Bird's Nest Bites

A Cook & Garden, Together In The Pacific Northwest

Big Pasta & Cannellini Bean Soup with Pesto

Dick was down with a bad cold, and that usually means homemade soup in our household. Translation: he needs me to get out of his ‘territory’ so he can rest, so I end up puttering away in the kitchen, which to me is a win-win. On that particular day, the soup depended on what was available in the pantry and fridge, and this soup is the result. It’s hearty….super hearty, and one of those you can pack in a thermos for a special treat after a day of digging in a soon-to-be garden, an early spring hike, or any other activity that requires you to warm up from being out in the elements. Big hunks of colorful vegetables are the base, and then we load on a lot of healthful cannellini beans, a fair amount of carbs with big elbow macaroni, and enough crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to round everything out. We won’t forget to add big dollops of pesto to the top of our bowls for freshness, and let’s not skimp on the butter on those crackers – we earned it.

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Black and Green Olive Tapenades

 

Traditional Olive Tapenade is hard to beat. The briny, dark purple, Greek Kalamata olives mixed with capers, lemon, olive oil and all kinds of good stuff create the ultimate spread. What do you say we go one step further? Making an additional tapenade with either buttery green Frescatrono or Castelvetrano olives puts an entire new spin on things. Serve them side-by-side so you can tell the distinct difference in taste, or mix them together for the ultimate tapenade experience. You will swoon over this spooned onto crusty Artisan bread. But this stuff isn’t just a one-trick pony – I love to keep a constant stash in my refrigerator to slather on chicken or fish before baking or grilling, and it is guaranteed to blow your mind if you dollop generously on rice or other grains. Check out the recipe below to see how incredibly fast and easy this one is…

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Lemon Bars

I’m blaming the creation of these Lemon Bars on my mother, Neeners, who is 87 but don’t tell her I told you.  I arrived at her house the one day to pick up a watch I needed to borrow.  She looked up and said “You’ve come empty handed.  Where is my treat?”  Since I often spied bakery lemon bars lurking in her kitchen, I hoped this would do the trick.  These Lemon Bars have a crisp shortbread crust and creamy, tart lemon topping.  She got a few.  I ate the rest.  Oh, I later found out she took some to a restaurant and used them to tip the waitress.  Luckily they are easy to make since she appears to be using them for currency. Here’s another recipe that can be made from start to finish in a food processor.  If you don’t have one, doing it the old fashioned way is nearly as easy….

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Toasted Orzo with Spinach & Feta

Here’s an easy side dish I developed pretty much by accident due to the fact that I stepped away from the stovetop while attempting an orzo risotto recipe. Orzo is a little pasta shape that looks a lot like big grains of rice. When I returned to the stove, I saw that the orzo was super toasted, and there was no way that was going to cooperate into giving off its starch to becoming a creamy risotto. “Rats”, I thought, but then decided just to go with it and see what happened. The result was this happy surprise. Toasting the orzo until just a tad past golden brown gave it a nutty, more developed flavor, and didn’t make the pasta clump up – not one bit. The addition of some wine, then chicken broth, further popped up the flavor. But being one who can’t leave well enough alone, I grabbed a couple of handfuls of baby spinach and tossed them in until just softened, then finished the whole business with some crumbled feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, and roasted garlic. Yowza.

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Winter Citrus Bars with Tangelo & Blood Orange

I’ve always loved Lemon Bars, but lately could not get the concept of creating an Orange Bar out of my mind. I was determined to try my hand at them while citrus season is still in full swing, but the concept in my head took some trial, and many errors, before it was fit to print. I knew my first attempt didn’t quite hit the mark, but sent several over to my 87 years young mom, Neeners, who snorted, “Do not spend any more time on those. Move on to something else – they were horrible and I threw them out”. Does this paint the same picture of parental nurturing and support in your mind, as it does to mine?  Neeners’ quite accurate review just made me all the more determined, and after another attempt or two, now think these bars are well worth making – a crispy shortbread crust, topped with a creamy, slightly tangy orange layer that has been brightened with the flavors of both tangelos and a colorful blood orange. Neeners has declared these bars as ‘Sumptuous’, which is what she calls everything she likes, but nevertheless it’s a far cry better than her first review.

