Boise and Twin Falls, Idaho

Since we were in Boise, I decided to visit the Capitol Building, which is a very beautiful, marble-filled building.  The only other state capitol building I have been in was in Oklahoma and these two buildings seemed quite similar to me.  I plan on trying to visit the capitol building whenever I can just to see how similar they all are.  The city of Boise is very friendly and easy to get around in.  

 We enjoyed the RV park we stayed in and Newman especially enjoyed the Bark Park which was a wonderful grassy, fenced in area in the middle of the park.  There were usually at least a couple of dogs to play with several times a day, but the highlight of the day was about 6:00 p.m. when lots of dogs came out to play.  Needless to say, Newman had a blast wearing himself out with all the playmates. 

We moved on to Twin Falls in Idaho and I got to explore the Snake River Canyon which is where Evil Knievel attempted his jump in 1974. 

I also visited the Shoshone Falls and was astounded at how beautiful and powerful these falls were.  They are nicknamed the Niagara Falls of the west and now I can’t wait to see Niagara Falls.  I toured the area in the morning and was so impressed that I brought Gerry to view them as soon as he was done working for the day.  It was easy to visit twice since they were only about 10 minutes away. 

On my last day in Idaho, I drove over an hour away to visit Balanced Rock, which was quite interesting.  It is a rock formation in a canyon that is 48 feet high and 40 feet wide and the base is 3 feet by 17 1/2 inches wide. It's fascinating to see something like this created by the elements.  I really enjoyed the ride to Balanced Rock, since it was through miles and miles of farmland.  There were lots of dairy farms and tons of hay fields.  The other crops that went on for miles were potatoes, of course, and corn and I think soybeans.  I’m not sure about the soybeans, but there was definitely something other than corn and potatoes, so I’m guessing soybeans.  There is something wholesome about driving through miles of farmland.

We caught a spectacular sunset one evening as we were ready to walk Newman.  

We are now Salt Lake City, Utah and looking forward to learning more about the area

Hoisin Grilled Tuna Steaks

Tuna steaks are so meaty, they make you feel like you're eating something much richer than fish.  I got some impeccably fresh tuna steaks from Whole Foods and decided this was the way to go.  The steaks were marinated in an Asian flavored mixture containing sesame oil, coconut aminos (or soy sauce) sherry, hoisin sauce, garlic and ginger.  After an hour, the tuna steaks went on the grill to cook for a couple of minutes on each side until cooked to medium to medium rare.  We like it still red in the middle just as long as it's not cold in the middle.  I served the steaks over a bed of garlic infused sauteed Swiss chard and with a side of sauteed zucchini.  Other than planning for the hour of marinating time, this recipe is quick and easy.

Hoisin Grilled Tuna Steaks
Makes 2 servings

1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 6-ounce tuna steaks (sushi grade)

 Combine sesame oil, coconut aminos, sherry, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger and salt and pepper to taste in a zip-lock bag.  Add the tuna steaks and make sure to massage and turn bag to evenly coat the tuna steaks with the marinade.  Let sit for 1 hour, flipping bag occasionally.

Remove tuna steaks from marinade and grill over medium-high heat from 2-3 minutes on each side until just done. 


Slightly adapted from Food.com

Our rating:

Bison Chili

Bison was the meat component of this chili which made it a nice, lean dish.  It also had a sweet potato, green pepper and onions in addition to the strong level of spices and some cocoa powder.  I used the full amounts of spices listed in the recipe below and it turned out quite spicy.  If you are sensitive to heat, I would cut the spices in half.  We happened to love the spice and topped the chili with some Cheddar cheese and sour cream which toned it down a little.  This recipe does require some planning since it uses a slow-cooker and has to cook for 4-6 hours.

Bison Chili
Makes 4-6 servings

3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 pound bison stew meat
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
1 onion, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut in 1-inch pieces
Sour cream, optional for serving
Cheddar cheese, grated, optional for serving

Pour the canned tomatoes in a medium sized bowl and add the garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, chipotle powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder, salt and pepper.

Place the bison, sweet potato, onion and bell pepper in a slow-cooker and cover with the seasoned tomatoes.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Recipe from Practical Paleo

Our rating:

Pan Seared Chicken Thighs with Creamy Corn Saute

What a long title for this blog post, but since I am not the most creative person to name a dish, this pretty much explains it all.  I pan seared some bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs that were simply seasoned with salt, pepper and thyme and finished them in a hot oven.  I served them over a bed of sauteed corn, carrots and peas which had the same seasonings as the chicken and finished off with a little heavy cream which I allowed to cook down.  Even though there wasn't too much cream, it still felt like a very decadent dish.

Pan Seared Chicken Thighs with Creamy Corn Saute
Makes 2-3 servings

4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon thyme, divided
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 ears of fresh corn, kernels cut off (or 2 cups frozen corn kernels)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup organic heavy cream

Cut the kernels off the cobs and set aside (or remove corn from freezer and run under cool water to thaw).  Prepare onion and carrots and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a heavy oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking.  Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme.  Place chicken skin-side down in hot skillet and allow to cook 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip chicken over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Place skillet in preheated oven and continue to cook for about 20 minutes (or until chicken is done to 160 degrees on a meat thermometer).

