Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Greek Gods Contest Winner

The winner of the Greek Gods Greek Yogurt Contest is Lisa Carr from Connecticut. And now for the winning recipe! Lisa received a 150 dollar gift card to the restaurant of her choice!

North African Chicken with Yogurt Cumin Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/ teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, dividedd
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
!/2 teaspoon black pepper
, divided
4 6 ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup Greek Gods Regular Yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped English cucumber
1 cup dried brown lentils
2 sprigs parsley
1 slice Spanish onion ( 1/2-inch thick)
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
4 very thin slices proscuitto
3/4 cup minced Spanish onion
3 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 ( 6 ounce bag) prewashed baby spinach

Combine 1 tablespoon oil, zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt,
paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add chicken; turn to
coat. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, Greek Gods Yogurt, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley,
mint, cumin and garlic in food processor; process until smooth.. Place
yogurt mixture in medium bowl; stir in cucumber. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place lentis, parsley sprigs, onion slice, thyme sprig and bay leaf in a
large saucepan; cover with water to 2-inches above lentils. Bring to a boil;
cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Disard
parsley sprigs, onion slice, thyme sprig and bay leaf.

While lentils are cooking, wrap 1 proscuitto slice around each chicken
breast. Place chicken in a 10-inch by 10-inch baking dish. Bake at 375
degrees for 25 minutes or until done.

While chicken is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium
heat. Add minced onion and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add
zucchini and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in lentils,
spinach, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cook 5 minutes or until
spinach wilts. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoon chopped
parsley. Serve chicken over lentil mixture; drizzle with the yogurt sauce.

Makes for 4 servings

Monday, February 11, 2008

Tomato Basil Soup with Yams


The contest is over and there is a winner. More details very soon...
For now, a soup recipe!

Tomato Basil Soup with Yams
This is a recipe for tomato basil soup with yams. The yams make it extra creamy and less tomato- like. The texture and combination of flavors make it irresistible.

3 tablespoons of oil
20 grams of butter
1 onion ( diced)
3 carrots cut into big cubes
5 garlic cloves ( minced)
2 yams (peeled and cut into big pieces)
9 tomatoes grated
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons of sugar
Salt and Pepper
2 liters of water

Fresh basil as desired (about a handful)
Fresh cilantro as desired,

Serving suggestion: Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil and butter in a pot.
2. Add onions and sauté until soft.
3. Add carrots and sauté for 3 minutes.
4. Add garlic and sauté for one minute.
5. Add yams, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, pepper and water. Bring to a boil.
6. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Blend soup in blender.
8. Return to stove and bring to a boil.
9. Add basil and cilantro. Cook for another minute. Cover and let stand for a few minutes.
10. Serve with parmesan.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Seattle Food Blogger Event at Sorrentino




The last food blogger event was almost a week ago but I couldn't find the time to write. Better late than never. Here goes...
The bloggers.....No particular order (actually I think it's the way they sat in the restaurant)

Eileen at Mintz your words
Sara at From food to dinner and Adventures of a Hungry Girl
Mohini at Mango Power Girl
Rachel at Eateateatenjoy and Stick a Fork in it
Ronald at Cornichon
Katrin at Simply Culture
Jay From Seattlest

Of course some of the bloggers bought friends but I decided to mention only the bloggers themselves.

Sorrentino
The food was authentic Italian food. Hand made pasta, pizza and other Italian food made of all natural ingredients. I ordered the three-meat sauce specialty pasta with
slow-simmered ragout of homemade pork sausage, chunky beef and veal meatballs, topped with fresh ricotta. I really enjoyed the dish especially the sweet sausage which they make themselves. My hubby ordered the pizza which I couldn't stop eating!
Thanks Everyone!

Note: It was super bowl night so some of the bloggers couldn't come but don't worry guys there will be another event soon.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Foodie Gossip

Union has adjusted it's menu to make prices more accessible....
They have many options for fewer than 20 dollars
Some pasta options...
Pennine with Tuna Confit, Capers, Olives - $13
Umbricelli with Lamb Bolognese, Parmigiano Reggiano -$14
Chitarra with Mediterranean Mussels, Parsley Pesto - $13
Potato Gnocchi with Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Mascarpone - $15
Some other options....
Roasted Veal Liver with Thumbelina Carrots, Rutabaga, Aged Balsamic -
$16
Ocean Trout with Cauliflower, Meyer Lemon, Yellowfoot Chanterelle
Mushrooms - $17
Skate Wing with Marinated Beets, Blood Orange - $15
Pork Tenderloin with Braised Red Cabbage, Roasted Onion, Bacon - $16
Moulard Duck Breast with Celery Root Purée, Chestnuts, Cherries - $17

Capital Grille finally opened in Seattle! The Capital Grille is known for its dry-aged, or hand-cut beef selections. It also has an extensive wine list. The place seats 250 guests and has private dining rooms as well. It is located in the 96 year old Cobb building at 1301 Fourth avenue.
Yes, it's a chain but a high- end chain with upscale food for those who can afford to
pay for a great steak.

Wine Trails of Washington- Wine Book for Lovers..





Yesterday evening I attended the book launch party for Steve Roberts book , Wine Trails of Washington, A guide For Uncorking your Memorable Wine Tour.
The event took place at The Tasting Room, the comfy wine bar located in the post alley of The Pike Place Market.

Roberts signed books, made everyone smile, and just made sure his positive energy naturally rubbed off on the wine loving crowd.

The book(608 pages)gives details of wineries all over Washington with contact numbers, tasting hours, maps and lots of information that will keep your morality high and your wine glass full as you visit the abundance of wineries that Washington has to offer.

I also found out about Vin Du Lac Winery, located in Lake Chelan and the chocolate wine pairing events in February. They are even pairing some unique white chocolate with the wine. Apparently many wineries do chocolate pairing in February, how romantic!


cover and design of book by Lisa Pettit Design
To order Roberts book or just check out the website for book, click here