• Recipes

    Knife And Fork Turkey Jalapeno Burgers

    I love burgers, but I only eat them occasionally although even more in the summer season.  When I do eat burgers, 99% of the time I make them at home so I can fill them with unique ingredients and less judging from waiters on my specific requests. 🙂 A leaner meat to use for a burger that is just as juicy and still really amazing is turkey.  I also found that these burgers hold together perfectly without needing breadcrumbs. Therefore, it’s great protein and even better, gluten free. I made these burgers cheesy and pretty big. We call these type of burgers, knife and fork burgers. You could still certainly…

  • Recipes

    Spinach And Salmon Pasta Salad

    We love fish in the Pacific Northwest. We have plentiful areas full of rivers and oceans to harvest items like salmon and crab that are local literally in my neighborhood or region. It’s great when you have the opportunity to utilize local ingredients in creative ways.  There aren’t a lot of foods that could top just snacking on crab legs with melted butter but it’s not too creative of a meal. The only fun you would get from that on this blog would be if I was secretly videotaped cracking those crab legs.  Salmon filets are a pretty plain option albeit a healthy and quick choice most of the time.…

  • Gluten Free,  Kids

    A Berry Good Day Wrap

    I had sinus surgery this week and I’m still in recovery mode but the ambition to create and the need to show more patriotism by sharing red, white and blue foods with my loved ones beckoned me.  I have a lot of love for our soldiers and love a day where we honor them in the past, present and future.  I truly believe this country is the home of the free because of the brave. My prayer for this holiday and for the future is that we can stand on that bravery in the face of fear and do better at uniting. Celebrating our differences and honoring our country as…

  • Appetizer,  Gluten Free,  Kids

    Asian Pear Salad

    Apples are abundant in the state of Washington.  We are fortunate and can have a sense of pride here because apples are such a nutritional powerhouse.  They are so versatile too. You can enjoy apples a million different ways and they always hit the spot, don’t they?  I love how many different kinds of apples there are. Today though, I want to mention a fruit that resembles an apple in flavor (the guts, not the skin) that is now grown in the United States and is just as nutritional. It’s called an Asian pear. Plantings on the west coast exist in Yakima and Wenatchee, Washington, and in Hood River and…

  • Kids

    Mango And Cod Tacos

    Fruit salsa is a great thing to have around for picnics and potlucks this time of year. Making a fruit salsa from scratch is really easy. It’s a great topping for salads which I eat all the time when the weather is warm. You can use fruit salsa as a chip dip and you can use it to top chicken, beef, fish or even tofu.  Don’t forget that fruit salsa can be really good on top of desserts too.  There are just a few variations that are necessary to remember depending on what you use the salsa for.  When it comes to savory dishes like on top of meat, I like…

  • Appetizer,  Kids,  Vegetarian

    Spring Soba Noodle And Edamame Salad

    One of the trickiest allergies that I, as a chef work with on a daily basis is an allergy to soy and products that contain soy lecithin.  I would like to take a brief moment to speak on why soy is so widely used in The United States starting with the fact that it is inexpensive and plentiful here and in many countries globally. Because soy is so versatile, it is commonly grown. You can notice the versatility of soy just by understanding how many thousands of products use soy. Isolated soy proteins are used to bring together oil, fats and water creating a longer moistness and stability in products keeping…

  • Appetizer,  Gluten Free,  Kids,  Vegetarian

    Coconut And Broccoli Salad

    Oh Broccoli! You’re one of a kind.  Broccoli is such a dramatic food. It’s versatile too. You can see broccoli as a main ingredient like the recipe today or broccoli can take a backseat to be just a component in your meal. Either way, it’s a very delicious choice because of all of its amazing properties. I love to introduce fresh broccoli to toddlers by steaming it to get them used to the flavor. It has so many good vitamins. I often like to serve broccoli almost raw because the texture and smell tends to be more favorable. However, I find roasted broccoli delicious. Not everyone does though. I think it’s great to try…