Bird's Nest Bites

A Cook & Garden, Together In The Pacific Northwest

Deep-Dish Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Oatmeal & Brown Sugar Crust

They say the best recipes are those passed down from family and friends, and this recipe proves it.  I made a new friend, Sandy, at the gym this year.  We often find ourselves in the locker room or hot tub at the same time (preparing for a grueling workout ha ha), and the conversation often turns to recipes.  Sandy is one of those perpetually happy people, is friendly and kind to everyone, and always has a big smile on her face.  She also has incredible recipe ideas.  One day, she described a Strawberry Rhubarb pie with an oatmeal crust, and I was hooked.  I love pie but am not the biggest pie crust fan, so I was drawn to that idea like a magnet. This recipe originated from one in Family Circle Magazine from 1982.  Sandy added strawberries to the original, and I made a couple of small changes myself, and that’s what cooking is all about.  Love somebody’s idea, then get busy and make it your own by adding your own touches. I intend to make it every chance I get.

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Summer Orzo Pasta Salad with Feta and Lemon & Herb Dressing

This summer salad is quick, easy, delicious and loves to travel. What more could you ask for? Perfect for Tailgates, Potlucks, Picnics or whenever you feel like it. This guy loves to be served at room temperature, so no worries about keeping him cold. because that’s when the flavors of the herbs really pop.  In fact, I have been known many times to heat this salad and serve as a side dish along with supper.    The orzo is bathed in lemon juice and olive oil, and he scent of herbs perfumes the dish and makes it irresistible. Pack some along to your next gathering, or do like I do and stash a bowl in the refrigerator for a supper side dish during those hot days of summer when the thought of cooking just makes you mutter ‘ugh’.

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Fresh Strawberry Jam

 

 

Hello Readers!!  Today marks my 200th blog post – can you believe it?  Me neither. It’s been so much fun –  I love sharing recipes with you.  ….and since I have been up to my jam spattered elbows all afternoon making strawberry jam, I thought this would be a good time to share one of my very favorite posts with you.  Strawberry season seems to be over in the blink of an eye, and farmer’s markets are full of these beauties right now, so it’s important to jump on the jam wagon before it’s too late.  Making jam is easy and fun, and with a couple of tricks I’ve thrown in based on much trial and error, it’s a snap.   So hope you enjoy – and thanks so much for reading this blog. I know there are a thousand other things competing for your time, and it means so much that you’ll spend some of your time with me.  And without further rambling from me, here’s Number 200:

…. I cannot bring myself to tell you how many eons I have been making strawberry jam, but it wasn’t until the last three years that I figured out how to make it so that it tastes like fresh strawberries for the entire year. I’m talking about the cooked jam recipes, which I’ve always preferred over the less ‘set’ freezer jams. The secret? First of all, play a little fast and loose with the amount of fruit you use, and secondly – don’t use a canner if you are making cooked jam. Here’s the thing….canning jam does make it ‘shelf stable’, but after a few short months both the color and flavor start to deteriorate in a big way. Freezer jam always tastes like fresh berries, so I figured, “what the heck? Let’s make the best of both worlds”, and that’s what I did. It’s a whole lot less mess and effort, and a whole lot more flavor to boot. Come on along with me and check it out….

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Grilled Salmon with Fresh Mango & Lime Sauce and Coconut Rice

Grilling season is upon us, and I’d love to share one of my favorite ways to serve grilled salmon.  I love the smoky flavor of grilled salmon but have to admit the thing I love best about this is entire endeavor is the fresh mango and lime sauce.  This sauce has it all – rich and creamy mango, a kick of lime, and just the right balance of salt. Better yet, you can make it in five minutes.  It’s also one of those recipes where you are completely in the driver’s seat.  More lime?  Add more.  More salt? Go for it.  Want to spice it up with some sriracha?  You’re driving.  Drizzle this beauty on grilled seafood or chicken, serve alongside fresh or steamed vegetables, or eat it with a spoon – it’s that good.  I’ve also dreamt up a coconut rice to go along with the fish, that made with Jasmine rice, and flavored with coconut milk, unsweetened coconut, and lime, and chives.  It’s always a good strategy to make sure you manage to accidentally on purpose get some of that mango sauce mixed in too.  Aloha!!

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Key Lime Icebox Pie with Graham Cracker & Toasted Coconut Crust

Do you ever have an idea pop into your head that just will not leave you alone?  It happens to me more than I would care to admit, but my latest little visitor was the concept of a dessert with lime.  The coming of warmer weather makes me think about refreshing and cool desserts, and one that would welcome you with open arms after a spicy barbecue supper.  Here is the result of my ponderings: a no-bake (except for the crust, but that’s just ten minutes), smooth, creamy, and refreshing icebox pie, that is brimming with fresh lime juice and lime zest.  The creamy interior is set off by a crisp crust made of graham crackers and toasted coconut.  Here’s a dessert you can whip up with little effort, and it can sit there in the refrigerator, happy as a clam, for a couple of days until you’re ready to serve.  I personally have not been able to wait nearly that long, but it’s good to know if the opportunity presents itself.  PS: this recipe is really not made with key limes, but you can use them if you want to.  It seems like every other recipe out there that makes a pie like this with regular limes calls it a key lime pie, so I decided not to rock the recipe search engine boat.

