m not entirely sure it’s a comprehensive list of the bands I saw, but Chris, Alyssa, or Beal might be able to correct me! It was great to hang out with them, get some sun, and see some terrific live music at beautiful Zilker Park!

ACL Fest 2011
Brandi Carlile (who did some choice 80s covers like Tiffany, Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclypse Of The Heart, and Alphaville’s Forever Young)
James Blake
Young the Giant (so mesmerizing!)
The Cave Singers (totally rocking and totally enjoyable)
Foster the People (crowded but fun)
Bright Eyes
Kanye West (I was so close to him… quite an epic production!)
Iron and Wine
Fitz and the Tantrums (hard working and seemed like honest and good people)
Cee Lo (with some choice chatting between songs, like “I know how you like it. You like it from the back when I pull your hair. I’m 323 pounds of raw sexuality. Where are all the nasty ladies at? Love is in the air! How many of you are single and ready to mingle?”)
TV on the Radio
Stevie Wonder (hard to hear)
My Morning Jacket (more enjoyable than I used to find them)
The Head and the Heart (so great!)
The Airborne Toxic Event (one of my surprise favorites of the weekend!)

I’ve been trying to encourage more cooking in our house, and last night I decided to experiment with my first try at pork tenderloin. I’ve never bought or cooked pork before, and I was delighted it turned out so well. I was lucky to thrown together a last minute dinner party of people who like to cook – Suzanne D, Brian R, our new housemate Kyle, David, and Ben. Delightful!

Pork Wrapped in Sage and Prosciutto
yield: Makes 6 to 8 main-course servings

active time: 15 min
total time: 45 min

Ingredients
12 thin slices prosciutto (about 1/4 lb)
16 large fresh sage leaves
2 (1-lb) pork tenderloins
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Special equipment: thermometer

Preparation
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Slightly overlap long sides of 6 prosciutto slices on work surface with short ends nearest you and scatter 8 sage leaves crosswise on top. Pat 1 pork tenderloin dry and sprinkle all over with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Put meat on top of sage across middle of prosciutto (tucking end of tenderloin underneath if very thin), then wrap prosciutto around pork to enclose. Wrap second tenderloin in same manner.

Transfer tenderloins, seam sides down and 2 inches apart, to a small roasting pan and brush prosciutto all over with oil, then roast until thermometer inserted in center of meat registers 150°F, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pork-Wrapped-in-Sage-and-Prosciutto-232612#ixzz1fdnrAM6I

Our calendar this summer was booked with weddings, work travel, and prep for Burning Man!

Congrats to Jay and Cait who got married in June in Lopez Island, WA!
Congrats to Lars & Jeni who got married in in July in Cle Elum, WA!
Congrats to Zach and Malen who got married in July in Poulsbo, WA!
Congrats to Eric and Grace who got married in August in Seattle, WA!
Congrats to Marty and Cheri who got married in August in Black Rock City, NV!
Congrats to my college roommate Meg and her partner Jon who got married in October in Las Vegas, NV!
Congrats also to Jill & April, and Dan & Erin, even though we won’t be able to make it to your events!

Today I made gluten free cinnamon rolls for the first time ever in my 10 year history of being gluten free. They rose really nicely, and were quite tasty, but were kind of cake like. Next time I might just skip the yeast and go for a “quick” recipe that only takes 20 minutes total. :)

Cinnamon Rolls (Gluten-Free)
from food.com

Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
Yield: 16 rolls

Ingredients

Dough
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/3 cups skim milk, warmed
2 tablespoons yeast
2 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup potato starch
1 1/2 cups cornstarch
1 cup millet flour ( or rice or brown rice or oat)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 teaspoons xanthan gum
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
Filling
2 cups packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons cinnamon
2/3 cup butter, softened
Icing
16 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast in large mixing bowl with warmed milk. Let bubble for a few minutes.
2. Add sugar, butter, oil, and vanilla to milk/yeast mixture. Stir to combine.
3. Add egg and combine thoroughly.
4. Sift together salt, potato starch, cornstarch, millet flour, baking soda, baking powder, and xanthan gum.
5. Slowly add flour mixture to mixing bowl. Stir until well combined. If the dough appears too sticky/wet, add more flour as necessary.
6. Remove dough from mixing bowl and place in a greased container and put in a warm place to rise for 45-60 minutes. The dough will be extremely sticky, do not worry, this is normal.
7. Preheat oven to 400°F.
8. Roll dough to 1/4″ thick 13 x 13 square between 2 pieces of well floured parchment paper.
9. Remove top sheet of paper from rolled dough and spread softened butter on top of dough.
10. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough surface. Leave a 2″ strip of dough uncovered at one end of square. Some reviewers have commented that there is too much filling, if so, don’t use it all ;).
11. Using bottom sheet of parchment paper has an aid, roll the dough into a log. Start at the end opposite of that which you left uncovered.
12. Carefully cut into 8 equal pieces using a serrated knife. Place rolls in a greased baking dish, leaving about half an inch between rolls to allow for expansion. Put any remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture in the bottom of the dish.
13. At this point you can either bake them or allow them to rise a bit longer.
14. Bake in oven for ~18-22 minutes until tops are golden brown and delicious. Check for doneness by running a knife between rolls in the center of the dish. Dough should not easily stick to the knife.
15. While the rolls are baking, whip together frosting ingredients until soft and creamy. Try not to eat it all before the rolls are done!

