Blog - Fresh From Oregon

Over the Top Blueberry Muffins

July 27, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

Fresh from Oregon, blueberries have a long season and you can still find plenty at the local farmers markets and stores. Here on the mountain (Mt Hood) I have been picking the blueberries from my bushes for about a week. With the higher elevation we are about 4 weeks later than the farms in Portland, Oregon. With Blueberry Muffins on the menu for breakfast today I was out early in the morning to pick 2 cups of fresh blueberries. The recipe below will make a nice tall muffin if using tall paper muffin cups in your muffin tins or if you want a more shorter muffin with a large top bake directly in the muffin tin. To me a muffin is best with a little crumb topping but if you prefer you can just leave plain or sprinkle with some coarse sugar.

Over the Top Blueberry Muffins
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (22 ounces)
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar (8 ounces)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
16 ounces plain whole fat yogurt or plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 cups fresh blueberries

Crumb Topping:
In medium size bowl mix 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon flour and 1/4 cup of room temperature butter. Mix until you get small crumbs, set aside.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees and coat a standard 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray or place tall muffin paper cups in muffin pan.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In second bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, yolks, yogurt and orange zest until smooth. Make a crater in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Stir with a rubber spatula until just barely combined. Resist the urge to over-mix – there should be a some lumps of flour in the batter. Fold in the blueberries, mixing just to combine. Drop about a cup of batter in each of the muffin tin’s wells or paper cup. You may have extra batter to make a few more muffins. The cups should be quite full. Sprinkle the muffins with crumb topping and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the bottom of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Recipe ~ Alton Brown’s Over the Top Muffins

Fresh Homemade Blueberry Sauce

July 5, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

The color of blue is bursting all over the blueberry fields here in Oregon. From small to large, blueberries are perfect to make a sauce you can use on so many things. This time of the year I will make blueberry sauce every week just to have in my refrigerator. I use it to top yogurt, pancakes, waffles, ice cream, cheesecake and so much more. Great for baking a pie, blueberry crumb bar or anywhere you use pie filling. Its delicious for making non-churn ice cream, look for that recipe in a future post. There are only a few ingredients and in 15 minutes you will go from fresh blueberries to blueberry sauce.

Fresh Homemade Blueberry Sauce
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In medium saucepan add blueberries and place on medium heat for a few minutes to start bursting the blueberries. In small bowl add the sugar and cornstarch and combine. Add to the blueberries with the lemon juice, stir until combined. Cook over medium heat a few minutes and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 5-8 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Once it thickens remove from heat and cool before placing into a container. Refrigerate and enjoy!

The BEST Homemade Granola

June 7, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

Once you have made and tasted homemade granola you will never buy store bought again. This is the BEST homemade granola recipe and so easy to make. The basic granola recipe combines quick rolled oats, coconut and wheat germ. You then add your favorite nuts and dried fruit, a honey mixture, toss and bake for 30 minutes, it’s that simple. Granola is perfect topped on yogurt, layered in a parfait or mixed in your favorite pancake recipe. I store it in glass canning jars and have in my kitchen ready just to grab as a snack.

Fruit & Nut Granola
6 cups Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup chopped almonds, sliced
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 cup pecan, roughly chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup canola oil
¾ cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven 250 degrees. In large bowl combine the rolled oats, coconut, wheat germ, nuts and dried fruits and toss to combine. In small microwave safe bowl combine the oil, honey and vanilla and microwave for 1 minute. Stir honey mixture into dry ingredients and mix well. Spread mixture onto two greased baking pans. Place in oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool on rack and store in airtight container.

Pacific Northwest Granola
6 cups Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
1 cup wheat germ
2 cups chopped hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 cups dried cranberries
½ cup canola oil
¾ cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven 250 degrees. In large bowl combine the rolled oats, wheat germ, hazelnuts and dried cranberries and toss to combine. In small microwave safe bowl combine the oil, honey and vanilla and microwave for 1 minute. Stir honey mixture into dry ingredients and mix well. Spread mixture onto two greased baking pans. Place in oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool on rack and store in airtight container.

Once the Pacific Northwest Granola is cool you can add some chopped chocolate covered hazelnuts to give the granola another layer of flavor.

Homemade Strawberry Lemon Jam

May 26, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

Once you taste your own homemade strawberry jam, you’ll never want store-bought again! With the strawberries coming into season here in Oregon I need to get my water bath canner out and jars washed to make my strawberry lemon jam. The last few years I have been using the recipe for strawberry lemon jam from the Ball® Blue Book. The lemon peel gives this jam just another layer of flavor. When I first got married I wanted to make jam and the first one I made was strawberry. It is easy and simple to make and when you taste it you will feel like you are eating fresh strawberries. Make sure you make enough to last throughout the year since strawberries season is usually about a month long depending on your weather.

Homemade Strawberry Lemon Jam
1/4 cup thinly sliced lemon peel (about 2 large)*
4 cups crushed strawberries (about 4 pints)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 tablespoons Ball^® RealFruit™ Classic Pectin
6 cups sugar
7 (8oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
Combine lemon peel and water to cover in a 6- or 8-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes, until peel is softened. Drain and discard liquid. Return peel to pan.
Add strawberries and lemon juice to peel and mix well. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling that can not be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
* How to make lemon peel with Crisp™ “Tools for Healthy Eating”.