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Savory Puff Pastry Tarts – Cherry Tomato, Asparagus & Grilled Onion

These simple tarts are super-easy, delicious, take nearly no time at all, and make you look like you’ve been to cooking school in France. Here we offer three choices, so make one, two or all three.  Or combine everything on to one tart.  Or make up your own toppings – it’s fun!  The filling is chock full of the rich nuttiness of Gruyere cheese, the creaminess of ricotta, and the soft tang of mascarpone. Highlight with some fresh herbs & lemon zest and look out!  Note: This recipe makes two large tarts, or four smaller ones. Feel free to get crazy with whatever toppings you can think of – after all, it’s your tart now.

I developed this recipe about three years ago in an attempt to feed my mom, Neeners, back to health after a bout with the flu.  Neeners is a drama queen, and she had pronounced “My tastebuds are dead.  I may never eat again”.  Sure.

Neeners is 88 years old, strong as an ox, and is on the go all day.  She has no sympathy for anyone who is injured or otherwise under the weather, and her usual admonishment to them is “Get up – you aren’t that sick/hurt”.  Needless to say she was a horrible patient, and I’m guessing her doctor armed herself with a whip and a chair on each of Neener’s visits.  Here is a small excerpt from one appointment while was on the road to recovery, but not progressing as quickly as she expected.  Neeners walks into her doctors office…”PUT ME IN THE HOSPITAL!! NOW!!!”  The doctor was stunned, because she was under the correct assumption that Neeners, being 85 and all at the time, was just taking awhile to get back on her feet.  So she asked, “Why do you think you need to be hospitalized?”  Neeners replied “JUST LOOK AT ME!!  I want you to admit me to the hospital immediately and give me an energy shot!!!”  As my brother later reported, the doctor sent her home with Pepto Bismol and told her to drink some Ensure until her stomach settled down.  She quickly recovered thereafter – but she is still driving me to drink, which is situation normal.

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Tex-Mex Cheddar, Jack & Cojita Cheese Enchiladas

This recipe comes from my sister, Linda (otherwise known as Sissy).   I descended upon her house with camera and notepad in hand because she had volunteered to share her OMG rated Tex-Mex Cheese Enchilada recipe.  Sissy obtained this recipe from Eddie, who used to run a Mexican Restaurant in our hometown.  Eddie did a great business until he got arrested – but that’s another story. He may have had his problems, but this recipe is unbelievably good, and is as traditional Tex-Mex as you can get. The sauce is rich and full of chili powder, cumin, and garlic, with just enough gooey cheese to keep you coming back for another bite. You going to want to make a double batch – they go down easy.  Follow along with me and I’ll show you just how easy they are to make, or should I say, my sis will…

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Boysenberry Coffee Cake with Oatmeal and Brown Sugar Streusel

I love boysenberries and found myself with quite a few bags in the freezer after an overzealous picking session last summer. Since I also happen to love coffeecake, this seemed to be a fine answer to my dilemma.  The solution to the aforementioned dilemma was this easy as can be boysenberry coffee cake, brimming with berry goodness.  The bottom layer is the rich and buttery cake base. Next there are frozen berries of course, since that was the point of this whole exercise to begin with, but also generous dollops of boysenberry jam in the center to pump up the berry flavor and add to the moistness of the cake.  The streusel topping is lots of  brown sugar and plenty of oatmeal for a nice crunch.    This recipe should work with any type of blackberry, so if you have marionberries or other variety of blackberries laying around, go for it!!  This cake is so addictive I had to hide it from my husband… OK, he hid it from me…but I found it.

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Fresh Fruit Salad Parfaits with Pineapple Greek Yogurt

I was messing around with the idea of fruit salads the other day and was trying think of something other than the ‘just a big bowl of fruit’ or the ‘just a big bowl of fruit with gloppy dressing’ that is often so sweet you can’t taste the fruit.  Here is the end result:  Still plenty of fresh fruit, and the dressing is a pineapple Greek yogurt that is thickened by straining it for a couple of hours.  Fruit is beautiful to look at, so rather than slathering it with the dressing, it’s layered, parfait style.  The Greek yogurt is not super sweet, and since I love pineapple it’s the flavor I chose, but if you’d prefer a different flavor, go for it.  This was really fun to do, and you can pick a couple of kinds of fruit, or several.  If you make this in parfait glasses, it’s fun to mix and match the fruit differently in each one.  If you are feeding a crowd, just grab a large glass bowl and start layering, making sure you’ve got some fruit on top.  It started out as a fruit salad, but also works great for breakfast, a high protein snack, or dessert.

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Roasted Asparagus Crepes with Cheese Fondue Sauce

 

If you ever had any doubt you could make a crepe, I’ve got good news:  If you can make a pancake, you can make a crepe.  In fact, I don’t make a very good pancake (in other words, I’m horrible at it), but for some reason I can fry up a batch of crepes in no time.  Crepes are the ultimate no fuss food.  First of all, the batter comes together in about two minutes in a blender.  It has to rest for at least half an hour before cooking, but I’ve let the batter sit for two days in the fridge before using, just because I got sidetracked with other shiny objects.  While the batter is resting, the asparagus can be tossed in the oven for roasting, and the cheese sauce (also super simple) can be put together.  If you’ve got a good non-stick skillet or cast-iron pan, your crepe cooking will be a cinch, and each one only takes about a minute or two to make. The end result is a light and beautiful bundle with plenty of fresh asparagus and just the right about of what you will swear is cheese fondue, which happens to be something I cannot resist. Fill them, bake them, and chow down.  You will be very proud of yourself, as well you should be.

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