Read a few books recently, lots of bestsellers and travel books as is often the case.

Finally read Middlesex and greatly enjoyed! Imagine my delight to know it wasn’t just a book about a transgender main character, but also a book about life in Turkey and emigrating to the US! Win!

Read the three Stieg Larsson Millennium series books: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest. Quick easy reads. Enjoyable.

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. Colorful story telling about life in the circus back in the day. Another quick and fun read.

Re-read Meg Wheatley’s “Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future.” I still really value her insights into community building and suggestions for self reflection.

Currently reading:

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, by William Kamkwamba. A sweet book about a young boy growing up in Malawi. Reminds me a lot of village life in Kenya.

Birds without Wings, by Louis De Bernieres. A recommended book small town characters in a village in pre- revolutionary Turkey. Lots of fun! David and I are listening to the audio book together and need to find more time in the car to finish. :)

On the drive down to Burning Man I started reading “Imperial reckoning: The untold story of Britain’s gulag in Kenya,” by Caroline Elkins. An online review started “An astonishing and damning expose of the brutality of late-empire British colonialism in Kenya. Documented and described in detail, the physical violence and murder committed are heavy reading.” Saying it’s heavy is probably an understatment. I’m half way through and have teared up/cried in many places. Powerful story of the untold history of British violence in the same vein as the Nazi occupation in Germany. Scary and powerful history revealed.

Also picked up Flow, but only read about a chapter before David borrowed it and read it cover to cover in a week. :) Will need to put that back on my list.

The last two weeks have been super busy since July 21.

• Had two friends Ralf and Karolin come from Germany and stay with us at the house! I met Ralf back in 2007 in Namibia and it was awesome to see him again and meet his awesome girlfriend!
• David and I attended the Critical Massive camping event. It’s the Western WA regional Burning Man event and was super fun as always! We had great weather, spent quality time with great friends, rode a mechanical bull, played on a giant slip-and-slide, had picnics, dressed up in costumes, went dancing, saw a marching band, enjoyed late night conversations, and all around enjoyed a fabulous weekend away.
• My parents came from Austin and stayed at the house for a week. They overlapped with Ralf and Karolin and got to hear about life in Germany. My parents kept super busy, fixed a few things in the bathroom, made jam, visited friends and family, and had a good time escaping 100F weather in Texas. (Seattle’s barely break the 70 mark this summer).
• David’s parents also visited during my parents visit and it became a big “meet the families” event with the grandmother, brother, cousins, and even the aunt and uncle from Utah who flew in as well. Good times!
• It was also David’s birthday so we hosted a BBQ at the house for 60+ people and were blessed with gorgeous sunny weather!
• We attended a friend’s wedding in Poulsbo, WA. Zach and Malen had a gorgeous wedding and a fun celebration, overlooking the water, with a fire pit and dancing till late.
• Hours after my parents left, two new house guests arrived and will be staying for another week. They’re in town for a dance workshop and are keeping themselves busy. :)

Going to my first Shpongle show tomorrow. Should be interesting!

STG presents Shpongle Presents The Shpongletron Experience on Saturday, July 16, 2011 at The Paramount Theatre in Seattle.

Known around the world for the mind-bending and fully immersive sensory experience that their concerts promise to deliver, Shpongle has raised the bar to new heights with the latest addition to their set-up. This year, UK-based DJ/Producer Simon Posford (the driving force behind Shpongle) is getting ready to hit cities across the US with a full-scale production tour entitled Shpongle presents The Shpongletron Experience.

Quite literally a monumental creation, the “Shpongletron” itself is the brainchild of VJ Zebbler and Coast II Coast Entertainment. It is the visual expression of Shpongle’s multi-dimensional auditory experience. Towering 18-feet above the stage and blasting audiences with 4 levels of psychedelic mayhem, concertgoers should expect nothing less than the best in modern eye candy. With platforms on each side of the structure for dancers to mesmerize the crowd with LED hula-hoops and other glowing art forms, a blooming lotus-like array of screens and an always enigmatic Posford at the center of it all, The Shpongletron Experience is like nothing Shpongle fans have ever seen before. The structure also features a 6-foot Shpongle Mask (the iconic face that often adorns Shpongle’s albums) that virtually comes alive with projected visuals and animatronics.

Shpongle will also be hurling the listener into unfamiliar territory by showcasing tracks off the just released The God Particle EP. To use their own words, “this maelstrom of beauty and surprise” is an experiment listeners will want to experience “time and time again to reveal the new exciting levels of far out musical adventures” that Posford and friends have been unveiling with their ever-evolving sound.

Relative newcomer to the global scene, the San Francisco-based Random Rab will be supporting Shpongle, offering up the unique and diverse sound he’s known for bringing to sunrise sets at Burning Man.

I needed a potluck item to share at some friends’ housewarming party this weekend. Conveniently, my garden greens are getting out of control and I needed a way to use up some kale. (I have too much chard and lettuce too, if anyone has suggestions for those or wants greens!). I found this recipe online and it turned out fantastic!

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad

1 bunch Tuscan kale (for ex: black or lacinato)
2 thin slices bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs (I made my own breadcrumbs with gluten free bread)
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus additional for garnish (I substituted Parmesan cheese)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish
Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (scant 1/4 cup)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.

Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves).. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.

Prep time: 10 min – Cook time: 5 min

Source: Adapted from the Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Chiles and Pecorino recipe in Melissa Clark’s In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite.