Blog - Fresh From Oregon

Amazing Baked Oatmeal

April 16, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

Baked Oatmeal is like eating a oatmeal cookie for breakfast. I have made this for the past 15 years for family reunions, Mother’s Day Brunch and just anytime I was feeling like it. I love to make a full batch and put the extra in freezer containers for a quick morning meal. All you need to do is the night before pull from the freezer and place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Put some of the oatmeal in a bowl with a little milk and microwave for 90 seconds and you have a quick breakfast. I love when the Hood strawberries come into season and then the marionberries, blueberries and the other many berries that make Oregon one of the best places to grow berries. You can also add fresh slices of banana and my husband favorite raisins. So enjoy this wonderful treat and make it for your next brunch or family gathering.

In large bowl mix well 1 1/2 cups canola oil, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups milk and 6 eggs. You can sub some of the oil with applesauce and I use skim milk. You could also you egg substitute.Add 9 cups of quick cooking oats (Do NOT use long cooking oats), My favorite is Bob’s Red Mill and if you are from Oregon you know it is Oregon made and they have a great retail location that I visit at least once a month and stock up on things. They sell in retail store all across the country.

Add 3 tbsp baking powder and 1/2 tbsp salt and mix well.

Pour into a 13×9 sprayed baking dish and top with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night (This is a MUST) the oats need to absorb in the liquid. Leave foil on and place in a 350 preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until the outer edges are brown and the center is just set. Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes. It is ready to serve… I like add just strawberries to mine and like it on the dry side but my husband adds strawberries and some cold milk to his morning bowl. I have been know to have a late night oatmeal treat too, Enjoy….

Pancake Challenge … Buttermilk or Regular Milk

April 12, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

Sunday is pancake day in my house. I just have not got the right recipe my husband likes. I have been trying a new recipe the last 6 weeks and was ready to throw in the towel. With Sunday coming up I was not looking forward to another bad pancake day and in the mail on Saturday comes my Food TV magazine. They had a recipe pull out on 50 Pancake & Waffle recipes and I hoped that the recipe I have been searching for is in it. My husband likes thin pancakes and I like fluffy pancakes so I thought I would make the basic recipe using regular (skim) milk and the recipe for buttermilk which makes a fluffy pancake. I am happy to say that both pancakes came out great the one with the regular milk were thinner than the ones made with the buttermilk. I did a side by side test and they both tasted good the only difference was the thickness of the pancake and I thought the buttermilk had a little better flavor. So it was a tie and the search for the best pancake recipe is over and I am looking forward for next week and think I will add some of the Oregon blueberries I have in my freezer.

Pancake on the left is with regular milk and the one on the right is made with buttermilk

Basic Pancake (regular milk)
1 1/2 cup flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Combine the above. In small bowl combine 1 1/4 cup milk, 4 tbsp butter, melted and 2 eggs. Whisk until combined and add to flour mixture. Cook on 350 degrees (hot griddle). Cook on first side about 3 minutes until bubbles appear on the pancake. Flip and cook for 2 minutes and golden brown.

Buttermilk Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Combine the above. In small bowl combine 1 1/4 cup buttermilk, 4 tbsp butter, melted and 2 eggs. Whisk until combined and add to flour mixture. Cook on 350 degrees (hot griddle). Cook on first side about 3 minutes until bubbles appear on the pancake. Flip and cook for 2 minutes and golden brown.

It’s Chili on the Mountain still … That’s Turkey Chili

April 10, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

Yes it is still a chilly spring on the mountain. In the last 10 days we have had 7 feet of snow in the cascade mountains. Living in the foothills of Mt Hood at 1500 feet we have been lucky and only got a dusty of snow each morning. But the cold days have made me get out my soup pot and make a pot of Turkey Chili. One of my family’s favorite this is a great chili to make a large pot of and put some in the freezer. I have been making this recipe for about 10 years and had been buying cans of great northern beans for the chili. After watching an episode on the History channel on dried beans I though why was I not using dried beans like my grandmother did. I would save 1/4 the cost using dried beans and all I had to do was to be patience and soak them overnight. So from a little bag of beans I have a big pot of chili.

Turkey Chili

The night before you make the chili soak 2-3 cups dried white beans in about 8 cups of water. In the morning drain off the water.

In large soup pot cook 2 medium chopped onions with 2 tbsp olive oil, cook until onions are soft. Add 2 pounds of ground turkey and cook until done, making sure to break turkey into small pieces.

Add 1 1/2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 tsp. salt to the cooked turkey. Cook for 2 minutes to release the spices.

Add 6 cups of turkey or chicken stock, drained white beans, 1 cup salsa and 2 jalapeno peppers diced. Simmer for one hour. Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Pacific Northwest Easter Dinner

April 5, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

Moving to the Pacific Northwest almost 5 years ago I discovered how wonderful the different types of fresh fish are to cook with. There are many different types of fish runs throughout the year with Salmon and Steelhead (Trout). I decided this year that I wanted to make a meal the night before Easter that represented some of the fresh things that Oregon has right now so I got a beautiful piece of Steelhead, fresh leeks and asparagus and created a Pacific Northwest meal for my husband. To make something special I decided to bake the steelhead in phyllo dough and instead of using a dill sauce I bought some herb cream cheese to gave it a different flavor. It looks hard but from start to finish with making and baking I had a meal in 30 minutes. The phyllo dough kept the Steelhead so moist and cooked it prefect.

Cut Steelhead or Salmon into 3″ x 6″ strips and season with salt and coarse pepper.

Take two pieces of phyllo dough and lay on top of each other. Brush the whole top with melted butter.

Place Steelhead on dough about 1/4 of the way up and spread about 2 tbsp of herb cream cheese over the top. Fold dough over steelhead and tuck in sides and roll up to make a little pouch.

Brush all sides with melted butter. This is important because the phyllo dough dries out really fast so keep covered when making the pouches. Repeat with the remaining steelhead you want to make.

Place on baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until a golden brown.

Roasted Leeks & Asparagus

Wash and trim the root end and green top off the leeks and cut them into quarters. Wash and break off the ends of the asparagus. Toss both with olive oil and season with coarse salt and pepper. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Choco………..late Covered Yummy Eggs!

April 2, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

I was busy this weekend making chocolate covered chocolate eggs for all my family back on the east coast. I had 25# of chocolate wafers and run out. I did get 137 eggs done with all my families favorite fillings: Coconut, Peanut Butter, Caramel, Chocolate Truffle and Marshmallow. It was my first time making homemade marshmallow filling because I thought it would be hard to make but WOW really easy to make. When I went to mail out my six boxes of candy I made sure my favorite post office workers got some of the egg too. Here are some of the filling I did…

Soft Carmel Cream Filling:
5 oz heavy cream
4 oz sugar
4 oz corn syrup
pinch salt
1 oz butter
2 oz heavy cream

Place all ingredients, except the 2 oz of heavy cream, in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook mixture, stirring frequently, to a rich caramel color. Remove from heat and stir in the 2 oz heavy cream. Pour into small bowl to cool. I put into a plastic disposable bag to pipe into my chocolate shells.

Peanut Butter Filling:
1/2 pound butter, softened
2 1/2 cups peanut butter
5 cups confectioners sugar

Cream butter and peanut butter together with a mixer. Gradually add the confectioners sugar. Add a little more until the mixture is not too stick and you can shape. I mix some confectioners sugar and cornstarch together to keep on my hands when shaping. I found one of my measuring spoons shaped in an egg-shape and kept dipping that in the powdered mixer and made a perfect egg shape. I place in refrigerator for about 1 hour before dipping in chocolate.

Coconut Filling:
1/2 # butter, softened
1 # confectioners sugar
1 # sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 can (7 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract

In mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners sugar. Add coconut, milk, almonds and vanilla. Stir until blended on low speed about 2 minutes. Chill slightly until firm. Using the same measuring cup above shape into egg-shape. This is as sticky as the peanut butter one above just keep dipped the measure spoon into confectioner/cornstarch mixture. If you do not have that spoon you can shape by hand.

I dip all my eggs in Ghirardelli chocolate that I buy in disk shapes that I find at my local candy supply store.

Portland Farmers Market is Open….

March 24, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

You know spring has started the Portland Farmers Market at the Portland State University first day was Saturday. It was a perfect sunny day with the temperature at 70 degrees. I got there about 9:30 one hour after being opened and the crowd was unbelievable. They added another section of booths and moved the location of the food vendors and you still could not move through the crowds.

I left with Pippen and Johngold apples from Draper Girls that I plan on making my Blue Ribbon Apple with. But they had over 12 different apples from last falls crop to pick from and still as crisp as they could be. These are apples from a farm located in Hood River, Oregon.

I also got some fresh spring leeks to make potato leek soup and a loaf of Garlic bread to go with tonight’s Spaghetti and Meatballs. The booths were over flowing with fresh carrots, Swiss chard and all the different types of greens you could think of they had them. The flower vendors had fresh cut daffodils and tulips in many colors. Many more booths this year selling fresh baked bread and pastries…..

I would have bought some of the beautiful mushrooms or the great selection of greens if I were not leaving on a 3 day trip the next day.

Home on the Range ……

March 19, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

We have some great cattle ranches in Eastern Oregon that produce some of the best beef. My husband and son’s favorite meal are Fajita’s so I got a beautiful piece of flat iron steak. We were recently at the RAM restaurant and had a really good rice with corn so here is my attempt at that for a side dish for my steak fajita’s. So skip the chicken tonight and have some beef…….

Steak Fajita’s
1 1/2# Flat Iron Steak
1 large onion, sliced
1 large green pepper, sliced
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp fresh Cilantro, chopped

In a large size Ziploc bag combine all the ingredients. Marinade in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Drain off marinade. Heat a flat top grill or skillet on medium-high, drizzle with olive oil and add the steak. Sear the steak on both sides, 5 minutes each side. After the steak is seared, remove and let set for 5 minutes.
Toss the onions and green peppers with 1 tbsp olive oil and place on grill, stirring often. After 5 minutes cut the steak into thin slices and return to the grill or skillet and cook until medium-well. Serve on a warm tortilla shell with shredded cheese and sour cream. You can also serve them with avocados, tomatoes and lettuce.

Rice with Sauteed Corn
4 cups rice, cooked
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup whole corn

In skillet saute onion and olive oil for about 3 minutes,add garlic and corn and cook 2 minutes more. Add cooked rice and saute 2-3 minutes and the rice is slightly brown.

The little Italian pasta …. Orzo with Lemon Greek Chicken Thighs

March 17, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

So what is orzo if you go to Wikipedia this is what they say:
Orzo (from Latin hordeum, sometimes called Italian rice) is Italian and means “barley”[1], from which orzo was originally made. However, in common usage in the United States, orzo is understood to mean rice-shaped pasta, slightly smaller than a pine nut. It is frequently used in soups and baked casseroles. Despite its rice shape, orzo is made not of rice but of hard wheat semolina. It is also known as risone in Italian, manéstra or kritharáki (“little barley”) in Greek, and şehriye (in Turkish).
In one sentence it is my new best friend and main dish. Here is a recipe I made that using fresh spinach with a side of Lemon Greek Chicken Thighs…..

1 cup orzo, dry
1 can chicken broth
2 cups water
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp basil, dried or 1 Tbsp fresh
1/2 Tbsp Oregano, dried or 1 tbsp fresh
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag (6oz) fresh spinach
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

In pot bring chicken broth and water to a boil add the orzo and cook for 9 minutes, drained and set aside.
While the orzo is cooking in large skillet cook onion and garlic in the olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add basil, oregano, pepper flakes and salt and stir. Add cooked orzo and spinach. Cook about 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with cheese.

Lemon Greek Chicken Thighs
4 skinless chicken thighs, boneless
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp oregano, dried
salt and pepper
2 lemon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season chicken with garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Place in baking dish that has been drizzles with olive oil. Cut 1 lemon into slices and arrange with the chicken thighs. Cut other lemon and squeeze over chicken. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until cooked and browned.

Stash Tea the best in Oregon

March 12, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

After moving to Oregon I discovered something wonderful that I did not know I lived so close to … Stash Tea. When I lived back in Pennsylvania I had bought this great tea for my retail store and within months became our top selling tea. When I started shopping in different Oregon stores I saw it everywhere and that is when I realized it is made in Oregon. I traveled a short distance from the mountain to Tigard, Oregon and there it was with a retail store were you could buy all the types of teas they make. The store is not big but you can walk around and smell all the teas and enjoy their tea sampling of the day. You can even watch through a glass window and watch them pack up the boxes of tea that are shipped throughout the US, Canada and International. I wonder if they were packing tea to go back to my old store, Trax Farms, back in PA? So if you want the best selection of tea, bagged or loose this is the place to get it. Visit their website at www.stashtea.com. Here is a cool teapot I picked up last time I was there a vintage 1920 style cooper insulated white stoneware teapot that keeps tea hot for 1 hour.

Another year older….

March 9, 2010 · by Carrie Trax ·

My husband John celebrated another year older today. He saw a day that went from light snow in the morning to sunshine, to rain, to sunshine to light snow. Yes this is another spring day on the mountain. This will be our 5th spring in Zigzag and the earliest we have seen daffodils and primroses in the yard in full bloom. John ended his B-day with his favorite birthday dessert dumplings, this year he wanted peach. Enjoy the following recipe and think of the summer days to come and picking fresh peaches.

4 cups peaches, sliced, fresh or canned
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
1 batch pie dough for a double crust

In large pot combine peaches, sugar and flour. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the stove and add the vanilla and butter. Let set from 10 minutes to cool.
Divide dough into 4 pieces, roll out one piece to a 10-inch circle. Place a 1/4th of the peach mixture in the center (about 1/2 cup heaping). Fold up all 4 sides to the center and place in a 13×9 greased baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough. Bake in a preheat 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until golden brown. Cool for about 20 minute before eating.