Oysters with Brown Sugar-Chipotle Butter

Oysters with Brown Sugar-Chipotle-Bourbon Butter

Oysters! Bourbon! Chipotle! Butter! Garlic! What's not to love?

The Pacific Northwest has a bounty of delicious seafood that is readily available. A perennial favorite among seafood lovers are the oysters found throughout the bays and tidal waters of the greater Puget Sound area. Oysters range from the small and delicate Olympias, to the plump Kumamoto, and the ruffle-shelled Pacific. For this recipe, search out medium or medium-small sized oysters such as smaller Pacific oysters, as the oysters release juice and shrink in size when grilled or broiled.

Fresh Pacific oysters from Johnson & Gunstone Shellfish

Over the past 6 months or so we have participated in a Community Supported Shellfish (CSS) program from Johnson & Gunstone Shellfish. Similar to a CSA (Community Support Agriculture), a CSS program provides regular deliveries of fresh shellfish to the subscriber directly from the producer. The particular CSS we belong to supplies fresh Manila clams (stay tuned for a recipe!) and premium Pacific oysters. Overall, we have been extremely pleased with the J&G CSS both in terms of price and, more importantly, quality.

Another favorite shellfish company of ours is Hama Hama, a 5th generation family-run oyster farm located on the waters of Hood Canal. The folks at Hama Hama not only produce exceptional oysters, they very well may have perfected the grilled oyster. Lucky for us, they also shared their outstanding recipe for grilled oysters, or "Grillers" as they are know at the Hama Hama Oyster Saloon, with Bon Appetit a few years back.

This post is our reproduction of Hama Hama Grillers using J&G Shellfish Pacific oysters. We typically broil the oysters in the oven by placing them on a baking sheet with small squares of foil under each oyster to hold them level.

These oysters make a fantastic appetizer or afternoon snack. Enjoy them with chunks of fresh bread for dipping in the grilling juices and brown sugar-chipotle-bourbon butter. We often have them as an appetizer before scarfing down a couple pounds of steamed clams; our typical J&G CSS order is a dozen Pacific oysters and two pounds Manila clams.

Ingredients

Ingredients!

• one dozen Pacific oysters (or other medium sized), freshly shucked, on the half shell, with liquor
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ of one canned chipotle chile in adobo, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, or softened/melted in microwave
• 1 ½ teaspoons bourbon
• 1 ½ teaspoons light brown sugar
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Estimated time: 5 minutes prep, oyster shucking (time may vary), 10 minutes cooking plus cooling

1. Preheat the oven to 500° F. Before saucing the oysters, switch oven to broil (high) and let it preheat for a minute or two before broiling the oysters.
   
   

   

   Brown Sugar-Chipotle-Bourbon Butter
   

   
   
2. Mix garlic, chipotle chile, bourbon, and brown sugar in a small bowl until well mixed (smooth if butter is not melted). Season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper.
   
   

   

   Oysters on foil cups

   
   
3. Shuck oysters and arrange on a baking sheet, using a small square of aluminum foil under each to create a "cup" that supports the oyster and holds it level.
4. Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the butter mixture onto each oyster.
5. Broil oysters until butter is melted, sugar begins to caramelize, and light charring appears on the lips of the shells, about 3 to 6 minutes.
   
   

   

   Broiled Oysters - hot!

   
   
6. Enjoy! Make sure to let the oysters cool first, as they liquid will be boiling hot when they come out of the oven. Fresh bread or baguette is a great addition for soaking up any remaining juices and sauce.

Notes

• Careful! Oysters and sauce will be boiling hot after cooking. Let cool slightly before enjoying.
• The original recipe calls for two dozen oysters. We enjoy our oysters generously sauced, so we often use most of a single batch of sauce for a single dozen oysters.
• Oysters release liquid during cooking so we usually pour off some of the oyster liquid as we shuck them.
• Finished oysters will have released liquid and shrunk in size, losing around a third or half of their body volume.
• Place a small square of foil beneath each oyster, place the oyster on top and hold level, then scrunch the foil up around the sides to create a "cup" of foil to support each oyster on the baking sheet. This keeps the oysters level while cooking to hold the juices and sauce in the oyster shell. 
• The oyster juices poured off during shucking could be saved to for another use (seafood broth? a soup?)