Recipe from ~ Fresh Preserving ~ Ball®

Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar

May 21, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

Easy single-serving cheesecake desserts are baked in a glass jar and there is no slicing and serving just pick up a jar and enjoy! With layers of creamy cheesecake, homemade strawberry sauce and topped with toasted graham cracker crumb you will not put your spoon down until it is gone. These are great to make ahead and perfect for a picnic, birthday party, or any kind of gathering!

Cheesecake in a Jar
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup Homemade Strawberry Sauce

Topping
1/2 cup finely ground graham crackers (from 4 crackers)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. To make the cheesecakes beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes more. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Raise speed to medium. Add sour cream, lemon juice, and salt. Beat for 3 minutes.

Divide batter among five 8-ounce canning jars, filling each two-thirds full. Transfer jars to a deep baking dish; add enough boiling water to dish to reach halfway up the sides of the jars. Cover dish with foil; cut 8 slits into top to vent. Bake until set in the center, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool. Place lid and ring on jars and refrigerate overnight to set.

Meanwhile, make the graham topping: Stir together graham-cracker crumbs and butter. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 10 minutes. Let cool. Store in air tight container until ready to assemble.

To assemble top each cheesecake with 2 tablespoons strawberry sauce and divide the graham cracker topping among jars (about 1 heaping tablespoon each).

Ready to eat or place on a lid and refrigerate for later!

Source: Mini Cheesecake Jars

Homemade Strawberry Sauce

May 15, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

The smell of ripe, juicy strawberries fresh from the field is what I wait for every spring here in Oregon. Strawberry season is different depending on where you live, but here in Oregon it can start as early as the first week in May. During my visit this weekend at the local farmers market I found several farm stands with crates of strawberries just waiting to come home with me. Fresh strawberries should be refrigerated and eaten within a few days. One way I found to get some extra time with fresh strawberries is to make a sauce. It will keep for about a week in the refrigerator and can be used to top ice cream, cheesecake, pancakes, yogurt, or filling for a cake or just about anything you like.

Homemade Strawberry Sauce
1 pint strawberries, chopped
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place the chopped strawberries in a sauce pan and begin to cook over medium heat. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to the sauce pan of strawberries. Add lemon juice and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Set aside and cool. Refrigerate once cooled. Makes 2 cups of sauce.

Asparagus Caesar Salad

April 28, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

Tender green spears of asparagus are popping up out of the ground all around Oregon! Asparagus can be grilled, steamed or just eaten raw fresh from the garden. With fresh lettuce I bought with the asparagus from the market I wanted to make a quick and simple salad combining the two. Caesar salad came to mind and instead of serving with croutons I made the asparagus the crouton of the salad. In less than 20 minutes you will have a side salad with dinner or a meal all by itself. When buying asparagus look for firm stems, the tips are tight with moist and plump stems.

Asparagus Caesar Salad
12 asparagus spears, washed & ends trimmed off
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons panko crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 head Romaine lettuce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Homemade Caesar dressing, recipe below

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 11×7-inch baking dish place the asparagus spears and drizzle with the olive oil. Roll the asparagus in the olive oil to cover. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. In small bowl mix the panko bread crumbs with the butter and sprinkle over the asparagus. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

Cut end off the romaine lettuce and separate the leaves (wash as needed) and lay on 4 plates. If you prefer smaller pieces cut lettuce before placing on plates. Lay cooked asparagus on top and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with the homemade Caesar dressing and serve. Serves 4.

Homemade Caesar Dressing
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons water
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add all ingredients except the olive oil, parmesan cheese, water, and salt and pepper. Process to combine.
While blending, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Add the parmesan cheese, and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and thin with water to desired consistency.
Keep dressing refrigerated in a sealed container until ready to use. Use within several days of making.

Fresh from the Oregon Coast ~ Cioppino for Two!

February 20, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

Dungeness crab is still Fresh from Oregon with some other great seafood like Ling cod, Rockfish and Petrale Sole. The peak season to find Dungeness crab in Oregon is December through April and fresh ‘whole-cooked’ crab are readily available on the coast, farmers markets and supermarkets. If buying at the farmers market expect to get the whole cooked crab that will still need to be cleaned. If you want to skip cleaning out the insides you can buy and ask your local seafood store or supermarket to clean them before you take them home. I bought mine at the farmers market and yes I had to learn how to clean a crab. With some help I found on the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission website they had a great video that helped me through all the steps and it was not so bad cleaning it myself. My husband’s favorite seafood dish is cioppino and he has had many bowls from all over the pacific northwest. This was a dish I wanted to make at home for him so with my one whole Dungeness crab and fresh Ling cod from the farmers market I started collecting my seafood. With a stop at the local supermarket I added fresh scallops, shrimp and Manila clams to my first homemade Cioppino.

