Category Archives: recipes

Cucumber Sandwiches

July 6, 2019 alaskaknitnat 3 Comments

It’s been a record-shattering summer here in Anchorage with temps in the high 80s and even hitting 90 degrees. We Alaskans are coping, but for me it’s hard to figure out how to live like a regular person – how do I sleep? How do I keep my car cool? How do I make dinner without turning my house into a hellish oven?

Bring on the cold sandwiches! When I was in college I became close friends with a woman from Connecticut. She was a little more proper than my Alaska friends and whenever she threw a party she would serve cucumber tea sandwiches on soft white bread with the crusts cut off. No one seemed to understand these sandwiches, but I would inhale them.

This morning at the farmer’s market I got an English cucumber and some Italian parsley and decided to pack a picnic for our beachside excursion.

These tasted just like how I remember. Tangy and most importantly, chilled. They were the perfect snack for this oppressively hot weather.

Cucumber tea sandwiches

Makes 6 sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
salt
zest and juice of 1 lemon
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
12 slices soft white bread, crusts removed
softened butter

Directions:

Place diced cucumber in a mesh strainer and sprinkle with salt. Let sit over a bowl for 30 minutes to draw out some of the moisture from the cucumbers. Pat with paper towels and set aside.

In a mixing bowl add the lemon zest and juice along with the cream cheese, olive oil, parsley, onion powder, Dijon, and salt and pepper. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined.

Use a rubber spatula to mix in the cucumbers.

Spread softened butter on one side of each slice of bread. Then make sandwiches using the cucumber mixture. Slice each sandwich on the diagonal. Enjoy!

Cooking, recipes

Broccoli Rice Chicken Pesto Casserole

April 7, 2019 alaskaknitnat Leave a comment

Sundays are usually a day where I take my time in the kitchen, but with the arrival of not-winter (as it’s not really spring here in Anchorage yet but the snow is mostly melted), we spent most of our day playing outside. I left very little time to prepare dinner.

This recipe was a clean-out-the-fridge type of meal. I had pesto, broccoli, chicken and pre-cooked rice hanging out in my fridge so I put them all together and it was delicious and comforting. It’s a one-stop shop for flavor and nutrients.

I used my spinach pesto recipe but feel free to use the regular kind instead.

Broccoli rice chicken pesto casserole

Serves 6

For the marinade:

1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
7 chicken tenderloins or 2 small chicken breasts

For the casserole:

3.5 cups warmed cooked rice (white, brown, farro, whatever grain you want really)
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1.5-2 cups pesto
zest of one lemon
shredded mozzarella and pecorino Romano (or Parmesan)

Directions:

Mix the marinade together in a zip top bag. Pound the chicken breasts lightly and place in bag. Marinate for 15-30 minutes.

Place the rice in a large casserole dish and set aside. Steam the broccoli until tender, about 5 minutes, and add to the rice along with the lemon zest.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over high flame and add a little drizzle of cooking oil. When pan is hot add the chicken with the marinade. Cook chicken until caramelizes and deep brown on both sides, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board and chop into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken to the casserole dish.

Add in the pesto and stir until everything is well combined. Smooth out the mixture with the back of a spoon and sprinkle lightly with cheeses. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Cooking, mexican, recipes

Skillet Enchiladas

April 3, 2019 alaskaknitnat 1 Comment

I love ooey, gooey enchiladas, but I dislike how messy they are to make. All that soaking tortillas in sauce, filling them and rolling them up – I don’t want to dirty up my clean kitchen!

Here’s a recipe I adapted from Epicurious for the easiest way EVER to make enchiladas. It’s all the same basic ingredients, but without the hassle of dipping and rolling tortillas.

This recipe is really adaptable. Use a leftover rotisserie chicken or ground pork instead of beef. Sub the black beans for pinto. Use what you have in the pantry.

It’s so quick to put together and get to the table, this may become part of our regular dinner rotation!

Skillet Beef Enchiladas – the easiest way to make enchiladas

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (sub ground pork or shredded cooked chicken)
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
about 2 cups red enchilada sauce
6 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Sprinkle of shredded smoked gouda (optional)
1/4 cup black olives, chopped (optional)
Pickled jalapeño slices (optional)
Sour cream and chopped cilantro, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500F. Heat a 10-inch cast iron or ovenproof skillet over medium-high flame. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat if necessary, but leave a little in the pan for the onions.

Add the onions and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.

Add the beans and corn. Pour the enchilada sauce over the contents of the pan and mix together. Add the tortilla pieces and gently stir to incorporate them into the mix, folding the mix over the tortillas now and then.

Evenly distribute the contents of the pan and top with shredded cheese. Turn off heat when contents is heated through and starts to bubble. Dot with olives and jalapeño slices if desired.

Bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Let cool about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with dollops of sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro.

Cooking, Pasta, recipes

Poor Man’s Pesto

March 17, 2019 alaskaknitnat 1 Comment

Pesto was a staple in our household growing up. I had a love for garlic at an early age and there was no better dinner than linguine with pesto.

My dad is a pesto purist, as you can read on his verbose website entry on the matter. I followed in my dad’s footsteps – basil and pine nuts was the ONLY way – until I started paying my own bills and realizing how expensive pine nuts and real Parmesan cheese are.

Years ago I started using pistachios instead of pine nuts for my basil-only pesto recipe, which I had adapted from Marcella Hazan’s blender pesto. I really can’t tell the difference. I realized last year that I’m not alone with this thought. Maya Wilson of Alaska From Scratch also uses pistachios instead of pine nuts for her pesto recipe.

Then last summer, Julia O’Malley invited me over to test out an Alaska greens super pesto. It was then that I realized you don’t have to stick to only fresh basil to achieve that delicious pesto-y flavor.

Enter the giant Costco bag of spinach. You know the one – it’s like $4 and you tell yourself you’re totally going to get through the whole thing before it gets slimy? My husband fell for it again this week and bought the gigantic bag of greens and it’s my mission to get through it before it goes bad.

Last night I decided to try pesto using what I had on hand: a giant bag of spinach, pistachios, pecorino Romano cheese, lemon and the other usual pesto cast of characters. What I discovered is basil doesn’t matter a bit to me when it comes to pesto. It’s the garlic, cheese and olive oil that my tastebuds crave.

This recipe was everything I wanted and so much cheaper than the recipe I grew up with. Adding melted butter makes up for the oils in the pine nuts that the pistachios lack. And including fresh lemon juice brightens up the pesto in a similar way the basil does.

I eyeballed all the ingredients, but this is a good place to start. Follow your tastebuds. If the mixture is too thick, add more olive oil. If it doesn’t have enough bite, add some more lemon juice or salt. If it’s too thin, add more cheese. You could also reserve some of the pasta water to thin out the sauce.

Spinach and Pistachio Pesto – a less expensive way to enjoy pesto bliss

Enough sauce for 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1/3 cup good olive oil (plus more if needed)
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 big handfuls fresh spinach, coarsely chopped (about 3.5-4 oz.)
3/4 cups pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon melted butter, cooled
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small food processor or blender, purée the pistachios, olive oil and garlic until smooth. Add in the spinach and blend until everything is evenly blended – about 20-30 seconds.

Place contents into a medium mixing bowl and add the cheese, lemon juice and butter. Stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. If pesto is too thin, add more cheese. If it’s too thick, add more olive oil. Serve with long thin pasta cooked al dente.

Cooking, Pasta, recipes, seafood

Pasta and shrimp in a paprika chili sauce

February 10, 2019 alaskaknitnat Leave a comment

A couple of weeks ago I posted a recipe for a Spanish-style shrimp appetizer. I am pretty sure I’ve eaten my weight in shrimp since posting it. One of my favorite parts of the dish is sopping up the flavorful garlic paprika oil with a piece of rustic bread.

The other day I didn’t have any crusty bread, so I decided to toss some linguine in the leftover oil. It was fantastic.

So I turned my tasty app into an entree. This is a wonderful way to impress your guests with a colorful, flavorful dish that takes very little time to make. It’s really easy! I eyeballed the oil and the pasta so these are approximate measurements. Feel free to play around with it!

Pasta with shrimp in a paprika chili sauce

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1-2 dried guajillo or New Mexico chilis
16 raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet Spanish paprika (Hungarian will do)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Splash of white wine (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 pound pasta

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the dried pepper into rings and place in a small bowl. When water is boiling, remove 1/2 cup and pour over the dried peppers. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Cook the pasta until it’s al dente. Drain and set aside. While pasta is boiling, toss the shrimp with the paprika and set aside.

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium. Add the garlic and softened chili and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Add the shrimp and any remaining paprika. Turn down heat if needs be to avoid burning the garlic. Cook until shrimp is pink, turning halfway, about 4 minutes.

Salt to taste. Add a glug of white wine and let it bubble away for a few seconds. Add the pasta and toss until thoroughly coated. Sprinkle in the parsley.

asian, Cooking, recipes

Delicious Homemade Pad Thai

January 30, 2019 alaskaknitnat Leave a comment

I am trying to work through my pantry. This evening I called out ingredients to my family and when I got to “rice stick noodle” my husband suggested Pad Thai. In my experience, Pad Thai at home is this sticky, icky mess that doesn’t remotely resemble the Thai restaurant staple.