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Healthy Granola (natural sweeteners)

I love granola but am often not compelled to buy it at the store because it can be quite expensive and I can be a bit turned away by the ingredient list, especially the amount of sugar in granola. But it is quite easy to make! I tend to have most of the ingredients on hand, so it is easy and affordable for me to make a batch of tasty and relatively healthy granola. Below are some of my favorite recipes!

Pictured above is the honey, nut, and fruit granola (before topping with fruit) and the chocolate sea salt granola 

Honey, Nut, and Fruit Granola

I have modified Cookie and Kate’s excellent granola recipe in creating my own basic granola recipe!

Ingredients (Makes about 3 cups)

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup nuts/seeds (whatever you have on hand) [I used walnuts, almonds, cashews, and sunflower seeds in this picture)

½ cup dried fruit (optional) [I used dried cranberries and dates]

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ cup melted coconut oil

¼ lite cup honey (just shy of 1/4 cup) [I highly recommend raw unfiltered honey]

½ tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract

 

Directions

Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the oats, nuts/seeds, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl.

Melt the coconut oil in a separate bowl, mix in the honey while the coconut oil is still warm, and then mix in the vanilla and almond extract.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well until all the oats are coated.

Bake 24-28 minutes, stirring after about 15 minutes.

Cool granola for at least one hour.

Top granola with dried fruit

Break the granola into pieces with your hands, stirring with a spoon if you don’t want larger chunks

Granola will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 weeks.

 

Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Almond, Sea Salt Granola

I modified an excellent recipe from Erin lives whole, swapping maple syrup for agave nectar and reducing some of the sweetness.

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned oats

2/3 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup coconut flakes

½ tsp sea salt

¼ cup coconut oil

¼ lite cup agave nectar [just shy of ¼ cup]

¼ cup cocoa powder

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)

1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together the oats, almonds, coconut flakes, and sea salt in a bowl.

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the coconut oil, agave nectar, cocoa powder, and brown sugar (if using) and stir until everything is dissolved and combined (about 3-4 minutes).

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the vanilla.

Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Pour oat mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 28-30 minutes.

If you are adding chocolate chips, pull the granola out of the oven after 25 minutes, place the chocolate chips over the granola, and bake for the remaining 3-5 minutes.

Allow granola at least one hour to cool before breaking up with a spoon or your hands.

Granola stores in an airtight container at room temperature for two weeks.

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Pizza! (Pear, Caramelized Onion, Gorgonzola)

 

Pizza!

We love pizza and we love fun toppings! This pear, caramelized onion, and gorgonzola pizza is one of our favorites! We also like to top it with bacon or prosciutto, but we also enjoy topping it with fresh, lightly dressed arugula.

We have a pizza stone from pampered chef, which we love, and we highly recommend cooking pizza on a pizza stone. That being said, if you do not have a pizza stone, you can use a large non-stick baking sheet that is comfortable an oven above 400 degrees F. If you do use the non-stick pan, we do recommend using the bottom side (so it is easier to slide the pizza on and off) and brushing with olive oil.

 

Ingredients (1 large pizza):

• Pizza dough (or make your own using the recipe below)
• 1/2 pear (I use bosc), thinly sliced
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• ¾ cup shredded smoked gouda cheese (we have also done without and used extra of the other cheeses)
• ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• 2-3 pieces of bacon, cooked, optional
• 2-3 slices of prosciutto, cooked, optional
• Fresh arugula, optional