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Dark Chocolate Frozen Mousse with Marionberry Liquor Sauce

 

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and that spells chocolate in my book.  Here’s a dessert from my blogging partner Tricia that will make your loved ones swoon and as an added plus, offers many opportunities to lick the bowl at various stages of production.  Here we have a frozen dark chocolate mousse that is complimented by a sweet, tart and boozy marionberry liquor sauce.  And that’s not all – we top it with whipped cream that has been spiked with a splash more of the liquor.  We realize that some people like to say “less is more”, but we prefer “more is more”, so decided to grab a bar of chocolate and make big dark chocolate curls just for fun.  Yes, that’s a lot – but it comes together surprisingly fast.  And believe me, it’s worth every minute of time. And speaking of time, everything can be made in advance which allows more time for, well, whatever it is you happen to be doing….

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Double Chocolate Cookies with Salted Almonds

 

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and that spells CHOCOLATE to me.  This cookie has it all..dark dutch cocoa, extra-dark chocolate chips, and home roasted almonds that have been sprinkled with sea salt to boost everything over the top.  Put them all together and they spell love, and that’s what Valentine’s Day is all about.  Love for our special someone, family, friends…and cookies.  Speaking of the love of cookies, I’d like to introduce you to my friend Milton.  Milton swims laps in the mornings when I’m doing the same, and we’ve developed a friendship across the water during breathing breaks.   Milton swims laps at least an hour a day, will celebrate his 80th birthday this year, is a cookie fanatic, and in fact has just baked his 200th batch in less than two years – I know this because  I’ve seen his spreadsheet…. Milton is a baker after my own heart, and goes full throttle with every cupboard and drawer in the kitchen wide open while his baking his creations.  Check out more on Milton at the bottom of this posting – then you can see some of what he’s been up to.  For now, let’s talk a little more about these Double Chocolate cookies…
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Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Cinnamon, Cocoa & Espresso

Super Bowl Sunday is just a few days away, and that means I’d better figure out something to make with zero last minute effort in order to concentrate on all of those good commercials.  This vegetarian chili is full of flavor, thanks to three varieties of beans, sautéed onion and mini-peppers, and hold the phone…why in the world would anybody add some weird stuff like cinnamon, cocoa, and espresso to all that? Here’s the thing: all of those spices and other odd sounding things add a deep and savory flavor. And no…you won’t taste the cinnamon, the cocoa, or the espresso, but you will know something good is going on in there that you just can’t quite put your finger on. I sautéed the vegetables first, then threw everything else into the slow cooker, because as we’ve covered before, I am basically a lazy cook. Oh wait! I also added a bottle of a good Stout beer. Sound weird? The Stout has coffee and chocolate undertones, but also adds a subtle bitterness to the chili that ups the flavor meter to the ‘just right’ setting. Like most chilies, this is better the second day, so if you can throw it together the day before and reheat it, the flavors will get a chance to mellow and get to know each other, and that’s always a good thing. (PS: Thanks Nick, for the Stout suggestion – it was a great one xox.)

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Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

 

Got the blues? Cold outside? Feeling not quite yourself?   This is the soup for you. It’s what I make for my husband every time he’s down with a cold, and the one I pack up and deliver to friends who are under the weather or in need of some nutritional comfort. It can take hours or minutes, depending on your choice of broth options and chicken selected. Still tastes just right, whichever route you take. This is hearty soup, with big pieces of chicken and vegetables, plus a whole lot of, shall we say, generously sized noodles (I used regular lasagna noodles and cut them into strips when cooked) because to me, noodles are a food group all by themselves.   Another bonus: this soup can be gluten free – just substitute gluten free pasta for the regular noodles in this recipe and you are good to go.…

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Cheesy Gorgonzola Bread

This recipe comes from my blogging partner, Tricia.  When I first tasted it, I became immediately addicted and just had to share with you. This beautiful loaf, with it’s soft crumb and mellow hit of Gorgonzola cheese is just right for enjoying while savoring a fruit forward red wine. It doesn’t need any embellishment, so feel free to eat it as is with nothing added. Unless you happen to be like me, of course – I love this toasted just a little bit and slathered with butter. I have also been known to cut thick slices, fill with my favorite melting cheese, and make the best grilled cheese sandwich I ever ate. Naked or dressed, this bread is well worth making!

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