So what is Cioppino and where did it get started? Originating in San Francisco it is a tomato base fish stew and is considered an Italian-American dish. It has been said that as the fisherman came in for the day from fishing they would “CHIP IN” to a pot of cooked tomatoes, wine and spices thus creating the name Ciopinno (chip-EEN-o). Since the catch of the day could be anything the stew could be different each day. So as you are making the Cioppino add the seafood you like and each time you make it try a different combination. The recipe below is for two and uses just over 2 pounds of seafood. I choose to use Dungeness crab, Ling cod, shrimp, scallops, and Manila clams. Some other seafood you could use would be little neck clams, mussels and squid. I wanted to add my own twist to my Ciopinno so I served it over my creamy Parmesan risotto. This made the broth rich and creamy and a full meal for me and my husband. Enjoy my version below and enjoy some fresh seafood from where ever you live!

Cioppino with Creamy Parmesan Risotto
Tomato base:
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, diced
12 oz fresh tomatoes, diced or 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 to 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes, depending how spicy you want it
1 cup white wine
1 cup water
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Salt to taste

Seafood:
8 oz Ling cod or other firm white fish, cut into cubes
4 oz scallops, rinsed
8 oz shelled and deveined tiger prawn or shrimp, rinsed
4 oz Manila clams or little neck clams, rinsed
12 oz Dungeness crab meat

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onion until they become aromatic, but not browned. Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and chili flakes and continue to stir for about 1 minute. Pour in the white wine and water and simmer on low heat. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes.

Turn the heat up to high and add in the all the seafood and the parsley and gently stir together. As soon as the clams and mussels are open, the stew is ready, this will take any where from 5 to 8 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve immediately. In a large bowl place a cup of the hot Creamy Parmesan Risotto* and spoon broth and seafood over the risotto. Serve with toasted crusty bread. This makes two hearty portions with the risotto added so you can make this dish to serve 4 people just as easy.

* Creamy Parmesan Risotto
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
3 cups water
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice, dry
1/3 cup dry white wine, room temperature (if you do not want ton use wine sub chicken broth)
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring chicken broth and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to simmer.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add onions, and saute until tender about 3- minutes. Add dry rice and saute for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed. Add 1 cup of the hot broth mixture and cook stirring often until liquid is absorbed. Add another cup of broth and repeat procedure, adding remaining broth 1 cup at a time. Cooking time is about 25-30 minutes. Once the last broth has been added and liquid absorbed add the butter, whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes, serve immediately. If you want to save time cook the day before or just before starting the Cioppino. Reheat before serving with the Cioppino.

Pancake Hearts for Breakfast

February 8, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

With Valentine’s coming up next week treat your sweetheart or family with some heart-shape pancakes. Make them mini or big they will bring a smile to everyones face. Make it extra special and cut your strawberries into heart-shapes and do not worry if the hearts are not perfect because hearts come in many shapes and sizes!

Heart-Shape Pancakes
Buttermilk Pancakes recipe
Large Ziploc bag or icing bag
Strawberries
Other goodie ideas: mini chocolate chips, cherry pie filling, jimmies, bananas, blueberries

Preheat flat top grill or pan to 400 degrees. Make the buttermilk pancake recipe above and place half of the batter into the bag. Do not over fill the bag it will make it hard to make your heart-shapes. Once the grill or pan is hot enough cut off the end of the bag to get about a 1/4″ opening. Be careful to hold the cut side up so the batter does not start to spill out. With the bag of batter make the outer shape of a heart and then fill in the center with more batter. You might want to practice a few first. Do not worry if the heart shapes are not perfect. Once you start to see some bubbles on the top of the batter take a peek with a spatula by lifting a corner to see if the bottom side is a golden brown color. If it is flip over the pancake. Cook another 2 minutes and the pancakes are ready. If you want to keep them warm place in a preheated 250 degree oven on a baking sheet. You are now ready to add your goodies and enjoy!

* You can also add the jimmies to the batter before cooking

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

January 29, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

With another winter storm coming this weekend to the mountain it is the perfect time to start planning for a big pot of chicken noodle soup. There are only a few ingredients you need to have to make a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. With a whole chicken and some vegetables you can create a pot of rich broth in just a few hours. Add some thick home-style noodles and you have the perfect homemade meal for your family.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
1 whole chicken
2 cups carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups celery, diced
2 cups onion, diced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
water
6 cups chicken broth
16 oz bag Reames® frozen egg noodles or dry egg noodles

Unwrap whole chicken and remove from the inside any chicken parts and discard. Run chicken under water to clean the inside cavity and place in a 7-8 quart pan. Add the carrots, celery, onion, parsley, salt and pepper to the pan with the chicken. Pour in water to cover the chicken. Like me you might not have a pot that is big enough to cover the chicken so add as much water as you can and flip over the chicken about 1 hour into cooking. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours. Remove chicken to a pan and set aside to cool for about 15 minutes. Add the 6 cups of chicken broth and turn heat up to medium. Once it starts to boil add the noodles and boil for 30 – 45 minutes. While the noodles are cooking pull the chicken off the bones into smaller pieces, discard the bones. Add chicken back into the pot, season with more salt and pepper if needed and simmer for about 30 more minutes. It is ready to serve. I like to freeze any leftover soup to enjoy on another day.