Dizzy Swallows

Vegetarian Vermicelli

October 10th, 2012 1 Comment

With the dark days of Winter fast approaching, we’ve been doing our best to capitalize on the last surge of fresh produce afforded by the glorious Fall we have been enjoying. While I am looking forward to comfort dishes like this and this, the recipe below is just the (delicious) ticket for a lazy, sunny Fall evening.

While this may not be Vietnamese in the strictest sense, it arose from my deep love of that cuisine and has all the fresh, satisfying tang of my favorite dishes of the aforementioned variety. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Vegetarian Vermicelli

Ingredients:
  • 1 large onion, halved, sliced into thin rounds, then cut in thirds
  • 6 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 1-2 Tbsp. sesame oil for frying
  • 1 packet rice vermicelli (or capellini if you’re in a pinch)
  • 1 bell pepper, diced small
  • 2 stocks celery, diced

… Continue reading

Jalapeño Popper Sandwiches

August 1st, 2012 3 Comments

You guys. It’s lunchtime. I often find lunch to be one of the most underrated meals of the day. Given proper planning, it can have all the satisfaction, without any of the pretension, of a fancy dinner.

I recently happened upon these babies while browsing Pinterest and knew they must soon grace my plate.

Inspired by the guilty pleasure that is a jalapeño popper, they are grilled cheese re-imagined. Spicy, roasted jalapeño peppers, gooey cream cheese, grilled cheddar, and a bit of crunch from crumbled tortilla chips blend in eye-rolling glory.

Jalapeño Popper Sandwiches

I’ve adapted this recipe from Closet Cooking. Makes 2 sandwiches. So you can share…or, ya know, have seconds.

Ingredients:
  • 4 jalapeño peppers
  • 4 slices bread of your choice
  • About 2 tablespoon butter, room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
  • About 1 cup grated cheddar or jack cheese
  • 8-10 tortilla chips
Method:

Slice the jalapeños

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Summer Harvest & Chocolate Blackberry Financiers

October 11th, 2011

The dying throes of summer have lingered in the occasional crisp autumnal sunshine, but that fairer season will soon be buried by blustery winds and the omnipresent Seattle rain. However,
I take comfort in the knowledge of the lustrous little morsels of summer tucked away in our freezer. Like good Northwesterners, we managed a last blackberry harvest before the Fall weather came rolling in. I wanted to share a few photos from that expedition as well as a delightful recipe for gluten-free, blackberry and chocolate financiers!

Our chosen spot is a coveted family secret, but I can tell you it is on Whidbey.

It offers a perfection of rolling bramble thickets, accessible from both sides, with a view and sweet little meadow that can’t be beat.

My fellow harvesters also happen to be two of my favorite men in the world, my dearest Jacob and my cousin Brad.

Industrious gentlemen … Continue reading

Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries & Banana

August 12th, 2011 3 Comments

Breakfast chez nous is typically a dull affair. With both of us working from home, we have our simple morning routine down pat. Coffee is the first priority as we roll out of bed, bleary-eyed and yawning. Promptly after, the whir of computers spooling up fills our make-shift office (which double and triples as the living room and dining room) as teeth are brushed, water splashed on faces, and some semblance of clothes are thrown on. We are creatures of habit, and breakfast has suffered sadly for this. Most days oatmeal is our go to dish – it’s fast, easy, nutritious, and can be spiced up with whatever is on hand. But boy can it get old. Enter the ever ingenious Heidi, and her baked oatmeal.

This wonderful dish is worlds away from the typical gruel most people associate with cooked oats. Golden-topped, crispy-edged, scented with the sweet smell … Continue reading

On Fresh Fava Beans and Summer Pasta

July 22nd, 2011 4 Comments

Glorious weather not withstanding, summer is a feeling. It is that sense of freedom engrained from our schooldays, of long hours wiled away in hedonistic pursuits. Blue skies and golden sunshine certainly help, loosening limbs and warming faces. Sadly, as myself and others have noted, Seattle is having rather a dismal showing in the seasonal department this year. But summer be damned, at least the family farm is in full force.

On a recent visit we were presented with several beds of fava beans, ready for harvest. They are the strangest bean, growing resolutely towards the sky like so many impudent, fat, green fingers. The leaves are pliable and tender and, according to my mother, can be used to make a very pleasant pesto!

We harvested about a third of the crop, easily filling a large storage bin. I must admit, hitherto my only reference for fava beans came from … Continue reading