With leisurely weekend brunches in mind we put together a breakfast hash recipe that features a favorite Greek pork and lamb sausage with a twist of orange and fennel, Loukaniko. We remember our yiayia showcasing this tangy, smokey sausage in many of her luncheon dishes. She would fry it up alongside a platter of feta, Kalamata olives and Greek bread for a mezze platter or add it to a pasta for a one-dish meal. If we were lucky, she often would slip us a piece from the sizzling skillet before the meal, and making sure we didn’t ruin our appetites.
We showcase the Loukaniko in a complex hash for weekend brunch company. For a burst of flavor and sweetness to balance the saltiness of the feta and Loukaniko, we add roasted sweet potatoes and roasted red peppers. We lay a perfectly fried egg on top that seeps into the plated medley.
Greek Hash with Loukaniko, Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Red Peppers and Feta Cheese
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Between Cinco de Mayo two weeks ago and an especially booze-soaked girls’ getaway last weekend, my body is pissed. I’ve been stuffing myself with melted cheese, guacamole, and tequila for two straight weeks now and I’m not feeling my finest, on the inside or outside.
SO! What does this mean? Back to basics. Making a conscious effort to cook at home, using healthy ingredients. I’m trying to cut back on the meat and carbs for the next couple weeks, so it’s up to me to make eating tons of fresh vegetables interesting. The other night I cooked Asian lettuce wraps for boyfriend Rob (an ultra-carnivore) and our roommate Dayna (a vegetarian) and… the impossible was achieved! Everyone loved this dinner. Probably because it’s flavorful and meaty, yet meat-free and light.
The secret is my new fave vegetable protein, made by Gardein. Normally I don’t like packaged frozen foods, but I’ll make an exception for quick, healthy options like Amy’s, Kashi and certain Trader Joe’s entrees… and now I can add Gardein to the list. Luckily, their meatless meats are made from all-natural vegetable proteins (soy, wheat, and pea proteins plus vegetables and complex grains) so I don’t feel guilty about splurging on a little frozen shortcut. Apparently nobody else in my house minds either!
Meatless Spicy Lettuce Wraps
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Nothing compliments the heat of summer like a glass of chilled white wine. Not only are the white wines of Bordeaux ideal for any seasonal summertime dish, they can also accompany the tranquil, warm weather that’s quickly approaching.
Now it’s easier than ever to pair your favorite summertime event with the perfect Bordeaux, thanks to the helpful Bordeaux Wine Selection tool. Select color & tasting notes, and your particular occasion for a perfect match.
Once you’ve selected the best bottle for your occasion, the ideal way to enjoy a glass of white Bordeaux is serving it chilled; between a temperature of 9°C to 12°C (48°F to 53°F). Also, take note of the year of your white Bordeaux wine, the younger the wine, the colder the bottle.
With your chilled white Bordeaux wine in glass, all that’s left to do is sit back, relax, and soak up summer.
Search Bordeaux’s white wine selection at http://www.bordeaux.com/us/wines/selection/taste/6-2-8
Where else? Porklandia. The city that brought the world the maple-bacon donut returns with its latest feat: a seriously gourmet hot dog trend. Here are five ways Portlandians are eating their wienies right now.
1. The Pretty Dog
First up, Olympic Provisions takes your basic hot dog structure and makes it, well, beautiful. Their hand-linked Applewood and hickory smoked footlong pork frankfurter comes with artful drizzles of ketchup, dijon, onions, and house-made relish.
2. The Everything Dog
Fine dining Mexican restaurant Xico offers their own take on an Arizona favorite: the Sonoran hot dog: Grilled Nathan’s All Beef Frank, bacon, salsa verde, eye-of-the-goat beans, cotija, crema, and pico de gallo.
3. The Chili Cheese Dog
Portland Penny Diner, the new restaurant from James Beard Award winning chef Vitaly Paley offers up the Stanimal, which saves the exciting stuff for inside the wiener. A footlong hot dog is packed with oozing cheese and green chile, topped with sauerkraut and grilled onions.
Who hasn’t thought about opening their own restaurant? The idea of creating your own little world where people come to drink, eat, and laugh at each other’s ill-timed jokes is intoxicating. Everyone has an idea of what the perfect restaurant should be. Among some amateur insights we often overhear:
- “They need to hire more waitstaff.”
- “This restaurant needs to run more happy hour specials.”
- “Twelve dollars for an organic burger? That’s ridiculous.”
- “Why aren’t there more attractive waitresses?”
- “A thirty minute wait. This place sucks!” (although lines are usually an indicator of restaurant quality).
- “You know what would be sweet? If there were HD screens on the table so we could watch football while we’re eating.”
The restaurant industry is one of those things where everyone has an opinion. Just because you eat out a lot doesn’t make you qualified to run a restaurant. If you spend your whole day on a computer you’re not going to suddenly call Hewlett Packard and start offering suggestions on how to make their screens better or how to improve their track pads. Why do we feel the need to offer advice to waitresses and complain incessantly when we’re unsatisfied with our restaurant experience? Opening a restaurant isn’t as easy as people think. Here are some reasons why close to 60% of restaurants close within three years of opening.
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While most people have put away their painted eggs and finished off their remaining chocolate rabbits and jelly beans, we just celebrated Greek Easter earlier this month. To prepare ourselves for our excessive feta consumption, we whipped up a light feta dip for some friends.
Htipiti is a spread combining the salty cheese with roasted red peppers and spices, kind of like a Greek Romesco Sauce. We love to serve the orangey red blend as a dip with our absolute favorite chips, Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips or as a spread atop a lamb burger or flatbread. The blend of Mediterranean flavors in every bite triggers our taste buds for the meal ahead.
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip (Htipiti)
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On a stroll through the Flatiron District in New York while catching up with our friend, Taryn, she suggested making a pit stop at Birch Coffee to checkout a cute barrista and the rich roasted coffee. While chatting at the counter, our eyes caught sight of a delectable treat, a peanut butter and jelly brown rice crispy bar and we knew we had to sample one. We pulled and nibbled at the delectable square while walking over to Chelsea Market and were already thinking of ways to recreate the bar on our own. You really can’t beat a blend of salty, buttery nuts with sweet, syrupy preserved fruit. Here’s our take on it.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Crispy Brown Rice Bars
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