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and add the sliced onions. Cook until they soften and turn a light golden brown (about 10 minutes).                
3. Roll your dough out on your sheet or stone and brush the top of the dough with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle the mozzarella and smoked gouda cheeses evenly over the pizza. Top with your pear slices, add your bacon/prosciutto (if using), add your caramelized onions, and add the fresh thyme.
5. Sprinkle evenly with the gorgonzola crumbles.                                   
6. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until the pizza and crust are golden brown.
7. Remove from the oven and remove from the pizza stone onto a cutting board or surface for cutting the pizza                                                                                          
8. Allow the pizza to cool a few minutes and then serve
9. OPTIONAL: If you want to top with fresh arugula, prep the arugula while the pizza cools. Toss your *already rinsed and dried* fresh arugula with a little bit of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper. It should just be very lightly dressed. Top each slice of pizza with a hearty scoop of the arugula and enjoy.
10. TIP: Always top with fresh parmesan cheese

Pizza Dough Recipe (Passed on to us from our friends, Kyle and Tanya, who do live at high altitudes). I modified their recipe slightly.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 ½ tsp dry active yeast
• ¾ cup warm water
• 1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Whisk together the flours and salt in a bowl (stand mixer bowl, if you have one)
2. Heat your water so that it is lukewarm and whisk together the water, yeast, and olive oil in a separate bowl.
3. Add the flour mixture to the flour mixture.
4. Using a bread hook attachment (or your hands), combine all of the ingredients (you may need to add slightly more water).
5. I allow the bead hook to combine all ingredients until I have a slightly moist ball (not too dry but not too sticky) (~1 minute). Then I knead/mix the dough on the counter-top with my hands for 3-4 minutes.
6. Coat a medium bowl with olive oil, place the dough inside the bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or beeswax and allow to rest for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
7. Remove the dough from the fridge and kneed on a lightly floured surface for 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough back in the oiled bowl (you may need to re-oil the bowl) and allow to sit in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
8. Remove the dough from the fridge 30 minutes before you wish to make your pizza 

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Rice Pilaf with Homemade Vegetable Stock and Saskatchewan Wild Rice (Gratitude Post!)

Rice Pilaf (Vegan Sausage) and Homemade Tzatziki !

This is a gratitude post! This is a recipe that is grateful for friends and family who share recipes, food, and resources.

This is a rice pilaf dish that I came up to use homemade vegetable stock, based on our friends’ recipe (check it out on their blog!), and a long grain wild rice given to us by Mark’s Aunt and Uncle in Saskatchewan (Canada).

It made for a really easy and tasty weekday meal and the leftovers were just as good as the original. NOTE: You do not need to have fancy Canadian rice for this, but I do urge you to diversify the rice(s) you put into your pilaf for different flavors and textures. Just note that you may want to slightly adjust the broth/liquid depending on the type of rice.  

This recipe uses a field roast, but you could certainly sub for real sausage, fish, other meat, or simply veggies.

 

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 2 Tbsp butter (sub olive oil if you prefer/if cooking vegan)
• ½ cup orzo pasta
• ½- ¾ cup diced onion (yellow or red)
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup uncooked white/jasmine rice
• 1/3 cup Saskatchewan wild rice (sub for another wild rice, long grain rice, etc.)
• 2 ¼ cup vegetable broth/stock
• Field roast Italian garlic and fennel plant-based sausage (or other protein)
• ½ cucumber, diced  

 

Homemade Tzatziki (from Love and Lemons!)

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup finely grated cucumber
• ½ Tbsp lemon juice
• ½ Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small clove of garlic, grated
• Pinch of sea salt
• ½ Tbsp chopped dill

 

Directions

Melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) in a lidded skillet over medium-low heat. Add the orzo and cook until golden brown stirring frequently.

Stir in the onion and bell pepper and cook until the onion becomes translucent (approx. 5 min), add the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Add all the rice and the broth/stock. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil

Reduce the heat back to low/medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed (approx. 25 minutes).  

While the rice pilaf is cooking, slice your sausages and warm up in a pan over medium heat until they brown slightly on both sides (if you are using uncooked meat, you will need to properly cook it)

While your sausages are browning and your rice pilaf is cooking, make the tzatziki: Squeeze liquid from the cucumber slices using a towel and then combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Remove from the heat (cook for a few minutes with the lid off if there is noticeable liquid remaining), let sit for a few minutes, and then stir.