I decided to give it another go. I started researching recipes on Pinterest. One claimed to taste just like the real thing but contained ketchup. Another suggested peanut butter, and I finally decided on the most un-Pinteresty looking recipe from SouvenirFinder.com. Heck yes I want my pad Thai to taste like Bankok street food!

The first go around I didn’t have tamarind concentrate. So I improvised and used peanut butter instead. I was delightfully surprised. I didn’t end up with a sticky ball of noodles that was overly sweet. It was a balanced dish with lots of flavor. Second time around my father gifted me a jar of tamarind concentrate and the recipe was even better – I even had time to snap some photos before inhaling it.

Simple homemade pad Thai

Serves 3-4

For the sauce:

2 oz. brown sugar
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate (sub peanut butter)
squeeze of lime
1-2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce (or more to taste)

For the stir fry:

8 ounces Thai rice stick noodles
1/2 pound chicken breasts, sliced thin (you could add tofu and shrimp as well, just don’t marinate them)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 onion, sliced very thin
3 baby bell peppers, sliced very thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup chicken stock
3 green onions
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
cilantro, for serving
lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

Fill a large bowl with very hot water and soak the noodles for 20 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside. They should be pliable but not soft – way less than al dente. Don’t worry, they soften up when you put them in the pan later.

Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the sauce in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and marinate until noodles are done.

Remove chicken, squeezing out sauce, and pat dry with paper towels. You’ll be using the remaining marinade as the sauce so if you’re worried about salmonella, just heat the sauce in a small pan until boiling and set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan with 1 tablespoon oil until smoking. Add half the chicken and leave undisturbed for a couple of minutes until nice and browned. Flip chicken pieces and brown on the other side. Set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Add another tablespoon of oil. When pan is hot again, add the onions and baby bell peppers. Cook until softened, about three minutes, scraping up any browned bits as you stir. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the noodles and chicken stock and stir frequently until noodles are softened, about three minutes.

Push noodles to the side of the pan and add the egg. Let it set and stir until firm and browned. Add the green onions, sauce, chicken and sprouts and mix thoroughly. There might be some sticking to the bottom of the pan, but that’s ok, it’ll still be super yummy.

Serve in bowls and top with a good squeeze of lime, some chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro.

appetizers, recipes, seafood

Gambas – Shrimp with Paprika, Chilis and Garlic

January 21, 2019 alaskaknitnat 1 Comment

Lately I’ve had a severe hankering for the gambas appetizer at South Restaurant in Anchorage. It’s a simple dish – shrimp, olive oil, garlic sautéed to perfection, paprika and guajillo chili topped with parsley.

It’s not really the shrimp that I crave. It’s the flavorful seasoned oil that is so perfect for sopping up with a couple of slices of crusty bread.

I’ve had this dish once a week for the past month. It’s time for me to make it at home.

This dish was surprisingly easy to create at home. I didn’t have sweet Spanish paprika and used the Hungarian variety instead. I also couldn’t find guajillo chilis at my local grocery store and used dried New Mexican chilis. The flavors were just perfect.

Gambas shrimp with garlic and paprika – an appetizer

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 dried guajillo or New Mexico chili
12 raw shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 1/4 teaspoons sweet Spanish paprika (Hungarian will do)
1/4 cup olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Splash of white wine (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Rustic bread for serving

Directions:

Using scissors, cut the dried pepper into rings. Place in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with the paprika and set aside.

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium. Add the garlic and softened chili and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Add the shrimp and any remaining paprika. Turn down heat if needs be to avoid burning the garlic. Cook until shrimp is pink, turning halfway, about 4 minutes.

Salt to taste. Add a glug of white wine and let it bubble away for a few seconds. Toss in the parsley.

Serve with toasted crusty bread. Or add 1/4 pound of cooked linguine to pan and toss till thoroughly coated. This makes an amazing light dinner.

Cooking, recipes, soup

Creamy Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

January 12, 2019 alaskaknitnat Leave a comment

Here’s a quick, delicious soup that uses pantry staples so you don’t have you leave your house when it’s -3 F outside, which is exactly where I found myself last night. I added red bell pepper as an afterthought and it created an extra tanginess to the soup.

Toss in some chopped baby spinach right at the end for a nutritious bump.

Creamy Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil
One onion, chopped
4 baby red bell peppers, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1.5 cups chicken stock
one 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1.5 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups chopped baby spinach (optional)
cream, for serving

Directions:

Coat a dutch oven or soup pot with olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add the onions and bell peppers and sauté until onions are soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook till fragrant, about a minute.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir so everything is well coated. Cook for about a minute. Add the stock, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil and oregano and give it a good stir. Bring to a simmer and turn down the heat to low. The soup should begin to thicken nicely. If it’s too thick, add more stock.

Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom of the pot from burning. Use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth.

Five minutes before serving, add the spinach, if desired.

Spoon into bowls and stir in a dollop of cream just before serving.

Cooking, recipes, soup

Spinach Artichoke Dip Soup

November 7, 2018 alaskaknitnat Leave a comment

Everyone loves ordering spinach artichoke dip as an appetizer, amirite? Well here’s a soup version that’s every bit as flavorful, probably nearly as fattening and downright delicious.

I checked out from the library “The Keto Reset Instant Pot Cookbook” for funsies and it’s packed with super tasty recipes. I tweaked this one a little to boost the flavor by adding onions and deglazing with white wine.

I’ve never used the sauté function on my Instant Pot, out of fear mostly, but I tried it out and it works great! You could definitely make this recipe on the stove top, but it was pretty darn quick in the pressure cooker.

This creamy soup is packed with flavor, and hey – spinach is good for you so let’s call this a little bit healthy too.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Soup

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 an onion, chopped
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
4 oz. cream cheese
1 can of artichoke hearts in water, drained
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
8 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of liquid
1/2 cup cream
freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano for serving

Directions:

Melt butter in a sauté pan (or use the sauté function on your Instant Pot). Add the onions and mushrooms and sprinkle lightly with salt. Cook until all the liquid has come out of the mushrooms, about 10 minutes.

Pour in the white wine and let it bubble away a little for a couple of minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.

Add contents to the Instant Pot if you haven’t already. Add the artichokes, mustard, sage, thyme, granulated garlic, salt and pepper and stir till everything is well coated.

Pour in the broth and water. Place cover on the Instant Pot. Make sure the release valve is set on “sealing” and pressure cook on any food setting (I used poultry) for 7 minutes.

Let the Instant Pot sit for 5 minutes, then carefully release the steam release valve.

Stir in the thawed and drained spinach and let the soup warm it for a couple of minutes. Stir in the cream.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup slightly, if you’d like. This made it more appetizing because I didn’t have odd chunks of mushroom and spinach in every bite.

Serve in bowls topped with freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.

alaska, Cooking, recipes, seafood

Ridiculously Easy Crispy Skin Salmon

October 24, 2018 alaskaknitnat Leave a comment

Whenever my family sits down to a salmon dinner we always have the same debate: do you eat the crispy, burnt salmon skin or does it go to the side of the plate with the stray bones?

My mother is a member of Club No Salmon Skin, which works out in my favor if I’m quick enough to get to her plate before my dad, who is on the same side as me – salmon skin is super delicious when it’s cooked just right.

So I set out to cook a salmon fillet with the sole purpose of making the skin crispy. It was surprisingly easy! I tried a couple of methods and found most success with these directions from Bon Appétit.

And don’t worry, if you’re not a fan of salmon skin, just peel it away and still enjoy this delicious method of cooking wild Alaska salmon.

How to cook wild Alaska salmon with crispy skin

Ingredients:

Crispy Skin Salmon | a simple method for cooking wild Alaska salmon from Alaskaknitnat.com — Beautiful Bristol Bay sockeye salmon. Learn more about this amazing wild Alaska salmon at http://www.bristolbaysockeye.org

1 fillet of Bristol Bay Sockeye salmon
olive oil
salt and pepper

Lemon Dijon sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pepper

Directions:

Remove the pin bones from your wild Alaska salmon fillet. A helpful trick is to place a mixing bowl upside-down on the counter and lay the fillet across it. The curvature allows the bones to stick out slightly and makes it easier for needle nose pliers to grasp them.

Slice the fillet into portions about 6-8 ounces each (should make 2-3). Pat them dry on both sides with paper towels and place them skin side up on a plate. Let sit uncovered in the fridge for one hour.

Liberally coat a cast iron skillet with olive oil. Place the salmon skin side down in the pan and turn on the heat to high.

Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan over medium flame and whisk in the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and mustard. Bring to a light simmer and add pepper to taste. Turn off heat and set aside.

Cook the salmon skin side down for about 7 minutes. There is no exact science to this as some fillets are thicker than others. The flesh should be opaque around the sides and there should be a ring of raw salmon in the middle of the fillet. Turn off the heat and carefully turn the fillets in the pan with a fish spatula. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes from the residual heat of the skillet. This should be enough to cook the salmon through as most of the cooking happened while the skin was getting crispy.

See how lovely and charred your salmon skin is? It’s ok if it’s a little burnt – that’s the good stuff right there.

Serve your salmon fillets with rice and veggies. Top the rice and veggies with the lemon Dijon sauce (but don’t pour it over the salmon. You don’t want the skin to get soggy!)

After munching down the salmon skin, sop bites of the salmon in the sauce on your plate. It’s so good!