While chicken is finishing in oven, saute onion, carrots and corn in a little olive oil over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes.  Add peas and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon thyme and saute for another minute.  Add cream and allow to come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until cream is thickened and just coating the vegetables.

Serve chicken over sauteed corn mixture.

Our rating:

Rockfish Parmesan

While visiting with some new friends at a recent RV Park, they offered to share some of their local fish that they had caught and frozen themselves.  John was going fishing again and wanted to free up some freezer space and we graciously accepted his kind offer.  Rockfish is local to the northwest waters and is a very mild, white fish.  I was intrigued with the idea of coating a mild white fish with a combination of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese and it turned out to be very tasty.  I served it over some Quinoa pasta which I tossed in a little garlic flavored olive oil and added peas to the dish.  Quite yummy!

Rockfish Parmesan
Makes 3-4 servings

1 pound rockfish fillets (or other white fish fillets)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon wedges for serving

Cut the fish into serving sized pieces.  In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle over both sides of fish.  Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish and set aside.  Dredge the fish in the flour and then dip into the beaten egg and finally coat it generously with the crumb/cheese mixture.

Brush a shallow baking dish with the butter and arrange fish in a single layer.  Drizzle any remaining butter over the fish fillets and bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Slightly adapted from We Love Fish

Our rating:

Portland and Baker City, OR

Since we were back in the Portland area, I got to explore another area on the Columbia River that I just didn’t get to last time.  I got to visit the Columbia River Gorge Museum, which was very informative on how the gorge came to be through thousands of years and the various stages of settlement in the area.  I then went to Hood River, which is famous for the constant winds providing the perfect conditions for wind surfers and kite surfers.  I had lunch in the city on an outside terrace overlooking the surfers, which was very entertaining.

 

I took a scenic route from Hood River towards Mt. Hood and stopped at a perfect lookout point for the mountain.  The views were simply spectacular, showcasing the snow-capped mountain in the distance with the rolling farmlands and wild pine trees all around.  

 

 On the way back down the scenic road, I couldn’t help stopping to snap a few pictures of pear orchards with the Del Monte crates just waiting to be filled.  Now you know where some of the Del Monte pears come from.  I’m sure this is not the only area that they get the pears from, but there were huge orchards running for miles in Oregon, which I found surprising. 

 

I spent a few hours also exploring the End of the Oregon Trail museum in Oregon City, about 20 minutes away from Portland. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours and reminded me of how this great country was populated. 

 

At the RV park in Fairview, Newman had a wonderful puppy to play with just two sites over from ours.  Dolly was a one-year old Yorkiepoo who could run circles around Newman with her boundless energy.  Newman and Dolly spent several hours each day playing around.  Dolly left the day before we did and ever since I think Newman finds us quite lame as playmates.  Hopefully, we'll find another puppy in another park soon.

 

On Friday we started the first leg of our homeward journey, which we will be doing gradually with 3 or 4-day stops along the way.  Our first stop was Baker City, Oregon, a very quaint town with a thriving historic downtown area.  We had dinner in town on Friday evening at Barley Brown’s Brew Pub and sat at an outdoor table on the sidewalk watching the locals come and go. 

We spent Saturday morning playing a round of golf at Quail Ridge surrounded by mountain ranges that looked like the perfect setting for any Western movie.  The course was in great condition and just challenging enough for Gerry to enjoy it.  I’m still learning to play, so I find all courses challenging.

 

We ended our day in Baker City by visiting the Antique Car Show, which just happened to be in town and was something different for us to do and turned out to be fun.

As I write this, we are in route to Boise, Idaho, which is our next stop on our journey.  Gerry assures me I will like Boise, so I am anxious to see if he is correct.

Grilled Salmon with Tomato Relish

I love all of Bobby Flay's recipes that I have tried and the few meals I had at his Mesa Restaurant in Las Vegas.  I tend to cook his recipes for special occasions since they are usually more complicated than I like to tackle on an everyday basis.  This particular recipe of Bobby's is not too complicated but still packed with flavor.  I'm still undecided as to how I feel with tomatoes paired with salmon.  I kept thinking the pairing was a little strange but it certainly didn't stop me from clearing my plate. 

I served the salmon with a side of pureed cauliflower.

Grilled Salmon with Tomato Relish
Makes 2 servings

For the salmon:
1/3 cup champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon ancho chile powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 salmon fillets (6-8 ounces each)

For the relish:
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon finely diced sweet onion
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salmon glaze:  over high heat, in a small saucepan, reduce the vinegar and sherry by half.  Pour the reduced mixture in a bowl and add the mustard, honey, ancho chile powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside while preparing the relish.

For the tomato relish:  combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve at room temperature.

Preheat the grill to medium high.  Brush the salmon with the glaze and grill 3 minutes on each side for medium.  Serve with the tomato relish.


Slightly adapted from Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay

Our rating:

1/2