Place rice pilaf into a bowl, top with the browned sausage slices (~ 1 sausage per person), add fresh diced cucumbers, and top with tzatziki! 

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Poppy Seed Rolls ("Poppyseed")

 

Poppy Seed Roll

Poppy Seed Rolls, or simply "Poppyseed" as I have always known them, are a sweet dough baked good made from a potato dough that is filled with a thick and bitter-sweet ground poppy seed paste and then rolled up into a log and baked. The perfect roll is light, fluffy, and bursting with poppy seed filling.

As far as I know, poppy seed rolls have their roots in Central and Eastern Europe communities. In particular, this delicious delicacy has origins in communities and peoples that immigrated to the United States from present day Ukraine and Switzerland. A bit of internet searching reveals that this treat is often baked for holiday celebrations with Easter and Christmas being two of the commonly mentioned ones. In my family, we often had poppy seed rolls at Christmas time, whether they were freshly made or out of the freezer. My grandmother would always make or have rolls on hand whenever we visited, and if we were good (lucky?) we would get to take a frozen roll home to enjoy later.

A number of years ago, as my interest in cooking flourished, I set out to learn how to make Poppyseed on my own. I have had a lot of help from both my mother and grandmother, and every year my mother and I have a "baking day" where we make a few rolls of Poppyseed and a few pans of cinnamon rolls. We then divide the rolls up among the immediate family to enjoy immediately or to freeze for a special occasion like Christmas brunch. Learning to make poppy seed rolls has been a year long adventure. They take time, patience, and practice to make well, and we had a number of years where we simply couldn't seem to create the same thing that grandma did!

The recipes we use come from two sources, both hailing from the Mennonite community. The dough is Edna Ruth Byler's Potato Dough from More with Less by Doris Janzen Longacre and the filling is from The Centennial Treasury of Recipes: Swiss (Volhynian) Mennonites by Alice Kaufman. The dough recipe is great in both these rolls and other sweet goods like cinnamon rolls or sticky buns.

Poppyseed is meant to be shared, which often happens for a special occasion, but there is no wrong time to make a few rolls and share them with friends and family. Enjoy!

Required Equiment

• Jelly Roll Pan
• Parchment paper

Ingredients - Dough

• 1 ½ packages of dry instant yeast
• ½ cup warm water (100° F to 110° F)
• 2 cups scalded milk
• 1 cup mashed potatoes (russet potatoes, peeled, no milk or seasonings added)
• ½ cup butter, melted
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ Tbsp salt
• 5 cups flour (maybe less or more)

Ingredients - Poppy Seed Filling

• 2 cups ground poppy seed
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ½ to 1 cup of marshmallows (approximately 10-12 large)

Instructions - Dough

Yeast bubbling away in warm water

1. Dissolve yeast in the warm water and set aside for a few minutes.
2. Combine scalded milk, mashed potatoes, butter, and sugar in a large bowl, stirring well to combine and completely dissolve the potatoes into the mixture. Any clumps of potato can be smashed using the back of a wooden spoon or other utensil.
3. Let mixture cool to lukewarm (below 110° F) and then add yeast mixture. Stir to combine and then add 3 cups of flour. Mix well to the dough sponge.
   
   

   

   Sponge after standing for 20 minutes

   
   
4. Let sponge stand for about 20 minutes until it foams up.
5. Add beaten egg, salt, and about 4 of the remaining cups of flour, mixing well to combine. Add remaining flour until a soft dough is formed, then turn out on a floured counter and knead until dough is smooth and satiny.
   
   

   

   Dough after rising to doubled in size

   
   
6. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk.
7. When ready, very lightly deflate before dividing into the 5 portions for assembly (see Instructions - Assembly)

Instructions - Poppy Seed Filling

Making the poppy seed filling

1. Combine ground poppy seed, sugar, and milk in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes or longer to thicken, stirring constantly.
2. Remove from heat and add the marshmallows. Stir until dissolved.
3. Let cool before spreading on dough.

Instructions - Assembly

1. Fit a piece of parchment paper to the jelly roll pan so the paper hangs about an inch over all sides.
2. Divide the dough into five equal portions. Three will be used for the poppy seed rolls. We often make cinnamon rolls with the other two, but any sweet dough treat can be made!
   
3. Take one piece of dough and roll into a thin rectangle with the side closest to you (and the counter edge) having the same length as the long side of the jelly roll pan. Dough should be about 1/8" thick. Don't roll the dough too thin or it will be prone to ripping or tearing.
   
   

   

   Rolled out dough with poppy seed filling spread on it

   
   
4. Spread 1/3rd of the cooled poppy seed filling onto the rolled out dough using a spatula, leaving a border of about 1". You need enough of a plain border so that when you roll the dough up it can be sealed without any filling leaking into the seal. Filling should be thick and sticky but still spreadable (without tearing the dough).
   
   

   

   Roll dough on long side to create a log

   
   
5. Starting from the side away from you, roll the dough with filling into a log. Tightly pinch the seam and ends shut.
6. Carefully place the roll lengthwise and seem side down on the parchment paper lined jelly roll pan. Three rolls will fit lengthwise in the pan.
   
   

   

   Three rolls in the lined jelly roll pan

   
   
7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 for all three poppy seed rolls.
   
   

   

   Rolls after rising to fill pan

   
   
8. Cover with plastic and let rolls rise until they nicely fill out the pan. Be careful not to let them over rise.
9. Bake at 350° F for 33-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out fairly clean. (a little moisture from the poppy seed is expected, but it should not have dough on it)
   
   

   

   Rolls after baking

   
   
10. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing rolls to a cooling rack by sliding the rolls out on the parchment paper and then carefully sliding the paper out from under the rolls once they are on the rack.
    
    

    

    Poppy Seed Roll - cut crosswise. Look at those swirls!
    
    

11. Once cooled to just above room temperature, slice rolls crosswise into ½" thick slices and enjoy!

Notes

• You must use a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper, and you must make three rolls together. This setup ensures that the rolls are not too large (and thus have too much filling to allow a proper rise) and that each roll is well contained to prevent them from flattening and spreading out horizontally. The parchment paper helps contain the inevitable leakage and makes it simple to transfer the rolls out after baking. The jelly roll pan construction is also perfect for ensuring a proper bake - we tried using a glass baking dish once and the result was very disappointing. Learn from our mistake and use the setup described!
• All three rolls do not need to be filled with poppy seed; try sweet fruit fillings or a cinnamon roll style filling - recipes are all over the internet.
• It is typical to have some of the filling leak out around the sides or the ends. A thick filling will leak less than a thinner one, and a slightly thicker dough is less likely to split open than a thicker dough. If you get large amounts of leakage, try making the filling thicker and rolling out the dough a bit thicker next time.
• 1 cup of poppy seed equals about 2 cups of ground poppy seed.
  
  

  

  Grinding poppy seed

  
  
• Grinding poppy seed can be challenging. Use a dedicated poppy seed grinder (pictured above, example here) or a clean(!) electric spice grinder. I have an "antique" grinder that has been passed down in the family from my great-grandmother to my great-aunt and now to me.
• The mashed potatoes should be plain (no seasonings added). If a little liquid is needed for mashing, use the cooking liquid from boiling the potatoes.
• If the poppy seed filling does not thicken up enough, add one or two tablespoons of cornstarch and mix in well.
• The bread proofing setting on your oven (if it has one) can help speed along the rising steps!
• Baking time will vary depending on your oven. The original recipe we have says bake for 30 minutes, but in the current oven it takes at least 35 minutes. If the top is getting too dark but you think the roll needs more time, cover it with foil to prevent further browning. It is better to slightly overbake the roll than it is to under bake, as an under baked roll really cannot be salvaged.

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